Chapter 128: List of Gods

Inside and outside the Zhe Long Fucheng, there are dozens of temples, large and small; within the city alone stand nine major temples.

Among them are the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple, the Mutilated God Temple, the Eyeless Arhat Temple, the One-Legged God, and the Five-Pass God, temples Li Yuan knows very well.

"Setting aside the previous dynasty, the deities officially enfeoffed by the Great Yun over the past thousand years number as many as four hundred and twenty; the most common types total one hundred and twenty-three. The Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva, the Mutilated God, and the Four Divine Vajras of Blood, Flesh, Bone, and Sinew all belong to this category..."

In the tea house, Li Yuan flipped through a book, or rather, the "List of Gods."

Yun Shu Tower houses many lists, of all kinds; quite a few even require a high threshold to purchase, making them completely inaccessible to ordinary people.

They are similar to the "Talent Lists" of outer prefectures and circuits.

The List of Gods does not belong to that category, yet a single copy costs twenty taels, making it the most expensive among the dozen or so lists Liu Zheng bought.

It details the one hundred and twenty-three most common deities among the common people, along with the distribution of their temples.

"Among the gods, the one ranking first in the number of temples is the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva, with as many as four thousand three hundred and forty-six temples; this figure is also the number of counties in the Great Yun..."

Li Yuan read with great interest; this list contains a short story for each deity.

Whether true or false is beside the point; it is quite interesting.

"... The Red-Haired Buddha, with three hundred and eighty temples, distributed across five circuits and twenty-eight prefectures in various commanderies and prefectures..."

"The Sword Spirit God..."

"The Hundred-Armed Daoist..."

Li Yuan read very carefully; mainly, he was also very interested in incense offerings, so understanding these was necessary.

What made him inwardly scoff was that the so-called orthodox gods enfeoffed by the Great Yun imperial court, whether by name, appearance, or stories, seemed more like evil gods than orthodox gods.

"To make them believe, one must first make them fear?"

Li Yuan closed the book; after Liu Zheng went out once, he brought over all the lists he had purchased during this period:

"The Courtesan List, the Knife-Holder List, the Divine Weapon List, the Supreme Arts List... Oh, and the Spirit Beast List, the Spirit Insect List, the Spirit Fish List."

"... Truly comprehensive."

Glancing at the sky, Li Yuan took the few booklets and stuffed them into his sleeve, yet he had no mood to read them at that moment.

"Find a place to have a good meal."

The mountain lacks neither food nor delicacies, but the variety is certainly far inferior to Fucheng; every time he descended the mountain, the first thing Li Yuan did was treat himself.

Although he had not yet obtained the true Bai Shen Fa, compared to the scriptures of the Baishen Sect, did this not also count as offering to the gods?

Every day he washed, bathed, ate only the best, consumed various pills without restraint, and spent silver like flowing water.

Which god's devotee treats themselves as well as he does?

After finishing the meal, Li Yuan sent Wang Wang Peiyao off to gather various intelligence; he himself, under her resentful gaze, went shopping with Liu Zheng.

On the road, Li Yuan visited the few shops he frequented and found four pairs of first-rank boots; two pairs each from Sihe and Liuhe.

Boots made from spirit beast skins start at a price of twelve taels of silver and go up; ordinary families simply cannot afford them, but most of the time, they cannot be bought at all.

There is no other reason; spirit beasts are scarce.

Spirit beasts among animals are like superior root bones; while one in ten thousand is an exaggeration, one in a thousand does exist, so catching them is naturally very difficult.

"Fucheng has many people and many well-known restaurants; no matter how many spirit beasts there are, they are not enough to go around."

Liu Zheng picked his teeth with an iron skewer, savoring the taste of the spirit beast; in the past, he could not bear to have a meal like this.

"Baihua Pavilion has them at every meal, though."

"Hmm?"

Li Yuan glanced at him and remembered he still had dozens of invitation cards unused.

"Hmm, perhaps later I can pick a few to visit..."

Li Yuan did not oppose this; promoting the Army Command Talisman to the sixth rank and the Army Furnishing Furnace were both heavy consumers of gold and silver; the more, the better.

Fucheng is indeed part of Zhe Long Prefecture, but after more than a thousand years, many industries have long been set in stone; he wanted to intervene but

could not.

The only path is to cooperate with these large and small families; small trades are still trades; accumulate the small to make the large.

"A few families were quite sincere; they invited me to banquets multiple times recently, spending no small amount of silver."

Liu Zheng was very attentive and did not hide anything, recounting the major and minor events of this period one by one.

Including which families he accepted invitations from, who sent gifts, how many were returned, and how many were kept...

'No wonder Liu Bin could fill the vacancy of the county magistrate...'

Li Yuan nodded inwardly.

The world is bustling, all coming for profit; he never thought of eating alone, nor did he like others eating alone.

"Brother Li, are you heading to the Bodhisattva Temple?"

Liu Zheng reported along the way; looking up, he saw the towering temple in the distance.

"Rarely descending the mountain, naturally I must take a stroll."

Li Yuan glanced behind him with his peripheral vision and had to admit that the inner disciples of the Divine Weapon Valley had some merit.

The few disciples following him, he had failed to notice all along the way.

"Just so happens, I have been here before."

Liu Zheng smiled and led the way; his talent and root bones were very poor, but he adapted to the environment very quickly.

In less than half a year, he knew every district of Fucheng and every faction inside and out.

"I wonder if that 'Zhao Zhao Yunsheng' or the people behind him have set their sights on me?"

Li Yuan was very curious and also very cautious.

This was his first time "fishing for fish"; he did not know if he could catch a big one.

He had not originally planned to descend the mountain, nor did he intend to attend Sun Zan's birthday banquet, but with Ba Ba Wanli and Fang Baolu present, he decided to give it a try.

The feeling of being targeted is not pleasant; if he does not kill a batch of them, he likely won't be able to calm his mind and practice Wu Gong.

The Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple in Fucheng is far larger than the one in Gao Liu County, and the stream of believers and pilgrims coming and going is endless.

Outside the temple, various stalls line the area, with vendors' cries never ceasing in the ears, and the fragrance of many snacks fills the air.

Li Yuan casually bought some and followed the crowd into the temple.

Upon entering the temple gate, a thick scent of incense hit him; in the center of the grounds capable of holding over a thousand people,

stood an incense burner larger than the three of his combined.

【Incense Burner Before the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple (Tier 3)】

【Cast from wrought iron mixed with various iron and copper, unchanged in color for a thousand years... The yearnings of countless believers here transform into wisps of incense smoke, gradually giving rise to spiritual phenomena...】

【Conditions for Mastery: Divine Art, Third Layer; Thousand-Catties of Strength】

【Effects of Mastery: Rooted to the Spot (Pale Green), Slight Good Fortune (Pale Green), Incomplete Bai Shen Fa (Pale Green), Majestic Demeanor (Pale Green)】

"This incense burner..."

At a distance of twenty meters from the incense burner, Li Yuan's eyes lit up; the burner's color was pure, without a single trace of blood-red!

"Is this the orthodox Bai Shen Fa?"

Li Yuan became interested, but before he could step forward, he suddenly sensed the crowd stirring.

"The Prefect!"

Believers around exclaimed in surprise and scattered.

When Li Yuan turned back, he saw a small gray sedan chair stopped outside the temple gate; a refined old man, accompanied by a police captain, walked into the temple.

"The police captain is named Ren Ren Jingfei, one of Fucheng's six police captains; it is said his Wu Gong is extremely high. As for the old man, he is the new Prefect, Wang Zhao's..."

Liu Zheng introduced in a low voice.

Two years after the death of the previous Prefect, a new Prefect finally took office, but it happened to coincide with the Great Expansion of the Divine Sword Valley's gates, so no one paid much attention.

After all, Prefects come and go like flowing water, but the Divine Sword Valley stands firm like iron.

"Hmm."

Watching the two men being led away by several Monks, Li Yuan could not help but recall that Lu County Magistrate.

Compared to the various sects and factions, the imperial court's presence is not very noticeable in the various prefectures and counties, but as the nominal ruler of the world, the imperial court's strength is naturally beyond question.

He suspected that the orthodox Bai Shen Fa was under the imperial court's control; otherwise, he could not fathom why the imperial court would support so many temples.

"How does the imperial court utilize the power of incense smoke?"

Li Yuan was very curious but did not show it; he and Liu Zheng wandered around the temple a few times before leaving.

"Li Yuan!"

Just outside the temple gate, Li Yuan heard a cry of surprise; turning back, he could not help but feel surprised:

"It's you?"

The one who called out to him was a stall owner outside the temple gate, who happened to be the Fuxiu Fuxiu Daoren who had previously pretended to be a fortune-telling Daoist Priest and blocked him.

"Zhang Zhang Yuanfang!"

The stall owner spoke, his eyes full of complex emotions.

"You... can you really tell fortunes?"

Li Yuan was somewhat surprised.

Upon meeting again, Zhang Zhang Yuanfang was still dressed as a Daoist Priest and still had his fortune-telling stall set up, but Li Yuan, with his sharp eyes, noticed that Zhang Zhang Yuanfang's sleeve was empty.

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang shook his empty sleeve and said self-mockingly:

"I met a group of bandits on the road, lost an arm, and now I can only rely on fortune-telling to make a living."

"Are you that Fuxiu Fuxiu Daoren from before?"

Liu Zheng also recognized this person; when the city guards were arresting people, he had seen him.

"I had eyes but did not recognize the dragon; you actually became a True Disciple..."

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang sighed.

He never expected that a small apprentice he had casually blocked in a small county town would now be a True Disciple of the Divine Sword Valley.

If he had known this would happen, he would have gone bankrupt, sold his pots and pans, just to climb onto this thigh...

"It is also because Master valued me; luck, just luck."

Li Yuan still had a very deep impression of this 'fellow practitioner'; seeing him in such a destitute state, he could not help but feel some emotion.

A Daoist Priest without registration is hard to get by anywhere.

"Luck cannot make one a True Disciple."

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang shook his head, glanced at Liu Zheng, and said in a low voice: "How about we change to another place to talk?"

Li Yuan nodded.

In the restaurant, Zhang Zhang Yuanfang ate like a wolf, his single hand not hindering his eating at all.

Liu Zheng, being very tactful, returned to the Sword-Forging Shop.

"Is it enough? If not, order a few more dishes."

Li Yuan put down his bowl and chopsticks; he had eaten quite a few snacks on the road, so he was not very hungry.

"Thank you."

Wiping the grease from his mouth and drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Zhang Yuanfang then leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied.

Since losing his arm, he had not entered a restaurant again.

"It is just a meal, after all."

Li Yuan waved his hand:

"Brother Zhang stopped me, is there something you need?"

"Mm."

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang nodded, his peripheral vision sweeping the surroundings; seeing no one paying attention, he lowered his voice and said:

"You came down the mountain this time for the Talent List, right?"

Li Yuan's gaze shifted slightly, but he did not answer.

"I have seen the traveling merchant who delivered the list to Yunshu Tower..."

"Mm?"

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Before Fang Fang Bao Luo and Eighty Thousand Miles led people down the mountain, they had told him the full story of this matter.

That traveling merchant vanished without a trace; even the Surveillance Hall could not find him...

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang gritted his teeth slightly and said in a low voice:

"Brother Li, can I trade this intelligence for a bowl of rice from you?"

"If it is true, the Valley does not lack a bowl of rice for you."

Li Yuan agreed without a second thought; the Divine Weapon Valley supported many people and did not mind one more.

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang shook his head: "Not the Divine Weapon Valley, but you."

"Oh?"

Li Yuan was somewhat surprised.

"That traveling merchant is Zhao Zhao Bogang, an outer disciple of the Three Yuan Walled Town, a member of the Zhao family you exterminated."

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang did not negotiate, speaking in a low voice.

"A member of the Zhao family?"

Li Yuan was somewhat astonished: "Could a member of the Zhao family be admitted to the Three Yuan Walled Town?"

As far as he knew, the major sects of Huizhou had strict regional restrictions on accepting disciples; a clear identity was mandatory.

The Zhao family had been involved with the Divine Weapon

Valley for generations; it was impossible for them to be admitted as disciples...

"Perhaps a cunning rabbit has three burrows?"

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang was very certain, gritting his teeth:

"That man must be Zhao Zhao Bogang! More than twenty years ago, he rode a horse and killed my brother; I would recognize him even if he turned to ash!"

Li Yuan did not dwell on this and asked:

"Where is he?"

"Outside the city, at the Blood Vajra Temple!"

"Outside the city, is it?"

Watching Zhang Zhang Yuanfang depart, Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling somewhat curious: "Did I just catch a fish?"

Having met only once with no real friendship, Li Yuan naturally would not easily believe Zhang Zhang Yuanfang's words.

Even though he gave a reason and explained how he discovered it.

But, an internal force martial artist with a severed right hand, where would he get the courage to stalk an outer disciple of a major sect?

Whoever dared to sneak into the Zhe Long Mansion and stir up trouble, Li Yuan estimated, that so-called outer disciple might all be fake.

"Perhaps, it really is a big fish?"

Li Yuan rubbed his chin; as far as he knew, novice fishermen often catch big hauls...

"In that case."

Li Yuan thought for a moment, then went to the Weapon Forge without showing his emotions, and from the warehouse retrieved a second-rank long-handled Handle-heavy hammer.

Before seeking out Zhang Zhang Yuanfang, he summoned Liu Zheng and Wang Wang Peiyao.

"Although the Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother are here, for safety's sake, it is better to call a few more people..."

Living in the Zhe Long Mansion is not easy, yet every year common people from various commanderies and counties migrate here.

Some establish a foothold in Fucheng, some sell themselves as slaves, and the majority gather outside the city.

They have no fields and no land; some make a living by fishing, while most are small laborers, servants, or shop assistants for the families of Fucheng, and also miners working the Divine Weapon Valley's mines.

Over time, this formed villages and towns numbering tens of thousands of households, more prosperous than ordinary county towns.

"In the eyes of Fucheng people, we are lowly commoners who could not make it in our respective county towns, but I must say, living here is indeed good."

Walking more than ten li along the riverbank, Zhang Zhang Yuanfang pointed to the distant town.

That 'town', aside from lacking thick city walls, was truly no inferior to Gao Liu County, with many people coming and going.

"Convenient transportation, relying on the mountain, the water, and Fucheng; it is indeed a good place."

Li Yuan felt some emotion.

This gathering place reminded him of the urban village he had lived in.

"And it relies on the Divine Weapon Valley!"

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang added: "We mix here and do not leave, accumulating generation after generation, just waiting for the day when a descendant of ours is born with superior bone quality..."

Li Yuan nodded, indicating understanding.

In fact, many disciples of the Divine Weapon Valley throughout the generations have come from here; the most famous is Eighty Thousand Miles.

Many years ago, it had caused quite a stir.

"Perhaps in a few generations, ten or more generations, someone from my Zhang family might be able to enter the Divine Weapon Valley?"

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang fell silent and led the way.

Before long, Li Yuan spotted a small temple, rather deserted, built at the foot of a hill.

"Brother Zhang, shall we stop by your home first?"

Li Yuan suddenly spoke.

"Huh?"

Zhang Zhang Yuanfang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "To avoid complications, Brother Li should still…"

Before his words fell, a low roar had already come from within the Blood Vajra Temple:

"Move!"