Two talismans and eighteen lives
My name is Li Cheng, and I am a clerical clerk in the Daimyo's Mansion. The story begins five years ago, when I was just a small scribe, and an uninvited guest came to my house, an old Taoist priest covered in dust, holding a broken banner and carrying an old package.
He claimed to have come from Zhongnan Mountain, passing through this place, hoping to borrow a night at my house. When I saw that he was old and infirm, I felt pity for him, and invited him into the house, and entertained him with good wine and food. After he had eaten and drunk, the old Taoist priest had no intention of leaving, he stroked his beard and said to me thoughtfully: "The poor road passes through this place, and I feel that I have a fate with the donor, I wonder if the donor is willing to let the poor Taoist stay in your mansion for a while, so that he can practice preaching?"
I thought that there were still many empty rooms in my house, and that this old man did not look like a traitor, so I agreed to him. So, Lao Dao stayed in my house for five years. In the past five years, he meditated with his eyes closed all day, did not ask about the world, and occasionally chatted with me and said some mysterious truths. Although I don't know it clearly, I also feel the detachment and indifference in him.
It wasn't until last year that the old Taoist priest suddenly fell ill, and I hurriedly invited Lang Zhong to treat him, but I was told that he was terminally ill and his days were numbered. I stood by his bedside, and my heart was full of regret. The old Taoist priest looked unusually calm, and he slowly took out two yellow runes from his underwear pocket and handed them to me.
"Li Cheng, the end of the poor road is approaching, you can put away these two runes. They can keep your family safe in times of crisis, remember, and don't use them lightly until you have to. ”
I took the two pieces of rune paper that looked a little old, and although I had doubts in my heart, I also knew that this old man was by no means an idle person, so I carefully stored the rune paper.
A few days later, the old Taoist priest passed away. In accordance with his last wishes, I simply buried him in a bamboo forest in the back mountain. His departure has made my family less clean, but it has not had much impact on my life.
It wasn't until one evening in the early summer of this year that I suddenly received an urgent call from the imperial court, asking me to rush to Beijing to report on my work. I hurriedly packed my bags, but I forgot to bring the two pieces of rune paper.
Life was not smooth after entering Beijing. I had no relatives in the court and did not understand the way of officialdom, so I soon offended the powerful and was demoted to a remote county town. I felt hopeless and depressed. What's even worse is that a series of strange things have happened in this county recently.
It is said that there is a group of powerful ghosts living in an ancient temple outside the county, and every time in the dead of night, they will come out to make trouble, causing the people to panic and stay awake at night. As the new county magistrate, I naturally can't sit idly by. So, I decided to go to that ancient temple and find out for myself.
As night fell, I led a team of hunters and quietly approached the ancient temple. I saw that the temple door was closed, and there was a strange atmosphere around it. We pushed open the temple door, and a yin wind blew in our faces, blowing terrifyingly.
We searched the temple but didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Just as I was about to give the order to evacuate, I suddenly heard a strange laugh ringing in my ears. I looked back and saw a hideous-looking ghost lunging at us.
The trappers panicked and fled. I also felt a wave of fear in my heart, but as a prefectural commander, I couldn't back down. I clutched the knife in my hand, ready to fight the monster.
At this moment, I suddenly remembered the two rune papers given by the old Taoist priest. I quickly pulled one out of my bosom and waved it at the ghost. When the ghost saw the rune paper, he immediately let out a miserable scream, turning into a puff of green smoke and dissipating into the air.
I was overjoyed to see this, and hurriedly ordered the captors to search for other places in the temple. After a while, we found a hidden hole in a side hall behind the temple. The entrance to the cave was dark, and I didn't know where it leads.
I ordered a few of the trappers to guard the entrance to the cave while I went down to investigate it myself. I walked slowly along the dark cavern, and I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Suddenly, I felt a cold breath rushing over my face, followed by a terrible ghost cry.
My heart tightened, and I hurriedly took out another piece of rune paper, only to see that the rune paper emitted a faint light, dispelling a lot of the darkness around me. Through the faint light, I found a huge sarcophagus in the depths of the cave, and there was a thick ghostly aura around the sarcophagus.
I took a deep breath and cautiously approached the sarcophagus. I saw that the sarcophagus was carved with strange charms, which seemed to be used to seal something inside. I took a closer look and suddenly noticed a gap in the sarcophagus, and there was a faint ghost cry from inside.
As soon as my heart moved, I put the rune paper in my hand on the notch. Suddenly, the ghost crying in the sarcophagus stopped abruptly, and the surrounding ghost qi also dissipated a lot.
I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the crisis has been lifted. I returned to the entrance of the cave and ordered the trappers to seal the sarcophagus and strengthen the guard of the ancient temple.
I later learned that the sarcophagus was sealed with a thousand-year-old ghost who had been looking for an opportunity to escape. And the rune paper given by the old Taoist priest is its nemesis.
Looking back on this experience, I still have lingering palpitations. Those two pieces of talisman paper not only saved my life and the lives of the catchers, but also saved the people of the entire county from disaster. I know that the old Taoist priest's kindness cannot be repaid, so I can only keep his deeds in my heart and always remind myself to maintain a kind and brave heart.
Later, I sent someone to Zhongnan Mountain to find the traces of the old Taoist priest, and wanted to thank him in person. However, after many years of searching, it has been fruitless. Perhaps, he is really a master who travels all over the world, and he has already seen through the red dust and does not care about the world.
And I, because of this incident, was reactivated by the imperial court and transferred back to the capital to take up my post. I record this experience, hoping that more people can know about the good deeds of the old Taoist, and I also hope to inspire more people to do good deeds and accumulate virtues for the benefit of the common people.
Nowadays, whenever I encounter difficulties or confusion, I always think of that kind and mysterious old Taoist priest, the two pieces of talisman paper he gave me, and that thrilling experience. They are like a beacon that illuminates my path forward and makes me appreciate what I have now.
Although I don't know what the old Taoist priest really is, I believe that he must be somewhere silently guarding those of us who he once helped. Whenever I look up at the starry sky, I can always feel a mysterious power that protects me, giving me the confidence and courage to face the challenges ahead.
This is my story, a story of two runes and eighteen lives. Thank you to the mysterious old Taoist priest, and to those who have helped me. I will turn this gratitude into motivation and continue to move forward on the road of life, to help more people, to create more miracles.
Just after I gradually forgot about the old Taoist priest and those two rune papers, a great plague suddenly broke out in the capital. The plague was so violent that hundreds of people died. Inside and outside the capital, people were panicked, and social order fell into chaos for a time.
As an official of the imperial court, I naturally can't sit idly by. I actively organized manpower and set up porridge shacks to provide food and medicine to the people. However, the plague spread far faster than we could have imagined, and a large number of people died every day, even some of my cronies and colleagues.
During that time, I spent every day in grief and despair. In the dead of night, I would stand alone in front of the window, looking at the starry night sky, thinking about when the plague would end.
At this time, I suddenly remembered the two pieces of rune paper given by the old Taoist priest. Although I have already used one, there is still one left. I don't know if this piece of rune paper will be able to fight this terrible plague, but in the midst of desperation, I'm willing to try whatever hope might bring hope.
So, I took out the talisman paper that I had treasured for a long time. It still glows faintly, as if to tell me that it has infinite power. With great devotion, I hung the talisman paper in the hall of the house and led the whole house to pray together.
Shortly after we prayed, a miracle actually happened. The patients who had been lying in the hospital beds suddenly recovered, and those who were not yet sick were also unharmed. The plague in the capital was gradually brought under control, and people began to rebuild their homes, and life slowly returned to normal.
When I saw this scene, my heart was filled with gratitude and awe. I know that all of this is a miracle brought by that rune paper. It not only saved countless lives, but also revitalized the entire capital.
Later, I regarded this piece of talisman paper as a treasure of the town's house, passed down from generation to generation. And the deeds of the old Taoist priest have also been widely spread among the people and have become a good story. Whenever I look back on this experience, my heart is filled with emotion and respect. I know how lucky I am to be able to meet such a great person and be blessed by him.
Now that many years have passed, the capital has long since returned to its former prosperity and tranquility, but the plague and the talisman paper given by the old Taoist priest have always remained in my memory, always reminding me to cherish life, revere nature, be grateful to others, and use my own strength to help more people.
However, the story doesn't end there. The magical power of that rune paper does not seem to have completely disappeared, but at some critical moments, it can always play an unexpected role.
Once, the capital suffered a sudden heavy rain that did not open for several days, causing the river to swell sharply and flood. Many houses were flooded, people were displaced and their lives were in dire straits.
In the face of this catastrophe, I remembered the rune paper again. I decided to take it to the worst of the flood to see if I could use its power to help the people get through it.
When I came to the stricken area with the rune paper, I saw the helplessness and fear in the eyes of countless people. I know that I have a heavy responsibility on my shoulders, and I must use the power of rune paper to the fullest.
So, I stood in the most violent part of the flood and prayed aloud. The flood waters receded in a short period of time, revealing submerged land and houses. The people rejoiced and wept in their gratitude for the gift from heaven.
I know that none of this is my work, but the magical power of the rune paper. So I held it up and showed it to the people, and told them that it was a treasure given to us by the old Taoist priest to protect us from calamity.
Since then, the rune paper has become more sacred and inviolable in the hearts of the people. They come to worship and pray for blessings, and regard it as the guardian deity of the capital. And I also understand my mission and responsibility more in this disaster - that is, to protect the people and protect the homeland!
As time passed, the story of that piece of rune paper gradually spread throughout the capital and even the surrounding areas. More and more people come to worship and pray for its protection. As a result, the capital has become more prosperous, harmonious and tranquil.
However, the good times did not last long, and one night the capital was suddenly attacked by a gang of thieves. They took advantage of the darkness and high winds of the night to sneak into the city and loot and set fire to their homes, leaving hundreds of people homeless and living in poverty.
In the face of this sudden change, I quickly organized manpower to fight back and calm the people's emotions. At the same time, I took out the rune paper again, hoping that it would give us strength against the thieves.
As I stood at the top of the city with the talisman paper in my hand and prayed aloud, all of a sudden there was a fierce wind, thunder and lightning! The thieves were so frightened that they fled in all directions, and we were finally swept away! The people cheered and thanked the runner for the miracle and the blessing!
Since then, the rune paper has been regarded as a sacred object by people, and its story has been passed down from generation to generation, becoming a legend in the capital. And I, as a witness and participant in this legend, am also deeply honored and proud. I know very well that it is the blessing of the old Taoist priest that allows us to overcome difficulties again and again, rebuild our homes, and let the people of the capital live a happy and peaceful life.
Nowadays, whenever I think back to that thrilling history and those magical stories related to rune paper, my heart is always filled with endless emotion and respect. I know how lucky I am to be able to encounter such an adventure and be blessed by it. And I will always cherish this luck, and use my own strength to protect this city and the people here, so that the legend of the capital will be passed on forever!