I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 44 The Ghost Lantern's Line of Light Reveals a Peach Blossom Face

Li Bai looked at the closed door in front of him and could only feel the gloomy black mist constantly seeping in from outside.

He nodded.

Inside the main room, the guests were all somewhat terrified.

The guests' voices rose slightly as they spoke, trying to bolster their courage.

"Haha, this batch of goods will be transported to Luoyang. Those rich people really have money to burn. Last time I went there, I saw a young master spend several hundred strings of cash just to buy a piece of incense."

"That's still a substandard product; only a sage could afford a top-quality one."

Someone, holding a wine cup, said:

"I heard that the incense isn't used alone. Wealthy families all learn to blend incense, saying it can ward off evil spirits, bring tranquility, and attract immortals... I must say, the smell is quite pleasant."

"How much would it cost? What would the profit margin be?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I've never burned incense in my entire life."

As the man spoke, his hand gripping the wine glass trembled slightly.

When I spoke to him, the person sitting opposite me was holding chopsticks and trying to pick up a piece of meat, but his hand was trembling and he couldn't manage it for a long time.

The room was getting a little chilly.

The wind was strong outside, blowing through the trees, and you could hear the lanterns in front of the door swaying in the wind.

A draft of cold air seeped in through the crack in the door, causing the candlelight inside to flicker and tremble.

The light, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, shone on everyone's face.

"Bang--"

One of the cups was not held steady and shattered on the ground.

The man was startled and nearly fell to the ground, while the two scholars were also jolted. It took the merchant a while to regain his composure after he had sat up shakily.

He raised his head and looked at the innkeeper, wanting to ask how much a bowl cost.

The merchant's lips trembled.

But the question that came out was: "What...what's with the ghosts here?"

The courier's face was more grim than if he were crying: "If we had a way, we would have found someone to perform a ritual to exorcise the evil spirits long ago. Why do we have to live in fear every day like this?"

The merchant immediately looked at the monk who had shaved his head and was reading. A faint golden light emanated from the bundle in front of him, giving him great comfort.

"Master! Master! Look at this ghost..."

Then he looked at Yuan Danqiu.

"Sir, you must be a Taoist. You must be quite skilled to have traveled abroad... I beg you for help and to save us!"

Mr. Jiang was sitting right next to him, but Yuan Danqiu wasn't particularly frightened.

But if Yuan Danqiu were to use his "Taoist methods" and "skills" to save people, then everyone would be close to death, and Yuan Danqiu himself would probably die even earlier than the others.

He just has some wealth; ghosts don't care about money.

Suddenly.

The candle went out.

The monk closed his eyes and began chanting Buddhist mantras and scriptures.

Everyone's hearts tightened, and some, unable to bear the shock and pressure, burst into tears, repeatedly begging the postman to save them, complaining and crying.

The couriers seemed to have hidden themselves and had disappeared without a trace.

Someone was cursing loudly.

"Damn it, what kind of situation is this?"

"You damned bastard, you're really going to kill me."

The bundle in front of the monk shimmered faintly with golden light in the darkness.

It went out very quickly.

The faces of everyone immediately turned grim.

Footsteps could be heard slowly coming from outside the courtyard.

The wind is getting closer.

……

……

"Master, can the ghosts outside be released from their suffering?"

In the silence, Jiang She spoke.

As everyone listened to the two of them talk, in the midst of the oppressive atmosphere, even the sound of people talking felt precious.

"Master" is an honorific title for a monk who is well-versed in Buddhist teachings.

For example, at this time, Tang Sanzang was called the Tripitaka Master.

The titles most people use for Taoist priests are also explicitly recorded in the Tang Dynasty. The "Tang Liudian" states: "Taoist priests have three titles: the first is Master, the second is Dharma Master, and the third is Lawyer..."

The monk opened his eyes and looked at the person who had asked the question.

The lights had already been extinguished, but fortunately, he had a good memory and roughly remembered the seating arrangement of the people in the main room. The person who asked the question was a traveler who had just arrived, and he and the person in the Taoist robe were a group of people.

I glanced at him from afar and saw that he was dressed in blue, with an extraordinary air about him, and seemed to be traveling with a cat in his arms.

I never expected him to be so bold. "This humble monk does not know."

The monk explained, "This is a wandering ghost, lingering in the human world. It has three abilities, but its ritual implements are useless. This humble monk can only do his best."

Jiang She asked, "Which three?"

The monk replied: "The first is delusion, the second is possession, and the third is incantation."

The lights in the main room had been extinguished. Everyone was terrified and dared not make a sound, for fear of attracting something unclean.

All that could be heard was the two people talking.

The monk explained in great detail: "Those who are deluded use illusions or words to deceive people. There are many records in the past of ghosts transforming into young women or old men and women to deceive passersby, because they have such abilities."

"Possession, hiding in a human body; however, such ghosts are not powerful enough and often fear fire."

“When these wandering ghosts come, always extinguish the lamps and candles so as not to harm them.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned grim.

The room was now pitch black. The candles inside had suddenly gone out, and only footsteps could be heard. Although the lanterns outside the door were not visible, they were probably also out.

The monk continued.

"So-called curses are either foretelling disasters or casting curses. There are many legendary stories about them, and you must have heard them, sir. Sometimes they come true, and sometimes they are false."

"When ghosts outnumber humans, they are real; when humans outnumber ghosts, they are fake."

"I wonder if the ghostly figure came tonight to play a trick on me, or for some other reason."

Jiang She listened attentively.

He had mostly ignored ghosts before. The ghosts in Sichuan were quite sensible and hadn't bothered him; this was the first time he'd heard such a detailed account.

"Thank you, Venerable Master."

"May I ask your Dharma name, Master?" Jiang She asked.

The monk clasped his hands together.

"This humble monk is Zhiyuan."

He refocused his gaze on the gate, closed his eyes, listened to the footsteps, and chanted Buddhist mantras.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Suddenly, at the table next to them, a scholar burst into laughter, like a baby crying with an echo, a mixture of laughter and tears, a bittersweet expression.

Ask the merchant at the same table. The voice was very soft.

What do you think of me?

As soon as the question was asked, the lamps on the wall suddenly lit up, though the light was dim.

I vaguely saw it.

A sliver of ghost light revealed a peach blossom face.

That was no longer the face of a scholar; the figure was thin, and she looked like a woman. She was so frightened when she saw the merchant that she kept backing away. She raised her eyes, smiled, and asked again.

The merchant was horrified, tears streaming down his face. Wherever he hid, everyone around him avoided him.

The merchant scrambled to the monk's feet, threw himself onto his knees, and cried out:

"Master! Master!"

"A ghost! A ghost—!!"

This ghost can even possess a human body! It's so ferocious! It must be one of those legendary vengeful spirits. I wonder if they can escape death. The monk's ritual implements were clearly ineffective. Hearing about the ghost, everyone seemed enraged and immediately went to ask others for advice.

What do you think of me?

"What do you think of me?!"

Dare not speak.

I dare not answer.

The cat meowed softly in Jiang She's arms.

His back also arched.

He looked a little scared; his fur stood on end.

Trembling, it tried to crawl out of Jiang She's arms, onto the table, to block him. Its ears were drawn low, and its whole body was shaking.

I couldn't help but step back twice more.

The merchant huddled under the table, leaning against the monk's legs, eyes closed, tears streaming down his face, wondering if he would ever be able to go back to see his mother and his children.

The room was filled with crying and cursing.

Interspersed with ghostly chirping.

Just as the monk said, the lower a person's anger is, the stronger their ghostly aura becomes.

The scene was a mess, and everyone avoided each other in fear.

Jiang She gently stroked the cat, from its head to its back, to soothe it.

He looked at the possessed ghost in the room and said:
"You look like a ghost to me."

　It's almost the end of the month, so I'll cast my monthly vote! (orz)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)