bookandnovel Chapter 2 Strange Tales from Taoist Temples
Chapter 2 Strange Tales from Taoist Temples
Qingfeng Temple
Central Hall
"Master Qingfeng, what was that tremor just now?" Fang Hongxuan finally managed to steady himself, his hundred-forged steel sword under his robe almost unsheathed.
The old Taoist simply waved his hand: "It's nothing, just a sudden change in the earth's condition. In this Kanze Mountain, such a phenomenon occurs in about half a month."
Inside the incense burner, three sticks of incense burned rapidly, soon reducing to two short and one long. Fang Hongxuan calmly withdrew his gaze.
"It's also my fault for being blinded by greed, my desire to slay demons and monsters became somewhat insane. I actually trusted others so easily."
"Sir, your righteousness is admirable, and I understand it perfectly. It's getting late; why not stay for a vegetarian meal?"
"This will allow me to fully demonstrate my hospitality as a host..." The old Taoist priest said with admiration, pulling Fang Hongxuan into the courtyard.
Fang Hongxuan quickly stopped him.
"Master, to be honest, I have another matter I hope you can resolve for me. Otherwise, I will be unable to rest easy..."
The old Taoist priest concealed his hands in his sleeves, his expression calm: "My friend, please speak freely. There are only the two of us living here, so please don't worry about being overheard."
"The Demon Suppression Division has countless unsolved cases, but there is one case that has truly piqued my interest."
"This situation is so similar to the description of that unsolved case that I have to speak out."
"The origins of this case are long lost to history, and I only learned about it by chance. So there are some suspicious aspects, but it can't be taken seriously."
Fang Hongxuan stared intently at the old Taoist priest, his mouth never stopping for a moment.
.....
As the saying goes, "When a ghost possesses a zombie, even immortals are afraid."
The story we're going to tell today is about Wang Wu, a lazy and good-for-nothing rascal in the village. Ironically, although he was idle, he wasn't a bad person at heart.
He usually loves to investigate matters, and he's always present wherever there are people.
One day, two travelers arrived together.
One of them was dressed as an ascetic monk, and the other was a scholar wearing a long robe.
The ascetic monk was dressed in rags, and the only valuable things he carried were the prayer beads he was playing with and the alms bowl he used to beg for alms.
As for the middle-aged people, they traveled light, carrying only a bag and a water bottle.
By the time the two arrived at the village, the sun had already set.
Even so, it's impossible that no one would wander around the village. But strangely, every household in this village keeps their doors tightly shut.
Moreover, wherever there were doors or windows, talismans were spread out everywhere.
Although the two were surprised, they did not want to cause any trouble. They simply found the inn at the entrance of the village and prepared to spend the night there.
That night
Suddenly, a mournful cry arose from the village, a sound that would surely make anyone who heard it slap their thigh in pity. The reason was simple: the weeping person was recounting their tragic life story.
It is said that she sold herself to bury her father and was bought to become a concubine.
Unfortunately, the lady was too narrow-minded and could not tolerate even the slightest bit of it.
So the lady bribed a rogue to have someone defile her. Then she falsely accused her of being unfaithful and having an affair.
Upon learning this, the master was furious and personally beat her to death with clubs.
Wang Wu, whose days and nights were reversed, was also unable to sleep after hearing such a strange story. In addition, the noise outside the window was quite loud, so he couldn't wait any longer and secretly pushed open the door a crack.
But it would have been better if we hadn't opened the door; once we did, things went wrong.
The woman outside the door struggled fiercely, while the ascetic monk, holding his alms bowl, pretended to subdue the female ghost. But Wang Wu, terrified, cried out.
The female ghost seized the opportunity to rush into Wang Wu's body, leaving the ascetic monk and the scholar dumbfounded.
That night happened to be the most yin and evil of the night, a time when the moon was eaten by a celestial dog. If it were anywhere else, at most a few little ghosts would have appeared.
However, the feng shui of this village is extraordinary, with yin and yang reversed. Coupled with the arrangement by a master, it has become an excellent place for raising corpses.
The mulberry tree in the center of the village collapsed with a crash, revealing a vermilion coffin. Inside, sealed off, was a powerful Rakshasa.
With the feng shui arrangement broken, whatever was nurtured within it naturally couldn't resist escaping.
Although the scholar and the ascetic monk were determined to eliminate evil and uphold justice, they were powerless that night and could only take Wang Wu with them and flee the village.
As a result, the entire village was doomed. In just a few hours, everyone in the village was transformed into walking corpses by that Rakshasa.
Fortunately, the scholar was also somewhat skilled in feng shui. Relying on the remaining feng shui formations, he managed to create a demon-sealing formation that trapped the entire village.
At dawn, the three of them returned to the village entrance together.
In an attempt to save the two, Wang Wu was ambushed and killed by the Rakshasa. His seven-foot-tall body was reduced to a head, with the rest of his flesh being devoured by the Rakshasa.
The female ghost on his body was naturally swallowed by the Rakshasa.
Thus, the Rakshasa, who had a body but no soul, and the female ghost, who had a soul but no body, were completely united.
The two merged into one, and although it could not be considered a scorched earth, it could still be considered an extremely evil and ferocious demon.
The ascetic monk abandoned his cultivation, and the scholar risked his life to help him. The two of them exerted tremendous effort and finally managed to cut off the Rakshasa's head.
If the story ended here, it would be a perfect ending, but the reality is that things don't go as planned.
When the two men were exhausted and had no strength left to move, a cobbler walked out from in front of the house.
This man inherited his family's skills, and his exceptional ability to sew dough was renowned far and wide. Logically speaking, with such amazing craftsmanship, he should have become wealthy long ago.
But he stayed in this obscure mountain village for a full thirty years, not only without moving his house, but also without ever remarrying.
According to the deceased Wang Wu, thirty years ago the village suffered a great calamity, and the cobbler's wife and son all died under the knives of bandits.
Some villagers mustered up their courage and went to the cobbler's house to investigate. They found two coffins in the main room, one containing his son's body, and the other empty.
The second cobbler generously explained the reason. It turned out that the two men had been dismembered, and most of their bodies could not be recovered. With no other choice, they could only sew the two men back together and bury them under the mulberry tree in the center of the village.
Thirty years have passed, and it was supposed to be the time for the second cobbler's son to recover, but the good thing was ruined by the ascetic monk and the scholar.
How could he not harbor resentment? In the end, the two, powerless to resist, also fell victim to the cobbler.
"With this, the story can be considered to have come to an end." A slight smile appeared on Fang Hongxuan's stern face.
"Taoist Master, tell me, is this absurd or not..."
The dim candlelight flickered. On the wall, the two figures moved erratically, yet remained firmly rooted to the spot.
The old Taoist remained silent for a long time before revealing his yellow teeth: "The story that Master Fang told was somewhat shocking."
It has been a long time since anyone has been told that they still possess the method to create Rakshasa, as this method is contrary to the laws of nature, and anyone with a conscience would not do so.
"Taoist Master, do you possess such evil arts?" Fang Hongxuan asked, but his tone was extremely certain.
"Of course it will. After all, Qingfeng Temple has a wide range of knowledge, and sometimes using evil to suppress evil is more effective."
"What would happen if the Taoist priest were to run into the cobbler that Mr. Fang mentioned?"
The old Taoist priest had droopy eyelids, as if he had fallen asleep.
"Naturally, it's about acting on behalf of Heaven..."
Fang Hongxuan laughed heartily and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:
"The Taoist priest is indeed a man of great righteousness."
"In fact, there's more to this absurd story..."
The old Taoist priest continued chatting, following Fang Hongxuan's lead:
"Please speak freely. Although it is late, if you do not mind, Qingfeng Temple can accommodate pilgrims for the night."