Saneka
Zhang Dashan, a merchant, walked on the mountain road home, thinking about today's business. Although it doesn't earn much, it is enough to grab a few pairs of medicine for the old lady in the family. As the night darkens, the trees on both sides of the mountain road sway in the evening breeze, as if hiding some secrets.
Zhang Dashan quickened his pace, he wanted to go home early and decoct the old lady. At this time, he suddenly found a faint fire in front of him, and when he got closer, it turned out that there were three incense sticks in front of his widow's house, and the incense was burning vigorously, which looked particularly strange in the night.
"What's going on?" Zhang Dashan muttered in his heart, he looked around, but he didn't see the widow's sister-in-law.
Three sticks of incense were planted side by side in the earth, and the firelight danced in the breeze, as if to tell something. Zhang Dashan suddenly felt a chill hit him, he shivered, and an inexplicable fear surged in his heart.
"Could it be that something happened to my sister-in-law?" The more Zhang Dashan thought about it, the more wrong it became, and he decided to find out.
He knocked softly on the door, but no one answered. He pushed the door open and entered, and the room was dark and silent. Zhang Dashan's heartbeat gradually accelerated, he groped for the oil lamp, and after lighting it, the surroundings suddenly lit up.
"Sister-in-law, are you at home?" Zhang Dashan shouted, but only his own echo responded.
He looked around and found that everything was normal in the house, but there was no trace of his widowed sister-in-law. The three sticks of incense still burned quietly in the doorway, as if to mock his panic.
Suddenly, he heard a faint noise coming from the backyard. Zhang Dashan walked over cautiously, only to see the widow's sister-in-law squatting on the ground, holding a small shovel in her hand, as if digging something.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?" asked Zhang Dashan suspiciously.
The widowed sister-in-law raised her head, her face was pale, and her eyes revealed deep fear: "Dashan, you are back." I...... I'm burying something. ”
"Bury what?" Zhang Dashan's curiosity was aroused, "Do you need help?"
"No...... No need. The widow's sister-in-law hurriedly refused, "It's some old things, I'll just come by myself." ”
Zhang Dashan nodded and didn't ask any more, but his heart was still full of doubts. He turned to leave, when suddenly, out of his eye, he caught a glimpse of what seemed to be flickering on the ground behind his widowed sister-in-law. He walked over and saw that it was a golden plaque with some strange symbols engraved on it.
"Sister-in-law, what is this?" Zhang Dashan asked, picking up the gold medal.
The widow's sister-in-law's face instantly turned pale, and she said in a trembling voice: "That is my family's ancestral talisman, which has been hanging at the door to keep safe." But the other night, I suddenly noticed that it had fallen to the ground and ......"
"And what?" Zhang Dashan asked.
"And it'...... It glows at night. The widow's voice trembled, as if she were saying something extremely terrible.
Zhang Dashan looked at the gold medal in his hand, and an inexplicable fear surged in his heart. He suddenly realized that the three sticks of incense might not have appeared for no reason. Is this some mysterious ritual? Or is it a warning?
"Sister-in-law, do you know what these three incense sticks represent?" Zhang Dashan asked tentatively.
The widowed sister-in-law shook her head: "I only know that this is an ancestral custom of my family, whenever something bad happens in the family, I must put three incense sticks at the door to pray for the blessing of my ancestors." ”
Zhang Dashan nodded thoughtfully after hearing this, but he knew that things were not that simple. He decided to go to the village to ask the old man for clarification.
When he came to the village square, Zhang Dashan saw the old Li Tou who was enjoying the shade. Lao Li Tou is a wise man in the village and knows the history and customs of the village well.
"Old Li Tou, do you know what it means to put three sticks of incense in front of your widow's house?" Zhang Dashan asked straight to the point.
Lao Li Tou frowned, pondered for a moment and then slowly spoke: "Those three incense sticks are not casually inserted, they represent an ancient ritual. Legend has it that a long time ago, our village suffered a catastrophe, and in order to pray for the blessings of our ancestors and the gods, the villagers planted three incense sticks in front of their homes. These three incense sticks represent the three talents of heaven, earth and man, implying praying for the right time, place, and people, so as to eliminate disasters and solve problems. ”
After hearing this, Zhang Dashan suddenly realized that these three incense sticks still have such a deep meaning. But he thought of the glowing gold medal again: "Old Li Tou, do you know if there is a legend about the glowing gold medal in the village?"
Lao Li Tou was stunned when he heard this, and a trace of horror flashed in his eyes: "How do you know this?"
"My sister-in-law told me. Zhang Dashan explained, "She said it was her family's ancestral amulet, but it suddenly glowed the other night. ”
Lao Li Tou took a deep breath, as if calming the fear in his heart: "That gold medal is indeed an ancient legend in our village. It is said to be a treasure left by the ancestors to ward off evil spirits. But if it suddenly glows, it means that something big is going to happen in the village. ”
Zhang Dashan's heart tightened after hearing this: "Then what should we do?"
Lao Li Tou was silent for a moment: "There is only one way, which is to find the priest in the village and perform a mysterious ritual to resolve this disaster." ”
Zhang Dashan's heart was full of doubts and worries after hearing this, but he knew that the most important thing now was to find the priest and carry out this mysterious ceremony. He said goodbye to Lao Li Tou and hurried to the priest's quarters.
It was late at night, and Zhang Dashan came to the priest's quarters, only to see that the house was brightly lit, and the priest was sitting at the table studying an old book.
"Priest, I have something important to ask you for. Zhang Dashan said eagerly.
The priest raised his head and glanced at Zhang Dashan: "It's Zhang Dashan, is there anything you have to do with me at such a late hour?"
Zhang Dashan told the priest about the three sticks of incense and the gold medal shining at the door of the widow's sister-in-law's house. The priest frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "This is indeed a very small matter. Those three sticks of incense and the gold medal are all warnings left by the ancestors, which means that something big will happen in the village. ”
"Then what should we do?" Zhang Dashan asked anxiously.
The priest took a deep breath: "We need to perform a mysterious ritual as a way to defuse this catastrophe. You go and inform everyone in the village early tomorrow morning and ask them to meet at the ancestral hall in the evening. ”
Zhang Dashan's heart sank after hearing this, he knew the importance of this ceremony. He said goodbye to the priest and hurried back home.
Early the next morning, Zhang Dashan went door-to-door to inform the villagers to gather at the ancestral hall in the evening. The villagers all looked frightened, but they knew that it was for the safety of the village, and they all said that they would arrive on time.
When night falls, the ancestral hall is brightly lit and full of people. The villagers, following the instructions of the priests, filled the ancestral hall with incense and offerings. The priest stood in the center of the ancestral hall, holding a ritual instrument with a solemn expression.
The ceremony began, and the priest chanted the words in his mouth, and the magic weapon in his hand shone strangely. The villagers followed the priest's instructions and bowed and prayed one by one. The entire ancestral hall is filled with an atmosphere of mystery and solemnity.
As time passed, the atmosphere of the ceremony became more and more tense. Suddenly, the ritual weapon in the priest's hand emitted a dazzling light that shot straight into the sky. Immediately after, a deafening thunder sounded in the sky, as if in response to the call of the priest.
The priest's expression became unusually solemn: "The ancestors have heard our call, and now we are going to take the final steps. ”
After speaking, he led the villagers to a clearing outside the ancestral hall. I saw that the open space was already full of all kinds of rune paper and magic weapons. The priest had the villagers stand in a circle around the clearing, and then lit the runes and artifacts.
With the rise of flames and the sound of magic weapons, the entire clearing was enveloped in a mysterious aura. The villagers closed their eyes and prayed silently.
After a long time, the flames gradually went out, and the magic weapon stopped ringing. The priest opened his eyes and smiled tiredly but reassuringly, "The ritual has been successful, and we have defused this disaster. ”
The villagers cheered and knew that their ancestors and priests had saved their lives. And Zhang Dashan also breathed a sigh of relief, he finally understood the true meaning of the three sticks of incense and the gold medal glowing.
Since then, the village has returned to its former tranquility and serenity. And that mysterious ritual has become a legend passed down by the villagers and will always be remembered in their hearts.
Three sticks of incense (continued)
However, just when the villagers thought that everything had returned to calm, a change of heart struck.
One morning, when the first rays of sunlight fell on the village, the villagers found that the tree-lined mountain forest had become dilapidated overnight, with yellow leaves and crooked branches. What terrified the villagers even more was the appearance of three new graves overnight.
"What's going on?" the villagers watched in horror, their hearts filled with doubts and fear.
Zhang Dashan also rushed to hear the news, he looked at the scene in front of him, and a sense of foreboding surged in his heart. He turned his head to look at his widow's house, only to find that three incense sticks had been planted in front of his widow's house again, and the gold medal was shining brightly in the sun.
"Could it be ......" Zhang Dashan was shocked, and he hurriedly ran to the priest's house.
The priest looked at Zhang Dashan in front of him, listened to his narration, and frowned: "It seems that our previous ritual did not completely resolve that disaster, but instead caused more trouble. ”
"So what should we do now?" Zhang Dashan asked eagerly.
The priest was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Now, we need to perform a more powerful ritual to completely dispel this evil force. However, this ritual requires some special materials, and it must be done by you. ”
"Me?" Zhang Dashan was stunned, "What do I need to do?"
"You need to travel to that mysterious mountain and look for a magical plant called 'Spirit Snake Grass'. The priest said in a deep voice, "Only this plant can help us carry out this powerful ritual." ”
Zhang Dashan didn't hesitate at all after hearing this, he nodded: "Okay, I'll set off!"
So, Zhang Dashan packed his bags and embarked on a journey to that mysterious mountain. Along the way, he encountered countless difficulties and dangers, but he overcame them one by one with his courage and wisdom.
Finally, after a long trek, Zhang Dashan came to the top of that mysterious peak. He looked around and saw that it was cloudy and mist-shrouded, like a fairyland. And in this fairyland, he finally found the magical plant called "Spirit Snake Grass".
Zhang Dashan carefully picked the spirit snake grass, and then hurried back to the village. He handed the Spirit Snake Grass to the priest, and the priest looked at the Spirit Snake Grass in his hand with a relieved smile on his face: "Very good, with this Spirit Snake Grass, we can perform the final rituals." ”
So, under the guidance of the priest, Zhang Dashan and the villagers began this powerful ceremony together. They stood in a circle around the open space of the ancestral hall, holding incense and offerings in their hands, and chanting mysterious incantations in their mouths.
As time passed, the atmosphere of the ceremony became more and more tense. Suddenly, the ritual weapon in the priest's hand emitted a dazzling light again, and this time the light was brighter and more dazzling than the last time. Immediately after, a deafening thunder rang out again from the sky, as if in response to their call.
Shocked by this thunder, the villagers seemed to see the figures of their ancestors wandering around them. They know that it is their ancestors who are protecting them and sheltering them.
Finally, with the joint efforts of everyone, the ceremony ended. This time, the result was completely different from the previous one, and the whole village was shrouded in peace and tranquility. The three new tombs have disappeared without a trace, and the mountains and forests have regained their former vigor and vitality.
The villagers cheered and jumped for joy, knowing that it was the ancestors and priests and Zhang Dashan's bravery that saved their lives. And Zhang Dashan also looked at the scene in front of him and smiled with satisfaction.
Since then, the story of "Three Sticks of Incense" and "Gold Medal Shine" has become a legend in the village through the ages. Whenever a new couple gets married or a new baby is born, the old people will tell this story to warn them to cherish the happy life in front of them and always maintain a sense of reverence for their ancestors.
And Zhang Dashan also became a hero in the hearts of the villagers because of this brave adventure and the action to save the village. He not only won the appreciation and recognition of the priests, but also won the hearts of many girls. But he never forgot the frightened look of his widowed sister-in-law that night and the shining gold medal. He knew that all this was arranged by fate and sheltered by his ancestors. So, he decided to spend his life protecting this village and everyone here.
As time passed, the story of "Three Roots of Incense" gradually spread in the surrounding area and became a good story. In the process, Zhang Dashan also made more friends and partners, and they experienced many adventures and challenges together, but always maintained their awe for their ancestors and their love for life.
Eventually, Zhang Dashan became a respected elder, and his story has been passed down from generation to generation, inspiring countless people to pursue their dreams and happiness. The legend of the "Three Sticks of Incense" has become an eternal symbol of the village, witnessing the close connection and deep affection between them and their ancestors.