Chapter 243: Water Army Troops of the Yue People

Xu Jia ascended the Dharma Altar and scattered the five grains into the river.

The method of feeding ghosts with five grains has existed since ancient times; in particular, glutinous rice is known to dispel the evil Qi of zombies, a belief held by many familiar with zombie films.

In fact, many items used for exorcism in folk customs are very common, such as the mugwort and calamus used during the Dragon Boat Festival; the calamus is also called the "ghost-slaying sword," and although it is a plant, it can also harm ghosts.

Another example is pot ash, which can reveal the footprints of ghosts; if smeared on one's body, ghosts cannot see the person.

Even a broom, during the big cleaning before Lunar New Year's Eve, has the ability to sweep away bad luck.

The firecrackers children play with are even more extraordinary; they are external elixir thunder-fire, possessing the ability to dispel evil and avoid pestilence.

These handed-down folk customs are themselves effective exorcism rituals that have been used since ancient times; because they are useful, they have been passed down by word of mouth.

Aside from shamans and witches, even the elderly in households know some simple and practical rituals, such as calming a frightened child or calling back a soul.

It is just that their rituals are very crude, and whether they are effective or not depends on luck, unlike the professional methods of Xu Jia.

In the five-grain offering to ghosts, besides the essence of the five grains themselves, there is also Xu Jia's Dharma Power, which transforms into acquired Five Elements essence; in the eyes of water ghosts, this is like fresh internal organs, and eating it can increase their cultivation.

"Silent and still, reaching the originless. Void and towering, the kalpa's edge. Vast and open, the profound text... Compassionate heart, untying the world's net... Life after life, becoming an Immortal family."

After Xu Jia finished scattering the five grains, he had already stirred up the Yin soldiers; mist rose on the water's surface, and the surrounding air became much colder.

Seeing this strange phenomenon, the commoners all took a few steps back.

Only the Daoists of Shanju Guan and the minor demons under Xu Jia's command, following Xu Jia's lead, kept chanting the scripture mantras.

Forty-nine people or demons, plus Xu Jia himself, an Earth Immortal, reinforced each other and gathered at the Dharma Altar, which then amplified their power; for a moment, viewed from the Dharma Realm, waves of golden patterns gathered, and faint shadows appeared in the Shangjie, which were the San Guan Da Di and the various Immortal officials and Lingguan.

In fact, there were ten Heaven Official officials corresponding to the Ten Heavenly Stems, all wearing bright red robes pressed with gold thread; there were twelve Earth Official officials corresponding to the Twelve Earthly Branches, wearing yellow robes pressed with black thread; and there were twenty-four Water Official officials corresponding to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, wearing black robes pressed with silver thread...

In total, there were forty-six San Guan divine officials, and around these divine officials, Heaven Soldiers and Earth Generals gradually gathered, numbering about a hundred.

Among them, a leader bowed to Xu Jia: "The thirty-six bureaus of the Heaven Official, forty-two bureaus of the Earth Official, and forty-two bureaus of the Water Official of the San Guan Mansion, respectfully obey the Heavenly Master's decree."

Xu Jia secretly grumbled: Only a few divine officials came, yet they speak of all these bureaus.

However, he nodded slightly; the sacrifice set up on the altar was originally for the San Guan Da Di, but their honorable names were not written.

Only the three Daoist Immortal rank titles were written: Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings, Water Official Resolves Calamity, and Earth Official Pardons Sins.

Therefore, this matter did not disturb the San Guan Da Di, but was carried out by the many Immortal officials of the San Guan Mansion performing their duties.

Xu Jia's Jiao Ritual had forty-nine Daoists, some of whom were demons, which was considered crude; it was only because of the blessing of Xu Jia's identity as a Heavenly Master that so many people came, otherwise these divine officials would not have come.

"Light the lamps! Release the Paper Boats!"

Xu Jia pointed with his sword, and the prepared Paper Boats carrying Lotus Lamps were lit with candle flames and pushed into the Xin River.

Xu Jia mobilized the people of Dexing; these people who had suffered disasters hoped more for peace and for their ancestors to be at rest, so they were even more devout; the Paper Boats carried their wishes and blessings, and in the Dharma Realm, one could see thousands and tens of thousands of boats on the Xin River.

However, the river was turbulent, and suddenly there were raging waves; divine evil spirits appeared under the water, trying to overturn the boats.

At this time, the divine officials in the sky struck one after another, stabilizing the waves, bestowing blessings, and scattering the dew of Water Virtue, not only to guide the water ghosts but also to purify the spirituality of the Xin River.

The water ghosts who had just eaten the five-grain offering gained an inexplicable satisfaction; their consciousness was temporarily clear, and having received the San Guan Dharma Treasure, they saw the boats on the water and had a glimmer of the thought of "going ashore"; the river was no longer a cold cage, no longer dark... light and warmth were right before their eyes.

Thus, they swam toward the boats, but no matter what, no matter how they tried to climb onto the boats, leaning their upper bodies on them, their lower bodies could not leave the water.

Memories of drowning began to surface: "Save me! Save me!"

Evil Qi and Resentment Qi were revealed, and their faces also became distorted.

Xu Jia saw that even with the Dharma Treasure, the Jiao Ritual, and the help of the San Guan divine officials, these water ghosts still had heavy karmic obstacles and could not save themselves...

It was not that they could not save themselves, but that they lacked the ability to do so; otherwise, they would not have drowned; what they thought about most before they died was whether anyone would come to save them.

Seeing this, Xu Jia decided to personally be the one to provide universal salvation; he opened his mouth and released the three thousand six hundred Heavenly People he had previously refined; these three thousand six hundred Heavenly People were previously hungry ghosts, no better than the water ghosts, but they were already "liberated."

At this moment, they emerged one after another, landing on the Lotus Platforms of the Paper Boats, transforming into their appearance when they were alive, and then reached out to help the water ghosts who had fallen into the water: "Don't be afraid, I have come to save you!"

Responding to the call and transforming, saving from suffering and hardship.

For a time, many water ghosts were saved; some were children playing in the water, some were women who had slipped and fallen while washing clothes, and others were strong men who could swim, fishermen, and passengers crossing the river... but none of them were the water army troops.

After these water ghosts were saved, they gasped for air as if they had truly been rescued, and then spat out a lot of black water; this black water was the evil, the Resentment Qi, the culprit that caused them to become water ghosts, and the source of their suffering.

As soon as the black water was spat out, it was exorcised by the power of the scripture mantras and dissolved into nothingness.

The aura on the water ghosts also gradually calmed down; some even tilted their heads to listen, receiving the Dharma Treasure, and began to chant along.

Xu Jia also changed his Magic Tool, taking up a wooden fish and tapping it.

This wooden fish was not exclusive to Buddhism; it also belonged to Daoist Magic Tools.

Xu Jia tapped it bit by bit, which had the effect of purifying the heart; not only were the water ghosts purified, but even the people on both banks, as the sound spread ten miles away with the wind, could faintly hear the ethereal sound of the wooden fish.

"Ta!"

"Ta!"

"Ta!"

At the bottom of the Xin River, Yuan Jiangjun and Guiyu Po Hua Ban Furen also heard the scripture mantras, and even more grandly, because what they heard did not just come from reality, but also from the Dharma Realm; it was the scripture mantras of the San Guan Mansion divine officials.

They frowned, because although these scripture mantras were not evil, they felt annoyed listening to them, yet they could not receive the Dharma Treasure; plus, the San Guan Da Di had the duty of supervision, and this couple had ghosts in their hearts, so they felt uncomfortable listening.

However, those shrimp soldiers and crab generals, clam maidens and fish spirits, were all enlightened, had simple minds, shallow demon arts, and had never really harmed anyone; at this time, they received the Dharma Treasure very smoothly, and all listened quietly to the Dharma assembly and Jiao Ritual on the shore, even distinguishing the voices of Hu Jinhua, Huang Pipo, and others who were also demons chanting. The San Guan curse power cleansed, bestowed blessings, purified, and exorcised the Evil Qi...

For them, this was a great stroke of fortune; opening their wisdom and purifying their demon Qi were minor matters, but more importantly, it was the opportunity of Hearing the Dao.

Without good fortune, how could one receive the San Guan Dharma Treasure and have an Earth Immortal perform such a Dharma ritual?

Moreover, it was not just Xu Jia, this Earth Immortal, but also the San Guan Mansion divine officials, each of whom revealed their Divine Abilities.

The Heaven Official officials all held a musical instrument, either a bell, a drum, a cymbal, or a gong... and they all coordinated with Xu Jia's wooden fish to cleanse.

The Water Official officials operated their Magic Tools, some holding water basins, water bottles, and water tripods, pouring purified water into the Xin River; these purified waters had the ability to cleanse, but they began to cleanse from the Dharma Realm, not reality, but the Dharma Realm could also influence reality.

As for the Earth Official officials, they each held chains and probed toward the bottom of the water, and some took out posts; these posts were called "Yama Posts," and their Daoist academic name was "Summoning Warrants," which were issued to the dead; for those who had already died but did not reincarnate, or even those who had injured the soul-summoning messengers, these warrants were used to urge their lives.

Their brows were tightly furrowed, clearly seeing that there were still ghost-path evil spirits under the water who refused to be saved.

The Heavenly People inside Xu Jia's body soon saved all the water ghosts that could be saved; those that were not saved were all "water army troops."

These troops did not act according to the will of individual water ghosts, but as the will of hundreds or thousands of water ghosts as one, led by a commander.

In other words, the small salvation boats Xu Jia prepared were too small; if they were to board, they would need the kind of large ships that could hold hundreds of ghosts at once.

The water beneath began to grow murky; suddenly, waves rose without wind, followed immediately by the dull sound of "war drums" and mournful ballads.

The first unit of water troops could no longer restrain themselves.

Xu Jia observed with his Dharma eyes; beneath the water, Black Qi surged, and a black dragon danced and circled.

Yet this black dragon was not a true dragon, but rather individual water troops.

This was a unit of Baiyue water troops.

To be precise, the Baiyue water troops were not water troops in the strict sense; they were accustomed to using dugout canoes, much like dragon boats, with a line of people—as few as one or two, or as many as a squad of twelve.

The Baiyue were originally widely distributed, with populations in the Chu region and even the Jiangzhe area; later, they retreated to Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, and even Guizhou, and only after these lands were conquered did they migrate to Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos.

The Dragon Boat Festival tradition of racing boats for sacrifice can be traced back to the Baiyue people rowing; Baiyue people rowing and Baiyue women singing was also a major characteristic.

However, this unit of water troops dancing the dragon under the water was not made up of delicate Baiyue women.

They had disheveled hair and bare feet, were entirely naked, yet bore tattoos on their bodies, had webbed hands and feet, green faces and fangs, and were equipped with scimitars, sickles, hook-spears, chains...

But at this moment, they were all holding pieces of wood, and when the wood was connected, it became a "dragon."

This dragon was fierce and ferocious, a type of "Miao Dragon."

The Miao Dragon and the "Yue Dragon" were similar; both were variant dragons. The Miao Dragon was a centipede-dragon, while the Yue Dragon resembled venomous snakes and giant pythons, or some resembled alligator-like crocodiles, combined with the symbols of a dragon.

The number of these Baiyue water troops was actually not large, about eight hundred or so, but by dancing the dragon into a formation, this dragon possessed an eerie and inexplicable might.

How to subdue them? Xu Jia decided to send out Xiaopangdun; the Baiyue dragon dance was actually a form of Witch Nuo performance, and Xiaopangdun was perfectly suited for communication.

Xiaopangdun received his instructions, then put on a mask, beat the Spirit Drum, and chanted incantations, communicating with the Baiyue water troops beneath the water.

After a while, Xiaopangdun shuddered all over, then panted heavily and said to Xu Jia, "Master, they are willing to serve as your troops, but they hope you will find a Baiyue disciple to make offerings to them; the leaders are a Baiyue sorcerer and a Baiyue warrior."

Xu Jia sneered, "If they are willing to surrender, then surrender. The Three Officials Scripture Curse was already giving you face; to push your luck is too much. Our Lushan Great Method does not rely on concessions to subdue troops!"

He immediately put down the wooden fish, picked up the Tianpeng Ruler, struck it heavily, and shouted, "Where is Yu Yaosheng?"

The next moment, this Canal Commander of the Yellow Heaven Sect revealed his form, and Xu Jia said, "I grant you the Water Essence Subjugation Curse and pass on to you the Cold Ice Hell Great Method scripture curse of the Lushan Five Prisons Great Method. Borrowing the Earth Official's warrant, quickly subdue this unit of water troops!"

Yu Yaosheng knelt to receive the order, but one could see he had undergone a transformation; he wore silver armor, though his Magic Tools and treasures remained unchanged—a Raw Rice Bowl, a Gourd, a bean pouch, and a talisman knife. Leading five hundred Yellow Heaven Sect troops, now the Lower Altar Lingbao troops, he went straight into the bottom of the Xin River.

Xu Jia also summoned Qiu Jinsha, Jingchi, and Gui Suishou (the grandfather of Gui Linggao, the Water Chancellor of Jinsha Creek) and the others, bringing the hundred or so wading ghosts they had refined, and they entered the water together to provide cover for Yu Yaosheng.

This was also Yu Yaosheng's first time receiving an order, and he knew the first battle had to be fought beautifully, so he began to employ Yellow Heaven Daoist arts upon entering the fray.

One could see handfuls of Yin rice appearing in his Raw Rice Bowl; once the Yin rice was scattered, it transformed into many Yin beasts. These Yin beasts absorbed the water miasma and began to take shape, turning into ferocious large fish.

They charged toward the Baiyue troops.

The leader of the Baiyue troops was furious, "I was going to surrender to you, what is wrong with negotiating terms? Why be so overbearing?"

This leader had been a Baiyue sorcerer in life; at this moment, he also employed Witch curses and Nuo arts. Suddenly, the dancing black dragon came to life, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, transforming into a You Ming Yue Dragon.

The Yue Dragon was like a python or a crocodile; its neck and tail were long, resembling a giant python, but its body was like a crocodile's, with four clawed fins. It looked like a prehistoric dinosaur, or perhaps the Loch Ness Monster from the movies.

The Yue Dragon was fierce and ferocious, eating the fierce fish transformed from the Yin rice one by one.

But this was merely an appetizer; Yu Yaosheng scattered a large number of golden talisman beans from his bean pouch, and these beans instantly transformed into individual Yellow Heaven Warriors.

These warriors were several zhang tall and extremely burly; they immediately moved through the water, and the Yellow Heaven troops began to cast Yellow Heaven curses one by one.

One could see archers skilled in Yellow Heaven talisman archery shooting arrows; each arrow possessed the power of a Ghost God. When they landed among the Baiyue troops, they generated strands of strange power, causing them to become corrupted as well, with Yellow Heaven talismans appearing on their bodies.

The Baiyue sorcerer leader was horrified, but the next moment he released the restraints on the Baiyue troops, letting them act freely to slaughter the opposition.

Suddenly, the eight hundred Baiyue scattered, yet they revealed an even stronger ferocity. They all had excellent swimming skills, and the tattoos on their bodies possessed a kind of divine-demonic strange power, bringing forth innate Divine Abilities; they could envelop the river water and continuously gain the Dharma Power of water ghosts.

In terms of numbers, the eight hundred Baiyue troops were more than the five hundred Yellow Heaven Lower Altar troops.

But numbers are precisely the most useless thing.

(End of chapter)