Chapter 217: Chenwei Technique

"There are dirty things in the river?"

Li Yan frowned. "You reported it, but you didn't say this."

"Sigh~ it's getting worse."

Zhu village head sighed helplessly. "This matter is a long story. In short, don't get close to the river. Those things are fierce."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, turned his head and said, "Since that's the case, Brother Lu, be careful. Set up camp on the shore, and I'll come to keep you company tonight."

"I'll stay."

Sha Lifei touched his chest, a bit absent-minded.

Li Yan saw this and understood immediately, so he didn't talk nonsense anymore and followed Zhu village head into the village.

As soon as the group left, Sha Lifei and Lu San hurriedly set up the tent, then crawled into it, lit a candle, and couldn't wait to take out the book from his bosom.

"What good thing is it?"

Lu San had long noticed that Sha Lifei was not right.

"Hehe, scare you to death!"

Sha Lifei was full of excitement, even sweat beads appeared on the tip of his nose and forehead. He carefully opened the book page and said with a trembling voice:

"Brother Yan mentioned to me that during the chaotic world at the end of the Tang Dynasty, demons grew and the Dao vanished. Many remnants of the Fangxian Dao appeared, cooperating with the mechanical Dharma lineage, participating in wars with those warlords, and creating many powerful weapons."

"The Netherfire Gun we used is one of them."

"This is the secret book passed down at that time."

Lu San had also seen the power of the Netherfire Gun, so he nodded upon seeing this. "It is indeed a good thing, but you don't understand mechanical arts. Even if you know the method, you can't make it, right?"

"These will be thought about later!"

"The key is this thing..."

Sha Lifei quickly shook his head and carefully flipped to the last few pages. The leather there was brand new, clearly newly made and added.

The pictures and text on it were still clear.

"This is?!"

Lu San's pupils shrank upon seeing this.

Sha Lifei panted, his eyes even turning red. "New gunpowder formula and firearm production drawings, we've made a fortune!"

Lu San was also a bit shocked and swallowed his saliva.

"The trouble is probably not small..."

…………

At the same time, Li Yan had already entered the village.

The history of the environment in Hubei and Hunan is special. To the east, west, and north, it is surrounded by mountains, preserving both the long-standing Ba-Chu culture and being influenced by the north.

In the high mountain areas, ethnic minorities live in clusters, and their food, clothing, housing, and transportation are more of the ancient customs of the old Ba-Chu land, with a rich witch culture.

In the fertile Jianghan Plain in the center, there are more farming customs, such as sacrificing to the local gods of the soil and the gods of grain, and the two customs are mixed.

For example, around the village, a large number of maple trees are planted.

Li Yan and the others walked along the way and found that almost all of them were like this. Every village planted maple trees, and there was no village without maple trees, all because maple wood is related to Chiyou.

At the same time, they also devoutly worshiped the Earth God.

It can be said to be a place where the cultures of the north and south, Ba-Chu and the Central Plains, merge.

Li Yan entered the village and had a sense of familiarity.

Because Zhujia Fort was the same as his hometown Li Jia Fort, both developed from military forts, and the same outline could be vaguely seen.

However, the village architecture in Hubei and Hunan had another style.

Guanzhong is thick, ancient, and atmospheric.

The village towns here have houses connected to houses, households next to households, doors facing doors, windows facing windows, and alleys connecting alleys, with a compact layout.

Blue bricks and ancient tiles, wooden doors and carved beams, and the alleys are paved with bluestone slabs. Even if it rains, walking from door to door won't wet your shoes.

"Fast Boat Zhang" and a group of boatmen were locals of Hubei and Hunan, so naturally, they were long used to it.

And Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan followed the village head through these narrow alleys, stepping on bluestone slabs, sometimes turning left, sometimes turning right, almost getting lost.

Dim candlelight could be seen from the wooden windows on both sides. The old people in the village looked up and watched. For these strangers, they clearly carried a trace of vigilance in their curiosity.

There were also children squatting on the wooden door thresholds, peeking at them, but were pulled back by adults, and after a beating, wailing sounds rose.

Zhu village head was a bit embarrassed. "Judging by the accent, Mr. Li is from Shanzhou, let you guests see a joke."

"Not at all."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "The folk customs in all parts of the Divine Land are different. If you experience it carefully, there is a unique charm."

As he spoke, he looked at the compass again, his eyes solemn.

The needle was swinging left and right, increasingly chaotic.

Zhu village head was a big clan of Zhujia Fort. His ancestors were military households who guarded this place, and later someone in the family passed the scholar exam, gradually becoming wealthy.

His house was naturally larger.

But unlike the large courtyards in Guanzhong, his house was a whole, with high walls and large courtyards outside, and divided into several households inside, connected by small pebble paths.

And all the large rooms were two stories high, connected by wooden stairs, not short in years, the wood was pitch black, and the rooms were a bit dark.

Especially special was that in front of the house, there was actually a clear water channel winding around, just passing from above, circling a circle.

Wang Daoxuan saw this and narrowed his eyes, smiling, "Silver belt water in front of the door, generations of scholars, clear and prominent out of the noble courtyard."

"Old Layman, your house has been pointed out by an expert..."

"Let the Daoist see a joke."

Zhu village head was humble in words, but couldn't hide the pride in his eyes. "My ancestors saved a feng shui master from Ganzhou. Under his guidance, this old house was built."

"I won't say anything else, but the family style is still correct, farming and reading are passed down, and I dare not harm the village. My grandson is studying at Yuelu Academy..."

People in Hubei and Hunan are hospitable, not to mention Mystic Sect sorcerers who came to help. Zhu village head was busy greeting them as soon as he entered the door, preparing wine and food.

Local custom, if guests come, one or two dishes, four or five dishes are all fine, just can't serve three dishes, because this is a sacrificial bowl, only offered to the dead like this.

If a distinguished guest comes, you have to make up nine bowls of dishes.

Local fish cake, dried pork, fried lotus root balls, eight-treasure rice... although they are ordinary folk dishes, every bowl is different.

Of course, Old Man Zhang and a group of boatmen were arranged in the front courtyard, while Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan were arranged in the back wing.

After all, there were important matters to discuss.

Zhu village head was old and shouldn't drink, so he let his son accompany them, and he insisted on toasting several rounds before stopping.

"Thank you, Old Layman, for your hospitality."

Wang Daoxuan didn't hide it either, directly placed the compass on the table and said in a deep voice, "Zhujia Fort, I'm afraid there is a big problem. What exactly happened?"

Li Yan also looked at Zhu village head.

The information given by the City God Temple only said that people were dying here one after another, and even the Earth God temple keeper disappeared inexplicably. Now it seems that the problem is definitely not small. "Sigh~ it's all injustice!"

Zhu village head sighed. "I'm not afraid of you two laughing, although my family has produced some scholars, the atmosphere in the village is not correct."

"For many years, young people often couldn't stand the hardship of farming and fishing, and didn't want to learn a trade, just wanting to make quick money."

"Our Zhujia Fort was once a military fort, and a few families passed down martial arts. Those young people followed them to dance with knives and sticks, causing trouble all day long, and often had conflicts with other villages."

"I couldn't control them, so I had to let them go."

"But I didn't expect that these young people secretly engaged in the business of river bandits, often covering their faces, leaving along the mountain river channel, and robbing on the Han River."

"Of course, they didn't end up well either. They were caught by the Xiangyang navy and shot to death by arrows on the spot. Many families in the fort lost their incense."

"These are still fine, after all, doing evil, how can there be no retribution, but they were unlucky enough to provoke a disaster!"

"Before they died, they robbed a passenger ship and were ruthless, harming everyone on the ship."

"That day, a crazy old Confucian scholar came to the village entrance and cursed for half a day, saying we killed his son, and it would surely bring disaster, and the village would not be left with chickens or dogs."

"Some commoners couldn't stand it and beat him away with sticks."

!.

"Afterward, strange things happened one after another in the village."

"First, the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall all started to seep water. They were wiped clean during the day, but as long as one night passed, they would surely flow all over the floor..."

"The well water started to have problems again. The water drawn up by a few families had a foul smell, and there were more and more..."

"Afterward, people started to disappear, including the Earth God temple keeper. A few days later, the corpses floated from the river."

"Some people followed at night and found that they were all like crazy, waking up suddenly at night, not even wearing clothes, and running into the water, drowning themselves alive..."

"The village is now in panic. A few families couldn't stand it and ran to other places to rely on relatives, but it's hard to leave their homeland, and how can so many orphans and widows leave?"

"I have already reported this matter and invited a Duan Gong to drive away evil, but after doing several Dharma rituals, it was useless. They even died one person, scaring them away from the village that night."

As he spoke, his legs went soft and he was about to kneel.

Li Yan quickly helped him up, but saw that this old village head was already full of tears. "I won't hide it from you guests, two nights ago, I dreamed of my ancestors, and they were all surrounding me and cursing."

"I'm old, it doesn't matter if I die, but now that the village has become like this, what face do I have to see my ancestors?"

Wang Daoxuan's eyes narrowed slightly, keenly noticing the words in the old man's mouth, and asked, "The old man dreamed of ancestors cursing?"

"Does anyone else in the village have this situation?"

Zhu village head was stunned upon hearing this, shook his head and said, "I haven't heard anyone mention it, but ancestors cursing is unfilial descendants. I didn't dare to tell outsiders."

"Others, even if they have it, probably don't dare to say it."

Wang Daoxuan looked solemn and nodded. "Village head, send people immediately to ask those families who had accidents to see if there is a similar situation."

"Also, this matter must not be hidden anymore. Notify the whole village to see who else dreamed of ancestors cursing recently."

"This..."

Zhu village head's eyes were uncertain, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Daoist, don't worry, I will do it."

The so-called family ugliness should not be publicized. If other people in the village knew about such things as ancestors cursing, I'm afraid their spines could be poked through.

But he also knew that at such a time, he couldn't continue to hide it.

After the old village head left, Li Yan looked at Wang Daoxuan. "Daoist, do you suspect that the feng shui of the village has a problem?"

"I'm afraid it's not just feng shui."

Wang Daoxuan looked serious and asked in a deep voice, "Brother Yan, after you entered the village, did you smell any strange smell?"

"I also find it strange."

Li Yan was puzzled. "Reasonably speaking, such a big thing happened, there must be something causing trouble, but whether on the river or entering the village, I didn't smell any fierce baleful energy."

"And that Earth God temple, although the keeper died, the incense is still flourishing, and the divine energy is lingering, unlike having evil spirits invading."

Wang Daoxuan said in a deep voice, "Then it should be it."

"Have you ever heard of the Chenwei technique?"

"The Chenwei technique was prevalent in the Qin and Han Dynasties. At that time, Confucianism was not the mainstream. They mythologized the classics, Chen was hidden language, predicting good and bad luck, Wei was a branch of the classics, extending to side meanings."

"Confucianism used this technique, borrowing the theory of heaven and man induction, mythologizing the imperial power of the Han Dynasty, rejecting all schools of thought, and exclusively respecting Confucianism, and since then Confucianism has flourished."

"At that time, Confucian classics were external studies, and the Chenwei technique was internal studies, absorbing many Mystic Sect secret techniques, and was prominent for a time."

"'Those who destroy Qin are Hu', 'After three generations of Tang, a female emperor will replace the world'—these are all Chenwei techniques. They seem to be nonsense, but they are observing the timing, geographical advantages, and the five movements and six qi, pushing the general trend of human affairs."

"This method is secret. Although it can consolidate imperial power, it is also taboo for those above. Afterward, Confucian scholars of past dynasties criticized it many times, separating it from Confucian classics, and only then did it have the luck of the orthodox sect today."

"Now Confucianism is the foundation of the country, and it is also an orthodox sect in the Mystic Sect, listing the Chenwei technique as a forbidden technique, not wanting to mention it much."

"But after all, it is an internal study. That old Confucian scholar probably inherited this path, pushing for changes in national destiny. He doesn't have the ability to push the general trend of human affairs, but it is not difficult to make a village suffer from frequent disasters."

Li Yan was also enlightened. "Besides cultivating the noble spirit, Confucianism can actually do this?"

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly and sighed slightly. "The three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, who can't have some history?"

Just then, the old village head hurried back, his face pale and trembling. "Daoist, your prediction is like a god."

"Those villagers who had accidents, their families said that a few days before jumping into the river, they were all abnormal, either running to the ancestral graves to burn paper, or kneeling before the ancestral spirit tablets for a long time, in a trance all day."

"Also, in the village, including me, dozens of people dreamed of ancestors cursing, mostly old people, not a single child."

"It seems it's correct."

Wang Daoxuan said in a deep voice, "If the human heart is not correct, evil energy will come by itself. Someone borrowed the mountain and river terrain to disturb your ancestral graves, and then used rumors to disturb your minds. Over time, it will naturally cause trouble."

"To break the Chenwei technique, you only need to make the truth clear, and the human heart will not be confused, and naturally evil cannot interfere. You just need to make this matter public."

"Tomorrow, take me to see your ancestral graves."

"Thank you, Daoist."

The old village head quickly bowed to thank him.

Li Yan beside him felt strange in his heart. After the old village head left, he couldn't help but ask, "Fighting with the human heart, this is the first time I've seen it."

Wang Daoxuan's face was still solemn. "The problem of this village should not be difficult to solve."

After saying this, he looked out the window, his eyes full of worry. "But now the southwest is in chaos, wars are everywhere, and the Chenwei technique has come out again..."

"Not a good sign!"

…………

Since the cause was found, Li Yan didn't stay in the village much. After all, he didn't understand this kind of thing and had to be handled by Wang Daoxuan.

He returned to the shore and walked directly into the tent, only to see Sha Lifei and Lu San borrowing the candlelight, flipping through an old book.

The food sent over was placed aside, and they didn't even have time to eat.

"Brother Yan, we've made a fortune."

Seeing him arrive, Sha Lifei was full of excitement and told everything about getting the new gunpowder formula and firearm production method...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 218 =====