“Specifically, it should be the female with the direct blood relationship to Aadam,” Leo added. However, the answer he subsequently provided left Stan speechless, “Actually, I don’t know why it would be Aadam’s mother and sister.”
In the village, even the deaths of small cats and dogs would become widely known.
Sure enough, early the next morning, the Dickson family’s courtyard was already bustling. Some came to watch the geomancer perform rituals and relocate graves, some came to help, and others simply came to spectate.
Overall, the atmosphere was somber, as this was not a joyful occasion.
Once everything was ready, the group set off towards White Iris Mountain in a grand procession.
Performing geomantic rituals in modern times was quite rare, let alone a major event like relocating graves.
Geomancy had a much stronger following in rural areas compared to large cities, and many elderly rural folks believed in it wholeheartedly. Moreover, many rural customs were closely tied to geomancy.
The entire peak of White Iris Mountain was now crowded with people, leaving only space for the ritual to take place.
Leo stood calmly in front of the sacrificial table, his face devoid of any ripples, appearing as composed as ever.
Upon seeing Leo’s calm demeanor, some of the older villagers gradually let go of their underestimation of him.
Their intuition told them that this young man was not as simple as he seemed.
Leo glanced at the time, ten minutes remaining. He looked up at the sky, which was clear and favorable for the ritual today. However, the large number of people could potentially disturb the spiritual atmosphere of the place.
Hopefully, everything would go smoothly without any unforeseen incidents.
All the props on the sacrificial table were in place: incense burner, long incense sticks, yellow divination board, rootless water, mirror, wolf hair brush, cinnabar…
Aadam wore black clothes, mourning attire, and was already kneeling in front of his grandfather’s grave.
Nine workers who were brought along stood quietly to the side, waiting to exhume the grave and carry the coffin later.
Not only the mountaintop but also halfway up the mountainside was filled with people. Everyone was discussing today’s events, exchanging words with one another.
The result was a cacophony of voices, like a swarm of bees gathered together, buzzing and bustling.
With one minute remaining, Leo raised his right hand and said loudly, “Please be quiet, everyone!”
Oddly enough, Leo’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it resounded clearly in the ears of everyone present, even those halfway up the mountainside.
This statement seemed to carry a mysterious power, quickly quieting the crowd. The entire mountaintop fell silent, devoid of any human voices.
“I am about to commence the ritual. To ensure its success, I ask that you all refrain from making any noise or moving around arbitrarily, regardless of what you see or hear. Remember this.”
With his instructions given, Leo lifted the peach wood sword from the sacrificial table.
He made a sword flower with the peach wood sword, formed a hand seal with his left hand, and began reciting some obscure and convoluted incantations.
Following Leo’s instructions, Aadam remained kneeling quietly in front of his grandfather’s grave.
After finishing the incantations, Leo inserted the peach wood sword into the ground, then picked up the wolf hair brush from the sacrificial table and started drawing Talismans on the spot.
Soon, one Talisman was completed. It was a purification Talisman, not among Leo’s usual prepared Talismans, so it needed to be drawn on-site.
With the Talisman completed, Leo took the high incense from the sacrificial table. After igniting the Spiritual Power, he bowed in all four directions, then inserted the incense into the incense burner.
This act of the incense self-igniting was quite mystical, and the gazes of the onlookers were completely focused on Leo.
Leo took the Talismans from the sacrificial table and affixed them to the top of the peach wood sword’s hilt.
With a gentle flick of Leo’s right hand, the Talismans burst into flames, emitting a dazzling light that made the onlookers unable to open their eyes for a moment.
This scene completely shocked the crowd. After all, in Spirit Wells Village, even the oldest folks had only witnessed rituals involving chanting and dancing. When had they ever seen such a miraculous sight?
Especially some of the young people, their mouths agape in disbelief, wondering if they were dreaming.
“This is too incredible, could it be magic?” One awakened young man couldn’t help but speak.
An adult beside him whispered, “Shut up, don’t talk nonsense. Have you forgotten what the master said earlier?”
The dazzling light disappeared, and when they looked at the peach wood sword inserted in the ground, it had transformed into a small tree with red branches and a trunk, devoid of leaves.
Just as Leo was preparing to proceed to the next step, the abrupt sound of sirens came from a distance, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent environment.
Leo’s state of mind was disrupted by the sound of the sirens, and he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. If the timing was missed, it would be troublesome.
Three police cars arrived at the foot of the mountain, and the police officers who got out of the cars were startled by the scene. They transmitted messages through their walkie-talkies while fully armed, rushing toward the mountaintop.
The appearance of the police excited some troublemakers among the crowd. One young man whistled and loudly exclaimed, “The police are here! Do you all want to see who’s more formidable, the police or the geomancy master?”
His words were met with agreement from the young people around him, each of them looking excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
Police officers with guns still had a deterrent effect on the villagers, and the crowd automatically split apart, making way for the police.
Fate can be quite strange at times.
The one leading the police team was none other than Madame!
Why would Madame come to this place?
Although Leo couldn’t understand, he also felt relieved at the same time. It was easier to deal with someone familiar, and he had helped her before. Surely she wouldn’t make things difficult for him.
When Madame saw Leo, she was also stunned. The person causing the trouble turned out to be this guy!
Before Madame could speak, a burly police officer behind her shouted, “What are you all doing here, playing tricks and causing a ruckus? Disperse!”
“Officer, what you’re doing isn’t right. This is a funeral gathering, and you don’t have the authority to drive us away!” an elderly man retorted against the male police officer.
Another elderly person chimed in, “Officer, the Dickson family is carrying out a grave relocation today. In the countryside, this is how we hold ceremonies for major events. We are not causing trouble by gathering here.”
The villagers were simple and honest, and although the police arrived aggressively, there were still many people speaking up for the Dickson family.
Respecting the deceased was important, and it wasn’t an illegal or disorderly matter. It was indeed unreasonable for the police to interfere, and no one knew which little troublemaker had called the police.