Chapter 25: Return—The Door-Knocking Talisman

In the adjacent hospital room, Li Xuan sat between two beds, recounting the events at Chen Village to Old Man A-Qing and Old Woman A-Qing, focusing specifically on the manifestation of the White Crane Boy.

The twists and turns of the thrilling ordeal left Old Man A-Qing utterly bewildered. Having served the deity Zhou Cang for a lifetime, he understood the practice of deity possession, yet he had never witnessed anything of this nature. A spirit medium under possession is not typically inhabited by the deity's own will; they merely borrow power or supernatural abilities by donning robes and applying makeup. Deities do not intervene directly in mortal affairs; to do so, they must first descend as a mortal, carrying a specific innate talent. It is said that the young Western Han general Huo Qubing, who famously conquered the Xiongnu at Mount Langjuxu, was the reincarnation of the Martial Virtue Star Lord; once the situation was stabilized, he returned to the heavens.

Listening to Li Xuan, the old man could not fathom the nature of these events. He asked Li Xuan to remove his shirt, but upon careful inspection, the skin on his back was smooth and flawless, showing no signs of injury. It was truly bizarre.

Old Man A-Qing then examined the purple-red gourd. Knowing he might be pricked, he tried it anyway, only to pull his hand back in pain. He sighed, "Perhaps this is your personal divine blessing. Heaven has bestowed a great responsibility upon you; you must cherish it."

Seeing her husband’s affection for the young man, Old Woman A-Qing smiled and said, "We have no children of our own. Xie Qiming mentioned you were still renting. Why don't you come live with us? No rent, and you can save some money."

Old Man A-Qing felt the same. He admired Li Xuan’s vitality, his courage, his intelligence, and his dedication to this craft. Nothing would please him more than to have the boy under their roof. Seeing Li Xuan hesitate, he added, "Don't worry, our house is quite large with several empty rooms. You are welcome to stay."

Li Xuan took a deep breath and spoke candidly, "Old Man A-Qing, Old Woman A-Qing, thank you for your kindness, but I must leave Taiwan and return to the mainland."

The old man was stunned. Reflecting on their interactions, he realized Li Xuan had been speaking Mandarin all along. So, he was from the mainland. Perhaps with age came sentimentality; a sudden, inexplicable ache rose in his chest. "The mainland isn't far. Flights are very convenient. We can come visit you," he said, though he knew at over seventy, he didn't have many journeys left in him.

Li Xuan’s parents had passed away in a traffic accident, which was how he inherited those three homestays. After graduating, instead of becoming a corporate cog, he had turned to his passion for gardening.

Old Man A-Qing’s emotions were deeply stirred. Li Xuan stood up slowly, gently placing his hands on the old man's. "The world is too vast; you won't be able to find me. Let us part ways here. Thank you for all you have done for me." He then walked out of the room.

Old Woman A-Qing was confused and wanted to call him back, but her husband raised a hand to stop her. "The boy is not cold-hearted. If he says we cannot find him, there must be a reason." She knew her husband’s kind nature; she suspected he had even been planning to gift that property to Li Xuan.

Outside the ward, having bid his farewells, Li Xuan looked at the black notebook that always floated beside him. Next to the "Mission Accomplished" text was an hourglass icon, presumably a countdown for his stay in this world. "Let's go," Li Xuan said quietly. "Time to go home."

The black notebook emitted a faint green glow, enveloping him. As he turned a corner, he dissolved into a breeze and vanished without a trace.

***

Back in reality, Li Xuan had returned. He had departed from his second-floor room to enter the world of *Incantation*, but he reappeared in his small garden, right next to the tiny, vibrant green sprout. The purple-red gourd gifted by the White Crane Boy hung at his waist, having returned with him, though it seemed to have lost some of its luster, as if the divine object had become mundane.

Li Xuan sat in his rattan chair and looked at the green sprout in the mound of soil. "The mission is complete. Where is my reward?"

The sprout wiggled, and a second tiny leaf emerged, inscribed with the character for "Incantation." It then flicked a beam of green light into his palm. The light manifested as a yellow talisman, densely packed with intricate, swirling script that vaguely resembled the shape of a bird.

As Li Xuan wondered about its purpose, green text appeared before his eyes: [Divine Knocking Talisman, White Crane Boy Edition. Hold this talisman, approach a deity statue, enter a temple, and you may commune with ghosts and gods! It disappears after use. Note: An edict by the White Crane Immortal.]

How intriguing. Li Xuan immediately knew what he had to do.

He worshipped the Great Emperor of the Northern Yin, who maintained a close partnership with the Great Emperor of the North Pole Ziwei and the Great Emperor of Mount Tai. One who cultivates the Fengdu path can also practice the Earthly Deity laws of Mount Tai; the latter serves as a foundational discipline. Once mastered, one could advance to the Fengdu arts.

Go! To Mount Tai! Rather than wandering in search of the Feng-Yue Sect, it was better to go directly to the source—the deities themselves. He had visited Mount Tai as a tourist before and knew that at the southern foot, near the entrance, sat the Dai Temple, also known as the Eastern Peak Temple. Although called a temple, it was built in the style of an imperial palace, with at least a hundred and fifty structures.

As a traditional Easterner, Li Xuan harbored a deep-seated longing for the Taoist quest for immortality. Such cultivation represented a rebirth. Now, possessing the White Crane Boy’s talisman, he felt the boy intended to guide him.

He booked a flight. Four hours in the terminal, two hours in the air. Upon arrival, he hired a private car and headed straight for the Dai Temple. Exhausted by the travel, he stayed in a nearby hotel for the night. The next day, after bathing, changing into clean clothes, and fasting from meat to maintain a pure and focused state of mind, he headed to the temple.

He had visited as a tourist years ago, merely struck by its vast, palace-like scale. Returning now, he still felt its grandeur. Having been baptized by the ghosts and gods of the *Minxiong Haunted House* and *Incantation* worlds, stepping into this place—with its carved beams, painted rafters, and majestic architecture—he was suddenly overcome by a profound, mysterious presence. He felt his knees weaken, as if he were about to collapse to the ground.

He walked through the main gates toward the Tiankuan Hall, the inner sanctum where the Great Emperor of Mount Tai was officially enshrined. Crossing the threshold, he looked up to see a massive statue seated on a dais draped in golden fabric. The statue’s face was awe-inspiring and stern, dressed in golden ceremonial robes—this was the Great Emperor of Mount Tai.

The temple was crowded with tourists coming and going, and staff members kept a watchful eye on everyone. Li Xuan thought to himself, *If I take out the talisman, will it trigger some supernatural phenomenon? I must be careful not to get dragged off to a lab for blood tests.*