When I was a Taoist

Chapter 8

I didn't move, and looked at a piece of paper from a distance. It was a check with a denomination of [-]. The date was five years ago, before my mother died.

The village head looked at me and said, "Since the incident of throwing children in the village started, several groups of people have come to the village one after another. Some were sent by the higher authorities to investigate, and some who claimed to be Mr. Yin Yang came to see the matter. But this person is different. "

I carefully observed the expression of the village chief, hoping to find evidence that he was lying.

The village head continued: "I don't know the name of this person. He should be around 40 years old and speak with a southern accent. He came to me and said that the loss of the child was done by your mother. Your mother is a witch from an ethnic minority in Yunnan. They specialize in catching children to practice."

My face twitched involuntarily, and the thin figure of my mother appeared in my mind, how could my mother be such a person.

Seeing my expression, the village chief squatted down on the ground again in fear, put his head in his hands, and continued, "Dazhi, uncle really didn't lie to you. That's what that person said back then. This 10 yuan check is He gave it to me. He asked me to force your mother to hand over a book, and said that your mother would kill the whole village. I was terrified at the time, and without thinking too much, I brought someone to find your mother once , You came back at that time. Then your mother died suddenly, and people in the village began to die one after another. I knew that there was a lot of trouble, and I looked for that person again, and that person had disappeared."

I took a deep breath and asked, "What book?"

The village chief seemed to be unable to remember, and was trying to recall, when a villager next to him said, "I remember it was called "Yangjian". It's a strange name."

Another villager said: "Thinking about it now, it's quite strange. The village has been very peaceful for so many years since you two moved here. Why did you suddenly lose your child, and so many passers-by came, asking about you both openly and secretly?" Mother and child matters."

The village chief echoed: "That's the reason. I didn't feel something was right after your mother died. So I didn't dare to touch the money. I hope that sometime I can meet you and leave the money to you as a gift. A little compensation."

10 yuan is an astronomical sum for our village.The village chief held up the check like this, and looked at me timidly, his eyes full of sincerity.

The people in this village, because of fear and greed, helped the evildoers and forced my mother to death, but they lived in fear forever.Is this retribution?Do I still need to kill for revenge?
I didn't take the check, ignored everyone, and walked straight out of the village.

Things were far more complicated than I thought. First, Gao Liang appeared five years ago, concealing the fact that he knew my mother, and saved me.According to Gao Liang, he was invited by the uncle of the village chief to watch the matter. The motive of the village chief to persecute his mother was to collect usury.But the fox fairy said that Gao Liang had been to the village a long time ago, and the fox fairy saw them arguing.

The village head said today that he forced my mother because he was afraid that my mother would be a witch who stole the child, and for the 10 yuan.If my mother is really being targeted, then what exactly is that book called "Yang Jian"?What does it have to do with the "Ghost Affair" in my hand?
If what the village chief said is true, then the person who wants "Yang Jian" hasn't come to trouble me for so many years. Could it be Gao Liang's secret protection?What is certain now is that highlighting is really not easy.

If I want to solve the mystery, I can't leave here, but it's too dangerous to go back to the village, what should I do?
I seemed to be unintentionally covering my chest with my hand, which is where I hid "Ghost Affair".I walked aimlessly on the familiar hometown path, which was the path I passed countless times up and down the mountain.

I remember that the old people once said that this place was very prosperous back then. From this road up the mountain, you will pass a small Taoist temple. The incense back then was very effective.Later, when the Red Guards came, the god statues in the small Taoist temple were pushed down, and the old Taoist priests in the temple were also paraded in the street and tortured to death.Later, people who went up the mountain could always hear someone crying in the Taoist temple. Some people said that the Taoist priest died unjustly and came back to find a substitute for the dead.

That happened decades ago. The persecution of Taoists back then was like a page in a history book for our generation, distant and unfamiliar.

Yes!My eyes lit up, since I want to investigate the events of the year here, why not live in a Taoist temple, I am also a Taoist priest.

I was really disturbed by the successive messages today, otherwise why would I worry about where to live.I took out my phone and planned to call Gao Liang.

Since Gao Liang left, the two of us still talk frequently. Although I don’t know what Gao Liang is hiding from me, I can be sure of one thing: among the three of them, the fox fairy, the village head, and Gao Liang, only Gao Liang treats me sincerely. won't hurt me.It was only after a long time that I realized how naive and ignorant I am now.

After ringing for a long time, Gao Liang finally answered the phone with his usual laziness in his voice.I said straight to the point: "I met the village head today, and he said that what happened back then was instigated by someone. I plan to stay in the small Taoist temple near the village and investigate slowly."

Gao Liang became so silent, and my heart also jumped.Gao Liang took a deep breath and said in a very stern voice: "You go back to the city now, and I will go back in a few months. Now you only need to study hard what you should learn, and don't worry about anything else."

Gao Liang has never spoken to me like this. I can hear the concern in his tone, but I can't stop thinking about the past. If I don't investigate clearly, I will have trouble sleeping at night.

I said to Gao Liang: "Why don't you let me check, do you have something to hide from me?"

Gao Liang resumed his usual tone, and said lazily and cheaply: "Bo Chi, I am not doing this for your own good. You said that you are so young, and you have not learned Taoism, and you will be betrayed by someone. , I have to help count the money.”

Based on my understanding of Gao Liang, if he is questioned like this by me, he will definitely be angry, and he will never flirt with me like a hippie.Gao Liang must have something to hide from me, and it's not a trivial matter. Could it be that what the fox fairy said is true?
I didn't want to talk to him, so I ended my speech and said, "I've decided to stay, you don't need to persuade me, if you're really worried about me, come back sooner."

After Gao Liang heard it, he immediately raised his voice and questioned: "Little bastard, your wings are stiff! Dare to question your teacher." Before I finished speaking, I hung up the phone.Although Gao Liang looks out of character, in reality, it is still a headache.

However, no one can stop what I decide to do.

The small Taoist temple halfway up the mountain was originally a structure with a main hall, two side halls, and a small row of houses behind it.Back then, the young generals were not confused, one of the side halls collapsed, and half of the main hall remained. Fortunately, the houses behind were still there.I checked again and again, but there is no evil spirit in the Taoist temple, and there are even pitifully few snakes, rats and ants.

I went back to the city to pack my luggage, borrowed the name of Gao Liang, and asked a few villagers in Gouzitun to help, planning to renovate the small Taoist temple.

I originally thought about recruiting three or five laborers, and renovating the houses in the back, so that I can make do with it.Unexpectedly, the villagers even spontaneously organized donations and insisted on renovating the Taoist temple from the inside to the outside.

I felt a little sorry, and negotiated twice with the leading villagers. The villagers saw that I really didn't understand, and they hated iron and steel to explain.It is said: to work hard for the master, that is to accumulate virtue and do good deeds. In the future, if there is a serious illness or minor disaster, it will be more convenient to find the master.

As a result, this family paid [-] yuan, and that family paid [-] yuan.Comparing each other, the scale of the Taoist temple was finally determined as a large courtyard with three entrances and three exits. The main hall is three feet high, the kitchen of the house, the modern toilet, and the bathroom. A wire was deliberately pulled from the foot of the mountain.

Seeing this group of people every day, working in full swing, I can only help with the work except for a wry smile.In the small Taoist temple, there are more and more people, helping to watch the fun.

Within a few days, my identity spread from the village, and the son of the murderous female ghost came back to take revenge.This news, like a thunderbolt, alarmed all the villagers.

My Taoist temple has become a forbidden place that no one dares to come to.I know they will come to me again sooner or later, because I still have an identity, Master Gao's apprentice.But I didn't expect that he would be the first one to come to the door.

(End of this chapter)