Chapter 44: A Glimmer of Ghostly Lanterns Reveals the Peach Blossom Face

Li Bai glanced at the closed front door ahead, watching helplessly as the gloomy, dark malevolent qi continuously seeped in from the outside.

He nodded slightly.

Inside the main hall, the guests were all rather terrified.

The guests' conversations involuntarily grew a bit louder, serving to bolster their own courage.

"Ha, this batch of goods is going to be shipped to Luoyang eventually. Those wealthy nobles really have money to burn; when I went there last time, I saw a young master spend hundreds of strings of cash just to buy some incense."

"That was only of mediocre quality. The top-tier grade is probably something only the Emperor can afford."

Someone raised a wine cup and said:

"I heard that the incense isn't even used by itself. Those wealthy households all learn the art of blending fragrances, claiming it can ward off evil, induce tranquility, and summon immortals and true beings... You know, the scent is actually quite pleasant."

"How much would that cost? What's the profit margin?"

"You're asking me, but who am I supposed to ask? I haven't even had the chance to experience incense-burning once in my entire life."

As the man spoke, the hand clutching his wine cup was already trembling slightly.

The person sitting across from him, holding a pair of chopsticks and trying to pick up a slice of meat, had a hand that was shaking so violently that he couldn't manage to pick it up even after a long while.

The room gradually grew colder, carrying a hint of chill.

The wind outside was very strong, howling through the trees, and the sound of the lanterns hanging before the door being violently shaken could be distinctly heard.

A chilling draft squeezed through the gaps in the door, making the candles inside flicker and sway unsteadily.

Alternating between light and shadow, the illumination flickered across everyone's faces.

"Clatter—"

Someone failed to steady their cup, and it shattered on the floor.

The man was startled out of his wits and nearly tumbled to the ground, while the two scholars also jumped in fright. After the merchant shakily settled back into his seat, it took him a long time to recover his senses.

He raised his head and looked toward the post station worker, wanting to ask how much a bowl cost.

The merchant's lips quivered.

Instead, he blurted out:

"Th-This... what is going on with the ghosts around here?"

The post runner's expression was uglier than if he were crying: "If we had any solutions, we would have long since hired someone to perform rituals and ward off evil. How could we possibly be living in such daily terror?"

The merchant immediately turned his gaze toward the tonsured monk who was reading sutras. The bundle resting in front of the monk emitted a faint golden glow, offering a great deal of comfort.

"Master! Master! Please look at this ghost..."

Then he looked at Yuan Danqiu.

"Sir, you must be a practitioner of Taoism. Traveling afar, your abilities must be quite formidable... I beg you to lend a hand and save us all!"

Since Mr. Jiang was sitting right next to him, Yuan Danqiu wasn't excessively terrified.

However, if Yuan Danqiu were expected to save people using "Taoist magic" and "abilities," then everyone present was practically on the brink of death, and Yuan Danqiu himself would likely die sooner than anyone else.

He merely possessed some family wealth, but ghosts don't care about money.

Suddenly.

The candlelight went out.

The monk closed his eyes and began to chant Buddhist names and scriptures.

Everyone's heart tightened. Some could no longer bear the terror and pressure, breaking down into tears, desperately begging the post workers to save them, complaining incessantly, crying and shouting aloud.

The post runners seemed to have hidden away and were nowhere to be found.

Someone cursed loudly.

"Damn it all, what kind of situation is this?"

"You cursed bastards, you're really going to get us killed."

The faint golden glow from the bundle in front of the monk flickered softly in the darkness.

Soon, it extinguished entirely.

The expressions on everyone's faces turned instantly ghastly.

From outside the courtyard, the sound of slow footsteps drifted in.

The wind drew closer.

...

...

"Master, can the ghosts outside be granted salvation?"

Amidst the silence, Jiang She spoke up.

Listening to the two of them converse, everyone felt that the sound of human voices was immensely precious within the heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

"Master" was an honorific title reserved for monks well-versed in Buddhist doctrines.

For example, at this very time, Xuanzang was referred to as Tripitaka Master.

As for the form of address for Taoist priests, the Tang Dynasty also had explicit written records. The *Tang Liudian* records: "Taoist priests have three ranks of spiritual cultivation: first, Mr.; second, Master; third, Preceptor..."

The monk opened his eyes and looked at the person who had asked the question.

The lamps had already been extinguished, but fortunately, his memory was exceptional, and he had roughly noted the seating arrangement of the people in the hall. The speaker was a traveler who had arrived not long ago, belonging to the same party as the man in Taoist robes.

Earlier, he had caught a glimpse from afar, seeing only that the man wore azure robes, possessed an extraordinary bearing, and seemed to be traveling with a cat in his arms.

He hadn't expected him to be so bold.

"This poor monk does not know," the monk explained. "These are wandering ghosts, lingering in the mortal realm, possessing three abilities. Magical artifacts are useless against them, and this poor monk can only do his utmost."

Jiang She asked, "What are these three abilities?"

The monk replied, "First is bewilderment, second is possession, and third is cursing."

The lamps in the hall had already gone out, and everyone was too terrified to utter a sound, fearing they would attract unclean entities.

Only the sound of the two men conversing could be heard.

The monk explained in detail: "Bewilderment refers to deceiving people through illusions or speech. There are often records from ancient times of ghosts transforming into young maidens, old men, or elderly women to trick travelers precisely because they possess this capability."

"Possession involves concealing oneself within a human body. However, such ghosts lack profound cultivation and are invariably afraid of firelight."

"When these wandering ghosts approach, they frequently extinguish lamps and candles without harming one's physical body."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions turned even more unsightly.

The room was now pitch black, the candles lit inside had suddenly gone out, and only footsteps could be heard. Though the lanterns outside could not be seen, they were presumably extinguished as well.

The monk continued.

"The so-called cursing refers to foretelling disasters or casting curses. There are often legendary stories in the marketplace that the gentleman should have heard of; sometimes they come true, and sometimes they are false."

"When ghosts are stronger than humans, it comes true; when humans are stronger than ghosts, it is false."

"I know not whether the ghost shadows coming tonight are for the sake of amusement or for other reasons."

Jiang She listened attentively.

Previously, he had mostly ignored ghosts. Those ghosts in Shu were sensible enough never to disturb him, and this was the first time he had heard such a detailed explanation.

"Thank you, Master."

"May I ask your religious name?" Jiang She inquired.

The monk pressed his palms together.

"This poor monk is Zhiyuan."

He redirected his gaze toward the front door, closed his eyes, listened to the footsteps, and chanted Buddhist names.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Suddenly, from the neighboring table, one of the scholars let out a laugh—sounding like an infant's crying with an echo, half laughter and half tears, defying sorrow and joy.

He asked the merchant sharing his table in a very soft voice:

"What do you think of me?"

Along with this inquiry, the lamp mounted on the wall suddenly flared back to life, casting a dim, feeble light.

In the hazy glow.

A single line of ghostly illumination revealed a peach-blossom face.

It was no longer the face of a scholar; the figure was slender, resembling a woman. Upon seeing the merchant cowering backward in terror, she raised her eyes in a smile and repeated the question.

The merchant was horrified, tears streaming down his face. Wherever he fled, the people around him scrambled to get out of his way.

The merchant awkwardly crawled over to the front of the monk, collapsed onto his knees, and cried out:

"Master! Master!"

There's a ghost! There's a ghost—!!"

This ghost was actually capable of possessing a human body, displaying such fierce hostility! It must be a malevolent spirit from the legends, and he had no idea if they could escape with their lives. The monk's ritual artifact was clearly useless. Sensing that the ghost seemed suddenly provoked, the people frantically sought out others to appeal to.

"What do you think of me?"

"What do you think of me?!"

No one dared to speak.

No one dared to answer.

inside Jiang She's arms let out a tiny mew.

Its back arched.

It looked rather frightened, its fur standing completely on end.

Trembling all over, it tried to burrow out of Jiang She's arms, crawl onto the table, and shield him. Its ears were pressed down flat, and its entire body shook violently.

It couldn't help retreating a couple more steps.

The merchant curled up beneath the table, leaning against the monk's legs, closing his eyes as tears streamed down. He wondered if he would ever return to see his aged mother and his little child.

The room was filled with weeping and curses.

Interspersed with the faint, chirping whispers of ghosts.

Just as the monk had said, the vital fire of humans grew fainter, while the ghostly qi grew stronger.

Amidst the utter chaos and everyone's panicked avoidance,

Jiang She gently stroked the cat with his hand, moving smoothly from its head down to its back to calm its emotions.

He looked toward the possessed ghost in the room and said:

"In my eyes, you look just like a ghost."