Mythology Returns! Starting with Folklore and Strange Tales

Chapter 112 Fighting the Drought Demon

You're speaking so loudly, anyone who isn't deaf can hear you...

Although that's what he thought, Zhang Wei replied, "Our small temple doesn't accept incense or offerings. If you've come to offer incense, you'll be disappointed!"

This temple was originally a temporary structure created by the prospective master so that Zhang Wei would have a place to stay while he was teaching, and wouldn't have to spend the night in the wilderness.

Because it was only for temporary use, the statues in the temple were not cleaned or consecrated.

Lacking divinity, it naturally does not receive incense offerings. When Zhang Wei completes his studies and descends the mountain, the small temple will return to its original state. Therefore, there is no need to accept incense offerings, saving the nearby people from making a wasted trip if they feel like it after they leave.

"Oh, that's a pity!"

The man standing at the front clicked his tongue, a hint of regret on his face.

But among the group of people following him, several showed expressions of relief.

Before this, no one knew that a Taoist temple had suddenly appeared on the mountain outside the village, and in recent years no one had heard of Taoist priests going down the mountain to buy things, nor had any craftsmen come and go.

This place appears out of nowhere, suddenly appearing in a small temple outside the mountains. To put it nicely, it's a place for reclusive hermits to cultivate themselves. To put it bluntly, who knows if the person living in this temple is a real Taoist priest or a real monster?

It is because Qiu Jiang insists on worshipping and burning incense whenever she sees a temple, otherwise she will refuse to leave. Her husband's family is worried that she might encounter trouble alone, so they think that if there is a group of people, they will have help if anything unexpected happens.

Otherwise, they would be too busy hiding to bother coming so eagerly in front of us.

But Zhang Wei's explanation for refusing them entry into the temple reassured these people.

They are truly malevolent spirits, eager to lure people in and kill them; there is no reason to refuse them entry.

With their fear gone and seeing that it was a secluded Taoist temple in the mountains, these people began to get excited again, thinking that such a master must have some skills.

Seeing Qiu Jiang retreat from the steps with little interest, preparing to turn and leave, one of the men behind him suddenly stepped forward, blocking his way, a fawning smile on his face: "Young Taoist priest, we know your temple doesn't accept incense offerings, but do you take commissions?"

"What's up?"

Hearing that Zhang Wei didn't directly refuse, and sensing there was a way, the man quickly nodded, "Yes, yes!"

"Young Taoist priest, you don't know, it hasn't rained or snowed much for two years. Last year, we were able to barely grow enough food by using the riverbed, and if we were careful, it was enough for our families. But this year, the water in the nearby riverbed has dried up, and it seems like everyone will starve to death. So the village thought about it and decided to go out and ask someone to come and see if it's a drought demon. We're thinking of trying to drive some drought-resistant stakes!"

Zhang Wei: "Han Ba?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Please wait a moment, I'll go back and ask the elders first."

Hearing that there were elderly Taoist priests in the small temple, the villagers, who were already hopeful, became even more eager.

But whether it will work out, Zhang Wei doesn't know.

He was eager to go down the mountain to see what this so-called Drought Demon was like, and it would be even better if it was qualified to drop rewards.

Of course, the drought demon these farmers were talking about wasn't the goddess from mythology who broke through the fog and rain during the Battle of Zhuolu. If it were her, she wouldn't be called the drought demon, but rather a female demon. When Zhang Wei heard this name, he didn't turn around to ask for an explanation, but instead thought about how to run away.

Those who could leave their mark on the ancient battlefield of gods and men were not people he could easily fool now; this was no joke.

After a year of hard study, it remains to be seen how much Zhang Wei's skills have improved. After all, the Taoist Master Yiming, who was sparring with him, was not the true god in his physical form, but this one fake body was enough to hold Zhang Wei back for a whole year.

Compared to when he was beaten up in no time at the beginning, he can now endure the whole night and return to the library standing up, but who knows if the old Taoist priest held back.

However, he is just as knowledgeable about folklore and supernatural tales as college students majoring in the same field.

Although "Hanmei" was originally used to describe a female demon, its original meaning was misinterpreted as early as the Han Dynasty, transforming from a sacred celestial maiden into a kind of "minor monster".

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Biography of Huangfu Gui: "After the earthquake, the fog was white and turbid, the sun and moon were obscured, and demons began to wreak havoc."

Song Dynasty, Zhou Mi, "Miscellaneous Records of Gui Xin, Part 2": "In the early years of Zhenyou in the Jin Dynasty, Luoyang suffered a severe drought, and a drought demon was rampaging in Xijicheng Village, Dengfeng."

By the Ming Dynasty, the original monster had transformed into a zombie lying in a tomb: He Bang'e of the Qing Dynasty recorded in "Night Tales: Corpse Transformation": "The drought demon wreaked havoc, and its malevolent energy became a monster."

Overall, the mythological elements surrounding drought have gradually decreased, but what remains consistent is that these entities can cause celestial changes, resulting in inexplicable and continuous droughts within their residential areas.

As for the latter, he would like to try his luck and see what he's made of. However, he needs the old Taoist's permission first, otherwise even if Zhang Wei wanted to help, he wouldn't be able to go out.

"What's wrong, can't sit still anymore?"

As Zhang Wei entered the room, the old Taoist priest, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and laughed, "Go if you want to. Although it has been less than a year, your growth has already exceeded the threshold I set for you. If you continue to sit in the temple, it may wear down your ambition."

"And you?"

"I still have some time, and I will naturally stay with you. But unless it's a matter of life and death, don't look for me normally, lest you develop a habit of dependence, which won't be good for you in the future!" Master Yiming said, picking up a sachet from the table: "Inside this sachet, I've cast a spell of Sumeru Mustard Seed, which, in your local terms, is a spatial package. It contains some cinnabar, yellow paper, and other miscellaneous items, as well as some medicinal herbs and pills, for your use. If there's anything you can't fit in the future, you can put it in there too. Just don't use it to hold unclean things, lest it pollute the spell and cause it to malfunction."

The sachet is decorated with cloud patterns and embroidered with the four characters "Yuan Shi Le Ling" on the front. Below the sachet is a string of red silk tassels tied with a small fan ornament.

Zhang Wei respectfully accepted the sachet, carefully put it into his pocket, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times before turning and leaving under the old Taoist's gratified gaze.

"Young Taoist priest, where are your masters? Aren't they coming down the mountain with us?"

Outside the temple, seeing Zhang Wei walking out alone, the villagers couldn't help but ask.

Zhang Wei shook his head: "No need. Zombies aren't worthy of elders' help. If you need me, I'll go with you. If not, I'll go down the mountain to travel!"

The villagers were stunned for a moment. They wanted to ask some questions, but they were afraid that the young Taoist priest would give up. The key point was that he had come out with them but had not yet discussed money. This made everyone unsure of how to start a conversation.

And so, the group of people, each with their own thoughts, headed down the mountain.

When they reached the mountainside, they suddenly heard a loud noise behind them. When they turned around, they saw that the small temple that had stood on the mountaintop had collapsed into ruins, and billowing dust rose into the sky in the mountain wind.

The villagers looked on with surprise and uncertainty.

Zhang Wei's eyes were filled with tears.

Although he had been beaten every night for more than half a year, and the beatings lasted all night, he could still tell the difference between good and bad. Now that they were suddenly separated, he felt a sudden pang of sadness in his heart.

The collapse of the mountain temple was ultimately just a minor incident.

After descending the mountain, Zhang Wei declined the villagers' offer to cook him a meal. Feeling somewhat frustrated, he took out his newly learned Liu Ren divination manual and, with his Ya Zi Fa Yan (a magical eye technique), surveyed the entire mountain village.

Unlike Feng Shui and physiognomy, which specialize in fortune and landscape, Liu Ren is a divination technique for predicting good and bad luck. If you look at things from the opposite perspective, which of the eight directions is more inauspicious, and which is closer, is where problems might occur!

A few dozen seconds later, Zhang Wei suddenly looked up at the southwest corner of the village, referring to the jujube wood plate in his hand.

With a flick of his Taoist robe, a surge of blood energy propelled him into the air. In just over ten seconds, he arrived above a ravine more than two miles outside the formation. Looking down, he could see a barely noticeable mound of earth amidst the overgrown weeds, its color contrasting sharply with the surrounding cracked soil.