Chapter 394: Pei Yanran's Whimsical Ideas

"Sister-in-law, please enlighten me!"

Seeing Pei Yanran like this, Liu Zheng could not help but smile bitterly, and he cupped his hands in a salute.

Pei Yanran felt quite triumphant at this moment.

It was too difficult!

Trying to find some sense of presence in front of a young master like Qin Zhangfeng was truly too difficult! As the number one talented woman of Shu, this was the first time she felt her intelligence had been ruthlessly crushed. Only now did she manage to regain a bit of ground. She deliberately coughed, took a sip of tea, and said indifferently, "Does the young master know that since the previous Zimo was expelled from Liangshan, these Black Yi families have propped up a Great Bimo?"

Liu Zheng listened, stunned, and assumed a posture of wishing to hear the details.

Only then did Pei Yanran slowly begin to explain.

In Liu Zheng's understanding, Liangshan was basically all Yi people. It could be said that even after the liberation in later generations, Liangshan remained basically the same. In the most representative places of Liangshan, Meigu and Zhaojue, the Yi people accounted for ninety-seven percent of the population. Here, the only Han people in the entire township were the village officials...

One could imagine.

In this era, the Yi people occupied almost all of Liangshan—of course, there were many other ethnic minorities, but for now, we shall ignore them.

As for the religious beliefs of Liangshan, there was no specific name for the religion. Because since ancient times, they had held a type of "ancestor worship" belief.

The ancestor worship of the Yi ancestors was based on their views of animism, the three souls, and the ancestral realm. The Yi ancestors believed that everything existing within all natural objects and natural phenomena possessed a mysterious attribute, namely the existence of spirits.

We will not dwell on this further.

Let us first discuss the issue of religious belief.

When Liu Zheng arrived in this world, he actually rarely came into contact with or understood this aspect. Except when he was in Loulan in the Western Regions, where he had come into contact with Zoroastrianism and Islam.

But in ancient times, an era where scientific knowledge was not sufficiently developed, religious belief was actually a topic that was hard to bypass.

So.

If there is religious belief, there must always be a carrier to bear that faith.

The Liangshan Yi people refer to the Yi people who call themselves "Nosu," and they have a population of nearly three million. The Liangshan Yi people have a strong concept of ghosts and gods, and a complete system of belief.

At this point, the carrier emerges.

Regarding faith, the Yi people have two types of full-time religious personnel.

They are the Bimo and the Suni, respectively.

The Suni "treat illnesses and save people" by driving away ghosts and monsters through the Asa god possessing them. The Bimo, on the other hand, use scriptures and rituals to drive away the ghosts, gods, and filth that harm people and cause illness.

From this, it can be seen—the Suni belong to the category of shamanesses and Wizards.

And the rank of the Bimo is somewhat higher, similar to a Messenger of the gods, that is, a priest.

Furthermore, among the five ranks of Yi society—"Zi," "Mo," "Bi," "Ge," and "Zhuo"—the status of the Bimo is also in third place.

At this time.

The main point arrives.

To what extent could the status of the Bimo in the Yi society reach with the changes of history? In true history, during the Tang and Song dynasties and before, the Bimo in the Yi society served as chieftains and concurrently as priests, occupying a position of governance. By the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the Bimo became the advisors and assistants to the chieftains, occupying a position of assisting in government.

And at this moment.

According to the approximate timeline of the wheels of history.

The Bimo should be assisting the Zimo.

The Yi classic "Origins of the Yi People," Volume 12, "The Roots of the Bimo," says: "The Bimo possesses three types of skills: the first skill is to manipulate the heavenly troops, hold the spears and halberds of the sky, and unload the saddles from the edge of the sky; the second skill is to expand vast fields, where the Bimo does not need to be present in person, and with a word, it is opened; the third skill is in the imperial court, where the Bimo accompanies the monarch and ministers, during sacrifices, accompanies the Bimo god, and inside and outside the funeral grounds, accompanies the filial son."

This "Bumo" is the "Bimo," just a different transliteration.

From this, it can be seen.

The social status of the Bimo in Liangshan is extraordinary.

At the very least.

In terms of religious belief, they are more capable of gaining the recognition of the Liangshan people than those house generals who expelled the Zimo family.

These house generals and Samurai, after expelling the Zimo, very quickly propped up a Zimo whom they considered "qualified" and "obedient."

However...

This planted the hidden danger of a Warring States-like situation for the place of Liangshan.

"What hidden danger?"

Qin Zhangfeng found it quite interesting and could not help but ask.

Pei Yanran gave him a charming, flirtatious roll of her eyes and deliberately pouted. Qin Zhangfeng's old face turned red, and he hurriedly filled her tea.

Liu Zheng rolled his eyes.

Did they have to feed him dog food like this?

Only then was Pei Yanran satisfied, and she giggled, "After the previous Zimo family was expelled, think about it, what would happen next?"

Qin Zhangfeng's eyes lit up: "These Black Yi must be fighting for benefits!"

Pei Yanran nodded with a smile: "But wanting to fight for benefits is not that simple. Once a few Black Yi Headmen fall out, the Ma Clan here clamors that the Great Bimo propped up by the An Clan is not legitimate, and that theirs is the orthodox one. The Shama Clan here naturally brings out their own Bimo, saying that their Bimo is the one who holds the divine power, the Temple Envoy who sends spirits and points the way! After all, the Shama Clan has always been a Bimo surname... And so, it began again."

Listening to this, Liu Zheng only felt that the situation in Liangshan was becoming more and more spectacular, and he could not help but ask with a smile: "Then right now, how many Great Bimo are there in the whole of Liangshan?"

By logic, there should only be one Great Bimo in the whole of Liangshan; for other Bimo, there is naturally no limit to the number.

The status of this Great Bimo is equivalent to an Archbishop; there can only be one.

However, these house generals of the former Zimo all wanted to hold this high priest, who controlled divine power and even personnel, in their own hands.

Pei Yanran burst into laughter: "Eight!"

"Ah?"

Liu Zheng and Qin Zhangfeng looked at each other in dismay, and immediately after, could not help but laugh at each other.

This...

This was too lively. Before the two of them had even entered Liangshan, they could almost imagine how lively and complicated it was inside Liangshan right now.

Eight Great Bimo, spraying at each other every day?

Just thinking about it was hilarious.

Qin Zhangfeng laughed and said, "The common people, they can't tell the difference either?"

Liu Zheng shook his head, neither confirming nor denying.

In truth, regarding religious beliefs and the talk of ghosts and gods, he had never dared to say he did not believe they existed. Especially after he had transmigrated—he felt that no matter what miraculous things happened, he would not find them strange.

He held awe for all that was unknown.

But when ghosts and gods were mixed together with this complex human heart, the flavor of it all changed.

"Oh my, you still haven't said, how exactly can we avoid a war!"

Qin Zhangfeng was getting anxious.

Pei Yanran smiled beamingly, looking at Liu Zheng.

Liu Zheng suddenly shuddered, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Sister-in-law means, we, can also create a god?"

Pei Yanran gave a bright smile and nodded.

Liu Zheng was filled with excitement.

Damn!

This idea was absolutely brilliant!

Swish, swish, swish!

Three pairs of eyes looked simultaneously at Xiao Heitan in the Horse Carriage.

Xiao Heitan was so frightened that the pheasant leg in his hand dropped.

"You, you, what are you trying to do?"

【Author's Note】

Some brothers in the comments section were talking about Yi history... I just want to say, big brother, I am not from this area. I really don't understand it and can only learn about it one-sidedly by looking up information, then try my best to construct a relatively intuitive social structure. It's too complex, and other brothers might not necessarily like it, right? Regarding the customs and habits of an ethnic group, this aspect is truly too vast and profound. Not to mention that sounds differ every ten miles and customs differ every hundred miles, so everyone, please just make do with reading it? Furthermore, I must solemnly emphasize one point: I hold an attitude of respect toward any religious belief. Any parts that are not authentic are purely for the needs of the plot and are just nonsense. If I have offended anyone, I am deeply sorry.