There was silence in the room for a moment, and then the man's somewhat surprised voice came out: "But Zhang Guanzhu of Xianling Temple?"
There were footsteps running and the sound of the door being opened. This family was actually very enthusiastic. The man shouted loudly: "Hurry up and add two candles in the main room. There are distinguished guests coming."
"Exactly, you are disturbing the master's house so late. Blessings and Infinite Heavenly Lord!"
Zhang Wenfeng was a little surprised, so he responded, turning his head to look at Yue Anyan, and saw the senior sister shaking her head slightly, expressing confusion.
The chai door opened, and a stout man wearing a brown cloth jacket took a look at Zhang Wenfeng who was holding a lantern outside the door and Yue Anyan who was behind him. He saw that both of them were wearing Taoist robes and looked like gods. He hurriedly stood still with his hands clasped in fists. , performed a Taoist ritual: "Wei Xingde, a believer in the outer sect of Xianling Temple, has met Master Zhang."
Zhang Wenfeng suddenly realized that the so-called outer sect believers refer to those who studied Taoism at Xianling Temple and spread their branches after coming down from the mountain. They are usually within three generations, and after three generations they basically no longer recognize them.
No wonder the other party seemed unusually enthusiastic when he heard him announce himself.
"You're welcome, Mr. Wei."
Zhang Wenfeng returned the gift and introduced Yue Anyan: "This is Taoist Priest Yue."
Wei Xingde was busy and greeted the guests again. He said a few polite words and extended his hand to invite the guests to enter the courtyard.
After the donkey followed him in, he closed the firewood door again, and he trotted to lead the two of them to the main room, where he invited them to sit on the chairs on the east side.
A middle-aged woman in a coarse cloth lighted a candle in the main room, greeted her politely in a low voice, "Master Taoist, sit down a moment," and then walked through the side door of the east room and went to the kitchen outside to heat hot water for the guests.
Another dark-skinned boy of thirteen or fourteen years old came out of the west room, rubbing his eyes. He was a little timid when he saw the elegant stranger. At the instruction of the stout man, he bowed and saluted, shyly called someone in a low voice, and then shrank back. The man stood behind the chair.
"Jingjie, why doesn't your brother come out to meet the guests? It's still so early, he must not be asleep."
Seeing the gentle faces of the two guests, the swarthy boy turned his eyes to him and muttered: "My brother is asleep and can't be woken up." He shrank into the shadow behind the chair that was not illuminated by the light.
Zhang Wenfeng knew what he knew, so he interrupted with a smile: "Jushi Wei has been to Xianling Mountain?"
The stout man glared at his eldest son, who stood out from the crowd, turned around and smiled, sat up straight, and said: "Two and a half years ago, when the tenth generation temple master became immortal and passed away, I got the letter and went up the mountain. , I have offered incense in the main hall, so I recognize you, Guanzhu Zhang."
Zhang Wenfeng nodded. There were many people who went up the mountain on those seven days. Most of them were old friends and relatives of the master. Then there were the disciples who had gained faith, and the outer believers who had not been born for three generations. He asked again: "Do you respect your father or your ancestors and go up the mountain to practice Taoism? "
The stout man replied seriously: "It's my grandfather. He was a disciple of the Nine Dynasties Guanzhu and practiced Taoism on the mountain for ten years. Guanzhu Zhang, please wait a moment!"
The man got up, walked to the shrine enshrined in the main room, bowed slightly and worshiped, took out a small brass mirror as big as a bowl from the shrine, wiped the incense ash stained on it with his sleeves, turned back and held the copper mirror in his hands. The mirror was handed to Zhang Guanzhu who stood up.
Zhang Wenfeng took the bronze mirror and turned it over. The word "Xian Ling" was engraved in the middle of the back. He counted the words silently and found that the ninth painting of the word "Ling" seemed to be missing but not completely missing. It was indeed left by the ninth generation of conservators. As a token, this secret has been passed down orally from generation to generation.
For example, as a keepsake left by him, the eleventh generation viewer, the eleventh painting with the word "spirit" will mark the missing mark.
Return the bronze mirror to Wei Xingde and ask Wei Xingde to return the bronze mirror to its place.
Over the years, this magical weapon from back then has lost a trace of the incense and spirituality contained in it. It can only be used as a token, without the power of a medium to communicate with Shinto.
Most of the Taoist disciples who come down from the mountain will not pass on the exercises they learned from the mountain to their descendants.
The Dharma is not spread randomly, there is no testing of the Dharma instruments, and the specific qualifications of the descendants are not known.
If you don’t have the right physique to practice, you won’t be famous. Furthermore, practicing magic requires chanting sutras, meditating, cultivating your mind, and tempering your state of mind. If you have not been influenced by the authentic Taoism on the mountain, your children will not pay attention to what you teach at home, and it is easy for you to have trouble in practice.
Some skills of fists, feet, swords, medicine, divination, etc. are fine and can be passed down.
However, unless it is used to make a living, the younger generations will lose more and more as they learn. Within three generations, the skills passed down by their ancestors that require long-term hard work will be lost.
Since he confirmed that the other party was a third-generation outer sect believer in the Xianling Temple, Zhang Wenfeng stopped going around in circles and helped his family. He took action without hesitation and said: "I came here today for the sake of your young master. Can it be convenient for us? Go to the room to see him?"
Wei Xingde was shocked. He was originally surprised that the two mountain Taoist priests suddenly came to visit him at such a late hour. They didn't look like they were walking at night to beg for water. Their robes were clean. It turned out that they were here for their youngest son.
During the slack season, he would go to work in a nearby town with the villagers during the day, and it would be dark when he returned home.
He heard that this afternoon the female Guan Kun Tao from Xianling Temple came to the village to assess the children's Taoist qualifications. He also regretted that the child was not qualified enough and was not selected by Xianling Temple, while the eldest son was taken to the town to be an apprentice by him. Helper, missed the assessment.
In his early years, he often listened to his grandfather telling stories about things in the mountains, and legends about gods, ghosts, and evil spirits, which were passed down from his family. He knew some simple metaphysics. He told his eldest son: "Go to the kitchen and help your mother light the fire. I will call you later and bring you tea." , if I don’t call you, stay in the kitchen and don’t come out.”
The half-grown boy agreed and ran out of the main door.
Wei Xingde bolted the door and extended his hand to invite, "Master of the Temple, Taoist Priest Yue, please come this way!"
He walked from the side door to the west wing, opened the door, and walked a few steps. Wei Xingde held a candle in his hand and shined it on the bed. He saw a nine-year-old child lying on the bed, covered with a coarse quilt, his cheeks were red from sleeping, and he screamed several times. , pushed again, but turned out to be asleep and unresponsive.
Zhang Wenfeng signaled to be calm. He looked with his spiritual eyes and saw that the child's forehead was covered with a layer of light black mist.
People have three lamps, one on the left and right shoulders and one on the top of the head.
If the lamp on the left shoulder is extinguished, the person will fall ill; if the lamp on the right shoulder is extinguished, the person will be terminally ill; if the lamp on the top of the head is extinguished, the person will die.
Therefore, the old people say that you should not tap others on the shoulder from behind during the Ghost Festival. It can easily frighten people and cause the lights to go out and make them sick.
At this time, the life lamp above the child's head is weak and unstable, which is a sign of danger.
After Zhang Wenfeng took a look at it, he already had some considerations in his mind and said, "Go out, it'll be okay with us here."
Turning around and walking out, he explained in a low voice: "This afternoon, Taoist Master Yue saw your son in the village. He saw something was wrong and told me when he went back. So we came here specially in the evening to see how he could use evil spells to harm people. Guy."
Wei Xingde bowed gratefully to Yue Anyan, who had not spoken a word, and said "Thank you, Taoist Master Yue", and then said: "Whatever needs to be done, the temple master and Taoist Yue can tell you."
Just because I know a little bit more about it, I am more aware of the dangers involved.
My child was fine when he came back after dark, but soon after he fell asleep, he started to suffer from this condition. What if he wasn't possessed by evil spirits?
Zhang Wenfeng said: "The evil way of casting magic will come to collect the souls and harm people after the sound of banging. I will tell you to let you know. Don't be afraid. I will ask your wife and eldest son to settle down in the east room later." , Taoist Master Yue will place two talismans on the door and window of the east room. After midnight, no matter what noise happens outside, they will not be greeted by me and told not to go out screaming."
"Yes, we must follow the instructions of the master."
"Okay, relax, open the door, go and talk to them, don't make any noise, bring a spoonful of salt in a clean empty bowl, and a bowl of water, it will be useful later."
…
