Chapter 652

Understanding Erlang Zhenjun's intention, Li Yan dared not be negligent.

He scanned the surroundings, keeping his mind focused, determined to imprint every scene into his mind.

Looking this way, he indeed discovered differences.

Regarding his imagination of Mount Luo Feng, he had relied entirely on the records of successive Daoist scriptures.

The "Zhen Gao" says: "Mount Luo Feng is in the northern Gui position; the mountain is 2,600 li high and 30,000 li in circumference."

The "Yunji Qiqian" says: "When people die, their souls return to Fengdu to be judged and punished in the six palaces."

The mountain is divided into six palaces, ruled by the "Great Emperor of Northern Yin Fengdu," with six heavenly ghosts and gods set below to manage the departed souls.

The "Youyang Zazu," "Soushen Ji," "Taiping Guangji," and others all have records of it, but they only mention the name.

The "Yuanshi Fengdu Mie Zui Jing" calls Mount Luo Feng "Mount Fengdu Luo," and departed souls must pass through the Ten Kings of Hell and the judgment of the six palaces before they can be reborn.

This explains one thing: Mount Luo Feng is also constantly changing along with mortal incense and concepts.

And tracing it to the source, it should still be the "Classic of Mountains and Seas": "The mountain of Youdu, where the black water emerges."

It is in the northern Gui position; Gui is the northern water position, symbolizing the Netherworld.

He was correct in his visualization of this Sea of Souls, and it was generally this appearance, only much deeper than he had imagined.

But the outer mountain ranges were completely wrong.

The surroundings were not a void, but a towering circular mountain range.

The mountains were also densely covered with huge, pitch-black locust trees that looked like monsters baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.

These were the "Iron-Walled Mountain" and the "Yin Locust Forest"!

In the "Fengdu Method" he learned at Qingcheng, these two names had been mentioned; he had originally thought they were just names of other areas in the Netherworld.

Now it seemed they were completely part of the same system as Mount Luo Feng.

This "Iron-Walled Mountain" looked a bit like a circular mountain range created by a meteorite impact, and on the mountain body were blood-red, vermilion-lacquered characters several zhang high.

"Formerly in the Beginning Green Heaven, in the Great Floating Li Earth of the Blue Void Empty Song, receiving the Immeasurable Superior Grade of the Yuanshi Salvation..."

It was the "Salvation Scripture"!

It seemed this "Iron-Walled Mountain" also had the function of restraining the Sea of Souls.

And that "Yin Locust Forest" should also be part of the defense system, only it was to prevent things from escaping...

Then there were the Liugong of Luo Feng, which were also different from what he had imagined.

Influenced by the visualization of building towers, he had thought the Liugong of Luo Feng were similar to towers, stacked layer by layer.

In reality, the Liugong of Luo Feng were laid out in a "Six-Harmony Array," connected by black stone imperial paths.

The architectural style imitated official Tang and Song buildings: hip roofs, high platforms, black tiles, and vermilion-lacquered pillars.

The base was a nine-foot-high "Netherworld Sumeru Throne," with relief carvings of the eighteen levels of hell; each palace had seven steps, which should symbolize the seven sins, with the "Fengdu Mie Zui Jing" mantras engraved on the step surfaces.

Moreover, in front of each palace, there were huge bronze mirrors embedded in the mouths of stone beasts.

Li Yan had heard that this kind of thing was called a "Danchi."

He did not know its specific use.

And these architectural patterns—Mount Luo Feng had an ancient history and certainly would not have hired a large number of craftsmen to imitate Tang and Song architecture for reconstruction.

Then there was only one possibility: the Great Luo Dala Fajie was influenced by the mortal world.

These buildings would also undergo corresponding changes.

After recording everything, Li Yan glanced at Erlang Zhenjun calmly.

Sure enough, the other party ignored him, even pretending not to see him.

Li Yan was thoughtful; it seemed that in this Great Luo Dala Fajie, the "Heavenly Statutes" were even more stringent, and even Erlang Zhenjun had to be cautious about some things, avoiding others as much as possible...

Just as he was pondering, his whole body was suddenly enveloped by thick fog.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the inn.

Li Yan felt his head cold and stinging, and he hurriedly removed the bronze Nuo mask.

His face and hair were already covered in frost.

In a short time, his skin had become covered in frostbite.

Even his eyes were extremely painful, and his vision was limited.

Li Yan's mind stirred, all his injuries recovered rapidly, and he collapsed to the ground.

It seemed that peeking into the Great Luo Dala Fajie would also be affected by the power there.

Although it was only a little, it had already caused serious damage to his physical body; fortunately, he had the Great Luo Dharma Body.

He glanced out the window; the night was still pitch black.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yan immediately sat cross-legged, formed a seal, and entered meditation.

In his practice of the Fengdu Method, besides building towers, the influence of the Liugong of Luo Feng was also very significant.

Having finally caught a glimpse of Mount Luo Feng's appearance, he naturally had to strike while the iron was hot and repair his visualization method...

…………

The next day, the weather was fine, and the sky was deep blue.

"Brother Yan hasn't come out yet?"

Outside the courtyard of the guest rooms, Sha Lifei asked in a low voice.

Wang Daoxuan, who had just walked out, shook his head and said, "Brother Yan has had an epiphany and is afraid he will be in seclusion for a while. Fortunately, the intelligence from over there hasn't arrived yet, and we left in a hurry after the battle in Luoyang, so it's just right to rest."

In this team, Li Yan was naturally the leader, and Wang Daoxuan was in charge of logistics.

If Li Yan was not there, Wang Daoxuan usually made the decisions.

"That's fine too."

Sha Lifei nodded and said, "This Zhang Qiu Town is a hub of the Grand Canal, gathering goods from the north and south. Since Brother Zhao Luji is here, come with me to see what we can find."

He had obtained the "Meishan Firearm Method Compendium" of the Meishan Dharma Sect at Qingcheng and had studied it diligently along the way. Coupled with Wang Daoxuan's guidance, he had finally gained something. However, firstly, it required special forging furnaces and tools, and secondly, materials were insufficient, so he could only endure it for now and think of a way when he reached the Qiankun Academy in the capital.

Taking Zhao Luji along was also to try his luck.

After all, some rare treasures were truly hidden in the bustling city.

"Too many people, I'm not going."

Lu San shook his head directly and returned to his room with the little fox.

He was accustomed to the mountains and wilderness, and once he reached a place with many people, he did not want to go out.

Wang Daoxuan also shook his head slightly, indicating he was going back to read.

Only Wu Ba giggled and crowded next to Sha Lifei.

"Got it, got it, I'll let you eat your fill first!"

Sha Lifei was happy, turned around and went back in, and pulled Long Yan'er out of the room.

The relationship between the two was a bit strange now.

To say they were intimate, they had never taken that step.

But to say they were ordinary, Long Yan'er cared most about Sha Lifei now.

Just then, the old steward Chen Fu walked over, and Sha Lifei asked with a smile, "Uncle Fu, let me ask you, are there any good places to have fun near this Zhang Qiu Town?"

Old steward Chen Fu smiled slightly, "Hero Sha, you asked the right person. I have lived in this Zhang Qiu Town since I was a child, and I am very familiar with every blade of grass and tree here. You all are well-informed, so you probably won't look down on some country things, but there are two places worth seeing."

"One is Jingyang Ridge, where the hills rise and fall, the grass is dense and the forest is lush, it is sparsely populated, and wild beasts often appear. After the story of Wu Song fighting the tiger spread, people from the martial world often come to pay their respects and kill wild beasts along the way."

"There is a Jingyang Ridge Inn at the foot of the mountain, which is the property of my master's senior fellow apprentice. It specializes in selling strong liquor that 'three bowls won't pass the ridge,' and the wild game is also unique. They often invite opera troupes to sing Water Margin operas, which is very lively."

"Another one is the Immortal's Tomb."

"Immortal's Tomb?"

Wang Daoxuan became interested when he heard this, "Which one of the Lower Eight Immortals is it?"

There is a distinction between the "Upper Eight Immortals" and the "Lower Eight Immortals."

The "Upper Eight Immortals" are Lü Dongbin, Zhang Guolao, and the others. In the true history of the Mystic Sect, they might have known each other and were good friends, but they did not call themselves the Eight Immortals. Later generations unified them, also to symbolize "rich, poor, noble, lowly, men, women, old, and young."

And these "Lower Eight Immortals" are also called the Lower Cave Eight Immortals.

There are various folk theories, the personnel are not unified, and legends vary from place to place.

The version Wang Daoxuan mentioned was Wang Qiao, Chen Qizi, Xu Shenweng, Liu Ling, Chen Tuan, Bi Zhuo, Ren Fengzi, and Liu Haichan, from the variety play "He Shengping Qun Xian Qing Shou."

Wang Ziqiao plays the sheng, Liu Ling plays the qin, Chen Qizi performs magic tricks, Xu Shenweng dances with a broom, Bi Zhuo chants, Liu Haichan plays with gold thread, Ren Fengzi performs magic, and Chen Tuan writes calligraphy, each representing one of the eight wishes for a birthday celebration.

It is also a far-fetched connection by later generations, and some are not even from the same dynasty.

Old steward Chen Fu shook his head, "I don't know either. The 'Ren the Madman' on our side is 'mad' as in 'insane'."

"That person was a Daoist fifty years ago, whose given name was Shan, whose courtesy name was Xibei, and who was called the Qingling Daoist. His ancestral home was Fan County. His appearance was peculiar. He was mad and crazy, a figure like the living Buddha Ji Gong, often wandering in the markets of Zhang Qiu Town, saying crazy things, but he loved to uphold justice."

"Whenever a passenger ship docked, he would go up and ask for cloth. If a passerby gave it to him, he would immediately tear the cloth into pieces as soon as he got off the ship and distribute it to the poor around him."

"When my father was alive, he said that this person worked as a clerk in a tavern in his early years and accidentally met a strange person who taught him immortal arts. After cultivating immortal arts, he could go without food for ten consecutive days, wore only a single layer of clothing in the dead of winter, and predicted good and bad fortune, all of which were accurate. No matter whose family was struck by evil spirits or encountered unclean things in the water, they only needed to find Ren the Madman and have him touch their head, and they would immediately improve."

"Later, it is said that he died and was liberated at the Xian Society Temple on Mount Wuyi on the east bank and ascended to become an immortal, so many people called him 'Immortal Ren'."

"The common people felt his merit and built a temple on the mountain."

"It's quiet over there, with only an old temple keeper guarding it. You all must be interested."

He said these things, obviously knowing the group's Mystic Sect identity.

Wang Daoxuan didn't care, pondered for a moment and shook his head, "Zhang Qiu is a hub of the Grand Canal, prosperous and lively, and there is also a City God Temple. I suppose many people from the Mystic Sect have already been to see it, so I won't join in the fun."

He was interested mainly because of Li Yan.

They all knew the benefits of capturing Yin criminals.

Every time they arrived at a place, they would inevitably help Li Yan inquire everywhere.

This situation didn't look like there were any Yin criminals.

"That's fine too."

Sha Lifei smiled, "Daoist, you stay and help protect Brother Yan. We'll be back tonight."

Beside them, old steward Chen Fu also hurriedly said, "I'll call a few brothers from the Cao Gang to lead the way for you all."

Wang Daoxuan readily agreed.

With Sha Lifei and the others together, they could basically solve ordinary troubles.

With people from the Cao Gang accompanying them, no one with no eyes would come to provoke them.

Soon, everyone packed their things and left with the Cao Gang disciples.

And Wang Daoxuan turned back to his room to continue reading.

He had originally been obsessed with all kinds of miscellaneous books on the Mystic Sect. Coming from Guanzhong, he had asked people to copy quite a few in Wudang, Qingcheng, and other places. Two large boxes of books were enough to read for a long time...

…………

Leaving the street where the Chen residence was located, a lively atmosphere rushed toward them.

It was early morning, the weather was fine, and the early spring sun was very warm.

On the stone road beside the canal wharf, cargo ships came and went like shuttles, and warehouses and shops were lined up like scales on a fish.

The shop signs along the street fluttered in the wind, and the steaming heat mixed with the flavors of Lu and Yu rushed toward them.

Sweet and sour Yellow River carp sizzled in the iron pot, and the caramel-colored sauce glistened with oil...

The wooden spoon stirred in the hot and sour soup stall, and the thick soup mixed with gluten and spices rose in white mist...

Beside the stove for roasting Arhat cakes, the clerk shoveled out the sesame crispy cakes, and the sweet fragrance made children stop...

There was also the fresh fragrance of mutton braised noodles, the crispness of hanging furnace sesame cakes, and the golden honey color of deep-fried sanzi, interwoven into the fireworks of the market.

Wu Ba's stomach could be considered to have reopened for business.

Walking all the way, he kept eating and taking, and his mouth never stopped.

Just as Chen San said, the streets of Zhang Qiu Town were all named after the goods sold.

For example, Cloth Street, the whole street was full of cloth and silk from the north and south.

"The treasures in the market are more hidden."

Zhao Luji introduced in a low voice while walking, "The so-called old things becoming spirits, those things that have been used for hundreds of years and are often stained with human energy, and have gone through special changes, are most likely to turn into rare treasures."

"I have seen a strainer for scooping oil cakes that had been used for hundreds of years; after being lit, demons and evil spirits dared not approach."

"There was also a shopkeeper's plaque that, because of its long time and being just right in a feng shui formation, became a rare town treasure. But there are also many strange people in the market. Some sharp-eyed ones will take them away in advance after seeing them, so you can only try your luck..."

In fact, it was indeed so.

The group turned around the streets of Zhang Qiu Ancient Town one by one, and Zhao Luji shook his head directly, "This place has not been prosperous for long, there are very few century-old shops, and those goods are all ordinary items."

Saying this, he sighed, "This treasure-hunting thing, you can only try your luck."

"Sometimes even if you find a good thing, if you want to collect it, you have to wait for the right time, place, and people. Otherwise, once the treasure's spiritual charm dissipates, it's no different from ordinary objects. Hitting it hard like this, there's not much hope."

Sha Lifei was not disappointed after hearing this.

Wu Ba ate until his mouth was oily, and his eyes narrowed.

Long Yan'er practiced Gu techniques and didn't use rouge or powder, but she also got some favorite fabrics and asked someone to make clothes for her. She had a smile on her face and was in a very good mood.

The partners were all happy, so this trip was worth it.

Thinking of this, Sha Lifei turned his head to look at the Cao Gang disciple beside him.

"Brother, is Jingyang Ridge fun?"

"Of course."

The Cao Gang disciple dared not be negligent and hurriedly patted his chest and said, "You all came at a good time today. The Jingyang Ridge Inn is holding a big fair, and the common people from ten miles around have all gone."

"Even the martial artists in this Zhang Qiu Town have all run over there."

"That's great, let's go."

Sha Lifei was happy and took the group to the carriage and horse firm to rent a few horses and headed toward Jingyang Ridge.

This Jingyang Ridge was not far from Zhang Qiu Town, and it took half an hour to ride there.

After the group dismounted, it was indeed very lively in the distance.

But seeing below the undulating mountain ridge, there were several inns of considerable scale.

The "Three Bowls Won't Pass the Ridge" wine flag was hung high, and there were at least forty market stalls.

Moreover, there were quite a few martial artists.

In the open space in the center of the market, acrobats from Konglou were shirtless and lifting large celadon vats, drawing rounds of applause.

A team of teenagers did somersaults and jumped onto high poles, like monkeys stepping on ropes, which was the unique skill of the Liaocheng Acrobatic Village.

In the storytelling shed, an old man with white hair patted the wake-up wood, and the segment of "White Stripe in the Waves Makes a Great Trouble in Xunyang River" from "Water Margin" drew applause from the whole hall; the bronze gongs rang clearly, and a troupe of tanzi performers plucked the sanxian and sang "Wind and Clouds Rise on Jingyang Ridge."

"Hahaha, it's really lively."

Sha Lifei was happy and prepared to take the group to visit the big fair.

But just at this moment, a noise suddenly came from afar.

But seeing several hunters covered in blood running down from the mountain, each one panicked.

"Quick, call the proprietor, there's a tiger demon on the mountain!"

(End of chapter)