某村有恶鬼恶鬼凶恶的鬼魂，与善鬼、冤鬼相对。恶鬼不讲道理、不求超度，纯粹以伤害活人为乐。这是宋代志怪中最"纯粹"的恐怖角色——没有复杂的前世恩怨，只有纯粹的恶意。，名"刘叉"。夜入人家，抓伤人面，人皆惧之。
村中多人被伤，伤口青紫，数日方愈。有老者识之，曰：「此古时凶死凶死非正常死亡，即横死、暴死。与"善终"（自然老死）相对。凶死者的灵魂被认为怨气最重，最容易变成厉鬼作祟。者之鬼也，须请道士驱之。」
遂请道士设坛作法。道士以桃木剑指天画地，口中念咒，烧符三道。忽闻空中有声如裂帛，恶鬼厉啸而去，自后不复为祟。
A certain village had a vicious ghost恶鬼 è guǐA malevolent ghost, contrasted with benevolent or wronged spirits. Vicious ghosts are unreasonable, don't seek salvation, and purely take pleasure in harming the living. This is the "purest" horror figure in Song supernatural tales — no complex karmic backstory, just pure malice. named "Liu Cha." It entered houses at night and clawed people's faces; everyone lived in fear.
Many villagers were injured, their wounds turning blue-purple, healing only after several days. An elder recognized it: "This is the ghost of one who died violently凶死 xiōng sǐUnnatural death — murder, accident, or suicide, as opposed to "peaceful death" (natural old age). Spirits of the violently dead are believed to harbor the deepest resentment and are most likely to become wrathful ghosts. in ancient times. We must invite a Daoist priest to exorcise it."
A Daoist was summoned and erected an altar. He pointed his peach-wood sword to heaven and earth, chanted incantations, and burned three talismans. Suddenly a sound like tearing silk echoed through the air; the vicious ghost shrieked and fled, never to haunt again.
宋代志怪的"标准模板"
《刘叉伤人》是宋代志怪叙事模式的标准范例：恶鬼作祟 → 百姓受害 → 请道士 → 作法驱邪 → 鬼去人安。这个模板在《夷坚志》中反复出现，构成了宋代志怪的"套路"。但正是这种标准化，反映了宋代社会对超自然事件的"制度化应对"——遇到鬼怪，就像遇到其他社会问题一样，有标准的解决流程（找道士）。
特别值得注意的是"桃木剑"和"符箓"这两个驱邪工具。桃木在中国文化中被认为有驱邪功能（源于神荼、郁垒的传说），符箓则是道教法术的核心载体。道士"指天画地"的仪式动作，象征着重新建立天地之间的秩序——驱邪本质上是一种"秩序恢复"行为。
恶鬼"刘叉"的无因之恶
与其他志怪故事不同，《刘叉伤人》中的恶鬼没有复杂的前世恩怨——它只是"古时凶死者之鬼"，纯粹以伤害活人为乐。这种"无因之恶"是宋代志怪的一个显著特征，反映了市民社会中人们对"随机暴力"的恐惧。刘叉没有理由地抓伤村民的脸，就像现实生活中没有理由的暴力犯罪。
The "Standard Template" of Song Supernatural Tales
"Liu Cha Injures" is the standard model of Song supernatural narrative: demon haunts → people suffer → summon Daoist → perform exorcism → demon flees, people safe. This template recurs throughout Yijian Zhi, forming the "formula" of Song supernatural tales. But this standardization reflects Song society's "institutionalized response" to supernatural events — encountering a ghost, like any social problem, had a standard solution (find a Daoist).
Notably, the "peach-wood sword" and "talismans" are the two exorcism tools. Peach wood is believed to repel evil in Chinese culture (from the Shentu-Yulei legend); talismans are the core vehicle of Daoist magic. The Daoist's "pointing sword to heaven and earth" ritual symbolizes restoring cosmic order — exorcism is fundamentally an act of "order restoration."
Liu Cha's Unmotivated Evil
Unlike other supernatural tales, Liu Cha has no complex karmic backstory — he's simply "the ghost of one who died violently in ancient times," purely taking pleasure in harming the living. This "unmotivated evil" is a distinctive Song feature, reflecting urban society's fear of "random violence." Liu Cha claws villagers' faces for no reason, just like real-world senseless violent crime.
道士驱邪的核心法器。桃木在中国文化中被认为具有驱鬼辟邪的功能，源于上古神话中神荼、郁垒二神在桃树下执鬼的传说。《典术》载："桃者，五木之精也，故压伏邪气。"桃木剑既是道教法器，也是中国文化中"正义战胜邪恶"的象征。道士以桃木剑"指天画地"，是在重新宣示天地间的正邪秩序。
The core Daoist exorcism implement. Peach wood is believed to repel ghosts and evil in Chinese culture, originating from the ancient myth of Shentu and Yulei — two gods who captured demons beneath a peach tree. The Dianshu states: "Peach is the essence of the five woods, thus it suppresses evil qi." The peach-wood sword is both a Daoist ritual instrument and a symbol of "righteousness overcoming evil" — the Daoist pointing it to heaven and earth reasserts the cosmic order between good and evil.
道教法术的核心载体——在黄纸或桃木板上书写神秘符号和咒语，具有驱邪、治病、祈福等功能。符箓的威力来自两个方面：一是文字本身的神圣性（道教认为某些文字蕴含宇宙力量），二是书写者的法力修为。烧符是"释放"符箓中封存的法力的过程——道士烧三道符，逐步增强法力，最终将恶鬼驱散。
The core vehicle of Daoist magic — mysterious symbols and incantations written on yellow paper or peach-wood tablets, with functions of exorcism, healing, and blessing. Talismans derive power from two sources: the sacred nature of the characters themselves (Daoism holds certain words contain cosmic power) and the practitioner's spiritual cultivation. Burning talismans "releases" the stored magical power — the Daoist burns three talismans in sequence, gradually intensifying the force until the demon is dispersed.