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墨書 Inktalez
Do you know that one should not worship just any god?
There is an old saying: if you enter the wrong temple, you will worship the wrong god. Many people worship gods to seek blessings, but if you worship the wrong one, it could be very serious, even costing your life.
This happened to my good friend Li Zongping. His family grows medicinal herbs, and every year at the end of autumn, he goes into town to collect payment.
Every time Li Zongping leaves, his wife sees him off for a long distance, reminding him to be careful and not to drink too much.
As usual, his wife repeatedly reminded Li Zongping as he left.
Three days later, Li Zongping returned, having successfully collected the payment and brought back many gifts for his wife and children.
Although his wife complained about him spending money recklessly, she was still happy because their lives were better. After chatting for a while, Li Zongping felt tired and went to bed early.
However, in the middle of the night, his wife was awakened by a scratching sound. Li Zongping was scratching himself restlessly beside her.
She quickly got up and asked what was wrong with him. It seemed endless.
Li Zongping sat up as well, scratching his arms vigorously and saying he couldn't stand the itching. His wife thought he had brought fleas back from the hotel where he stayed for two nights. But when Li Zongping took off his clothes, she noticed something was off.
His arms were covered in large red spots that made her scalp tingle. He had endured it all night, and the next morning he went to the village Health Clinic to see a doctor. However, after examining him for a long time, the doctor couldn't determine what was causing the spots on Li Zongping's body.
By that night, the red spots had developed into swollen bumps that oozed pus when touched.
Now his wife was furious, suspecting that Li Zongping had contracted an infectious disease from going to some questionable place in town.
Li Zongping was already feeling unwell, and hearing his wife's constant suspicions about his fidelity led to a big argument. He slammed the door and left, leaving his wife alone there in tears.
He arrived at Fat Tiger's Home Cooking, ordered several dishes, and a few bottles of wine, drinking alone. He couldn't understand how he had suddenly fallen ill.
The couple, who had never fought before, ended up in a big argument. The more troubled Li Zongping felt, the more he drank. The more he drank, the more suffocated he felt, until he staggered out of the restaurant when it closed.
As he stepped outside, a light breeze hit him, and the effects of the alcohol kicked in. He walked unsteadily, swaying from side to side, and without paying attention, he stumbled into a dirt pit by the roadside.
The pit was only about a meter deep; falling in should have just resulted in a minor bump. However, Li Zongping was unfortunate enough to break his leg in such a shallow pit.
In a fit of anger, his wife took their child and returned to her mother's home.
Li Zongping lay alone on the bed with no one to care for him. The festering sores had spread all over his body, oozing pus everywhere, which was nauseating.
Meanwhile, Li Zongping's wife talked to her mother about Li Zongping's condition.
Her mother was an understanding woman. After hearing her daughter's account, she felt that Li Zongping did not seem to have an infectious disease but rather appeared to be cursed. She advised her daughter to quickly invite Mr. Zhu from Xishan to take a look at him.
Li Zongping's wife realized the seriousness of the situation and immediately went to summon Mr. Zhu.
When Mr. Zhu arrived at their home and saw Li Zongping lying on the bed, he frowned. Mr. Zhu sensed something was wrong and asked Li Zongping's wife to help him sit up.
Without beating around the bush, Mr. Zhu directly asked Li Zongping if he had worshipped any deities or made any wishes while in town.
Li Zongping admitted that he had indeed visited a temple in town. That day, he had gone to collect payment and bought a ticket back to the village. Since he had some time to kill, he wandered into a temple not far from the bus station.
He thought that since he was in the herbal medicine business—big or small—it was still business. Having never been to a temple before to pray for wealth, he decided to do so that day.
However, the main hall of the temple was crowded with people, and there was no chance for him to pray properly.
Turning around, he saw another side hall behind him, which also housed a statue.
Noticing that there was no one inside the hall, he stepped in and began to bow and make wishes just like before.
Mr. Zhu sensed something was off and asked what the statue looked like.
Li Zongping described the statue he worshipped as fierce-looking, holding a large snake and standing on a skull.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhu was taken aback and angrily scolded Li Zongping for being reckless, saying he was worshipping an evil god. Both of them were frightened and pleaded with Mr. Zhu to dispel it.
Although Mr. Zhu appeared somewhat troubled, he did not refuse and instructed Li Zongping's Wife to quickly prepare offerings of three sacrificial animals.
He did his best to assist in the process, hoping to drive away the evil god.
Li Zongping's Wife worked hard to prepare the offerings.
Mr. Zhu helped Li Zongping into the courtyard, donned a Daoist robe, and began performing rituals around him.
Li Zongping was fortunate; Mr. Zhu indeed managed to send away the evil god.
He rested at home for over half a year to recover from his leg injury and other ailments. Once he had healed, Li Zongping resolutely refused to travel far again, and the task of collecting debts was handed over to his wife.
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