Serving Yin Dishes, Dissolving Grievance and Dispelling Baleful Aura

Zhang Qiang had been dead for three days.

Not only had his appearance changed, but his emotions and intelligence seemed to have changed as well.

His strength had also grown immense. He dragged me straight toward the lake, and I could not resist at all.

He was a Drowned Ghost, while I was alive.

If I went into the water with him, I would definitely drown and become his replacement.

I could not pull him back, so I could only call out repeatedly:

"Wait, Zhang Qiang, wait, Zhang Qiang. I still have something to say..."

"What is it?"

Zhang Qiang turned around and looked at me with that swollen face and those vacant eyes.

Yet his whole demeanor seemed wooden and dull.

I hurriedly explained:

"Look, I ordered so many good dishes here, and we haven't even eaten them yet!

There's no rush to leave. Let's eat something first."

As I spoke, I pointed at the basket nearby.

He froze for a moment, then sniffed the air and murmured:

"Smells so good!"

"Of course it does. Come on, come on, have something before we go..."

I smiled as I spoke, but inside, I was panicking like hell.

Zhang Qiang hesitated, glanced at the Yin Dishes, and was drawn in by the aroma. He replied hoarsely:

"Alright!"

With that, he released my hand.

The instant he let go, I felt as though I had been freed.

Bruises had already formed around the wrist he had gripped.

I shook out my hand. Without hesitating further, I quickly went to the basket and took out the prepared Yin Dishes.

Uncle Yu had said that the Yin Dishes had to be eaten starting from the first one.

After all six dishes were eaten, the resentment and Baleful Aura on the ghost would naturally be cleared away.

By then, Zhang Qiang would regain consciousness.

Then I could use the method Uncle Yu had taught me to send Zhang Qiang on his way.

I quickly brought out the first Yin Dish, Chicken Blood Flower Cake.

There were six little flower cakes, each red as blood.

Every one of them had been shaped like a plum blossom.

I said to Zhang Qiang:

"Zhang Qiang, try this Chicken Blood Flower Cake first."

Zhang Qiang sniffed it, making a snuffling sound.

Then he extended a swollen, pale hand covered in water stains and took one from the plate.

He looked at it, then stuck out a red tongue and gave it a lick.

The moment he licked it, he visibly became excited.

His eyes flew open, and he stuffed it into his mouth in one bite.

He began chewing with loud crunching sounds.

After he swallowed one Chicken Blood Flower Cake, a trace of life seemed to return to his vacant eyes.

More emotion appeared on his dull face, along with a flicker of surprise.

He stared fixedly at the Chicken Blood Flower Cakes, then hurriedly reached out and grabbed two more.

This time, without even thinking, he stuffed them straight into his mouth.

The way he ate was especially crude.

He chewed with loud crunching sounds, looking strange, like a water buffalo chewing grass.

Very quickly, he finished all six Chicken Blood Flower Cakes.

Uncle Yu had said, "When ghosts eat flower cakes, sweetness fills their hearts."

Looking at Zhang Qiang now, calmness had actually appeared on that swollen, numb face.

There was even a faint gentleness in his eyes.

At last, he opened his mouth and let out a long breath. A wisp of black vapor visible to the naked eye drifted from his mouth.

Seeing that the Yin Dishes were truly having some effect, I felt a little more hopeful.

I hurriedly said, "Qiang, I have more here."

With that, I quickly removed the plate that had held the flower cakes.

All six flower cakes were still on the plate, untouched.

Only their original scent had vanished.

I tossed away the plate and the flower cakes, then quickly took out the second Yin Dish from the basket's second compartment.

Earth Dragon Stewed Chicken.

The chicken had been stewed with live earthworms. It smelled awful, and the broth was grayish-brown.

Even though it had already gone cold, it still gave off a strange odor.

I placed a small basin of chicken soup on the little table, along with chopsticks and a spoon.

This time, Zhang Qiang's expression grew even more excited.

He practically thrust his whole head toward the soup basin.

"Try it. Earth Dragon Stewed Chicken."

Zhang Qiang did not hesitate. He picked up the spoon, scooped up some chicken soup, and slurped it down in one gulp.

Then he let out an "ah," breathing out a puff of black vapor, his face full of comfort.

After drinking the soup, he even picked up the chopsticks and ate the chicken and the earthworms inside.

The sight nearly made me vomit, and I had to suppress a dry heave.

But Zhang Qiang looked like he was enjoying it immensely.

He ate the earthworms as though he were slurping noodles.

Finally, he lifted the basin of chicken soup with both hands and gulped down several mouthfuls.

Although Earth Dragon Stewed Chicken looked bad and smelled worse,

Zhang Qiang changed noticeably again after eating the second Yin Dish.

Not only did he expel more foul vapor and gain more light in his eyes, but the swelling on his face had also gone down significantly.

Just as Uncle Yu had said, "When ghosts eat stewed chicken, they open their hearts to joy."

Striking while the iron was hot, I immediately served Zhang Qiang the third Yin Dish.

Locust Bark Boiled Meat.

"When ghosts eat boiled meat, they gain flesh and blood."

I did not know what "gain flesh and blood" meant here.

But at that moment, all I had to do was serve the dishes.

"Qiang, the third dish: Locust Bark Boiled Meat."

Locust tree bark was bitter, and the pork had been boiled only half-cooked. It had not even been sliced.

It was just one whole chunk.

Yet Zhang Qiang's eyes lit up at the sight. He grabbed the half-cooked pork and began gnawing on it.

He wolfed it down with extreme excitement.

He kept saying, "Delicious."

In the blink of an eye, he finished the entire piece of pork.

After eating the third Yin Dish, he was no longer as dull as before. He even wiped his mouth.

He nodded at me and said:

"Delicious, really delicious!"

Though his voice still sounded somewhat strange.

Seeing Zhang Qiang change more and more, I hurriedly served the fourth dish, Beef Tallow Greens.

"When ghosts eat greens, they suffer no illness or harm."

The greens had been arranged in the shape of the Chinese character for person, and the smell of beef tallow was strong.

But to Zhang Qiang, this ghost, it held an incredibly powerful attraction.

He did not even use the chopsticks, simply grabbing the food with his hands.

But then I noticed that his hands were no longer swollen. Even his nails had shortened considerably.

From time to time, he exhaled a mouthful of pale black foul vapor.

It looked as though he was about to return to normal.

Seeing it, I was thrilled.

After he finished the fourth Yin Dish, he even took the initiative to ask whether there was more, saying he still wanted to eat.

I was overjoyed!

It was good that he wanted to eat.

I quickly served the fifth dish, Fishbone Meatballs.

"When ghosts eat meatballs, they know pain and shame."

If a living person ate this dish, the fishbones would definitely leave their mouth bleeding.

But when Zhang Qiang ate them, nothing happened at all.

He kept nodding and saying they were delicious.

And after he finished the dish,

the swelling on his face had subsided by seventy or eighty percent.

His original features could now be seen, though his complexion was exceptionally pale and utterly bloodless.

It felt as though he had shed his viciousness and Baleful Aura and was about to regain his senses.

Without pausing for even a moment, once Zhang Qiang finished the fifth dish,

I quickly served the sixth Yin Dish, Decapitated Fried Fish.

"When ghosts eat fried fish, they neither regret nor speak."

As long as he ate this dish, the Baleful Aura covering Zhang Qiang should fade away, and he would regain his mind.

At that point, I could send him on to reincarnation.

Thinking of that, I could barely contain my impatience.

I hurriedly said:

"Qiang, try this final dish too. Decapitated Fried Fish."

Zhang Qiang stared at the fish, its head covered in lard and only its body fried, his eyes shining brightly.

He kept making swallowing motions.

"Smells so good! Smells so good!"

With that, he snatched up the plate and opened his mouth to take a bite.

I watched expectantly, my eyes wide.

Go on, bite it. Eat that final bite.

But just as he was about to bite into the fried fish, he suddenly stopped.

Then he stared blankly toward the lake.

When I saw him stop moving, my heart tightened. I hurriedly asked:

"Qiang, what's wrong? Eat it, hurry!"

Zhang Qiang looked at the lake.

Then he turned back toward me woodenly and answered in a faint voice:

"Can't eat it. It seems the teacher is urging me..."