In the ancient and tranquil Qingping Town, with its winding bluestone paths, there stood an elegant and antique mansion where the Wang family resided. The Wangs were a prominent and wealthy family in the town, owning vast properties. They should have been enjoying a harmonious family life and living happily ever after. However, in recent days, this large and deep mansion seemed to be shrouded by a dark cloud, plunged into endless fear and unease.
Miss Wang, the beloved daughter of the Wang family, was gentle, kind-hearted, and exceptionally talented. Ordinarily, she loved playing the zither in the courtyard of her own home. The melodious sound of the zither was like a gurgling stream, capable of dispelling all worries. But now, every time the night fell and all was quiet, some inexplicable sounds often came from the courtyard. It sounded like someone was sobbing softly or heavy sighs echoing in the night sky, sending chills down one's spine.
One night, Miss Wang woke up in the middle of the night and, in a daze, caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing by outside the window. The shadow was ethereal and its face was indistinguishable, but it emitted a gloomy and eerie aura. She widened her eyes in horror, wanting to scream, but her throat seemed to be choked by something and she couldn't make a sound. When she finally managed to come to her senses and woke up her family, everyone searched around with lanterns, yet they couldn't find a single trace of the ghost. Only Miss Wang was left there, trembling with fear, her cold sweat soaking through her clothes.
Similar strange incidents happened one after another. Not only was Miss Wang tortured, but the other members of the family also suffered. Mrs. Wang was often haunted by nightmares at night. In her dreams, there were always pairs of cold hands pulling at her, waking her up from her sleep with a start, after which her heart would pound like thunder and she could hardly fall asleep again. Mr. Wang was already exhausted from handling business affairs, and returning home to this unrest made him even more haggard. His brows were tightly furrowed and his eyes were full of worry.
Seeing her family so disturbed by these eerie things, Miss Wang was extremely anxious. She inquired around and heard that in the Cloudy Mist Mountain on the west side of the town, there was a reclusive and cultivating Taoist priest named Xuanling, who was proficient in all kinds of strange and rare arts, especially good at exorcising evil spirits and catching ghosts. He was quite famous among the local people. Miss Wang seemed to see a glimmer of hope in the dark. Without further ado, she quickly packed her bags and, with full anticipation, hurried towards the direction of Cloudy Mist Mountain.
The Cloudy Mist Mountain was tall and densely forested, with clouds and mists lingering around. It looked like a fairyland but also had an air of mystery. Miss Wang climbed up the rugged mountain path with great difficulty. Along the way, thorns tore her skirt and sweat drenched her forehead. But she had only one belief in her heart: to find the Taoist priest and save her family. Finally, deep in the forest, a quiet and secluded Taoist temple came into view. On the plaque of the temple gate were written three large characters, "Lingxiao Temple", which looked particularly solemn and respectful against the backdrop of the clouds and mists.
Miss Wang gently knocked on the temple gate. After a while, a young Taoist boy opened the door. Seeing Miss Wang's anxious and exhausted appearance, he led her into the temple. In the courtyard of the temple, Miss Wang met Taoist Priest Xuanling. The priest was dressed in a black Taoist robe, wearing a Chunyang scarf on his head and holding a whisk in his hand. His face was thin, but his eyes were like torches, revealing extraordinary and refined wisdom, making people feel in awe at first sight.
Miss Wang quickly stepped forward and gracefully knelt down, pouring out all the strange things that had happened at home to the priest, her words full of helplessness and fear. Taoist Priest Xuanling slightly closed his eyes and listened quietly to Miss Wang's narration. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "Benefactor Wang, in my view, the chaos in your home is due to an excessive amount of yin qi. Evil spirits have taken advantage of the weakness and entered, disturbing the peace of your house."
Upon hearing this, Miss Wang burst into tears and hurriedly asked, "Priest, what should I do? Please have mercy and save my family."
Taoist Priest Xuanling stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "Don't worry. I can draw a Ghost-Repelling Talisman for you. This talisman gathers the pure yang power of heaven and earth and is blessed with the spiritual power of the patriarch. It can dispel all yin and evil qi and protect the peace of your house."
Hearing this, Miss Wang's eyes flashed with a glimmer of hope and she thanked the priest repeatedly. Taoist Priest Xuanling then led Miss Wang to a quiet room. The room was filled with curling incense smoke, permeating a mysterious and solemn atmosphere. On the table were neatly placed the tools for drawing talismans, such as yellow paper, cinnabar, and a wolf-hair brush. Taoist Priest Xuanling washed his hands and burned incense, his expression solemn and respectful, as if he had entered a state of communication with the gods of heaven and earth.
He picked up a tough, slightly yellowed piece of yellow paper, gently spread it flat on the table, then picked up a wolf-hair brush, dipped it fully in cinnabar, and held the tip of the brush above the paper, murmuring incantations. The incantations were low and long, like a call from ancient times, echoing in the quiet room. Each note seemed to contain mysterious power, resonating with the pure yang qi between heaven and earth.
As the priest chanted the incantations, the wolf-hair brush in his hand began to move. Amid the flowing brushstrokes, one by one, powerful and sharp runes shaped like the nemesis of ghosts gradually emerged on the yellow paper. The runes were dazzlingly red, like burning flames, and also seemed to carry the power of thunderbolts, emitting a majestic and intimidating aura that made evil spirits tremble.
Before long, a Ghost-Repelling Talisman was completed. Taoist Priest Xuanling handed the talisman to Miss Wang and solemnly instructed, "Benefactor Wang, take this talisman back and place it in the place where strange things most often happen at home, such as the corner of the courtyard or near the doors and windows where strange sounds are often heard. Be sure to place it respectfully and do not desecrate it in any way. After that, the people in your family should keep a kind heart and do more good deeds. Only by using positive qi to suppress evil qi can you ensure long-term peace."
Miss Wang took the talisman with both hands as if it were a precious treasure, carefully put it into her bosom, thanked Taoist Priest Xuanling again and again, and then left the temple happily.
Returning home, Miss Wang did as she was told and hung the Ghost-Repelling Talisman reverently in the southeast corner of the courtyard. That southeast corner was exactly where the dark shadow had frequently appeared before. Miss Wang also deliberately placed a long-burning lamp under the talisman, symbolizing using light to dispel darkness. Every morning, she would piously burn incense and pray in front of the talisman, begging the gods to protect the peace of her house.
Strangely enough, since the Ghost-Repelling Talisman was hung up, the strange phenomena at home completely disappeared. At night, there were no more creepy sounds in the courtyard. Miss Wang could finally sleep soundly. Mrs. Wang was no longer haunted by nightmares. Her complexion gradually became ruddy and she regained her former gentleness. Mr. Wang became more proficient in handling business. The laughter and joy in the family gradually increased.
The whole family felt relaxed both physically and mentally, and the house regained its peace. Miss Wang knew well that all these changes were due to the protection of the Ghost-Repelling Talisman. She was grateful and not only often brought rich offerings to Lingxiao Temple to thank Taoist Priest Xuanling for his kindness but also shared her miraculous experience with the neighbors in the town. Under her influence, when many families encountered evil spirit-related incidents, they also followed suit and went to the temple to seek the priest's help. For a while, Lingxiao Temple became famous in Qingping Town, and the miraculous legends of Taoist talismans spread wider and wider in the town, making people have more respect and longing for the ancient and mysterious Taoist culture.
As the years passed by, Miss Wang always remembered the instructions of Taoist Priest Xuanling, adhered to a kind heart, and was always ready to do good deeds. She often taught the younger generation in her family to revere heaven and earth and respect the gods, because the peace and tranquility in this world did not come out of thin air. It depended not only on one's own positive qi and efforts but also on the blessing and grace of the gods. And that Ghost-Repelling Talisman, although it had gradually turned yellow, was carefully collected by Miss Wang and became a witness to a legendary experience of the Wang family. It also made the mysterious and profound Taoist culture, like a bright star, leave a glorious mark in the long history of the Wang family and even the entire Qingping Town.