Rakshasa

Pregnant women getting tattoos isn't unheard of—some mothers opt for tattoos hoping to ensure the safety of their unborn babies, or to wish for their future greatness. For example, some choose to tattoo Wenquxing Jun or Wuquxing Jun, deities associated with literature and martial prowess, respectively. I've even seen a pregnant woman with a tattoo of Einstein, suggesting her hope for the child's future intelligence.

However, I wouldn't recommend doing this, as tattooing can cause mild discomfort, which is not ideal for expectant mothers.

When Chen Cuilian saw me, she merely gave a polite greeting, then started looking for my grandfather. I informed her that grandpa had gone into the city and wasn't home, but that she could tell me any issues she might have.

Upon hearing that, her expression clouded over, her face turning sullen, and she looked somewhat pale and scared.

Something seemed off, so I pressed her to tell me what was wrong. She stayed silent, biting her lip, and after a while, she asked in a low voice, "Haozi, do you know how to do Ghost Tattoos?" Due to my name, Tang Hao, people nicknamed me Haozi, and those familiar with me would call me this.

I nodded and confirmed my knowledge, then asked her if she had encountered any troubles.

Ghost Tattooing is somewhat like how a doctor prescribes medicine for a specific ailment. Even if I was to tattoo her, I needed to know the specifics of the issue so I could tattoo something appropriate to counteract it.

Upon learning that I knew Ghost Tattooing, Chen Cuilian grabbed my hand like it was a lifeline, pleading for help with tears welling up in her eyes, unable to hold them back any longer.

I advised her to calm down and explain the problem, because crying wouldn't solve anything.

After regaining her composure, she lifted her clothes to reveal her protruding belly, quite shocking to me.

It wasn't her behavior that surprised me but rather her belly, where several vein-like protrusions appeared. They looked almost like… snakes!

This scene brought a terrifying thought to my mind.

"What's this?" I asked her.

She replied that she had gone to the hospital for an ultrasound which had shocked the doctors completely; they thought there was a mistake and she had fled without a second look. Her voice trembled as she spoke, her expression filled with horror.

The situation was too bizarre, more sinister than being cursed, and she dared not tell her husband.

On her own, she had sought priests and monks to perform rituals, but none had worked.

Scared, she then remembered my grandfather, Tang Yun. She had heard in the village that his Ghost Tattoos were effective in warding off evil, so she came to him.

Chen Cuilian's case was indeed strange, but there must be a reason behind it.

After a moment of thought, she seemed to remember something important and exclaimed, "Yes!"

She recounted that when she was around three months pregnant, a snake had entered her house. Being a rural community, many are not afraid of snakes, and Chen Cuilian was one of them.

That day, the snake had gotten into the chicken coop and she, being alone at home, didn't want the snake to kill the chickens. So, she grabbed a bamboo pole and beat the snake to death.

After killing it, she didn't bury it; instead, she used the pole to throw it outside, not paying it much attention and soon forgot about it.

As soon as she finished her story, I felt something was wrong. Snakes hold a sinister reputation, regarded as 'wild spirits' in the north, and pregnant women must avoid killing them as it's thought to be ominous for the baby. Grandpa also mentioned that a snake entering a house with a pregnant woman is a good omen, and that snake specifically should not be killed.

I remembered hearing a true story about a woman pregnant with twins. Two small green snakes entered her home; her husband killed one and let the other go. Ultimately, one of the twins died after birth.

Snakes, being of a mythical nature, should be chased away if they are threatening—not killed.

Chen Cuilian became even more frightened upon hearing this, as if she had offended some deity. She began trembling and knelt, praying to heaven and earth, apologizing to the snake and pleading that any retribution should fall on her instead of her baby.

I quickly helped her up, telling her not to fear. Although strange, I reassured her that as long as I tattooed her with a Ghost Tattoo, the problem could likely be resolved.

Grandpa had already instructed that if a person comes asking for a tattoo, I should proceed and that meant I was allowed to perform Ghost Tattoos.

I decided to give her a tattoo of 'Shi Rao Rakshasa,' known for subduing evil and specifically snakes.

Rakshasas are one of the groups in the dragon's eight divisions, a type of demon fond of devouring human flesh and serving as jailers of Hell to chastise sinners.

Shi Rao Rakshasa was special; he was originally ugly with a bizarre form and was sacrificed to a large snake on a mountain. Ironically, he devoured the snake raw, developing a taste for snake meat and blood. He then ate all the snakes on the mountain, and the area, for miles around where he was, became devoid of snakes. But by eating snakes constantly, he became even uglier and more misshapen, and when he descended the mountain, the people burned him alive, thinking he was a monster.

Chen Cuilian was relieved there was a solution and started to kowtow in thanks. I lifted her up, remarking that I wasn't offering a free service. While we were friends, business had to remain business, and Ghost Tattoos were different from ordinary tattoos—the price would be 10,000 RMB.

For a rural family, this was a considerable sum, but Chen Cuilian's situation was dire. She agreed, as the thought of birthing snakes was horrifying enough to herself and her family, worth any price to avoid.

After agreeing, I took her into the tattoo room and headed to a black box in another room's corner. I retrieved three rectangular bamboo tubes from the box which contained human blood, bone ash, and corpse oil—grandpa's preparation. Where he got them from, he wouldn't say.

Equipped with the ink and tools, I prepared to tattoo Chen Cuilian. Initially, I wanted to tattoo her belly, but Chen Cuilian disliked the illustration of the Shi Rao Rakshasa for its ugliness. When I sketched it out, she immediately refused, fearing the sight would shock the hospital staff at childbirth, plus she'd have to explain it to her husband whom she hadn't yet told about this ordeal.

I was at a loss, as her condition seemed to require placement on the belly to contain the snake-like phenomenon; otherwise, the effect would be insufficient. Finally, I remembered something that made her consent.

I assured her not to worry. Ghost Tattoos can be tattooed in two ways: visible and hidden. Visible ones are where people can see, like hands, face, neck while hidden ones are typically concealed, such as the belly or armpit.

If the tattoo goes on a hidden spot, the tattoo artist can use a special solution to gradually fade the tattoo, though the design and effect remain, just invisible.

With this perfect solution, we began the first Ghost Tattoo. As I opened the bamboo tubes, a revolting smell hit us, and the materials inside made me uneasy. Whether it was corpse oil or blood, it exuded a sinister smell, while the bone ash was like powdered chalk.

I dared not tell Chen Cuilian what the Ghost Tattoo pigments were composed of as she might have been frightened into a miscarriage, let alone get a tattoo.

Telling myself I am a professional Ghost Tattoo artist, I calmed down and concentrated on the task.

The Shi Rao Rakshasa wasn't overly complex to tattoo, especially just the upper body. In a few hours, I finished and applied the solution that would make the tattoo disappear after several days.

This was my first time performing a Ghost Tattoo, and it turned out beautifully, even with such unusual mediums as blood, bone ash, and corpse oil. The marvels of a Ghost Tattoo were astounding.

After finishing, Chen Cuilian looked down at her belly, and blurted out that it was ugly.

The tattoo was certainly ugly; the Ghoul-eater Rakshasa had a hideous face, twisted limbs, a misshapen body, and skin like snake scales, complete with repulsive bumps.

Despite its unsightliness, Chen Cuilian was not allowed to make disparaging remarks. Ghost Tattoos draw upon the power of those malevolent spirits to take effect. Disrespectful comments could lead to unthinkable consequences, so reverence was necessary.

Once the tattoo was inscribed, it established a relationship between the evil spirit and the host. If offended, it was impossible to predict what might occur.

I warned Chen Cuilian about the potential consequences, and she was so scared that she clamped her mouth shut. Just then, something bizarre happened that left both of us speechless in shock.