In the early autumn, the big clock in the imperial city struck three times, and the rain fell into the cold.
As dusk approached, the gate on the side of the imperial city opened silently, and two rows of paper umbrellas and red lanterns slowly moved past the gate.
The headed middle-aged man in official uniforms and hats, after passing the door, he paused slightly, looking at the misty and rainy road between the high walls of the courtyard with a solemn expression.
“Mr. Ning, please come inside.”
The old man called Mr. Ning is an old man named Ning Qinshui. The old man is more than ancient and has gray hair. He still meticulously wears a robe and combs his bun. Although his face is very thin, his pupils are piercing. It looked like a dark fire under the ashes.
Behind the old man, there followed a pair of teenagers and girls who also wore robes.
The young man looks like a fifteen or sixteen, while the girl is smaller, both thin and delicate. The two of them lowered their heads, and looked up slightly from time to time, secretly looking at the magnificent and far-reaching palace in the imperial city.
In the drizzle, the imperial city seemed particularly quiet.
Across the long corridor, the majestic palace loomed in the field of vision. The young man in the plain robes felt depressed in his heart, his expression was faint, and his pace was a little slower. The little girl next to him glanced at him. , The corners of his mouth raised, his expression contemptuous.
The middle-aged man walked into a palace with three people. The layout of the palace was not small. The maid holding an umbrella and trimming the flowers and trees bowed slightly when she saw the middle-aged man.
Go around the shadow wall and cross the promenade. The man led them forward. The door of the wing at the end was open. The middle-aged man explained: “The master here is not here for the time being. The old gentleman can take the two apprentices first. Settled here, there will be a mage coming to discuss with her husband later on the matter of expelling the filth and removing the spirit.”
Ning Qin Shui’s pinching fingers in his sleeve suddenly paused, he turned to look at him, and suddenly smiled: “I don’t care about my old bones, but my two disciples were young and were infested by evil spirits. It’s not a trivial matter, but you can’t live in this haunted house.”
The middle-aged man’s complexion changed slightly, and he smiled and asked: “Why did the old man say this?”
Ning Qinshui smiled slightly, knowing that the other party brought him here to test himself. He did not take the initiative to cross the threshold, but took out a copper coin from his sleeve and gently tossed it. The copper coin happened to fall on the threshold. , But it didn’t stop, but flipped and jumped like a living thing. Finally, the old man’s palm spread out, and the copper coin actually jumped back.
Ning Qinshui closed his palms and squeezed the copper coin, his expression became a little serious, and after a while, he slowly spoke.
“The owner of this house was killed three days ago. This resentment has persisted for a long time. It should be that the evil spirit hanged himself and died. During this period, someone had come to do the ritual, but the person who did it… also died. All People in the palace are also more or less sick. If we hadn’t come today, this palace should be closed, right?”
The middle-aged man took a deep look at him, his expression added a lot of admiration and praise. He raised his hand, and the maid beside him retreated with the women trimming the trees. When it was quiet, the man bowed. Hand over, say:
“The rumors are true. The old man’s teachings are indeed completely different from those of the previous ones. I brought my husband here today, and I wanted to test it. Now it seems that I can’t help it. Please don’t blame my husband.”
Ning Qinshui smiled and said: “It’s okay, I know that several Taoists who are not good at learning skills have died before. You are trying to test my fictitiousness and reality, and it is for my sake.”
“Naturally, this yard cannot be accommodated. Please move to another yard.” The man nodded gently: “I wonder when the old man can conduct the ritual?”
Ning Qinshui glanced at the dim sky, and the momentum was diminishing.
“Zi Shi.” The old man’s voice was astringent, and said: “At that time, I hope that adult will not forget his promise.”
“Naturally not.” The man smiled and said, “The official name is Song Fang. If there is still something unclear, please ask someone to find me.”
The conversation became quieter, and a small scarlet bird in the corner of the eaves vibrated away.
……
……
“The teacher often tells you that we cultivators uphold the righteousness, like a candle in the night. If the night is flooded with the sky, this little candlelight will not be flooded, so you just need to follow There is no need to panic around the teacher, even if things fail, the big deal is to get out and leave.”
Ning Qinshui sat in a great teacher’s chair, looked at the young girl standing beside him, and said with earnest heart: “When you perform the ritual later, you two must remember to be pure in your mind, and don’t have any crooked thoughts or evil thoughts. Let the evil spirits crooked way into the gap, then the master will not be able to save you. Long time, Xiaoling, do you remember?”
The boy’s name is Ning Changjiu, and the girl’s name is Ning Xiaoling.
Ning Changjiu lowered his head and listened meticulously. When the old man asked, he respectfully nodded: “Remember.”
The girl also spoke respectfully. She lowered her head, her eyes moved slightly, revealing disdain and resentment.
Ning Qinshui nodded, and said: “Then you can meditate, and when you reach the son, you will accompany the master to cast down demons.”
“Yes.” The two replied together.
After the order, Ning Qinshui got up and walked outside the door. After going out, he waved the dust in his hand, and the door closed in response. The old man looked back, his eyes indifferent, as if looking at a dead person.
The boy and girl didn’t really go to the house to practice the path, naturally they didn’t notice Ning Qinshui’s cold gaze facing each other across the door.
Ning Changjiu listened to Master’s advice, sat cross-legged, muttering words.
Ning Xiaoling glanced at him and said coldly: “Fool, do you really believe in that old stuff’s nonsense?”
Ning Chang ignored her for a long time and continued to meditate.
Ning Xiaoling sits on the Grand Master’s chair, her petite body seems to be curled up directly inside, she crosses her slender legs, hands on her knees, but she is not meditating, but taps her knees lightly, annoyed Said: “You idiot may not be able to feel that, that old thing looks at us more and more wrong recently, for a while it seems to be looking at the gold and silver jewelry in his private possession, and for a while it seems to be looking at…”
She pursed her lips, did not continue, and sighed: “Anyway, he might sell it sometime.”
Ning Changchang opened his eyes in dissatisfaction and retorted: “We are all bought by Master, and Master is not bad to us, why bother to say that?”
Ning Xiaoling sneered: “What has he taught us these years?”
Ning Changjiu stubbornly said: “Master has deep meaning.”
Ning Xiaoling sneered, she sighed: “You buy little chicken cubs and duck cubs, and raise them, will teach them martial arts to teach them the principles of life? It’s nothing more than one day, when they are fat, or If you sell it, you can kill it yourself and eat it.”
Ning Changjiu was very uncomfortable with her analogy. He frowned and wanted to refute, but he was clumsy and didn’t know how to speak.
He just didn’t understand, how often he used to say such harsh words when he looked so delicate and lovely.
“Hey…” Ning Xiaoling sighed leisurely. She didn’t pretend to meditate. She sat on the chair with her legs swaying gently, her head resting on the back of the chair, and looking at the roof. stay.
She also didn’t understand, her brother looked so aura, why his head was so clumsy.
“Actually…” Ning Chang hesitated for a while, and said uncertainly: “I have been near the imperial city recently. I always think of some weird things.”
“What’s weird?” Ning Xiaoling showed some interest.
Ning Changjiu nodded: “I often see a Taoist temple, which is very familiar, as if I lived there since I was a child.”
Ning Xiaoling said inexplicably: “What kind of Taoism?”
Ning Changjiu shook his head: “Very ordinary, the Taoist temple is always closed, but there seem to be seven…no, eight people!”
Ning Xiaoling smiled and said: “Brother idiot, you have been scammed before the ritual has started?”
“I don’t know.” Ning Changjiu shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking that he was getting more and more confused.
He silently thought about the teachings of the master, and read a few pure-hearted mantras, his mind slowly settled, and he stopped thinking about the illusory things.
The girl had taken some cold and dry pasta, and slowly chewed it in her mouth. Looking at the night outside the window, with the secrets and confidence in her heart, she felt more and more uneasy.
As time passed slowly, Ning Xiaoling hit the back of the chair with her fist, becoming more and more irritable.
When Ning Qinshui came back, when he was approaching, “I’m almost ready, let me do it.”
Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling followed out. When covering the door, Ning Changjiu whispered: “Junior sister, don’t be afraid, I will protect you.”
It’s you who should be afraid…Ning Xiaoling snorted coldly, pretending not to see the sweat on his forehead, cursing a fool in her heart, but still nodded gently.
Ning Qinshui took out two yellow charms from his sleeves and gave them to them separately, with a serious expression: “This is a treasure charm, sticking to your body. If something goes wrong later, it can save your lives.”
Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling took the paper talisman and thanked Master together.
The night mist gradually enveloped the imperial city.