Chapter 367
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Chapter 367: A Spirit’s Mischief or Human Action?
Grand Master Jangchun left the Jasogak pavilion and headed towards the Samcheong Hall (삼청관). Under the supervision of Taoist Gwanghae, the Taoists and lay disciples were finalizing the preparations for the exorcism ritual. In front of the statue of Taesang Nogun (태상노군), in the center of the altar, an incense burner burned with incense sticks of different lengths, leaving a trail of white smoke.
In the area where the ritual would take place, a red cord was placed to delimit the sacred space. Around the cord, the lay disciples planted densely grouped red flags. Each flag bore inscriptions of mantras to dispel evil (파사의 진언). Grand Master Jangchun silently recited some of the mantras as he observed the flags; his expression relaxed slightly.
Near the altar, Gwanghae tied a live black rooster to one of the posts. The bird, oblivious to its fate, walked in circles while tied.
When everything was ready, Gwanghae ordered the lay disciples to guard the altar. Shortly after, Gwanghae, Gongjin, and Gyeongam approached Grand Master Jangchun.
“Master, the preparations are complete,” Gwanghae reported.
The master nodded in satisfaction.
“Well done. You can rest nearby for now.”
The three Taoists bowed in respect before leaving the Samcheong Hall. Once they left, Grand Master Jangchun began to walk slowly around the red cord, observing it carefully. The lay disciples, worried about disturbing his concentration, discreetly retreated behind a large stone stele that had the words Happiness, Longevity, and Prosperity (福壽祿) engraved on it.
While observing the engraving, Yeon Jeokha asked Cheong Cheonseok:
“What does that last character, ‘Prosperity (녹)’ mean?”
Cheong Cheonseok replied:
“It represents an official’s income. What good are happiness and longevity if you don’t have money to support yourself? In this context, the stable salary of an official is considered the greatest of blessings.”
“Ah, now I understand!” exclaimed Yeon Jeokha, impressed.
After a moment of reflection, he asked:
“Isn’t it strange that they seek mundane things like wealth and longevity here? Aren’t the Taoists of the Wudang Sect supposed to aspire to immortality?”
Cheong Cheonseok smiled.
“This place is not for the spiritual training of the Taoists, but for ordinary people to come and ask for blessings. That’s why the atmosphere is different.”
“Understood!”
Yeon Jeokha nodded as he processed the explanation. Then, curiously, he pointed to the tied rooster and asked:
“What are they going to do with that rooster?”
“Have you never seen an exorcism ritual?”
“Never.”
Cheong Cheonseok set out to explain:
“You know that talismans are written with red ink made from cinnabar, right?”
“Of course.”
“The rooster is even more powerful than cinnabar. Its blood is used because the rooster’s crowing drives away darkness, symbolizing the strength to dispel evil.”
Cheong Cheonseok, thinking that Yeon Jeokha was a novice, continued to explain patiently. But Baek Seolyeon, uncomfortable with Yeon Jeokha’s presence, avoided even looking at him.
When the start of the Rooster Hour (5-7 PM) arrived, the Taoists of the sanctuary gathered in the Samcheong Hall. Yong Geumin and his wife, the Flower Sword Dan Yujeong, accompanied by Ilun, also appeared. Finally, even the weakened Master Neungji made an appearance.
The atmosphere was permeated with a strange tension. Grand Master Jangchun gestured for Dan Yujeong to enter the area delimited by the red cord. Hesitating at first, she crossed the cord slowly.
For two hours, incense had filled the altar with smoke, creating an almost mystical atmosphere. When Dan Yujeong took her place in the center, Grand Master Jangchun recited the mantras of the Magic Text for the Protection of Life (태상태청천동호명묘경) while throwing talismans in the four directions. The red talismans floated among the white smoke before falling gently to the ground.
“…The virtuous men who recite this text seven times or even ten thousand times will preserve their lives and enjoy infinite peace,” the master recited.
With a gesture, he indicated to Gwanghae to act. Gwanghae quickly untied the rooster and, with an expert move, twisted its neck.
Flapping of wings~!
The sound of flapping wings echoed through the altar. Then, Gwanghae respectfully offered a bowl with the rooster’s blood to Grand Master Jangchun, who used a brush to draw talismans directly. Then, while reciting the Mantra of Liberation from Resentments (해원결주), he pasted a talisman on Dan Yujeong’s forehead.
The master’s disciples, Gwanghae, Gongjin, and Gyeongam, began to fervently recite the same mantra outside the red cord.
Grand Master Jangchun, without stopping, created another talisman, this time to invoke the Divine Army of the Jade Emperor (옥황진군신부), and placed it on Dan Yujeong’s crown. Next, he recited the Mantra to Eradicate Evil Spirits (사귀멸종), accompanied again by the passionate shouts of his disciples.
The talismans, the mantras, and the spiritual energies seemed to envelop Dan Yujeong like a storm. She remained still, carefully observing the master’s movements.
Finally, Grand Master Jangchun took out a peachwood sword and performed a ceremonial dance around Dan Yujeong. The dance, typical of the Wudang Sect, combined precision and grace. When he finished, he pointed the sword towards the sky.
At some point, the talismans on Dan Yujeong’s forehead and crown had been threaded onto the sword.
“On your crown is the protector Hua Gae and beneath you the powerful Gwae Gang! May the power and divine light shake the ten corners of the world,” the master proclaimed, reciting verses from the Taeul Sutra (태을경).
The talismans began to burn on the sword.
Fwhoosh!
Enveloped in flames, they floated towards the sky before turning to ashes. The twilight tinged the atmosphere with a somber hue, intensifying the mystique of the moment.
Dan Yujeong, still under the impact of the ritual, stared intently at the darkening sky. As she watched the ashes of the talismans disappear, she felt a deep sense of relief.
‘Has the evil spirit really disappeared?’
Although she couldn’t confirm it, her feeling of liberation was undeniable. The shadows that had tormented her before seemed to have dissipated.
Grand Master Jangchun, with a gentle stroke of his wooden sword, cut the red cord.
Swish!
The cord separated cleanly, as if it had been cut with a blade.
The red ribbon parted as if it had been cut by a sword, falling to both sides.
“Lady Dan, you have done a good job. We have expelled the evil spirit, so this will not happen again,” Grand Master Jangchun said.
Dan Yujeong bowed deeply.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you very much. I will never forget this debt.”
She looked at the master with admiration. Beyond his mystical abilities, cutting the silk rope with a wooden sword demonstrated an exceptional mastery of the Wudang Sect’s swordsmanship techniques.
From the back, Yong Geumin, who had been observing, quickly ran up and bowed.
“Master Jangchun, I am deeply grateful. If you ever need anything from the Yongmun Chamber of Commerce (용문상방), please do not hesitate to call us. I will do whatever is necessary to repay this debt.”
“It is unnecessary to talk about retribution. But if you really want to return the favor, take good care of the Taechung Sanctuary (태청도관). Master Neungji possesses a spiritual power that is no less than mine. What happened to him was because he tried to perform a ritual while he was seriously ill.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I will do so,” Yong Geumin replied without hesitation.
A little later, Yong Geumin and Tang Yujeong left the sanctuary.
When the members of the Yongmun Chamber of Commerce left, Master Neungji approached Grand Master Jangchun.
“Master Jangchun, you have made a great effort.”
“The real effort was made by you, Master Neungji,” the master replied with a cordial smile.
Master Neungji let out a slight bitter smile. Then, Jangchun took him aside and spoke to him in a low voice.
“As you may have noticed, there was no evil spirit to exorcise.”
“Yes, I found it strange too,” Neungji replied with a long sigh.
Dan Yujeong’s behavior was nothing out of the ordinary. If she were truly possessed by an evil spirit, the case would not have ended so cleanly.
“I think we should investigate the Jaunsa Temple (자은사),” Jangchun suggested.
Master Neungji opened his eyes in surprise. The Jaunsa Temple was not a Taoist sanctuary, but a Buddhist temple.
“Do you think they will allow it?”
“The Taechung Sanctuary cannot intervene directly. But if we use the name of the Wudang Sect, they will have no choice but to accept. They have caused problems not only for the citizens, but also for a disciple of the Wudang Sect. The person responsible must be stopped.”
Jangchun’s firm tone revealed the confidence of a martial arts expert.
“Do you think there may be a Demon of Lust (색마) hiding in the temple?”
“It must be the work of someone with extraordinary martial abilities, someone capable of subtly subduing Lady Dan.”
“Ah!” exclaimed Master Neungji, as if he finally understood the situation.
If someone had been able to subdue Dan Yujeong and himself without being detected, then the scenario made sense.
“But how is it possible that Lady Dan, being a prominent expert from Xi’an, didn’t realize she was being subdued?”
“If the person responsible is far superior to her, it is entirely possible.”
“When I collapsed during the ritual, there were only Taoists from the Taechung Sanctuary nearby. Was that also the work of that individual?”
“Surely,” Jangchun affirmed while frowning.
The power needed to execute something like that was difficult to imagine, even for him.
——–
The next day, early in the morning, Grand Master Jangchun left the sanctuary, taking only his disciples from the Five Dragons Palace (오룡궁). He didn’t want to give the Jaunsa Temple a chance to invent excuses, so he left behind the Taoists of the Taechung Sanctuary, including Master Ilun.
Near noon, the group spotted the Jaunsa Temple in the distance. Upon arriving at their destination, Jangchun ordered Master Ilun to return to the sanctuary, entering the temple only with his Taoist and lay disciples.
In front of the Daeungjeon Hall (대웅전), the temple’s abbot, Master Bulkwang (불광 선사), rushed out accompanied by several monks upon hearing of the Taoists’ arrival.
With a bow, Master Bulkwang greeted Grand Master Jangchun:
“Namu Amitabha Buddha. I am Bulkwang, abbot of the Jaunsa Temple. Upon hearing that a master of the Wudang Sect had arrived, I rushed to receive you.”
“I am Grand Master Jangchun of the Wudang Sect,” the master replied, omitting any mention of the Five Dragons Palace. He knew that the name of the Wudang Sect would be more effective in this situation.
Master Bulkwang, with a courteous smile, asked:
“This is a humble Buddhist temple. What brings a master of the Wudang Sect to our door?”
Without beating around the bush, Jangchun replied:
“I will be direct. Lately, strange rumors have been circulating related to the Jaunsa Temple. Are you aware of them?”
“Strange rumors? Could you explain what you mean?” the abbot asked, hiding his discomfort. He knew he shouldn’t irritate a master of the Wudang Sect.
“They are rumors about the women who come here to pray for children.”
“Ah…”
Master Bulkwang’s face showed discomfort upon hearing this. He discreetly observed Jangchun and his disciples, wondering how much they would know.
‘So this has to do with Dan Yujeong and what happened at the sanctuary,’ he thought.
“Have you come in relation to a case of spiritual encounter (귀접)?”
Jangchun nodded. He didn’t want to beat around the bush unnecessarily.
“That’s right. I want to visit the place where these women pray. Could you guide us?”
Master Bulkwang, although uncomfortable, replied with courtesy:
“Unfortunately, our temple does not resort to external forces for matters of exorcism. We have monks who are experts in such rituals.”
“Are you saying we should leave?” Jangchun asked with a penetrating look.
“No, no! What I mean is that we don’t need external help to perform exorcisms,” Bulkwang hastily explained.
Jangchun remained firm:
“I am here to determine if this is the work of a spirit or a person. If it is a spirit, I agree with your approach. But if there is a martial arts expert hiding here, exploiting women, don’t you think we should catch him?”
“Do you think a human is behind this?”
“Master Neungji, while trying to help a victim, suffered an internal injury from a hidden blow. This happened while he was performing a ritual to treat a case related to this temple.”
“Namu Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara…” Master Bulkwang murmured in shock.
If what Grand Master Jangchun said was true, he had ample reason to intervene.