Chapter 29: Stone Lion Bleeding
In practicing Taoism, one must pay attention to wealth, friends, Dharma and place, among which wealth comes first.
Take Li Daoxuan for example. He takes a fasting pill worth more than gold every seven days, and he cannot stop taking the pills.
Although things like cinnabar and yellow paper are not too expensive, they are in large quantities. Li Daoxuan consumes a lot of them every day on average.
Many of them became waste and were not successfully painted.
These are all necessary expenses for practicing Taoism. From this perspective, he is simply a money-eating beast, spending more money than children in later generations going to school.
Therefore, many people who practice Taoism will take the initiative to seek out wealthy and powerful families, and have close ties with high-ranking officials.
However, what puzzled Li Daoxuan was that his master was obviously a highly accomplished Taoist with unpredictable means and seemed to have a great reputation, but he was willing to hide in such a shabby Taoist temple and remain anonymous.
With the master's ability, as long as he is willing, let alone becoming a guest of honor among high-ranking officials, even if he goes to the Taiji Palace in Chang'an and meets the greatest emperor of all time, he will be highly respected and may even be named a national teacher or something.
Li Daoxuan sighed. No matter what his master thought, the Taoist temple was on the verge of bankruptcy, and he, as a disciple, really couldn't just sit there and do nothing.
Holding the oil-paper umbrella handed to him by his master, Li Daoxuan walked on the crowded street and felt as if he had returned to the world again.
He has indeed been staying at home too much during this period.
There seems to be a rally today. The streets are very lively and crowded with people. Many children are playing in groups of three or five on the streets.
In the early years of Zhenguan, the world began to settle down. Li Shimin rectified the administration of officials, appointed talented people, advocated frugality, and reduced taxes and levies. Although the people were still not rich, their eyes were not so numb and there was some vitality.
After thinking about it, Li Daoxuan opened the oil-paper umbrella to block the sun.
The red wedding dress fluttered, and Chen Ziyu appeared beside him. The surroundings seemed to become much colder all of a sudden.
Some passers-by looked at Li Daoxuan with surprise.
"It's strange that this Taoist priest is holding an umbrella in broad daylight!"
"He seems to be a new Taoist priest at Zhenyang Taoist Temple. Tsk tsk, they are not from the same family. They live in the same house. One likes to sleep in a coffin, and the other likes to hold an umbrella in broad daylight..."
"Strange, don't you feel that it seems to have become much colder all of a sudden?"
…
The people around him automatically avoided Li Daoxuan, forming a small vacuum zone.
Li Daoxuan didn't mind. He whispered to Chen Ziyu, "Sister Yu, I saw that it's lively here, so I wanted to let you take a look."
Chen Ziyu still did not respond, but just floated quietly beside Li Daoxuan and followed him forward.
But Li Daoxuan found that her eyes were no longer as empty as before , but she looked around calmly.
The two of them walked forward aimlessly.
The master asked him to attract business, but Li Daoxuan thought, how could a place be haunted every day? Walking on the street is just a matter of luck.
"Selling candied haws, candied haws with ice!"
The shouting attracted many children to follow.
Li Daoxuan accidentally noticed that Sister Yu's eyes lingered on the candied haws for a moment before she glanced away.
She...likes candied haws?
Li Daoxuan suddenly remembered that she had been trapped in the Chen family mansion for many years during her lifetime and seldom went out, but perhaps at some point, she had heard the shouts of people selling candied haws coming from outside the yard?
Li Daoxuan walked over holding an umbrella.
"Give me a bunch."
"Okay, two cents a string!"
Li Daoxuan paid the money, but did not eat it himself. Instead, he extended it to Chen Ziyu.
"Um, Sister Yu, I suddenly remembered that I have to fast and can't eat. How about you help me eat?"
Chen Ziyu looked at him with eyes as cold as a deep pool.
Just when Li Daoxuan wanted to take back his awkward smile, he saw her thin red lips move and parted a little.
Then some red gas floated out of the candied haws and entered her mouth.
Not sure if it was an illusion, but Li Daoxuan seemed to feel that her eyes had a slight fluctuation, which disappeared in an instant.
The man selling candied haws looked at Li Daoxuan with strange eyes. He thought that this Taoist priest looked so handsome, but there was probably something wrong with his brain, as he was talking to himself under an umbrella in broad daylight.
Li Daoxuan returned the candied haws in his hand to the man.
"I don't want to eat it anymore. Forget it. I'll just give it to you. You don't have to return the money."
"But I don't recommend you sell this bunch again. You can keep it for yourself."
Although the appearance of the candied haws has not changed, the essence has been sucked away and it has lost all its taste and nutrition.
Hearing that he didn't need to return the money, the man quickly took it back.
Looking at the handsome Taoist holding an umbrella and walking away from him, he smiled happily. This Taoist priest is such a good man!
As for the Taoist's suggestion, he didn't care at all and just put the string of candied haws back on.
Not long after, a strong man came to buy candied haws and happened to buy that string.
He paid, ate one, and then quickly spit it out.
"Bah! What the hell are you selling? It has no taste at all!"
"Swindler, believe it or not, I will beat you up!"
…
Continuing walking on the street, Li Daoxuan glanced at Chen Ziyu beside him.
She has a high nose bridge, creamy skin, delicate bone structure, and a perfect profile.
This was his first time shopping with a woman... a female ghost, and it felt quite special.
It’s a pity that in such a huge Xinyang County, there is no other ghost or monster to be found?
Li Daoxuan had already opened his Dharma Eyes, and saw that the Yang energy was strong all around, and there was no sign of demons at all.
Where can we find business?
Just when he was at a loss, he suddenly felt a force coming from the umbrella handle in his hand, as if guiding him forward.
Li Daoxuan was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and followed the force forward, while glancing at Chen Ziyu.
As expected, a person who has eaten someone's food should be grateful. Sister Yu, are you trying to help me find something dirty?
In the bustling market, Li Daoxuan held an oil-paper umbrella and walked quickly forward. As he turned around one alley after another, the crowds soon became fewer.
After a moment, he stopped in front of a big door.
The vermilion gate is tall and majestic, and there are two majestic stone lions at the door. It is obvious that this is a wealthy family.
"Huang Mansion..."
Li Daoxuan's eyes lit up. He heard that the Huang family was known as the richest family in Xinyang County. If this place was haunted ... they would definitely make a lot of money.
However, when he used his Dharma Eyes, he found no trace of demonic energy.
Li Daoxuan looked at Chen Ziyu.
Chen Ziyu stared at the Huang Mansion quietly. Blood began to drip from her wedding dress, forming two words on the ground.
There is... a ghost...
Li Daoxuan frowned. It seemed that there was a ghost in the Huang Mansion, but the ghost was very good at hiding and his magic eyes could not see through it at all.
After hesitating for a while, Li Daoxuan decided to knock on the door and ask about the situation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
I knocked three times in a row, but no one came to open the door.
Just as Li Daoxuan was about to continue knocking on the door, the sound of a Taoist priest chanting loudly suddenly came from inside the door.
"There are three wonders in the sky: the sun, the moon, and the stars. They penetrate the sky and the earth, and terrify the gods and ghosts. The sky is clear, the earth is spiritual, and I, the disciple, follow the title of the Three Mao Patriarchs. No god will not be defeated, and no ghost will not be frightened..."
Li Daoxuan was startled. There was a Taoist priest performing a ritual inside to exorcise ghosts.
And from the incantations he chanted, he seemed to be a Taoist priest from the Maoshan Sect.
Maoshan is as famous as Longhushan. My master once said that the talisman method of Maoshan is very good, while as for Longhushan, the thunder method is more famous.
There are already competitors here, and Li Daoxuan is in a dilemma. Should he try to grab the business?
Just as he was hesitating, crisp sounds suddenly came from inside the door, as if something like a jar or a mirror was broken.
Then Li Daoxuan saw a very horrifying scene.
The two majestic stone lions at the door suddenly had blood flowing out of their eyes...
