Taoist priests in the supernatural world

Chapter 52 The Corpse-Transporting of Western Hunan, the Plague Taoist

Xiangxi is a remote and secluded place, far from the hustle and bustle. In times of peace, it is a barren and desolate place, but in times of chaos, it is a paradise.

Western Hunan is a Miao ethnic minority area, and since ancient times it has been filled with ancient legends such as Miao witchcraft and the Xiangxi corpse-driving ritual.

As the saying goes, chaotic times inevitably produce monsters, and even idyllic paradises cannot escape calamities.

A plague swept through the surrounding villages, leaving the mountain people without food or clothing and without proper medical care, leaving them with no choice but to turn to shamans and spirits for help.

As a result, more and more people died, and various clan villages closed themselves off to prevent outsiders from entering and spreading the plague.

Huang Bai arrived in this realm at this time. Along the way, he was turned away by people from other villages one after another, who did not allow him to stay any longer.

night.

The stars are shining brightly under a clear blue sky.

The trees cast long shadows, and the sounds of snakes, insects, and rodents could be heard from the bushes.

Huang Bai, dressed in a Taoist robe and carrying a Five Elements Array Plate on his back, walked slowly.

"The night sky before urbanization is truly beautiful."

Huang Bai breathed a sigh of relief.

As his cultivation deepened, not eating or drinking for three to five days did not affect his condition.

"Let's establish ourselves here in western Hunan first."

First, build a temple nearby, then wait for Chen Yulou and his group to explore the tomb.

Ring ring...

Huang Bai sat under the tree in thought when a bell rang from ahead.

Along with the ringing of the bell came shouts.

"The dead travel on their way; the living should avoid them!"

Ring ring.

In the dark night sky, with the howling of the wind, these shouts sounded particularly eerie and terrifying.

Huang Bai looked closely and saw a Taoist priest walking ahead on the dense forest path. He was dressed in a bright red Taoist robe, wearing a lotus crown, with a bronze Taoist knife hanging at his waist, holding a lantern in his right hand and a bell in his left.

The Taoist priest had white hair and beard and looked old. He was accompanied by a strong man who kept scattering paper money into the air.

A dozen or so dark figures stood behind him, forming a long line that followed closely behind the Taoist priest.

"Corpse transport in western Hunan?"

Huang Bai looked closely and noticed something was amiss.

These shadowy figures, draped in black robes and whose faces were obscured, were clearly human.

The divine sense sensed these people, and beneath their robes were bulging bundles containing fine salt, cigarettes, matches, and so on.

"So they were smugglers."

Huang Bai suddenly realized.

There have been two versions of the story of corpse driving in western Hunan since ancient times. The first version is that the corpse drivers were genuine, specializing in transporting corpses so that the dead could return to their ancestral home.

The second type is smuggling, especially the smuggling of contraband salt. Ordinary people avoid corpses and are unwilling to get close to them, which makes it easier for them to smuggle.

Soon, the two groups met on the path.

He did not avoid pedestrians, and he was all alone.

A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the leading Taoist priest.

"When a spirit travels, the living steer clear! Why don't you avoid them?"

Out of caution, the corpse-driver still made a point of asking.

"Perfect timing, I also have a wandering spirit on my journey, let's keep to ourselves."

Huang Bai turned to the side to indicate that he should move aside.

"Hmph, pretending to be a ghost." The corpse-driver sneered. Pretending to be a ghost in front of them was too naive.

Seeing that there was no one behind Huang Bai, he immediately shook the bell, and the people behind him made a clattering sound.

For smugglers like them, robbing and plundering while on their journeys is commonplace.

Splash!

The corpse-driver was ringing a bell, a signal to attack, but strangely, the sound behind him gradually faded.

Turning around, he saw his subordinate drop the package and run away in a panic.

"A ghost!!!"

The corpse-driver turned his head in confusion and saw a scene he would never forget.

Three zhang in the sky, blood-red clouds filled the air, and two white-clad female ghosts floated in the air.

Below, the long-haired Taoist priest looked at him with a beaming smile, like a deity summoning gods and exorcising demons.

The imposter met the real deal; the fake one, who had been playing tricks, had actually encountered a true deity.

"Wait for me!"

The corpse driver hurriedly threw down the bell, and as soon as he turned around, a pale, wiry hand pierced through his chest.

Soon, the twin ghost soldiers took turns killing the vicious bandits.

Huang Bai went forward to search the body, took a basket of salt and dozens of Yuan Shikai silver dollars, and then rushed to the Miao village.

"Looks like he's a fake corpse-transporter."

After a night's rest, we set off again before dawn.

Soon, a wooden fence appeared in the valley ahead, and some hunters dressed in Miao ethnic costumes prepared to go up the mountain to hunt, keeping a considerable distance between each other.

Within the Miao village, cries of anguish filled the air.

Some pedestrians were walking unsteadily, with large patches of papules and pustules on their bodies. Some collapsed and were unable to get up, their fate unknown.

The crowd gathered around the house of the village chief and clan leader, where a large pot was set up and herbs were being distributed.

"Lord Long, when will the government send someone? We can't hold on much longer!"

"Master Long, please save my mother!"

The white-haired old man smoked his pipe, his brows furrowed into a deep frown. He was the village chief, and long before the plague broke out, he had already sent people to the government.

"They're urging me; I've sent someone to the government for help."

Ordinary herbal remedies were ineffective against smallpox, so the only hope was that the government would send in foreign medicine.

Of course, having dealt with the local government for many years, he knew that the government wouldn't care about them.

But in this atmosphere of despair, Wu Along, as the clan chief, had no choice but to tell a white lie.

"Alright then, those who aren't sick can stay, and those who are sick can go up the mountain to live. My grandson Tianbao will also come up the mountain with you." Wu Along tapped his cigarette ash and made a tough decision.

Hearing the clan leader speak, everyone knew that doing so was the right thing to do, even though they were reluctant.

Abandoning the elderly, the disabled, and the sick.

The so-called "living on the mountain" is actually about letting the elderly, children, the sick, and the disabled fend for themselves in exchange for the survival of the mountain village.

This is the cruelest survival rule for mountain people.

"Outsiders are not allowed in. Please leave."

There was a commotion at the entrance, followed by others running in breathlessly.

"Master A-Long, people outside say he is a Taoist priest from the Central Plains, and he has a way to cure the plague."

"Quickly invite him in! No! I'll greet him myself." Wu Along was so surprised that he dropped his pipe and hurriedly went forward with the villagers to greet him.

Outside the gate stood a Taoist priest who looked ridiculously young.

Wu Along felt a little uneasy and tentatively asked:

"Are you a master sent by the government?"

"No, I am a wandering Taoist priest. I heard that something happened in the Miao village, so I came here to help. Elder, please prepare a pot of clean water and have all the sick villagers come over."

Wu Along was somewhat disappointed, but he figured he might as well try anything; the Han people outside the mountains were clever, and maybe they really had a solution.

Soon, the group set up a large pot.

Huang Bai took out a stack of talismans from his basket.

This is the Yang Talisman from Maoshan magic, which is said to be able to dispel evil spirits and Yin energy; there is also the Taiyin Talisman from the Wong Tai Sin lineage.

The two combined should be able to control the smallpox virus with the power of magic. Indeed, Huang Bai could tell at a glance that these were symptoms of smallpox.

The yellow talisman dissolved upon entering the water. Huang Bai then put his hand in and stirred it, secretly injecting the medicinal power of the inner core.

The potency of the inner elixir is limited, about fifteen talismans a day, but fortunately it will recover at midnight, so it's okay to use it up a bit in your spare time.

"Grandpa, will this really work?"

The young man next to him looked doubtful.

Although they are mountain people, they have at least been exposed to some new knowledge, and this kind of superstitious stuff is obviously outdated.

"Let's wait and see," Wu Along said, forcing himself to speak.

Soon, the first person stepped forward and drank the talisman water.

His complexion gradually became rosy, and the oozing pustules gradually healed.

"Hey, my head doesn't hurt anymore? It doesn't hurt anymore! Haha!" The man danced with joy.

"Okay, I don't feel pain anymore."

"We're saved! Miracle doctor! Thank you, miracle doctor!"

"Master, you are a celestial being descended to earth."

The people revered Huang Bai as a deity and respectfully called him Master Gong.

As more and more people drank the talisman water, the plague gradually subsided.

Soon, the plague in the Miao village was basically brought under control, and those with severe symptoms began to recover.

The news spread quickly throughout the nearby villages and hamlets, and everyone knew that a Taoist priest who could cure the plague had arrived.

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