“May the heavens heed, may the earth respond, let all deities descend and reveal their divine powers…”
Still far from the village, Mei Qing and others already heard the thunderous sound of gongs and drums echoing from the village, creating a lively atmosphere. As they drew closer, they saw a stage hastily erected in the open area in front of Dashan’s house, though they couldn’t recall when it had been built. Colorful banners of various strange patterns surrounded the stage. On both sides stood tall ceremonial banners: one inscribed with “Namo Amitabha Buddha” on the left, and “Taishang Laojun, swift as commanded” on the right. The calligraphy was neither purely regular script nor purely seal script, with each character as large as a rice bowl, outlined in golden thread against black ink on yellow satin, fluttering noisily in the autumn breeze.
Around the stage, numerous followers dressed in black robes stood like arrows, holding various ritual objects such as swords, staffs, measuring sticks, and seals, their eyes straight ahead, faces expressionless.
On the stage itself, a group of musicians wearing colorful garments played enthusiastically with gongs, drums, suonas, flutes, erhus, shengs, and xiaos, creating an exuberant melody.
In the exact center of the stage stood a large lotus dais made of pink silk, about half a person tall. On each side stood a child, one boy and one girl. One held a vase of purity, the other a peacock-feather fan. Their faces were painted bright red, making it difficult to distinguish their genders.
Seated solemnly atop the lotus dais was a man wearing an elaborate nine-tiered, eight-ridged tall ceremonial hat adorned with golden foil and colorful patterns. His robe, embroidered with the eight treasures and lotus blossoms, shimmered with golden light in the wind. In his left hand he held a fly whisk, and in his right, a large ceremonial seal. From afar, he looked like a Bodhisattva descended from some temple—the so-called Master A San had described, the leader of the incense sect.
Beside this master stood a dwarf dressed in dark robes. Barely three feet tall, shorter even than the two children, he wore a robe dragging on the ground and a peculiar pointed hat on his head. In one hand he held a large copper bell, shaking it while dancing, half singing, half chanting:
“First we invite Avalokiteshvara to rescue the people;
Second we invite Laozi, whose arrival makes spirits tremble;
Third we invite Guan Shengdi, the foremost among the Five Tigers;
Fourth we invite the Three Holy Mothers, to protect the people and display divine power…”
Though of diminutive stature, the dwarf’s voice was extremely loud, ringing in the ears. Mei Qing and others could clearly see that this person had no real cultivation skills; his powerful voice must have been a natural gift.
As his elongated chant ended, the master atop the lotus dais suddenly trembled violently, then let out a strange, high-pitched, drawn-out cry, twisting twice in pitch like a wailing mourner.
At this cry, the musicians on stage, as if rehearsed, simultaneously ceased playing and quickly moved aside, clearing the center of the stage. Like a spring had been released, the master “sprang” upward three feet, landing “swish” in the middle of the stage, his body swaying wildly like wind-blown willows or fluttering butterflies. The fly whisk and seal in his hands moved up and down, left and right, creating a blur of afterimages.
After dancing for a while, the master suddenly let out another long, piercing scream, the sound gradually fading as he slowly stopped moving, eyes staring blankly, silent.
“Which honored deity has descended?” asked the dwarf, shaking his copper bell and using his ear-splitting voice in a half-sung, half-chanted question.
“I am Guan Yu! I have been ordered by the Jade Emperor to travel the mortal world and protect all beings! Alas! This place is filled with evil spirits. Let me vanquish demons and expel malevolent forces! Zhou Cang, bring me my sword!” The master struck a pose with his waist twisted and hips swayed, waving his fly whisk dramatically.
“Here!” Upon hearing this, the dwarf immediately shook his copper bell furiously. With his other hand, he made a sweeping motion through the air, then suddenly produced a gleaming large sword.
This sword was over ten feet long, shining with a cold silver glow that dazzled the eyes. The dwarf planted the sword upright on the ground, where it towered eight feet above his diminutive height. Bowing respectfully, he announced, “Your Majesty, the long sword is ready!”
The villagers watching below were deeply impressed. The master looked majestic, and the dwarf, transformed into Zhou Cang, had seemingly conjured a sword from thin air—a display of truly extraordinary magical power. They burst into loud applause. The musicians on stage joined in the celebration, playing their gongs, drums, and suonas with great vigor, while chanting phrases like “Guan Yu’s procession brings peace to the world” and “The master’s divine power clears away evil spirits,” dancing and singing joyously.
Mei Qing and others, watching from afar, could no longer contain themselves and burst into laughter. It turned out this so-called master was merely a charlatan pretending to be a deity.
The trick with the large sword was nothing more than a magician’s sleight of hand, hiding a telescopic blade within the folds of his floor-length robe. The dazzling silver glow was merely tin foil.
After laughing for a while, Mei Qing glanced at Zhang Shisan, who was looking at him, and leaned over to whisper, “From what my apprentice sees, this master is nothing but a fraud, a shaman who only fools ignorant villagers. However, those people standing around the stage seem to have some skill?”
Zhang Shisan smiled and nodded. “It’s a Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams formation, nothing particularly formidable. If you want to deal with this ‘immortal,’ go ahead. I’ll handle the rest.”
Before Mei Qing could reply, the master on stage suddenly rolled his eyes wide open. With a wave of his hands, the fly whisk and seal vanished. He grabbed the large sword, concentrated for a moment, then suddenly roared, lifting the ten-foot blade high over his head. He slashed it around twice, spun it above his head a dozen times, then roared again, striking a pose with the sword dragging behind him.
“Excellent!” This time, the musicians on stage clapped extra loudly, blowing their suonas until they seemed about to burst, and beating the drums with all their might. A tall, thin man shouted at the top of his lungs, “Lord Guan Yu possesses the master, who is invincible under heaven!”
Others joined in with flattery, chanting phrases like “Infinite magical power, capable of anything,” and “Subduing ghosts and demons, leaving his name in the world.” These were all common folk rhymes, but since the local dialect of Yongping resembled singing, everyone could chant a few lines of drum ballads or lotus chants. Now, each one sang as if performing on a grand opera stage. At first, each sang a different tune, but gradually their voices united, led by the tall man, chanting together:
“Heaven and earth were created, the master’s power divine;
Unbeaten in battle, the master’s martial prowess shines!”
The master performed a few moves, struck a few poses, then half-closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly, gazing into the sky. He raised his left hand, and instantly the stage fell silent. Slowly, in a drawn-out tone, he chanted, “Let this deity open my wisdom eye and see where the evil spirits hide? Ah… ah… ah…”
Watching the master shrieking and gradually turning his gaze toward their direction, Mei Qing noticed the master’s eyes lingering on Shi Mengzhu. Mei Qing knew immediately that the master must be accusing them of being evil spirits. Smirking coldly, he decided to act first. With a thought, a small talisman already appeared in his hand.
Since his intensive training in talismans, Mei Qing had frequently consulted Zhang Shisan about using talismans in battle. Zhang had once explained that cultivators who reached the Refining Essence stage could usually practice techniques like “Hidden Heaven and Earth” or “Mustard Seed and Infinite Space,” allowing them to store objects attuned to their spiritual consciousness. The most common use was storing magical artifacts within, which could be instantly summoned during combat. Some cultivators even created special spaces specifically for storing talismans they had drawn, gaining a significant advantage in battle.
Mei Qing had learned the “Mustard Seed and Infinite Space” technique from the Bi Zhen Sect, though he wasn’t very proficient. Initially, he had only stored his escape token and an inkstone inside. It was only after Zhang Shisan offered some guidance that he expanded the space several times over and became more skilled in its use, storing numerous talismans within.
Later, Mei Qing got creative and placed the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone gifted by Zhang Shisan inside. What pleased Zhang most was that Mei Qing had inscribed a Water Spirit Talisman on both the inkstone and brush, not only connecting them to his spiritual awareness but also making them easier to use, always moist and clean.
Now, facing this master, Mei Qing happened to have some talismans he had painstakingly drawn in recent days. Unfortunately, he had only been practicing lower-grade first-tier talismans, which weren’t particularly powerful. However, he had already made his plan. With a flip of his hand, a Fire Spirit Talisman appeared.
“Born in the year of Ren Shen, the Fire Spirit reigns—swiftly!” Mei Qing silently chanted the incantation, forming a mudra with his left thumb pressed against the tip of his little finger while his right hand made a sweeping motion. The small talisman transformed into a streak of light, shooting forth and vanishing instantly.
Mei Qing was no longer the inexperienced novice he once was. His talisman drawing skills had greatly improved, and his application had become increasingly refined. When casting talismans, he always combined them with incantations and mudras. Incantations required precise timing and direction, carefully considering the hours of the day to manifest their power, as previously mentioned. However, the technique of forming mudras held even deeper mysteries: “It connects with divine beings, commands celestial generals, subdues evil spirits—it all lies in its subtlety.”
Mudras involved associating different parts of the fingers—roots, joints, tips, and nail sides—with the Ten Heavenly Stems, Twelve Earthly Branches, Five Elements, Seven Luminaries, Eight Trigrams, and Twenty-Eight Mansions. Based on the principles of mutual generation and restraint in the Five Elements, they could mimic dragon forms, lotus postures, or involve various hand gestures such as extending, bending, pulling, hooking, and interlocking. Each talisman had its specific use, and when applied, they could manifest beside the body, strike from afar, unleash fierce power, or exert gentle influence. Only through flexible changes in mudra techniques could true magical power be unleashed.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage