Chapter 317

Conferring a secular god is not that simple.

Since ancient times, there have been Yin souls, demon ghosts, and spirits speaking in dreams, wanting the common people to offer incense, and the methods are all different.

Some are still decent, protecting one side, and even giving some benefits, such as driving away insect and rat disasters, or like the Huang Moshen of the Three Gorges, helping common people in danger on the river...

Some deliberately cause disasters, let the common people offer incense, and then eliminate them to cheat incense...

Some are just direct, either stirring up trouble or making common people offer blood sacrifices, offering boys and girls, which is also the origin of many monster legends...

In those ancient and turbulent periods, this kind of method could still succeed, but today, all sacrificial rituals have regulations from the imperial court and orthodox sects.

All such things are licentious sacrifices.

Whether it is the orthodox sect or the Dharma lineage, they can all cut down mountains and destroy temples.

So wanting to get the position of a secular god is not as simple as saying it. It cannot be separated from the support of the imperial court.

For example, the Huang Moshen initially saved many common people in the local area and appeared to meet when encountering high-ranking imperial officials passing by.

Li Jifu in the Tang Dynasty and Kou Zhun in the Song Dynasty encountered wind and waves when passing through the Three Gorges. This god came out to save them and even exhausted his strength to appear before mortals to beg.

In short, the era has changed.

For the alligator demon to obtain the position of a secular god, there are two difficulties.

One is that as a different kind, she will naturally be excluded unless she establishes merit and is widely praised by people.

Second, it cannot be separated from the cooperation of the Mystic Sect and the imperial court.

East of Ezhou is the sphere of influence of the Zen Sect, and west of there is the Wudang Palace's say. The alligator demon's area of activity happens to be sandwiched between the two, so I fear she has to speak well to both sides.

Also, there must be someone in the court to support her.

If this matter is done, there will definitely be great benefits.

It might be difficult on weekdays, but today Li Yan thought of a good entry point, which is the war in the Southwest!

Thinking of this, Li Yan checked the map again.

There are quite a few old monsters hidden in the mountains and forests of Ezhou, a bit like wild beasts, each having their own territory, and the relationships between them are good or bad.

For example, near Xiangyang on the Han River, there is an old spirit called the Nanmu Great King, which is a heavenly treasure Nanmu wood submerged in the river, absorbing the Yin energy of the water vein for a long time and becoming a demon...

Or for example, on the waterway to Dongting Xiangjiang, there is another old monster lurking, receiving sacrifices from the Tusi City, with even more powerful strength, suppressing the East Lake Ancestor so he cannot move south.

And major events in the human world like these wars often involve monsters, the most famous being Dayu controlling the floods and Wuzhiqi.

With planning, the alligator demon can also make contributions in the great war.

If this succeeds, the team will have a strong reinforcement.

Once the alligator demon becomes a water god, she will definitely restrain and subdue many aquatic tribes. Within her sphere of influence, they will have a navy.

Taking action against people is definitely not okay.

But if they encounter some powerful water monsters and spirits, Lu San sets up a Dharma altar, and the alligator demon will come to beat the other party.

And she can also be asked to help find information about some heavenly treasures.

In short, there are many benefits.

As for the other two of the Three Treasures.

Xirang is too mysterious, even the alligator demon hasn't heard of it.

But there is information about the Scripture Forest of Wang Chan Ancestor, which is in the Xiangyang area, and some mysterious people are secretly searching for it.

They captured and enslaved some alligator demons that had just developed spiritual intelligence. The alligator demon once took action to rescue them, only then learning about this matter...

Of course, this matter still needs to be carefully planned.

Just at this moment, Lu San from another room pushed the door and came out, already dressed neatly, looking like he was ready to leave.

Li Yan also went out, "Leaving now? Not eating breakfast?"

Lu San said in a muffled voice: "I'll eat when I go back."

Li Yan saw it and knew what was going on.

Lu San left in a hurry yesterday, only bringing the demon gourd and the falcon. The little fox and Rat Da and Rat Er were still left in the Chamber of Commerce.

The threat to the Tian family had not yet been eliminated, so Lu San couldn't rest assured.

Li Yan didn't say much and nodded: "Okay, then be careful on the road. I'll protect the law here. You worry more about that side. After the 'Knife-Grinding Rain,' we can reunite."

Only two days left until the refining of the Dharma artifacts.

Even if there is the defense of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce here, he can't rest assured and must stay to wait for the successful refining of the Dharma artifacts.

And the Chamber of Commerce side has many experts and is in Wuchang City. As long as Lu San can warn in advance, he is not afraid of evil people sneaking in.

After sending Lu San away, Li Yan ran to the backyard to check again.

Master Lu's movements were indeed fast. All the Dharma artifacts had already been made into prototypes, and now only some finishing work remained.

Just waiting for the thirteenth day of the fifth lunar month to perform the consecration.

And Sha Lifei, under Master Lu's guidance, had already mastered the preparation method of new-style gunpowder, and some firearms could also be improved.

"Brother Yan, here, take it for self-defense!"

Sha Lifei was exhausted, but his eyes were full of excitement. He triumphantly took out two fire caltrops and handed them to Li Yan.

These two fire caltrops were only the size of a fist, the shell was completely forged from iron, and outlined with scales, like a pineapple, already having the prototype of a hand grenade.

The only trouble was that it had to be lit manually.

Li Yan understood immediately, knowing that it must have used new-style gunpowder. After carefully taking it, he tucked it into the leather bag at his waist.

Sha Lifei didn't talk nonsense and turned to get busy again.

Although he was careless on weekdays, he was very clear about many things in his heart.

In the team, the strength of the three of them was improving rapidly. Although he was mainly responsible for communication, the power he came into contact with and the enemies he faced would become stronger and stronger.

Even if Li Yan wasn't the kind of heartless person, he would sooner or later become a burden and be targeted.

And the appearance of new-style firearms was his reliance!

Seeing that everyone was still busy, Li Yan didn't disturb them either. He returned to his room, cast aside distracting thoughts, and practiced meditation.

These two days, he didn't plan to run around.

First, helping the alligator demon plan the conferment matter was not urgent. Now Baotong Zen Temple was in a mess, so it was not easy to mention it.

Second, the stick-shout in the Heart-Refining Hall the day before yesterday gave him many insights, so he just took this opportunity to retreat and absorb them.

Not long after, the sound of thunder roared in the room...

…………

Without realizing it, two days passed, and it was the twelfth day of the fifth lunar month.

At night, the Mahavira Hall was brilliantly lit with candles.

"The Bawang Well water is clear?"

Abbot Mingzhu was somewhat surprised.

"Hmm."

Chengjue replied: "It started to change yesterday. The fishy smell disappeared, the sewage settled, and by this evening, it had become completely clear. Many common people nearby are burning incense."

"We asked the accompanying yamen runners. They didn't say at first, but later confessed that someone was possessed by something unknown, and Lu San also came from the Chamber of Commerce, not knowing what he did..."

Abbot Mingzhu was thoughtful, "It seems it should be some mountain spirit or water monster causing trouble. Why didn't Li Yan tell us clearly? Could there be hidden secrets?"

"This matter is not important."

Zen Master Tongxuan on the side said: "Although they have a martial world style, they also uphold the righteous path. Just ask clearly later. Tomorrow's matter is the key."

As he spoke, he turned his head and said: "Junior Brother Tonghai, how are things prepared on your side?"

Zen Master Tonghai, who was most skilled in feng shui at Baotong Zen Temple, said: "These past few days, there have been people secretly peeping near Turtle and Snake Mountains. Tomorrow, we will send more experts to guard. However, the Parrot Island Wharf side will be under martial law tomorrow. The evil people will definitely know that it is the key point of the Earth position. By then, not only will there be Garrison soldiers blocking the periphery, but the Prince's Mansion will also send experts. Once something happens, people on Turtle Mountain can also come to support..."

"Tomorrow is the birthday of the Protector King Buddha. On the Guanling side, a grand sacrifice will be held. All dragon boats here will enshrine the Protector King Buddha statue. No matter who reaches Parrot Island Wharf, they can attract Buddha power and open up the Yangtze River water vein."

"Several masters from the Shaolin Zen Sect have already hidden outside the Barbarian King's Tomb, just waiting for the White Tiger evil to dissipate before entering the mountain to suppress the evil people..."

"Hmm."

Zen Master Tongxuan nodded solemnly, "This great calamity concerns the reputation of our Zen Sect. Everyone must not be negligent..."

……

In the Wuchang Prince's Mansion, the candles in the garden pavilion were bright.

Maidservants were walking around, carrying fine wine and dishes, music was constant, and numerous guards were hidden in the dark, looking at the surroundings vigilantly.

The person the Prince's Mansion was entertaining was Yu Lanshan.

This double-pupil feng shui master no longer had the down-and-out appearance of the beginning. He was in a white shirt, black beard and white temples, and his double pupils were sharp.

!.

Wuchang Prince saw this, smiled, and raised his wine glass, "The so-called 'people nourish qi, qi nourishes people,' Master Yu's words are indeed correct."

"I must thank the Prince for his help."

Yu Lanshan raised his glass and said in a deep voice: "I was born humble and always had heart demons that were hard to break. During this time, I had the Prince's authorization to fully display what I have learned in my chest, and I have already dispelled the heart demons. After this matter, my cultivation can go further."

"I toast the Prince!"

After saying that, he drank the fine wine in the cup in one gulp.

"Hahaha..."

Wuchang Prince had a smile in his eyes and also drank the wine in the cup, "Standing high, one naturally sees further."

After saying that, he was silent for a moment, "I wonder what high opinion Master Yu has on that Nine-Headed Phoenix Vein?"

Yu Lanshan's heart trembled, but his face remained unchanged, and he said in a deep voice: "The so-called Nine-Headed Phoenix Vein is just an ancient terrain. There is also the Snake Vein of Bashu that is the same."

"Duke of Zhou Dan painstakingly planned and had already cut it off. And I suspect that the First Emperor already knew about this and added fuel to the fire. Since then, even if the Shenzhou splits and merges, it will always be unified."

"Oh?"

Wuchang Prince became interested, "What is that fuel?"

Yu Lanshan said in a deep voice: "In ancient times, there were major feng shui veins. Since Dayu controlled the floods and the Nine Tripods were cast with the destiny of the Nine Provinces, the firewood was already formed."

"Shang Tang chased Xia Jie, the Nine Tripods moved to his capital, Pan Geng moved to Yin capital, and they were always enshrined in the imperial city. Later, the Duke of Zhou Dan moved them to Luoyi."

"King Zhuang of Chu asked about the tripods. Zhou lost the tripods and the world was in chaos. After Qin destroyed Zhou, the First Emperor moved the Nine Tripods to Xianyang, and then they disappeared, and since then the world has been unified."

"The Nine Tripods might be that fuel!"

"Of course, these are all my guesses. No matter what happened at the beginning, the general trend is now set. The evil people of the Ghost Sect are acting against the heavens just to disrupt the situation in the Shenzhou."

"They want to usurp the country—it's all wishful thinking!"

After saying this, Yu Lanshan breathed a sigh of relief and fell into silence.

He is a shrewd person; how could he not guess the meaning of Wuchang Prince asking him? If it were in the past, he would definitely do anything to get ahead.

But after these days of character improvement, he indeed had a kind of realization.

There are more people who stand higher and see further than himself.

They have the mechanism of the universe in their chests, and how many people would mess around for the sake of worldly fame and wealth? So even if they see something, they remain silent.

These words were also a warning.

If Wuchang Prince is obsessed and doesn't wake up, then after he finishes this matter, he must find a way to escape...

"Hahaha."

Wuchang Prince heard this, and instead, a smile appeared on his face, "Good, I really didn't misjudge the person. Master Yu, just wait with peace of mind."

Yu Lanshan was first confused, and then cold sweat seeped out of his back.

Feng shui techniques concern destiny. Ordinary families just seek wealth, but in the imperial clan, there are many taboos.

If this Wuchang Prince had rebellious intentions, he would only accept him secretly; how could he be so grand?

If he had catered to him with the heart of a petty person before, I fear that after this matter, his life would be hard to keep.

Wuchang Prince smiled slightly and didn't talk about this matter anymore, but asked about tomorrow's ritual...

……

At the same time, in the mountains and forests outside Wuchang City.

In a dilapidated old tomb, it was also a blazing torch.

This old tomb is the Imperial Tomb of the Great Song Dynasty, which had long been looted, but the area inside was quite large.

Protector Wang of the Lord Tian Sheng Sect stood with his hands behind his back, looking at a dragon boat before him. Several craftsmen were carefully covering it with a layer of leather and carefully drawing dragon scale patterns...

He frowned and said: "Can this thing really work?"

An old man with a lame leg on the side bowed and said: "Reporting to the Protector, this thing is the skin of a mountain python in Shennongjia. Its greatest ability is to isolate divine ability exploration."

"If it weren't for the help of the Longxiang Army, we wouldn't have caught this monster. We just need to cover it with leather, and the people of Baotong Zen Temple won't be able to detect the gunpowder inside at all."

"Good!"

Protector Wang nodded and asked in a deep voice: "How is the situation over there?"

The lame old man sneered: "Hmph, the imperial court people think they have the upper hand, but they don't know that we have captured monsters and refined them into a demon army. Plus new-style firearms, we will definitely make them taste bitterness."

"The Sect Leader said, as long as we succeed here and cut off the imperial court army's food and grass, the demon army will be launched immediately over there. By then, Lord Tian Sheng Gong will also be resurrected."

"Those wall-grasses in the Tusi City only know how to look at the wind and fall. As long as we have a great victory, the Tang Ya Tusi City will send troops with all its might, and with us attacking from both sides, we will pull out the nail of the Zigui garrison!"

"Good! Hahaha..."

Protector Wang was overjoyed when he heard this, and the others in the cave were also full of excitement.

"How are the Fu family siblings doing?"

"Shi Chen has been controlled. Tomorrow, when the dragon boat is halfway, it will be replaced by us and head to Parrot Island to detonate."

"Hmm."

Protector Wang looked at everyone, his ferocity exposed, "We will prepare tomorrow. No matter if we succeed or not, we will attack Lianxi Temple directly and snatch the Red Mohe!"

"Yes, Protector!"

In the dark mountain cave, everyone bowed in unison...

…………

A night passed.

Before dawn, Li Yan got up early, practiced Red Fist for a while, and then pushed the door out.

He looked at the sky, and I don't know when, it was already covered with dark clouds, blocking the sky, and he couldn't even see the morning light.

This is the "Knife-Grinding Rain."

Just like the Qingming Festival, every year on the birthday of Guan Emperor Saint King, Ezhou will always rain, whether large or small, and it will never stop.

And today is also the birthday of Guan Emperor Saint King. Common people everywhere burn incense and pray, and various temple fairs are constant.

Rumble!

Suddenly, a thunderclap resounded through the sky.

Li Yan drew his Duanchen Blade and lightly swept it through the rain.

Hum!

The sound of a dragon's roar rang out, as if grinding a knife...

(End of chapter)