Chapter 140: Purifying the House, Burning the Embryo

In the main hall, the offering table and incense altar have already been set up.

Inside and out, the doors and windows of all rooms are wide open.

Before the altar, Wang Daoxuan was dressed in a Daoist robe, his expression solemn, his cinnabar-red brush dancing in his hand as he occasionally paused to bind the evil and enter the taboo, writing yellow talismans.

Li Yan is holding a willow branch, standing behind him.

According to Li Kongqing, this courtyard is just one of the many properties of the Prince's Mansion, and an inconspicuous one at that.

To them, it is a luxury mansion, but the Prince's Mansion looks down on it. Not only is the area small, but it is also located in the red-light district of Pingkang Lane. The Prince would definitely not come to live here; it is mostly used for giving away or rewarding subordinates.

Before it is given away, one can live here in the name of watching the house.

And there are quite a few people in the Prince's Mansion who do this.

This is considered a kind of invisible benefit. Li Kongqing, this companion, used to have a high and lofty appearance, but now he is also following suit, and others are naturally happy to see it happen.

Although it is a temporary stay, the courtyard has been empty for several years, so it is inevitable that it will breed filthy energy, and necessary house-purifying rituals are indispensable.

On the offering table, in a wooden box, are rice, millet, sorghum, mung beans, and black beans, all five colors complete, symbolizing the Five Elements.

This is the most traditional Five-Grain House Purifying Technique.

Besides this, there are three cups of purified water, three cups of white wine, three feet of red cloth, one large bowl, one sheet of red paper, eight steamed buns, and some sandalwood incense.

Ding, ding, ding!

After making preparations, Wang Daoxuan lit the sandalwood incense and shook the bell in his hand.

Li Yan immediately turned around, dipped the willow branch in water, and sprinkled it sequentially from inside the house to outside, as well as in the courtyard and every corner.

In the courtyard, it had already been cleaned by someone.

Li Yan sprinkled water to remove filth in front, and Wang Daoxuan threw and scattered the five grains behind, chanting loudly while scattering: "This house has an owner, respectfully inform the four directions, those who should leave must go, those who should come will go, five grains and miscellaneous grains, generations of offerings, house gods return to their positions, idlers avoid—!"

Every time he reached a doorway, well, or other places, Wang Daoxuan would pause slightly, stick talismans and deity positions, and then offer three sticks of incense with wine cups.

This is the essence of the Five-Grain House Purifying Technique.

Expel external ghosts, settle the six gods of the house.

Finally, arriving at the kitchen, Wang Daoxuan first spread the red paper flat on the stove, put the remaining five grains in a bowl, and arranged the wine, water, steamed buns, etc., neatly in order.

He lit three sticks of incense, held them high above his head, and said lightly: "The house god has arrived, the stove god returns to his position!"

After doing this, Wang Daoxuan folded the red cloth into a belt and hung it horizontally on the door frame of the main gate from the outside.

At this point, the house-purifying ritual is considered finished.

The original courtyard was exquisite, but it hadn't been lived in for a long time, so it always felt a bit wrong. After purifying the house, the sandalwood incense was lingering, and it felt refreshing and pleasant.

"Finally landed."

Wang Daoxuan sighed, "Before in Xianyang, it was difficult to move. Along the way, although there were hardships, it was one step at a time, and now I can actually gain a foothold in this prosperous place of Chang'an."

"Thinking about it now, it still feels unbelievable..."

Li Yan smiled, "Trees move and die, people move and live. The Mystic Sect often talks about the resonance between heaven and man. I think rolling in this red dust is the same."

"See more, experience more, and opportunities will naturally come."

"That's true."

Wang Daoxuan nodded with a smile, then looked at the sky, "This Brother Sha hasn't returned all night, won't something happen?"

"Don't worry."

Li Yan shook his head, "After the Mystic Sect battle, I have to move around on the Chang'an road. My temper is foul, and dealing with those people is inevitably annoying. Sha Laoshu Sha is just right for this."

"The Fire Bear Gang has suffered a setback and won't take action for a while."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "This Sha Laoshu Sha has been shouting about going to Huage Tower, but he's been too busy to take care of it. Tonight he's going to banquet Senior Shen Sanyou, so he probably won't make it back, and he'll quarrel when he returns."

"I won't go either."

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly, shook his head, "Today I still have to perform a few rituals, first set up the ancestral altar, offer sacrifices to the Chang soldiers and magical artifacts, and then arrange some Feng Shui situations."

"Living in someone else's courtyard, I have to watch it well."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "Why not ask Sister Red for help?"

"No need." Wang Daoxuan was happy, blinked his eyes, "I can still handle a few petty thieves pretending to be ghosts."

"Alright."

Li Yan nodded and didn't say more.

He knew that although Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei followed him, they didn't want to be a burden. Sha Lifei dealt with Jianghu affairs, while Wang Daoxuan focused on improving his combat power, and even started practicing some fist and foot techniques.

Once the ancestral altar is set up and the Chang soldiers are guarding, ordinary Jianghu people or Mystic Sect sorcerers entering the courtyard are really no match for Wang Daoxuan.

Temporarily without work, the two were busy with their own things.

Wang Daoxuan focused on arranging the altar.

Li Yan set up the Cloud Thunder God Drum in the courtyard, practiced fist techniques for a while, and then beat the drum to practice the Great Cloud Thunder Sound.

He had already seen the courtyard here.

Similar to this property of the Prince's Mansion, most of them were empty, with only some old servants guarding them, and the sound of the drum wouldn't affect too many people.

And his cultivation method had already changed.

In Wu Family Ditch, he realized the drum rhythm cultivation method. When beating, they were all sounds of Qin Han, and the thunder drum had the function of suppressing evil. Hearing it was invigorating and could clear away distracting thoughts, so he slept even more soundly at night.

For a time, the sound of drums rumbled in the alley.

In other courtyards, some old servants were cursing, while others stopped their work and listened with interest.

People in Shanzhou love drums, and almost everywhere has drum music. Old people who like this way could almost instantly tell it was Qin Han war drums.

Being in Chang'an, they were very shrewd and knew that none of the owners of these courtyards were easy to mess with. They were just helping people watch the door, so there was no need to provoke trouble casually.

Of course, there were those who couldn't stand it.

In a small courtyard hundreds of meters away, the smell of medicine was strong, the clouds were miserable, a woman was sobbing secretly, and a man with a square face was standing in the courtyard, his brows locked.

Hearing the sound of the drum, he was immediately full of irritability and shouted angrily: "Which annoying ghost is beating the drum in broad daylight, disturbing people's peace!"

As he spoke, he listened to the direction and was about to go out.

"Husband, don't!"

The sobbing woman hurriedly stopped him and persuaded him sorrowfully: "Those living here are not ordinary families. Xian'er is already bedridden, you must not cause trouble."

When the man heard this, he gritted his teeth and sighed, "When we moved here, we only sought peace, but I didn't expect..."

As he was speaking, an old woman with bound feet ran out from the side room, pleasantly surprised: "Master, Young Master is asleep."

"Oh?"

The man's eyes lit up, and he and the woman hurriedly entered the room.

I saw a five or six-year-old child lying on the bed in the room, his face yellow and thin, his clothes messy, his hands and feet tied, and his chest full of claw marks.

The child was sweating on his forehead, but his expression was much more relaxed, his eyes closed, and he was even snoring.

"Thank God."

The woman knelt down hurriedly and prayed to the sky outside the door.

The man was thoughtful, "Mother Liu, what happened just now?"

The old woman recalled and hurriedly said: "Just now the drum sounded, Young Master was a little scared when he heard it, and then he fell asleep."

The couple looked at each other after hearing this.

The man pondered for a moment, "I'm afraid we met an expert..."

As he spoke, he gritted his teeth: "Madam, pack up those tea leaves, I'll go visit them now."

The woman didn't dare to neglect and hurriedly prepared the things.

After the man picked them up, he followed the sound of the drum and came outside the small courtyard.

After getting close, he discovered the oddity.

Although this drum sound was dull like thunder, after hearing it, he felt inexplicably relaxed in his heart, and his worries also dissipated.

He was even more certain in his heart, looked at the courtyard, gritted his teeth and stepped forward to knock on the door...

"Who are you?"

Looking at the strange man in front of him, Li Yan was a bit puzzled.

Although the man had already seen the thunder drum in the courtyard, seeing that Li Yan was young, he still hesitated and said: "I am Zheng Xian, I live in this alley. May I ask if you are the one beating the drum?"

Li Yan was helpless after hearing this, "Disturbed you? Sorry, I won't beat it anymore..."

"Sir, save me!"

Who would have thought that as soon as the words fell, the man bent down and bowed deeply, his eyes red, and his voice trembling.

............ The doors and windows of the room were blocked, and the light was dim.

The candle flickered, the stove was bubbling, and the smell of medicine was strong.

Li Yan first scanned the surroundings, then looked at the young boy on the bed, then released the Yang formula and nodded slightly to Wang Daoxuan.

He didn't expect that the first business would come to his door on its own.

The man's name is Zheng Xian, a clerk in the Chang'an government office, responsible for managing archives and classics.

Although he is a small official, his ancestors were also wealthy, and he had a large ancestral home in Qunxian Lane, but because the family fell, he sold the house and moved here, leaving some savings to live on.

His son is suspected of being possessed by evil, and after hearing the drum, he improved, so he came to ask for help.

Of course, some things also need to be determined.

If this child is just sick, then they won't meddle, and will directly push him to the Li Family Medical Hall.

Now it seems that there is indeed a problem.

!.

The air in the room was turbid. Li Yan smelled a fishy smell, and this smell was mixed with the child's smell, which was very strange.

Seeing Li Yan's hint, Wang Daoxuan also had a bottom line in his heart.

He first looked at the window, then asked: "Why close it so tightly?"

Zheng Xian sighed and shook his head: "The child doesn't know why. After the incident, he couldn't see the light. Once he saw the light, he would roar and hit the wall with his head."

"When did it appear?"

"Half a month ago, the child was naughty and fell from a tree, and then he ran to sleep in a daze."

"I woke up in the middle of the night and found him stealing food. Since then, his temperament has changed drastically. He doesn't speak, stays in the room and never goes out, always eating or roaring in the middle of the night..."

"Oh?"

Wang Daoxuan was thoughtful, "Haven't you looked for anyone?"

"Looked!"

Zheng Xian said helplessly: "I also know about Mystic Sect matters, so I invited a gentleman to check. He said the soul was lost, but several soul-calling attempts didn't improve it."

"Daoist, what is going on?"

Wang Daoxuan pondered: "Don't worry, let's perform a ritual first."

After saying this, he set up an altar, took the child's fingernails and hair, wrapped them in a yellow talisman, and placed them on the altar.

After doing this, Wang Daoxuan placed an egg on the child's forehead, constantly pinching the formula and chanting, rolling it up and down.

Li Yan watched carefully from the side and already had a guess in his heart.

Sure enough, when Wang Daoxuan took the egg down, he first boiled it, and then burned it with the yellow talisman wrapping the fingernails and hair.

Peeling off the shell, a pitch-black mark appeared on the egg white, vaguely looking like a mouse.

"It's an animal embryo walk."

Wang Daoxuan said calmly, stroking his beard: "The child was frightened, the three souls were scattered, and because there happened to be a mother mouse giving birth nearby, he entered the animal embryo and fought for the flesh."

"And because his own soul is incomplete, he will also be affected, and his behavior and habits are somewhat similar to a mouse."

"This... Daoist, what should I do?"

Zheng Xian asked hurriedly upon hearing this.

"No problem."

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly: "It's just an animal embryo walk, a ritual can solve it. If it were a human embryo walk, I would be helpless."

After saying this, he turned to look at Li Yan, "Brother Yan, you have to take action on this matter, ordinary people are afraid they won't be able to find it."

"No problem."

Li Yan first remembered the fishy smell on the child, then pinched the Yang formula and walked around every room and courtyard of Zheng Xian's house.

Finally, he came to the woodshed in the backyard and pointed to a corner outside the woodshed, "It's here, dig."

"Quick, do it!"

Zheng Xian had already called an old servant to help. The two picked up hoes and dug around, and sure enough, they found a nest of mice.

The mother mouse had already fled, leaving only a few young mice crawling around.

Zheng Xian had already received Wang Daoxuan's order, so he didn't hesitate. He first took out a large black umbrella to block the sunlight, then picked up a hoe to smash all the young mice to death, and then piled up firewood and yellow talismans to ignite them.

At the same time, Wang Daoxuan also began to perform the soul-calling ritual.

Li Yan could smell a cold Yin soul aura rising, hovering back and forth under the black umbrella.

Clatter!

He closed the black umbrella and walked into the room quickly.

After opening the black umbrella, with Wang Daoxuan shaking the bell to call the soul, the cold aura flashed and entered the child's body.

The child's eyelids fluttered rapidly.

Seeing this, Wang Daoxuan knew that the child's soul was unstable, so he immediately picked up a red rope and tied a knot on his hands and feet to stabilize the soul.

Finally, the child opened his eyes slowly. Although he still looked scared, he had spirit, and said softly: "Mother..."

"Xian'er."

The woman cried with joy and hurriedly hugged the child.

"Mother, I dreamed that I was drilling in a mouse nest..."

"Don't be afraid, it's all over, it's over..."

Looking at the scene in front of him, Li Yan smiled.

If it were about killing fierce ghosts or catching Yin criminals, he might be better, but for this kind of method to help common people solve problems, Wang Daoxuan is obviously more relaxed.

"Thank you, Daoist, thank you, Daoist."

Zheng Xian was full of red eyes on the side, thanking him repeatedly.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head: "It's just a small matter, but your son's three souls are unstable. It's best to perform a long-life three-soul prohibition ritual and then go to the Chenghuangmiao to ask for a long-life lock."

"Okay, okay, listen to the Daoist."

If he took on a few more big jobs and completed them beautifully, he would be able to gain a firm foothold in Chang'an.

Just then, Li Yan felt a gaze and turned around suddenly, but it was the child who had just improved.

Seeing Li Yan notice, he shrank his head into his mother's arms.

"Mother, I'm scared!"

"What's wrong with Xian'er?"

"Beside that uncle, there is a tiger..."

Li Yan was stunned and looked at each other with Wang Daoxuan.

The days in winter are short. In the afternoon, just after the You hour (17:00 to 19:00), night had already fallen, and the sky began to drift with snow again.

As the most prosperous market in Chang'an, long lanterns were hung on both sides of the street in Pingkang Lane, brothels and wine shops were brightly lit, and there was faint silk and bamboo singing.

Li Yan walked on the street, thinking of what happened during the day, still feeling a bit mysterious. He actually witnessed the process of a child awakening supernatural powers.

That's right, the child awakened the eye supernatural power.

And it was the rare ghost-god Yin-Yang eye.

Just after awakening, he could see the external phantom of the God Tiger Order.

One must know that a magical artifact like the God Tiger Order converges its aura when not in use, and ordinary people simply cannot see it.

This child's talent is simply terrifying!

Under Wang Daoxuan's guidance, Zheng Xian had already gone to the Chenghuangmiao.

His family only has one child. Whether to join the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect or close the supernatural power and be an ordinary person depends on the Zheng family's own choice.

Perhaps, the Zheng family's fate will also change because of this...

Thinking of this, Li Yan quickened his pace and walked toward Huage Tower, the largest in Pingkang Lane.

In the window of the second floor of the brothel next to him, a woman held a pipa and sang: "Green mountains wait for each other, white clouds love each other, dream not of purple robes and golden belts~ A thatched cottage, wild flowers bloom, who cares whose family rises or falls, a simple life is also happy~"

The singing was lingering, the ancient capital was filled with lights and flying snow......

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 141 =====