Chapter 136: Liu Taihou

"It was on the way to the county town. Isn't there a place called Ling Mountain Hollow? That place originally worshipped a hero named Liu Tai. He was originally a local, later joined the army, and it is said he reached the position of a lieutenant or captain. Because he was brave in battle and died, he was worshipped by people. Verbally, he was given the title of Marquis, called Liu Taihou, and the temple was called Liu Taihou Temple."

Shu Er Shu said to him:

"The incense of that Liu Taihou was also prosperous for decades, but after all, he was not a powerful god, and not long after, the incense gradually became cold. Fortunately, the temple was on the road, and occasionally people went to worship."

"At the end of last year, my son returned home for the New Year. When passing by Ling Mountain Hollow, he met a classmate, drank some wine, and passed by this Ling Mountain Hollow again. Seeing his incense was cold, he went to worship him. He didn't say anything out of line, just felt he was pitiful and said a few words of pity. His classmate can also testify for him. But after returning, he was often possessed by that Liu Taihou, clamoring for us to go and offer sacrifices to him."

"If we didn't offer sacrifices to him, he would slap himself, jump down from upstairs, and even jump into Jiyang Creek, just like a soldier ruffian. The old people in the family were all worried to death."

"We followed him at first, offering sacrifices to him, sending him pigs, dogs, sheep, and everything, but we also found some experts nearby, and even invited the old master of the academy, but not only could they not control him or satisfy him, it even made him worse."

Lin Jue listened earnestly and also thought earnestly.

"Have you worshipped the Three Aunties?"

"Worshipped, only in the Three Aunties Temple would he stop, but once he went out, he would immediately act up," Shu San Shu said. "Asked the temple keeper, the temple keeper said, the Three Aunties can only protect the villagers in the village from being invaded, and cannot protect the villagers from being invaded outside. What's more, the other party has also eaten incense. Told us to think of other ways, or go to other gods or the City God to burn a petition and file a lawsuit."

"Then have you filed a lawsuit?"

"Also went to burn a petition, but there was no response."

"And then?"

"Then it was the beginning of this month. Don't know how the old master of the academy heard about it. The old master went to the temple of that Liu Taihou himself, pointed at the temple and scolded for a long time, and also smashed his god statue, making him angry to death. But he didn't dare to deal with the old master, but he tortured my son enough."

Lin Jue listened, as if he could imagine the old master walking ten miles of mountain road with a cane to question the god.

Immediately, he continued to fall into thought.

Most of the Shu surname families in the village had kindness to him, and he couldn't ignore it, especially the main family of the Shu surname.

Almost all matters in the village were decided by the main family of the Shu surname, which meant that whether it was letting Lin Jue, an outsider, enter the academy to study or letting him cut grass to feed cows and give some subsidies, it actually had an inseparable relationship with the main family of the Shu Village.

This is also good—

Being able to repay some kindness, feeling at ease in his heart, and mostly being able to make his uncle's family live better in the village.

"Shu Er Shu, don't worry, I will go back to the village with you later and will definitely help with all my strength," Lin Jue said. "However, I haven't encountered many such things, I must first go and ask my Master."

"Good, good, good..."

Shu Er Shu didn't want to delay at all.

Lin Jue also immediately got up and entered the inner courtyard.

Daoist Yunhe was lying on the recliner, holding a cat in his arms, squinting his eyes, not asleep, but not reading, don't know what he was thinking, only opening his eyes when Lin Jue came in.

After listening to Lin Jue's account, he smiled:

"The Daoists of the Fulu Sect must respect the gods, and the gods in the hearts of the common people are also whitewashed, but you are a Daoist of the Lingfa Sect. What the gods are really like, don't you know yet?"

Saying this, he couldn't help but reach out and stroke the cat in his arms:

"The so-called Nine Heavens Righteous Gods, besides the ancient cultivators who ascended to heaven and the Yaoguai who were recruited and surrendered, the rest are just ghosts who are officials."

Lin Jue was surprised by what he said.

Thinking carefully, it seemed to be indeed the case.

"Then I..."

"If you are uneasy about the word 'god', you must know that the so-called god, what is worth respecting is always virtue, not the word 'god'. Only gods with virtue are worth worshipping," Daoist Yunhe's voice was like a dream. "If you are uneasy about the power of the gods, then I ask you, when Yaoguai make trouble, how many of the ordinary small gods on the ground dare to easily provoke them?"

"Understood."

Lin Jue immediately understood, and his heart was much more at ease.

The word 'god' was still a bit bluffing.

But as Master said, the place where gods are worth respecting actually lies in virtue, not because they live in temples or in heaven. If there is no virtue, and they are ordinary small gods, and you are in the right, then what is there to worry about? Could it be that even Liu Gong of Yixian County, the old master of Shu Village, and two frail old men dare to do things, but he, a cultivator with cultivation, dare not?

This magical power, since it can eliminate Yaoguai, can naturally also slay gods.

"By the way, Master, the spiritual pills spat out by the Silver-Eating Ghost last month already have nine. According to what you said before, I will take them to you later. How do you plan to tell the Shixiongs?"

"Don't tell."

"Don't tell?"

"Do I still have to explain to them?"

"That's fine."

Lin Jue first took the pills and handed them to Master, then went back to take the long sword, flying darts, and paper donkey, conveniently took a few bottles of pills, and wrapped a change of clothes into a bundle, called Fuyao, and only then walked to the outer courtyard.

"Third Shixiong, do you want me to go with you?"

"No need. My home is too far. It will take at least half a month to go and come back. You should stay on the mountain. Use the skills you stole from me when you usually cook, so as not to starve the Shixiongs to death."

"What stolen skills?"

The Junior Shimei reached out and scratched her head, staring at him in confusion.

Lin Jue didn't say much, called Shu Er Shu and Shu San Shu, and walked out.

Both came on horseback. Thinking they were in a hurry, they should be using the horses used by the village merchant team to carry goods, which were not tall but had great endurance, and also led one for Lin Jue.

Lin Jue was too lazy to use the paper donkey.

The donkey couldn't walk fast, and the donkey didn't have a saddle, destined to only be able to walk slowly and leisurely. Since he was in a hurry, he naturally rode a horse.

The Shu surname clansmen who wanted to do business mostly knew how to ride horses, but he had to adapt first. Fortunately, he had learned the method of gathering beasts and adjusting birds, naturally having more affinity with animals, and could communicate with animals without relying on horsemanship, so riding a horse was naturally much easier.

It was already spring, and the road down the mountain was also easy to walk.

Two merchants and one Daoist rode on horseback, but they mainly walked, occasionally trotting for a while, with the fox following easily and freely behind, and often running to the front.

The distance between Mount Yishan and Shu Village couldn't be reached in a day or two even by horse, so they had to rest when they had to.

When Lin Jue was bored, he held a bamboo Vine Cloud Bracelet in his hand and played with it casually.

Gradually left Mount Yishan and passed through Luosu County.

Saw that Qingdi Temple was still a ruin, with the Qingdi god statue standing in it, and occasionally some incense offerings in front.

Left Luosu and passed through Danxun County.

Then passed through a familiar ancient road.

"This place..."

Lin Jue turned his head to look at both sides of the road, then turned his head, staring at the endless high mountains layer upon layer on the side of the road.

There was a temple in the mountain, with green smoke curling up.

The slender white fox stood on a tree beside it, looking like a bird and also like a cat. Seeing him cast his gaze, it also turned its head and looked at the heavy high mountains behind it.

"Hammer Mountain..."

"Ying?"

The fox couldn't help but be puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

Shu Er Shu beside him also cast his gaze.

"Nothing."

Lin Jue withdrew his gaze.

Although he really wanted to ask the Mountain God whether it was he who sent Fuyao, the matter of Shu Village was more urgent. Anyway, he would pass by here on his way back.

A few days later, first arrived at Ling Mountain Hollow.

Shu Er Shu took Lin Jue to find that small temple.

It was just a small temple about as tall as a person, with length and width only about eight or nine feet, about the same size as the temporary houses for people who collect melons in melon fields or collect forests in the mountains, and there was only one god statue inside.

Lin Jue looked carefully—

It was indeed dressed as a military man, but clearly whitewashed after being worshipped as a god, looking like a general, wearing armor and a cloak, with a precious sword hanging at his waist, pressing the sword with one hand.

Looking very majestic, with bright colors.

"Didn't you say his god statue was smashed by the old master? Why is it still here?"

"Smashed, but after smashing, he refused to let us go, possessed my son, made trouble, almost hanged himself, and told us to reshape a god statue for him," Shu Er Shu said. He stood further away from the temple behind Lin Jue, couldn't help but lower his voice, "The original statue was only two feet tall, this one is a life-size statue, and we invited a good craftsman."

"Righteous gods do not possess bodies! Must be an evil god!"

After Lin Jue finished speaking, he simply took two steps forward, raised his sword, bent over, and entered the temple.

The light around him suddenly darkened.

Looked left and right, but only smelled some incense, saw no righteous energy of a god.

"Is Liu Taihou here?"

Lin Jue asked directly.

The two people behind him were suddenly shocked, subconsciously wanting to run further away, but as members of the Confucian merchants, the rules and etiquette engraved since childhood did not allow them to do so.

So they stood outside the temple, terrified, staring at Lin Jue.

"Liu Taihou is not here?

"Heaven and earth are vast, spirits of this place, listen to my command! Spiritual light is like washing, illuminating the ancient dark realm! Yaoguai and ghosts come, do not hide your shadows and avoid the light! Three realms of yin and yang, my spell reveals your form!"

A breeze blew, spiritual light rippled, but nothing was revealed.

"Really not here..."

Lin Jue muttered to himself, then said to the god statue: "If you can hear me, come and see me quickly, explain the reason for the matter clearly, otherwise I will definitely dismantle your temple, smash your god statue, and report to Qiyun Mountain to execute you!"

As he spoke, a white shadow flashed in front of him, and the fox also jumped onto him, looking closely at the god statue, its eyes flashing with full curious luster, and even reached out its claws to touch the face of the god statue.

However, Lin Jue had already turned around and said to the two middle-aged men at the door:

"This Liu Taihou is not here. Don't know if he is on the son of Er Shu now. Let's go and see first."

"Good."

The three got on their horses again and walked back.

"Did Er Shu really go to the Chenghuangmiao to burn a petition?" Lin Jue asked for details while walking.

"Naturally true."

"How did you write it?"

"Also asked a Daoist to write it, it's the one often invited to perform rituals when people die in the village, similar to a lawsuit in the government office, and then burned it after offering incense in the Chenghuangmiao."

"So that's how it is." Lin Jue nodded. Since it was similar to a lawsuit in the government office, it naturally explained the process clearly, "Did you write the process wrong?"

"How could we do such a thing?"

Shu Er Shu stared immediately. Lin Jue said "wrote wrong", but how could they not hear what it meant?

"I naturally believe Er Shu."

Lin Jue was not suspicious.

Besides the integrity of the merchants here, there was really no need to be suspicious—as long as this Liu Taihou really possessed the village boy, it could be concluded that he was not a righteous god.

Righteous gods are not allowed to possess bodies.

Even if Daoists of the Fulu Sect invite gods, they either use the divine power of the gods or invite the gods to descend to the mortal realm themselves; it is impossible for the gods to possess themselves.

Since he is an evil god, Lin Jue had some guesses.

It must be that the City God knew that this Liu Taihou was not a righteous god, so the petition presented did not have the effect of filing a lawsuit, because both sides were not in the same system. Even if the City God received the petition, it would only be regarded as a request from ordinary people asking for help to eliminate Yaoguai and drive away evil. It just so happened that the word City God meant that square city and river, and the duty of the City God was mostly in the city, and he was not powerful in the countryside.

Moreover, many City Gods didn't manage things in the city. ===== CHAPTER 137 =====