Chapter 1214

"Dong! Dong! Dong."

The drumbeat started first from the Drum Tower.

Slow and slow, slow and heavy, heavy and deep, each sound knocking on people's chests.

Beat the drum three times.

Under the Drum Tower, on the left and right ears, two bare-chested men beat the big mallet, continuing on.

Ringing three more times, three zhang away from the bluestone street, another man swung his arms bare.

One after another, side by side, one after another, relaying.

"Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!"

The drum sound stretched all the way, passed all the way, beat together all the way, like a passed torch, a giant beast waking up from sleep, yellow dust on the ground lightly lifted, ripples in the vat fluctuated, small stones on the roof trembled slightly, all tourists stopped, held their breath, and held their hearts.

Ringing to the Shangrao Pier.

Thirty-six people in two rows on the altar, one hundred and eight people in two paths.

The man relayed with one hand, changed to holding the mallet with both hands, turned his waist, riveted his strength, beat the big drum three times together, and thirty-six brass horns came out neatly from the left side of the big drum, reaching toward the sky.

"Woo~~~~"

The low-pressure brass ringing sound echoed through the universe.

The drum stopped, the horn rested.

Heaven and earth were silent.

Eternal Spring Tree, the big fish in the waves stopped swimming.

The painted boat on the river stopped drifting on the water, and the doors and windows on the boat were all wide open.

Wild boar roller coaster, jade crystal boat, water spider, wooden capsule... all stopped running.

Without parents coaxing, the children's crying stopped with the horn, opened their big eyes, and curiously looked at the world.

The street vendors put down the kitchen utensils and bamboo sieves in their hands, and under the surprised eyes of the tourists, they moved forward in unison.

They were Pingyang people, Yixing people, and nearby water town people, interspersed among the pedestrians who stopped and stagnated, moving forward like white foam squeezed out of the collision of reefs.

Beside the altar, the timing coiled dragon incense burned and drifted out white smoke, the copper ball hanging below was swaying, and the white cotton thread was scorched yellow by the high temperature.

Noon was approaching.

"Wait, why is He Hanyu over there? With Shi Tou?" Wen Junxuan pointed.

Shangrao Pier was wide and bright, the solid wood altar was towering, the surrounding square open space was crowded with local villagers, and there were high houses on both sides of the square, forming a sharp step shadow at the gate, avoiding the sun's exposure. Under the eaves, the elderly villagers with inconvenient legs and feet, and the gentry who funded the River God Festival in the county, all stood here.

And three steps up, a black dog as tall as a horse sat on the ground panting, and beside it was Wen Wen Shi Yun and He Hanyu, who were strolling and inexplicably lost contact!

Both were on the best "viewing platform."

It's not strange for Wen Wen Shi Yun to go to the front, after all, he is Liang Qu's direct disciple and will follow him to practice martial arts this year. Why is He Hanyu...

"Oh no, it's all our fault for not watching Wen Wen Shi Yun, we were dazzled by Yixing's liveliness." A youth punched his palm, regretting it endlessly. "It must be that while we weren't paying attention, Shi Tou was threatened by He Hanyu. Originally he went by himself, now he can only take her."

A word woke the dreamer, the youths lowered their heads one after another, ashamed.

It's all their fault for being distracted by the liveliness on the street and not protecting Wen Wen Shi Yun from the oppression of the bad woman, it's truly shameful!

"Damn it, how did things turn out like this? It's all my fault! We all took Shi Tou's tickets but didn't protect him."

"People are not sages, who can be without faults? Everyone don't be too sad! We must reorganize and learn from our lessons!"

"Ah, French fries ruined me! From today on, quit potatoes!"

The bamboo tube fell to the ground, the golden French fries rolled out of the tube, the big yellow dog on the side of the road raised its head, its tail stood up, and it rushed up to lick it clean.

"Strange..."

Wen Junxuan always felt something was wrong, his eyes fixed on Wen Wen Shi Yun on the steps. Just as their eyes met, Wen Wen Shi Yun on the steps leaned back slightly, stretched out his hands, made a gesture of choking himself, then sighed long, his face full of helplessness.

"Click."

The cotton thread broke, the copper ball fell onto the iron plate, crisp and audible.

"The auspicious time has arrived."

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

"The auspicious time has arrived!!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Three gongs interrupted the train of thought.

The mallet swung, and the drum sound beat again.

People's eyes were attracted by the central sacrifice, tourists stretched their necks, and heads gathered.

Similar ceremonies, there are many in Jianghuai, and there are more complicated ones. On weekdays, no one pays attention, and no one is interested in running over to watch. Coming to Yixing County, for some reason, it seems to be more interesting, with atmosphere, and a kind of so-called "cultural characteristic."

The toe of the shoe stepped on the line.

The priest Xiang Fangsu beat the drum step by step, along the central axis of the three-zhang altar, slowly walking to the front of the altar.

Back to the altar, facing the crowd, the sound spread throughout the street.

"Offer... livestock!"

Tourists on the bluestone street turned their heads, expecting livestock to be dragged forward, guessing whether it was a big spirit monster or a demon beast, and what breed it was.

However, the wind and clouds changed overhead, and a gale rose suddenly.

In the clear blue sky without clouds, cotton-white clouds pushed over from the west, spread out, and cast a large shadow, covering the hot sun.

After that, ten thousand horses galloped!

Jade-white horses galloped forward, manes flying, reins on their necks swinging, as if dragging the white clouds behind them.

The horses stepped into the air silently, and the drums on the ground sounded.

Heaven and earth echoed each other, forming a fierce hoof-stepping!

The man beat the drum with all his might, the ground trembled slightly, and the flags fluttered.

Everyone felt the horse's hooves fall on the earth, falling on the heart.

"Prince of Huai!"

An exclamation made everyone's eyes firmly fixed on the figure in the middle of the ten thousand horses.

A young man.

A heroic young man.

Prince of Huai!

Young in age, no one in the world can surpass him!

"Roar roar ha!"

The master of ceremonies ascended, and there was an uproar.

Above the eaves, the golden-haired monkey group jumped up and down, climbed the horse-head wall, and roared.

The wheels rolled, splitting the white clouds, grinding out two straight cloud axes.

Liang Qu stepped on the green war chariot, the flags on the chariot were flying, he held countless reins, the ends pulling ten thousand heavenly horses, and behind the heavenly horses, there were three giant beasts crawling, one ox beast as majestic as a small mountain, one big fish with a forehead as high as the God of Longevity, and one sheep beast with long hair floating like an old man.

It just fits the meaning of blessing and salary of the sacrifice!

In terms of Qi, it is a big demon!

The war chariot drove from west to east, fitting the bluestone street.

Liang Qu flicked the reins, ten thousand horses dived down, then came up, the giant beast turned an angle, flew over people's heads, brought up the tourists' hair, almost touchable.

Screams continued.

Spectacular and inspiring.

"Those were all transformed by the Third Prince, right? Could it be that this year we are using mist beasts as sacrifices?" He Hanyu asked quietly. She had been to Yixing, seen the Third Prince, and knew it had the ability to spit mist and create things.

"My master said that traditional festivals should keep pace with the times. A gentleman stays away from the kitchen, and if he sees it alive, he can't bear to see it die. Today, there are old and young, and slaughtering on the spot is too cruel. Pouring blood into the Jianghuai is easy to reduce the passenger flow to the water-sky walkway, so we changed to mist beasts."

He Hanyu was stunned: "Then... does it still count as Yixing tradition?"

"I guess?" Wen Wen Shi Yun scratched his head. "Master said it's in the bones, not the form, in the people, not the objects. Everyone comes to watch the performance, so make it as grand and spectacular as possible. If we follow the old ways, the people behind can't see, which is not good."

White clouds pushed horizontally overhead, unfolding like a curtain.

The little Mirage Dragon puffed up its cheeks and sprayed mist hard.

White clouds hung down, ten thousand horses collapsed into a straight white waterfall, spreading and growing from the Jianghuai Great Marsh, winding and gathering into a huge dragon gate frame.

Above the dragon gate, there were galloping postures of horses, and even when they landed on this door frame, they continued to gallop.

Living relief, living dragon gate frame!

Splash, splash.

The iron chains hanging from the beam were like cable-stayed bridge cables, constantly shaking, tightening, and stretching, hanging the three struggling beasts upside down, making miserable hissing sounds.

Shocking.

Unparalleled shock.

On the river, the dragon gate frame was at least a hundred zhang high. The entire Yixing Town, no matter where people were, could clearly see the struggle of the three giant beasts. The monks on Pingyang Mountain were also clear and unobstructed, and even on the top of the mountain, the line of sight was level, even clearer.

"Replacing killing with form, the Prince of Huai's merit is benevolent."

"Roar!"

The big demon roared, and the ears buzzed.

The timid were pale and weak, their legs trembling, the brave were blood-red, and they went further.

The priest shouted:

"Stab!"

Liang Qu waved his hand, and the war chariot under him turned into three emerald green sharp knives, hanging down from the dragon gate frame.

In a burst of exclamation, it went straight into the giant beast's neck. From the wound, rolling white smoke sprayed out, just like splashed blood. The white smoke spread from the entire river surface, flowing like milk, and even overflowed onto the bluestone street.

Everyone's lower legs were surrounded by white smoke, their trouser legs were brushed, as if entering a fairyland.

The youths couldn't help but step back.

Grand.

Spectacular.

Most importantly, a strong sense of participation!

Children reached out to grab the ethereal clouds, their hands empty, as if there was wind on their fingertips.

The elderly breathed deeply, as if what was flowing on the ground was fairy Qi, making people feel light step by step.

Just this festival personally operated by the Martial Saint, the trip was worth it!

"Witch priests return to their positions!"

Five gongs rang.

Dozens of witch priests walked out from both sides, went to both sides of the altar, sang sacrificial songs, and danced sacrificial dances.

Gongs, drums, horns... the music mixed together, changing from solemn to enthusiastic, from awe to joy.

"Master of ceremonies, go!"

Clang! Clang! Clang.

Nine gongs rang and echoed, noisy and rolling endlessly.

The musicians raised the copper horns again, and the yellow cowhide drum drove the dust in the air.

The pier reflected the sun, a vast expanse of white, and the Prince of Huai stepped up the stairs.

Pearls dotted.

Wine sprinkled on the big river.

【Sacrifice to the Huai River, River Favorability +9.1124】

【Rule the Huai River, seize favorability 0.4】

【River Rule Degree: 1.3 (River Favorability: 80.4124)】

Ten times the usual!

"How did you do it? Those giant beasts, are they real or fake?"

"Can't tell, I really can't tell."

"Exactly the same as the real one, but the blood is clouds, the whole body is jade white, which is a bit unusual..."

"Finally saw it, so the Prince of Huai looks like this, but why didn't I see other Martial Saints? Didn't they say Hero Tournament, East Sea Great Hunt qualifier competition?"

The stagnant crowd flowed again.

The noise rose again, noisy discussion.

Everyone had an unbelievable excitement on their faces, excited to see the Prince of Huai and the celebration, and the young people had flushed faces, telling each other everything that had just happened.

Yixing County, too...

How can there be such a magical and interesting place in the world?

Jiangchuan, transparent walkway, waterway, temple, Martial Hall, Eternal Spring Tree... far from being summarized by the word prosperity.

In terms of prosperity, Nanzhili and the Imperial Capital have more extravagant places and more luxurious enjoyment. Jiangchuan's specialties, Pingyang Temple's history, Martial Hall's foundation, and the majesty of the strange tree are all inferior.

But Yixing County has a unique joy, beyond the scope of language, I almost became a small child again, a child who knows nothing about the world and can play with a block for an afternoon!

For people with great wealth, after leaving here, what can they play with friends?

Nothing more than fighting crickets, listening to songs, watching storybooks...

Such strong novelty even brings a kind of "shame" and "inferiority," they are truly "city bumpkins" who have never seen the world!

Fortunately, everyone is a "city bumpkin" today, avoiding embarrassment.

Traveling merchants from all over the country experienced it personally, subconsciously thinking of the business opportunities inside, wanting to move this set back, but thinking carefully, it seems that every project is not replicable, even if it can be replicated, like the peach blossom corridor of Huaiyin Martial Hall, will anyone go if it is built? Even if it is better and bigger.

This is a complex system, unless Liang Qu himself is willing to spread this system.

Three Northern Court merchants gathered in the Volcano Hall, wearing bathrobes, eating small hot pot, watching the clouds and mist in the sky, the scrolling subtitles on the Eternal Spring Tree, eyes revealing envy.

"A prosperous trend..."

Carriages like flowing water, horses like dragons.

After sacrificing to the Huai River, Liang Qu returned to the Eternal Spring Tree without stopping, focusing on the next key project.

Cheat, oh no, earn.

Earn the money of this group of rich people hard!

"Don't let your guard down, you must maintain safety and order, be careful of thieves and robbers, tell me immediately if something happens, there are no small things today."

"Don't worry, my lord."

"What about the toilets? I asked you to build a toilet every half mile before, and send someone to clean it every quarter of an hour to ensure it's clean. Is there any problem?"

"I just sent someone to look, not for now."

Receiving so many tourists actually puts a considerable pressure on the local reception capacity.

Including the inconspicuous toilets, the dry toilets in most places, Liang Qu knew how bad they were without going in, one foot down "squelch squelch," summer is full of wriggling protein.

But this is an indispensable facility after there are many people, it must be kept clean and tidy, in addition to carriages parking randomly, horses shitting on the street, etc. uncivilized phenomena... all very destructive to the tourists' mood, making people not want to come again.

Compared with this, theft and robbery are easier to handle, this is the guarantee from the road guide.

Holding such a large-scale event for the first time, Liang Qu had to personally check every aspect, personally grasp the key points, and dared not delegate.

Thirteen fiefs, only Yixing can be considered fully built, accumulated ten years ago, from the New Year to today, the help of the Xu family can be considered to ignite the fuse, now it is completely pressing the switch, and an "explosion" occurs.

The twelve ports behind are not as good as Yixing, the effect will definitely not be as good, so the effect of the first game must be explosive enough to build a reputation and attract latecomers continuously.

Cultivating to the current realm, there are many places that cannot be managed.

But under his own feet, Liang Qu wants to build it into a "Fantasy Land"!

"A-Fei, introduce some more traditional stories, and after two quarters of an hour, warm up for the Hero Fighting Tournament and introduce the 'heroes' who will appear."

The long whiskers were folded ninety degrees.

"This is delicious, delicious!"

"Guest, buy a sugar fish, Benbo'erba."

"Wood carving, wood carving of Benbo'erba."

"June river shrimp is just right, guest come, eh, okay, three people in the elegant seat upstairs!"

"Try the kite! Why is it so big? This kite is to send people to heaven..."

The crowd surged, they were like a silver tide, walking ingots, wherever they went, they collided with the vendors to create waves, leaving traces.

"The next one is the Hero Tournament, right? Will those Martial Saints and Demon Kings really fight?"

"Don't know, by the way, can Martial Saints leave easily?"

"The Prince of Huai won't lie, right?"

The excitement of the River God Festival has not yet declined, more people have begun to look forward to the Hero Tournament at the Shen hour, or rather, it is precisely because they have seen the River God Festival that they have greater expectations.

Many Martial Saints and Demon Kings could not come in person, but sent confidants to Yixing to see what the thing they authorized was.

For example, the Prince of Xu Yue's house steward Zhang Xu, who rushed from Ningjiang Prefecture, saw the grandson riding a dog on the road, leaned over to He Hanyu's side and waved his hands, laughing and shaking his head.

"Splash."

The sound of the tide hitting the shore attracted tourists to look up.

On top of the Eternal Spring Tree, the circular subtitles disappeared, Benbo'erba jumped, patted out a big wave, jumped to the front, and attracted attention.

"Dear tourists, traveling merchants, and fellow villagers, the River God Festival has ended, you have understood Yixing's brilliant culture, and seen the heroic posture of the Prince of Huai."

"However, today's liveliness has just begun, and there are only two hours left until the Hero Tournament at the Shen hour."

"Everyone can go to the restaurants along the street, enjoy lunch, and while resting, listen to Benbo'erba introduce the 'heroic figures' of this tournament to everyone!"