Chapter 238

"We searched the Danyang Academy overnight."

"The academy was empty, and we didn't find any clues. We checked against the roster and found that those who didn't show up yesterday had all disappeared. We then sent out hunting dogs and found over a dozen corpses in the back mountain."

"After identification by the academy disciples, they were the proctor, the scribe, the treasurer, and the servants who worked at the academy."

"Only the chief sacrificer, Liu Danqiu, was not found!"

Zhou Kai's eyes narrowed slightly, "Does he have no family?"

The garrison Regional Commander saluted and said, "My subordinate has already inquired. This Liu Danqiu is a Confucian warlock who originally lived in Guizhou City."

"Ten years ago, the Maitreya Sect rebelled in Guanzhong, and later a plague appeared on the battlefield, spreading to Ezhou. Liu Danqiu's family all died of illness, leaving only a grandson."

"Later, his grandson went out to study and died after encountering river pirates. Since then, Liu Danqiu has lived in a hut in the mountains, only returning when the academy holds sacrifices..."

Upon hearing this, Sha Lifei's eyes rolled, and he whispered, "Li Li Shaoxia Yan, how does this sound a bit familiar? Could it be the one who was playing tricks at Zhu Family Fort?"

Li Yan was a bit strange, "It was reported a long time ago. If it were him, calculating the time, the Confucian Sect should have come to arrest him long ago..."

Zhou Kai beside him hurriedly asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Li Yan didn't hide it and recounted the matter.

After all, this Zhou Kai could also be considered a member of the Confucian Sect; even if he wasn't a warlock, he should be clear about these things.

Who would have thought that after listening, Zhou Kai would say thoughtfully, "You two are probably not clear about this. If it's an ordinary case being reported, in Ezhou, it must first be sent to the Wenjin Academy, then documents are issued to check the chief sacrificers of each academy."

"This back and forth takes quite a bit of time. But if it involves the art of prophecy, it will inevitably use the imperial court's post station to send letters by fast horse, and three days would be enough..."

"Someone, bring Wu Defa up!"

With the sound of chains, Magistrate Wu Defa was dragged up.

Although imprisoned, he was still an official, so he hadn't suffered severe torture, but he was disheveled and in a trance.

Zhou Kai said coldly, "Wu Defa, I ask you, did the Wenjin Academy send a document requesting to check the academy's chief sacrificer?"

Having caused such a huge disaster, Wu Defa knew he was doomed. At this moment, his heart was already dead, and he didn't hide it, lowering his head and saying in a muffled voice, "These things were all handled by the private secretary."

"What a useless sack of wine and rice!"

Zhou Kai was full of disgust and directly ordered him to be dragged down, and then had the private secretary brought from the prison.

This private secretary was even more of a scum; although he wasn't a member of the Mountain Pilgrimage Society, he had long been bought off and had done many wicked things.

During the interrogation last night, he had already been beaten until he was covered in blood.

Seeing the fierce and menacing appearance of the crowd, he didn't dare to hide anything and confessed everything.

Indeed, the Wenjin Academy had sent a letter some days ago.

But the leader of the Mountain Pilgrimage Society, Lu Yuan, suddenly found him, using leverage he held over him to force him to write a reply, and he even stole the magistrate's seal to fool them...

These things alone were enough to confirm the other party's identity.

Daoist Feng shook his head and said, "I have also had contact with this Master Liu. Ever since his family passed away, his personality became strange. I'm afraid that's when he started contacting the Ghost Sect."

"Although he is a Confucian warlock, he is old and weak, doesn't know martial arts, and only understands some sacrificial rules. He wasn't valued by others, and his life was relatively poor."

"I never thought he would have secretly learned the art of prophecy. I really misjudged him..."

The garrison Regional Commander saluted again and said, "My lord, we have searched the nearby mountains and haven't found any traces of the demon. Please give orders on what to do next."

Zhou Kai said in a deep voice, "This matter might be related to the local mountain city. You just need to guard the city well and must not have any slack!"

"Yes!"

The garrison commander saluted and accepted the order, turning to leave.

After he left, Zhou Kai's eyes narrowed slightly, and he whispered, "Li Li Shaoxia, judging from last night's testimony, Wu Shiqing likes Buddhist scriptures and often goes to the Bao'en Guangxiao Temple outside the Beimen."

"When the incident happened, he was also returning from there. Perhaps there is a problem with that place. Also, the Old Official Temple in the west of the city has had strange things happening one after another."

"I ask you to leave in secret and go investigate."

Li Yan immediately understood, "You suspect the garrison?"

Zhou Kai said in a deep voice, "The Zigui garrison has been stationed here for years. Although they are not allowed to go out without military orders, such a big thing happened, and yet it was never reported! Also, the news leaked too quickly."

"I suspect that someone in the garrison has already joined the Ghost Sect. During the Great Song years, they used heavy profits to bewitch many officials into joining the sect, which is how it grew larger and larger."

"Zigui County is now precarious and must be guarded against. They didn't follow the rebellion yesterday; perhaps they have a bigger plot."

"Besides those I brought from Yunyang, you are the only ones I can trust."

Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, "My lord is not afraid?"

Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai's expression was calm, "Li Li Shaoxia, there is no need to test me. Although the officialdom is filthy, this concerns the Shenzhou's foundation. If everyone were to wallow in the mire, how could our Great Xuan stand for a hundred years without falling?"

"I need to stabilize the hearts of the people in the city. The reinforcements sent from Yichang will arrive tomorrow, and only then will we be stable."

"Fine!"

Li Yan cupped his hands and turned to leave.

"I'll go with you!"

Daoist Feng hurriedly stood up, "There is a secret passage in the Chenghuangmiao that leads directly outside the city. You aren't familiar with the road, so I can help."

"That's fine."

Li Yan saw through the old Daoist's thoughts; he clearly feared that the garrison might also be problematic.

After they left, Assistant Prefect Zhou Kai sighed, took out a map, and slowly spread it out, his expression growing gloomier the more he looked.

"Jingchu mountain people, the Lord Tian Sheng Sect, the Ghost Sect, the Yang family of Bozhou..."

Sha Lifei's words just now had unintentionally reminded him.

Looking at the map, the Jingchu rebel army had already occupied Zhushan County, and between them and Zigui County, there was only Shennongjia.

Shennongjia was filled with dense fog and had been a forbidden area since ancient times. Not only were there ferocious beasts and poisonous insects, but also all kinds of mountain spirits and ghosts, absurd and bizarre. Very few who entered the mountains could come out.

But the Jingchu mountain people had entrenched themselves in the mountains for hundreds of years, and perhaps they had long since found a passage, which would allow them to directly invade Zigui County...

Further west was Wushan, equally mysterious and unpredictable, and possessing a natural mystical realm, which was a hard nut that the orthodox Mystic Sect had never been able to crack.

And past Wushan, the power of the Yang family of the Bozhou Tusi was very strong. It would be good if Mount Qingcheng could just guard one side...

Further south, it all belonged to the Xiangxi Miao frontier. A Southern Great Wall had been built, with numerous garrisons stationed to suppress the Miao frontier and isolate the raw Miao from the cooked Miao.

The territory of Shizhou belonged to the cooked Miao, with Tusi cities such as Sanmao Tusi, Tang Ya Tusi, Jindong Tusi, Longtan Tusi, Zhongjian Tusi, Maoling Tusi, and Shinan Tusi.

The one currently rebelling with a clear banner was Tang Ya Tusi, the strongest among all the Tusi. Some of the remaining were watching, while others stood on the side of the imperial court.

He had come this time to appease them, letting those Tusi who didn't want to participate in the rebellion not to move, and wait until the imperial court dealt with the Jingchu mountain people.

Zigui County happened to be in the middle of the three parties, dividing the forces of all sides, just like a nail embedded in the middle, and it was also the throat of the road to Bashu. If this place fell, those forces would likely connect into one, and by then, even the Tusi who stood on the side of the imperial court would be coerced into joining the rebel army.

Thinking of this, Zhou Kai felt as if he were carrying a great mountain on his shoulders, pressing him until he couldn't breathe...

"Li Li Shaoxia, Zigui is likely doomed!"

Inside the tunnel, Daoist Feng held a torch, his face full of bitterness, "I'm not a fool, but this place is special. Every move of our Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect will cause trouble, so I can only stay in the Chenghuangmiao."

"Although the Dharma lineages of the Mystic Sect are of the same origin and are all the orthodox path of the Shenzhou, they are not that harmonious with each other."

"The ancestral altar of the Zhushan Sect is in Zhushan, and now their old nest has been taken, so they won't let go of this area. Both sides restrain each other, which has led to the bitter fruit of today."

"Zigui County is too important. The Ghost Sect plotting here is definitely not just about killing a few people and sacrificing to ghosts and gods."

Sha Lifei also felt his scalp tingle, "You suspect they will lead troops to attack Zigui County?"

"From the north or the south?"

Daoist Feng shook his head, "The Jingchu mountain people in the north have to pass through Shennongjia to get here. They are currently facing the main force of the imperial court, and the reinforcements from each state are on the way, so I estimate they can't spare the hands."

!.

"The most likely way is from the south."

Sha Lifei scratched his head, "What should we do? Should we call the Daoist and run quickly?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Since I promised Assistant Prefect Zhou, I'll investigate first."

"Moreover, how can there be no movement when troops are mobilized? Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, and there will be many Mystic Sect cultivators accompanying them. We'll leave then."

Daoist Feng also sighed and nodded, "There's no rush to run at this moment, but we should always be careful."

"Once the war starts, even warlocks are like grass..."

The exit of the tunnel in the Chenghuangmiao was dug very cleverly, right at the corner of a mountain hollow, and was very secret.

The three of them braved the falling dust, pushed open the trapdoor, and covered it again with soil and stones. Even if someone passed by, it would be hard to find.

There were two locations they needed to investigate: the Old Official Temple in the west of the city and the Bao'en Guangxiao Temple outside the Beimen.

The tunnel exit was in the west of the city, so naturally, they went to the Old Official Temple first.

"The Old Official Temple is by the Chixi River."

Daoist Feng introduced as they walked, "The locals call it the Chi Chenghuangmiao, built by officials, so it's also called the Old Official Temple."

Li Yan asked casually, "Is it a Daoist temple or a Buddhist temple?"

Daoist Feng shook his head, "It belongs to the local Daoist shrine, and it has some history."

"This temple was originally called the Huang Moshen Temple, built in the Tang Dynasty. During the Xiantong period, Xiao Gou was demoted from Right Historian to Qiannan, passing through the Three Gorges to Zigui, and dreamed of a god with red hair and green eyes, calling himself the Huang Moshen, willing to protect the official out of this territory. Later, Xiao became Prime Minister and dreamed of the god telling him of his return, so he set up a temple."

Later, the Huang Moshen became the water god of the Three Gorges, which was quite efficacious at the time, and nearby boatmen and commoners often sacrificed to him. But after the Song Dynasty, during the Great Xing period, this temple was no longer efficacious, and the incense began to decline.

Nowadays, it is in disrepair and almost collapsed, with only a lonely old man living in the temple, cleaning and sweeping..."

While speaking, the three had already arrived at the Chixi River.

Today, the weather was gloomy, with a misty drizzle.

By the river, many commoners were holding oil-paper umbrellas, with the old and the young, either carrying baskets or holding paper banners made of gold ingots and white paper, in twos and threes, walking toward the nearby mountains.

"That's a local custom called 'Qingming Hanging'."

Seeing Li Yan and the other notice the unique paper banner, Daoist Feng explained, then shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Qingming Festival is here. I should have been busy, but I'm afraid this year's Three Patrol Assembly won't be held."

Li Yan comforted him, "If after the chaos, there are social order troops in the future, the Three Patrol Assembly will surely be even more lively."

Qingming Festival, the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and the first day of the tenth lunar month are collectively called the three major ghost festivals, when the yin energy of the earth rises and ghosts and spirits are active.

Every time this happens in the Shenzhou, a grand City God street patrol will be held. At that time, there will be a team carrying the City God out for a patrol, with gongs and drums sounding.

And the commoners who wish to pray for atonement will wear prisoner clothes, shackles, and chains, pretending to be criminals, following behind the team, as if the underworld is escorting ghost criminals.

At the same time, the social order troops will also patrol, wandering the nearby mountains and rivers, deterring ghosts and spirits, making it difficult for them to cause trouble.

For City God temples everywhere, the Three Patrol Assembly is very important; even the temple fairs during the New Year can't compare.

But in the situation of Guizhou City, it obviously couldn't be held.

While speaking, the crowd had walked along the Chixi River to a river bend, but saw that the surroundings were planted with peach trees, with peach blossoms in full bloom and falling petals.

Among the peach forest, there was an old, dilapidated temple.

The wall outside the temple had collapsed for more than half, and several side halls were in disrepair; some had already collapsed, while others were covered with wormwood on the roof, and a big hole had been broken.

Only the main hall barely maintained its integrity.

The wall outside the temple had collapsed, so naturally, there was no obstruction. Seeing the smoke curling from inside, the three held oil-paper umbrellas and entered the main hall in the drizzle.

"Daoist Feng, you're here."

The old man guarding the temple heard the sound and came out, in tattered clothes, white-haired, no better than a beggar, and limping as he walked.

Daoist Feng frowned, "Who hit you?"

The old man sighed, "A few passing little beggars wanted to forcibly occupy the broken temple. If it weren't for the strange things happening in the temple that scared them away, the old man wouldn't have been able to save his life."

Daoist Feng heard this, his eyes full of apology, "There have been many things lately, and I didn't have time to see you. After I go back, I'll have someone send some rice, flour, firewood, and oil."

The old man's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly thanked him, "Daoist is merciful."

Daoist Feng nodded and asked, "What strange things happened in the temple? We are here this time to investigate this matter."

"Nothing much."

The old man looked at the temple hall and sighed, "During this period, every night, one can vaguely hear crying in the main hall, but if you enter with a torch, you can't find anyone."

"Once you leave, the candles go out by themselves, and the crying sound appears again. Nearby commoners are so scared they don't dare to get close. Perhaps some lonely ghost is staying in the temple."

Sha Lifei was a bit strange, "Grandpa, aren't you afraid?"

The old man was calm, "I am lonely and helpless. Living in this world, what is the difference between me and a lonely ghost? We are all pitiful people, nothing to be afraid of."

Daoist Feng heard this and shook his head slightly, "It's not very peaceful lately, why don't you leave early, so as not to have an accident."

The old man shook his head, "No matter, I'm used to living here. Even if I die here, I'll be at peace."

Daoist Feng sighed and didn't try to persuade him further, letting the old man lead them to the main hall.

The wooden door of the main hall had long been lost, empty and bare. Even before entering the temple, one could see the dilapidation inside, a ferocious statue covered in filth, and the paint peeling, having long since rotted.

And the moment he stepped into the main hall, Li Yan only felt his waist token heat up, and then white mist rose around him...

(End of chapter)