The moon is dark and the wind is high, and in the bluestone town of Nagada in the northeast, there is a pig slaughterer named Zhang Dazhu, whose body is as strong as a cow, his voice is so loud that it can shake the sky, and his hands are so strong that he can crush stones. The old and young masters in the town all said that Zhang Dazhu, this kid is full of blessings, his craftsmanship is too good to say, and his courage is fat, and he even has to take a detour when he sees a ghost.
That evening, Zhang Dazhu slaughtered a fat pig at Li Yuanwai's house in the east of the town, and the pig was so fat that it was an auspicious omen at a glance. Li Yuanwai was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth, and pulled Zhang Dazhu to drink a few glasses. After being full of wine and food, Zhang Dazhu carried a cloth bag, hummed a little song, and walked home leisurely. Under the moonlight, the night was as gentle as water, Zhang Dazhu walked on the road, and when the cool breeze blew, his slightly drunk head felt more comfortable.
As he walked, Zhang Dazhu felt that something was wrong behind him, and when he looked back, he saw a black shadow swaying in the bushes, as if he was following him. His heart tightened, and his steps unconsciously quickened his pace. The black shadow did not show weakness, and always followed. Zhang Dazhu beat the drum in his heart, who is so idle on the road on this big night? Could it be that you have bumped into something unclean? He took a deep breath, strengthened his courage, and took out an ancestral pig-killing knife from his cloth bag, which was so sharp that it could be used to make decisions, and it was said that he had slaughtered many demons and monsters.
Zhang Dazhu held the pig-killing knife tightly and continued to walk forward. He hadn't taken a few steps before the shadow suddenly accelerated and came straight at him. Zhang Dazhu felt a chill behind him, and rushed straight to his head from the soles of his feet. He stopped abruptly and shouted, "What kind of imp are you, dare to make trouble here!" Before he could finish speaking, the black shadow took on its original form, and a demon with a pale face, blood-red eyes, and flying hair rushed towards him with teeth and claws.
Zhang Dazhu was shocked, but quickly stabilized his senses. He clutched the pig-killing knife in his hand, ready to fight the demon to the death. But just as he was about to make a move, the evil ghost suddenly stopped and asked in a gloomy voice, "Zhang Dazhu, are you guilty?" Zhang Dazhu was stunned for a moment, and then sneered: "I, Zhang Dazhu, have been bright and upright all my life, what is my crime?" The demon was stunned by his momentum and was silent for a while before slowly stating the reason.
It turns out that this evil ghost is called Li Ergou, and he was a bastard who did all kinds of evil before his death, and after his death, he became a powerful ghost because he was too angry. He bullied Zhang Dazhu when he was a child, and he always held a grudge in his heart. Now that he sees Zhang Dazhu's prosperous life, he is jealous and wants to harm him. After hearing this, Zhang Dazhu was furious, pointed at Li Ergou and scolded: "You evil ghost, you did a lot of evil in your life, and you don't know how to repent after you die!" Today I will do the right thing for heaven, except for you scourge! After speaking, he raised the pig-killing knife and was about to slash at Li Ergou. Oh my god, that's wicked. At this juncture, Li Ergou's kid suddenly disappeared as if he had been beaten by water. Zhang Dazhu's buddy was stunned, and hurriedly looked around, but he couldn't find any trace of the evil ghost. At this time, a cold yin wind blew by, Zhang Dazhu saw a flower in front of his eyes, and then looked, good guy, Li Ergou was standing in front of him alive again. The kid smiled and said to Zhang Dazhu: "Zhang Dazhu, Zhang Dazhu, what do you think you can do to me?" Tell you, I'm the immortal ghost! If you know each other, just let me suck your yang energy! After speaking, he opened his mouth wide and rushed towards Zhang Dazhu. Zhang Dazhu saw that the situation was not good, and quickly dodged. The two of you come and go, and the fight is so lively, the wind is whistling, the sword light and sword shadow, so exciting!
Just when the two were inseparable, a melodious flute suddenly floated over. The sound of the flute is crisp and melodious, as if it has a magical power that can dispel darkness and evil. As soon as Li Ergou heard the sound of the flute, his face changed greatly, and his figure began to become blurred. He glanced at Zhang Dazhu in horror, and then turned into a puff of black smoke and disappeared into the night sky. When Zhang Dazhu saw this situation, he breathed a sigh of relief and put away his pig-killing knife. He looked around for the flute player, and saw a young man in white come out of the bushes. The young man has clear eyebrows and beautiful eyes, and his temperament is dusty, just like coming out of a painting. He walked up to Zhang Dazhu, bowed his hand, and said, "Liu Qingfeng, a disciple of Qingfeng Temple in Xiaqingyun Mountain, passed by here just now, and saw that there were evil ghosts at work, so he came to help, and asked Brother Zhang not to be surprised." When Zhang Dazhu heard this, he hurriedly returned the salute and said, "Brother Liu, you saved my life!" How do you know? Liu Qingfeng smiled slightly and said, "I have been practicing for many years, and I am particularly sensitive to ghost qi and demon qi. When I passed by here just now, I felt a strong ghostly aura, so I stayed and watched, but I didn't expect to meet a demon. ”
When Zhang Dazhu heard this, he admired it very much in his heart, and respected Liu Qingfeng a little more. He continued: "Brother Liu, today's kindness, I Zhang Dazhu remember it in my heart. If there's anything you need my help with in the future, just say. Liu Qingfeng waved his hand and said with a smile: "Brother Zhang, you are too polite, it is our duty to subdue demons and eliminate demons, no thanks." However, although this evil ghost has been temporarily repulsed, it has not been completely eliminated, and it may come to harass it in the future. I have a way to keep you safe for a while. When Zhang Dazhu heard this, he hurriedly asked: "Brother Liu, please give me some advice, and I will definitely do it." Liu Qingfeng took out a talisman from his arms, handed it to Zhang Dazhu, and said, "This talisman is called a charm to suppress evil spirits, and it has the effect of suppressing ghosts and driving away evil spirits." If you stick it on the door of your house, the evil spirit will not dare to come near. However, this spell can only save you for a while, and if you want to get rid of this evil spirit completely, you have to find another way. Zhang Dazhu took the spell and thanked him repeatedly. Liu Qingfeng said a few more words, and then drifted away. As soon as Zhang Dazhu stepped into the house, he carefully pasted the charm on the lintel. As expected, the terrifying demon never appeared again. However, he knew in his heart that this spell was just an expedient measure, and that he needed to find another way to get rid of the evil spirits once and for all. So, Zhang Dazhu began to look around, looking for a master who could subdue the evil spirits. He traveled to the surrounding Taoist temples and temples, and visited many high-ranking monks and Taoist priests, but he was never able to find a suitable candidate. Just when Zhang Dazhu fell into despair, one night, he had a strange dream. In his dream, he was in the middle of a vast snowfield, and saw an old man with gray hair, sitting on a boulder, holding a cane, looking at him with a smile on his face. Zhang Dazhu's heart was shocked, and he hurriedly stepped forward to salute and asked, "Old man, who are you?" Why is it in my dreams? The old man laughed loudly and replied, "I am the master you are looking for, known as the old man Bai." I know your plight, and I want to help you get rid of that evil spirit. When Zhang Dazhu heard this, he cried with joy, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, kowtowed like pounding garlic, and begged: "Old man Bai, please save me from fire and water!" The demon has been haunting me for so long, and I'm almost cornered! Old Man Bai picked up Zhang Dazhu and said slowly: "You get up first and listen to me." The evil ghost's name is Li Ergou, who did countless evils during his lifetime, and turned into a powerful ghost after his death. He haunts you because you inadvertently saved his life. He is grateful, but he can't repay it in any other way, so he chooses this way to express his gratitude. After hearing this, Zhang Dazhu was stunned. He thought about it for a long time, and finally remembered that he had rescued an injured dog when he was a child, and the dog had disappeared since then, and he did not pay attention to it again. Unexpectedly, that dog turned out to be Li Ergou! Old Man Bai continued: "Although Li Ergou has turned into a demon, he still has gratitude in his heart. As long as you can guide him to the right path and let him let go of the resentment in his heart, he will naturally leave you. Zhang Dazhu asked eagerly: "Then what should I do?" The old man told him, "You need to prepare some paper money and incense and candles, and go to the mass grave outside the town when the moon is full tomorrow night." There, paper money and incense candles are lit, and the Mantra of Death is recited three times. In this way, Li Ergou's soul can be surpassed, so that he can rest in peace. If he truly appreciates your kindness, he will leave on his own. After listening to Old Man Bai's words, Zhang Dazhu made a decision in his heart. He followed the instructions of Old Man Bai, prepared the necessary items, and came to the mass grave on the night of the full moon. He lit the paper money and incense sticks, closed his eyes, and began to recite the "Mantra of Death". Once, twice, three times...... When he finished reciting it for the third time, he suddenly felt a cold wind passing by, as if some kind of presence passed by him. He slowly opened his eyes, only to see a vague black shadow disappear rapidly in the distance, as if it had never existed. Zhang Dazhu knew in his heart that it must be Li Ergou's soul that had left. He felt a sense of relief, as if he had been freed from a long-term entanglement. Since then, his life has returned to peace, and nothing disturbs him. When the townspeople heard about Zhang Dazhu's experience, they all praised him as a lucky man. Zhang Dazhu also always remembered the kindness of Old Man Bai, and would go to the Taoist temple every festival to pray for blessings with incense to express his gratitude.
Zhang Dazhu took a deep breath and began to recite the "Mantra of Death" in a low voice. His voice, though low, reverberated with a force that echoed across the empty mass grave. As the spell continued, he seemed to feel a mysterious force enveloping him, as if it was about to envelop him. Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and the trees rustled, as if something invisible was peeking in the dark. Zhang Dazhu's heart tightened, but he quickly regained his composure. He continued to chant the incantation intently, and the paper money in his hand turned to ashes in the firelight, drifting away in the wind.
At this moment, a black shadow rushed out of the darkness and came straight towards Zhang Dazhu. He was shocked, but he didn't flinch, clenched the pig-killing knife in his hand, and prepared to fight. However, when the shadow approached, he realized that it was not a demon, but a man with a haggard, ragged face. The man's eyes flashed with a complicated light, he knelt on the ground, choked up and expressed his gratitude to Zhang Dazhu: "Brother Zhang, I am Li Ergou." Thank you for saving me and allowing me to continue my life to this day. After I die, I will turn into a ghost, and my heart will be full of resentment and hatred, so I will always haunt you. But now that I hear your chanting, the fog in my heart has finally lifted, and I understand why you are living so freely. ”
Zhang Dazhu was stunned, he never thought that this evil ghost would face himself so sincerely. He put down the pig-killing knife in his hand, helped Li Ergou up, and said gently: "Brother Ergou, let it pass the past, don't worry about it anymore." Now that you can let go of the resentment and hatred in your heart, it is the best reward for me. Li Ergou's eyes were filled with tears, he held Zhang Dazhu's hand tightly, and said emotionally: "Brother Zhang, I owe you too much." You not only saved me, but also set me free. I can't repay it, I just hope that I can become brothers with you in the next life and explore the rivers and lakes together. ”
Zhang Dazhu responded with a smile: "Okay, let's meet again in the next life." But until then, you should first go and be reincarnated. Li Ergou nodded and expressed understanding: "What Brother Zhang said is true." I'm going to be reincarnated. But until then, I want to ask you to do me a favor. Zhang Dazhu asked, "What's busy?" As long as I can, just tell me. Li Ergou pointed to the ownerless lonely graves on the mass graves and said: "These graves are full of homeless lonely ghosts, who, like me, are full of resentment and hatred. "Lao Zhang, you have to come here often to recite the scriptures, surpass them, and let them rest in peace." Zhang Dazhu patted his chest, nodded and said, "Brother Ergou, this matter is wrapped up in me, you can put a hundred hearts!" Li Ergou listened, nodded gratefully, and then disappeared into the night like a smoke. Zhang Dazhu stood there, not moving for a long time, with mixed feelings in his heart and full of emotion. How could he have thought that his hands could actually influence a powerful ghost and free him. This incident strengthened his faith and determination.
Since then, on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, Zhang Dazhu has been punctual to the mass grave and chant the scriptures to surpass those ownerless lonely souls and wild ghosts. His action touched many people, and more people began to care about these homeless lonely ghosts. The people of the town began to build a mound of righteousness, so that these lonely ghosts could have a place to rest. Zhang Dazhu has become a hero in everyone's hearts, and his deeds have become a beautiful talk in the town.
But Zhang Dazhu, he didn't get complacent because of this, and still maintained that humility and low-key. He continued to live his ordinary and fulfilling life. He knew in his heart that he was just an ordinary pig slaughterer, and he could influence powerful ghosts, all by virtue of the kindness and sense of justice in his heart.
Time flies, decades pass in the blink of an eye. Zhang Dazhu has also changed from the prime of life to a gray-haired old man, but his spirit is still so strong, and he has not diminished the year. He still insisted, and on the fifteenth day of the new year, he went to the mass grave to recite the scriptures. The people of the town also remember this hero, and when they mention his name, they all have a look of respect. They know that it is precisely because of Zhang Dazhu that this town has become more harmonious and beautiful. 1