Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 59 Plague Ghost (Please Read)

"The Taoist priest captured the demons outside the town last time, but within a few days, new demons appeared in the town."

Chen Ji frowned, but before he could ask any questions, the guard started talking.

"In the beginning, people would come home at night and see a consumptive ghost lying outside their door. They would think it was unlucky and scold him."

"Consumptives don't argue, they just spit and go away."

"But the man felt it was bad luck, so he kicked the consumptive demon anyway. That night he dreamed of a sickly figure who told him he had offended the plague demon and would need a serious illness to recover."

"He didn't believe it, but the next day he fell ill, like a tuberculosis patient, coughing from morning till night, even coughing up blood. He consulted several doctors, but they all said it couldn't be tuberculosis, as it wouldn't strike so quickly."

"His family found yellow earth to pave the road and sprinkled clean water on the street to drive away the plague ghost. They also asked for incense ashes and sprinkled them around, but it was no use."

"The plague demon appeared in his dream at night and whipped him with a whip. When he woke up the next day, sores appeared on the places where he had been beaten, just like the wounds from the whip."

"After I woke up, the pain was unbearable, so I went to ask the temple keeper and Taoist priest to come and check on the situation, but they couldn't find any problems."

"After nightfall, he was whipped again. His legs were covered in blood. Someone came to check on him today and he couldn't get out of bed."

"It's almost night time now. I don't know what torture I'll endure tonight, or whether I'll survive until tomorrow."

……

Chen Ji nodded slightly.

This does sound like a way for demons and ghosts to take revenge on people. I'm just curious why they set up a checkpoint at the entrance of the town to check passers-by.

"It's to stop the evil spirit."

The guard explained.

"Ever since that man contracted tuberculosis, people have seen him in town the next day. They've all been provoked by him, just like him, and have had dreams about him at night..."

"Someone has already been infected, how dare you still treat the plague ghost with contempt?"

"I didn't know it at the time. It was only after the doctor examined me and the neighbors spread the news that I had actually seen the plague ghost."

The guard sighed.

"The town supervisor believes that the evil spirits in the town have just been eliminated, and this plague ghost must be an external evil spirit. These measures will prevent it from coming back."

Only then did Chen Ji realize that in addition to the chevaux de frise at the town entrance, there was glutinous rice and salt scattered on the ground. There was also a fire basin buried on the road leading into the town, with charcoal burning, and a faint smell of temple incense wafting in the air.

Chen Ji used the Qi-gazing technique and saw several extremely thin golden threads in the brazier, outlining the traces of runes.

"what is that?"

"It's a golden light talisman, obtained from Qingliang Mountain. If there's an evil spirit in the past, its true form will be revealed after the light passes through."

Chen Ji suddenly realized, no wonder it looked familiar.

Yan Chixia also used this talisman when practicing sword.

But when I saw it from the side, I didn't recognize it.

These are indeed ways to get rid of evil spirits.

"So the town's collection of money for exorcising demons is also for this reason?"

Chen Ji asked again.

"How did Taoist Master Chen know this?"

The guard looked surprised.

Chen Ji pointed at the white girl beside him.

"This white girl runs the herbal medicine shop with me. She already paid the money the day before yesterday."

"How presumptuous!"

The guard looked ashamed.

"If I had known it was a Taoist priest's herbal medicine shop, I shouldn't have accepted money. We haven't even offered any thanks for helping to rid the town of evil spirits, but instead accepted money from the Taoist priest. How rude!"

"No problem. If there's no corruption, then just take it. It's better to have someone exorcise the evil spirit than to have evil spirits haunting you and making your life uneasy."

"This must be because they dare not embezzle money. Every single penny is recorded."

The guard probably held some position in the yamen, and he told Chen Ji the details.

"The town collected over five hundred taels of silver in total. Two hundred taels were spent on hiring the Taoist priest to draw talismans and find demons. Another fifty taels were spent on various items. They even kept half to hire someone to find pills to cure tuberculosis. There was absolutely no embezzlement."

Chen Ji listened but had only one thought.

Is this how you can make money as a Taoist priest?
Come and see the aura of evil spirits, draw a few talismans and it will cost two hundred taels of silver. Otherwise, I might as well just quit staying in the herbal medicine shop and become a Taoist priest.

Just as he was thinking about it, he remembered that he went down the mountain not to make money, but to teach the fox how to transform. So he retracted the idea and asked how he could find pills for treatment.

"A foreign merchant told me these past two days that a traveling doctor has come to Zhanshui Town. He specializes in selling ointments and pills, and he treats difficult and complicated diseases. He's very effective, and has cured many people of their long-standing illnesses."

"When the town supervisor heard the news, he sent someone to Zhanshui Town to invite him to come and see. If the medicine is effective, we can first make sure no one dies or the plague breaks out. Then we can ask the Taoist priest to catch the monster."

"The town supervisor is a capable man."

Chen Ji nodded with emotion.

With his knowledge, he also felt that the town supervisor's handling of the matter was very skillful. No wonder the people in the town did not panic despite these things happening.

Just as he was about to say goodbye and return to the herbal medicine shop, the guard suddenly thought of something.

"Did the Taoist priest just say that he opened a herbal medicine shop?"

"Exactly."

"So you can also diagnose and prescribe medicine?"

"I'm not very good at it yet, but this Miss Bai knows a little about medicine." "That's great!"

The guard looked pleased.

"The town supervisor has ordered people to be carried to the academy for tuberculosis patients, hoping that the saint's power can suppress the plague. The town doctors are afraid to go there. The Taoist priest has great experience, so I wonder if he could go and take a look?"

Chen Ji looked at Miss Bai.

If it were an ordinary monster, he might still be able to fight.

But this is a plague ghost, not an ordinary demon ghost, so it depends on how Miss Bai decides.

"Since you're going to open a herbal medicine shop in town, you should show off your skills. This is also an opportunity, so let's go and take a look."

"However, the younger members of my clan are not very skilled and can only do some work like sorting and preparing medicinal herbs. I need to send them back to the shop first to avoid encountering consumptive patients on the way. How do you think they will go to the academy?"

"Of course it should be so!"

The guard nodded repeatedly.

At a time like this, it is already a great thing to have a doctor willing to go, not to mention that he is just doing something that should be done.

"Be careful on the road."

Chen Ji glanced sideways to indicate that there was something blocking the way, but Miss Bai gave him a reassuring look.

Chen Ji knew that this was not a problem, so he walked forward with confidence.

Miss Bai opened her umbrella and spoke slowly.

"This is an umbrella that repels disease. It's been fumigated with five-colored incense and mugwort. It won't harm common illnesses. You can get closer."

Then a strange fragrance spread out, and everyone felt refreshed and clear-eyed when they smelled it. They no longer doubted Miss Bai's ability and called her a famous doctor.

The foxes stepped over the rice and salt braziers, talisman paper and incense ashes under the umbrella, and indeed there was no flaw at all.

Soon, Chen Ji and his party returned to the herbal medicine shop.

"Is Sister Sun in the house?"

Miss Bai knocked on the door and called out.

A voice was immediately heard from inside.

"But Miss Bai is back?"

Then there were the sounds of people hurriedly getting up, moving tables and chairs, and pulling down the bolts.

The shop door opened and it was Sister Sun. She was surprised to see them, but then became worried.

"Miss Bai said she was going out to find some help. I thought it would take some time for her to come back, but she actually came back with Mr. Chen."

"Well? Have you seen that consumptive man on the road?"

“I haven’t seen it.”

"That's good. The town has been talking about the consumptive ghost these past two days. I don't know what to do."

The white girl shook her head.

"Nothing, just settle these juniors first. Mr. Chen and I will go to the academy first."

"You must be extremely careful and safe!"

As Sister Sun spoke, she quickly took out two things from her arms.

"I heard they said it was the plague ghost that was causing the trouble. I sewed two sachets to ward off the plague. I don't know if they'll work, but I'm carrying them with me just to show my intention."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Sun. This is indeed useful."

Miss Bai accepted it with a smile and handed one to Chen Ji. Then she asked Bai Shijiu and the others to close the door and follow the guards to the academy.

"Is this thing really useful?"

Chen Ji looked at the sachet in his hand in confusion.

It did smell like a special odor, but he didn't understand the properties of medicine and couldn't tell what specific medicine it was.

The exterior is embroidered with a tiger-headed Zhong Kui, which symbolizes that Zhong Kui eats ghosts and the tiger suppresses the five poisonous creatures. But is it really useful against plague ghosts?
The white girl smiled slightly.

"Atractylodes, mugwort, realgar, calamus..."

"They're just some common insect repellents. If they work, they can probably repel common mosquitoes, but if they're really plague ghosts, then they're useless."

"But it's all well-intentioned. To say it's useless would just make people worry for no reason."

"I didn't expect you to have such thoughts."

Chen Ji shook his head.

"People are always like this. If they have faith in their hearts, they will feel better. It's not a big deal, so there's no need to expose it."

"Is this also the case when Miss Bai tells fortunes?"

"almost."

"No wonder they say that Taoist Hu has a good reputation. It's true."

"Glib tongue!"

Miss Bai rolled her eyes, but did not get angry with Chen Ji. She just looked at the building in front of her with green air rising into the sky, and stopped at the same time.

We have arrived at the academy.

　Thanks to book friend 20211128115339117 for the reward, and thank you to all readers for your great support!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)