Chapter 291

Hearing this person speak, Li Yan's brow immediately furrowed.

He had never had a good impression of the Jiang Xiang Sect to begin with, so naturally, he didn't even look at them, too lazy to pay any attention.

Master Lin, however, was clearly interested. "Mr. Yu, the Baotong Zen Temple has already destroyed the evildoers' setup. Could it be that there are still complications?"

"Hmph!"

The old man with double pupils had a haughty expression. Stroking his beard, he said, "I have already looked. Although a master has set things up here, creating a layout of the Tortoise and Snake gods guarding the portal, they failed to notice the Bai Hu and Zhu Que when laying it out."

"Therefore, although the Qingchuan Pavilion and the Yellow Crane Tower face each other across the river, they are much shorter, and they are congenitally deficient. The Tortoise and Snake formations alone are fine, but when placed in the overall situation, it is called the 'Missing Black Tortoise' position."

"And now, the terrain near the Barbarian King's Tomb is towering, and the Zhu Que is buried deep in the ancient Western Zhou mine pit, forming a great ominous layout of a Missing Black Tortoise, a blocked Zhu Que, and a Raised Bai Hu."

"The setup on the Tortoise and Snake mountains is just a lead-in. Now that the situation has taken shape, destroying it is useless!"

As he spoke, a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes. "This person's thoughts are secretive, and the layout is profound. By borrowing the ancient and modern layout to form momentum, it looks like there are shadows of the Star Host Sect's techniques."

"Hmph, they all say my Jiang Xiang Sect has entered the evil path. This time, I will break this layout, catch the person behind the scenes, and see what the Star Host Sect has to say for itself!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan's heart immediately tightened.

Although he didn't understand what the other party was saying, he had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong. The Baotong Zen Temple and the imperial court had taken action, yet the evildoers behind the scenes had lowered their flags and stopped their drums, not making a single move.

Having planned for so long, only to see it fall short of success, yet sitting idly by—it was indeed somewhat strange.

The thin old man on the other side was none other than Liu Huaicheng, the head of the academy.

Although this old man was pedantic and looked down upon the haughty Feng Shui masters of the Jiang Xiang Sect, he knew the matter was urgent. Hearing this, he frowned and said, "If that is the case, then do not delay any longer."

"Mr. Yu, please follow me to the Prince's Mansion to explain this matter clearly."

"Heh, what's the rush?"

The old man with double pupils picked up his wine cup, took a slow sip, and said indifferently, "I want the Baotong Zen Temple and the Near Wuchang Prince's Mansion to invite me personally, and to announce this matter to the world."

Hearing this, Academy Head Liu's expression became somewhat displeased. "This concerns the life and death of the people on both sides of the river. Why must Mr. Yu be so obsessed with these empty titles?"

"Empty titles?"

The old man with double pupils toyed with the wine cup in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Your Confucian orthodoxy naturally looks down on these things."

"But to me, it is very important!"

Qin, the sacrificial master of the academy on the other side, was also a member of the Mystic Sect Confucianism. Hearing this, he immediately understood. "Does Mr. Yu wish to establish a sect?"

The old man with double pupils then sighed. "Buddhists fight for a stick of incense, people fight for a breath of air. I come from the Jiang Xiang Sect. Walking the martial world, I have been looked down upon time and again, so I vowed to change the Jiang Xiang Sect."

"However, after traveling north and south, I realized that my master was right—human nature is hard to change, and one can only set up a new banner."

"The evildoer who laid out the layout is unfathomable. I have come this time to risk my old life. Can they not even do the bare minimum of inviting me personally?"

Qin, the sacrificial master of the academy, hurriedly said, "The Baotong Zen Temple and the Prince's Mansion are both busy now. I believe they will send someone very soon."

"Hahaha..."

The old man with double pupils didn't care. "The message has been sent. Whether they come or not is their business. Everyone, please continue drinking."

Having said that, he began to drink on his own.

Seeing this, Li Yan shook his head inwardly.

The impact of this incident had clearly already spread.

There were evildoers who wanted to throw the country into chaos, so naturally, there were orthodox sects taking action, and there were also those who saw the wind and waves and wanted to fight for fame throughout the world.

With things said to this point, no one could persuade him, and the atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became somewhat awkward.

Seeing this, Master Lin hurriedly changed the subject. He looked at Li Yan, patted his forehead, and smiled, "I was so busy talking that I neglected the guests. Tian Wei, have someone add a few chairs."

Tian Wei hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sir, there is no need for that. I brought Young Hero Li to visit late at night because there is an important matter to consult."

"Oh?"

Master Lin was also a shrewd person. Seeing this, he stood up and said, "The two of you, please keep Mr. Yu company. I will be back shortly."

Saying this, he took Li Yan and the others away from the garden.

Arriving at a small study in the rear courtyard, Master Lin sat down and stroked his beard. "You have all come—what is the important matter?"

Li Yan hurriedly bowed and said, "I have heard that you are learned, sir, and I have come to ask about two things. One is about the 'Siming Society,' and the second is that I wish to learn 'Zhiyingli' from you."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Master Lin became interested. "These two things are very obscure. How did you find out about them?"

Li Yan took the phoenix gold ornament from his bosom and respectfully handed it over. "I am pursuing the 'Siming Society' because of my path of cultivation. As for 'Zhiyingli,' it is the inheritance of my brother here, and he needs to learn this script to cultivate."

Master Lin took the phoenix gold ornament, glanced at it, and said, "This is a Chu Shaman Order."

"During the Qin Dynasty, the First Emperor unified the Shenzhou, but the Zhou lost its cauldrons, and the sacrificial beliefs and languages in various parts of the world were different. For the sake of the unification of the Shenzhou, so that it would not fall apart again, the script was unified and the axles were standardized. Shamans from all over were summoned to Xianyang to worship together, which is called the 'Secret Prayer of the Qin Palace'."

"Unfortunately, this matter was only half-completed when the Qin Dynasty collapsed. By the Han Dynasty, this matter was continued, but with the rise of Confucianism and Daoism, Shamanism gradually withdrew from orthodoxy."

"According to my research, the Chu Shamans were divided into two branches. One entered Chang'an, and its inheritance subsequently scattered everywhere. There was another branch that always took root in the Chu region. After the chaos of the Han Shaman-Gu, to avoid the pursuit of the imperial court, they only secretly passed it down among the people, which is the 'Siming Society'."

"'Siming' is a deity in the Chu region. In ancient times, it was also an official position in charge of sacrifices. Using Siming as the name indicates orthodox inheritance."

"To tell you the truth, I once met a cultivator of the 'Siming Society'—she was an old woman in the countryside."

"According to her, the 'Siming Society' was scattered throughout the Chu region, secretly passed down. Whenever a specific time arrived, they would enter the mountains to secretly worship the Ten Gods of Chu. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, they even occupied Junshan in Dongting Lake."

"That was the sacrificial altar for the Xiang Jun. As for deities like Donghuang Donghuang Taiyi, Dongjun, Yunzhongjun, and the Mountain Ghost and River Earl, their sacrificial altars are no longer known to people."

"By the time of the Great Song, another incident occurred, and the inheritance of the Siming Society was almost interrupted."

Li Yan was thoughtful. "The Great Song Ghost Sect?"

"Yes."

Master Lin's expression was serious as he nodded. "The Jingchu region had a strong Shamanic atmosphere. At that time, the Great Song Ghost Sect was rampant. Some degenerates in the Siming Society saw their power and joined them, killing people to sacrifice to ghosts."

"Not only that, they also used the power of the Ghost Sect to hunt and kill orthodox 'Siming Society' sorcerers and destroyed the altars. Plus, the imperial court could not distinguish the difference between the two, so they also executed them in the Shaman-Gu chaos."

"To this day, the 'Siming Society' has been completely interrupted. The old woman I knew only knew some ordinary methods for summoning souls and calming fright, and she passed away many years ago. Now, there are very few people who know about the 'Siming Society'."

As he spoke, he picked up the phoenix gold ornament in his hand. "This is a token of the Siming Society. This is all I know. If you can find the altar of the Ten Gods of Chu, perhaps you can gain something..."

After listening, Li Yan had a vague guess in his heart.

When they encountered the white fox in the mountains, that ancient Chu sacrificial altar was most likely the Mountain Ghost altar. Unfortunately, only broken walls remained, and they found nothing.

The "Yunzhongjun Divine Palace" seen in the Yunmeng Marsh might have escaped disaster because of its special nature, but it was somewhat eerie and difficult to enter.

For now, the only one he knew of was the Xiang Jun altar.

He could only go there when he had time in the future to see if he could find anything. He had a feeling that the special divine energy in the phoenix gold ornament was the source of many secrets in the world.

Thinking of this, Li Yan bowed again. "You are indeed learned, sir. I wonder about this 'Zhiyingli'..."

Hearing this, a hint of curiosity rose in Master Lin's eyes. He said, "'Zhiyingli' was used in the Mystic Sect classics of the Pre-Qin period. Can you let me see your book?"

Seeing Li Yan's somewhat embarrassed expression, Master Lin stroked his beard and smiled. "Don't worry, I am not a Mystic Sect sorcerer, nor am I interested in the inheritance of sorcery. I just want to find some things to supplement the source of the Chu region."

"Family inheritance requires revising the genealogy. Although the Shenzhou is unified now, we people of the Chu region should always know our roots."

"If no one does these things, I am afraid that in a thousand years, future generations will not know where we came from or where we are going..."

Lu San, who was on the side, nodded directly upon hearing this. "I trust you, sir. You can look at it."

Having said that, he took off the bundle on his back.

Seeing this, Li Yan said no more.

This was Lu San's inheritance, so naturally, he had to handle it himself.

!.

Seeing the bundles of bamboo slips that Lu San took out, Master Lin was as excited as a child. "These are Chu slips! They are preserved so completely!"

Having said that, he hurriedly lit a few more candles, making the room bright with candlelight, before carefully wiping his hands and opening the bamboo slips bit by bit.

"Mountain and Sea Spirit Response Scripture?"

Seeing the title of the book, Master Lin was stunned for a moment, then read it carefully, his eyes filled with disbelief. "This... is actually a covenant!"

"A covenant?"

Li Yan and the others looked at each other.

Master Lin's expression was complex. "It is rumored that during the Han Dynasty, Celestial Master Zhang entered the Shu region and obtained the 'Taiping Dongji Scripture', the 'Twenty-Four Chapters of Orthodox Alliance Law', the Three-Five Merit Jade Seal, and the Male and Female Evil-Slaying Swords."

"He defeated the ghosts and gods of the Six Heavens of the Five Directions and Eight Departments, and made a covenant under the Yellow Emperor's altar on Mount Qingcheng, agreeing that humans would stay in the mortal world and ghosts would stay in the Netherworld, and that they must not disturb the Yin and Yang. That was a kind of covenant."

Disturbing Yin and Yang?

Li Yan's heart stirred. "Then what is this one?"

Master Lin said in a deep voice, "This Chu slip is also a covenant. The ancient shamans walked between the mountains and seas, signing covenants with mountain gods, river earls, and spirits from all sides."

"According to the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas', wherever there are mountains, there are mountain gods—some with human heads and animal bodies, others with animal heads and human bodies. According to what is said above, both sides agreed not to harass human tribes at will, and shamans walking in the mountains could also borrow their power to perform sorcery."

Tian Wei asked suspiciously, "Sir, those mountain gods recorded in the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas'—no one remembers them anymore, right?"

"Of course."

Master Lin sighed. "The human path of the mortal world turns, and national sacrifices change. There are City Gods guarding everywhere, and even mountain gods have been replaced by local celebrities. Even if these ancient deities and spirits exist, they have long since turned to ashes."

Hearing this, Li Yan's heart sank.

He knew that Master Lin's guess was correct.

Whether it was the Heavenly Palace or the Netherworld, the changes were related to human sacrifices. These ancient mountain gods didn't even have their names remembered by people, so naturally, no one worshipped them.

Seeing this, Master Lin hurriedly advised, "Although this covenant has expired, it still records quite a few inherited sorcery techniques. They are secret arts of the Mountain Ghost and River Earl, but the conditions for cultivation are harsh—one must be able to understand the words of ghosts, gods, birds, or beasts."

Tian Wei said excitedly, "Sir, this Brother Lu is a strange person who can understand the language of birds and beasts."

Hearing this, Master Lin's eyes lit up. "Little Brother Lu? I suppose that is not your original surname. Your background is extraordinary."

"During the time of Emperor Shun, there was Dongfu of the Dragon-Raising Clan, and during the Xia Dynasty, there was Liu Lei of the Dragon-Driving Clan. Both were bloodlines of ancient shamans, and later many surnames branched out, but there is no surname Lu."

Lu San said in a muffled voice, "I am an orphan and do not know my origins."

"I see."

Hearing this, Master Lin was sensible enough not to ask any more questions. He smiled and said, "It seems this inheritance is destined for you. I will translate it all for you tonight. Don't worry, I will keep this matter a secret."

"Thank you, sir."

Lu San bowed respectfully.

Master Lin did not talk nonsense. He immediately took a few books, looked at the bamboo slips by candlelight, and while frowning and thinking, he began to write seriously.

And in the garden, the old man with double pupils was already drunk, helped into a room by others, and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Yan and Lu San stood guard outside the door.

This "Zhiyingli" was not so simple. Below were grasses, above were flowers, and within it were many changes, mixed with the ancient tones of the Chu language.

Even for Master Lin, it was a headache and quite exhausting.

Unknowingly, the sky began to brighten.

When the sun was high, Master Lin called them in. His eyes were full of exhaustion as he handed over a thick book. "This 'Mountain and Sea Spirit Response Scripture' is obscure and difficult to understand. I could only translate it word for word. I estimate that one must be able to understand the language of birds and beasts to understand its meaning."

"And there are many absurd words in it, saying that Mountain Ghost and River Earl deities were all cultivated by ancient shamans. Do not believe it all."

"Thank you, sir."

Lu San carefully took the bamboo slips and the manual.

Li Yan was secretly surprised. Could this also be a method for ascending to divinity?

He was shocked in his heart, but his face remained unchanged. He bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your hard work, sir. I wonder how we can repay you?"

If it really was a method for ascending to divinity, then the karma of this was huge.

Master Lin waved his hand, originally wanting to refuse, but his heart stirred and he said, "Since this little brother Lu understands the language of birds and beasts, could you help me find out if the 'Lanyan' still exists?"

"'Lanyan'?"

Li Yan frowned. "What is this?"

"It is an ancient strange beast."

Tian Wei on the side explained, "Sima Sima Xiangru mentioned this thing in his 'Zixu Fu'. It only exists in the Yunmeng Great Marsh."

"It is rumored that after eating the flesh and blood of this beast, one can cure congenital stupidity. My master's two sons fell ill when they were young, and after a fever, they developed hysteria. After searching for experts everywhere, they could not be cured. Perhaps only this legendary strange beast can treat them."

Master Lin also sighed. "I am old, and my eldest son died in battle at the frontier, leaving this only son. Even with the care of colleagues, it is difficult for him to live. Having traveled through the Chu region for so many years, I have also harbored the thought of finding this beast."

Hearing this, Lu San hurriedly bowed. "I will take this job."

Master Lin smiled. "I was just mentioning it. Perhaps those birds and beasts in the mountains might know..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a commotion outside the courtyard.

Tian Wei hurriedly ran out to check, then walked back in, somewhat incredulously. "Sir, the Prince has actually come to invite that gentleman personally!"

(End of chapter)