The Heavens Begin with Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 161: Opening the altar

It was already noon and the sun was shining on his buttocks when Mr. Zhan stretched and woke up from his sleep.

Mr. Zhan moved away the delicate arms and legs and rang the bell at the bedside. Footsteps were heard outside the door, and the sisters Jin Chuan'er and Yu Chuan'er entered the room carrying toiletries.

"Master, Manager Yang is waiting outside the door. He seems to want to report something." The two men reported in a low voice while helping Master Zhan to dress and wash his face.

"Oh, that should be the result of yesterday's incident. Just let him wait."

Mr. Zhan finished washing up leisurely, went to have brunch first, then went into the study and asked someone to call Yang Yougong in.

"Well, did that Taoist Ma get anything out of you?"

Yang Yougong smiled and replied:

"Master, you are very smart. That Ma Dao Po is really a black-hearted charlatan."

"Last night I secretly had someone sneak into her home and tied her up outside the city. After being severely tortured, she confessed everything."

"This old woman's family has passed down some methods of nightmarish magic. She uses secret techniques to make the paper figurine look like a ghost. Then she obtains the birth date of another person and writes it on the paper figurine. She hides the ghost on the victim's bed and then begins to perform a ritual to curse and harm the person."

"Some time ago, that old woman took Aunt Zhao's money and wanted to harm Madam Wang and Miss Lin."

"It's just that Madam Wang has been resting in Lixiang Courtyard these past few nights and has never slept in her own bed, so she has not been harmed. Only Miss Lin has been unlucky."

"I see."

Mr. Zhan nodded, and then he understood. It was obvious that Aunt Zhao hated Madam Wang the most, so why did she only curse Lin Daiyu and let Madam Wang go?

It turned out that it was not that she suddenly became magnanimous, but that Mrs. Wang ran to the devil's cave to enjoy herself and escaped the disaster unintentionally.

Unexpectedly, Yang Yougong continued:
"But as luck would have it, Madam Wang returned to her own courtyard last night, and she fell into the trap."

"The news sent over from Rongguo Mansion this morning said that Madam Wang suddenly went crazy last night and said a lot of nonsense, saying that she was the one who killed the old lady and that she wanted to be buried with the old lady. Although she has been held down, she has a high fever that won't go away."

After hearing this, Mr. Zhan was speechless.

Because he, "Elder Tang", took a concubine last night and did not go to the devil's cave to subdue the monsters, and without Tang Monk's flesh to eat, the monsters naturally dispersed and returned to their homes.

It was Mrs. Wang's destiny to have this disaster. She had clearly avoided it, but she insisted on going back to deliver the goods to the door.

Master Zhan frowned and asked:
"Since that Taoist Ma has been caught, the altar has not been destroyed, so how come Madam Wang still fell for it?"

Yang Yougong said:
"I also asked that Taoist Ma, and she said that her altar only invites the little ghosts to come, and let the little ghosts attach to the paper ghosts to harm people, and then it will be useless. Even if you destroy the altar, you can't drive away the little ghosts."

"Besides, this old hag's sorcery is not good enough. She can only attract the little ghosts but doesn't know how to send them away."

Mr. Zhan nodded and waved his hand to let Yang Yougong go out.

It doesn’t matter that Ma Dao Po doesn’t know how to save people, because Master Zhan knows!
He had tried it on Lin Daiyu before. His supernatural powers were specifically used to defeat this kind of evil spirits. Master Zhan could cure Madam Wang’s illness!

After knowing the situation, Mr. Zhan was no longer anxious. He waited for an opportunity to visit Mrs. Wang and treat her.

But while he was not in a hurry, Jia Zheng was very anxious.

His wife was suddenly possessed by evil spirits and said many frightening words to him.

Although a gag order had been issued in the mansion, he did not have the prestige of the old lady and could not completely control the mouths of those gossipy women in the mansion. It would not be long before the news spread throughout the two mansions.

However, although he had issued a gag order, he was actually somewhat skeptical about the authenticity of these words.

Although the old lady's health was getting worse, it was obvious that she still had some years to go before she died. But she died suddenly, which caught both him and Jia She off guard. This led to many incidents that followed, making a huge mess and losing all their face.

Before today, he had never had any doubts about the cause of the old lady's death. After all, it was reasonable for a person of such an old age to pass away suddenly.

Moreover, his wife was not the only one at the scene. There were also Aunt Xue and Yuanyang, the old lady's personal maid, and others. It was impossible that they all conspired to kill her!

But Mrs. Wang's random shouting was bound to make people suspicious.

Jia Zheng was originally an indecisive old scholar and had always been suspicious by nature. Once this doubt arose, it immediately took root in his mind and could not be driven away.

Especially after Aunt Zhao got the news, she kept whispering in his ears, saying bad things about Mrs. Wang, which made Jia Zheng, who had always been easily influenced by others, even more suspicious.

"Master, this is clearly the old lady's ghost coming back for revenge!"

"Otherwise, how could it be possible that my wife suddenly fell ill, and no medicine or medicine could help?"

"In the final analysis, this is a matter of injustice and debt. The daughter-in-law who killed her mother must be struck by lightning!"

"Now that the old lady has come back for revenge, even the gods and Buddhas would not say anything bad about her, so those monks and Taoists are unwilling to help her."

In fact, Aunt Zhao didn't believe this in her heart. She knew Mrs. Wang's character best. If Mrs. Wang had the courage to kill her mother, she, the concubine, would have been killed long ago.

And no one knows better than her why Mrs. Wang has become like this.

She just thought that Ma Dao Po had great magical powers and could do even these things. She secretly felt lucky that she had found the right person and that the money was well spent.

But what puzzled her was how Miss Lin suddenly became fine, since she was clearly in a life-threatening condition before.

Could it be that this is really her destiny?
This kind of thing is hard to say!
After all, Miss Lin even has the magical power of "predicting dreams", maybe she really has some kind of destiny!

But if Madam Wang could be killed, it wouldn't matter to Miss Lin. She would just think that Tanya didn't have that fate!

After figuring out everything, Aunt Zhao kept whispering in Jia Zheng's ear, trying to get Lady Wang to bear the crime of matricide.

If we don't add insult to injury now, when will we do it?

As all treatments failed to work, Jia Zheng began to wonder whether his old lady was really killed by his daughter-in-law. Otherwise, why would it be so strange?

Just when he was almost ready to give up treatment, Baoyu suddenly came over.

"Master, I heard that Sister Lin also had a sudden illness like the Madam. Later, she took the antipyretic medicine that Brother Zhan brought over, and now she is fine."

"Perhaps Madam's illness is similar to Sister Lin's. How about asking Brother Zhan to come over and give her a hand?"

When Sister Lin fell ill before, everyone in the house knew about it. Although Jia Zheng knew about it, he had never visited Sister Lin, so he didn't know that their symptoms were similar.

Now, after hearing what Baoyu said, he remembered this matter. After hearing the name of Master Zhan, he remembered that Master Zhan had fought with the lame Taoist priest because of Jia Rui's matter. He was also a Taoist master. Maybe he could really eliminate disasters and evils. So he tried his best to save the situation:
"In that case, please ask nephew Zhan to come over."

So Baoyu volunteered to go to Zhan's house to invite someone, and Jia Zheng, who respected his status, agreed.

Originally, Mr. Zhan wanted to save people, and now that he was invited by his good brother Baoyu, he naturally went with the flow and came to Rongguo Mansion.

On the way, Baoyu told the situation in the mansion, and said angrily:
"Those people in the mansion are becoming more and more unruly. They dare to make up all kinds of nonsense!"

"It's my decision that counts, otherwise I would definitely discipline them. At least they should follow the example of your Viscount Mansion, Brother Zhan, where everyone should keep to their proper place."

Mr. Zhan would of course not tell him the truth, and let Baoyu live in a fairy tale for the rest of his life. He immediately smiled and comforted him:
"This is the result of your family being too soft-hearted!"

"Confucius said that the only people in the world who are difficult to raise are villains and women. If you are not polite to them when you are close to them, they will complain if you are far away from them. You must be ruthless to deal with villains like these."

"When the Second Madam recovers from her illness, you can give her some advice and ask her to reorganize the servants in the mansion."

Baoyu nodded gloomily and agreed, waiting for his elder brother Zhan to perform his magic tricks and rescue his wife.

Arriving at Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zhengli angrily welcomed Master Zhan into the courtyard and said with a wry smile:

"My dear nephew, I really have no other choice but to ask you for help."

"My dear nephew, please go in and take a look. If there is any good medicine available, my whole family will be grateful."

In fact, Jia Zheng had another idea. He wanted Master Zhan to take a look to see whether it was the old lady's ghost that was bothering his wife. However, this matter was too difficult to talk about, and he was not in a position to say it. So he put it aside for the time being and just let Master Zhan take a look first. He would make a decision based on Master Zhan's performance.

Master Zhan also politely bowed to him and said with a smile:
"I will do my best and hope not to disappoint my uncle."

Saving a life is like putting out a fire. Jia Zheng had no time to exchange pleasantries with Mr. Zhan and took him into the backyard.

This place is similar to Lin Daiyu's place, but it is much more spacious and luxurious. Now the whole yard is filled with the smell of various medicines, and there are all kinds of incense, candles, talismans, etc. pasted all over the house.

Master Zhan opened his third eye and took a quick look, and he knew that these things were just for show, without any spiritual energy at all.

Looking at Mrs. Wang who was unconscious on the couch, she was indeed wrapped in a ball of black air, just like Lin Daiyu.

However, this black gas had no shape, and Master Zhan had no experience and could not tell whether it was a ghost or not.

When looking more closely, I found that this black gas seemed to be connected to something under the bed. Relying on this weak connection, it grew stronger and stronger little by little, causing greater harm.

Mr. Zhan stepped forward, and in front of Jia Zheng, he stretched out his hand and inserted it into Mrs. Wang's quilt.

When Jia Zheng saw this, he was stunned at first, then he became furious, and he felt as if a green cloud was hanging over his head. Just as he was about to explode, he saw Master Zhan retract his hand, and in his hand appeared a few ghosts made of paper, with green faces and white hair, looking eerie and terrifying.

"Uncle Zheng, this is what harmed the Second Wife!"

"The reason why the Second Madam is talking nonsense and is now unconscious is simply because someone used the Nightmare Victory method to harm her!"

"What she said before was all caused by ghosts and is nonsense. It cannot be taken seriously."

When Jia Zheng saw these little devils, he was immediately terrified. His original anger disappeared immediately and he only shouted in a trembling voice:
"Where did this thing come from?"

"How did you end up on this bed?"

You have to know that he and Mrs. Wang are husband and wife, and it is normal for them to sleep in the same bed. Since they can send this little devil to Mrs. Wang's bed, then naturally they can also put it in his bed. He can't help but be afraid.

Mr. Zhan knew that it was Aunt Zhao who did it, but he refused to say it. He just smiled and said:
"From ancient times to the present, most of these nightmare incidents have been caused by the help of traitors. Master Zheng will slowly investigate it himself."

"The most urgent task now is to wake up the second wife first."

"Now that the props for nightmare victory have fallen into my hands, as long as I perform a ritual to destroy these little ghosts, I will definitely be able to let the second wife wake up safely."

Now that he knew that his wife was harmed by a ghost, and not the old lady's ghost seeking revenge, Jia Zheng finally put down the heavy stone in his heart. The love between husband and wife prevailed again, and he immediately burst into tears of gratitude and said:

"If it weren't for my nephew's insight today, I'm afraid I wouldn't know the reason for this coma until now. I am really grateful to you."

"As the saying goes, one should not trouble two masters for one thing. Since my nephew has a solution, I would like to ask him to perform a ritual to eliminate this evil spirit."

"After the matter is settled, I will set up a banquet in the front hall and thank you in person."

Master Zhan smiled and said:
"We are all family, why should we have different opinions?"

"I will start the ritual now, but I need some help, and I have to rely on Master Zheng to provide them."

Jia Zheng nodded and agreed without hesitation, "My dear nephew, if you need anything, just tell me. I will definitely help you with all my strength."

Master Zhan turned the paper ghost over, took a look at Madam Wang's birth date, and then pretended to calculate, and then said nonsense:

"This talisman pen, cinnabar and other items are simple, but this method requires the assistance of several people. I have carefully calculated that it must be a close relationship with the Yin people." Jia Zheng waved his hand and said:

"Sisters Caixia and Caiyun are Madam's personal maids, and they are the closest to her. Why not let them help out?"

Mr. Zhan shook his head and said:

"These two are of low status, and their fates are not precious enough. I am afraid they can't control the situation."

After hearing this, Jia Zheng frowned, looked around, and sighed:

"It's a pity that Feng girl went back to her parents' home. Otherwise, they would be aunt and niece, blood relatives, and their status is sufficient. It would be perfect for them."

"At this point, I'm afraid I'll have to ask Aunt Xue to come over and help."

So Jia Zheng asked someone to invite Aunt Xue over, and then told her the situation. Aunt Xue glanced at Master Zhan's expressionless face and knew what he was up to. She smiled and said,
"We are sisters, what else can we talk about? Of course I am willing to do it."

"But I'm worried that I'm too old and lack energy to suppress the sneaky thing. Why not let the palace judge come and help me? If we work together, I think there won't be much of a problem."

Jia Zheng agreed immediately, and asked someone to call Li Wan over and said:

"You and Aunt Xue will follow Master Zhan's instructions."

Li Wan and Aunt Xue made eye contact, understood what he meant, and agreed with blushing faces.

Master Zhan had people place writing brushes, inkstones, cinnabar, peachwood swords, incense, candles, and fire starters on the table in the room. He then left only Aunt Xue and Li Wan, and drove everyone else out, saying,

"All of you, stay away from this yard. No matter what happens here or what sounds are heard, do not come over to disturb us. Otherwise, your life may be in danger."

Everyone was frightened and hurriedly retreated. Even Jia Zheng was no exception. He left the yard obediently and stood in the distance, staring anxiously at the people pacing back and forth.

After everyone left, Mr. Zhan closed the yard door and entered the room.

As a result, when she looked up when she came in, she saw Aunt Xue and Li Wan lying naked on Mrs. Wang's bed. They had lifted the quilt, revealing Mrs. Wang's naked mature body.

"What are you waiting for?"

Master Zhan stared at the two men in astonishment, but saw them looking at each other and laughing, and said:

"The master asked the two of us to come here just to play some tricks!"

"Yesterday you asked Baochai to come over to help Miss Lin get medicine. Now that the second wife has taken over, is there any other way to play?"

"Rather than waiting for the master to get his clothes dirty and be discovered by outsiders, it is better for us to take the initiative."

"And what the master doesn't know is that the temperature of the Second Madam's body is very hot at the moment. It must be a special kind of comfort. Why don't you come over and try it?"

Master Zhan originally planned to go directly to the Heavenly Eye to expel the black air, and then use the secret medicine to nourish Madam Wang's body, but after being reminded by the two of them, he immediately became tempted.

The order of treatment is actually not that important. It doesn’t really matter which one is done first or later!

It seems that he has never played this high temperature game before!

As a man who is curious about all new things, how could Mr. Zhan refuse innovation?
So he shouted loudly, "Death, monster," and leaped forward.

The people outside the courtyard became agitated after hearing Master Zhan's loud shout, but no one dared to go in to investigate. They only imagined scenes of Master Zhan subduing demons and monsters in their minds.

And inside the room, Master Zhan was indeed subduing demons and monsters.

He first grabbed a waist, and then subdued a steamed bun. Why are there so many evil spirits and monsters?
Kill her so that her soul will be lost, her spirit will tremble, and her ghost will shiver. The beating will make that vile creature...have nowhere to hide!

He had just climbed over several mountains and crossed several rivers. How could the road be so rugged and bumpy!
Go to her place where the mountains are more dangerous and the waters are more dangerous, where her buttocks have been slapped and her lips have been bitten, and where she walks out a path that opens her heart... so wide and broad!

After a fierce battle, Master Zhan finally felt what it felt like when Sun Wukong crossed the Flaming Mountain.

hot!
It’s too hot!

However, Mr. Zhan's fire resistance is stronger than Monkey King, so even though it feels very hot, it is a comfortable and soothing heat!

Back then, Monkey King was refined in Laojun's alchemy furnace for forty-nine days, and finally he developed the magical power of "Fire Eyes and Golden Pupils", which enabled him to see everything clearly and be good at distinguishing demons and evil spirits.

Mr. Zhan was tempered in Madam Wang’s Dragon Palace for 49 minutes, and finally he made a "Ruyi Golden Cudgel" that could be as big or as long as desired.

Now that the magic weapon has been refined, Master Zhan stopped talking, opened his third eye, glared at the black gas, and instantly the black gas disappeared.

Without the interference of this evil force, the secret medicine in Mrs. Wang's body took effect and she slowly woke up from her coma.

She was ambushed last night, and she was unlucky without anyone noticing. She had no idea what had happened. Now that she had woken up, the memories in her brain were still from before she fell asleep last night. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw three fleshworms fighting and rolling in front of her. Her mind went numb and she couldn't figure out what was going on.

She looked around and found that this room was indeed the bedroom in her own courtyard. She immediately panicked and quickly grabbed the quilt to cover her naked chest, shouting in panic:

"What brought you here?"

"What should we do if we are caught in broad daylight?"

"Hurry up and get dressed and go back. I'll come to Lixiangyuan to find you guys in the evening!"

Seeing that Mrs. Wang was still confused, Aunt Xue leaned over and kissed her on the lips, saying jokingly:
"Good sister, your master has invited our master to come and treat you!"

"Why don't you thank our master with your body!"

"Didn't the play say that I couldn't repay your life-saving grace, so I had to give myself to you, haha..."

"What, what cure?" Mrs. Wang asked in confusion.

Master Zhan grabbed her from the bed, pressed her down on the table, held her snow-white hair with one hand, dipped the round end of his pen into cinnabar, and began to draw talismans on the paper, while he was outputting, he explained:

"You and Sister Lin were both harmed by someone using the Nightmare Victory method and are now in a coma. Master Zheng has come to me for help. I am now helping you to exorcise the evil spirits. You must cooperate with me."

Mrs. Wang only felt that the paper was rough, and rubbing against it made her feel itchy all the way to the bottom of her heart. Master Zhan behind her was also moving non-stop, making it impossible for her to put her feet on the ground. She leaned on the table, panting and spitting:

"Pooh!"

"You're exorcising a demon!"

"I think it was the evil method you used, which was specially prepared for this moment!"

Master Zhan hastily wrote a talisman to ward off evil spirits, changed his "pen head" and continued to write, laughing:

"You are wrong. I have already caught the man who caused the nightmare, but I did not tell Master Zheng because I was afraid that it would affect the family harmony in the mansion."

"But Xiao Shiyi, you are a fox spirit that I raise. You are a mount with a background, not a wild monster. It's okay to tell you the truth."

"The person who used the evil method of nightmare victory is called Ma Dao Po, and you also know her."

"And the mastermind behind this is your own sister Aunt Zhao. She paid one thousand taels of silver and asked that Taoist Ma to do it."

After being reminded by Master Zhan, Madam Wang became furious and immediately started cursing:

"This damn bitch!"

"I should have killed her long ago, or at the very least sold her!"

"I shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then. I let her stay at home and allowed her to have children. Now she is ungrateful and has become a scourge. She dared to harm me!"

"She's nothing but my own sister!"

"Only those in the Veil Society count as my own sisters!"

She had just recovered from a coma and was still a little weak. After cursing a few words, she stopped to take a few breaths and moved her body slightly to make Master Zhan's movements more convenient and comfortable.

Now she has realized how important it is to have the support of Master Zhan.

Not to mention the nourishing effect of taking the secret medicine on the body every time, let’s just talk about the incident with Yan Sheng this time. If it weren’t for the fact that she and Master Zhan had an affair, I’m afraid that even if she was killed, Master Zhan might not come to save her.

She still has a few decades to live, and who knows if she will encounter similar things again in the future.

Besides, even if she was not afraid of death, she was afraid that her son would be harmed by someone.

Rather than waiting to be harmed and killed for no apparent reason in the future, it is better to hold on to Master Zhan's thigh and get yourself a life-saving amulet.

Anyway, she has done everything that should be done and what should not be done. Why should she still be reserved at this point?
It would be better to curry favor with and serve Master Zhan well, so that you can live a comfortable and happy life.

As for the real master of our family... let’s talk about it later!

Ever since he killed his mother, a huge rift has existed between the two of them, and it is an irreconcilable contradiction. The two of them will never be able to go back to the way they were in the past.

Too many lice won't bite, too many debts won't worry. Anyway, I already owe him so much, so it doesn't matter if I owe him more. The worst that can happen is that I can work like a slave to pay him back in the next life!

Anyway, she planned to devote herself to Master Zhan in this life.

With Mrs. Wang's deliberate cooperation, Mr. Zhan's work of drawing talismans went very smoothly. Like flowing water, he used various colored "pen tips" to create many original talismans.

It is not clear whether it can ward off evil spirits, but sticking it on the head of the bed will definitely remind Mrs. Wang of the drawing process of the talisman every time she sees it, and then her heart will be moved and she will not be harmed by evil spirits.

Master Zhan drew dozens of talismans and successfully restored Madam Wang's body, which had just recovered, to the best condition, completely freeing her from the influence of the nightmare. Only then did he announce that the opening ceremony of the altar had been successfully completed.

Aunt Xue and Li Wan put on their clothes and pasted dozens of talismans in various places in Lady Wang's bedroom, especially at the head of the bed, and all over the place, making sure she would see these good things as soon as she opened her eyes every day.

Seeing the two sisters beaming with joy and having mischievous expressions, Mrs. Wang glared at them unhappily but did not say anything to stop them, tacitly agreeing that this special talisman would continue to exist for a long time.

After everything was done, Mr. Zhan tidied his clothes, destroyed all suspicious items, and then walked out of the room first.

Aunt Xue and Li Wan supported Mrs. Wang, whose legs were weak, on her left and right, and followed behind to appear outside and greet Master Zheng and others, proving that Master Zhan's exorcism ability was genuine.

Jia Zheng and the others had been waiting outside for nearly an hour and were already very anxious. When they saw the door open and several people coming out, they immediately hurried to greet them.

He first looked at Mrs. Wang's complexion and saw that although she looked tired and seemed to be weak all over, she was in good spirits. He immediately felt relieved and turned to Mr. Zhan to thank him:

"Oh, thank you, nephew. If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid my family would have to hold another funeral!"

"We have already held two funerals in a short period of time. Outsiders now laugh at our bad luck. But if we hold three funerals in a row, I'm afraid everyone will think that the fortune of our Jia family has been cut off!"

"Come, come, I have asked someone to prepare a banquet in the front hall. Please move over there, nephew. We will not leave until we are drunk today."

Mr. Zhan followed with a smile and drank, while Baoyu and others stayed and surrounded Mrs. Wang, asking about her well-being and expressing their concern and greetings in various ways.

Mrs. Wang glanced at the crowd and saw Aunt Zhao turning away angrily. She was immediately furious and secretly decided that she would have a good talk with her master about this matter and settle the score with this bitch. It would be best if she could also send her little beastly son away as well.

As for her daughter Tanchun, she had been quite obedient in the past. It was not a problem to keep her, but she must not let her marry Mr. Zhan as his legal wife, otherwise wouldn't she have to call her sister in the future?

As she was thinking about these things in her mind, she didn't pay much attention to the concern of outsiders. She just responded with a few words and went back to her room to rest on the pretext of being tired.

(End of this chapter)