On the first day of the 428th year of the Ming calendar, as soon as dawn broke, Cheng Xinzhan led the children of the village to paste door god paintings.
This time, it wasn’t just the New Year Daoist but also the Demon-Slaying True Lord.
Each of the two deities occupied one side of every main gate, one holding a sword and the other drawing a bow.
Wherever thunder and fire were present, evil spirits naturally retreated.
The old village chief watched with a smile, saying that the presence of these two deities brought a sense of security.
After working for most of the morning, they finally finished.
Cheng Xinzhan handed the remaining door god paintings to the old village chief, saying he might not be able to come next year and that the villagers should paste them themselves.
The old village chief agreed and carefully stored the remaining door god paintings, considering them precious treasures.
Last year, no one in the village had lost their soul, and the old chief believed it was due to the power of these paintings.
After pasting the paintings, the children surrounded Cheng Xinzhan, demanding a new story.
They had already memorized the tale of the New Year Daoist, so he began to tell them the story of Zhang Shuye.