stjorthotic Chapter 12 Encountering an Evil Spirit
Chapter 12 Encountering an Evil Spirit
In the alleys of Qingyang Town.
As dawn broke, a beautiful woman dressed in a light purple silk dress with a black hairpin swayed as she headed towards the Liu residence.
As she completely disappeared into the darkness, her eyes slowly opened, the size of fireflies, like torches, shining brightly.
Li Shouxin watched the beautiful woman leave, then turned his gaze to the old man beside him.
"Master, I just saw that your wife went straight to the Liu family mansion, so I guess she must have gone to seek refuge with the Liu family patriarch."
My poor senior brother, who hasn't had meat in ages, went out to find food before dawn and hasn't returned yet.
Li Shouxin's voice, though soft, was like a thunderclap. The old Taoist priest, who had been dozing off, was instantly awakened, his beard and hair standing on end, his face full of anger.
"You unfilial disciple! If you continue to spread rumors, you'll be in big trouble! It's not even dawn yet, what kind of woman would go out at this hour?"
Besides, when did you get a master's wife? Have you stumbled upon a ghost?!
The old Taoist priest, dressed in hemp clothing and short jacket, gripped a stick and faced Li Shouxin, poised to strike. Unexpectedly, Li Shouxin, neither ashamed nor angry, grinned and stuck his head out.
"Master, please don't be offended. The three of us, master and disciples, have been chasing the stars and the moon for two whole days and nights before finally arriving at Qingyang Town."
Your disciple observed that you worked tirelessly last night, only falling asleep around midnight. Now that dawn is breaking, you must be exhausted. I spoke those words just now to remind you, Master, not to miss the opportune moment and jeopardize the important matter.”
Li Shouxin knelt on the stone slab, kowtowing repeatedly, but there was not a trace of complaint on his face.
Old Li sighed, "You're a good kid, but you're too alert, your eyes are too sharp. It's no wonder you often see those dirty things."
"Now chaos is rising, and all sorts of demons and monsters are emerging. Even in this small town, there are no fewer than dozens of spirits."
"It's not uncommon to run into someone like that."
The golden light in Li Shouxin's eyes faded as he helped the old Taoist priest up.
...
As dawn broke, a light drizzle fell on the streets, and a faint chill wafted towards the two from outside the alley.
A figure suddenly blocked the alleyway.
"Master, junior brother. I went to great lengths to get these steaming hot meat buns. I was so hungry on the way here that I've already eaten. You should share these buns quickly."
Li Shoujing's face was beaming with the satisfaction of being stuffed. He held the oil paper package in one hand and patted his belly with the other. However, the aroma wafting from the oil paper package made Li Shoujing secretly swallow his saliva.
"Senior brother, where did you get these copper coins?" Li Shouxin asked, puzzled. If his senior brother had brought back a few sesame cakes, it might have been because he had encountered a kind person.
If it were a meat bun, ordinary families would never give it away as alms.
Li Mu's expression quickly darkened, his eyes filled with anger: "Shoujing, what are the rules of our Qingzhen Temple? Tell me!"
Li Shoujing, however, seemed to have thought of something. He remained calm and composed, showing no remorse whatsoever.
"Do not commit theft, do not deceive the people, and do not do anything that is against morality and reason..."
After Li Shoujing finished speaking, Li Mu's expression became even more unpleasant: "I'll ask you again, where did the money to buy the meat buns come from?"
"I went out to find some food and happened to see the servants of the Liu family mansion frantically searching for something. When I went up to ask them, I learned that they were looking for the lost guard dog of the mansion."
"Master, junior brother, as you know, I cherished dog meat very much before I joined the sect."
"Any dog that appears within a ten-mile radius can't escape my nose. So I found the dog by following its scent."
"One of the servants took out ten copper coins from his pocket and threw them to me, while the other servant took out a piece of black jerky and threw it in front of the dog. The dog was quite intelligent and ate it all before following them back to the Zhao residence."
Li Mu's expression improved, and he picked up the stick and walked out of the alley.
Li Shouxin had already taken the oil paper package. He held it in one hand and opened it with the other. There were five fist-sized meat buns stacked together, emitting an enticing aroma.
"Master, you should eat first."
He bowed respectfully and offered it with both hands.
Li Mu first looked at Li Shoujing, then shifted his gaze to the obsequious Li Shouxin. He then took only the hottest buns: "You can share the rest of the meat buns."
During their casual conversation, the three of them blended in with the peddlers and laborers. Unless one kept a close eye on them from beginning to end, they would not have been able to figure out what was going on.
"I wonder what kind of bullying and tyrannical behavior that young master Liu is. If I see it, I can figure out how to teach him a lesson."
As Li Shouxin thought this, his bright, intelligent eyes darted around, taking in most of his surroundings.
"Make way, make way!"
Four burly men dressed as servants pushed and shoved pedestrians, completely clearing the area around the notice board.
"In three days, my young master will be marrying the daughter of the He family. Therefore, we need to hire day laborers. Wages will be paid daily and two meals will be provided."
"If you are willing to help the Liu family, you can stand behind us. We will settle half a day's wages this morning."
The crowd gathered around was in an uproar, but no one dared to step forward.
After all, the Liu family of Qingyang Town was notorious, and the neighbors and villagers were well aware of their power.
Therefore, no matter how eloquently the servants from the Liu family who came to recruit people spoke, the Golden Lotus Emerging from the Ground was mostly doing nothing.
The head servant, seeing this, flew into a rage. He grabbed a stick and circled around, saying, "This should be a joyous occasion, a time of immense wealth and honor."
You all turn a blind eye; do you perhaps wish to bring disaster upon your homes?
When bribery failed, they resorted to coercion.
In an instant, the crowd scattered like birds and beasts, with only a few unlucky ones being conscripted, including the two fellow disciples.
As for the old Taoist priest, he was disliked because he was too old and his legs were not nimble enough.
...
Woof woof woof...
The yellow guard dog barked wildly, salty saliva dripping from its mouth.
Its eyes were bloodshot, and it was eager to devour anyone it could find.
Before anyone could turn around, the heavy door slammed shut.
Following behind the servants, Li Shouxin dared not look up and observe freely, but he still used his peripheral vision to get a clear look at his surroundings.
Although the courtyard here is not large, it appears extremely luxurious.
Everywhere you look, houses stand side by side with tiled roofs, and low walls plastered with putty surround the courtyards in a neat and orderly fashion.
Perhaps it was the owner's refined taste, but a flowerbed had been laid out in the center of the low wall, and since it was the right season, the flowers were in full bloom, each vying for attention.
"With such tight defenses, if an ordinary person were to sneak into the Liu residence, they would probably be captured as soon as they climbed over the wall."
Li Shouxin had no time for romance; instead, he carefully observed the servants around him, both overt and covert.
"What are you looking at so aimlessly?"
The burly servant who led the man in reprimanded him in a low voice.
Everyone lowered their heads and looked at the blue stone paving stones under their feet.
"Jia Si, lead them to do things."
"The young master's wedding is in three days, so don't mess it up."
Liu Shende's voice came from behind and gradually faded into the distance.
Jia Si bowed his head in fear and trepidation, but once Liu Shende had completely disappeared around the corner, he became arrogant again.
Just as Li Shouxin was about to meet up with Li Shoujing, the beautiful woman in a light purple dress with a black hairpin tucked into her hair disappeared around the corner ahead.
"It's here..."