Chapter 448: Piercing the mountains to see the majestic pass

"I know this!"

Looking at the firelight, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei said proudly: "I heard from a cart driver before that the Luo Luo people have a saying: 'Han people respect officials, they respect fire.' Even if they are captured in war, they aren't afraid of torture, only of not being able to be cremated."

"This thing is called the Torch Festival!"

"The Torch Festival has long passed."

Long Yan'er, riding on the mule, said weakly: "At this time of year, it should be the Luo Luo village's 'Ku Shi,' which is the Han people's New Year, but it generally waits until the first snow."

"Perhaps it is the autumn harvest, a fire sacrifice to drive away wild beasts and pray for a good harvest."

Li Yan frowned slightly. "Entering the village at this time, will we disturb them and be driven away?"

"That won't happen."

Long Yan'er shook her head. "Entering the village at this time, everyone is a guest; they might even invite you to drink a cup of water wine."

"Remember, they respect fire. Once you enter a Luo Luo village, everything else is easy to talk about, but the fire is absolutely not to be defiled. The fire pit used for cooking and burning fire is the most sacred place in every household; you must never step over it."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do; it is only right."

Li Yan turned his head to look at the crowd. "We will enter the village now. Do not have any conflicts with them. If it doesn't work out, we will leave tonight and find a place to camp once we are on the official road."

With an order, the team continued forward.

In the wild forest, the night was lingering. The group wore cloaks and Nuo masks, walking silently forward like ghosts and gods wandering in the wilderness.

Whoosh!

As they approached the village, an arrow whistled over and stuck into the ground in front of them, the arrow shaft vibrating with great force.

Wa-la wa-la!

In the distant darkness, someone shouted loudly.

The group looked at each other in dismay, unable to understand at all. Fortunately, Long Yan'er managed to straighten her body and shouted loudly in an unfamiliar language several times.

After a conversation between the two sides, two men walked out of the dense forest.

They had black scarves wrapped around their heads, wore black hemp clothes with right-sided lapels, and were also draped in black blankets. They held bows and arrows, wore large silver rings on their ears, and had curved knives at their waists.

Seeing the group's attire, the two men had eyes filled with both fear and respect. They placed their palms on their chests, bowed slightly, and spoke a long passage, seemingly expressing greetings.

Afterward, the two left quickly.

Long Yan'er said in a low voice: "They said, welcome to the guests from afar, but whether you can enter the village depends on letting the 'Granted Suni' take a look."

Li Yan was puzzled. "What is a 'Granted Suni'?"

Long Yan'er explained: "It is also a shaman priest, but there are some differences. 'Bimo' or 'Xi Po' are hereditary, must be men, and must learn many scriptures."

"While 'Granted Suni' can be men or women, often due to sudden accidents, or being frightened or falling seriously ill, they become delirious, and after waking up, they become 'Granted Suni,' specifically dealing with ghosts and gods, also known as God-given Granted Suni."

"They are afraid that we are unclean things."

"So that's how it is."

Once explained this way, the group immediately understood.

These symptoms were all signs of awakening supernatural abilities, and the one coming was likely also a sorcerer of the village.

They were not in a hurry and waited quietly in place.

Not long after, Li Yan felt something and looked into the distance.

He could smell that some things were approaching, and in his ears came the sound of whispering, as if a bunch of people were talking, with both men and women.

Human ghosts!

Li Yan immediately understood what this was.

Ancestor gods, yin gods... every place has different names, but they all belong to human ghosts.

Heavenly gods, earth spirits, and human ghosts are all different.

Human ghosts are ancestor worship, while earth spirits are sometimes gods of mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, and sometimes condensed due to belief.

The other party definitely had ancestors accompanying them.

Sure enough, as torches flickered in the dense forest, a large group of people walked out, surrounding a hunched, white-haired old woman in a black robe and black bamboo hat.

Seeing Li Yan and the others, the hunched, white-haired old woman's eyes flashed with a hint of fear. She bowed respectfully and asked: "Where do the guests come from, and where are you going?"

She spoke in the official language; although it was unfamiliar, she had clearly learned it.

The ancestor "Granted Suni" beside her kept persuading them to be respectful to Li Yan and the others, and after getting closer, they were so scared that they scattered and left.

Although Li Yan and the others restrained their aura, they had many treasures on them, which vaguely made these yin ghosts feel threatened.

"We are passing through to head to Chongqing Prefecture."

Li Yan frowned slightly and responded in a deep voice.

To prevent accidents, they had wrapped the "Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Pearl" in red cloth and attached talismans to conceal its aura.

Now it seemed that was a mistake.

Even if they restrained their aura, they could still be sensed by some things.

"Oh."

The white-haired old woman nodded slightly, gave a look to the clansmen beside her, raised her hand respectfully, and said: "The village is holding a sacrifice; guests, please drink a cup of water wine first before leaving."

"That is fine."

Li Yan did not decline.

Surrounded by the crowd, they soon saw this mountain village.

In the Sichuan-Shu region, stilt houses are popular. Some have merged with the architecture of the Han people, forming a unique architectural style.

And the Luo Luo (Yi people) are somewhat different. Their architecture is earth-rammed houses, with thick and flat roofs, built against the mountain, serving as drying grounds or terraces.

The distance between the houses is small, forming a honeycomb shape.

On the open space in front of the village, a huge bonfire was built and burning. The flames soared into the sky. Around it, several old men in black robes and black bamboo hats, some shaking ritual fans, others shaking copper bells, sat upright and chanted scriptures beside the fire pile.

The sound of bells, the crackling of flames, and the murmurs of ancient languages gathered together, full of mysterious atmosphere.

And all around, the clansmen sat in circles, praying silently.

Li Yan pinched a magic formula and took a deep breath.

In an instant, a smell rushed into his nasal cavity.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes as he looked toward the sky.

This ritual was indeed interesting.

Flames rose, and amidst the chanting of the crowd, a scorching aura permeated, rushing toward the mountain forest.

Although it was very faint, lonely ghosts and wild spirits would surely flee at the sight of it.

"Sigh~"

The white-haired old woman sighed and explained in a low voice: "The autumn harvest is coming soon. I don't know what is on the mountain, driving wild boars down to cause harm. I hope this ritual can eliminate the disaster."

"If it doesn't work, could I ask you all to sing a Yang Opera?"

"This..."

Li Yan heard this and was somewhat hesitant, then shook his head: "Sorry, we have other matters and cannot delay our time."

A hint of disappointment flashed in the old woman's eyes, but she did not force them.

Although the arrival of a large group of mysterious outsiders made the villagers in the village full of vigilance, seeing that the Granted Suni allowed it, no one dared to come and disturb them.

Not only that, they also enthusiastically entertained the group.

They brought straw mats and offered delicious wine and food.

The wine was sweet wine, brewed from five grains. Although the wine was turbid, it tasted sweet and slightly tipsy, very easy to drink.

The pork was cut into large chunks and boiled in a clay pot until soft. When served, it was still bubbling.

"This is called Tuotuo meat."

Long Yan'er introduced in a low voice: "Don't look at the poor appearance, but the taste is not bad. It seems the village is already preparing for the New Year; they only serve this when entertaining distinguished guests."

Besides this, there were some sour vegetable soup, milk cakes, and roasted cakes.

To tell the truth, Li Yan and the others had traveled north and south and eaten many good things. In terms of refinement, these things couldn't compare at all. They won by their rustic flavor, and coupled with the long journey, it was hard to eat a hot meal, so they were naturally in a pleasant mood.

In the distance, the bonfire sacrifice was still going on.

There were many of them, and there was also a big eater like Wu Ba. The women in the village sent food twice before they were barely full.

Li Yan felt a bit embarrassed and took out several taels of silver from his bosom, preparing to leave it as meal money.

Just then, a tiger's roar came from the mountain forest in the distance.

The villagers in the village were immediately in a commotion. Several strong men stood up, picked up bows and arrows, and ran toward the arrow tower.

And Lu San's ears moved slightly. He whispered to Li Yan: "The tiger's roar is wrong; someone is controlling it, deliberately driving wild beasts down the mountain."

"Man-made disaster?"

Li Yan frowned slightly and looked around.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei whispered: "We're almost at Chongqing Prefecture; it's better to avoid trouble, so as not to leak our tracks."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

!.

And beside the fire pile opposite, the "God-given Granted Suni," the white-haired old woman, also began to perform rituals with several "Bimo."

Those old Bimo men danced around the fire, beating drums and waving bells in their hands, surrounding the white-haired old woman.

And the white-haired old woman also trembled all over, her eyes gradually turning white, holding a sheep bone in her hand, shaking it gently and lying on the ground.

Li Yan and the others watched from afar.

Wang Wang Daoxuan whispered: "They are still ancient witchcraft. Divination, taboos, and disaster relief generally follow these three steps."

While speaking, the old woman had already looked at the sheep leg bone.

The several Bimo old men beside her also saw the result and were immediately filled with anger, cursing loudly toward the mountain in the distance.

Through divination, they also discovered that someone was playing tricks.

The white-haired old woman trembled all over, her face gradually becoming ferocious. Then she took out a straw man, slaughtered livestock, soaked it in fresh blood, picked up the bloody straw man, and chanted spells toward the mountain in the distance.

Whoosh~

In the mountain forest at night, a gale suddenly whistled, and the leaves rustled, as if something was accompanying the gale, heading toward the mountaintop.

"Roar——!"

A fierce tiger's roar sounded in the mountains, one after another, as if it was fighting with something.

And the white-haired old woman and those Bimo old men danced and beat drums beside the bonfire, holding scriptures and chanting, the scene was very lively.

After tossing and turning for a long time, the tiger's roar finally stopped.

Afterward, accompanied by firelight and anxious shouts, a man was carried over, panting heavily, his face pale.

It was the man who had welcomed them earlier.

The villagers hurriedly placed him beside the fire pile.

Tearing open his shirt, a black palm print was immediately revealed on his chest.

"It's the Black Sand Palm!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei took a look and whispered.

This kind of martial art is widely spread, found all over the country, but it cannot be separated from family secret methods, and many people can practice it.

"It's not the Cinnabar Palm or the Five Poison Palm, so there's a chance to save him."

Li Yan shook his head slightly and took out a pill from his bosom—it was the trauma pill refined for them by Daoist Wang Wang Jingxiu of Mount Wudang Mountain.

Those people were full of vigilance when they saw him coming.

The white-haired old woman hurriedly stopped them. After asking about Li Yan's intentions, she hesitated slightly and asked him to help save him.

Li Yan pressed his hand on the black palm print, shook his wrist, and spat out dark energy, scattering the stagnant blood.

Pfft!

The man suddenly sat up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The people around were startled, but soon they were amazed to find that the man's complexion was gradually improving, and his breathing was no longer rapid.

Li Yan took out the pill again and let him take it.

This was purely a violent method of his, which could be called stopping injury with injury. Although it scattered the stagnant blood, it also injured his lungs.

If there were no precious pills, this man would vomit blood and die before dawn.

This pill was refined from the "Longevity Grass," a heavenly treasure found in Inside Shennongjia, and had miraculous effects in stopping bleeding and healing wounds.

After the man took it, he soon fell into a deep sleep and stopped vomiting blood.

"Many thanks to the gentleman for your help."

The white-haired old woman hurriedly stood up to thank him.

"No matter."

Li Yan waved his hand, not caring, and didn't intend to tell these villagers about the preciousness of the pill.

He pondered for a moment and asked: "Forgive my bluntness, did you offend someone?"

"Sigh~"

The white-haired old woman sighed: "I already understand what happened."

"The original Tusi bullied people, plundered the wealth of the common people, and lived in Chongqing Prefecture to enjoy himself, not caring whether we lived or died."

"Now that the imperial court is implementing direct rule, he wants to come back and be a big ghost master, but after being rejected by us, he colluded with some people to make trouble."

Li Yan frowned. "Why not report it to the imperial court?"

"The imperial court isn't any better!"

A man said angrily: "Before, an official was sent. We were sincerely willing to submit, but he disliked the countryside for being remote and was bribed by the Tusi, acting as if he were blind and letting him do whatever he wanted."

"So that's how it is..." Li Yan immediately understood.

The policy of changing the Tusi system to direct rule met with strong resistance from the Tusi in Ezhou and Bozhou, but in this Bashu region, it was a different situation.

The common people didn't have any opinions; after all, Bashu is the land of abundance.

The fields are fertile, the people are rich, and the vast fertile land is no joke.

As long as they can eat and drink their fill, only a fool would want to rebel.

Only the government in the Shu region is incompetent. Many have been dragged into the water by the Salt Gang. They were already greedy, and they took the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei rolled his eyes and smiled happily: "This matter is simple. I'll teach you a trick: make a 'Ten Thousand People Umbrella,' go to the Chongqing Prefecture government office with great fanfare, and say you want to support the imperial court's policy. You will definitely have no worries in the future."

"This..."

The white-haired old woman was a bit skeptical. "Will it work?"

"Rest assured and do it!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei said happily: "Don't be afraid of losing face. In front of everyone, the government office will also be glorious. As long as they accept the umbrella, if the original Tusi makes trouble again, it will be slapping their faces, and they will have a good look at him."

"Good!"

The white-haired old woman had long seen that these people were extraordinary. After discussing with the surrounding Bimo old men, she nodded in agreement.

Seeing that the matter was resolved, the people in the village became even more polite, scrambling to invite them into their houses as guests.

Li Yan and the others didn't want to disturb them, found a place to camp, rested for a night, and continued their journey at dawn the next day.

They were fast, and with this getup, pedestrians they met on the road all dodged and cupped their hands in greeting.

Finally, two days later, they arrived at Chongqing Prefecture.

Standing on the mountain looking down, they saw the Yangtze River waves surging, the mountains on both sides undulating. After encountering a wharf, it split into two waterways.

One was the Jialing River, heading north.

The other was the Yangtze River, flowing southwest.

And on that wharf, countless ships were coming and going, the crowd was surging, the houses were dense, and long stairs led straight up, connecting through three city gates.

"We're here!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei looked down, his eyes full of excitement. "The ancient Yu majestic pass, Chaotianmen, the number one wharf in the Southwest martial world!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 449 =====