Exorcist Celestial Master: Starting Out as a Red-Robed Ritual Master

Duan Gong are a distinctive group, their traditions passed down from generation to generation among the people. They worship the gods and entertain the people. They have dealings with spirits year-round, performing the mysterious village rites of “exorcising ghosts, warding off evil, and praying for peace.” They are regarded as intermediaries who communicate with the divine.

Duan Gong wear red ritual robes. Red represents vitality and masculine energy, used to suppress evil spirits, while also forming a psychological barrier that intimidates ghosts and demons. Here, “red robes are not festive attire, but battle robes; and Duan Gong are no saints, but Heavenly Masters who subdue evil.”

The protagonist, Liu Chunqiu, is devoted to the Duan Gong profession and specializes in dealing with ghosts. He performs Duan Gong rituals while searching for a treasure map to the “lost Duan Gong lineage,” a pursuit he never abandons. He combines “exorcising ghosts and warding off evil” with “seeking rare treasures,” enduring humiliation and hardship and braving every danger as he ventures into the mountain villages of southwestern Hubei to lift the veil on their mysteries.

This book is not about traditional Taoist priests exorcising ghosts. It is rooted in folk Duan Gong culture, collecting episodic stories of Duan Gong “exorcising ghosts and praying for blessings.” Its main storyline follows the protagonist as he explores the folk world, strange mountains and caves, abandoned temples, and the mysterious realms of yin and yang in search of the “lost Duan Gong lineage.”

Treasure hunting here follows clues to the Duan Gong tradition, not a simple quest for wealth. This is not a documentary about rural guesthouses, but a story about the protagonist’s growth.

Special reminder: Believe in science, and do not fall for superstition.