Chapter 073

On the way to see Temple Master Chen, Master Yu gave Qiao Man a brief introduction to Zhengyang Temple.

Zhengyang Temple was a major local temple with a long history. Not only was it a famous tourist attraction, but it also held a high status among the various Taoist temples. Temple Master Chen himself was a highly cultivated Taoist who had spent his life dealing with many Vengeful Ghosts.

But that was in the past.

For the last few months, Temple Master Chen had officially claimed to be ill and stayed behind closed doors, citing old age and poor health. In reality, only those within Zhengyang Temple knew that he had been seriously injured and was bedridden for recovery.

Following behind Master Yu, Qiao Man asked, “How did he get hurt?”

Master Yu replied, “Master Xiao Man, do you remember what I mentioned before? Six months ago, Daoist Xie from B City divined that a Ghost King was about to emerge. Led by Master Qiao, a group of elites from all over gathered to suppress it.”

Qiao Man nodded. “I remember.”

That Master Qiao was a very impressive Master!

Master Yu nodded. “Temple Master Chen was one of those who went to suppress the Ghost King that day. During the process, a portion of his soul was accidentally consumed by the Ghost King. Now, with an incomplete soul, his spirit frequently drifts out of his body.”

This was the “lost soul” the Taoist had mentioned earlier.

Qiao Man took a sharp, startled breath. “An incomplete soul?”

“Indeed.” Master Yu couldn’t help but sigh. “A person has three hun and seven po¹. To lose even one is disastrous. Since his return, Temple Master Chen has been incoherent, with the mental state of a child. And it wasn’t just Temple Master Chen; everyone in the group that day was injured.”

As they spoke, they arrived at the back courtyard where the Taoists resided.

Since Temple Master Chen’s condition involved a missing soul, even the best hospitals couldn’t treat him, so he had returned to the temple to recuperate. The back courtyard was off-limits to tourists, making it quiet and secluded, perfect for a patient’s recovery.

When Qiao Man followed Master Yu into Temple Master Chen’s quarters, he found the room filled with Taoists.

An old man with white hair and a white beard lay on the bed, his expression peaceful. The disciples of Zhengyang Temple surrounded his bed. One middle-aged Taoist with a beard was incessantly shaking a Soul-Summoning Bell. The bell rang loudly, but no soul appeared to be returning.

The moment Master Yu entered, he was called over by the other Taoists. Qiao Man and Lu Jianxing obediently stood against the wall in the corner, making sure not to disturb them.

“What’s happening?”

“The Temple Master’s soul has been out of his body for two hours. Why isn’t he back yet?”

“The Temple Master is currently incoherent. Could he be under some kind of delusion?”

“Even if his mind is clouded, he should have returned upon hearing the bell.”

The Taoist shaking the Soul-Summoning Bell had his brow furrowed in a deep frown.

The longer a soul was lost, the more dangerous it became. Not to mention that Temple Master Chen’s soul was incomplete and lacked reason. There were many malicious ghosts outside who preyed on the weak. Being bullied was a minor concern; the real fear was that a living soul might lose its way and accidentally wander onto the Yellow Springs Road². If that happened, there would be no way to bring him back.

The room was filled with the sighs of the Taoists.

Qiao Man asked in a small voice, “He’s right here in the temple, can he still get lost?”

“Usually not. With disciples watching over him, we usually notice the moment his soul leaves, so he can’t wander far.” A young Taoist heard the question and answered casually, “Today is New Year’s Day, and many pilgrims have come to offer incense and pray. The disciples all went to the front hall to help. The disciple responsible for looking after Temple Master Chen stepped away for a moment, and when he returned, he found the Temple Master’s soul was gone again.”

Only this time, it had been gone for quite a while and hadn’t been found yet.

After the Taoist finished his explanation, he realized something was off. He followed the voice and looked down, only to see a small child standing beside him. Noticing his gaze, the child looked up and gave him a cute smile.

The Taoist instinctively smiled back.

Wait, no. He blinked, dazed. Where did this kid come from?

Qiao Man asked again, “Is that bell used to summon the soul?”

“…Yes.” The Taoist continued to explain. “By chanting the name of the person whose soul has left and shaking the Soul-Summoning Bell, the Temple Master should follow the sound back on his own.”

Qiao Man looked left and right. “Then where is he?”

The Taoist replied, “I don’t know. Maybe he wandered too far…”

Over there, the Taoists responsible for the soul-summoning were at their wits’ end.

“Has the Temple Master’s soul been detained by someone? Why isn’t he back?”

“That shouldn’t be. With the bell guiding the way, the Temple Master shouldn’t get lost.”

“If the Temple Master left Zhengyang Temple, I fear some Vengeful Ghost might be causing trouble, intentionally blocking him from returning. Now that the Temple Master has no wits about him, how can he compete with those ghosts?”

One impatient Taoist rushed toward the door. “This won’t do. I’m going out to find the Temple Master.”

Qiao Man asked again, “Why not ask a ghost to help find him?”

“We’ve already asked some familiar ghosts for help, but as you know…” The young Taoist looked at his short stature and immediately corrected himself, “Actually, you wouldn’t know. Ghosts usually hate us Taoists. They rarely listen.”

Is that so?

Qiao Man thought dubiously. The Long-braided Ghost who often visited his house was very obedient; he did whatever he was told.

He didn’t voice his doubts and remained quietly in the corner. However, Master Yu’s sharp eyes spotted him there. Remembering something, Master Yu’s brow relaxed, and he strode over. “Master Xiao Man, could I ask for your assistance?”

As soon as those words were spoken, every eye in the room turned toward them.

The young Taoist who had just been talking to Qiao Man looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Someone immediately questioned, “Junior Brother Yu, are you so desperate that you’re asking a child for help?”

Master Yu replied, “Senior Brother, he is different. This is Master Xiao Man.”

The Taoists repeated, “Master Xiao Man?”

Perhaps Master Yu had talked him up to the other Taoists beforehand, because the various Masters looked at each other and, surprisingly, raised no further objections. The young Taoist’s expression became even more shocked. He watched as the child who had been standing beside him was politely invited over by his seniors and uncles, unable to wrap his head around it for a long time.

He looked at Qiao Man, then at Lu Jianxing, who remained standing where he was. He quietly edged over and whispered, “Fellow Daoist, which temple are you from?”

Lu Jianxing fell silent for a moment. “…I’m not a Taoist.”

The young Taoist was cautious. “Then you are…”

Lu Jianxing said calmly, “I’m his assistant.”

The young Taoist looked back at the child being invited to Temple Master Chen’s bedside, his respect for the boy instantly reaching new heights.

He wondered which temple this child prodigy belonged to, to be assigned his own assistant. Even when his own master went out to perform rituals, he was the only helper!

Master Yu led the boy to the bedside and pointed at the Soul-Summoning Bell. “Previously, we were using the Soul-Summoning Bell to call back the soul, but for some reason, it hasn’t worked today. The longer a soul is lost, the more dangerous it becomes. Master Xiao Man, do you have another method?”

Qiao Man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned against the edge of the bed, standing on his tiptoes to observe Temple Master Chen.

Temple Master Chen was an elderly man with white hair and a white beard, appearing to be around the same age as Qiao Man’s master. At the moment, his eyes were tightly shut and his expression was peaceful, as if he were merely asleep. However, everyone present could tell that his body was devoid of a soul. Because the soul had been gone for so long, his hands had already begun to grow slightly stiff.

Qiao Man thought for a moment. “I need paper, a pen, and scissors.”

This was a Taoist temple, so Talisman Paper and Cinnabar were the most abundant items available. Someone immediately brought him the three things he requested.

Qiao Man first picked up the scissors and cut a small figure out of the paper. His hands were small and his movements clumsy; the resulting Little Paper Man had a flat head and legs of unequal length. It barely resembled a human shape. Once it was cut, he lifted the brush, dipped it in Cinnabar, and began to draw a Talisman onto the paper figure. He didn’t bathe or burn incense³, nor did he make any preparations. The tip of his brush moved like flowing water. Before the gathered Taoists could even react, the Talisman beneath his hand had already taken shape.

As the final stroke was completed, a faint shimmer of light rippled through the Cinnabar on the Talisman Paper. The Taoists’ eyes widened in unison.

“This…”

It succeeded just like that?

He finished drawing it that easily?

Aside from Master Yu, who had seen Qiao Man draw Talismans before, every Taoist in the room sucked in a cold breath, their words catching in their throats.

Having finished the drawing, Qiao Man set down the brush and opened his hand. The thin paper figure fell to the floor and stood up steadily.

The Little Paper Man twisted its neck and stretched its limbs, actually coming to life for a brief moment.

“Go find this grandfather’s soul,” Qiao Man said, pointing at Temple Master Chen. “Bring him back.”

The Little Paper Man hopped onto Temple Master Chen’s bed. Its flat head leaned close to the man, observing him carefully as if committing his appearance to memory. Then, it nodded, jumped off the bed, and ran out the door with a stumbling gait.

Watching the Little Paper Man limp away, the Taoists retracted their gazes.

Master Yu stroked his beard and voiced the confusion shared by the group. “Master Xiao Man, I have never seen this method of soul-seeking before. What is its origin? Is it a secret teaching from your master? It resembles the Art of Paper Figurines⁴, yet the process is different.”

Qiao Man shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“My master didn’t teach me this. I saw it on TV,” Qiao Man said, looking at them with an adorable, innocent expression. “This is my first time trying it, too. I didn’t expect it to actually work!”

Master Yu: “…”

The Taoists: “…”

Seeing their expressions of disbelief, Qiao Man explained earnestly, “Really! It was on Channel 23 at eight o’clock in the evening. I just saw this episode the night before last.”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

The Taoists didn’t watch idol dramas, so they didn’t know, but he remembered clearly. Channel 23 on his home television was a station that frequently aired idol dramas, and the one currently trending at eight p.m. was… a xianxia⁵ fantasy series.

Lu Jianxing opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He leaned his back against the corner of the wall and became even more silent.

No lineage? No origin? He learned it from a TV show?

Did TV shows actually teach how to draw Talismans? Or the techniques to animate paper figures?

The Taoists looked at each other. However, remembering the paper figure that had just run out, they knew it certainly wasn’t an illusion. Since there were no other options, they suppressed their doubts for the moment and waited patiently. During the wait, the Soul-Summoning Bell⁶ occasionally vibrated.

After about ten minutes, a young Taoist came running in excitedly.

“He’s back! The Temple Master has been found!”

The Taoists’ spirits lifted, and they hurried to look toward the door. Sure enough, Temple Master Chen’s soul appeared outside.

Temple Master Chen’s soul was incomplete. Even after being summoned, he remained dazed, remembering neither events nor people. He looked completely muddled. After entering the door, he tried to drift back out again, but he was caught just in time.

Before anyone else could act, the group looked down and discovered the Little Paper Man at Temple Master Chen’s feet. The paper figure was clutching the hem of the man’s Taoist Robe with both hands, dragging him inside with a grunt. Its uneven legs kicked hard against the floor, and every stroke of the Talisman on its body seemed to be straining. Despite having no facial features on its flat head, it somehow managed to convey a sense of gritted teeth.

Now that the person was right in front of them, there was no need for the paper figure to struggle further. The Taoists present stepped in one after another, and soon, they worked together to return Temple Master Chen’s soul to his body.

With the mission accomplished, the Little Paper Man sat down on its rear, wiped imaginary sweat from its head in a very human-like gesture, and then vanished into a pile of Talisman ash.

Translator’s Notes