#when it comes to exorcisms and vanquishing evil

[cryoexorcist]

if chongyun isn't portrayed as xiao's protege i am going to be sad.

"yes my lord" had better be spoken.

[fistfightinganxietyandlosing]

let me in your atmosphere [1/3]

In which Xingqiu concocts a brilliant scheme to win the approval of his boyfriend best friend's auntie

Xingqiu prides himself in being many different things to many different people.

To most of Liyue, he's the esteemed son of the Feiyun's Commerce Guild, quiet and dignified, never wavering in his sense of duty.

To those closest to him, he's adventurous and gregarious, impish in his ways, yet possessing a strong moral compass.

But a trait that had previously remained indefatigable across all opinions(-at least, Xingqiu muses to himself, those that matter, anyway) of him thus far was likable.

...until now.

Xingqiu prides himself in being observant, in being able to discern things others did not.

He remembers how, only a year prior, he'd been able to work out that his father's newest 'business parter' had been scamming him.

The man had claimed to be an Inazuman merchant that found himself stuck in Liyue as he, rather unluckily, had been there during a business venture, when the Vision Hunt Decree was set in motion.

He'd asserted that he was carrying several boxes of exotic goods from his nation and that he believed the Feiyun Commerce Guild would make sufficient distributers.

Xingqiu's father had just been about to sign a contract with the man when he'd gotten to his feet, revealing what he'd deduced.

The man was not, in fact, a merchant- nor was he Inazuman.

He'd claimed to have been displaced four months ago when the Vision Hunt Decree had only been enacted three months ago. He had also described the fabrics which the supposed traditional Inazuman garments were woven with- fabrics which were not Inazuman at all.

Spluttering and red-faced, the man hadn't even attempted to refute his accusations, bolting out the door before Xingqiu's father could even utter a word.

Truly, one of his finest moments.

Yes, Xingqiu is certainly observant. There's no denying that.

Definitely observant enough to realize when his best friend(and maybe something more)'s auntie, despises him.

"She doesn't hate you," Chongyun tells him, his arms cross and one eyebrow raised.

Xingqiu adores Chongyun. He adores the way his face scrunches up in determination when training; adores the way his eyes light up at the thought of vanquishing evil spirits; adores the way he can never seem to remember the last line of an exorcism verse(for the record, it's 'world be saved'), and he's well aware of it too.

So are his friends, family, and probably the the entirety of Liyue Harbor at this point.

In fact, Xingqiu would readily bet all his mora on Chongyun, himself, being the sole person who's yet to realize it.

In spite of all the adoration he has for the boy, Xingqiu can't say that he finds Chongyun's words particularly reassuring, given his history with picking up on hints...

Chongyun matters(a lot) to Xingqiu which unfortunately means that the things that matter to Chongyun matter to him.

Ugh. Why does Chongyun of all people have to be Shenhe's nephew? Surely, the universe could've picked some other young exorcist for the role. It'd save Xingqiu a lot of time for more important things like being chivalrous and reading.

He's never been one to speak ill of others, preferring to deal with any and all issues privately- and it isn't as if Xingqiu has any inherent dislike for the whitehaired exorcist.

On the contrary, he finds her quite enthralling and interesting. Yet, Xingqiu cannot help but feel frustrated with her.

She seems to dislike him most vigorously, shooting him dirty glances every time they happened to come across one another and rebuffing any attempts at a pleasant conversation.

Normally, if someone acts as though Xingqiu's wronged them, he'll apologize with a lengthy but beautifully written speech.

However, as regrettable as it may be, Xingqiu doubts it'd work on Miss Shenhe.

What is, perhaps, the most maddening aspect of the situation is that he doesn't recall having done anything to offend her. He's been nothing but polite since they'd first been introduced.

For the life of him, Xingqiu cannot place his finger on the reason as to why the ropes that restrain her murderous urges don't seem to work around him.

Xingqiu decides that he's actually quite good at planning. In less than half an hour, he's managed to concoct a scheme that is almost guaranteed to result in him winning Shenhe's favor.

He's based his plan off 'how to get people to like you: a foolproof guide!', a book which Xingqiu's never needed before, but one that's he's read nonetheless.

For brevity's sake, he's summarised the book into five simple steps:

Compliment them

Discuss their interests

Aid them in the most meager of tasks

Encourage all of their pursuits

Buy them gifts

Hah, surely there's no way this can go wrong!

i made this at like 3AM 🥹

[my-shields-are-down]

WHY I THINK ROSALIND IS STILL ALIVE

The Rookie episodes follow the standard seasonal arc trope of what was started in episode 1, will be resolved in Episode 21. What were the topics of Episode 1?

Chenford

Nolan and the stupid golden ticket and becoming a training officer

Rosalind’s escape

So then each topic would need to be addressed during the season and resolved by the end, right?

The first third of the season (1-7) - NOLAN was the focus of the season and him learning and reacting to the dynamic of being a TO. I love Celina , because she is forcing Nolan to learn and adapt - much Ike Talia did because their backgrounds and motivations are so vastly different than his. And she pushes back on his smug, condescending, know-it-all-ness.

The second third of the season (8-15)- LUCY has been the focus and we’ve seen and are seeing her find confidence and strength within herself via her blossoming relationship with Tim.

In 5x1, Chenford, they are in massive denial about their feelings and attraction to one another - and have their 2nd kiss because of, and ultimately hook up blocked by Rosalind. Plus I love yous and possibly, possibly a proposal. Depends on Rosalind.

That would mean, by season’s end, they should be open and honest with their feelings with each other, in a committed relationship that everyone knows about and finally vanquishing Rosalind once and for all is the last real hurdle to them being together.

The final third (16-end) is about the capturing and ultimate killing of ROSALIND .

I never believed she actually died. Her death was too easy. I think she has a twin. You all can laugh at me, I don’t care. If Lucy + Tim can have unrelated doppelgängers who are lovers? Then, fuck yeah, Rosalind can have a Twin who she sacrificed to secure her freedom and give her time to plot. I don’t think it was an accident that Rosalind’s disguise was of Ashley, or that the Tim in time was in darker blood on the wall.

We had a conversation about EVIL today and whether a person is themselves inherently evil or a person does evil things - a third of the cast had opinions! Plus, there was a Priest in this episode- and Catholic Priests do exorcisms to battle evil. (Altho I hope Damian isn’t involved in any way with Rosalind)

Oscar. I love Oscar. He is a sociopath - EVIL personified, and every time he shows up, very bad things start happening to the people in our show,

Chris returns. Yes, this could be innocent and unrelated. But he’s always seemed off to me. He’s never fully clicked with Lucy. He’s got a nasty/mean streak to him. Hello ? He treated her like crap when she got upset about him singing that song. If he really did watch the video multiple times, that means he watched Lucy DIE multiple times. That’s heartless. And like Voldie he never seemed to care about Who Lucy actually was or help with her trauma.

Plus, the timing of his bleeding out has always bothered me. That UC op was need to know, so how did Rosalind KNOW to leave Chris on her sofa at that exact time. The only person Lucy told was Tamara. (I’m assuming everyone in the precinct is not linked to Rosalind ), so Rosalind had to have cloned Tam’s phone. (Chris and Austin had best chances to do that).

Thought of another one. Chris was picked up at night by Rosalind. A) how the hell did she know that he would need a ride and what time he would need to be picked up? B) What happened between the late night hour of his pick up and when the next morning he was placed in her apartment, like 8 hours later? Was he drugged? Held hostage? There was no mention of torture? I HAVE QUESTIONS! Seems like a very big ball for our detectives to drop.

Nolan publicly took credit for saving Lucy.

We are seeing Lucy really come into herself this season. So having a showdown with Rosalind would be in line with that.

I think the final coda will be Lucy + Nolan + Rosalind in some kind of final showdown.

Oh, hello. Melissa even said the audience said we’d see what’s coming and I believe that starts with Oscar and that smell Lucy deals with next week.

Cannot wait! Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[contractbound]

for the ask game: 5, 6, 11, 16 :3c

5. What’s one defensive maneuver your kintype will do to ward off potential predators or rival animals. Alternate question for less primal types, Do you have a protocol or set rules to defend yourself from danger?

most of the time, i'm not concerned with things such as self defense or fending off attackers. i'm almost always on the offense instead, striking before they have a chance to attack. i suppose that's my protocol; always strike first, where it counts, and ideally the enemy will be dead before they even know you're there. if that's not an option, rely on speed and agility rather than brute strength to survive.

i don't tend to have rules for myself; i simply do what it takes to come out of the fight victorious, regardless of if it's at my expense. the only thing i can think of is, don't kill innocents. when i fight, it tends to be very destructive, so i must be in a state of constant awareness so as to not harm humans caught in crossfire or damage their property...too badly.

and of course, there are less combat-oriented ways of defending myself. there is always equipment i wear on my body that aids in vanquishing evil, whether it's symbolic or actually used for a specific purpose. i'm sure anyone would agree that the best option is to ward off evil spirits before they have a chance to manifest. i would often meditate to help manage the pain caused by karmic debt, as well.

6. Do you do anything with kills besides just eating them? Collecting bones, a graveyard for remnants, burying it for storage, studying or soul absorption?

well, first of all, i don't eat my kills. at least, not under ideal circumstances. the filth i deal with is largely unsuited for consumption. still, there have still been a fair share of regular monsters and animals i've killed that would be fit to eat. however, i can't stomach most food, and have a particular distaste for meat. the taste and feeling of blood in my mouth is something i refuse to partake in voluntarily.

what i do with the bodies depends on whether or not they're tainted with divine hatred. either way, i never take trophies. i see it as disrespectful and unnecessary. if i need a part of the kill for a specific purpose, i will take it, but never simply on a whim or out of pride.

if the body is tainted, and the filth wasn't dispersed/cleansed upon its death... like previously mentioned, i have equipment on my person that i use for meditation, prayer, and exorcism that will purify the body and eliminate the danger. this kind of situation was a constant during and in the direct aftermath of the arch/on war, but in recent years it became a rarer occurrence. however, it still happened often enough that one must always be prepared. resentful gods are stubborn, and the consequences of coming across even their fallen vessels unprepared can be life-threatening, so it's my responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen.

otherwise, i'm often inclined to just move on, sometimes after a quick prayer. i can't afford to spend too much time being idle. if i've killed a human, however, that could be a different story. it's mostly against my principles to harm mortals, so if i do, there are cases where they were collateral. if that's the case, i'll move the body away from the site of the battle, if circumstances allow. ideally, somewhere more scenic. if i can, i'll cover the body, whether it be through burial, or covering it with leaves/cloth/anything else at my disposal. i tend to linger longer in these cases, for a variety of reasons and purposes.

11. What would be an omen that may symbolize your kintype someone may come across?

teal light. black mist. glowing white insects that resemble butterflies. the wind picking up in such a way that it feels like it may slice right through you. these may all be interpreted in my canon as omens of my presence or arrival.

16. As your kintype what’s something you think is stupid about humans feature and or behaviour wise?

this question feels targeted...

many things. features, not as much, but human behavior is something i was never able to understand. their food preferences, their desires and aspirations, the things they hold dear...

i could never see the sense behind any of it and considered it frivolous. i felt like we were closer to being on the same page when li/yue was still young, but over the centuries, our priorities changed rapidly. i never bothered trying to adapt; my priorities lie with my original contract, and mortal desires that are actually within my jurisdiction.

[fanyiyimdzs]

Mo Dao Zu Shi: Chapter 3

Masterpost

Previous chapter

Wei Wuxian’s first thought was that perhaps the Lan youths’ flag formation contained mistakes.

If the things he invented weren’t deployed with the utmost care, they had a habit of producing disaster—that was why he had specially checked that their yin summoning flags were error-free. Stiffening as several powerful arms began hauling him outside, Wei Wuxian allowed himself to be dragged so he wouldn’t have to waste energy walking. When the mob finally arrived at the eastern hall, it was quiet, a marked contrast to daytime, despite the fact that there were hardly fewer people now than there had been then. Every household servant and family member had come, some still in their sleeping clothes, sporting nests of tangled hair, eyes terror-stricken. Lady Mo sat paralyzed, as though she had just awoken from a nightmare, her cheeks streaked with tear stains. The corners of her eyes were still watering when Wei Wuxian was hauled in. Immediately her glimmering, sorrow-filled gazed began to shine with the vengeance's chilly light.

On the ground laid what appeared to be a human body, draped in a white cloth that left only the head showing. Lan Sizhui and a few of the other Lan juniors surrounded it, bent over in scrutiny, speaking in whispers, grave expressions etched onto their young faces. Their words were just loud enough to leak into Wei Wuxian’s ears.

“...he was discovered less than half an hour ago?”

“Immediately after we finished dealing with the walking corpses, we rushed over here and found his body lying in the hall.”

The body belonged to Mo Ziyuan. Wei Wuxian’s eyes swept quickly over the corpse, but, drawn back again, his gaze couldn’t help but linger.

The corpse did resemble Mo Ziyuan, yet it also did not. The shape of his face, his eyes, nose, and lips, clearly belonged to the young man, but his cheeks had been hollowed out, his eyes and eye sockets protruded grotesquely from the plane of his face, and his skin was parched and wrinkled. Compared to the youthful, round-faced Mo Ziyuan of yesterday, it was as though he had aged a couple of decades in the course of the night. All his blood and flesh had been sucked dry, rendering him nothing more than a thin husk wrapped around a frame of bone. The living Mo Ziyuan had been ugly; Mo Ziyuan’s corpse was not only ugly, but decrepit.

Wei Wuxian was still scrutinizing the body when Lady Mo suddenly charged toward him. In her hand, a dagger flashed, gleaming with the cold moonlight. Lan Sizhui, sharp-eyed and deft of hand, blocked the incoming strike before it landed. Before the youth could open his mouth, Lady Mo shrieked, “My son died a terrible death tonight! I must avenge him! What are you doing? Why are you trying to stop me?!”

Once more, Wei Wuxian hid behind Lan Sizhui. Squatting, he said, “What does your son’s death have to do with me?”

During the day time, Lan Sizhui had watched Wei Wuxian make a scene in the eastern hall and then heard the garishly embellished rumors concerning the poor man swirling through everyone’s mouths. Fully of immense sympathy, he couldn’t help but defend him. “I’m very, very sorry this occurred, Lady Mo. But the state of your son’s corpse, the fact that his blood, flesh, and spirit have been sucked dry, means that he must have been killed by a demon. Your nephew couldn’t have done it.”

Lady Mo’s chest heaved as she spoke. “What do you people know? This lunatic’s dad is a cultivator. Of course he’s learned all kinds of evil tricks!”

Lan Sizhui turned and glanced back at the apparently shellshocked Wei Wuxian. “That’s, um, Lady Mo, you don’t have proof, so let’s—“

“The proof is on my son’s body!” She stabbed her finger at the corpse lying on the ground. “Look at it yourself! Ah-yuan’s remains have already told us who the killer is!”

Without hesitation, Wei Wuxian snatched the edge of the white cloth and pulled it away, revealing the entirety of Mo Ziyuan’s corpse. Yet something was missing.

His entire left arm, from right under his shoulder, had severed itself from the rest of his body, grown wings, and flown away!

“See?” Lady Mo said. “Today, right here, didn’t you all hear what he said? That lunatic said that if Ah-yuan touched his things again, he would chop off his arm!”

Overcome with emotion, she covered her face as she sobbed. “But my poor Ah-yuan never touched any of that lunatic’s things in the first place. Not only did he throw around baseless accusations against my son, now that deranged bastard murdered him in cold blood!”

“‘Deranged bastard!’” “‘In cold blood!’”

How many years had it been since Wei Wuxian last heard comments like these lobbed his way? They were almost like old friends. He pointed at himself, but he had no reply to give. He wasn’t even sure whether the problem laid with him or with Lady Mo. He had made plenty of outlandish threats when he was young—that he would extinguish entire families, entire clans, that he would vanquish millions and blood would flow in great rivers and dye the lands and seas red. That sort of thing. But most of the time, they had been empty threats, said only for the sake of saying them. If he could actually do those things, he would have long enjoyed dominion over the entire world of cultivation. On the other hand, Lady Mo wasn’t trying to avenge her son. She was only trying to find someone upon whom she could vent hateful fury.

He wasn’t going to further entangle himself with her. After a moment of pondering, he stuck out his hand, groped around Mo Ziyuan’s chest, and pulled out a piece of folded-up black fabric. Spreading it out, he found that it was a yin summoning flag.

In a fraction of a second, his heart flashed with ice, and he muttered, “You were your own victim. How can someone like you expect to live?”

Once Lan Sizhui saw what Wei Wuxian had pulled from Mo Ziyuan’s chest, he also understood what had in fact happened. Viewed in light of the day’s ruckus, it wasn’t difficult to guess the chain of events: Mo Ziyuan had been humiliated by Mo Xuanyu’s crazy display, and had gone looking for his cousin to get even, his heart brimming with resentment. But Mo Xuanyu had wandered off outside—no one in the house had caught even a glimpse of his shadow the entire afternoon. Thus, Mo Ziyuan’s next plan was to catch his cousin when he returned at night and teach him a lesson while no one was watching.

But when night fell and the young man snuck outside, he passed by the western courtyard and caught sight of the yin summoning flags that had been stuck atop the eaves. Even though he had been warned for the umpteenth time not to go out in the middle of the night, that the western courtyard was forbidden, and that touching the black flags was even more forbidden, Mo Ziyuan had assumed the Lan cultivators had only said those frightening things because they were afraid that someone would steal their valuable treasures. Completely unaware of the flags’ ominous effects, he inadvertently transformed himself into living bait. His dirty habit of stealing his mentally ill cousin’s symbols, seals, and spiritual tools had grown into an addiction. As soon as he laid eyes on anything of a similar nature, he became unbearably agitated and couldn’t rest until it was in his soiled hands. Taking advantage of their owners’ preoccupation with the walking corpses, he quietly plucked one of the flags and took it away.

The flag formation required six yin summoning flags. Five remained in the western courtyard, drawing all manner of dark creatures towards the Lan youth. But they were protected by the many spiritual tools they carried, whereas Mo Ziyuan, though only in possession of a single flag, had nothing to keep himself safe. Like most other predators, evil spirits went for the softest, easiest flesh, so naturally they were drawn to the defenseless youth. If there had only been walking corpses tonight, that would have been one thing—he probably would have suffered a few bites at most, and couldn’t have died in less than half an hour. Quite unfortunately, however, the flag had unintentionally attracted something far more frightening than a few walking corpses. It was precisely this unknown evil spirit who had killed Mo Ziyuan and robbed him of his arm.

Wei Wuxian raised his wrists to his face and found that the cut on his left hand had healed. It seemed that the sacrificial contract had indeed tacitly recognized Mo Ziyuan’s death as the product of his hard work. After all, he had invented and popularized the use of the summoning flags—even if it had been a bit roundabout and accidental, he could be perfectly well said to have killed Mo Xuanyu’s cousin.

Though Lady Mo knew somewhere deep in her heart that her son had a few little...problems, she absolutely refused to acknowledge that he had played any role in his own death. At once stricken by anxiety and shame, she grabbed a teacup and charged Wei Wuxian, hurling it at his face. “If you hadn’t made a scene and slandered him in front of so many, would he have gone outside at midnight? Your deranged attack caused all of this to happen!”

Wei Wuxian had long expected her to strike at him and easily dodged and hid. Lady Mo then charged at Lan Sizhui, screeching, “And you! You herd of useless things! You came here as cultivators to excise evil spirits. But what cultivation? What exorcism? You couldn’t even protect a child! Ah-yuan was only in his teens!”

The Lan juniors were still young and hadn’t had more than a couple of real-life experiences expelling walking corpses, so had not cottoned on to the fact that something here was strange until it was too late. They had no idea that there would be an evil spirit so vicious and fierce—at first, they had been guilt stricken, believing they had made some kind of oversight. Subject to such savage abuse from a woman so ignorant she couldn’t tell black from white and blue from red, they began to develop a sickly complexion. Since they had been born into a highly distinguished clan, they had never encountered anyone who dared treat them so terribly. Yet neither could they defend themselves: the teachings of the Gusu Lan Clan were extremely strict, and it was an unbreachable taboo to raise a hand against an ordinary person, who could not fight back. In fact, they weren’t even permitted to be rude. Thus, though their hearts tossed and turned with unhappiness, they all forced it down, suffocating themselves until their faces were tinged with green.

Wei Wuxian found the scene unbearable. “After so many years, the Lan family is still like this,” he thought to himself. “They’re still affecting that stupid, undying self-restraint. Hmph. Watch this!”

He spat at Lady Mo and said, “Who the hell do you think you’re screaming at? Do you think they’re your servants? These people traveled through half the country in order to help you for free. What exactly do they owe you? How old is your honorable son? He should be at least seventeen this year, right? And he’s still ‘a child?’ How old does he have to be to understand human speech? Yesterday, didn’t these cultivators say several times not to touch anything or approach the western courtyard? Because your son couldn’t stop himself from pilfering what isn’t his, as though he were a starving dog stealing chickens in the night, you’re blaming me? You’re blaming them?”

Lan Jingyi and the others exhaled, and their complexions began to return to a healthy color. On the other hand, Lady Mo, both heartbroken and resentful to the extreme, thought only of the word “death.” Not of her own death, of course. She had no desire to accompany her son. Rather, she thought of the death of every other human being on earth, especially the people in front of her. Following her habit of ordering around her husband, she grabbed him and said, “Call everyone in! Every single person!”

Perhaps shaken by the loss of his only son, he pushed her without warning. Lady Mo toppled to the floor, stunned.

In the past, she hadn’t even needed to touch her husband to make him follow her orders. If she only raised her voice a little, he would do whatever she wanted. But today, he had the temerity to strike back!

All of the servants grew white with terror as they saw Lady Mo’s expression. Trembling, Ah-ding helped her up. Lady Mo, shaking and clutching her hand in front of her chest, said, “You...you...you piss off too!”

Her husband behaved as though he had not heard her. Ah-ding ran to Ah-tong and shot him several meaningful glances, but Ah-tong, unable to endure the chaos, was busy attempting to drag the master of the house outside. Once the household had finally quieted down, Wei Wuxian prepared to inspect the body again, but before he was able to catch more than a glimpse, another blood-curdling shriek pierced the air, slashing its way from the courtyard through the doors of the eastern hall.

Everyone inside surged towards the exit. All they found were two bodies on the ground, twitching and spasming. One was Ah-tong, who sat paralyzed but still alive. The other had fallen and looked as though all of his blood and flesh had been sucked clean off of his bones. His skin was wrinkled and withered, and though his left arm had already disappeared, no blood trickled from where it was once attached. The state of his corpse was exactly like that of Mo Ziyuan’s.

Lady Mo had just shaken off Ah-ding’s supportive arm when she saw the fallen body. Her eyes grew wide and numb. All the fury-fueled strength within her finally expired, her world grew faint, and she toppled toward the ground. As Wei Wuxian happened to be standing near her, he caught her before she struck the stony floor, then passed her off to Ah-ding, who had rushed forward to help. He glanced at his right hand and found that another gash had vanished.

Lady Mo’s husband had barely left the eastern hall before perishing right where all the crowd now stood, and it had all happened in the blink of an eye. Even many among the Lan juniors had gone white. Lan Sizhui was the first to compose himself. He hurriedly asked the paralyzed A-tong, “Did you see what it was?”

Unable to pry open his mouth out of terror, Ah-tong would not answer no matter how many times Lan Sizhui asked, but only shook his head without end. His heart burning with urgency, Lan Sizhui allowed the other servants to carry Ah-tong inside, then turned to Lan Jingyi and said, “Did you fire the signal?”

“Yeah, I fired it,” Lan Jingyi replied, “but I’m afraid if there aren’t any seniors in the area who can rescue us, it’ll take our people at least an hour to get here, even if they rush. What should we do? We don’t even know what it is.”

Of course, neither could the Lan juniors flee. If, upon encountering an evil spirit, the juniors of any clan deserted the scene, caring to protect only themselves, then not only would they bring great embarrassment upon their clan, so much shame would hang around their necks that they could never again look anyone in the eye. The terrified members of the Mo household couldn’t flee either—the evil spirit would most likely hide itself among them, rendering the effort completely pointless. Gritting his teeth, Lan Sizhui said, “Be on alert and wait for help to come!”

Once the rescue signal was fired, it would not be long before other cultivators came to offer support. In order to avoid an incident arising over his rebirth, Wei Wuxian’s most reasonable course of action would have been to disappear into the night. If whoever came didn’t recognize him, all would be well, but if they happened to be someone he had once known or fought, who knew what could happen?

On the other hand, the curse was still on his body, so he wasn’t able to go far. Moreover, the thing that had been summoned was unusually ferocious—it had robbed two people of their lives in such a brief period of time. If Wei Wuxian departed so carelessly, by the time help came, Mo Manor might already have enough corpses to line an entire street, among them a few of the Gusu Lan Clan’s children by blood, each missing a left arm.

After pondering this problem for a little while, Wei Wuxian thought, “The faster the battle, the faster the outcome. Time to act.”

Next chapter

Masterpost

[pamphletstoinspire]

April, the month dedicated to the Most Holy Eucharist

THE EXORCISM OF NICOLA AUBREY from the book "The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass" by Fr. Michael Muller, C.SS.R. Imprimatur: Archbishop McClosky, New York (1874)

It is indeed a remarkable fact that, as the devil made use of Luther, an apostate monk, to abolish the Mass and deny the Real Presence; in like manner, God made use of His arch-enemy, the devil, to prove the Real Presence. He repeatedly forced him publicly to profess his firm belief in it, to confound the heretics for their disbelief, and acknowledge himself vanquished by Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. For this purpose, God allowed a certain Mme. Nicola Aubrey, an innocent person, to become possessed by Beelzebub and twenty-nine other evil spirits. The possession took place on the eighth of November, 1565, and lasted until the eighth of February, 1566.

Her parents took her to Father de Motta, a pious priest of Vervins, in order that he might expel the demon by exorcisms of the Church. Father de Motta tried several times to expel the evil spirit by applying the sacred relics of the holy cross, but he could not succeed; Satan would not depart. At last, inspired by the Holy Ghost, he resolved to expel the devil by means of the sacrament of Our Lord's Body and Blood. Whilst Nicola was lying in a state of unnatural lethargy, Father de Motta placed the Blessed Sacrament upon her lips, and instantly the infernal spell was broken; Nicola was restored to consciousness, and received Holy Communion with every mark of devotion. As soon as Nicola had received the sacred Body of Our Lord, her face became bright and beautiful as the face of an angel, and all who saw her were filled with joy and wonder, and they blessed God from their inmost hearts. With the permission of God, Satan returned and again took possession of Nicola.

As the strange circumstances of Nicola's possession became known everywhere, several Calvinist preachers came with their followers, to "expose this popish cheat," as they said. On their entrance, the devil saluted them mockingly, called them by name, and told them that they had come in obedience to him. One of the preachers took his Protestant prayer book, and began to read it with a very solemn face. The devil laughed at him, and putting on a most comical look, he said: "Ho! Ho! My good friend; do you intend to expel me with your prayers and hymns? Do you think that they will cause me any pain? Don't you know that they are mine? I helped to compose them!"

"I will expel thee in the name of God," said the preacher, solemnly.

You!" said the devil mockingly. "You will not expel me either in the name of God, or��in the name of the devil. Did you ever hear of one devil driving out another?"

"I am not a devil," said the preacher, angrily, "I am a servant of Christ."

"A servant of Christ, indeed!" said Satan, with a sneer. "What! I tell you, you are worse than I am. I believe, and you do not want to believe. Do you suppose that you can expel me from the body of this miserable wretch? Ha!

Go first and expel all the devils that are in your own heart!"

The preacher took his leave, somewhat discomfited. On going away, he said, turning up the whites of his eyes, "O Lord, I pray thee, assist this poor creature!"

"And I pray Lucifer," cried the evil spirit, "that he may never leave you, but may always keep you firmly in his power, as he does now. Go about your business, now. You are all mine, and I am your master."

On the arrival of the priest, several of the Protestants went away - they had seen and heard more than they wanted. Others, however, remained; and great was their terror when they saw how the devil writhed and howled in agony, as soon as the Blessed Sacrament was brought near him. At last the evil spirit departed, leaving Nicola in a state of unnatural trance. While she was in this state, several of the preachers tried to open her eyes, but they found it impossible to do so. The priest then placed the Blessed Sacrament on Nicola's lips, and instantly she was restored to consciousness. Rev. Father de Motta then turned to the astonished preachers, and said: "Go now, ye preachers of the new Gospel; go and relate everywhere what you have seen and heard. Do not deny any longer that Our Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. Go now, and let not human respect hinder you from confessing the truth."

During the exorcisms of the following days, the devil was forced to confess that he was not to be expelled at Vervins, and that he had with him twenty-nine devils, among whom were three powerful demons: Cerberus, Astaroth, and Legio. On the third of January, 1556, the bishop arrived at Vervins, and began the exorcism in the church, in the presence of an immense multitude.

"I command thee, in the name and by power of the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, to depart instantly," said the bishop to Satan in a solemn voice.

Satan was, at last, expelled the second time by means of the Blessed Sacrament. On leaving, he paralyzed the left arm and right foot of Nicola, and also made her left arm longer than her right; and no power on earth could cure this strange infirmity, until some weeks after, when the devil was at last completely and irrevocably expelled. Nicola was now taken to the celebrated pilgrimage of Our Lady at Liesse, especially since the devil seemed to fear that place so much. Next day Father de Motta began the exorcism in the church of Our Lady at Liesse, in the presence of an immense multitude. He took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and, showing it to the demon, he said: "I command thee, in the name of the living God, the great Emmanuel Whom thou seest here present, and in Whom thou believest."

"Ah, yes!" shrieked the demon, "I believe in Him." And the devil howled again as he made this confession, for it was wrung from him by the power of Almighty God.

"I command thee, then, in His Name," said the priest, "to quit this body instantly."

At these words, and especially at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, the devil suffered the most frightful torture. At one moment the body of Nicola was rolled up like a ball; then again she became fearfully swollen. At one time her face was unnaturally lengthened, then excessively widened, and sometimes it was as red as scarlet. Her eyes, at times, protruded horribly, and then again sunk deeply into her skull. Her tongue hung down to her chin; it was sometimes black, sometimes red, and sometimes spotted like a toad. The priest still continued to urge and torture Satan. "Accursed spirit!" he cried, "I command thee, in the Name and by the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ here in the Blessed Sacrament, to depart instantly from the body of this poor creature.

"Ah, yes!" cried Satan, howling wildly, "twenty-six of my companions shall leave this instant, for they are forced to do so."

The people in the church now began to pray with great fervor. Suddenly Nicola's limbs began to crack, as if every bone in her body were breaking; a pestilential vapor came forth from her mouth, and twenty-six devils departed from her, never more to return. Nicola then fell into an unnatural swoon, from which she was aroused only by the Blessed Sacrament. On recovering her senses, and receiving holy communion, Nicola's face shone like the face of an angel. The priest still continued to urge the demon, and used every means to expel him.

"I will not leave, unless commanded by the bishop of Leon," answered the demon, angrily.

Nicola was now taken to Pierrepont, where one of the demons, name Legio, was expelled by means of the Blessed Sacrament. Next morning Nicola was brought to the church. Scarcely had she quitted the house, when the devil again took possession of her. The bishop, who was requested to exorcise Nicola, prepared himself for this terrible task by prayer and fasting, and other works of penance. On arrival of Nicola in the Church, the exorcism began. "How many are you in this body?" asked the bishop.

"There are three of us," answered the evil spirit.

"What are your names?"

"Beelzebub, Cerberus, and Astaroth."

"What has become of the others?" asked the bishop.

"They have been expelled," answered Satan.

"Who expelled them?"

"Ha!" cried the devil, gnashing his teeth, "it was He whom you hold in your hand, there on the paten." The devil meant our dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

The bishop then held the Blessed Sacrament near the face of Nicola. The demon writhed and howled in agony. "Ah, yes! I will go, I will go!" he shrieked, "but I shall return."

Suddenly Nicola became stiff and motionless as marble. The bishop then touched her lips with the Blessed Sacrament, and in an instant she was fully restored to consciousness. She received holy communion, and her countenance now shone with a wondrous, supernatural beauty. Next day Nicola was brought again to the Church, and the exorcism began as usual. The bishop took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, held it near the face of Nicola, and said:

"I command thee in the name of the living God, and by the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ here in the sacrament of the altar, to depart instantly from the body of this creature of God, and never more to return."

"No! No!" shrieked the devil, "I will not go. My hour is not yet come."

"I command thee to depart. Go forth, impure, accursed spirit! Go forth!" and the bishop held the Blessed Sacrament close to Nicola's face.

"Stop! stop!", shrieked Satan; "let me go! I will depart -- but I shall return." And instantly Nicola fell into the most frightful convulsions. A black smoke was seen issuing from her mouth, and she fell again into a swoon.

During her stay in Leon, Nicola was carefully examined by Catholic and Protestant physicians. Her left arm, which had been paralyzed by the devil, was found entirely without feeling. The doctors cut into the arm with a sharp knife; they burnt it with fire; they drove pins and needles under the nails of the fingers; but Nicola felt not pain; her arm was utterly insensible. Once, while Nicola was lying in a state of unnatural lethargy, the doctors gave her some bread soaked in wine (it was what the Protestants call their communion, or Lord's Supper); they rubbed her limbs briskly; they threw water in her face; they pierced her tongue until the blood flowed; they tried every possible means to arouse her, but in vain! Nicola remained cold and motionless as marble. At last, the priest touched the lips of Nicola with the Blessed Sacrament, and instantly she was restored to consciousness, and began to praise God.

The miracle was so clear, so palpable, that one of the doctors, who was a bigoted Calvinist, immediately renounced his errors, and became a Catholic. Several times, also, the Protestants touched Nicola's face with a host which was not consecrated, and which, consequently, was only bread, but Satan was not the least tormented by this. He only ridiculed their efforts.

On the twenty-seventh of January, the bishop, after having walked in solemn procession with the clergy and the faithful, began the exorcism in church, in the presence of a vast multitude of Protestants and Catholics. The bishop now held the Blessed Sacrament close to the face of Nicola. Suddenly a wild, unearthly yell rings through the air -- a black, heavy smoke issues from the mouth of Nicola. The demon Astaroth is expelled forever. During the exorcism which took place on the first of February, the bishop said:

"O accursed spirit! Since neither prayer, nor the holy gospels, neither the exorcisms of the Church, nor the holy relics, can compel thee to depart, I will now show thee thy Lord and Master, and by His power I command thee."

During the exorcism, which took place after Mass, the bishop held the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and said, "O accursed spirit, arch-enemy of the ever-blessed God! I command thee, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ here present, to depart from this poor woman! Depart accursed, into the everlasting flames of hell!"

At these words, and especially at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, the demon was so fearfully tormented, and the appearance of Nicola was so hideous and revolting, that the people turned away their eyes in horror. At last a heavy sigh was heard, and a cloud of black smoke issued from the mouth of Nicola. Cerberus was expelled. Again Nicola fell into a death-like swoon, and again she was brought to consciousness only by means of the Blessed Sacrament. During the exorcism which took place on the seventh day of February, the bishop said to Satan:

"Tell me. Why hast thou taken possession of this honest and virtuous Catholic woman?"

"I have done so by permission of God. I have taken possession of her on account of the sins of the people. I have done it to show my Calvinists that there are devils who can take possession of man whenever God permits it. I know they do not want to believe this, but I will show them that I am the devil. I have taken possession of this creature in order to convert them, or to harden them in their sins; and, by the Sacred Blood, I will perform my task."

This answer filled all who heard it with horror. "Yes," answered the bishop, solemnly, "God desires to unite all men in the only holy faith. As there is but one God, so there can be but one true religion. A religion like that which the Protestants have invented, is but a hollow mockery. It must fall. The religion established by Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only true one; it alone shall last forever. It is destined to unite all men within its sacred embrace, so that there shall be but one sheepfold and one shepherd. This divine Shepherd is Our Lord Jesus Christ, the invisible head of the holy Roman Catholic Church, whose visible head is our holy Father the Pope, successor of St. Peter."

The devil was silent - he was put to shame before the entire multitude. He was expelled once more by means of the Blessed Sacrament. In the afternoon of the same day the devil began to cry: "Ah! Ha! You think that you can expel me in this way. You have not the proper attendance of a bishop. Where are the dean and the archdean? Where are the royal judges? Where is the chief magistrate, who was frightened out of his wits that night, in the prison? Where is the procurator of the king? Where are his attorneys and counselors? Where is the clerk of the court?" (The devil mentioned each of these by name.) "I will not depart until all are assembled. Were I to depart now, what proof could you give to the king of all that has happened? Do you think that people will believe you so easily? No! No! There are many who would make objections. The testimony of these common country-people here will have but little weight. It is a torment to me that I must tell you what you have to do. I am forced to do it. Ha! Cursed be the hour in which I first took possession of this vile wretch.

"I find little pleasure in thy prating," answered the bishop. "There are witnesses enough here. Those whom you have mentioned are not necessary. Depart! then; give glory to God. Depart - go to the flames of hell!"

"Yes, I shall depart, but not today. I know full well that I must depart. My sentence is passed; I am compelled to leave."

"I care not for thy jabbering," said the bishop, "I shall expel thee by the power of God: by the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ."

"Yes, I must yield to you," shrieked the demon wildly. "It tortures me that I must give you this honor."

The bishop now took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and held it close to the face of the possessed woman. At last, Satan was compelled to flee once more. The next morning, after the procession was ended, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered up as usual. During the consecration, the possessed woman was twice raised over six feet into the air, and then fell back heavily upon the platform. As the bishop, just before the Pater Noster, took the Sacred Host once more in his hand, and raised it with the chalice, the possessed woman was again whisked into the air, carrying with her the keepers, fifteen in number, at least six feet above the platform; and, after a while, she fell heavily back on the ground.

At this sight, all present were filled with amazement and terror. A German Protestant named Voske fell on his knees; he burst into tears; he was converted. "Ah!" cried he, "I now believe firmly that the devil really possesses this poor creature. I believe that it is really the body and blood of Jesus Christ which expels him. I believe firmly. I will no longer remain a Protestant." After Mass, the exorcism began as usual.

"Now, at last," said the bishop, "thou must depart. Away with thee, evil spirit!"

"Yes," said Satan, "it is true that I must depart, but not yet. I will not go before the hour is come in which I first took possession of this wretched creature."

At last the bishop took the Sacred Host in his hand, and said: "In the name of the adorable Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost -- in the name of the sacred body of Jesus Christ here present -- I command thee, wicked spirit, to depart."

"Yes, yes, it is true!" shrieked the demon wildly; "it is true. It is the body of God. I must confess it, for I am forced to do so. Ha! It tortures me that I must confess this, but I must. I speak the truth only when I am forced to do it. The truth is not from me. It comes from my Lord and Master. I have entered this body by the permission of God."

The bishop now held the Blessed Sacrament close to the face of the possessed woman. The demon writhed in fearful agony. He tried in every way to escape from the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. At length a black smoke was seen issuing from the mouth of Nicola. She fell into a swoon, and was restored to consciousness only by means of the Blessed Sacrament. The eighth of February, the day appointed by God on which Satan was to leave Nicola forever, arrived at last. After the solemn procession, the bishop began the last exorcism.

"I shall not ask thee any longer," said the bishop to Satan, "when thou intendest to leave, I will expel thee instantly by the power of the living God, and by the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, here present in the Sacrament of the Altar."

"Ha, yes!" shrieked the demon. "I confess that the Son of God is here really and truly present. He is my Lord and Master. It tortures me to confess it, but I am forced to do so." Then he repeated several times, with a wild, unearthly howl: "Yes, it is true. I must confess it. I am forced to leave, by the power of God's body here present. I must -- I must depart. It torments me that I must go so soon, and that I must confess this truth. But this truth is not from me; it comes from my Lord and Master, who has sent me hither, and who commands and compels me to confess the truth publicly."

The bishop then took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and, holding it on high, he said, with a solemn voice: "O thou wicked, unclean spirit, Beelzebub! Thou arch-enemy of the eternal God! Behold, here present, the precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Lord and Master! I adjure thee, in the name and by the power of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who is here present; I command thee to depart instantly and forever from this creature of God. Depart to the deepest depth of hell, there to be tormented forever. Go forth, unclean spirit, go forth -- behold here thy Lord and Master!"

At these solemn words, and at the sight of our sacramental Lord, the poor possessed woman writhed fearfully. Her limbs cracked as if every bone in her body were breaking. The fifteen strong men who held her, could scarcely keep her back. They staggered from side to side; they were covered with perspiration. Satan tried to escape from the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The mouth of Nicola was wide open; her tongue hung down below her chin, her face was shockingly swollen and distorted. Her color changed from yellow to green, and became even gray and blue, so that she no longer looked like a human being; it was rather the face of a hideous, incarnate demon. All present trembled with terror, especially when they heard the wild cry of the demon, which sounded like the loud roar of a wild bull. They fell on their knees, and with tears in their eyes, began to cry out: "Jesus, have mercy!"

The bishop continued to urge Satan. At last the evil spirit departed, and Nicola fell back senseless into the arms of her keepers. She still, however, remained shockingly distorted. In this state she was shown to the judges, and to all the people present; she was rolled up like a ball. The bishop now fell on his knees, in order to give her the Blessed Sacrament as usual. But see! Suddenly the demon returns, wild with rage, endeavors to seize the hand of the bishop, and even tries to grasp the Blessed Sacrament itself. The bishop starts back; Nicola is carried into the air and the bishop rises from his knees, trembling with terror and pale as death.

The good bishop takes courage again; he pursues the demon, holding the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, till at length the demon, overcome by the power of Our Lord's sacred body, goes forth amidst smoke, and lightning, and thunder. Thus was the demon at length expelled forever, on Friday afternoon, at three o'clock, the same day and hour on which Our Lord triumphed over hell by His ever-blessed death.

Nicola was now completely cured; she could move her left arm with the greatest ease. She fell on her knees and thanked God, as well as the good bishop, for all he had done for her. The people wept for joy, and sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving in honor of our dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. On all sides were heard the exclamations: "Oh, what a great miracle! Oh, thank God that I witnessed it! Who is there now that can doubt of the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar!" Many a Protestant also said: "I believe now in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament; I have seen with my eyes! I will remain a Calvinist no longer. Accursed be those who have hitherto kept me in error! Oh, now I can understand what a good thing is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!"

A solemn Te Deum was intoned; the organ pealed forth and the bells rung forth a merry chime. The whole city was filled with joy.

This great triumph of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament over Satan occurred in the presence of more than 150,000 people, in the presence of the ecclesiastical and civil authorities of the city, of Protestants and Catholics alike. I have published a lengthy account of this extraordinary affair in a little volume entitled "Triumph of the Blessed Sacrament." These facts are well authenticated by the accounts published in various languages - French, Italian, Spanish, and German, as I have shown on pages 13, 14, and 15 of the above-mentioned little volume.

[ofkoroksandgreatfairies]

And It Isn't Perfect, But It Is Enough

They were physically closer then they had been in one hundred years, but somehow farther apart then they could've ever predicted. Zelda doesn't recognize this new version of her knight, and Link doesn't know how to exorcize all the ghosts haunting his princess.

Here is the story on AO3.

---

When they arrived at Hateno Village, it had been three days and two nights since Calamity Gannon's end. Their entire journey could be summed up in hours of tense silence, quiet anguish, and on Link's end, immense pain. The two hylians didn't talk much; there was one-hundred years and an ancient evil stuck in-between them. That kind of thing, in their experience, seemed to make normal conversation a little more stilted and heavy.

"The stable is out back, I'll take the horses." Link swung his legs off his horse, jumping down to the ground and landing on his feet with a soft thud. He walked around to where Zelda had halted her horse, offering her a hand.

Moments like that made them both a little sad. Link had lost a lot during his time in the Shrine of Resurrection, but little mannerisms like the way he helped her dismount seemed to remain. It reminded Zelda of a time long before where he had been silent, and she had been royalty.

There was something sad in the way she kept holding onto the way they were, and she found the Link that stood before her now horribly unfamiliar. The Link that helped her off her horse that afternoon spoke freely, laughed loudly with travelers he knew, and swore under his breath when they encountered monsters. And while it was a far cry from the stoic knight she had originally met, it wasn't a bad change. In fact Zelda welcomed the way his voice cut through the often terrifying silence.

Zelda inspected the sign outside of the house, running her fingers over the carved wood. She was stalling. There was a very big part of her that wanted to rush inside and look at everything she could possibly find, but the other part remained rooted in royalty, and left her waiting for permission. Zelda supposed she had no reason to act royal anymore; there was no kingdom, her destiny had been completed, and all of the people her father ever lead -besides the long-lived Zora of course- had long since passed. But Zelda felt out of place, and holding onto the nobility she tried so hard to abandon for so long alleviated a bit of the alienation.

Link's steps were loud and disruptive as he strode past her to open the door. Zelda had taken notice of how being in Hateno Village seemed to strip him of all pretenses of stealth and vestigial means of defense. He moved languidly here, shoulders slouched and all his weapons sheathed. He was relaxed. It was a sight the princess had never seen from the Link she used to know, but one she found fascinating in the one she was currently familiarizing herself with. He deserved rest and relaxation, she thought, a soft smile stretching across her face.

Link passed through the threshold of his house, throwing the weapons slung across his back up into racks along the walls. Zelda remained outside, standing just outside the door, worrying if she was truly being a bother. She figured Link had no obligation to her now; Calamity Gannon had been vanquished, he had freed her, and every other heroic debt Link had never even owed in the first place had been payed in full. She thought she held no necessary place within his home, so Zelda stood outside and studied the grass beneath her feet.

"Come in. You must be tired." Link said frankly, leaning against the doorway and offering her his hand.

There is was again; the same hand back once again to lead her. Her mind battled against her heart as Zelda contemplated going inside. Half of her wanted to go into the house, fall into the bed Zelda had no doubt lied within, and sleep for a millennia. But the other half of Zelda felt guilty as she assessed the many wounds covering his body; Gannon had physically inflicted them, but she condemned Link to those scars from the second she put him into the shrine.

"Are you sure? I can find an inn if you'd like a night by yourself. I don't want to intrude, saving me was enough, and..." She rambled on, her cheeks getting more red with each passing second.

"Come inside." He said simply, stepping outside to where she still stood. He smiled at her, grabbing a hold of her wrist gently and leading her in.

Link's house was a monument to all he had seen and done since coming out of the shrine. Along the walls were racks of strange weapons, jars of collected herbs, and sets of armor waiting to be upgraded by the great fairies. Everything within was left in haphazard piles or messily hung up, Zelda observed. The mess should have been expected, she reasoned, of course Link didn't have time to organize. He had her to go and save, after all.

Zelda did that a lot: tell herself that Link 'saved her'. It wasn't true of course, as he only aided her while she herself vanquished Calamity Gannon, but it was a habit she couldn't help. Her father had raised her in such a fashion that Zelda now believed she could never be nearly as powerful as she needed to be. The constant prayer sessions, arguments, and belittling of her youth had taken a toll on the princess; no matter how much Zelda wished to deny it. And even though King Rhoam had passed, and the Kingdom of Hyrule no longer existed, the ghosts of both still continued to haunt Zelda.

Zelda followed Link's confident steps into the kitchen. He motioned to a chair, and she sat herself at the table hesitantly. It was quiet as Link took to the stove and began creating a stew out of an assortment of vegetables, the gentle clank of the occasional pot sounding against his gentle humming. He turned away from the stove and Zelda watched with subdued curiosity as he lit the fireplace; it was the most domestic she had ever seen the knight, and a bit of her melted as she watched. Link returned to the stove, but not before glancing over at Zelda, and asking her if she'd like something to drink.

"No it's okay, really. I thank you so much for your gratitude, but you truly don't need to do anything else. This is enough." She cast her hands in front of her face, motioning to all that surrounded her.

He didn't say anything, only turning to a cabinet, grabbing a cup and filling it with water. Link placed the drink in front of her anyway, and walked back to the stove.

After the first night, they had fallen into an odd kind of routine. Instead of opening up and making up for all the lost time, Zelda had closed herself off. She believed herself to be a burden upon her knight, so she hardly spoke unless spoken to, and never asked him for anything. Link fell back into the familiar silence around her as a result, and it was almost like before Hyrule had fallen. Everything she had ever wanted to say to Link over the past century sat heavy and thick upon her tongue, choking her into silence. There was too much time, too much loss, and never enough rest; their destiny had always decreed them to be separated by Gannon, and even though Gannon had been vanquished, his evil left a divide between them.

Link emptied the stew into two separate bowls, and the most delicious scent swirled through the room. He really was a fantastic cook, and Zelda found herself thanking Hylia for this new-found skill with every meal she ate. He set the bowl in front of her gently, taking a seat opposite of her.

Link wasted no time at all, digging into the meal he prepared with unabashed vigor. The sight of him across from her, eating like an absolutely starved animal, made Zelda smile. This view was familiar; it was nice to know that little bits of the boy she used to know remained. Zelda could remember nights spent around blazing campfires, slightly dubious food, and the most amazing friends. Now it was just her, Link, and the bittersweetness souring her meal because although Link still dripped stew all over his tunic in his enthusiasm, the champions were not there to laugh with her. The table felt empty, no matter how grateful she was to still be here with him.

Link finished before her, and pushed his bowl to the side. He disappeared into the other room, and brought the master sword and a cloth back with him when he returned. Link placed the large sword on the table with a loud metallic clang, and the sound alone made her jump a little in her seat. Link glanced up at her, a slight smirk on his face. He was teasing her, Zelda realized, and suddenly his face became that much more familiar to her. The teasing was something she recognized, a bit of her old Link given back to her, and Zelda shot him a small smile back.

"You still keep your weapons on the table I see." Zelda took a sip of her drink, looking at him over the rim of a tip-backed cup. "Have I taught you nothing?"

Link only smiled brightly, turning his face back down to his sword and shaking his head. He was still shy, Zelda observed, and it warmed her to see how Link still tried to hide his blushing smile from her.

They lapsed back into silence, the only sounds an occasional clank from Zelda's spoon, and the soft sound of cloth as Link polished his sword. If she closed her eyes, Zelda was back before the Calamity, and she swore she could hear the laughter of the champion's surrounding her. The thought made her sad, because although Zelda never particularly liked sleeping on the ground, she'd suffer through all the sore muscles necessary just to camp out with her cherished friends one last time.

---

Link took small, furtive glances at Zelda in between looking down and polishing his sword. Truly the master sword didn't quite need such an extensive cleaning; especially as it hadn't gotten that damaged, but he liked the domesticity of Zelda eating a meal at his table, in his house, so he quickly found himself with cloth and sword.

Throughout the past few days of travel, he had often looked at Zelda, only to see her lost in thought. Link guessed those thoughts were almost always torturous if the grimace often stretched across her face was any indication. He still felt an innate want to protect her from anything and everything, but Link realized there wasn't anything he could do about her grief. And he figured, maybe his memory loss was a part of the problem too. Zelda didn't often talk to him, but when she did her voice was filtered through a thick layer of oppressive guilt. So Link kept his mouth shut tight, not wanting to upset her.

There were a million things he wanted to say to her: some of them were words of thanks for her encouragement during his quest, others were how she was the first and only thing he remembered for a long while after waking up in the shrine, and most of the remaining things were just about how much he missed her. Zelda had been a beacon of pure light during his journey; a bit of happiness on the horizon, lying just past the Calamity. Now she was here, safe within the walls of his house, and all he wanted was for her to stay.

Zelda seemed to think she was some type of burden, an absolute ridiculous notion in his mind. She had spent the last one-hundred years staving off the greatest evil imaginable, of course he'd take her in willingly. Truthfully, Link felt an incredible guilt for leaving her alone that long, but making her meals and giving her a safe, warm place to sleep alleviated a bit of that weight.

Zelda cleared her throat quietly, and placed her spoon back into the bowl. "That was very good. Thank you, Link." She said softly.

"Of course." He replied softly, taking their two empty bowls to the basin to rinse them.

"When did you buy this place?" Zelda's voice is small, tentative and hesitant; but the fact she's talking to him brings a grin to Link's face regardless.

"A few months ago. Right after I freed Vah Ruta. I needed somewhere to keep the champion's weapons, I didn't want to use them until Calamity Gannon."

"Oh." She said. Zelda laced her hands together politely upon the table, and Link saw the curious look on her face.

"They're still up. I didn't use them. I can show them to you if you like." He offered hopefully.

"Yes." She breathed out. "I would like that very much."

Link, without a thought, helps Zelda up from her chair. He holds her hand in his lightly, guiding her to the wall in the main room where all the champion's weapons remained hung up, side by side.

They started on the left, and Link watched Zelda's breath catch as she looked at the bow lying just behind the glass. It was unmistakably rito in design, with golden wings capping the ends: Revali's Great Eagle Bow. Zelda brought her hand up, tracing along the outline of it. She shuddered, remembering that this weapon was all that was left. It was proud, brightly-colored, and indubitably strong, just like it's champion; a tear fell and Zelda brought a sleeve up to catch it.

"We can take it out, if you'd like to hold it." Link offered softly. Zelda nodded, letting go of his hand.

Link felt the absence of her fingers in his sharply as he took the bow out of it's mount. He handed the bow to Zelda and watched as she took it in her hands.

His heart broke as he watched her touch the edges tentatively, like they'd burn her if she held too tight. Something in her face spoke of ghosts and misery and years lost and dead friends. There was nothing he could do for her, no matter how much Link wanted to take her pain away. So instead he left Zelda to her memories, and gathered the rest of the champion's weapons in his arms. Link looked back to find Zelda kneeling on the ground, cradling the bow like a long lost child, silent tears falling down her face. Link, arms full of gear and a heart full of sorrow, sat himself next to her, crossing his legs under him.

If Zelda noticed his arrival next to her, she didn't make it known. All Link could see was the way she seemed to draw in on herself, staring past the bow in her arms. Link could see the distance between them in her eyes, and found himself scooting closer to her as a result. It was enough, but it was better, and she gave him a sad sort of smile, looking up from the weapon, as he got closer.

The afternoon was spent in tears; a common occurrence in most moments since they'd been reunited. Their collective sorrow was unavoidable, and Link found himself sobbing with her.

As tears of his own dropped, the knight came to the conclusion that maybe he didn't deserve to let them fall. He didn't remember much, and believed his emotions to be, to a certain extent, entirely artificial. He looked over at Zelda, finding that she was beside herself with grief, and Link felt the guilt eating him alive. She remembered everything. There was nothing he could do to fix that, and he hated Calamity Gannon even more for all he continued to steal from them.

Link hadn't realized when he'd gotten so close, but as he handed her Urbosa's Scimitar, Zelda crashed into his arms easily. She collided with his chest, tears soaking his tunic, and Link brought his hands around her, carding them though the ends of her blonde hair. It would have been a tender moment; but Zelda hugged the scimitar to her chest, whispered Urbosa's name into it like a prayer, and suddenly everything tasted melancholic instead.

They worked through each weapon together, taking them into their shared hold like precious god-given gifts. Zelda and Link had little to remember their friends by, but they'd take what they could get and cherished the abysmal remains all the same. Once Zelda's sobbing subsided into just tears, she looked up from where she was tucked into his chest, blinking blearily up at Link.

"How much do you remember about them?" Her voice came out shaky, and it practically maimed the knight to hear how much guilt she carried within it.

Link recounted to her exactly how much he'd learned about their friends through his travels. He told Zelda about Sidon, and Yunobo, and Teba, and Chief Riju. Told her about how all of them helped him understand who the champions were and how he knew them. He told her about freeing the divine beasts, and meeting their friend's spirits. He described how they looked sea-glass green and how they still talked to their respective divine beasts like old friends. Zelda choked out a watery laugh when Link recounted how Revali doubted him up until the very end. She smiled with an unbridled fondness when he tried to imitate Daruk's voice and loud, room-filling laughter. Link got quieter as he recalled Mipha; he stood up, pulled his zora armor off the wall to show her, and finally pointed out to Zelda all the places he'd have scars if he didn't have Mipha's blessing. And finally, Link told Zelda about Urbosa; about how tall and intimidating her spirit was, how she bestowed the scariest blessing he'd ever experienced, and how she was so so proud of her little bird.

At the sound of the old nickname, Zelda's sobs began anew; but this time there was a soft smile accompanying the tears, her eyes so very far away but so very warm. He couldn't put a finger on what exactly she was feeling, but she clutched his tunic like he was the only real thing she'd ever known, and it suddenly didn't matter if he understood. His confusion was fine; he could deal with it, as long as she was finally getting a little bit of the endless peace she deserved more than anything.

Link continued to run his fingers through her hair, softly pushing stray hairs away from her face. She was curled into him, legs tucked in like a child, seeking shelter from all the memories plaguing her. Zelda had gotten quiet now, the occasional hiccup here and there, but otherwise still. Link weighed the outcomes of his question in his mind, hoping it wouldn't set her off into another wave of emotional turbulence she couldn't handle.

Link had watched Zelda, these past few days of traveling, become overwhelmed with a torrent of visible despair every time she looked in his direction. It was a quiet sadness, hidden just behind her eyes and in the straight line of her mouth; but Link had been dreaming of her face since he'd woken up, so it was incredibly apparent to him that something was wrong with his princess. There was something about him that upset her, and he was willing to do whatever it took to fix it.

He took a breath, gathering her closer into him. "Why do you look so sad when you see me?"

Link understood the stupidity of the question the second it left his mouth. He watched Zelda crumble, her eyebrows drawing inward as she curled up around herself and became small in his arms.

"I don't mean to. Really. It's not your fault." She began, before being cut off by her own hiccup. Zelda breathed deeply, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek. "It's just that you are so different from how I remember. Not a bad different, just unfamiliar."

Zelda moved her thumb across his cheek, feeling the way Link leaned into her hand. All was quiet and warm, they were together and they had both lived. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to give her the strength to continue.

"Sometimes, I remember who you used to be. He was quiet and closed off and almost never looked at me. I didn't like him very much." She chuckled sadly, looking up at Link in a way that made his heart ache. "But you laugh so loudly, and walk so freely and there are always happy people around you. I think you are who he would've been if he had been given the time to grow up. It does hurt a little to remember because you have his face and yet you are so different; it's like looking at the ghost of the boy I once knew. But you have grown and done so much; and you now, this new Link, is someone I am blessed just to know. So yes, I think I might always mourn a little bit for the boy I never got to watch grow up, but it has nothing to do with anything you've done. You saved me, and I will be forever grateful."

Link had been cold since the second he awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection; but now found himself ablaze with an inferno of warmth. He felt it in his toes, crawling up through his legs and into his torso. It sat in his torso, burning through his chest and threatening to burst out. He smiled in softest way, bringing his face to her hair and hugging her close. Nothing was fixed, they still had so much to clean up, but Zelda was in his arms, warm and soft and safe, and it was enough.

"I missed you so much, Zelda. Even when I didn't know who you were." Link whispered into her hair, uttering her name like it held divinity. "Please stay here with me." It sounded desperate, and Link could feel the way he begged on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't care. She was here, and he had finally saved her, and he didn't plan on letting her go.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly, a voice full of self-doubt and a timid fear. "You have no obligation to me anymore, you finished your duty as my knight the second the Calamity ceased. I would understand if you didn't want this anymore."

"Please just stay."

She nodded, tucking her face under his chin and breathing into his neck. Link had so desperately wished for this outcome; for her to stay with him, that he found himself in disbelief that it had actually happened. Zelda had always seemed like his one-shot at happiness, he knew it from the second he heard her voice within the Shrine. Now she was here, and he had his arms around her, and Link could feel that she was more real than anything he could've ever hoped for. Her skin was soft in his hands, her hair longer then he remembered, and her soft smile more comforting then anything else he'd ever seen.

Link had always suspected that he had been in love with Zelda at one point in the past, but sitting there, wrapped up and at her mercy, he was sure he never stopped loving her. Even when he forgot everything else, she remained.

[asianhappinesss]

The Devil Punisher (2020)

Summary

A baker by day and demon fighter by night, Zhong Kui, a reincarnated deity must jog his amnesiac lover's memory of their millennium-long romance.

Review

A good show indeed !

It’s called everything from a romance to a supernatural time-travel drama. It also introduces some of China’s historic and religious beliefs wrapped in a story about Gods and Humans, relationships and revenge. The story here revolves around The Exorcism Lord, Chung Keui, who’s also known as the ‘Devil Punisher’. He comes to Earth to put malicious spirits back in their box before they affect humans.He’s also on a mission to find Lady Meng 1087, who’s kidnapped and brought to Earth. As a result, she loses her memory of her work in the Underworld and Chung. With a sizeable, time-sensitive job, he’s also keen to win the heart of Hsin-Yu, as she’s known on Earth. Mike He, who plays Chung Kuei, can be seen most recently in the 2018 drama Tree in the River and film Come On Teacher. Ivy Shao is Lady Meng/Hsin-Yu appearing in romance dramas The Perfect Match and Back to 1989, both available on Netflix. Lu Po Ya is portrayed by Anson Chen, also seen in The Missing Half and Temptation of Plastic Surgery and soon to be hitting Hollywood according to news reports. Known for his intelligence, Chung Kuei is the warden of hell’s prison. Folklore, which dates back to the 700’s, notes his role is to rid the Chinese empire of evil. As a result, he’s often invoked at Chinese New Year to protect in the year ahead. Each episode closes with a message attributed to Chung Kuei, imbuing his responsibility as defender and vanquisher. Among the array of deities represented is Cheng Huang, whose historic role is to protect a city’s defences as guardian. As Chung’s friend and supporter, he also delivers many of the lighter moments, teasing Chung about his love life and supplying lessons in tactical dating. One of the more gratifying pieces is the 1000-year romance between Chung and Hsin-Yu. It shifts charmingly from ‘That guy must be in a triad, let’s call the police,’ to fighting side-by-side .Generous 65-70 min instalments give the creators plenty of time to dig into the narrative, sharing historic and cultural detail. The first several of which ease you into the story and the characters. It doesn’t get going until Episode 6 which takes a little too long but does connect the dots from there onward, effectively raising the tension from Episode 9. The mysterious origin of the malevolent ghosts and their uncanny power unfolds cleverly, offering opportunities to speculate. Yet while some reveals are done well, others slip in randomly where you could miss it if you’re distracted. Directors Zhang Jinrong and Chen Jingwen are supported by a team of four writers pulling together multiple plot points. Perhaps that’s a few too many cooks in the kitchen, as the storyline does seem to scatter here and there. Occasionally too drawn out with more ghost side stories than necessary, some chapters felt tedious while others zipped by. Whilst the backstory is enjoyable to discover, it could have been more cohesive, explaining some pieces sooner. At times it seemed like a mess of unconnected information, presuming a level of understanding that’s probably true to audiences in Taiwan and China but a bit confusing for those watching from other Netflix markets. Sets are a complementary mix of modern and historic, Earthly, Heavenly and Underworld-bound with concepts based on tales of The Bridge of Helplessness and the sky-high office of the Director of Destinies. While special effects are appealing for the most part, occasionally you’ve got to wonder about the choices, particularly considering the production scale. The blue-painted ghosts, for example, that are only translucent when someone is passing through them. Otherwise, they’re just blue people. And toward the end there’s one effect that stands out as ‘really?’ But in the spirit of spoiler alerts, I’ll leave that for you to discover. ‘Last Look’ is the catchy opening song and a tough one to find, which feels like a miss. It’s track 1 on the Original Soundtrack (OST) and one of the few places to hear the whole thing, rather than the shorter on-air cut. Another worth pointing out, noted by fellow viewer, Kave

is pretty duet ‘If You Turn Around,’ sung by chanteuse Amanda Wang and Anson Chen (Lu Po Ya), number 3 on the OST. There are some translation issues that plague the Netflix version of this drama too. The character names have quite different spellings to the series notes on Netflix and other sites, adding a layer of unnecessary confusion. Therefore, to make it easier to follow on The Review Geek, we aligned the names with the embedded subtitles. In addition to the translation muddle is the multitude of names for each character, including nicknames, titles, names from a past life, etc. You’ll need to focus to keep up. Like Jamie commented on the finale, I was disappointed with the conclusion. It’s not that it wasn’t satisfying – they do tie up loose ends and relationships – but more that the crescendo was lackluster after many hours of build-up. Additionally, they seemed to have dropped the ball on the ‘how’ of the power behind the malicious spirits and their leader. What The Devil Punisher presents then is a dive into culture and a fanciful spin out into the modern world. It’s an interesting perspective on the processes and administration of the afterlife, to be sure. Interestingly, although reviews were mixed, it maintains a number one rating in market and strong following on The Review Geek. Action-packed and filled with interesting concepts, the build up to the Nine Star Alignment gave promise. We spent a lot of time with this show – over 1500 minutes believe it or not – and may have been willing to forgive some of the previous mismatch. But ultimately, the resolution was anticlimactic.

[mattchase82]

THE EXORCISM OF NICOLA AUBREY By Father Michael Muller

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Taken from the book The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Fr. Michael Muller, (Imprimatur: Archbishop McClosky, New York 1884)

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It is indeed a remarkable fact that, as the devil made use of Luther, an apostate monk, to abolish the Mass and deny the Real Presence; in like manner, God made use of His arch-enemy, the devil, to prove the Real Presence. He repeatedly forced him publicly to profess his firm belief in it, to confound the heretics for their disbelief, and acknowledge himself vanquished by Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. For this purpose, God allowed a certain Mme. Nicola Aubrey, an innocent person, to become possessed by Beelzebub and twenty-nine other evil spirits. The possession took place on the eighth of November, 1565, and lasted until the eighth of February, 1566.

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Her parents took her to Father de Motta, a pious priest of Vervins, in order that he might expel the demon by exorcisms of the Church. Father de Motta tried several times to expel the evil spirit by applying the sacred relics of the holy cross, but he could not succeed; Satan would not depart. At last, inspired by the Holy Ghost, he resolved to expel the devil by means of the sacrament of Our Lord's Body and Blood. Whilst Nicola was lying in a state of unnatural lethargy, Father de Motta placed the Blessed Sacrament upon her lips, and instantly the infernal spell was broken; Nicola was restored to consciousness, and received Holy Communion with every mark of devotion. As soon as Nicola had received the sacred Body of Our Lord, her face became bright and beautiful as the face of an angel, and all who saw her were filled with joy and wonder, and they blessed God from their inmost hearts. With the permission of God, Satan returned and again took possession of Nicola.

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As the strange circumstances of Nicola's possession became known everywhere, several Calvinist preachers came with their followers, to "expose this popish cheat," as they said. On their entrance, the devil saluted them mockingly, called them by name, and told them that they had come in obedience to him. One of the preachers took his Protestant prayer book, and began to read it with a very solemn face. The devil laughed at him, and putting on a most comical look, he said: "Ho! Ho! My good friend; do you intend to expel me with your prayers and hymns? Do you think that they will cause me any pain? Don't you know that they are mine? I helped to compose them!"

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"I will expel thee in the name of God," said the preacher, solemnly.

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"You!" said the devil mockingly. "You will not expel me either in the name of God, or in the name of the devil. Did you ever hear of one devil driving out another?"

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"I am not a devil," said the preacher, angrily, "I am a servant of Christ."

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"A servant of Christ, indeed!" said Satan, with a sneer. "What! I tell you, you are worse than I am. I believe, and you do not want to believe. Do you suppose that you can expel me from the body of this miserable wretch? Ha! Go first and expel all the devils that are in your own heart!"

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The preacher took his leave, somewhat discomfited. On going away, he said, turning up the whites of his eyes, "O Lord, I pray thee, assist this poor creature!"

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"And I pray Lucifer," cried the evil spirit, "that he may never leave you, but may always keep you firmly in his power, as he does now. Go about your business, now. You are all mine, and I am your master."

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On the arrival of the priest, several of the Protestants went away – they had seen and heard more than they wanted. Others, however, remained; and great was their terror when they saw how the devil writhed and howled in agony, as soon as the Blessed Sacrament was brought near him. At last the evil spirit departed, leaving Nicola in a state of unnatural trance. While she was in this state, several of the preachers tried to open her eyes, but they found it impossible to do so. The priest then placed the Blessed Sacrament on Nicola's lips, and instantly she was restored to consciousness. Rev. Father de Motta then turned to the astonished preachers, and said: "Go now, ye preachers of the new Gospel; go and relate everywhere what you have seen and heard. Do not deny any longer that Our Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. Go now, and let not human respect hinder you from confessing the truth."

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During the exorcisms of the following days, the devil was forced to confess that he was not to be expelled at Vervins, and that he had with him twenty-nine devils, among whom were three powerful demons: Cerberus, Astaroth, and Legio. On the third of January, 1566, the bishop arrived at Vervins, and began the exorcism in the church, in the presence of an immense multitude.

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"I command thee, in the name and by power of the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, to depart instantly," said the bishop to Satan in a solemn voice.

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Satan was, at last, expelled the second time by means of the Blessed Sacrament. On leaving, he paralyzed the left arm and right foot of Nicola, and also made her left arm longer than her right; and no power on earth could cure this strange infirmity, until some weeks after, when the devil was at last completely and irrevocably expelled. Nicola was now taken to the celebrated pilgrimage of Our Lady at Liesse, especially since the devil seemed to fear that place so much. Next day Father de Motta began the exorcism in the church of Our Lady at Liesse, in the presence of an immense multitude. He took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and, showing it to the demon, he said: "I command thee, in the name of the living God, the great Emmanuel Whom thou seest here present, and in Whom thou believest."

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"Ah, yes!" shrieked the demon, "I believe in Him." And the devil howled again as he made this confession, for it was wrung from him by the power of Almighty God.

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"I command thee, then, in His Name," said the priest, "to quit this body instantly."

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At these words, and especially at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, the devil suffered the most frightful torture. At one moment the body of Nicola was rolled up like a ball; then again she became fearfully swollen. At one time her face was unnaturally lengthened, then excessively widened, and sometimes it was as red as scarlet. Her eyes, at times, protruded horribly, and then again sunk deeply into her skull. Her tongue hung down to her chin; it was sometimes black, sometimes red, and sometimes spotted like a toad. The priest still continued to urge and torture Satan. "Accursed spirit!" he cried, "I command thee, in the Name and by the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ here in the Blessed Sacrament, to depart instantly from the body of this poor creature.

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"Ah, yes!" cried Satan, howling wildly, "twenty-six of my companions shall leave this instant, for they are forced to do so."

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The people in the church now began to pray with great fervor. Suddenly Nicola's limbs began to crack, as if every bone in her body were breaking; a pestilential vapor came forth from her mouth, and twenty-six devils departed from her, never more to return. Nicola then fell into an unnatural swoon, from which she was aroused only by the Blessed Sacrament. On recovering her senses, and receiving holy communion, Nicola's face shone like the face of an angel. The priest still continued to urge the demon, and used every means to expel him.

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"I will not leave, unless commanded by the bishop of Leon," answered the demon, angrily.

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Nicola was now taken to Pierrepont, where one of the demons, name Legio, was expelled by means of the Blessed Sacrament. Next morning Nicola was brought to the church. Scarcely had she quitted the house, when the devil again took possession of her. The bishop who was requested to exorcise Nicola, prepared himself for this terrible task by prayer and fasting, and other works of penance. On arrival of Nicola in the Church, the exorcism began. "How many are you in this body?" asked the bishop.

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"There are three of us," answered the evil spirit.

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"What are your names?"

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"Beelzebub, Cerberus, and Astaroth."

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"What has become of the others?" asked the bishop.

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"They have been expelled," answered Satan.

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"Who expelled them?"

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"Ha!" cried the devil, gnashing his teeth, "it was He whom you hold in your hand, there on the paten." The devil meant our dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

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The bishop then held the Blessed Sacrament near the face of Nicola. The demon writhed and howled in agony. "Ah, yes! I will go, I will go!" he shrieked, "but I shall return."

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Suddenly Nicola became stiff and motionless as marble. The bishop then touched her lips with the Blessed Sacrament, and in an instant she was fully restored to consciousness. She received holy communion, and her countenance now shone with a wondrous, supernatural beauty. Next day Nicola was brought again to the Church, and the exorcism began as usual. The bishop took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, held it near the face of Nicola, and said:

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"I command thee in the name of the living God, and by the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ here in the sacrament of the altar, to depart instantly from the body of this creature of God, and never more to return."

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"No! No!" shrieked the devil, "I will not go. My hour is not yet come."

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"I command thee to depart. Go forth, impure, accursed spirit! Go forth!" and the bishop held the Blessed Sacrament close to Nicola's face.

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"Stop! stop!", shrieked Satan; "let me go! I will depart – but I shall return." And instantly Nicola fell into the most frightful convulsions. A black smoke was seen issuing from her mouth, and she fell again into a swoon.

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During her stay in Leon, Nicola was carefully examined by Catholic and Protestant physicians. Her left arm, which had been paralyzed by the devil, was found entirely without feeling. The doctors cut into the arm with a sharp knife; they burnt it with fire; they drove pins and needles under the nails of the fingers; but Nicola felt not pain; her arm was utterly insensible. Once, while Nicola was lying in a state of unnatural lethargy, the doctors gave her some bread soaked in wine (it was what the Protestants call their communion, or Lord's Supper); they rubbed her limbs briskly; they threw water in her face; they pierced her tongue until the blood flowed; they tried every possible means to arouse her, but in vain! Nicola remained cold and motionless as marble. At last, the priest touched the lips of Nicola with the Blessed Sacrament, and instantly she was restored to consciousness, and began to praise God.

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The miracle was so clear, so palpable, that one of the doctors, who was a bigoted Calvinist, immediately renounced his errors, and became a Catholic. Several times, also, the Protestants touched Nicola's face with a host which was not consecrated, and which, consequently, was only bread, but Satan was not the least tormented by this. He only ridiculed their efforts.

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On the twenty-seventh of January, the bishop, after having walked in solemn procession with the clergy and the faithful, began the exorcism in church, in the presence of a vast multitude of Protestants and Catholics. The bishop now held the Blessed Sacrament close to the face of Nicola. Suddenly a wild, unearthly yell rings through the air -- a black, heavy smoke issues from the mouth of Nicola. The demon Astaroth is expelled forever. During the exorcism which took place on the first of February, the bishop said:

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"O accursed spirit! Since neither prayer, nor the holy gospels, neither the exorcisms of the Church, nor the holy relics, can compel thee to depart, I will now show thee thy Lord and Master, and by His power I command thee."

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During the exorcism, which took place after Mass, the bishop held the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and said: "O accursed spirit, arch-enemy of the ever-blessed God! I command thee, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ here present, to depart from this poor woman! Depart accursed, into the everlasting flames of hell!"

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At these words, and especially at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, the demon was so fearfully tormented, and the appearance of Nicola was so hideous and revolting, that the people turned away their eyes in horror. At last a heavy sigh was heard, and a cloud of black smoke issued from the mouth of Nicola. Cerberus was expelled. Again Nicola fell into a death-like swoon, and again she was brought to consciousness only by means of the Blessed Sacrament. During the exorcism which took place on the seventh day of February, the bishop said to Satan:

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"Tell me. Why hast thou taken possession of this honest and virtuous Catholic woman?"

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"I have done so by permission of God. I have taken possession of her on account of the sins of the people. I have done it to show my Calvinists that there are devils who can take possession of man whenever God permits it. I know they do not want to believe this, but I will show them that I am the devil. I have taken possession of this creature in order to convert them, or to harden them in their sins; and, by the Sacred Blood, I will perform my task."

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This answer filled all who heard it with horror. "Yes," answered the bishop, solemnly, "God desires to unite all men in the only holy faith. As there is but one God, so there can be but one true religion. A religion like that which the Protestants have invented, is but a hollow mockery. It must fall. The religion established by Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only true one; it alone shall last forever. It is destined to unite all men within its sacred embrace, so that there shall be but one sheepfold and one shepherd. This divine Shepherd is Our Lord Jesus Christ, the invisible head of the holy Roman Catholic Church, whose visible head is our holy Father the Pope, successor of St. Peter."

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The devil was silent – he was put to shame before the entire multitude. He was expelled once more by means of the Blessed Sacrament. In the afternoon of the same day the devil began to cry: "Ah! Ha! You think that you can expel me in this way. You have not the proper attendance of a bishop. Where are the dean and the archdean? Where are the royal judges? Where is the chief magistrate, who was frightened out of his wits that night, in the prison? Where is the procurator of the king? Where are his attorneys and counselors? Where is the clerk of the court?" (The devil mentioned each of these by name.) "I will not depart until all are assembled. Were I to depart now, what proof could you give to the king of all that has happened? Do you think that people will believe you so easily? No! No! There are many who would make objections. The testimony of these common country-people here will have but little weight. It is a torment to me that I must tell you what you have to do. I am forced to do it. Ha! Cursed be the hour in which I first took possession of this vile wretch.

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"I find little pleasure in thy prating," answered the bishop. "There are witnesses enough here. Those whom you have mentioned are not necessary. Depart! then; give glory to God. Depart – go to the flames of hell!"

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"Yes, I shall depart, but not today. I know full well that I must depart. My sentence is passed; I am compelled to leave."

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"I care not for thy jabbering," said the bishop, "I shall expel thee by the power of God: by the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ."

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"Yes, I must yield to you," shrieked the demon wildly. "It tortures me that I must give you this honor."

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The bishop now took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and held it close to the face of the possessed woman. At last, Satan was compelled to flee once more. The next morning, after the procession was ended, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered up as usual. During the consecration, the possessed woman was twice raised over six feet into the air, and then fell back heavily upon the platform. As the bishop, just before the Pater Noster, took the Sacred Host once more in his hand, and raised it with the chalice, the possessed woman was again whisked into the air, carrying with her the keepers, fifteen in number, at least six feet above the platform; and, after a while, she fell heavily back on the ground.

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At this sight, all present were filled with amazement and terror. A German Protestant named Voske fell on his knees; he burst into tears; he was converted. "Ah!" cried he, "I now believe firmly that the devil really possesses this poor creature. I believe that it is really the body and blood of Jesus Christ which expels him. I believe firmly. I will no longer remain a Protestant." After Mass, the exorcism began as usual.

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"Now, at last," said the bishop, "thou must depart. Away with thee, evil spirit!"

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"Yes," said Satan, "it is true that I must depart, but not yet. I will not go before the hour is come in which I first took possession of this wretched creature."

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At last the bishop took the Sacred Host in his hand, and said: "In the name of the adorable Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – in the name of the sacred body of Jesus Christ here present – I command thee, wicked spirit, to depart."

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"Yes, yes, it is true!" shrieked the demon wildly; "It is true. It is the body of God. I must confess it, for I am forced to do so. Ha! It tortures me that I must confess this, but I must. I speak the truth only when I am forced to do it. The truth is not from me. It comes from my Lord and Master. I have entered this body by the permission of God."

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The bishop now held the Blessed Sacrament close to the face of the possessed woman. The demon writhed in fearful agony. He tried in every way to escape from the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. At length a black smoke was seen issuing from the mouth of Nicola. She fell into a swoon, and was restored to consciousness only by means of the Blessed Sacrament. The eighth of February, the day appointed by God on which Satan was to leave Nicola forever, arrived at last. After the solemn procession, the bishop began the last exorcism.

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"I shall not ask thee any longer," said the bishop to Satan, "when thou intendest to leave, I will expel thee instantly by the power of the living God, and by the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, here present in the Sacrament of the Altar."

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"Ha, yes!" shrieked the demon. "I confess that the Son of God is here really and truly present. He is my Lord and Master. It tortures me to confess it, but I am forced to do so." Then he repeated several times, with a wild, unearthly howl: "Yes, it is true. I must confess it. I am forced to leave, by the power of God's body here present. I must – I must depart. It torments me that I must go so soon, and that I must confess this truth. But this truth is not from me; it comes from my Lord and Master, who has sent me hither, and who commands and compels me to confess the truth publicly."

.

The bishop then took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and, holding it on high, he said, with a solemn voice: "O thou wicked, unclean spirit, Beelzebub! Thou arch-enemy of the eternal God! Behold, here present, the precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Lord and Master! I adjure thee, in the name and by the power of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who is here present; I command thee to depart instantly and forever from this creature of God. Depart to the deepest depth of hell, there to be tormented forever. Go forth, unclean spirit, go forth – behold here thy Lord and Master!"

.

At these solemn words, and at the sight of our sacramental Lord, the poor possessed woman writhed fearfully. Her limbs cracked as if every bone in her body were breaking. The fifteen strong men who held her, could scarcely keep her back. They staggered from side to side; they were covered with perspiration. Satan tried to escape from the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The mouth of Nicola was wide open, her tongue hung down below her chin, her face was shockingly swollen and distorted. Her color changed from yellow to green, and became even gray and blue, so that she no longer looked like a human being; it was rather the face of a hideous, incarnate demon. All present trembled with terror, especially when they heard the wild cry of the demon, which sounded like the loud roar of a wild bull. They fell on their knees, and with tears in their eyes, began to cry out: "Jesus, have mercy!"

.

The bishop continued to urge Satan. At last the evil spirit departed, and Nicola fell back senseless into the arms of her keepers. She still, however, remained shockingly distorted. In this state she was shown to the judges, and to all the people present; she was rolled up like a ball. The bishop now fell on his knees, in order to give her the Blessed Sacrament as usual. But see! Suddenly the demon returns, wild with rage, endeavors to seize the hand of the bishop, and even tries to grasp the Blessed Sacrament itself. The bishop starts back; Nicola is carried into the air and the bishop rises from his knees, trembling with terror and pale as death.

.

The good bishop takes courage again; he pursues the demon, holding the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, till at length the demon, overcome by the power of Our Lord's sacred body, goes forth amidst smoke, and lightning, and thunder. Thus was the demon at length expelled forever, on Friday afternoon, at three o'clock, the same day and hour on which Our Lord triumphed over hell by His ever-blessed death.

.

Nicola was now completely cured; she could move her left arm with the greatest ease. She fell on her knees and thanked God, as well as the good bishop, for all he had done for her. The people wept for joy, and sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving in honor of our dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. On all sides were heard the exclamations: "Oh, what a great miracle! Oh, thank God that I witnessed it! Who is there now that can doubt of the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar!" Many a Protestant also said: "I believe now in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament; I have seen with my eyes! I will remain a Calvinist no longer. Accursed be those who have hitherto kept me in error! Oh, now I can understand what a good thing is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!"

.

A solemn Te Deum was intoned; the organ pealed forth and the bells rung forth a merry chime. The whole city was filled with joy.

.

This great triumph of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament over Satan occurred in the presence of more than 150,000 people, in the presence of the ecclesiastical and civil authorities of the city, of Protestants and Catholics.

[bicol-xpress]

The Snake Enchantress

There was once a fabulous snake in Tiwi (Albay) reputed to have lured many men to destruction. When she wanted a victim she would change herself into a beautiful woman. She was the daughter of the evil god, Asuang, and her name was Irago or Oriol. Her abode, people believed, was under the Tiwi hot springs (higabo). During moonlit nights she would be seen by passers-by sporting among the boiling waters. Those who had seen her without falling for her charms could attest to the fact that at that time Irago was very captivating, and would add that if they did not flee they themselves would have been bewitched to death, too. 

Her powers were reported by men whose companions perished under her enchantment. The people would not of course believe such an incredible tale. Of course, they believed in Asuang but not any connection between Irago and him. It was said that she would catch her victims and deliver their souls to her father. 

Her mode of enchanting men was very simple. She would simply make herself very irresistible until the singled out man became so mad that he had no alternative but to jump after her, and consequently, as he plunged into hot waters he got boiled before any help could arrive. But it was even said that the victim would rather die than be saved. As the man died Irago would change herself back to the form of a snake, and take his soul out of him to deliver to her father, Asuang. Then when she was ready to take the next man she would change herself again to a beautiful woman. This went on for some time. And the headmen of the town interfered. The men, especially the young men, were growing fewer and fewer. They discussed means of getting rid of the enchantress, and subsequently, they issued notices that nobody should go to the higabo under pain of punishment. But in spite of this the toll continued to mount. 

Then they prayed to Gugurang, the good god, to deliver them from such a scourge, and Gugurang told them to offer a sacrifice (atang) to him, and after that an exorcism (hidhid) against Asuang. So the Balienas, the priestesses, were summoned to make preparations. A shelter of palms known as Gulang-gulangan then, (Pala-Pala now) was built and this served as the temple. What they sacrificed was not exactly known. But it was the best that they could offer to their highest deity. After that in another place they performed the exorcism or hidhid by using betel nut leaves. All finished, they expected that the power of Irago was totally annihilated but even then they continued to hear again of men lured to the boiling stream. 

One day amidst depressed spirits arrived a youth. He announced that he had come to battle with the enchantress and to deliver the people from her. He was too young and he was asked by the elders not to risk his young life, and the women especially, entreated him for their sake. But the youth could not be daunted. He was asked what his name was; he answered that it was not for him to reply. 

On the chosen night—when there was a moon—the youth went to kill 1 rago. He was dressed with charmed palm leaves which was believed to immunize the wearer from injuries. In one of his inner pockets he carried a magic stone, a round one, which he had obtained in this way: On the third night after the full moon he watched under the blossom (puso) of a banana and at eight o'clock a stone fell from the puso. He picked it up and a giant appeared to snatch it from him. They fought and he vanquished him, and thus he got possession of the magic stone. The stone had the power to make him invincible. He also carried a spear and a minasbad (sword). 

Thus equipped, he battled with the snake enchantress. Three days and three nights they fought. Irago tried to enchant him but she was powerless to use this weapon. She was beginning to fail herself. She called her father, Asuang. Asuang answered. With an art all his own he caused the youth's palm clothes to burn. For a while the youth writhed in agony. The snake bit him but because of the stone he was carrying she could not cause any wound. They fought until the seventh day. 

On the seventh day the youth succeeded in finding an opening in the scales of the wily snake and his minasbad cut a big wound. She lay moaning and breathed fire. She again called to her father, who readily responded. Asuang sent a spirit to snatch the stone from the youth. Invisible to him, the evil spirit stole the magic stone which when he felt gone his courage began to fail him. Seeing this advantage Irago, lying on her deathbed, rallied and succeeded in sending the youth sprawling into the hot water. The onlookers rushed to save him but it was too late. But just as he died, Irago expired, too. 

The delivered people were sorrowful to see their hero die, too. They took the body of the youth and buried it with proper ceremonies amidst the lamentation of the whole people.

Source: Eugenio, D.L. (2002). The Snake Enchantress. In The Legends. (1st Edition, Vol. 3,  p351). University of the Philippine Press.

[anarchistbanjo]

Early Church Views Toward Women

Today we are going to talk about the views of the early Church toward women. But first a little note about the early goddess religions that were mystical in nature and balanced between male and female. They began to be demonized and the early Church began to consider them satanic. Now you're not going to believe what I'm about to say so I will just quote it. These are quotations from the early Church fathers and their attitudes toward women. [My translation from the German]

“Up to this time Satan as the antichrist had not been born. The evil God was dual in nature. Satan as father, Satan as Samyasa, Satan as poet and philosopher, lived in the proud all knowing and all powerful cast of the Magi. He lived in the silent mysteries of the Chaldean temples and his priests were the hakamim (physicians), the khartumim (magicians), the kasdim and the gazrim (astrologers).

This Satan lived in the doctrines of Mazdeism and it’s children, the Magi, were the great protectors of the sacred flame that came down to them from heaven. Satan also lived in Ahura Mazda, the good God, that taught Zarathustra the secrets of the Haoma plant and in the Egyptian God, Thoth, Trimegistos, who wrote the secret knowledge down into 42 books and taught his chosen ones the important parts of the body. The terrible Hecate shared the gift of magical visions and workings with her chosen ones, as well as the gift of the invisible death stroke.

But besides Satan as Thoth and Satan as Hecate, there lived on the earth. Satan as Satyr, Satan as Pan and Satan as phallus. He was the God of the instincts and carnal lust and was equally revered by the highest in spirit as well as the lowest. He was the inexhaustible source of life's joy, the enthusiasm and the ecstasy. He taught women the arts of seduction and allowed men to double their sex drive and satisfy their lusts. He reveled in colors, invented the flute and set the muscles into rhythmic motion until a holy ecstasy enveloped the heart and the sacred phallus inseminated the fertile womb with its abundance.

Pan was Apollo then and Aphrodite at the same time. He was the God of the home hearth as well as of the bordello. He was the author of schools of philosophy. He built museums and glorious temples. He taught medicine and mathematics while at the same time, his temple in Astarteion was an immense bordello. The priestesses at Astarteion practiced the sexual arts and over the long years learned every imaginable means of sexual gratification.

Around this time, around the time of Tiberius, the great migration of the gods to Rome began. It was a time of the highest refinement and aristocratic enjoyment of life. The good God that had until then remained enthroned in his invisible kingdom of indolence and pleasure decided that the measure of sins had become too great and so he sent his son to earth, that he might make clear to the offspring of the bad God his dreary truth of the invisible worlds.

And he came to earth, this son of the good God, and revealed himself at first to the poor, the oppressed, the slaves and the day workers that had never tasted the holy joys of Pan.

Why trouble yourselves over your daily bread? Who dresses the lilies in the most beautiful colors compared to which scarlet and brocade are only empty rags? Who nourishes the birds that neither sow nor reap? Why do you strive after worldly things that will perish? What value is your pride when the highest on the earth will become the lowest in the kingdom of heaven? And what of your carnal desire, isn't it the gateway to hell?

Oh, carnal desire, most especially carnal desire, the seat of all the passions, the inexhaustible source of life's joy, the will to eternal life. It had to be destroyed so the kingdom of the invisible could take over the earth.

The Master said that a man had already defiled a woman when he looked upon her with lust. The disciples went much further. St. Cyprian said of the girl that was created in such a way that she excited a sigh of love from a man- that she was shameless, and if she allowed anyone to burn with lust for her- even unknowingly- then she was no longer a virgin.

“Woman! What do you and I have in common with each other?” asked the Master. The disciples went far beyond the Master.

Tertullian wrote “You are the portal to the devil.”

“You are the destroyer of the tree.”

“You are the first sinner against divine law.”

“You are the one that persuades those that do not wish to turn to the devil.”

“Everything evil comes from woman,” moaned St. Hieronymus. Yes, he even proclaimed that woman was not created in the image of God because the Holy Book said nothing about the soul of woman at the creation of the female.

The good God of the invisible hated earthly beauty. He hated everything holy that Satan as pan revealed and celebrated. He taught the transitory nature of the world and what was right. The smallest revolt of the flesh was a sin that had to be punished with long years of penance.

Tertullian raged with fanatical hatred against every purple ribbon that women sewed into their clothing. Lactantius cursed the poets and philosophers for dragging innocent souls into ruin. Paintings were destroyed, “That which grows naturally is the creation of God, everything man-made is the work of the devil.” Theater and the circus became “inventions of the devil”.

Yes, the holy fathers themselves warned of the colors of the flowers with which the demon, the evil enemy, clothed himself in color and splendor.

Isaurius, the Iconoclast, competed with Gregory the Great in the destruction of artistic images. Theodosius II had every Temple destroyed and crosses erected on top of them. They destroyed the most majestic poetic works with disastrous falsifications or annihilated them completely. The diabolist Cyprian taught that various works of the demon were hidden in poems.

The priestesses of Aphrodite became whores that anyone could pelt with filth, and love, love became God’s love! “Vanquish love, vanquish the devil!”.  Everything natural was forbidden, especially the healing powers of nature. God sent illness into the world as a way to allow man to atone for a portion of his sins while still here on earth. It was a sin to frustrate this decree of God. At best, exorcisms were still allowed, not to heal a disease, but instead only to demonstrate the triumphant power of good over evil.

“The demon is everywhere.”  According to Hieronymus. Even the air is full of trembling demons that scream and wail over the death of the old gods. The demon is hidden in every flower, in every tree, that brings joy, fertility, wealth and beauty. He brings the day as Lucifer and closes it as Venus who brings voluptuous lewd dreams.

The first century only knew one religion, the battle against the demon.

But that battle was not easy. In its fanatical lunacy the Church threw itself against the deepest and most sacred bonds that united man to the cosmic. It forcefully tore man loose from nature, isolated him, and suspended him between heaven and earth. The mysterious rapport that the naked soul of man had with the soul of ALL became completely separate from the brain and was declared satanic, a deception of Satan.

Ancient man had stood in an intimate relationship with nature. They lived directly in and with nature. They were a part of it, were one of nature's nerves that sounded at the smallest change in the environment. And if all the inventions of the human spirit were only organic projections, then the power of every polytheistic cult to bless and destroy was an organic projection as well. Just as the soul was a mechanism of the body that looked out from the inside of it and projected out into the world, nature revealed itself to the heathen cults in powerful symbols.

In a confused battle the church destroyed one by one the veins, through which the blood of the earth flowed in man. It destroyed the unconscious natural selection process of nature that expressed itself in external beauty, strength and nobility. It defended everything that nature wanted to eliminate, that which was so powerfully repulsive, filth, ugliness, disease, the crippled, and the castrated. The Church would have loved it if everyone was castrated, the light extinguished and the entire earth allowed to be consumed with acid rain. It's only desire, its burning request, was the ardent wish that the recently promised Day of Judgment would finally come at last.”

[the-christian-walk]

LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons." Matthew 9:32-34 This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God. Have you experienced a miraculous work of the Lord? If not, perhaps you haven’t been keeping your eyes and ears open as they are happening in volume each and every day…and have been since the dawn of creation. You only need to read the first chapter of the first book of the Bible to see the awesome power of God in full display. You could also watch either of these two videos by Louie Giglio as they both serve to further underscore the greatness and majesty of God very well:

 “How Great Is Our God” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAzCP8SEKwc

 or

 “Indescribable”, https://vimeo.com/23304568

 Now turn your eyes from the Old Testament and look toward the New where we find Jesus and the breadth of His Father’s power on full display in and through Him and the works He performed during His ministry. In just the past few devotions alone, we have read accounts where He raised a young girl from death to life and brought total healing to a woman suffering from bleeding and two blind men with just a single touch. Indeed, He had performed many incredible acts of goodness among the people, acts that no one had ever witnessed before. We see that trend continuing today as we continue our study of Matthew, Chapter 9. Look again at these verses here:

 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons."  Matthew 9:32-34 In this passage, we find Jesus and His disciples encountering a “man who was demon-possessed and could not talk”. We don’t know how long this man may have been afflicted like this but note here that the demon within had rendered the man silent and the demon itself even remained quiet in the presence of Jesus. Contrast this with the man who had been taken over by an evil spirit named Legion who actually carried on a conversation with Jesus, knowing who He was and the great might He possessed, a might that could vanquish demons into the Abyss.

 Well, the actions of the demons may have been different but one thing that wasn’t was how Jesus dealt with each. For in this account from Mathew, we read where Jesus drove the demon out, enabling the man to speak once again.

 As we have seen throughout Jesus’ ministry, He had drawn a crowd who no doubt gathered with anticipation that He would do something remarkable and astounding in addition to teaching them the will of the Father and how they were to live. With the healing of the demon-possessed man, Jesus didn’t disappoint those who were in His company. In fact, those in the awestruck crowd proclaimed:

 "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."

Indeed, the crowd had never seen any man do what Jesus had done. They had only seen God do similar works, which has always left me baffled who the people could not accept the claims of Jesus to be God’s Son. Surely, there could be by way of no other power that He could perform the acts He was.

Well, unfortunately not everyone was impressed with what Jesus had done. For scripture tells us that the Pharisees who witnessed the exorcism first-hand didn’t see it as an amazing miracle of God. Rather, they connected Jesus to Satan, saying "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons." They couldn’t have been more wrong and it’s sad to me that the Jewish religious leaders, the ones who had the obligation under God to teach people the truth, chose to ignore all the Messianic prophesies that had predicted Jesus’ coming and refused to align Him with His heavenly Father. That sadness translates to present times as well. For aren’t these the same competing attitudes we see in our world today? On one hand, we have those who believe in the power of God, or come to believe in the power of God, through the amazing, incredible works He does each and every day. These people have absolutely no reservations with believing Jesus is God’s one and only Son, that He has been given authority over the heavens and the earth, and that He possesses the power to do anything, to include being the Savior for all mankind.   On the other hand, we have those who would like to attribute what they witness to other things like to science or black magic or chance, anything but a Master Creator and Maker and His only Son. These skeptics close their minds, hearts, eyes and ears to the possibility that anything could be of God and mock anyone who does. Sadly, they do it to their own demise and destruction for without believing in God and Jesus, they miss out on glory, now and forever.   What a heartbreaking existence that is but it is all about choice. God gave us free will to choose salvation or damnation. We will rise or fall by way of the option we pick. As for me, I choose to believe and trust in Jesus, the only One through which we can be saved, the only One through which all things are possible. Whether in New Testament times or today, there is nothing beyond the work of His almighty, infinitely powerful hands.

 One thing’s for sure. Live for Jesus and He will continuously lead you to and through experiences that will leave you in awe like the crowd in today’s scripture passage. For a life with the Savior is a life like nothing you have ever seen. Amen. In Christ, Mark PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

[asianhappinesss]

The Devil Punisher (2020)

Summary

A baker by day and demon fighter by night, Zhong Kui, a reincarnated deity must jog his amnesiac lover's memory of their millennium-long romance.

Review

A good show indeed !

It’s called everything from a romance to a supernatural time-travel drama. It also introduces some of China’s historic and religious beliefs wrapped in a story about Gods and Humans, relationships and revenge. The story here revolves around The Exorcism Lord, Chung Keui, who’s also known as the ‘Devil Punisher’. He comes to Earth to put malicious spirits back in their box before they affect humans.He’s also on a mission to find Lady Meng 1087, who’s kidnapped and brought to Earth. As a result, she loses her memory of her work in the Underworld and Chung. With a sizeable, time-sensitive job, he’s also keen to win the heart of Hsin-Yu, as she’s known on Earth. Mike He, who plays Chung Kuei, can be seen most recently in the 2018 drama Tree in the River and film Come On Teacher. Ivy Shao is Lady Meng/Hsin-Yu appearing in romance dramas The Perfect Match and Back to 1989, both available on Netflix. Lu Po Ya is portrayed by Anson Chen, also seen in The Missing Half and Temptation of Plastic Surgery and soon to be hitting Hollywood according to news reports. Known for his intelligence, Chung Kuei is the warden of hell’s prison. Folklore, which dates back to the 700’s, notes his role is to rid the Chinese empire of evil. As a result, he’s often invoked at Chinese New Year to protect in the year ahead. Each episode closes with a message attributed to Chung Kuei, imbuing his responsibility as defender and vanquisher. Among the array of deities represented is Cheng Huang, whose historic role is to protect a city’s defences as guardian. As Chung’s friend and supporter, he also delivers many of the lighter moments, teasing Chung about his love life and supplying lessons in tactical dating. One of the more gratifying pieces is the 1000-year romance between Chung and Hsin-Yu. It shifts charmingly from ‘That guy must be in a triad, let’s call the police,’ to fighting side-by-side .Generous 65-70 min instalments give the creators plenty of time to dig into the narrative, sharing historic and cultural detail. The first several of which ease you into the story and the characters. It doesn’t get going until Episode 6 which takes a little too long but does connect the dots from there onward, effectively raising the tension from Episode 9. The mysterious origin of the malevolent ghosts and their uncanny power unfolds cleverly, offering opportunities to speculate. Yet while some reveals are done well, others slip in randomly where you could miss it if you’re distracted. Directors Zhang Jinrong and Chen Jingwen are supported by a team of four writers pulling together multiple plot points. Perhaps that’s a few too many cooks in the kitchen, as the storyline does seem to scatter here and there. Occasionally too drawn out with more ghost side stories than necessary, some chapters felt tedious while others zipped by. Whilst the backstory is enjoyable to discover, it could have been more cohesive, explaining some pieces sooner. At times it seemed like a mess of unconnected information, presuming a level of understanding that’s probably true to audiences in Taiwan and China but a bit confusing for those watching from other Netflix markets. Sets are a complementary mix of modern and historic, Earthly, Heavenly and Underworld-bound with concepts based on tales of The Bridge of Helplessness and the sky-high office of the Director of Destinies. While special effects are appealing for the most part, occasionally you’ve got to wonder about the choices, particularly considering the production scale. The blue-painted ghosts, for example, that are only translucent when someone is passing through them. Otherwise, they’re just blue people. And toward the end there’s one effect that stands out as ‘really?’ But in the spirit of spoiler alerts, I’ll leave that for you to discover. ‘Last Look’ is the catchy opening song and a tough one to find, which feels like a miss. It’s track 1 on the Original Soundtrack (OST) and one of the few places to hear the whole thing, rather than the shorter on-air cut. Another worth pointing out, noted by fellow viewer, Kave

is pretty duet ‘If You Turn Around,’ sung by chanteuse Amanda Wang and Anson Chen (Lu Po Ya), number 3 on the OST. There are some translation issues that plague the Netflix version of this drama too. The character names have quite different spellings to the series notes on Netflix and other sites, adding a layer of unnecessary confusion. Therefore, to make it easier to follow on The Review Geek, we aligned the names with the embedded subtitles. In addition to the translation muddle is the multitude of names for each character, including nicknames, titles, names from a past life, etc. You’ll need to focus to keep up. Like Jamie commented on the finale, I was disappointed with the conclusion. It’s not that it wasn’t satisfying – they do tie up loose ends and relationships – but more that the crescendo was lackluster after many hours of build-up. Additionally, they seemed to have dropped the ball on the ‘how’ of the power behind the malicious spirits and their leader. What The Devil Punisher presents then is a dive into culture and a fanciful spin out into the modern world. It’s an interesting perspective on the processes and administration of the afterlife, to be sure. Interestingly, although reviews were mixed, it maintains a number one rating in market and strong following on The Review Geek. Action-packed and filled with interesting concepts, the build up to the Nine Star Alignment gave promise. We spent a lot of time with this show – over 1500 minutes believe it or not – and may have been willing to forgive some of the previous mismatch. But ultimately, the resolution was anticlimactic.