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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 105 Earth Immortal
The most familiar term for Earth Immortal among the people is “Five Great Ones,” also known as “Five Immortals.” The Five Immortals are commonly referred to as “Fox, Weasel, White Immortal (Hedgehog), Willow Immortal (Snake), and Gray Spirit (Mouse).” It is widely believed that the Five Great Ones have long coexisted with humans and are considered both supernatural beings and spirits. If they are offended or harmed, they can retaliate against humans with their magical powers, causing various disasters as punishment. Conversely, if people worship them, they will receive blessings. Therefore, many households in the community offer tributes to the Five Great Ones.
Although the Earth Immortal is worshipped by some people, it is not viewed positively by the general public. Take the weasel, known as Great Master, for example; in the eyes of the world, weasels are seen as demonic beasts, much like foxes. The Chinese have a strong aversion to weasels, not only because they have a habit of raiding poultry but also because they possess a “magic” similar to that of foxes, which can confuse weak and sickly individuals.
In earlier years, people often witnessed individuals possessed by weasels. These individuals would act erratically and speak nonsensically, typically serving as “spokespersons” for the weasels, expressing their thoughts through human mouths, such as: “I didn’t steal your chickens; why did you block my hole?” To deal with such afflicted individuals, people would call upon Esteemed Elder or shamans to persuade the weasel to leave. Some would resort to harsh measures, sternly warning that if it did not depart promptly, there would be consequences. In short, these Earth Immortals are regarded as harmful spirits.
Speaking of this reminds me of a story. Once upon a time, there was a Physician whose medical skills were average. One day, a weasel entered his pharmacy with an injured foot, bleeding as if it had been hurt by someone.
As soon as the weasel entered the pharmacy, it trembled and stared at the Physician. Just when the Physician was hesitating about whether to chase it away, he saw the weasel stand upright on its hind legs, its front paws clasped together and moving up and down like a person bowing in greeting. The Physician was astonished; he never expected this creature to be so intelligent. He was momentarily at a loss for what to do. The weasel continued to bow toward him until it gave him goosebumps.
At that moment, an elderly patient in the shop reminded the Physician, saying: “Since this creature is so intelligent, it must not be an ordinary being. You must not harm it; quickly help it! It must be seeking your aid for its leg injury.”
Listening to the elder's advice, the Physician complied and treated the weasel’s leg wound. Seeing that it could not walk, he even carried it to his bed in the back room of the pharmacy and told it that once it healed, it could leave.
Soon after a few days, the weasel’s leg injury had nearly healed. One day, when the Physician entered his room, he was surprised to find a large silver ingot on his bed with the weasel sitting beside it.
The Physician was puzzled and did not know where the silver came from; he simply took it without thinking much about it. However, for several consecutive days thereafter, another silver ingot appeared on his bed each night. At this point, the Physician began to suspect that the weasel might be stealing silver from somewhere as a way to repay him for saving its life.
Before long, news spread throughout the town about a weasel that could turn into silver coins at the Physician’s home, becoming a topic of laughter among people. However, there was a wealthy man named Li who heard about this and began plotting to steal the Physician’s weasel for himself.
One day, Li the wealthy man sent his youngest son to the Physician's shop to trick the Physician into coming to their home for a consultation. As soon as the Physician opened his pharmacy, Li the wealthy man sent his eldest and second sons to sneak into the Physician's shop, and they indeed found a weasel on the Physician's bed.
The two brothers saw this and thought that the rumors were true; there really was a weasel in the Physician's house. So they closed the door to catch it, but at that moment, the weasel had already healed from its leg injury and was jumping around the room, making it impossible for them to catch it. Frustrated, they picked up a stick and struck the weasel as it leaped in mid-air, ultimately killing it.
Seeing that the weasel was dead, Li the wealthy man's eldest and second sons returned home angrily.
When the Physician returned home and saw the dead weasel, he couldn't help but feel sad. He buried the weasel in the ground.
Originally, this matter would have ended there, but not long after, the Physician noticed a strange phenomenon: his medical skills suddenly became extraordinary. Every patient he treated, whether it was a minor ailment like a headache or a severe illness, would recover quickly—within three days at best or half a month at worst—after he prescribed medicine. Soon enough, the Physician's reputation spread far and wide, attracting countless people seeking his help, filling his pharmacy to capacity. From then on, the Physician's life improved significantly; he quickly became the richest man in town, enjoying both fame and wealth. Before long, he married and had children, living a happy life.
Meanwhile, not long after, Li the wealthy man's three sons suddenly fell ill with an incurable strange disease. Li spent an immense amount of money trying to treat their bizarre ailments. Soon after, Li's family welcomed another child—a baby born with deformities and a congenital disability. As this child grew up, he caused great trouble and eventually squandered all of Li's wealth. Li was furious and died feeling unsatisfied. However, if you think this was the end of it, you are mistaken. For three generations afterward, every son born into Li's family was also disabled.
It wasn't until the third generation that Li's family sought out a master to address their plight. The master calculated and informed them that their ancestors had offended a transformed weasel three generations ago, which was why they were suffering this retribution. The master then performed rituals for them to lift their curse of generational disabilities.
Earth Immortals are quite formidable; offending an Earth Immortal leads to generational misfortune—this is no mere superstition.
Although this is just a story, it illustrates that animals that have attained spiritual transformation should not be offended; they hold grudges and will retaliate. In rural traditions, there is a custom where if snakes, foxes, or weasels enter one's home, they are not killed but rather driven out respectfully. Especially with snakes—rural people believe that killing a snake will provoke revenge against their household. Therefore, if a snake is found indoors, it is caught in a jar or carefully lifted on a long pole and respectfully taken outside at a crossroads. Moreover, if one must strike a snake, they should aim for its seven inches; this ensures that it dies completely and cannot come back for revenge. This is why there is an old saying: "Strike a snake at its seven inches," which conveys this wisdom!
Returning to my thoughts about seeking an Earth Immortal through Ming Ship seemed like a glimmer of hope. Yes! Although Earth Immortals are hard to find, they are likely easier to locate than true immortals. After all, Earth Immortals interact more with people—especially in Northeast China—where many practitioners exist who serve as intermediaries for Earth Immortals. If I can find these individuals, I should be able to summon their respective Earth Immortal for assistance.
As they say: "Southern Maos and Northern Horses," meaning there are many disciples of horse families in Northern China. The term "outgoing immortals" refers to disciples of Earth Immortals who seek to accumulate merit through helping others in order to achieve enlightenment and ascend into true immortality. Among Earth Immortals, Hu Huang Mang is most commonly seen and holds high cultivation levels; thus they are referred to as one of the four major families. Within these families are renowned figures such as Golden Flower Master, Tongtian Jiao Master, Silver Flower Leader, Hu San Taiye (Lord Hu San), and Grandma Hu San who oversee all outgoing immortals across the land. Since these beings cannot directly transform into humans or heal people in person due to various constraints, they choose individuals with affinity and insight as incense children—these incense children are known as outgoing disciples.
Thinking about how finding these outgoing disciples could lead me to an Earth Immortal inspired me to tell Cao Qilong: "Senior Brother, I want to go to Northeast China!"
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