Chapter 15: The Sufferings of the Scholar and the Evil Spirit

Chapter 15: The Sufferings of the Scholar and the Evil Spirit

The waiter in the teahouse was quite discerning. As soon as Chen Changsheng sat down, he immediately went up to ask. After getting a reply, he served Chen Changsheng tea.

Old Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Chen seems to have come a few days earlier than usual."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but smile on his face and asked, "Really?"

Old Zhang nodded and said, "It's more than half a month earlier."

At first, Chen Changsheng was still wondering if his feelings were wrong. Now that he had received an accurate reply from Old Man Zhang, it felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his heart.

Cultivating immortality truly eliminates the influence of curses.

Old Zhang saw that the gentleman was smiling and was somewhat puzzled. So he asked, "The gentleman seems very happy?"

Chen Changsheng nodded and said, "Happy."

Seeing Chen Changsheng reply like this, Old Man Zhang also knew that he couldn't ask any further.

He wanted to say something more, but he didn't know what to say. In fact, although he had known Mr. Chen for many years, he still felt a bit unfamiliar with him.

Chen Changsheng asked, "Is your leg feeling better now?"

After hearing this, Old Man Zhang said, "No, it's getting worse year by year. It hurts badly when it gets cold."

I remember the last time we met, it wasn't this serious.

The last time was two or three years ago.

Old Man Zhang smiled and said, "When people get old, they tend to fall ill more often. Sir Is not old, so I don't feel this helplessness. Right now, I'm just looking forward to Xiao Liu taking over the tavern business as soon as possible so that I can go there at ease."

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment upon hearing this and asked, "I remember you were on guard back then."

Old Man Zhang said, "After last time, I asked Xiao Liu to enter the ancestral hall, kowtow three times and offer incense to the ancestors. Then he took my surname. After much thought, I still feel that letting go is much more comfortable than constantly being troubled."

After hearing this, Chen Changsheng was very relieved and said, "You really have come to terms with it."

Old Zhang smiled and said, "They are all people whose half of their legs haven't reached the yellow earth."

His smile was bitter, yet there seemed to be a touch of composure.

Old Zhang paused for a moment and then said, "Speaking of this, I do want to ask you one thing, Sir."

"Please me?"

When Chen Changsheng heard this, he was quite surprised and said, "You say, as long as it's something I can do."

Old Man Zhang spoke frankly, saying, "Now I'm also seventy-three years old. My health is getting worse year by year and I have more and more diseases. So, I would like to ask you to calculate for me how many years I still have to live."

After hearing this, Chen Changsheng glanced at the Heavenly Gate of Old Zhang.

Between Old Zhang's eyebrows, there was a faint aura. Now that aura was almost gone. When it completely faded away, it would be Old Zhang's time to die.

Are you so curious about when you will die? Chen Changsheng asked.

Old Man Zhang said, "I've always wanted to ask, but I just didn't dare to ask before."

The older one gets, the bolder one becomes.

Chen Changsheng shook his head and sighed, saying, "But if you ask me, I don't know either. Chen Mou said before that he can't tell fortunes."

In fact, he could tell.

The anger between Old Zhang's eyebrows was already very faint. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to hold on until he came again.

Is that so...

Old Zhang didn't continue to ask about this matter either. Instead, he tactfully closed his mouth.

Chen Changsheng turned his gaze to the storyteller on the stage.

"Pa....."

With that striking snap, Mr. Shuo spoke slowly.

It is said that the daughter of the Wen family was brutally humiliated and then framed by someone with ulterior motives, resulting in the entire family being beaten to death alive in their own courtyard...

Chen Changsheng asked, "What story is this?"

Old Man Zhang explained, "It's an old story. Back in the day, there was a young master of the Gao family in Yonglv Village. He was a well-known playboy. Relying on his sister's marriage to a high-ranking official in Shangjing, he acted recklessly in the local area. At that time, the county magistrate of Anning County, out of respect for his sister's husband, always allowed this young master of the Gao family to do nothing..."

Is this a true story? Chen Changsheng was stunned and said.

Old Man Zhang said, "What the storyteller said is not entirely true. Of course, it has been modified a bit."

And then? Chen Changsheng asked.

That young master of the Gao family had his eyes on the daughter of our old man Wen in the ward. The old man Wen's family was in the business of making steamed cakes and had no one to rely on. Naturally, they couldn't defeat Young Master Gao. The county magistrate and the ward chief had no way to control her. The Wen daughter naturally fell into the hands of Young Master Gao. Little did they know that the next day, unable to bear this humiliation, the Wen daughter fled that very night and reported to the authorities.

Who would have thought that on the way to the yamen, that young Master Gao had already ordered all the informed neighbors in the yamen and around the Wen family to be dealt with. When the court faced off, everyone favored this young Master Gao. The county magistrate Fang Zheng and the neighbors around the Wen family all insisted that there was no such thing.

"Young Master Gao once again turned the tables in the hall and accused this daughter of the Wen family of falsely accusing her of innocence." "

"Is there such a thing?" "

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment and said, "Could such a person still be alive?"

"Of course it's dead."

Old Man Zhang said, "The appearance of death was extremely tragic."

How did you die?

He died after being drained of his vital energy by an evil spirit.

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng was stunned and said, "Ghost?"

"Right."

Old Man Zhang said, "This happened over fifty years ago. At that time, the daughter of the Wen family couldn't bear such humiliation and ran over and died in the court. Someone died in the court, and the matter got into a big commotion. It's said that later, that spoiled rich man's father begged his son-in-law to suppress this incident. This matter was thus over..."

"Who would have thought that the young master Gao's anger wouldn't subside and he came to the Wen family again." "

At that time, apart from the old man Wen, there was another person present, a scholar. This scholar had been in a relationship with the Wen family's daughter for a long time. That year, he was supposed to go to the capital to take the imperial examination, but because he was heartbroken over the death of the Wen family's daughter, he intended to go to the capital to complain after handling her funeral. However, he ran into the young Master Gao, who happened to be causing trouble.

The enemy was extremely envious when they met. But how could that scholar be the match of that servant and the evil slave? During the fight, Old Man Wen stepped forward to stop him. Unexpectedly, that servant accidentally hit the stick at Old Man Wen's Heavenly gate and died on the spot.

Seeing this, Young Master Gao was also a little scared. He thought that either he wouldn't do it or he would do it to the extreme. So he ordered his servants to beat the scholar to death in the courtyard as well.

So, is that ghost the scholar? Chen Changsheng asked.

Old Man Zhang nodded and said, "After Shu's death, his resentment never dissipated. He transformed into a vengeful spirit and swallowed over ten members of the Gao family that very night. Later, when this story spread, a storyteller specially compiled a storybook, and he still talks about it from time to time."

Chen Changsheng nodded and said, "After the entire Gao family was massacred, where did that scholar go?"

Old Zhang smiled and said, "Of course I was subdued by the City God."

As soon as he finished speaking.

But I heard the storyteller on that stage say:

Only to see the City God force the evil scholar to the Wen family's courtyard. A golden light shook violently, and a divine whip struck the evil scholar and drew him into the pool.

A group of evil spirits formed a grand array and drew out a divine stone. In an instant, golden light shone upon it. The City God recited a magic incantion, and a golden light fell into the divine stone, trapping the evil spirit in the pool and preventing it from rising again for all eternity!

Chen Changsheng was taken aback after hearing this.

The tea bowl in his hand suddenly dropped in mid-air, and for some reason, it seemed as if he had recalled something.

It seems that he...

Where have I heard of this?

(End of this chapter)