Chapter Four: Spell

At the mountain peak, a half round red sun begins to rise, as the morning sun shines, the yellowish mist in the mountains gradually dissipates

"What kind of Taoist is this? It's just a fake." Second Senior Brother crossed his arms, glanced at the sky, and signaled with his eyes to Chen Yuan and the other two, "Let's go and take a look."

Hiss

The plump man waved his hand, tucked his handkerchief away, slightly raised his face, and smiled, saying: "It's just a little ghost wanting to find a substitute. Unable to act directly, it devised a method to make your son faint and fall into a stupor, and every night it would crouch by the bed, waiting for him to breathe his last at that moment."

"In front of the prime minister, even a seventh-rank official is of little significance. These maids and servants living in the manor of the wealthy are naturally living a much easier life than us poor souls, so they look down on us. " Chen Yuan comforted the man by patting his shoulder. At that moment, a commotion arose over there, and before long, a group of people emerged from the front courtyard, heading towards the long corridor, with many others crowding around them.

The ominous words startled Liu Yuanwai, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. His elderly wife beside him began to wail and plead with the Taoist priest to perform a ritual to drive away the ghost

Thinking of this, he lifted the box containing the wooden carved puppets to the side room. After completing the preparations, a servant came to call them for dinner. Just before leaving, Chen Yuan opened the box and took out the puppet dressed in a green robe and golden armor, placing the figure with a face resembling a jujube on top of the box

The second elder brother, who has never been very talkative, couldn't help but speak up: "Did the Liu family not invite a master?"

In the bustling gaps, there should be the elderly Liu Yuanwai standing by the wall, watching a plump Taoist priest swiftly gesturing with his fingers, moving about the room while rapidly mouthing with his thick lips

There are few people living on this side of the West Chamber, and since you will only be staying for two nights, you can make do with it. Someone will come over later to prepare the bedding

But Master ... ...

Soul Hook Talisman

"How could something unclean have come about in such a good situation?"

I must inform you that this is a celebration to bring joy to the young master of the official. You all should avoid the east wing at all costs, as it may be tainted with unclean matters

There is阴气, and there is also magical power

Celebration of Joy

However, after finishing his words, he looked around and saw that there were no people from the manor nearby. He then approached closer, and Chen Yuan and the others quickly stopped their work and moved closer to the old man

"Daoist, how is he?" Liu Yuanwai hurriedly approached to inquire, looking at his son who was lying in bed. That was his lifeblood; if anything were to happen to him, it would almost cost him half of his life.

When mentioning the monastery, Chen Yuan immediately thought of the mad old man

Looking at the empty room, Chen Yuan roughly understood that several people would be sleeping on the floor. He tossed his bundle into the corner and smiled.

Master Zhao lowered his voice

After sending off the steward of the Liu residence, the old man turned around and, seeing several disciples still standing there, urged them impatiently

"Second Master, in this world, no one knows you; only I remain. You must bless me with a long life of a hundred years"

The senior apprentice and the second apprentice remained silent, shaking off the dust from their bodies, clearly in a bad mood. After a while, the steward of the residence arrived with Old Zhao, and they exchanged polite gestures, after which the former apologized and took his leave.

On my way here, I heard about it. Just now, I also indirectly inquired with the second steward. Two months ago, this young master of the Liu family was still lively and energetic, but for some unknown reason, every day he wakes up feeling groggy, and he sleeps longer and longer each day. Eventually, he simply could not be awakened. The gentleman was so anxious that he summoned all the doctors in the city to examine him, and the prescriptions they wrote could fill half a room, yet he still remained in a deep slumber. Would you say this is not strange?

On a carved wooden bed inside, a slender figure lay asleep under a quilt, presumably the young master of the Liu family

Please.

The servant turned around to look at the few people dressed appropriately, though their attire was somewhat outdated, even inferior to that of the household servants, yet their tone remained relatively polite

By noon, after the meal, Chen Yuan and others were strolling in the side courtyard. The lively sounds from the front courtyard reached them, and they merely gazed down the corridor. After a moment, when a maid passed by, San Er hurriedly stopped her and inquired about the commotion in the front courtyard

"Hey, hey, look over there, doesn't that person seem a bit familiar!" The senior brother, with his keen eyes, spotted a rough outline. Next to him, San'er slapped his thigh, "It looks like the Taoist who came from the Wang family haunted by ghosts."

Tea houses and taverns along the streets are thriving, with shopkeepers energetically calling out in front of their establishments adorned with flags, continuously attracting passing merchant caravans and townsfolk to come in, take a moment to sit down, enjoy a warm meal, and savor a cup of fine tea

The maid rolled her eyes at them and left a remark: "Over there are mostly esteemed guests of the master, you should inquire less." Holding a tray, she walked gracefully down a small gravel path leading to the front courtyard.

Hmm

Chen Yuan followed the convoy from behind. It was not his first time in Qingshan County, and the streets of the city no longer held any novelty for him. He glanced around, looking for any sign of the mad old man on the street. Soon after, he inquired along the way with Old Zhao and found the location of the Liu residence.

Chen Yuan glanced at the plaque hanging on the gate inscribed with the words "Liu Residence" and then followed her senior brothers as they turned into the adjacent alley, entering through the side door. Waiting there was a steward from the residence, who was conversing with Old Zhao, and he instructed everyone to take their bundles and follow a servant to wait in a separate courtyard, with Chen Yuan among them.

Those pair of phoenix eyes seemed to be gazing at the departing figure after the ceremony

"Young man, is your master celebrating a birthday? Or is it a wedding?" As they walked along, the senior apprentice looked enviously at the grandeur of the courtyard and couldn't help but gossip with the servant leading the way.

No wonder it feels chilly every time I visit the Liu residence recently

"A dog looks down on people." The senior brother muttered softly, kicking over a nearby potted plant. He quickly crouched down to straighten the broken branches and leaves, fearing that someone in the residence would see and make him pay for it.

If it were not for that mad old man introducing him to the path of cultivation in this other world, he would probably think that this young master of the Liu family had contracted some strange illness and fallen into a deep slumber

... ...

Hook disk

Chen Yuan jokingly lit three incense sticks, removed the incense burner, and bowed to the figure opposite before finally stepping out. Inside the room, wisps of blue smoke drifted past the bearded figure made of heavy dates.

That is not correct; both the monks and the Taoist priests have been invited. Is it possible that no one noticed anything unusual? Could it be that the ones who were invited are fakes

The servant spoke little, his expression flickering. Upon arriving at another courtyard, he pointed to a row of three connected side rooms, their window frames old and worn, with several places having holes covered in cobwebs. As he pushed open the door, dust immediately fell in a flurry onto the heads of those present

What are you still dawdling for? The second steward from the Liu residence just said that it will be lively tonight. Hurry and go to the back to move the belongings from the cart and get everything ready

Could it be that a spell has been cast?

Dusting off, the servant stepped aside

Master, this residence has neither marriages nor birthday celebrations, who is there to bring joy to?

The reason for hosting a grand banquet is that many guests brought their children along, and their playful antics helped to dispel much of the chill in the courtyard

"Is it haunted again?" San Er's face turned pale, and his body began to tremble.

Where has the master gone...

Let it be, if we expose this fake Taoist's identity, it is certain that the gentleman will look at us with new eyes! The senior brother understood the key point, excitedly rubbed his hands together, opened his arms to embrace San'er and the second junior brother, signaling Chen Yuan to join in as well

After returning home, I must cleanse myself properly. I must not bring any spirits back with me

Everyone gasped in surprise; it was neither a haunting nor a serious illness, yet a perfectly healthy person lay in bed in a deep slumber, which was truly eerie. In recent days, Chen Yuan had been practicing spells, and her perspective in this regard was much broader than that of ordinary people

After three donkey carts were inspected and entered the city, the sky had brightened significantly. The streets and alleys of the city were bustling with noise. Qingshan County is the most prosperous area among the surrounding ten miles and eight villages, slightly adjacent to the mid-section of the Canglan River. The ferrying convoy frequently passes through the nearby official road and occasionally enters the city to rest and stay overnight

Chen Yuan had long been accustomed to the old man's temperament, cheerfully greeting the three senior brothers to go to the back. Master Zhao followed along, likely still intending to lend a hand, as moving things together would be quicker.

Following the servant through the side door, one enters a large courtyard with three entrances and exits. Beneath the courtyard walls made of blue bricks, shallow moss clings to the foundation. The long passageway, with its high eaves, always imparts a somewhat eerie feeling.

Behind them, Chen Yuan stood silently outside the crowd, watching the room. After his cultivation, he had become quite sensitive to the flow of energy and could clearly sense a subtle magical force circulating within the room

That person seems somewhat familiar... During these few days of cultivation, Chen Yuan's senses have become sharper. Focusing his attention from over ten zhang away, he first noticed a round belly protruding from a Daoist robe, followed by a short and stout figure. The gray-black Daoist robe was quite eye-catching, and from time to time, he raised his hand to adjust the Daoist hat on his head, speaking seriously with an elderly man beside him.

Sir, do not believe him

It is not a problem

Originally, he wanted to say that it was a matter of being tainted by misfortune. The previous incidents of haunting in the Wang family made him feel that this young master from the Yuan family must have also attracted some malevolent spirits. Otherwise, how could a perfectly fine person fall into a deep sleep for several months, relying solely on some broth to sustain his life each day

Old Zhao stretched his neck and glanced around once more before continuing: "Many have been invited, even the esteemed monks from the nearby temple were brought in to chant scriptures at home for several days. In addition to donating several dozen strings of cash, the Liu family's young master remains the same, emaciated to the bone.

The fat man spoke in a muffled voice, saying, "I understand now." His hands were gesturing chaotically, and after a while, he stopped, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the sweat from his brow

The old man glared and scolded, "Stop asking around!"

It is still quite good, always able to provide shelter from the wind and rain

The words spoken by the servant lingered in the mind of the senior brother, as he moved the food from the cart while inquiring of the old man Zhao, who was standing guard beside them

Looking again at the Liu family young master who was dozing on the bed, Chen Yuan suddenly recalled a story about talismans from "Huangchuan Miscellaneous Doubts"

At this moment, with many people around and distractions everywhere, no one noticed that the four individuals followed behind and arrived at the east wing, standing outside together with the group in the front courtyard

Outside the crowd, the three senior brothers, relying on their strength and robust physiques, pushed forward. They did not believe the sorcerer's ghostly words, especially after the incident with the Wang family; they were even less inclined to trust this plump Taoist, and simply spoke out loud.

The long street, paved with stones, exudes an ancient charm. The courtyard walls, made of black tiles and green bricks, feature square carvings every few steps. An old tree in the courtyard extends beyond the wall, casting its shade. Over there, the tall courtyard gate is adorned with a large red lantern rising at the eaves, and the painted red door is wide open. Figures carrying gifts and holding gift lists come and go in a continuous stream, most of whom are merchants and gentry from the city.

A group of people outside was even more astonished, whispering among themselves at the door