In the idyllic Li Family Village, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, there lived a highly respected Taoist priest. The villagers affectionately called him Priest Li. Since childhood, Priest Li had entered the Taoist sect. In the quiet and secluded Taoist temple, he followed his master to study Taoist classics and techniques attentively. After decades of cultivation, he had a profound understanding of the principles of yin and yang, and the ways of the five elements' mutual generation and restriction. He was especially good at making all kinds of talismans and was famous in this local area.

There was a family surnamed Li in the village. They used to be hardworking and harmonious farmers. But recently, it seemed that a dark cloud was hanging over them, and they were plagued by a series of misfortunes and couldn't have a peaceful life. First, for no apparent reason, the crops in the fields were infested with pests. Overnight, the once lush green seedlings were gnawed to pieces. Looking at the tragic scene, Old Man Li stamped his feet in distress, his heart full of worries about the livelihood for the coming year. Misfortunes never come singly. Unwarranted disputes also arose among the neighbors. Over trifles, the usually amicable neighbors blushed and argued with each other, refusing to give in. Caught in the middle, the Li family was in a dilemma and suffered greatly.

Even more terrifying was that strange things happened one after another in their house. At night, they could always hear faint and eerie sounds, like someone sobbing softly or heavy objects moving. But when they went to check, they couldn't find anything. One night, Mrs. Li got up in the middle of the night. In a daze, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing by. But when she tried to take a closer look, the shadow disappeared without a trace, leaving her alone, trembling with cold sweat. Because of all these things, rumors gradually spread in the village that the Li family had offended something unclean and that ghosts and spirits were haunting them.

The whole family was exhausted by these successive changes. They were on tenterhooks all day long and lived in constant fear. Hearing that Priest Li in the village had the ability to communicate with the gods and was good at driving away evil spirits and disasters, Old Man Li quickly took his family, prepared generous gifts, and went to the Taoist temple to seek help from Priest Li.

Seeing their haggard faces and terrified expressions, Priest Li was filled with pity. He knew well that all things in this world had their causes and effects. The misfortunes that the Li family was experiencing were probably due to the accumulation of yin and evil qi, which had disturbed the peace of their house. Immediately, he decided to draw an evil-suppressing talisman for them.

Priest Li washed his hands and burned incense. Dressed in his Taoist robe, he solemnly entered the quiet room. Inside the room, the incense smoke curled up, filling the air with a mysterious and solemn atmosphere. He stood in front of the desk, spread out a piece of yellow paper, picked up a wolf-hair brush, dipped it fully in cinnabar, and then closed his eyes and concentrated, murmuring incantations. The incantation sounds were deep and long, as if traveling through time and space to communicate with the gods of heaven and earth. After a moment, Priest Li suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a torch. The wolf-hair brush in his hand danced like a dragon and a snake, and strange and regular runes leaped onto the yellow paper one after another. The runes were dazzlingly red, like burning flames, and also exuded an ancient and powerful aura, faintly emitting a deterrent force.

Soon, an evil-suppressing talisman was completed. Priest Li handed the talisman to Old Man Li and solemnly instructed, "This talisman is drawn by gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and following the decree of the patriarch. Take it back and be sure to hang it above the main gate of your house at the hour of Chen. Do not let it get wet, nor let others touch it casually, otherwise its power will be damaged."

Old Man Li received the talisman as if it were a precious treasure, his hands trembling. After thanking Priest Li profusely, he took his family and hurried back home. Back home, the family, as instructed, hung the evil-suppressing talisman above the main gate at the hour of Chen with great solemnity. Strangely enough, as soon as the talisman was hung up, the originally gloomy courtyard, which seemed to be shrouded in haze, suddenly seemed to have a gentle breeze blowing through it, dispersing the oppressive feeling. The sunlight shone through the clouds, casting a few warm rays, and the whole courtyard became bright.

That night, the Li family didn't hear those disturbing strange sounds anymore, and the family's taut nerves finally relaxed a little. In the following days, the house was even more peaceful. The disputes among the neighbors also inexplicably subsided, and everyone regained their former harmony. Miraculously, the crops in the fields gradually regained their vitality, looking green and growing vigorously.

Hearing about this, the villagers were all amazed and came to the Li family one after another to witness the miraculous evil-suppressing talisman with their own eyes. For a while, the fame of the evil-suppressing talisman spread quickly in Li Family Village. Everyone praised Priest Li's extraordinary abilities and held the mysterious Taoist culture in even greater awe.

There was a naughty and active child in the village named Xiaohu, who was curious about everything. One day, while the adults of the Li family weren't paying attention, he sneaked to the door, stood on tiptoe, and reached out to touch the evil-suppressing talisman to see what was so magical about it. Just as his finger was about to touch the talisman, an invisible force suddenly pushed him away. Xiaohu fell to the ground with a thud and burst into tears. Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt. After this incident, the villagers regarded the evil-suppressing talisman even more as something sacred and no one dared to offend it easily.

With the passage of time, the Li family completely got rid of the dark cloud and lived a prosperous life. They knew well that all these changes were thanks to Priest Li's help and the protection of the miraculous talisman. To express their gratitude, the Li family often brought fresh fruits and vegetables they grew themselves and carefully prepared dry food to the Taoist temple to offer to Priest Li.

And Priest Li continued to practice in seclusion in the temple, helping the villagers solve their problems. He often told this story to his disciples, teaching them, "Although this talisman has spiritual power and can suppress evil spirits, kindness in people's hearts and harmonious neighborhoods are the fundamentals to ensure the peace of the house and the harmony of the village. What Taoism reveres is conforming to nature, having a compassionate heart, and using the right way to dissolve the hostility in the world." Under his teaching by example, the teachings of Taoism were like seeds, taking root and sprouting in the land of Li Family Village, giving the villagers an additional support of faith when facing the storms of life and making this land always filled with an aura of peace.

Afterwards, no matter how the years changed, the story of protecting the house with the evil-suppressing talisman was still passed down from generation to generation in Li Family Village, becoming a legend among the villagers and deeply imprinting the mysterious and profound Taoist culture in everyone's heart.