Chapter 301

The bright moon hung high, casting silver light onto Wuchang City.

Today is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, already the "First Duan Yang," and this grand festival, which has lasted for many days, has officially kicked off.

The common people woke up early in the morning and were already busy.

The gathered mugwort leaves were hung on the doorframes, realgar was sprinkled beside the houses to avoid miasma, portraits of "Master Zhang" were hung in the halls, and people from the City God Temple went door-to-door delivering "Duan Yang Talismans"...

Relatives and neighbors visited each other to give gifts, and the gifts were simple: realgar wine and zongzi. Children in the families had their foreheads and ear holes wiped with realgar early in the morning, or had the character "King" written on their foreheads, and had to wear sachets and tie five-colored silk threads...

Of course, young men and women were not idle either.

Men bought beautiful round fans and cloth umbrellas to give to their fiancées, while women wove hat straps, trouser belts, sachets, and other items as return gifts...

By nightfall, the entire Wuchang City was even more lively.

The streets and alleys were decorated with lanterns, and the lanterns were like stars dotting the sky.

In every corner of the city, there were opera troupes performing.

Besides Han-style and Chu-style tunes, Huang Mei Opera was also quite popular. "The Tale of the White Fan," "The Tale of the Black Gold," "Zhang San Invites the Bodhisattva"... there were performances in every street and alley, the singing voices gentle and flowing throughout the city.

When Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan returned to Wuchang City, it was already evening. Although the city gates hadn't closed, the streets and alleys were crowded with tourists, so it took quite a while to return to the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce hall.

"Li Li Shaoxia, Daoist Master, you're back!"

The Tian family members in the courtyard came out one after another to welcome them.

The crisis hadn't been lifted yet, so they didn't dare to go out, so they simply set up a family banquet in the small courtyard to celebrate the festival.

Although it was a bit simple and this Duan Yang festival was spent a bit miserably, the three brothers reuniting after many years was also of extraordinary significance.

Before Li Yan and the others could catch their breath, they were invited by the Tian family to the head of the table, toasted one by one, and expressed their gratitude.

The wine was good wine, and the banquet was an even better banquet.

Besides the staple food, there were twelve side dishes and ten main courses: silver fish, sea cucumber noodles, clear-stewed whole chicken, braised pork... plates of big dishes were stacked in layers, filling the whole table.

Fires couldn't be lit on Guishan, so even though the Chamber of Commerce had made preparations, Li Yan had been making do for the past few days, and hadn't even had a drop of rice since noon.

He didn't stand on ceremony, chatting and laughing while clinking glasses with the Tian family members, while wolfing down his food, finally soothing the gluttonous worm in his stomach.

"How is it over at Old Uncle Sha's side?"

After he was full, he asked Lu San.

Lu San was pulling on a roasted chicken leg to feed the little white fox. Hearing this, he said in a muffled voice, "Early this morning, the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce sent people to deliver festival gifts, saying that they are still busy over there and probably won't be able to sleep all night."

"Oh."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, turned around, and said, "Squire Tian, could you have the Chamber of Commerce people prepare a gift for me? I'll just happen to go over and take a look."

Today is the Duan Yang festival. Calculating carefully, Sha Lifei had already been gone for seven or eight days. Li Yan was truly a bit worried, so he just happened to use the excuse of delivering gifts to go over and take a look.

"That goes without saying."

Squire Tian nodded hurriedly, then hesitated for a moment and said, "Li Li Shaoxia, a religious service is being held outside the city."

"After all, we also make our living on the water. Every year at this time, my family participates to soothe those lonely ghosts. Now that we can't go out, I always have this on my mind."

"I want to take some people out of the city to participate. It will be over very quickly. I wonder if you..."

"That's easy to handle."

Li Yan smiled. "It just so happens that I'm going out of the city to the Yuquan Temple tonight, so I'll just escort you out, but there can't be too many people."

Squire Tian was overjoyed and nodded hurriedly. "That goes without saying. Just me and a few retainers."

Having said that, he got up hurriedly to make arrangements.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was wealthy and generous, so these things were naturally not a problem. Not long after, a large cart was fully prepared.

Besides the offerings and incense used for feeding the hungry ghosts, there were also many sundries.

This Squire Tian was wealthy and naturally generous. After leaving the Chamber of Commerce gate, every time they reached a street corner, he would put down a plate of offerings, light incense, burn paper, and kowtow sincerely.

Li Yan found it interesting to watch from the side.

According to rumors, some lonely ghosts are often trapped at street intersections and find it difficult to leave. If a long time passes and there is no City God to guard them, some bizarre things will happen, and they will confuse passersby.

This method of feeding the hungry ghosts is still used more by the Buddhist school, expressing a heart of benevolence. The "Sutra on Saving the Hungry Ghosts from the Flaming Mouth" records detailed methods.

However, the method of burning paper comes from the local tradition.

This is the characteristic of the Divine Land's Mystic Sect: the three religions of Confucianism, Fomen, and Daoism learn from each other, so there are some disputes between them, but the three religions are always merging.

Therefore, in some red-dust Daoist temples and monasteries, one often sees the lively scene where the Old Lord is worshipped on one side, the Most Holy First Teacher on the other, and the Buddha also has to occupy a seat.

After the common people enter the temple, whether they are seeking children, marriage, or wealth, they worship whoever they want to worship, emphasizing that one temple covers everything.

The Buddhist incense is flourishing here in Wuchang, but even in the Baotong Zen Temple, when it's time to talk about Feng Shui, they talk about Feng Shui, and when the common people use Daoist customs, they just pretend not to see it.

Along the street corners, one can see people burning incense and feeding the ghosts.

For these things, poor families will wait for it to be over and then take them away, while the rich will leave after worshipping. When the incense and candles burn out, the beggars nearby will swarm up and eat until their bellies are round.

There are hungry ghosts in the underworld, and the same is true in the mortal world...

Of course, Squire Tian also knew that time was pressing, so after feeding the ghosts at each corner, he left quickly, and the team gradually left the city.

On the riverbank by the city, it was even more lively at this time.

The surrounding temples were all setting up altars on the shore to feed the hungry ghosts, and there were also many Daoist priests sending away the Plague Gods.

"Quick, quick, take the things out!"

Squire Tian hurriedly ordered people to unload the things from the large cart.

They saw a small grass boat woven from bamboo sticks and reeds, woven exceptionally beautifully, with five grass figures with ferocious appearances on it, with heads made of cloth, either with green faces and fangs, or red hair and upright eyes, wearing five-colored clothes.

Squire Tian then cupped his hands toward Wang Daoxuan. "Daoist Master, I have to trouble you to preside."

"Easy to handle."

Wang Daoxuan didn't decline. He had already changed into a clean Daoist robe, temporarily set up an altar, and after praying for blessings, followed local Ezhou customs, slaughtered a rooster, and smeared the chicken blood on the bow and stern of the boat.

This religious service is called sending away the Five Plague Gods.

With a greeting from Squire Tian, the servants carried the small grass boat to the shore and pushed it into the river.

On the grass boat, besides the Five Plague God grass figures, there were also some offerings, incense, and grease-soaked peach wood firewood.

After the grass boat was far from the shore, Squire Tian handed over a peach wood bow and willow arrows, with a torch lit in front. "Li Li Shaoxia, this depends on you."

Li Yan smiled slightly, took the peach wood bow, bent the bow and set the arrow, and shot it toward the river.

Swish!

A flaming arrow drew a beautiful arc and landed on the grass boat. The grass boat also turned into a fire boat, and after drifting for a while, it sank into the river.

With this, the ceremony of sending away the Plague Gods was over.

Strictly speaking, this method doesn't have much effect. After all, if the Plague Gods really appeared in the world, the Mystic Sect's orthodox schools would all have a headache.

But just like revising genealogy, recording history, and inheriting folk customs, it represents the common people's beautiful blessings and is also related to where the common people come from.

They weren't the only ones sending away the Plague Gods; those with a little family wealth in the city had all prepared grass boats, and those presiding over the ceremonies included wild Daoist priests, as well as shamans and witches.

One fire boat after another was continuously lit on the river.

Ordinary common people naturally didn't have the money to get this stuff, so they took their families, folded paper into boats, lit lotus lanterns, and put them into the river. For a time, the river was full of lights, like the reflection of the starry sky.

After sending away the Plague Gods, Squire Tian ran to the altars of the temples on the shore, put his own pastries on the mountains of offerings, and kowtowed sincerely amidst the chanting of the monks.

Finally, he took down a few pieces of pastries, broke them into pieces, and threw them into the river.

Li Yan formed a spell, lost in thought.

The previous ceremony of sending away the Plague Gods was basically just a custom. Some of the shamans and witches invited by some families weren't even Mystic Sect members, just some swindlers from the Golden Gate, and couldn't have much effect.

But this Buddhist altar was an orthodox Mystic Sect altar.

He could smell that as the sound of wooden fish and chanting echoed, a scent of sandalwood permeated the river, and streams of yin-baleful qi in the water surged up and down like a school of fish.

Yangtze River water transport is developed, and there have never been few lonely ghosts inside. Now that the Tortoise and Snake mountains have manifested divine generals, plus the arrival of the Duan Yang festival, it's like stirring up sediment, and many yin objects have also appeared.

These lonely ghosts don't count for much individually, but once they gather, they can stir up trouble and raise yin mist.

If a boat enters it, the people on the boat will often hear someone calling from behind, or see strange objects floating in the water.

!.

If one is not careful, one will be bewitched and fall into the river.

And as the religious service proceeds, many lonely ghosts are saved, and the powerful evil ghosts are also soothed, and will not cause trouble for a long time.

Li Yan now understood Yu Lanshan's layout.

The Tortoise and Snake mountains were the first to be gathered with divine power, the Buddhist school removed the miscellaneous qi, and then by connecting the water and wood qi through the dragon boat race, the evil people's layout could be suppressed and broken.

Once the Bai Hu baleful qi outside the Barbarian King's tomb dissipates, the evil people can be killed, and the Feng Shui can be readjusted.

The evil people are hiding in the dark, and his every step is a clear move and an open plot.

The Duan Yang festival is the right time, Wuchang's special terrain is the right place, and the cooperation of the imperial court's Mystic Sect and the countless common people celebrating the festival is the right people.

With the right time, place, and people, this calamity can be eliminated.

After watching for a few more moments, Li Yan had a complete plan in his heart. He sent Squire Tian and Wang Daoxuan back to the Chamber of Commerce, and alone, he rode his horse out of the city again.

What he didn't notice was that there were several gazes in the crowd that kept watching his figure disappear...

Yuquan Temple is located on Fuhu Mountain, fifteen miles east of the city.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Guan Saint Emperor stationed troops on Fuhu Mountain. Because of the lack of water, the Guan Saint Emperor stabbed the ground with his saber, and water gushed out to form a spring, hence the name Zhuodao Spring.

Even the name Fuhu Mountain is related to the Guan Saint Emperor; legend has it that he subdued the Bai Hu spirit that was harming the region on the mountain, hence the name.

During the Song Dynasty, a temple was built because of the spring, which was destroyed by the flames of war in the previous dynasty. After the Great Xuan Dynasty was founded for fifteen years, it was rebuilt by the original Prince of Wuchang.

The distance of fifteen miles is not far. Li Yan rode his horse, and not long after, he arrived at the foot of Fuhu Mountain.

He jumped off his horse and turned his head to look.

He saw the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, the official road was empty, and there were no night owls flying in the sky.

Li Yan felt a bit disappointed in his eyes. He had deliberately gone out of the city alone in the middle of the night, also wanting to clear away some hidden dangers in advance, but he didn't expect the evil people not to take the bait at all.

He shook his head and turned to look ahead.

This Yuquan Temple is a red-dust temple, mainly worshipping the Guan Saint Emperor, so it is built at the foot of the mountain, and the incense is quite flourishing on weekdays.

Under the moonlight, leaning against the mountain and by the water, the pine waves and bamboo forests rustled in the night wind, and the river in front of the temple flowed, possessing quite a bit of elegance.

There is a stone bridge on the river that leads directly to the opposite bank.

"Who comes in the middle of the night?!"

Before Li Yan could lead his horse across the bridge, two monks and a man carrying a saber walked out from the shadows.

Li Yan naturally had long been aware of it, smiled, and cupped his hands. "I am Li Yan, here to pay a visit to Master Lu."

"So it's Li Li Shaoxia."

Both the two martial monks and the man were taken aback and hurriedly bent down and cupped their hands.

Although Guishan had imperial troops blocking it, the news of the tournament on the mountain could also be spread through various channels.

After leaving the mountain, Li Yan was already famous in the Ezhou martial world.

The two martial monks cupped their hands and retreated, but the man hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Li Li Shaoxia, I am Zhang Shu, a bodyguard of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce. Proprietor Hu gave orders that you would definitely come after leaving the mountain, and he is already waiting in the temple."

"Li Li Shaoxia, please this way."

"Hmm."

Li Yan nodded and followed, leading his horse.

The Jade Emperor Temple in Zezhou is famous for studying astrology and calendars and deducing mystic numbers. Its martial power cannot be considered top-notch, but none of those who can study these things are fools.

Hu Ming could be sent out to operate the caravan and raise money everywhere, so he must also be a clever person. It's not strange that he calculated that he would come.

Sure enough, before they reached the temple entrance, Hu Ming received the news and came out to greet them. Upon meeting, he smiled and cupped his hands. "Li Li Shaoxia's fists shook Guishan; congratulations, congratulations."

"Just luck."

Li Yan smiled slightly and said a polite phrase.

Hu Ming knew he was anxious, so he didn't talk nonsense and raised his hand. "Master Lu and Brother Sha and the others are still busy; I'll take Li Li Shaoxia over."

Having said that, he ordered people to lead away the horses and took Li Yan inside.

The front hall of this Yuquan Temple worships the Guan Saint Emperor.

Of course, in the Buddhist school, the Guan Saint Emperor was originally the "Jialan Bodhisattva," but now he has been officially conferred as the "Protecting the Nation Bright King Buddha."

At this moment, the main hall had already been closed. The two bypassed the corridor and suddenly arrived at a small courtyard, where a water well stood in the courtyard.

The wellhead was carved from bluestone, ancient, covered with moss below, and polished smooth above. Beside it stood a stone tablet with the three characters "Zhuodao Spring" in an ancient and bold style.

Li Yan formed a spell and sniffed, with some doubt in his eyes. "Is this the Zhuodao Spring?"

He couldn't smell any strange odor and felt it was just an ordinary water well.

"Li Li Shaoxia doesn't know."

Hu Ming smiled. "Yuquan Temple can become a treasure land for Buddhist weapon refining, firstly because of the earth vein joints, and secondly because of this well."

This well leads directly to the earth vein. If one wants to refine weapons, one still needs to set up a religious altar to draw out the cold spring water for tempering precious weapons.

And every year on the Guan Saint Emperor's birthday, when the 'Grinding Knife Rain' falls, this well appears even more miraculous."

"So that's how it is."

Li Yan suddenly realized, poked his head to look at the well water, and asked curiously, "With so many coincidences, could it really be that the Guan Saint Emperor pierced it with one saber?"

Hu Ming laughed dumbfoundedly. "That I don't know."

The two continued forward and arrived at the side courtyard of the temple.

Clang! Clang!

Before they even got close, they could hear the sound of metal grinding inside, brightly lit, and more than a dozen people were working vigorously...

(End of chapter)