"Isn't that so! The whole town was scared out of their wits after they got back." The innkeeper sighed, "I wasn't very old back then, maybe a teenager, still half a kid, so they didn't take me along when they went, and I didn't see with my own eyes what it was all about.
But judging by the way those people looked when they returned, it was indeed a bit serious.
Later on, the Taoist said his spiritual power was too weak to handle it and needed to consult his master to see how to resolve the matter.
A few days after he left, he came back with some runes for us, told us to burn them, boil the water, and have the town's people drink it. He also set up a formation around our town to protect us.
He said his master told him that there was an Earth Spirit in that valley, who disliked being disturbed during its meditation. If disturbed, one would suffer or even be killed.
