I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 175 A Thousand-Year-Old Dark Room, Illuminated by a Single Lamp

Pei came alone, without his wife and children.

It was late afternoon, almost sunset, when the Wang family servants welcomed him to the tea room. The Wang family's tea room was warm and cozy with a fireplace, and there were two or three plum blossoms in a vase, emitting a faint fragrance.

Pei lowered his head and drank his tea.

Compared to the previous two days, he seemed somewhat fearful, curious, and even a little expectant.

Wang Sheng arrived in a hurry.

He smiled and bowed to Pei Ze with his hands clasped.

"Shiyilang is here." He laughed. "He's so polite, even personally delivering New Year's gifts. It's just in time, I've been painting a lot lately, so I have some paints to use."

Pei laughed and stood up.

"I've been bored at home all winter, so I came out to talk to you all."

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at him.

Did he have a fight with his wife?

He politely refrained from asking further questions, and remembering that Pei Ze had been trying to persuade him just two days ago, Wang Sheng couldn't help but smile.

Pei Shiyi, oh Pei Shiyi.

Feng Shui turns.

The two talked for a while, and as it got late, Wang Sheng pulled Pei Ze aside to a more private side hall for a chat.

Gather around the stove to brew wine, and admire the snow and plum blossoms.

Wang Sheng recounted his experiences in Chang'an over the past year, mentioning that he had accompanied his uncle to witness the king's banquet, where music played was associated with gods and ghosts. He also mentioned that the newly popular piece "Night Tour of Ghosts and Gods: Drunkenly Hearing the Wondrous Dao," which had been adapted by Li Guinian, was now in vogue.

As he got more excited, Wang Sheng even raised his hand to summon his servants:
"Bring the zither."

Scholars and officials often enjoyed playing elegant music and zithers, which was common at this time.

He said to Pei Ze:
“I’ve heard it a few times, but I only remember one or two parts. I’ll play it for you. I remember the whole poem, though, and the last line is really good.”

"Since ancient times, all the sages and worthies have died, only drinkers have left their names... What a fine poem! Not only do I think it is good, but I have heard that even the Prince of Qi in the royal family praised it."

He played only one or two sections, and very quickly.

The song is over.

Pei then asked, "Do you know who wrote this?"

Wang Sheng laughed and said:

"All we know is that he came from Xiangzhou, his surname is Li, and his given name is Bai. We do not know his courtesy name."

Pei was taken aback.

"Li Bai?"

Wang Sheng, belatedly realizing this, saw his reaction and suddenly remembered something. He held his wine cup for a long time without drinking, and asked:

"Zezhi, your friend..."

"His name is Li Bai, and his courtesy name is Taibai."

Pei was filled with mixed feelings, unable to describe what he was feeling, and added another sentence.

"I had an old friend in Xiangyang, who was also a talented poet."

Wang Sheng leaned forward, not even caring that the wine in his cup had been spilled. His gaze was fixed on Pei Ze, and he felt regretful as he recalled the people he had met a couple of days ago.

"Really him?"

Is what he wrote in his poem true?

"Did we really encounter an immortal?"

He asked three more questions in a row.

There seemed to be a slight ripple in the air, and the blades in the greenhouse in the side room swayed slightly, but Wang Sheng did not notice.

Pei, however, was thinking about Li Bai's poem and those words.

There is a mountain god, a land deity, with fine wine and spiritual fruit, snake maidens and bluebirds, mountain spirits singing at night, and in the poems there are monkeys weeping because of their short lifespans, and even more so there are colorful tigers drinking and laughing, who have seen through life and death.

He thought about it.

That day, the wind and snow delivered a message, leaving behind a deity with Taoist magic...

Winter days are short and darkness falls early, so the servants came in to light a fire and add lamplight.

Wang Sheng noticed that he remained silent for a long time.

He asked again.

"Pei Shiyi? Zezhi?"

Pei then came to his senses.

He picked up his wine cup and took a sip.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"I asked him about it later, but I don't know if it's true or not."

His tone was somewhat dazed.

Wang Sheng was only asking casually; he didn't really believe it. He hadn't seen Pei Ze for a year, had a lot to say, a lot to do, and local officials in Yanzhou waiting for him to visit. He wouldn't have time to leave and give Liniang a proper status until next year.

Some thoughts were passing through my mind.

Suddenly, Wang Sheng heard Pei Ze ask a question.

"Sanlang, do you know that there is an evil spirit in your house?"

Wang Sheng was taken aback.

"What evil spirit?"

Pei quickly told him to keep his voice down. He then picked up the wine pot and poured him more wine.

"Sanlang, don't speak so loudly. If the evil spirits hear you, it might not be good."

Wang Sheng calmed down a bit. "Is there really an evil spirit in my house? How do you know?"

He thought carefully about his journey home. It had been a year since he last saw her, and there were many places he hadn't seen. Only his wife's temperament had changed drastically. Not only did the couple quarrel, but she also hit him on the head with a vase.

Wang Sheng guessed.

"Is this my wife, Chen?"

Pei immediately replied, "You wouldn't dare say that!"

The flickering candlelight illuminated Wang Sheng's curious face, which looked somewhat skeptical.

Pei smiled.

I raised my wine cup to moisten my throat and began to talk to him in detail.

“As you know, Sanlang, several months ago, my house was haunted by a ghost, which bothered me every day and kept me awake for months. A wise man who happened to be passing by came and relieved me of the ghost’s troubles.”

Wang Sheng nodded.

He had heard that the Pei family was haunted, and that Pei Shiyi had suffered greatly as a result.

Wang Sheng looked Pei Ze up and down and saw that he had a rosy complexion, a strong body, and no signs of haggardness or illness on his face.

“Pei Shiyi, you look quite well these days.”

Pei took a sip of wine and laughed:

"It's much better now."

He said, "It was this wise man who told me that there was an evil spirit in your house, and if it is not dealt with, it may harm people's lives."

Wang Sheng frowned.

Regarding the belief in ghosts and spirits...

His family has always done good deeds and has no karmic creditors or enemies, so where would any evil spirits come from?

Pei Ze reminded him from the side, "You've come back from Chang'an, and you must be exhausted from the journey. It's hard to say whether you encountered anything unclean along the way."

Wang Sheng began to recall.

Has any servant suddenly changed his temperament and become possessed by a demon?

Upon closer reflection, the Hou family driving the car seemed rather strange.

The journey from Chang'an to Yanzhou was long and arduous, and fearing bandits along the way, he hired a guard team. One of them even died during the trip. Was it really just one person?
I didn't think anything of it at first.

But upon further reflection, it seems problematic in every way.

Wang Sheng asked.

"Who is this master? Have I ever met him?"

asked again.

"Do you know where the evil spirits are?"

In the side hall.

Suddenly, with a soft sound, the door was pushed open, and footsteps could be heard gradually.

The two looked in the direction of the voice.

The snow in the sky had not yet cleared. Heavy snow was falling at night, and from outside the door, the entire world was shrouded in snow. A figure gradually emerged from the snowflakes, its form solidifying in their vision, its clothes fluttering in the wind.

The man, dressed in faded blue robes, came carrying a lantern through the heavy snow.

His brows and eyes seemed to carry the chill of wind and snow.

He smiled slightly upon seeing the two of them.

"It's been a few days. I hope you two are well."

The two nodded in surprise, and Pei, upon seeing the person, exclaimed with delight.

"Mr. Jiang!"

Wang Sheng was stunned as he recalled the image of Jiang Langjun carrying a lantern, gradually revealing his figure in the heavy snow.

His demeanor is ethereal and elusive.

Could he be an immortal?
He hurriedly raised his hand in greeting, his tone exceptionally respectful, and followed Pei Ze's lead.

"Mr. Jiang."

Li Bai followed behind him, having just listened to the two men praising his poetry for a while, and spoke softly to Yuan Danqiu. The old deer mountain god, dressed in a wide-sleeved cloud robe, with his hair and beard completely white, listened with a smile.

Wang Sheng also saw them, but forgot to greet them or be overly polite.

he asks.

"Are there really evil spirits?"

Jiang She said, "It is in this house."

Wang Sheng became nervous and asked respectfully, "May I ask for your guidance, sir?"

Jiang She looked at him.

In a leisurely tone: "Would you two like to come with me to take a look?"

"nature!"

Pei Ze and Wang Sheng hurriedly followed.

Jiang She was followed by a poet, a Taoist priest, a mountain god, a scion of a prominent family, and several servants. Some were fearful, some were afraid, and others were confused, chatting and laughing quietly with their companions.

He was still wearing that slightly worn blue robe.

Carrying a small lamp, I walked through the swirling snow at night.

A thousand-year-old darkroom can be illuminated by just one light.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)