Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 74: Waiting for Dian Wei to come and pay his respects in person!
"Immortal Master, Immortal Master! Please, give me a talisman! My father, Tiger, is the eldest son; just write 'Dian Da' as his name!"

"Hmm? 'Dian Da'?"

In Dianjia Village, a white spirit banner was planted on the earthen altar for the sacrificial ceremony, surrounding a brazier and water jug. Talismans hung from the surrounding trees, and below the altar lay offerings of grain and talismanic water. Disciples of the Taiping Dao were busy distributing alms and appeasing the villagers who had crowded to the front. Among these villagers, a burly old woman, like a fish swimming, struggled to the very front! The surrounding villagers, initially somewhat disgruntled, immediately shuddered upon seeing the old woman's appearance and made way for her.

Why are you pushing me?!

"I'm not pushing you! I'm making way for Dian Huzi's mother!"

"Who? Dian Huzi? Isn't that the murderer?"

"Shh! Hurry up and squeeze over there! If you bump into the old lady, you'll be in big trouble when Brother Tiger comes back! You can't withstand one of his blows."

"Uh"

Zhang Chengfu put down his pen and carefully examined the robust old woman from the Dian family before him. This old woman was stout, her physique even more sturdy than that of an average man. Right now, she looked pleading, her urgency palpable, even more so than that of the surrounding villagers.

From the fearful reactions of the villagers and the scattered whispers, Zhang Chengfu knew that this must be Dian Wei's mother, Lady Dian! He glanced at the local disciple, who nodded in confirmation. It made sense; only such a robust mother could give birth to such a strong "Erlai"!

“My esteemed believer, there’s no need to rush. Hmm, you seem to be tainted with some resentment, unlike ordinary people. Could it be that you’ve been entangled in some untimely death?”

"Ah?! A violent death, resentment? This is indeed a terrible thing."

Upon hearing this, Dian Shi's anxious face showed even more unease and worry. She stared wide-eyed at the young disciple of the Way of Peace, and spoke hastily, her voice as loud as a drumbeat.

"Immortal Master! What kind of resentment is this? Could it cause any harm? You seem quite young, can you quell it?"

“Resentment will entangle with the spirits of the dead. The more violent the death, the greater the resentment! Hmm, ordinary soul-soothing talismans probably won't be very effective. I'll go and invite a great master to come and draw a talisman for you personally!”

After speaking, under the worried gaze of Dian Shi, Zhang Chengfu hurriedly walked up to the altar and said a few words to the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao. The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao looked over with his deep eyes, glanced at Dian Shi, and then stepped down from the altar with square steps, like an immortal.

"Ah! It is Your Majesty, the Great Teacher, who greets you!"

Upon seeing the Great Teacher arrive in person, Lady Dian quickly bowed her head in respect, showing many times more deference than when she had faced Zhang Chengfu. The Great Teacher's voice was steady and calm, gently reassuring her with a powerful and approachable teaching. After only a few words of comfort, the elderly Lady Dian, her face filled with gratitude and trust, eagerly inquired.

"Great and virtuous teacher who saves us from suffering! What did that little immortal master just say about resentment and entanglement? Could it be that it's harming the soul of my father, Tiger Cub?"

"Hmm. How did your beloved die?"

"It's from the plague. The villagers all say that getting infected means a violent death."

"In the year of the great plague, many villagers died from the disease. Their souls would not be tainted with such great resentment. This resentment is like being haunted by the vengeful ghosts of those who died even more violently, thus they cannot find peace and cannot enter the underworld."

The Great Teacher Zhang Jiao looked solemnly at the old woman of the Dian family whose eyes were darting away, and said sternly.

"Has your beloved committed many murders?"

"No! No! Although he's fierce and strong, he's never killed anyone."

"Does he have any blood relatives who have committed numerous murders and are haunted by many wronged spirits?"

"I do have that."

The old woman, surnamed Dian, stammered, her expression growing increasingly anxious, yet she couldn't utter a word. Upon hearing the Great Teacher's question, the surrounding villagers quickly moved aside. They whispered amongst themselves, their voices tinged with fear, mentioning "Dian Wei," "Tiger Cub," "murderers," "killed many," and "would not find peace in death." Hearing the villagers' murmurs, the old woman could no longer bear it; she knelt before the Great Teacher with a thud, weeping and pleading.

"Immortal Master! Immortal Master! Great and virtuous Master who saves from suffering! I beg you, save the soul of my Tiger's father! And save my Tiger! I, your concubine, am willing to offer all my wealth, just to ask you to perform a ritual to dispel the resentment of this wronged soul!"

Upon hearing this, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao pondered in silence, his face showing hesitation, and then spoke to the pleading old woman of the Dian family.

"With my abilities, I can indeed appease these wandering souls. However, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. To resolve this grudge, it's best if the person responsible is present. But I observe that besides the resentment tainted within you, there is also an innate ferocity. The source of this ferocity is likely your tiger cub. Your tiger cub is certainly different from ordinary people. He is not an ordinary mortal, but rather born in response to an ominous celestial star, with murderous intent in his very bones!"

"Ah?! Immortal Master, you are absolutely right! My Tiger is indeed born big and strong, with the strength of an ox. I don't know why, but he looks so fierce and is really full of murderous intent, committing many killings! Especially last year, he committed a great massacre in the eastern county town. Alas! That scoundrel Tiger Head!"

The old woman sighed, knelt on the muddy ground, and gripped the Great Teacher's hand tightly, refusing to let go! The Great Teacher's brow twitched; the woman's grip was painful. Zhang Chengfu quickly stepped forward, lifted the old woman up, and then heard the teacher's gentle voice continue unhurriedly.

“My faithful friend, I will not lie to you. Your son is no ordinary person, but rather a malevolent spirit from heaven.”

“Many brave and fierce people in the world run rampant with their ferocity, killing many people and incurring sins. As a result, they are disliked by Heaven, and their sins even extend to their ancestors, themselves and their blood relatives! This is the fierce aura that is both filled with resentment and divine response, which is beyond the changes of Heaven and Earth and is not caused solely by the good or evil of people’s hearts.”

"Actually, the reason I came to Dianjia Village to perform this soul-soothing ritual was because I sensed an ominous aura. And now it seems that this profound ominous aura has indeed beenfallen your son, Dian Wei!" Upon hearing the words of the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao, the villagers of Dianjia Village erupted in uproar. Even the wealthy families from the county turned pale with fear. Feeling the gazes of her fellow villagers, the old woman of the Dian family trembled with fear and almost collapsed onto Zhang Chengfu, who was supporting her.

"Ah! Is that so? Is that so?! Great Teacher of Peace and Salvation, will this fierce aura harm my son Dian Wei?"

"This ominous aura, bestowed by Heaven, aligns with inauspicious celestial phenomena and stars above, resonates with vengeful ghosts in the underworld below, and is in harmony with human warfare! There was an ancient ferocious god named 'Chi You,' who wielded the power of life and death, disrupting customs when in action and suppressing evil spirits when under his command. Your son, Dian Wei, embodies this ominous aura of Chi You! He is naturally fierce and possesses unparalleled courage, a divinely bestowed ominous aura, far surpassing that of a vicious dog from the marketplace. And this divinely bestowed ominous aura, if not tempered with self-cultivation and control, will become extremely violent and cruel, diminishing one's virtue and lifespan."

At this point, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao glanced meaningfully at Zhang Chengfu. Then, he lowered his eyes, counted on his fingers, and after a long silence, said with certainty.

"If the malevolent aura emanating from your son cannot be neutralized, even if he is naturally strong, his lifespan will be short, unlikely to exceed forty! The wronged souls he has killed, though unable to haunt him, will cause his parents and relatives to suffer unrest in the afterlife, and may even extend the sins of murder to his descendants..."

"Heavens above! This...this...the Great and Virtuous Teacher who saves us from suffering, please save us, please save us!"

Upon hearing this, the old woman of the Dian family was completely disoriented and lost all composure, clinging tightly to the Great Teacher and howling like a tiger. The Great Teacher's brow twitched again, he sighed, looked at the surprisingly strong old woman, and made a calm promise.

"Enough! This malevolent aura corresponds to the celestial phenomena above and resonates with humankind below. Though its killing intent is fierce, it is ferocious yet controllable, violent yet usable. Since I have arrived here by observing this aura, then your son Dian Wei has a connection with my Way of Peace in the human realm, and a predestined affinity with the Dao."

"Since that's the case, then I, this humble Taoist, will intervene and purify this resentment and malevolence! However, my offering of sacrifice can only provide temporary relief, not a lasting solution. Without the cultivation to control malevolent energy and the merit of benefiting all living beings, the consequences of this malevolent energy will be far beyond what an ordinary being can bear. Such tyranny cannot last!"

Zhang Chengfu blinked, watching the Great Teacher gently offer a few words of advice. He wondered if the old woman from the Dian family would understand afterward. The old woman from the Dian family was currently confused and could only say repeatedly.

"Immortal Master, Great Immortal Master! This humble servant is willing to offer all her wealth for a single memorial service to dispel the malevolent energy and resentment of my son and husband! However, you just mentioned that my son is not here? He has committed a crime."

The old woman, surnamed Dian, mumbled a few words, her tiger-like eyes filled with tears as she looked at the Great Teacher of Virtue. The Great Teacher of Virtue thought for a moment, then looked at the anxious and vacant old woman and said gently.

"It's alright! Your son doesn't need to show himself. With my abilities, I can sense him within this county; there's no need for him to appear in this village."

"I will prepare for a few days to complete the rituals in Dianjia Village, and then hold a three-day memorial service specifically for your family!"

"As for this memorial service, I will not accept a single penny! This ritual is to appease the ominous energy from Heaven and to fulfill the karmic connection I have received. The interaction between Heaven and humanity, and the alignment of karmic connections, cannot be forced. I have come to guide and enlighten, and whether I see your son or not is up to me. After I have completed this ritual, appeased this ominous energy, and soothed the departed soul, I will depart. Please rest assured!"

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, Great Immortal Master!"

Hearing the Great Master of Virtue say that he would leave after the ceremony and that seeing Dian Wei was optional, the old woman of the Dian family's expression shifted again. Instead of finding peace, her face grew even more worried, and it was unclear what she was thinking. As for the surrounding villagers and wealthy families, seeing the Great Master of Virtue's promise to hold a grand ceremony specifically for the Dian family, they were filled with envy and jealousy!

"Taiyi! What kind of merit did the Dian family's ancestors accumulate that made the Great Teacher of Virtue personally intervene to ward off disaster and pray for their well-being without charging a single penny?!"

"Didn't you understand? What the Great Teacher of Virtue means is that Dian Wei is a vicious person with 'fierce aura,' and he will bring fierce aura and resentment to the village! This time, the Great Teacher of Virtue intervened in the village not to offer money and food, but purely to relieve suffering and eliminate disaster, and to subdue this vicious person's fierce aura!"

"Ah! Ah, this? What if our village is tainted with evil spirits after the Great Teacher of Virtue leaves? That murderous scoundrel! This Dian Wei might just bring ruin to our whole village, or even our entire Jiwu County!"

"That's right! How come I didn't think of that? Just now, from what the Great Teacher of Virtue was saying, it seems he wanted to take Dian Wei in and convert him to Buddhism? Otherwise, why don't we go and persuade Aunt Dian to go find her son and go with the Great Teacher of Virtue!"

"Her son is hiding next door, cough! If Tiger's mother isn't going, then let Tiger's companion go look for him! We can't let one person's actions ruin our whole village!"

In Dianshi Village, hundreds upon hundreds of villagers were discussing the matter. Many had received the talismans and talismanic water, their faces filled with tears of gratitude. Others, having overheard the previous exchange, wore expressions of worry. In the center of the crowd, the old woman of the Dian family gritted her teeth, her expression shifting as if she were making a difficult decision.

Seeing this, Zhang Chengfu seemed thoughtful. His teacher Zhang Jiao's roundabout method of recruiting Dian Wei always seemed familiar. He pondered it for a while before realizing it resembled the story in Journey to the West, where Guanyin, ordered to go to Chang'an, circled around to bring Emperor Taizong back from the underworld, and then offered to send Xuanzang to the West to retrieve Buddhist scriptures and appease the resentful spirits. The scriptures couldn't be given away lightly; demand had to be created, making people seek them out!
The teacher's actions at this time were not about expending great effort to search for and recruit Dian Wei. He simply held a sacrificial ceremony and performed rituals, uttered a few words, and created the most urgent need. Then, he waited patiently there, waiting for Dian Wei, who was hiding somewhere, to come and pay his respects in person!
"May your soul return, and may peace and tranquility prevail!"

In the following days, the Great Master personally took charge of concluding the village's religious rites and held an extremely solemn memorial ceremony for Dian Shi's deceased husband, "Dian Da".

Sacrificial rites to appease the souls of the deceased and absolve sins have always been of paramount importance in the countryside. This particular ceremony was conducted with great solemnity and high standards. The county's musical troupe came to perform, disciples of the Way of Peace drew banners and talismans to summon the souls, and the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao personally set up the altar to offer the sacrifice!

The entire sacrificial ceremony was conducted according to the standards of the literati, lasting for three days. All the manpower and resources were provided by the Taiping Dao (Taiping Dao). Even the wealthy families in the countryside were amazed and astonished. It was a scale that even the passing of a prominent elder in the county couldn't match! What a blessing and grace this was!
Three days later, Zhang Jiao, the Great Teacher of Virtue, looked exhausted and, as promised, was about to bid farewell to the old woman of the Dian family.

"Now that this ritual is complete, this connection of spiritual resonance has come to an end! I will now depart. Here are two talismans. One is for your deceased husband; bury it in his grave to appease his soul and ensure his well-being. The other is for your son. However, your son carries an ominous aura; it's hard to say how effective this talisman will be without me!"

"Heaven bears witness! This is all the power I can offer!"

"."

Upon hearing these words, the old woman's eyes reddened, and tears of gratitude streamed down her face. She gritted her teeth, wiped away her tears, and finally made up her mind. She once again embraced the Great Teacher's hand and pleaded softly.

"Great and virtuous teacher who saves us from suffering! I beg you, may you rest in the village for one more day? Just one day will do!"

(End of this chapter)