I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 152 Dispelling the Turbid Qi of Heaven and Earth
The old man selling incense couldn't understand why, ever since he accidentally broke an incense stick in the temple that day, every time he tried to sell incense, it would never light up again when placed in the incense burner.

Even though the oil was soaked in the oil and the sparks were shining brightly, they went out immediately when offered to the idol.

The pilgrims were so frightened that they turned pale and demanded a refund.

Within just a few days, his incense-selling business became completely unsustainable.

It's really evil.

He'd tried exorcisms and worshipped gods, but nothing worked. Finally, he sought help from a seasoned geomancer. After hearing his story, the geomancer frowned and said:
"You've been offended by the City God. What taboo have you broken?"

He's been selling incense for over a decade, what mistakes could he possibly make?
"I...how would I know to go..."

The geomancer had no other choice but to offer him two options: either apologize to the City God and promise never to repeat the mistake, or find another temple to sell incense and earn a living.

Other temples would have their incense offerings monopolized long ago, so how could he possibly squeeze in?
The old man selling incense bid farewell to the geomancer and slowly strolled out of the courtyard, his mind uneasy the whole way.

He couldn't understand why the incense went out as soon as it was lit, preventing him from worshipping the gods.

As I walked and pondered, I had unknowingly passed by several houses.

The biting wind was as cold as his heart.

……

……

A cold wind blew, but the torches used for exorcising the spirits burned even brighter.

Jiang She and his companions were in high spirits as they followed the exorcism procession, watching them make noise and play music, trying to drive the evil spirits and disease out of the city.

Li Bai opened his eyes wide and looked carefully.

There were also ghostly figures mixed in with the procession, drawn by the liveliness of the human world, following the crowd in a daze.

Humans walk among ghosts, and ghosts mingle among humans.

They are inseparable, without distinction between self and others, or between yin and yang.

Everyone is celebrating.

The city gates of Yanzhou were also bustling with activity, as the soldiers guarding the city joined in chanting exorcism prayers. Firecrackers crackled incessantly, raising clouds of dust.

Then came cheers and dancing.

The dance moves were unrestrained and passionate, flowing freely. They gathered when the mood struck and dispersed when the excitement subsided.

"Let's perform the exorcism!"

"When the plague demons recede, all diseases will vanish—"

Jiang She gazed leisurely in all directions.

The air currents between heaven and earth were mixed, with the pure and spiritual energy used for cultivation sparsely mixed in, bringing vitality. The rest was mostly turbid energy, which upon closer inspection appeared to be a mixture of gray and yellow, and was intertwined with pathogenic energy.

Beside him, a man was vigorously beating a drum, the rhythm lively.

Jiang She asked in a low voice.

"Could I knock on it?"

The man was very straightforward. He wiped the sweat from his brow and was about to untie the drum he was wearing to tie to Jiang She, while giving instructions:
"Does my lord know how to play? He needs to be able to keep the beat."

Jiang She reached out to stop him.

"I'll only knock once."

Upon hearing this, the man waved his hand casually and said:
"Then please knock as you please, young man! It's noisy and chaotic right now, you can't hear clearly."

"Thank you."

"Don't be so polite, you sound so formal."

Jiang She also smiled.

The drum was still tied to the man's body. He didn't use any force, but simply raised his hand and gently tapped it. Yet the sound of the drum was exceptionally clear and resonant, carrying extremely far.

"Boom-"

Indistinctly.

The world seemed to become a little clearer as well.

In places unseen by ordinary people, the entire county's stagnant air was stirred up by this sound.

Scattered in the wind.

It drifted away gradually.

The sky was exceptionally clear, and a refreshing breeze was blowing.

I hope everyone can have a good New Year.

The man rubbed his eyes and muttered, "The dust in the sky seems to have lessened."

Someone nearby overheard this and chimed in:

"Yes, the smoke from firecrackers dissipates quickly."

Jiang She withdrew his hand and leisurely joined the cat in the fun, watching the crowd performing the exorcism and the judge dressed in a green robe and wearing a long-tongued mask.

Li Bai laughed and said from the side:
"A judge doesn't look like that."

The cat also meowed.

After watching the exorcism, the group slowly walked back into the city.

Du Fu's clothes were covered in dust, making him look unusually disheveled. This twelve or thirteen-year-old boy had been patted on the shoulder many times along the way, and the white-faced nuns dressed as Nuo people had left him covered in their makeup.

He paid no attention, staring intently at the hideous ghost masks, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Before parting, Jiang She looked at Pei Ze and reminded him with a smile, "Young Master Pei will probably be dreaming again tonight."

Pei didn't understand.

When he asked again, Jiang She only said one more thing.

"You might as well visit the City God Temple more often in the future to offer incense."

By the time I got home, it was already dark.

Hearing his neighbor disciplining his nephew at home, Jiang She couldn't help but smile. Then he heard that Mr. Du guessing the identities of the three people he had met at the temple that day...

I had a hearty meal today.

Jiang She was too lazy to cook dinner, so he simply went out to find something to eat to fill his stomach.

My neighbor is practicing calligraphy using a new copybook he bought today.

Separated by a wall.

The cat also intensified its efforts.

I finally learned the character for "bird".

A crooked "black" was drawn on the snow, with a few claw marks next to it.

Jiang She pinched the cat's paw and added a stroke to it.

"This is it."

He patted the cat's head again and exclaimed, "So amazing! It has already learned a word."

The cat tilted its head and examined it for a while.

Suddenly, a clear and resonant voice rang out:
"mouse!"

Jiang She understood what the kitten was thinking.

"Want to learn from a mouse?"

The cat nodded.

Jiang She looked down at it: "This character is very difficult, much more difficult than a bird. Won't it be too strenuous?"

Even if it's tough and difficult, the cat will still learn.

"So studious..."

Jiang She smiled, unable to refuse. He dipped his brush in ink and wrote another "rat" on the paper. The cat leaned in, its blue eyes wide open, watching intently.

The strokes are winding and twisting, especially the last stroke, which really looks like a mouse's tail.

“This is a rat,” Jiang She said.

The cat repeated after it in its childish voice.

"mouse……"

Beside the wall, in the rats' burrow, a nest of rats was fast asleep, their bellies bulging, clearly having had a hearty meal.

Another day has passed in a flash.

This night.

A group of children, wearing masks, ran excitedly through the neighborhood, calling out to their friends to play the roles of Nuo gods and ghost messengers. Their parents chased after them, and seeing the children standing in the wind dressed in thin clothes, they quickly scolded them loudly, grabbed them by the ears, and dragged them home.

They boiled ginger soup again and forced the child to drink it.

Strangely enough, none of the children got sick the next day.

The Taoist priest stayed in the temple. The cool night breeze was refreshing and cleared his mind. He couldn't help but silently contemplate the phenomena of heaven and earth.

Its daybreak.

Jiang She got up.

He picked up the Nuo mask from the doorway; its fangs were exposed, and it was entirely vermilion.

I don't know whose child it was that was accidentally lost and blown into the yard by the wind.

Even the crudest Nuo mask costs at least ten coins, and they're treasures for children. He thought for a moment, then decided to keep it safe for him and return it to any child who was crying badly or had lost something in the next couple of days.

I'm going to do something productive today.

He ate a bowl of steamed buns and walked out of the city to the Stone Goddess Temple. From afar, he could see a bustling crowd, even more lively than before.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that there was an additional temple keeper inside the temple.

A group of people gathered together, discussing the flimsy piece of paper in front of the temple.

It was about something that happened a few days ago.

"A high-ranking official wanted to expose it, but he didn't budge an inch! If you ask me, the person who wrote this must be a deity..."

Jiang She walked past the group of people.

Compared to the half-finished ink painting in the temple, depicting immortals with flowing sleeves, he, dressed in faded blue robes, walked slowly down the road, looking utterly unremarkable.

In front of the temple.

There were many people copying in front of the temple. Besides the Taoist priest and the woman in Jin robes, there were also people who had come from afar to try to understand the Taoist teachings. They were all travel-worn.

Jiang She walked up behind the woman and said in a gentle tone:

"It's friendly."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)