I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 135 Nightmare
I spend my days lying at home, reading travelogues and short stories, teaching my kitten to talk, brewing tea and drinking wine—it's incredibly pleasant.

Two days passed in a flash.

Jiang She sat in the chair, trying to smooth things over between the black cat and the mouse. People hoped they could get along peacefully, but neither the cat nor the mouse thought so.

The black cat licked its paws.

I'm eyeing him.

The little mouse shrank its head.

After clarifying the situation, it turned out that the cat was magnanimous and didn't intentionally want to cause trouble for the nest of mice. It was just mimicking what they were saying. It wasn't convenient for it to talk outside, but it didn't have this problem in the yard. It always liked to come up to people and chatter.

I also want to chat and talk with the mice.

That was enough to terrify the rat spirits.

Jiang She remained silent for a long time. The cat kept staring at him, its round, blue eyes gleaming, its tail sweeping away the snow in an instant.

I couldn't hear anything for a long time.

The cat opened its mouth.

"friend……"

It still remembers that the mice in the house are friends and cannot be eaten.

Jiang She's gaze fell on the rat again.

This little mouse was one of the younger ones in the litter, and it was trembling when it saw the cat. Jiang She thought for a while and then politely invited the elder of the family over.

This time the communication went much more smoothly.

Watching the big rat lead the little rat back, squeaking as if it were giving a lecture.

Jiang She patted the cat.

"Be polite."

"Cream, cat..."

"Neither the soapberry tree nor the screen is afraid of you; you can play with them."

But only the mouse moves!

Jiang She saw the cat open its mouth and make a sound, looking somewhat anxious, but unable to articulate it clearly.

He softened his voice and spoke patiently:
"It's because they live here that we can stay here so cheaply."

The house is quite large and fully furnished. If it weren't for its notorious reputation for being haunted, the owner wouldn't have been able to rent it out, and he himself wouldn't dare live there. Jiang She will probably have to spend a lot more money.

Cats know about money.

People always use money to buy things. Round and shiny copper coins can be exchanged for mutton.

I glanced at the mouse hole in the corner of the wall.

Their perspectives changed.

The cat wanted to keep haunting the place so it could save money and eat mutton every day. Jiang She saw through this and said regretfully, "That's probably not going to work."

They are going to visit the Pei family this evening.

Jiang She asked, "We're going to someone's house tonight, do you want to come?"

The cat doesn't understand.

Jiang She added, "I originally went there to catch the ghost, but that family has been experiencing nightmares these past few days."

"ghost!"

The cats already know that ghosts are a good thing, and they can save them a lot of money.

"Yes. But we'll only know what it is after we see it with our own eyes."

Jiang She stroked the cat's fur gently, and the black cat gradually raised its head, purring softly.

It seems they are willing to go.

Jiang She felt much lighter.

"The host doesn't mind the kitten coming to visit, but some people are afraid of cats, so you might have to stay with me and not wander around the table."

He also gave a few more words of advice when visiting other people's homes.

The cat's head was spinning from listening.

The Pei family's residence wasn't far away, so there was no need for their two horses to be used. Jiang She, Li Bai, and Yuan Danqiu strolled over leisurely, taking only a little over half an hour.

When they arrived at the Pei family's residence, it was still early.

A faint glow of sunset rippled across the sky.

In the Tang Dynasty, night banquets usually started at 5 PM, and guests needed to arrive at the host's house before dark to avoid violating the curfew.

Once inside the gate, no one bothers you; you can go wherever you want. Some friends, with deep bonds, drink and chat endlessly, sometimes not dispersing until after midnight.

At the hour of You (5-7 PM), servants lit lamps and candles, and the lanterns were lit.

Pei Shiyilang, Pei Ze, was a scholar in his thirties. When he heard from the gatekeeper that Li Langjun and Yuan Langjun had arrived, he hurriedly put on his shoes and went to greet them personally.

Upon seeing Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu, Pei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Taibai and Xiazi are here!"

He glanced around but didn't see the figure he had imagined.

"That master who can exorcise ghosts..."

Li Bai stepped aside, gesturing for him to look at Mr. Jiang beside him. Pei was taken aback and began to scrutinize the man.

This man was dressed in old blue clothes, without a Taoist robe. Compared to the experts he had previously invited to exorcise ghosts and evil spirits, he was neither dressed in fine clothes nor had the otherworldly air and white beard of those experts. He didn't even carry a peach wood sword.

It appears scattered and unremarkable.

Can it exorcise ghosts?

Despite some doubt and disappointment, Pei Ze still raised his hand in a salute to the man.

"Then I must thank you, sir."

Jiang She also looked him over. He was dressed in fine clothes and his sideburns and beard were neatly trimmed, but he still couldn't hide his haggard appearance. His eyes were dark and bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept well for several days.

"Young Master Pei, you're too kind."

"May I ask your esteemed surname, sir?"

"My surname is Jiang."

"My lord, this cat is beautiful!"

The cat tilted its head back and let out a soft meow.

Pei was somewhat surprised. He laughed and turned to enter the main room with the guest, praising, "Young master, this cat is very clever."

In the hall.

The Pei family seemed to be very afraid of the dark, so the servants lit lamps early on, making the place very bright.

Two guests had already arrived and were talking to each other; they seemed to know each other well. When they saw Pei Ze enter, they raised their glasses in a toast from afar.

Li Bai asked:
"Is there a ghost in your house?"

Pei Ze laughed and said:

"No rush, there's still plenty of time tonight. Please, Mr. Jiang and Ms. Taibai, enjoy yourselves at the banquet."

He didn't have high hopes for the expert Taibai had invited, nor did he expect this person to exorcise the ghost and allow him to get a good night's sleep. After greeting them for a while...

Pei then walked to a distance and spoke with his servants, as if he were taking care of household chores.

Jiang She overheard this and smiled.

Li Bai asked curiously, "What are you laughing at, sir?"

Jiang She sat at the table, took a sip of wine, and casually said, "I'm afraid Master Pei is deeply troubled by nightmares. A master will be coming later."

……

……

Pei didn't think the "experts" on Taibai's side were very capable.

Too young, and too ordinary.

Pei then summoned a servant and handed him a money pouch: "Go to the city now, ride as fast as you can, and see if you can invite those experts here."

During this time, the nightmare had been bothering him so much that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages.

The sooner it is removed, the better.

The servant took it and looked at the loose gold, silver and copper coins in the money bag. He counted them. Everyone in Yanzhou knew that the person who was copying the immortal's handwriting in front of the Stone Goddess Temple was a master.

"My lord, this money is not enough."

Pei Ze said, "Just one person is enough."

The servant's voice softened, and he looked at the money bag with some difficulty.

"Even hiring one wouldn't be enough..."

"Then quickly tell your wife and have her give you the money."

Pei looked out the window at the sky.

"Go quickly."

After dark, the city gates are locked and the ward gates are closed, so the servants can't get back in time.

He'll have to suffer another night of torment then.

The servant nodded in agreement.

After instructing his servants, Pei looked at the brightly lit banquet hall and slowly walked back.

The guests sat in two rows, drinking and chatting.

Banquets in the Tang Dynasty differed from those in later periods, always emphasizing the enjoyment of wine. People would appreciate singing, dancing, and music, raise their glasses in conversation, play drinking games, and only after several rounds of drinks would the food be served. It was normal for the entire banquet to last for two hours.

Some guests noticed that Pei looked somewhat troubled.

Holding a wine cup, he leaned closer and asked.

"How come Li Bai couldn't find a master? He's so troubled."

Pei glanced at the other seats and saw the man in blue bowing his head, pouring a little wine into his palm and giving it to the black cat to taste. He looked casual and lazy.

He possessed neither the air of a sage nor the demeanor of a god. He seemed more like a refined scholar who had come to eat and drink.

He took a swig of wine.

"It doesn't look very sturdy."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)