In the long history of ancient China, there was a simple and ancient town named Qingping Town. The people in the town lived and worked in peace and contentment, and there was an endless stream of traveling merchants, showing the hustle and bustle and warmth of the mortal world everywhere. At the entrance of the town, there was a small inn called "Yuelai Inn". The innkeeper was named Wang Fu, an honest, kind-hearted and hospitable man. Although the Yuelai Inn couldn't compare with those magnificent restaurants, it was clean and tidy, the rooms were decorated warmly and comfortably, and the prices were fair and affordable. Passing merchants and traveling scholars were all willing to stop here for a rest and a meal, so the business was usually quite prosperous.

However, who would have thought that the peaceful days would be suddenly broken and a strange disaster would quietly descend.

At first, when the shop assistants were on night duty, they vaguely heard some strange noises. The sounds seemed to come from the netherworld, gloomy and ethereal, wandering around every corner of the inn as if they were there and yet not there. Sometimes, it sounded like someone was crying softly, whining with endless sorrow; sometimes, it was like a shrill scream, making people's hair stand on end and sending shivers down their spines. The assistants were so frightened that they quickly huddled together to bolster their courage, but the sounds just wouldn't go away, disturbing everyone and preventing them from having a peaceful night.

Then, the guests staying at the inn also encountered strange things one after another. There was a scholar on his way to take the imperial examination. In the middle of the night, when he was burning the midnight oil to study hard for the coming exam, suddenly, the lamp started to flicker violently for no reason and then went out with a "pop". In the darkness, the scholar only felt a cold wind blowing towards him, and it seemed that a pair of cold hands gently rested on his shoulders, scaring him almost to death. Another time, a traveling merchant was sound asleep when he was suddenly pinned down by an inexplicable force and couldn't move. He only felt a tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing, as if he were being weighed down by a thousand pounds. He opened his eyes wide in horror, but could only see pitch darkness, with eerie whispers echoing in his ears.

In this way, within a few days, the rumor that the Yuelai Inn was haunted spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Qingping Town. All of a sudden, the once bustling inn became deserted, and no guests dared to come and stay. The assistants were also terrified and submitted their resignations one after another. Wang Fu watched his business decline day by day with great anxiety, but he was at his wits' end and couldn't do anything about it. He seemed to have aged ten years all of a sudden.

Having no way out, Wang Fu heard that there was a Taoist priest with profound Taoist skills in the Taoist temple on the mountain outside the town. He was proficient in the art of exorcising evil spirits and catching ghosts and could understand the affairs of the yin and yang worlds. It was as if he saw a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Full of hope and with great piety, Wang Fu prepared a generous gift and hurried to the Taoist temple.

The Taoist temple was located among the green mountains and shady trees, surrounded by clouds and mist, like a fairyland on earth. Wang Fu trudged along the winding mountain path, panting with exhaustion, and finally arrived at the temple. He gently knocked on the temple door. Soon, a young Taoist boy in a Taoist robe opened the door. His eyes were clear and lively. Wang Fu explained his purpose, and the young Taoist boy led him through the quiet courtyard to an elegant quiet room in the backyard.

Inside the room, Taoist Priest Xuanqing was sitting with his eyes closed in meditation. On the incense table in front of him, wisps of incense smoke curled up, filling the air with a faint sandalwood fragrance, which unconsciously calmed people's hearts. Hearing someone coming, the priest slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was as deep as an abyss, as if he could see through all the illusions in the world. Seeing this, Wang Fu knelt down with a "plop" and cried out, telling the priest in detail about the recent hauntings by evil spirits in the inn, his words full of helplessness and despair.

Taoist Priest Xuanqing frowned slightly and listened solemnly. After listening, he sighed softly and said, "Donor, all things in this world have two sides, yin and yang. Humans and ghosts follow different paths, but there are occasional intersections. Presumably, the place where the inn is located has a gathering of yin energy, attracting some wandering ghosts to cause trouble. However, don't panic. Let me draw a talisman for you to drive away the evil spirits." After saying that, the priest stood up, walked to the desk beside him, washed his hands and burned incense. Then he picked up a writing brush, dipped it fully in cinnabar, and wrote solemnly on a piece of yellow paper.

The writing brush seemed to be endowed with life and danced in the priest's hands. Soon, a talisman appeared vividly on the paper. On the talisman, the runes were complex and mysterious, like an ancient heavenly book. Each stroke contained powerful Taoist spiritual power, as if communicating with the gods and ghosts of heaven and earth. Between the runes, there was a faint ancient and majestic aura, like an invisible barrier that could block all evil and filthy things.

"This talisman combines the righteousness of heaven and earth and the spiritual power of Taoism. You should wear it close to your chest. It can help you drive away the evil ghosts and keep you safe." Taoist Priest Xuanqing handed the talisman to Wang Fu and seriously instructed, "But you must remember that when it comes to ghosts, appeasement is the top priority. For these few days, at the hour of Hai (9 pm - 11 pm) every night, set up some offerings in the backyard of the inn, just a bowl of clean water and a few plain fruits. Then sincerely recite the 'Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Changshou Falun', praying for the ghosts to rest in peace and stop disturbing the mortal world. This is not only an opportunity for them to get liberation but also an act of conforming to the heavenly way and accumulating merit."

Wang Fu took the talisman with trembling hands. He immediately felt a warm feeling in his palm and a glimmer of hope welled up in his heart. He kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude: "Thank you, priest, for saving my life. I, Wang Fu, will surely follow your teachings."

After leaving the Taoist temple, Wang Fu rushed back to the inn without stopping. He carefully wore the talisman on his chest and kept it close to his body, as if grasping the last straw. That night, when the hour of Hai arrived, he did as the priest said. He set up a bowl of clean water and a few plain fruits in the backyard, then knelt down piously, closed his eyes, put his hands together, and recited the scripture softly. The sound of the scripture echoed in the quiet night sky, carrying a mysterious power that seemed to penetrate the yin and yang worlds and soothe the suffering souls.

Strangely enough, when Wang Fu was reciting the scripture, a soft light suddenly emerged in the originally gloomy and cold backyard, as if the moonlight was pouring down, dispersing some of the gloom. The faint strange noises gradually disappeared, and the whole inn seemed to be covered by a peaceful aura.

After that, for several consecutive days, Wang Fu persisted in reciting scriptures and making offerings every night. Gradually, the strange things in the inn became fewer and fewer. Seeing this, the assistants no longer mentioned resigning. Their courage grew gradually, and they began to help with the inn's affairs.

A few days later, a traveling merchant passing through Qingping Town heard that the Yuelai Inn was affordable, clean and tidy. He was a little hesitant at first because he had also heard the rumor of the hauntings. But when he came to the inn, he saw that the inn was brightly lit and the popularity was gradually increasing, without any gloomy feeling. Coupled with Wang Fu's warm greeting, the merchant finally decided to stay and give it a try. That night, the merchant slept extremely soundly and didn't encounter any abnormalities. The next morning, the merchant left satisfied and praised the Yuelai Inn to everyone he met.

In this way, the rumor that the Yuelai Inn was haunted began to slowly reverse. More and more travelers heard that the inn had regained its former peace and came to stay one after another. Wang Fu's business was like a flower 复苏 in spring, gradually recovering its vitality. Before long, it became as prosperous as before.

After this incident, Wang Fu firmly believed in the miraculous power of Taoism and became a devout believer from then on. After that, at specific times every year, he would invariably go to the Taoist temple. One was to consult Taoist Priest Xuanqing about the wisdom of Taoist health preservation and worldly affairs, and the other was to respectfully request new talismans to pray for peace and smoothness. Under his influence, the assistants in the inn, as well as his wife, children and elderly relatives at home, also gradually developed a strong interest in Taoist culture. They often followed Wang Fu to listen to the priest expounding the scriptures and preaching, learning the principles of dealing with people and things.

And the people in Qingping Town, after hearing Wang Fu's story, became even more respectful of Taoism. For a while, the Taoist temple in the town was filled with incense, and people coming to draw lots, ask for divination, pray for blessings and make wishes were in an endless stream. The story of "The Story of Talismans Driving Away Ghosts" was like a spring breeze, blowing through every corner of Qingping Town, making Taoist culture deeply rooted here and passing down from generation to generation. It became a warm and mysterious light of faith in people's hearts, guiding everyone to adhere to the right path, live in harmony with heaven and earth, and use kindness and wisdom to write their own beautiful chapters in this complicated world.

Many years later, when later generations strolled through the streets and alleys of Qingping Town and heard this ancient legend, they could still feel their predecessors' longing for a better life and the endless power contained in Taoist culture from the story told in a leisurely manner. It was like a bright lamp, traveling through time and space, illuminating the path for later generations, so that the respect for the unknown world and the pursuit of a harmonious life would never fade away in the long river of time.