The midday city seemed a bit desolate. The bumpy road had few idlers, and the cart drivers who had set up stalls were all lying under the trees, seeking shade.
The two were questioned by the guards upon entering the city, but they were immediately allowed to pass when it was known that they were Taoists invited by the Wang family.
Finding the Wang family was easy; the tallest building in the entire city belonged to them.
It rose four stories high, with painted eaves and green tiles. It was visible from afar, truly displaying their wealth and influence. No wonder they were able to connect with the Chen family; money talks.
They knocked on the door before the courtyard, and a lazy voice responded. The door was opened by a haggard old man who showed displeasure in his eyes upon seeing the two Taoists. His lips parted, but in the end, he only said, "Please come in."
His attitude was quite perfunctory, and Mo Xiang felt that he didn't particularly welcome their arrival. Jiang Wen was accustomed to seeing the world and didn't argue with a servant. With brisk steps, he confidently walked into the large courtyard.
Upon entering, they saw a screen wall engraved with the Four Symbols and the Azure Dragon. Turning the corner, they saw lush bamboo forests on both sides, bringing a hint of coolness with the breeze.
After walking less than a hundred steps, they passed a pool and arrived at the main hall. Raising their heads, they saw a large plaque with the four characters 'Ming Xin Zheng Qi' (Clear Mind, Righteous Spirit). Mo Xiang had studied calligraphy with her father since childhood and could tell that the characters on the plaque were from a master.
"Good calligraphy," she praised.
"Of course, it cost a lot of money," the old man grunted, telling them to sit in the room while he went to call the master of the house.
The two sat down, picked up the teacups on the table, and, seeing that no one came to greet them, Mo Xiang poured tea for Jiang Wen and herself.
"Brother Jiang, it seems the Wang family doesn't welcome us very much."
Jiang Wen smiled without a word and sat cross-legged in silence. Before long, they heard hurried footsteps outside the door, and a group of people rushed in.
The person in the lead was dressed luxuriously, with his hair neatly groomed. He looked to be in his forties or fifties but seemed energetic. However, his scalp was oily, and his face was puffy. There were dark circles under his eyes, like a panda.
Upon seeing Jiang Wen, his face showed a welcoming expression, and he rushed forward a few steps to greet him, saying, "Real Master has come, Wang has failed to greet you from afar, I am truly ashamed."
The tone of this person was indeed extraordinary, completely different from the old servant.
After speaking, he looked around the room and saw that no one was serving tea. His thick eyebrows furrowed, and he angrily scolded the old man, "How are you managing this household! These are honored guests I invited, how can you let them sit here unattended?! Do you want the Wang family to lose all face and reputation?! Deduct this month's salary and lock him in the backyard to starve for a day."
As soon as his words fell, the old man knelt on the ground, crying and begging for mercy. The people around dragged him away, and after a moment, there was no more sound.
The hall returned to silence, and he then sat down with Jiang Wen, smiling and chatting. Mo Xiang watched this scene and realized that there was still such a thing as a servant class in this world.
Thinking of the things she had seen in Nanyang, she was able to accept it calmly.
The visitor was the head of the Wang family, fifty-six years old this year. Listening to his words, they understood a bit about the Wang family's affairs.
The Wang family was originally a prominent family during the previous dynasty, but later moved to Nanyang due to the war.
The incident was related to the Wang family's second son. A few months ago, the second son and his new wife went on a trip together, but they were robbed on the road. After all, Nanyang was a chaotic place. The new wife, with no way out, drowned herself in the water. Later, a corpse transporter sent her back, and she was hastily buried.
Unexpectedly, after the burial, strange things always happened in the house.
The night watchmen could always hear the sound of a baby crying from the top of the Wang family's building; in the bamboo forest in the backyard, there was always a woman sobbing; the servants who got up at night said they saw a white shadow wandering in the garden, and even Master Wang himself had seen the shadow of a small child crawling on the table several times at night.
The huge Wang family had not had a single day of peace. It caused a great uproar, and the entire family was alarmed. They all went out to seek refuge, unwilling to continue staying at home.
The two concubines returned to their maiden homes, and the legal wife even moved to a nearby incense temple to stay temporarily. Master Wang had no choice but to invite monks and Taoists to perform rituals. He even found a few witch doctors and headhunters, but all were helpless, and even two were frightened to death.
Later, he met a spirit medium who said that there were too many evil spirits in the house. Unless he returned to the country to invite some good spirit mediums, it would be difficult. Even spending a lot of money, no one was willing.
Master Wang naturally couldn't get away to return to the country; he was indispensable at home. Coincidentally, his eldest son returned from a banquet at the Chen family and mentioned Jiang Wen.
The two of them knew the rest of the story, and their master and apprentice had traveled all the way here.
Jiang Wen listened and pondered for a moment, frowning as he calculated. He pinched his fingers and asked, "Can you open the coffin and let this Taoist take a look?"
"Of course," Master Wang replied without hesitation.
The two didn't say much and headed for the cemetery. It was a garden with beautiful scenery. Several stone tablets stood, all belonging to the ancestors of the Wang family.
Jiang Wen looked at the blazing sun overhead and asked Master Wang to have people dig up the grave and open the coffin.
But the moment the black coffin was opened, the few people who opened the coffin collapsed to the ground, their faces pale and their legs shaking, pointing at the coffin and stammering.
Jiang Wen looked over and saw a bloated woman lying in the coffin. Her face was like a soaked steamed bun, and her abdomen was swollen like a ball. The color of her skin didn't look like she had been dead for many days.
Even more bizarre was her chest, where the funeral clothes were torn with a large hole, and her internal organs had been taken away. This strange scene made people feel terrified.
It was the height of summer, when it was hot. Even meat wrapped in ice would rot, but the woman lying in the coffin had not changed at all. Onlookers felt cold all over, their legs weak and boneless. The crowd was so frightened that they crawled away, some even wetting their pants on the spot.
Master Wang couldn't speak, and he fainted as he looked at her. People helped him up and pinched his philtrum, and he slowly woke up after a long time.
Jiang Wen looked at the woman in the coffin and couldn't help but sigh, "She was buried while pregnant, no wonder the black coffin is dyed with joy, the fetus in her womb is probably a ghost fetus."
Hearing the words 'ghost fetus', Master Wang knelt down in front of the Taoist priest with a thud. He wept bitterly, begging Jiang Wen that if he could save him, he would be willing to pay any amount of money.
Know that if a ghost fetus is conceived but not born, it will involve relatives. If left unchecked, it will eventually lead to the extermination of the family.
Not to mention how serious this matter was, Jiang Wen would not allow the ghost fetus to be born. After agreeing to the matter, he asked Master Wang to prepare the magic tools, and he would set up an altar to perform the ritual.
The coffin was carried to the Wang family's courtyard, and along the way, there were rumors about the Wang family. Passersby avoided it, not daring to get close to the coffin, only saying that the Wang family had a ghost infant, and touching it would lead to the extermination of the family.
Returning to the Wang family compound, Jiang Wen looked around. He walked to a corner and saw a tree stump in the yard. Puzzled, he asked the Wang family patriarch, "When was the tree in the yard cut down?"
"It's been several months."
"Was your daughter-in-law gone at that time?"
"No." The Wang family patriarch shook his head, looking puzzled, and asked Jiang Wen, "Why is the Taoist priest asking about this?"
Jiang Wen walked around the courtyard a few steps, and finally stood in front of the stump, pointing at the heart of the tree and said, "I'm afraid the Wang family patriarch's daughter-in-law has been plotted against."
The Wang family patriarch came over to take a look and saw that the heart of the tree was already black. Although the edges were still fresh, the middle was rotten. He brushed away the soil covering the surface and felt a fishy smell.
He immediately covered his nose and walked away, leaning on the wall beside him, retching. Someone in the courtyard heard the noise and ran out. Seeing the Wang family patriarch's state, they rushed up to ask, "Master, what's wrong with you?"
"It's nothing, his chest is just releasing the Yin energy, which is being expelled with the water from his five internal organs," Jiang Wen comforted from the side.
Only then did the woman notice Jiang Wen. Seeing him wearing a Taoist robe, she asked vigilantly, "Where did you come from, Taoist priest? How dare you deceive your way into my house?"
She was about to come forward to reason when she was sternly reprimanded by the Wang family patriarch behind her: "What are you making a fuss about, woman?! Go back!"
Only then did the woman reluctantly retreat and unwillingly return to the backyard.
"This is my third wife, she's been here for two and a half years," the Wang family patriarch explained.
Jiang Wen nodded in response. He was not interested in the Wang family patriarch's family affairs. He was only here for the money, to help people solve some problems.
The Wang family patriarch seemed relieved to see that Jiang Wen was not disgusted. He looked at the stump, with a puzzled expression: "Why is this tree like this?"
"As the saying goes, the earth has five spirits, and people have five energies. Even this dwelling place needs the existence of the five energies. This courtyard of the Wang family patriarch has all five energies, and this tree belongs to the wood energy," Jiang Wen pointed to various places in the courtyard, specifically the water pond, rockery, stone statue, bronze figure, and stove placed in the four corners of the southeast, northwest.
"The five energies generate each other, which is originally an auspicious sign. I never expected that you would cut down this tree, causing the five energies to lose their vitality. I don't know who told you to cut down this tree, ruining the Feng Shui of the house. This vitality has become dead energy, so this thing is naturally like this."
The Wang family patriarch's face sank, as if he had thought of something. After a long silence, he said, "The trees planted in the house were indeed cut down at the request of a nobleman."
"Is this nobleman really not an enemy of the Wang family patriarch?" Jiang Wen sneered.
Hearing what Jiang Wen said, the Wang family patriarch was furious.
At night, an altar was set up to perform rituals.
The houses around the Wang family were all dark and uninhabited.
Only the Wang family's courtyard was lit up with lights, and candles were piled up.
Jiang Wen put on his Taoist robe, wore a crown, and held a peach wood sword. Wearing seven-star boots, he walked in the Big Dipper pattern, chanting incantations. He walked around the courtyard, throwing his sleeves and sticking yellow talismans on the walls.
The fragrance of ink followed him, scattering clear water, and chanting the Sutra of Rebirth around the altar.
The entire Wang family, young and old, knelt in front of the altar. They faced the incense burner on the altar, each holding three long and short incense sticks, devoutly reciting the names of the deceased.
This kind of ritual is called Si, which is a kind of sacrifice. The so-called "Heavenly gods are called Si, and earthly gods are called Ji." The affairs of ghosts and gods are treated with Si. Constantly reciting the names of the deceased can prevent them from being trapped by ghost infants and remember their past and present lives.
After sticking yellow talismans everywhere, Jiang Wen picked up the golden bowl on the table. He strung a yellow talisman on the peach wood sword and waved it towards the candles on both sides.
"When the Supreme Lord speaks the Dharma, the golden bell rings with jade tones. A hundred evils are hidden in the nine earths, and demons protect the Qian Forest. Heavenly flowers scatter Dharma rain, and Dharma drums shake the lost and沉. All the heavens sing good, and golden boys dance with Yaoqin. May I pour out eight rays of light to illuminate the heart of refuge. Early Dharma drafts, serving the five clouds deeply. Hurry, hurry, according to the law! !"
As the words fell, the talisman on the peach wood sword burst into flames.
Not early, not late, at that moment, only the sound of wind and water was heard from all directions. The surrounding night was as dark as ink, and the Yin wind howled, like sobbing and weeping. From the trance, the crying of infants came. The surrounding yellow talismans stood up, making a rustling sound in the night wind.
The Wang family was terrified, listening closely to Jiang Wen's warning, daring not to open their eyes to look. Holding incense candles, they trembled. Even if the sharp and strange cries seemed to surround their ears, they did not dare to move half a step.
Jiang Wen's Taoist robe fluttered, he held the peach wood sword and glared into the distance. He heard a loud shout: "You ghosts and monsters, why don't you quickly reincarnate!"
After saying that, he waved his sword.
The burning yellow talisman on the sword flew into the air, forming a Bagua formation on all sides.
Then Jiang Wen leaped into the air, somersaulting over the altar like a lark. He lightly tapped the pure water on the altar with his finger, then smeared it on the sword body with his fingers together.
"Heaven and earth are natural, evil and filth are swept away, Taoist Qi lasts forever, Supreme Lord Lao-Tzu, hurry, hurry, according to the law!"
In an instant, the fire talismans connected to form a Bagua formation. The peach wood sword body flickered with faint light, and Jiang Wen waved his sword towards the door.
There was an ear-piercing scream, like a cat being slowly sliced to death. It made people's skin crawl all over, and even the greatest courage would be cut off by three points. Even the Wang family patriarch, who was knowledgeable, was experiencing such a strange thing for the first time.
He once thought it was just a rumor, but he never thought that he would see it today. The Wang family patriarch squeezed the incense candles in his hand, both surprised and happy. He was surprised by everything that had happened to his family, and happy that he could meet a master.
This Taoist priest was not old, but his skills were real. If it weren't for the Taoist priest, I'm afraid their Wang family would be wiped out from now on.
Not to mention what the Wang family patriarch was thinking, Jiang Wen threw out a few talismans to strengthen the Bagua formation, telling everyone to stay in the formation and not go out. Even if there were thousands of temptations, do not move until dawn.
He chased after the crying sound, heading straight for the graves in the wilderness.
Stepping through the坟 堆 in the night, he looked around and saw ghost shadows everywhere.
The baby's cry seemed far and near, but it always appeared behind Jiang Wen.
Seeing this, Jiang Wen snorted coldly: "You little ghost are not afraid of death."
"I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled!" The cry came, and a woman was seen sitting on a grave not far away.
The woman covered her face and wept, her whole body was wet. Even in the night, the sound of water dripping could be heard.
"I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled!" The woman gritted her teeth and wailed, and Jiang Wen strode closer.
"You resentful ghost, what are you not reconciled to! Tell me, Taoist priest. You cannot stay in the mortal world for long, why don't you retreat quickly!"
"Why, why do you have to treat me like this!" Just as Jiang Wen approached, the woman suddenly raised her head. Under her long, beautiful hair, a faceless face appeared!
Jiang Wen was not afraid at all, but just snorted: "I was going to let you off because you said you were wronged, but I never thought you would become even more aggressive! I'll show you the Taoist priest's real skills."
After saying that, he waved his hand, and a flying sword suddenly stood in front of him. Completely different from when he was performing the ritual, Jiang Wen stepped on the flying sword, and lightning flashed between his two fingers.
"Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, listen to my command!"
The thunder rumbled, and the tearing sound was deafening. The female ghost sitting on the grave was at a loss, looking like a weakling.
"Taoist priest, please don't kill my mother! I'll confess everything!" At this moment, the ghost infant appeared in front of the woman and prostrated himself on the ground.
