Chapter 366
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## Chapter 366: It is said that someone has witnessed its efficacy
The lay disciples were not present solely to assist in the exorcism ritual. Their role was to be the hands and feet of the Taoists of the Five Dragons Palace (오룡궁). They were assigned tasks such as preparing meals during overnight stays or taking care of the inconvenient details of the stay, such as preparing sleeping places.
Despite this, the lay disciples did not complain. Participating in an exorcism ritual led by the Taoists of the Five Dragons Palace was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Most of the commissions received by the Taoists were related to exorcisms or the writing of ritual texts (축문, chukmun). Although the effects of a chukmun were not immediately evident, an exorcism was different: it was necessary to expel the evil spirit at that very moment so that the Taoist’s skill could be recognized and he could make a living in his profession.
From this point of view, participating in the Five Dragons Palace exorcism ritual was an honor and a source of pride.
————–
South of Xi’an, in the Zhongnan Mountains (종남산)
At dusk, four Taoists and three lay disciples entered the beginning of the Zhongnan Mountains. It was the group of Grand Master Jangchun (장춘진인). As they circled the base of the mountain, Grand Master Jangchun stopped abruptly upon finding a shrine dedicated to the earth god.
“Gwanghae.”
At his master’s call, the first disciple, Gwanghae, hurried to approach.
“Did you call me, master?”
“I don’t think we’ll find an inn if we keep going, so we’ll rest here for today.”
“Understood.”
Gwanghae agreed with his master’s judgment. By the shape of the mountain, it seemed unlikely to find a village large enough to have an inn. Quickly, Gwanghae instructed the lay disciples to fix the earth god’s shrine.
Cheong Cheonseok, Baek Seolyeon, and Yeon Jeokha went into the shrine, removing accumulated dust and cobwebs. At that moment, Baek Seolyeon was lifting a broken jar when a snake suddenly came out of it, sticking out its tongue.
Ssshh-.
“¡Aaaaaah!”
When the snake fell on her foot, Baek Seolyeon instinctively screamed. Meanwhile, Cheong Cheonseok, who was also surprised, stood motionless like a statue. At that moment, Yeon Jeokha acted quickly, grabbing the snake’s head and neutralizing it. Only then could Baek Seolyeon breathe a sigh of relief.
Yeon Jeokha beheaded the snake on the spot and threw its body out the window.
“Thank you…”
The mere memory of what happened made Baek Seolyeon tremble. Attracted by the scream, Gong Jin, the second disciple of Master Jangchun, and Gyeongam, the third disciple, entered hurriedly.
“What happened?” Gong Jin asked.
Baek Seolyeon, with a flushed face, replied:
“A snake came out of a broken jar and I screamed in fright. Forgive me for alarming you.”
“Tsk, tsk. Making such a fuss over something as insignificant as a snake…” said Gong Jin, before leaving again with Gyeongam.
While Baek Seolyeon stood with an embarrassed expression, Yeon Jeokha tried to comfort her.
“Sister, don’t worry. Even an immortal would have been frightened if a snake suddenly fell on his foot.”
However, Baek Seolyeon did not say a word, continuing in silence with the cleaning of the surroundings. Yeon Jeokha, feeling uncomfortable, scratched his head before turning around.
Once the lay disciples finished cleaning, Grand Master Jangchun and his three disciples entered the shrine.
“Good work,” said Grand Master Jangchun in a gesture of courtesy, before sitting cross-legged to meditate. His disciples imitated him.
Observing the scene, Cheong Cheonseok whispered to Baek Seolyeon and Yeon Jeokha:
“Definitely, the Taoists of the main temple are different. There is not a single mistake in their bearing.”
Baek Seolyeon and Yeon Jeokha nodded, sharing the same impression. It was clear that Grand Master Jangchun and his disciples seemed to live in a completely different world. Even performing mundane tasks in their place felt like an honor.
—————–
Shanxi Province. Xi’an. Taechung Shrine (태청도관)
Around noon, the head of the Yongmun Chamber of Commerce (용문상방 방주), Yong Geumin, arrived at the shrine. Ilun, the Taoist in charge, received him. As soon as he saw him, Yong Geumin asked hastily:
“How is everything going?”
“They haven’t arrived yet.”
“Hmph! I sent someone to the Wudang Sect eight days ago. Shouldn’t they have arrived already?”
“Master Yong, Mount Wudang is not exactly close. They may be delayed a day or two.”
Although Ilun tried to calm him down, Yong Geumin held back the words of reproach he had prepared. It was true that the journey could be extended one or two days more than expected. As he sighed deeply, light footsteps were heard and the doors of the guest room swung open.
A woman of about 30 years old, beautiful and elegant, entered running: Dan Yujeong, known as the Flower Sword (화조검). With an attitude like that of a wild horse, she stood in front of them.
“Master Yong, how much longer do you intend to keep me here? I can’t even stand the smell of incense anymore! Can I go home, please? Tell me!”
In the last eight days, she had been practically locked up in the shrine. Yong Geumin’s face took on an awkward smile.
“Please, madame, just a little longer. At most, everything will be resolved tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? You’ve been saying ‘tomorrow’ for the past eight days. Do you intend to lock me up here indefinitely? If so, I won’t forgive you.”
The icy gleam in Dan Yujeong’s eyes left Yong Geumin and Ilun speechless. No one dared to provoke the eldest daughter of the prestigious Dan Family, known for her beauty and martial skill. For this reason, they both avoided her gaze.
Finally, Yong Geumin gathered enough courage to say:
“Please be patient. We have no way of stopping her, but we have made a deal with the shrine. Just wait one more day.”
Faced with this response, Dan Yujeong calmed down slightly, but still maintained an air of displeasure.
‘The Spiritual Encounter’ is different from being possessed by an evil spirit
The spiritual encounter is an external and momentary phenomenon, while spiritual possession is internal and with an unpredictable outcome. If she had lost her mind, the Taechung Shrine (태청도관) could have been soaked in blood a long time ago. After all, no one in this place is capable of facing the Flower Sword (화조검).
“Hmph! It will be for one day only. Tomorrow, no matter what, I will return home, so consider it done.”
“Thank you very much.”
Sighing in relief, Yong Geumin turned to the Taoist Ilun, as if wanting to make sure:
“We’ll wait one more day. But don’t disappoint my wife and me again.”
The problems had been constant: a Taoist collapsing during an exorcism ritual, people being held without apparent reason… Yong Geumin had many complaints against the Taechung Shrine. If it weren’t for the fact that the shrine was backed by the Wudang Sect (무당파), he would have already taken his wife away from there. But challenging the Wudang Sect would mean losing the support of the Infinite Heaven Alliance (호천맹), something he could not afford.
“Don’t worry, they will arrive at the latest tomorrow. Actually, they should have arrived today…”
While Ilun tried to justify the delay, one of the shrine workers came running, panting in haste.
“Ha… ha! They have arrived! Grand Master Jangchun and his group have just arrived!”
Grand Master Jangchun’s group crossed the gates of the Taechung Shrine. After seven days of non-stop travel, they were visibly tired, but their eyes showed an unwavering determination. The Taoists of the shrine, who were eagerly waiting, ran to greet them with enthusiasm.
Despite the warm welcome, Grand Master Jangchun’s face remained serious. Soon after, Ilun appeared with Yong Geumin and his wife, Dan Yujeong (단유정), to introduce them.
“Grand Master Jangchun, welcome. This is Master Yong of the Yongmun Chamber of Commerce, and…”
Before Ilun could finish the introduction, Dan Yujeong abruptly interrupted:
“I am Dan Yujeong, Master Yong’s wife. Master, will you be the one performing the exorcism ritual?”
At the intrusion, Ilun discreetly stepped back, thinking it was better to let those involved understand each other.
In a calm voice, Grand Master Jangchun replied:
“I am well aware of the Flower Sword’s reputation. From now on, I will take care of the matter. Mrs. Dan, could you spare some time tonight?”
“Yes, I’ve been here for eight days. I don’t intend to wait any longer. Fortunately, you arrived today; if not, I would have left tomorrow even if the sky fell.”
“Understood. We will perform the ritual between five and seven in the afternoon. Until then, please rest while we make the preparations.”
“Thank you. Then, we’ll see each other later.”
Dan Yujeong, aware of Grand Master Jangchun’s martial position within the Wudang Sect, showed courtesy towards him. Although she was famous in Xi’an, in the face of Grand Master Jangchun’s prestige, her achievements were insignificant. Her change of attitude caused Ilun to give a bitter smile.
As Grand Master Jangchun dismissed them, Yong Geumin and Dan Yujeong left the room. Once only the Taoists of the shrine remained, Grand Master Jangchun asked:
“Where is Master Neungji?”
Ilun, the deputy director of the shrine, replied cautiously:
“The director is resting in the Jasogak pavilion. Do you wish to see him right now?”
Grand Master Jangchun looked away at his disciples.
“I’ll talk to Master Neungji first. Prepare the ritual in the Samcheong Hall (삼청전) and rest when you’re done.”
“Understood.”
With the response of his three disciples, Grand Master Jangchun got up, being guided by Ilun towards the Jasogak pavilion.
————
In the Jasogak pavilion
Grand Master Jangchun ordered Ilun to withdraw and entered the pavilion alone. On a bed, Master Neungji struggled to get up upon sensing someone’s presence.
“No need to get up.”
“Ah, Master Jangchun, you have arrived… I apologize for the inconvenience caused by my incompetence.”
Master Neungji’s eyes were sunken, like those of someone seriously ill. With a sharp gaze, Grand Master Jangchun examined his condition. There were rumors that Neungji had collapsed during a ritual and that he was even possessed, but that didn’t seem to be the case. A person possessed by an evil spirit would not be able to sustain the gaze of a Taoist master due to the oppression of his spiritual energy. Although Neungji looked weak, he did not avoid his gaze.
“What exactly happened?”
At the question, Master Neungji stared blankly for a long moment before replying:
“How much do you know?”
“I heard you collapsed during an exorcism ritual and that you seemed possessed.”
“Ha, ha…” Neungji let out an empty laugh. Although Grand Master Jangchun was puzzled, he waited patiently for the other to speak.
After a while, Neungji finally continued:
“It is true that Mrs. Dan experienced something strange in the Jaunsa Temple (자은사). She mentioned it herself, although in a confused state of mind. However, I cannot say for sure that it is a spiritual encounter.”
“Then why did you collapse during the exorcism ritual?”
“I’m not sure. I was reciting the Taeul Sutra (태을경) in the Samcheong Hall and, when I woke up, I was here, in Jasogak. They say I acted like a madman.”
Grand Master Jangchun sighed deeply. It seemed that the problems at the shrine were more complicated than he had imagined.
“What kind of place is the Jaunsa Temple?”
“It’s a large temple on the outskirts of Xi’an. Apparently, Mrs. Dan often visited it to ask for a child. It is said that some people have obtained good results.”
“Have there been previous cases of spiritual encounters in that place?”
“As far as I know, Mrs. Dan is the first.”
Grand Master Jangchun pondered for a moment before changing the subject:
“What about your health? Have you consulted a doctor?”
“Why? If I was really invaded by evil energy, no medicine could cure me.”
“Even so, you should try. Your face suggests that your internal energy is blocked.”
From his perspective as a martial artist, Grand Master Jangchun perceived that Master Neungji’s condition resembled an internal injury more than a spiritual possession.
“An internal injury during an exorcism ritual?”
It was possible that the evil energy had caused some damage, which sometimes resulted in temporary ailments that the body eventually healed on its own.
“Something doesn’t add up…”