Chapter 183: The Snow Mountain Dharma

"If you send out a hero's invitation far and wide, can you invite an Earth Immortal True Person?"

Zhang Zhenji opened his mouth, then shook his head.

"Then it is useless," Xu Jia said. "However, since the Xinzhou City God has brought reinforcements from Longhu Mountain, we shall wait for these reinforcements. By the way, you keep mentioning a Wang Faguan, a True Person Wang; what is his full name?"

"Wang Mintong."

Very well, it is time to go to Cuichun Pavilion to fetch reinforcements.

However, the matter at the Earth Temple before us must still be handled properly. When installing the hidden treasures and inviting the gods, it will attract the covetousness of many evil gods; it would be troublesome if they were to enter the temple first.

From what I just learned, the neighboring Dexing County has basically been defiled by the White Hat Dharma King. All the spirits have turned into evil gods, and with the methods used over there, these deities will likely all turn into "Outer Path" beings. From their original state of benevolent restraint, they undergo a transformation into extremely terrifying Outer Path Gods. Even a gentle existence like an Earth Deity might turn into an indescribable demon, filled with death and curses, much like the various "gods" or "ghosts" in the more primitive pre-Qin, or even Shang and Zhou periods, or the ancient Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Once detached from the anchoring of rites and rules, they are like wild horses off the leash, or even worse, transformed from wild horses into fierce tigers and monsters.

Coupled with the prevalence of terror-based preaching over there, which keeps the common people in constant fear, the collapse of faith will make the evil gods grow even stronger, wallowing in fear. Although Xu Jia does not know the current state of Dexing, once time passes, irreversible damage will surely occur.

Thus, he told Hui Zhuo: "Go prepare to build the Thirteen-Layer Altar! Also, build a bonfire and bring the Knife Mountain Ladder we made earlier."

"Is there a blacksmith in the village?" Xu Jia asked again.

"There is," Wan the Carpenter asked. "Does the True Person want him to come?"

"I need some molten iron."

"Two sharp pig-slaughtering knives."

"One guillotine blade."

"Is this also needed for opening the temple?"

"No, it is for a long-distance battle of Dharma," Xu Jia said. "I have just calculated that building this temple will attract an evil god."

Xiaopangdun looked excited: "I will go prepare."

Xu Jia patted him: "You will need to go on stage later, be a bit braver."

Xiaopangdun immediately shivered: "What are we doing this time?"

Xu Jia smiled: "You will know in a moment."

Xu Jia was about to ascend the altar, so Hu Jinhua, Huang Pipo, and Kan Yinwu all transformed into human forms.

Among them, Hu Jinhua appeared as a young man, Huang Pipo changed from the image of an old woman into a beautiful middle-aged woman, and Kan Yinwu, having eaten the fingernails of County Commandant Chen, also turned into a lecherous, burly man, though his flesh was hollow, as if inflated.

"Greetings, True Person! Master Xu! Great Immortal!" the three said simultaneously.

Xu Jia looked at Huang Pipo: "Have you passed your Ershinian Dajie?"

"Previously, my Dharma Power was insufficient and my lifespan was not enough; I originally could not have survived this tribulation. But the True Person bestowed a pill, and after carefully refining it, I passed the internal tribulation. Some time ago, my Dharma Power suddenly leaked away, and gusts of wind blew from all directions; my Life Fire was about to go out. Silang sought a Wind-Fixing Pearl, but it was useless. I just ate the Five Elements pill to endure it. Two of my Life Fire flames went out, and the last one was nearly exhausted. After I made it through to dawn, the yin wind died down, and my Dharma Power began to rise again from where it had leaked, just like a dried-up spring filling back up."

"This is the Wind Tribulation," Xu Jia said. "The wind rises from the bubbling spring and blows upward toward the Wind Pool. The Wind Pool is at the back of the head and governs brain wind. If it blows through the Wind Pool, you will die. It is just an internal cultivation tribulation; I imagine the cold air entered your body from the soles of your feet, and this time it erupted completely."

Huang Pipo patted her chest and said: "Having survived a great disaster, I have another hundred years of time and won't have to face such a great tribulation."

"Do not be complacent. Once you find the method for a cultivation tribulation, passing it is not difficult, but external tribulations are the hardest to overcome. Now you have truly attained two hundred years of Daoist Practice, but even a Daoist who has practiced for only a dozen years could easily subdue you, let alone those who have practiced for thirty or forty years, or even a full sixty-year cycle. Even if they are not Earth Immortal True Persons, they cannot deal with a five-hundred-year Great Demon, but anything under five hundred years can be easily subdued. Ancestral Talismans, Magic Tools, and arrays all become more powerful the older they are, blessed by generations, and even becoming sentient themselves."

"The True Person's teachings are correct!"

Xu Jia said: "Later, you and Hu Jinhua, each take a Wind Fan and guard the temple gate. If you see anything trying to force its way in, work together to fan it out."

Xu Jia handed Xun Taizi to her as well: "Xun Taizi has the power of the Horn Wood Flood Dragon and is skilled in using wind; he will assist you. Besides, that wind pill has also been eaten into his belly."

Huang Pipo trembled slightly and dared not take Xun Taizi. It turned out that Xun Taizi possessed dragon might and dragon aura, already being of the Flood Dragon species, and like a fierce tiger in the mountains, he had a suppressive effect on all beasts.

Xun Taizi was not very willing to stay with the "Farting Granny"—it was smelly—but Hu Jinhua had borrowed a wisp of Life Fire from Xu Jia and had formed a karmic connection. His transformed appearance was five parts similar to his true form, and since a hundred-year-old fox can turn fox stench into fox fragrance, he jumped onto Hu Jinhua's shoulder.

Hu Jinhua was not afraid; after all, foxes dare to "borrow the tiger's might," and Xun Taizi's aura was still weak, being just a cub, so he was even less afraid.

Soon dusk arrived, and the beam-raising ceremony began. The clan elders invited Xu Jia to write, which consisted of several wooden couplets to be hung on the pillars, as well as several "Fortune" characters to be written on the beams, and the words "Earth Temple" for the plaque.

It was just unclear why this had to be written at dusk. The sky was dim, and the villagers gathered together; some even climbed trees. The children did not dare to play and just surrounded the area, watching Xu Jia write.

Xu Jia's calligraphy was indeed excellent, inheriting the elegant style of Talismans while maintaining a sense of solemnity.

First, he wrote a few on paper to determine the size of the characters, then he wrote them down.

What did he write?

A couplet for the Earth Temple: "Blessings grace the native land, all things flourish in eternal spring. Virtue protects the neighborhood temple, a thousand households prosper with surplus years."

Horizontal scroll: "Deep Earth, Peaceful People."

"Good calligraphy!" several old scholars boasted: "Good couplet!"

Even Zhang Zhenji stroked his beard and praised: "The expectations of True Person Xu have been received by this little god; I will certainly strive to protect and prosper this territory."

Next was the couplet for the Jinsha Creek God.

"Clear water flows around the village, the sound of the creek always accompanies the laughter of spring. Divine grace blesses the abundance of things, the green banks forever protect the long years."

Horizontal scroll: "Creek Rhyme, Peaceful Waves."

Qiu Jinsha was excitedly blowing bubbles in the water. As a large loach that had always lived in mud holes, how could he have his own Daochang? This was something he had never dared to imagine before.

True Person Xu has come, and his blue sky has arrived.

True Person Xu has come, and Yushan County will be peaceful. True Person Xu is truly of immeasurable Merit!

There was also a school that needed a couplet. Xu Jia wrote: "Ancient teachings and modern words, within books there is beauty like jade. By the lamp in the cold window, wisdom flowers can grow under the brush." Horizontal scroll: "Boundless Sea of Learning."

"Good! Good! Good!" several old scholars were so excited they fainted; this was written with such high standards.

Even the clan uncle who had been sarcastic toward Xu Jia earlier could find no fault now. Even his dull, evil-qi-ridden son, upon seeing the couplet, had some of the evil qi dissipate from his body: "Cousin has great literary talent!"

The crowd cheered, and the couplets gathered quite a bit of auspicious energy and power of vows.

Couplets were originally called "Peach Charms," used for warding off evil and driving away ghosts, as the poem testifies: "The sound of firecrackers sees off the old year, the spring breeze brings warmth into the Tusu wine. In thousands of households, under the bright sun, we always replace the old Peach Charms with new ones."

After Xu Jia finished writing the couplets, he felt inspired and wrote an inscription on the main beam.

"On the auspicious day of the tenth of the fourth month in the third year of Jiji Tai, as the seasons renew, we, the people of our village, mindful of the protection of the Earth Deity, have gathered our efforts to build this temple together, praying for continuous blessings and the eternal peace of our homeland. The blue bricks and dark tiles are not merely a pile of stone, but the direction of the people's hearts and the condensation of faith. At the moment of raising the beam, bells and drums sound in unison, incense smoke curls, the whole village gathers to celebrate the grand ceremony, truly what is called 'the country is prosperous and the people are at peace, divine grace is vast.'"

"On this day, the sky is clear and the air is fresh, the gentle breeze is pleasant, the craftsmen climb high, the beam is placed steadily, and the colorful ribbons fly, signifying good fortune. Writing this inscription, I hope that future generations, whether farming, studying, working, or trading, will all remember the labor of their predecessors, inherit the virtue of respecting heaven and loving people, be diligent and tireless, and live in harmony, so that this temple is not only a place for seasonal sacrifices but also a place for the heart to return."

"Alas! Although the temple's appearance is humble, only virtue is fragrant. If the spirits have knowledge, they shall protect this land and water, with abundant harvests, prosperity of the six livestock, immunity from disasters, and healthy people. May all my fellow villagers come and go in safety, prosper for generations, and share in the blessings of a flourishing age."

"I respectfully use this short text to engrave on stone as a memorial, hoping that those who come after, seeing these words, will know the achievements of their predecessors, continue the aspirations of those who follow, pass them on without end, and may fortune and prosperity be eternal."

After finishing this record, the carpenter shouted loudly, "The auspicious time has arrived!"

He then took a knife and twisted it into the chicken's neck, beginning to sprinkle blood around the main beam; while sprinkling, he chanted, "Respectfully inviting Jiang Taigong!"

At the same time, on the other side, the offerings had already been set up: pork, chicken, fish, tofu, meatballs, five grains, and various types of pastries.

There was also the burning of gold ingots and yellow paper.

As the presiding Daoist, Zhang Zhenji also began performing the rituals and ceremonies; the tasks of consecrating the statues and filling them with symbolic organs were for him and the temple keeper of the City God Temple to perform, as he was the resident Daoist of the City God Temple and frequently did these things.

Zhang Zhenji first recited the Three Cleansing Incantations, then used clean water and a willow branch to sprinkle inside and outside the temple hall, chanting the Purifying Altar Incantation to drive away impurities and make the interior and exterior of the temple pure and unstained.

Immediately, the temple keeper opened the scriptures and led the villagers to recite the "Land Deity Scripture" along with him; for a time, the voices of the villagers echoed within the temple, vast and grand, carrying a Divine Nature that gave people goosebumps, and the Yang fire gathered into a mass; if viewed from the Dharma Realm, the human fire here stirred the earth fire, which is Social Fire—the earth of the society.

The Social Fire shone, and it gathered together with the stove fires and lamp fires in the commoners' houses; the entire village was plunged into the "light of the Dharma Realm."

Even those ancestors in the ancestral hall began to cheer, which meant that the village had formed a "Blessed Field" within the Dharma Realm.

After the villagers died, their Earth Souls would dwell in peace, living as they did in life; as long as they did not leave the village, they could receive protection and would not fear attacks from evil spirits or demons of the Dharma Realm outside, because those beings feared the light and feared the Social Fire.

However, after the chanting, the massive flames retracted, leaving only a small cluster, but it formed something—whether a formation or a barrier—with the flames in the villagers' homes, guarding the village.

But there was one most important thing remaining, which was: "The deity has not yet been invited into the temple, and the statue has not yet been consecrated."

This step was dangerous and would attract evil gods, so Xu Jia wanted Xiaopangdun, Wan the Carpenter, and the others to prepare the items for the ritual.

At this moment, they were finally prepared.

Two pig-slaughtering knives, a guillotine, a Knife Ladder, a bonfire, roof tiles, and even a pot of molten iron burned on-site by the blacksmith.

"Hui Zhuo! Take off your shirt."

"Huh?" Hui Zhuo did not know why.

But he saw that Xu Jia had already touched the flowing molten iron and quickly pulled his hand away.

"You come too!"

"Huh? I'm scared!"

"Scared of what? The more scared you are, the more it hurts!"

Xiaopangdun took off his clothes, revealing his white, fatty flesh.

He closed his eyes and patted the molten iron; although it was a bit hot, at least he was not burned.

This was mainly because there was a layer of sweat on his hands.

Xu Jia asked the blacksmith, "Do you know how to perform the iron flower show?"

The old master blacksmith nodded: "Is Young Master Xu preparing this pot of molten iron just for the iron flower show? That's too wasteful!"

"It's not wasteful; once it's performed, a money tree will grow!"

Xu Jia was talking nonsense, because Xu Jia wanted to summon the Mountain of Knives Hell and the Huohai Diyu, and the molten iron for the iron flower show could mix metal and fire, combining the two hells together; the evil ghosts of the Mountain of Knives and the evil ghosts of the Huohai Diyu would appear from hell as the iron flowers landed during the performance, obeying Xu Jia's orders.

Xu Jia went barefoot, first jumping over the bonfire three times to scorch his body with fire, then used an iron rake to spread the bonfire, turning it into a path of charcoal, and placed pieces of roof tile on the charcoal to roast.

Immediately, he began to "wade through the sea of fire."

Xu Jia took a coarse tea bowl, pointed at the tea in the bowl, and drew a talisman while chanting: "The first command brings down mist and dew, the second command brings down thick frost, the third command brings down heavy snow, the fourth command adds frost upon the snow; before and after the temple, if there are Heavenly Evils, Earthly Evils, Yearly Evils, Monthly Evils, Daily Evils, Hourly Evils, and so on, seventy-two kinds of evils, retreat quickly! I obey the Lushan Dharma Master's Jijiru Luling!"

Everyone felt the cold air pressing in and the sinister wind blowing.

This was the "Snow Mountain Command Technique" from the minor methods of Yin Masters that Xu Jia had collected; unlike Thunder Law, Fire Method, or water methods, it belonged to the "Snow Method," specializing in Yin cold; besides being able to assist in practicing the Huohai Diyu of the Lushan Five Prisons Great Method, it also had a function like the "Life-Death Talisman," capable of condensing water into ice to be planted into the human body, becoming a bone-chilling cold that could cause different illnesses depending on the meridians and internal organs affected.

In his previous life, Xu Jia had met someone who practiced the "Snow Mountain Child Method" and supplemented it with the external skill "Iron Sand Palm," calling it the "Mysterious Underworld Divine Palm"; he was one of Xu Jia's disciples, originally from Fujian, who had smuggled himself overseas, fought in underground boxing matches, and joined gangs, but the Snow Mountain Method paired with Iron Sand Palm could not block the America sword-drawing technique, so he later took Xu Jia as his master.

Xu Jia recited the Snow Mountain spell, sprayed water into mist, and sprayed it toward the sea of fire, walking onto it while spraying.

Xu Jia stepped on the roof tiles, his body extremely light, and he did not break the tiles at all.

Before, the flames were swirling, but after Xu Jia walked over, those charcoal fires were almost extinguished.

By the time Xu Jia slowly finished walking through this sea of fire, he revealed the soles of his feet; let alone blisters, not even dust had touched them.

"This is a God Immortal!" The villagers were stunned and were about to bow to Xu Jia.

(End of this chapter)