Huai'an Temple

The monk went farther and farther, and the more remote he went.Xue Zhu wanted to ask a few times, but was stopped by Shen Tuan.

The two followed him all the way to a mountain forest ten miles outside the city.The monk's footsteps slowed down, and finally... he sat cross-legged and did not move.

The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, and the clouds are scattered.

The old monk turned his back to the two and stretched deeply.The arm was raised, the monk's robe slipped off, and there was a black gap in the elbow of the right hand, as if it had been dug out of thin air.

Shen Tuan thought for a while, and said: "The wind never ends, and the rain never ends. Heaven and earth can't last long, let alone people?"

The old monk smiled lazily: "Master Shen, I am the Shi family."

Shen Tuan thought about it again, and said: "All conditioned dharmas are like dreams and bubbles."

The old monk seemed a little distressed, and said softly: "It's hard to be a human being."

Shen Tuan smiled, and continued: "Buddha is easy to become."

After a long while, the old monk said: "The earth in the stone is burned in the temple. It is difficult to find the truth after a hundred years in the void. People outside the threshold, with a long life, cut off greed, ignorance and hatred today..."

Xue Zhu exclaimed: "Master!"

Seeing this monk suddenly shattered, like splitting a mountain and opening a rock, thousands of chisels broke it.Countless dust clouds, black and red, rose up all around, lingering for a long time.

Shen Tuan took two steps forward and sighed: "I should have known earlier that he was transformed by that earth temple, and the copper coin sword wounded him. He wants us to kill him because he wants to reincarnate as a human being."

Xue Zhu collected a part of the black and red soil, covered the remaining soil with the monk's dirty monk's clothes, and waved it in the wind, wishing: "Use the force of the breeze to get the west!"

At the end of April, the weather is getting hotter.

Shen Tuan was driving, the curtain was raised, Xue Zhu was lazily leaning in the car, his Taoist robes were ragged and his shawls were loose.He rushed out and said, "Master, are you still looking for Wuhenhuo?"

Shen Tuan said: "Duanyang is approaching, I'm afraid it will take day and night to go back. It's too late."

Xue Zhu sighed: "Oh, it's still a waste of work after all."

Shen Tuan tightened the reins and said: "No, we failed to achieve him, but we achieved ourselves."

Xue Zhu said: "Yes! However, I coaxed that old bald donkey for a month, not for myself."

Shen Tuan smiled: "OK, OK, I know that your Taoism is profound, and you have immeasurable merits in saving demons and turning people. Don't you need to talk all the way?"

Xue Zhu put the car curtain aside and muttered, "What the hell are you evaluating!"

Shen Tuan laughed outside the curtain and trembled all over.

……

Gao Yongchu's words are paid for the afternoon, and the wine glass has the same depth as last year.

The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, Shen and Xue finally rushed back to Huai'an Temple.As soon as the gate opened, it was facing the Sanqing Hall.Old Xiao sat under the altar, with his legs crossed, shoulders slanted, and his back to the door.

Xue Zhu caught up a few steps, and called out: "Senior Xiao! You really are Wencheng Wude, you are blessed by the common people, and your magic power is boundless..." While talking nonsense, he was about to enter the palace.

Shen Tuan straightened his body and pulled him back: "Don't move!" He took a step forward and looked at a row of tree branches in the hall, and a few broken tiles scattered outside the hall.His complexion darkened, his voice was hoarse, and he sighed: "Wan Shan solid formation, you are really trustworthy."

Old Xiao turned around slowly, and smiled lazily: "You keep your word too. You came back before the Dragon Boat Festival. How can I not wait."

Xue Zhu's eyes were wide open, his nose was sour, and his eye circles were red.Xiao Laodao's complexion was bluish white, and green veins were clearly visible on his neck and wrists.The pupils are blurred, and the hands, feet, and pinnae are leathery.If Li Tan was here, it would definitely be severed. This body...has been dead for a long time.

Xue Zhu yelled again: "Senior Xiao...we, we are still late. You..." He couldn't hold back his sobs.

Old Xiao looked at Xue Zhu, and said: "Xiao Yuli, you are also an envoy. I left a few formation diagrams on the altar table. After you learn it, go and punish your master. I didn't teach him!" He looked at Shen again. Tuan, I don't know what is in the blurred eyes, after a long while, he said softly: "They don't blame you, and I don't blame you either. Let yourself go, little brother..."

Looking at Sanqing again, he stretched out his hand and stroked the branches in front of him, lying down on his original position, and did not move any more.

Shen Tuan felt great grief in his heart, his face was silent and motionless.Xue Zhu didn't dare to persuade him, so he had to stand with him without saying a word.

Within half an hour, Xue Zhu felt the coolness invade his body and felt slightly unwell.Looking back, a person turned out from the viewing gate.He wears a red robe and leather belt, and soft boots with Futoe. He has a pale complexion and a slightly small stature.

Xue Zhu was startled, and the Jishou greeted him: "Officer Cui. Are you...?" Shen Tuan was also quite surprised when he heard his address, and turned his head to greet him.

Cui Yi cupped his hands and said, "This is Ruoxuzi Taoist priest. It's better to meet him than to be famous."

Shen Tuan leaned forward and said, "Shen Tuan, a poor man. Last time, I would like to thank Judge Cui."

Cui Yi lightly shook his hand: "It's nothing, I'm here this time to pick up Ruo Chongzi's reincarnation."

Shen Tuan looked around the hall and sighed: "Senior brother is valued by Magistrate Cui, so I can be relieved if I think about it."

Cui Yibing smiled weakly: "Xiao Dao grew up to be kind and courageous. He eliminated evil and punished rape. His lifespan is 130 and four years old. I am quite honored to be able to pick him up."

According to the agreement with Xiao Laodao, Xue Zhu personally put three straight talismans, held the gift of disciples, put the Nine Nether Lanterns, put the Dendrobium Flame Mouth, and chanted scriptures and performed sacrifices.

Shen Tuan saluted Cui Yi deeply, Cui Yi nodded and made a move with both hands.A puff of green smoke floated from Xiao Laodao's dantian, curling up.They circled around Shen Tuan and Xue Zhu each.I went on my own.

Cui Yi left and said: "You two, I'm going back now. In the future..." After hesitating for a while, he still said: "It's best not to see you in the future. Farewell."

Turn around and walk slowly, go out.

When Taoist Ruo Chongzi passed by on May [-]th, he just fell into ambush.Shen Tuan was still a little bored when Xue Zhu had a feast every seven days.

Before it was too late, someone knocked on the door before watching.The two of them were quite strange, there was no one in Huai'an temple all day long, and now it's hot in summer, they can't stop working.So there are no ghosts.What do you want to come to them?

Xue Zhu opened the gate, and when he saw the visitor, he recognized him.Ren Chuangu, the boss of Chuangu Shoucai Shop in Huai'an County.

Xue Zhu let him into the front hall and asked: "It's a hot day, surely Boss Ren is not here to enjoy the cool?"

Ren Chuangu smiled wryly, and said: "I would like to invite little Daoist Xue to go to my place to enjoy the shade. It's sunny, and the temple is blown up in the house!"

It has been handed down for three generations in Huai'an that the ancient Shoucai industry has a coffin of Shoucai, yellow paper elegiac couplets, paper people and paper horses, everything is available.

They are in this line of work, they understand all the taboos, and even if there are occasional changes, they can solve them by themselves.The reason why I made a special trip this time is that it is a bit too "lively".

Half of the paper figurines tied together the first day were lost the next day.Ox and horse mounts, lost for three days and then turned around.The elegiac couplet was revised and the words were changed, and the second couplet was reorganized.The inner and outer coffins are not lost, but there is often a loud noise of buckling the coffin, and the Dharani Sutra is thrown into a ball...

Originally, Ren Boss burned lamps and paper to offer incense and weep spirits, but he could suppress it a little bit.Unexpectedly, after June, the intensity intensified, and even heard the sound during the day, but saw the shadow at night.Nowadays, no one dares to be in the shop at all. Those who resign from their jobs, and those who ask for leave, Ren Chuangu really has nothing to do.

Xue Zhu thought about it, and most likely he offended a passer-by who didn't arrive at the time.Then he nodded and said: "I see, it will take two or three days, I will take a look." He took out Zhang Baili's Tongyu talisman from his arms, handed it to Ren Chuangu, and said: "I have the talisman, someday I will go to see it." Call you, open the door for me."

Ren Chuangu took out a palm-sized paper ticket, pressed it under the tea bowl, and said, "I'm relying on little Xue Daoist. I'll take my leave first."

Xue Zhu sent him out and turned back to the backyard by himself.

With loose collar and trouser legs, Shen Tuan was lying barefoot on the couch, reading a copy of "Jade Shu Jing".

Xue Zhu then gave the paper bill to Shen Tuan, and said, "Master, you see, these paper money bills are popular recently, and you can withdraw them at any time. It seems to be called...something."

Shen Tuan took it over, looked at it, and said, "It seems to be called Jiaozi. Who's here? What's the matter?"

Knowing that he had been depressed recently, Xue Zhu explained the matter emphatically, and wanted to invite him to go with him.After speaking, he asked, "Master, are you going?"

Shen Tuan handed Jiaozi back to him again, and said: "You promised, you can go by yourself."

Xue Zhu raised his chin and said, "Zhaoyuan steamed pills, ginkgo in poetry ceremony?" Shen Tuan shook his head.

Xue Zhu said again: "I sleep outside, fanning on the ice mat." Shen Tuan shook his head again.

Xue Zhu leaned close to his ear, and whispered: "I'll think of another nice sentence." Shen Tuan's eyes flashed, his thin lips curled up, and he said: "It's a deal!"

In the afternoon of the next day, Shen and Xue arrived at the appointment.Xue Zhu tied up his cuffs and held a sword on his back.Shen Tuan loosened her hairpin and put on a loose belt, with a lazy look.

Xue Zhu stretched out his hand: "Take away all the Xunsi resentment talismans." Shen Tuan took out a stack of about a dozen pieces from his arms, and handed them to him, saying: "I don't have many, you can make your own array slowly." .Doesn’t Lao Xiao have a way to resolve his grievances?”

Xue Zhu sighed: "Uncle Xiao is really powerful and has boundless magical powers. His illustrations say that there are eight directions, one place and one object. You can put it at will, and you can attack it. Whatever you come, you can solve it. I...how can I have this skill?" !"

Shen Tuan smiled: "He uses the most cunning formations. He uses local materials and uses everything in the world. You should practice slowly."

Before the words were finished, there was a real sound of buckling the coffin in the Shoucai hall, boom boom, boom boom.Continuously, big and small.As soon as Xue Zhu entered, there was no sound at once.He looked around, and there were six existing longevity members in this hall.Two mouths of willow wood, three mouths of fir wood, and one mouth of golden nanmu.

Xue Zhu knocked one by one with his hands, and suddenly two evil-sealing talismans flew out, and two gray shadows appeared on the head of the golden nanmu coffin.One stayed in place and slowly transformed into shape.One couldn't sit still and fell headlong into the coffin.

The young man sitting at the head of the coffin looked fifteen or sixteen years old, and there was a big gap in his head.He didn't move, and smiled at Xue Zhu: "Daoist, Daoist, show mercy, we didn't do anything!"

Xue Zhu looked him up and down, and asked, "What are you doing? It's broad daylight, what else do you want to do?"

The young man said: "His family has a great master who makes paper sticks to express the spirit, we... just want a little..."

Xue Zhu looked back, and saw that there were all the paper-made things in the outer hall.Cocks, cows and horses, feathers, feathers and manes, every detail is visible.Boys and girls are alive and well.Really well tied!But to say, it's good enough to let the ghost come to ask for it in person, but I'm afraid it's not to this extent.

Xue Zhu took two steps forward, looked into the coffin, his heart skipped a beat, he quickly withdrew, and said, "Oh, master, master... come to save my life."

Seeing this, Shen Tuan burst out laughing.The little ghost in the coffin, with a younger face, sealed the evil talisman on the Yintang, but his head fell to the ground... his body was scratching his ear and cheek... forehead... scratching his heart and lungs, trying to pick up his head, but he didn't dare to touch it .

Shen Tuan reached out to pick off the evil-sealing talisman of the two ghosts, and asked, "Why is there such a commotion lately? Also, why do you want his family's?"

The two little ghosts dug out their birthday materials, bowed and said, "You two priests, do you know Ghost Market Street?"

Ghost Market Street, also known as Ghost Market or Yin Market, opens in July every year.All the ghosts come, and the cultivators gather together.Do some yin and yang trades.Shen Tuan also went there in the early years, but he didn't find any geniuses and treasures, so he stopped going.

In addition to bartering, money is also used in the ghost market, and money in the underworld cannot be used by burning yellow paper.In the capital of Fengdu in the middle of Sichuan, the heads of several great families would receive news from Yinshi every year.It is stipulated how much hell money can be distributed this year.

It is said that in the ancient Shoucai industry, there was a master surnamed He, who was born in the He family in Fengdu.The paper piercing is superb, smashing paper and nailing money, there is nothing wrong with it.

The bigger ghost said: "Originally, the ghost market only opened in July, but every ten years, there is a big person celebrating his birthday. We all like him, so every ten years, starting from June, many people gather in the ghost market." In the city, rushing to give him gifts, this paper man and paper horse are naturally indispensable. So...so..."

Shen Tuan looked at Xue Zhu and said, "I think this big man...we should know each other."

Xue Zhu thought for a while and said: "All the ghosts like it, and some people dote on it. It's for birthdays... I guessed it too."