Knife splashing

Chapter 122 Doumu Palace is short of money
"Excuse me, please make way."

"Don't push, go to the back!"

"Fellow Daoist, could you please be more polite?"

"You're welcome. What are you doing?"

Looking at the chaos ahead, Li Yan and the other two looked at each other in bewilderment.

They went up the mountain with great difficulty, but they didn't expect that the place was already crowded with people.

There is a stone path under the archway leading to Doumu Palace, with steep slopes on both sides. The snow on the stone path has not yet melted, making it slippery and difficult to walk on.

In front of the archway, there were several Taoists blocking the road, checking and registering everyone one by one. There was a long line of people waiting.

Everyone knows that the number of spiritual orifices is limited, but there are a large number of people here, so everyone is anxious and speaks with anger unconsciously.

"quiet!"

A middle-aged Taoist suddenly spoke up in a loud and majestic voice, "This is the holy land of Doumu Dojo, no noise is allowed!"

This Taoist obviously had some status, and the team immediately quieted down.

But then, his behavior caused contempt among everyone.

I saw an old man in a black robe step forward, respectfully took out a ticket from his arms, and sighed, "Greetings, Manager Bai, the mountain road is difficult, I really can't stand it anymore, can you give me some convenience?"

The Taoist glanced at it casually and said, "In that case, let's go in first."

"Thank you, Steward Bai."

The old man showed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes and walked quickly through the archway.

Li Yan immediately knew that this guy was the backstage mastermind of the Bai Family Inn. Looking at the Dou Mu Palace above the sea of ​​clouds, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

I never thought that such a vile thing could happen in this holy land of wonderland.

Upon seeing this, the monks who had lived in the Bai Family Inn immediately took out their tickets and came forward to pay their respects, and were let go one by one.

The remaining people were immediately dissatisfied when they saw this.

"It's not fair, why should they go first?"

"How come Taibai Orthodox Church has a scum like you?"

When the steward Bai heard what everyone was saying, he had no shame on his face and said calmly: "You all have cultivated to the point of being a dog? Is there anything absolutely fair in this world?"

"Have you ever seen the suspension bridge when you went up the mountain?"

"Half a month ago, the plank road was damaged by falling rocks. My relative in this world fell off a cliff and died while repairing the plank road, leaving behind an orphan and a widow."

"I want to make a living for them. Anyone who wants to complain can go ahead, but don't yell at me!"

After hearing this, everyone was speechless.

So there is such a cause and effect in the process. Since he is so calm about it, maybe he has already obtained the permission from the abbot.

They pluck the feathers from them and make profits for their own family members, and most importantly, they act in a righteous manner for their own benefit, so everyone has no choice but to accept it.

Those who are smart enough will donate immediately.

Manager Bai did not hesitate and accepted the entire amount. As long as it was over twenty taels, he would agree to let the person go.

Faced with this situation, Li Yan and the other two simply accepted defeat, paid out sixty taels of silver, registered themselves, and then crossed the stone bridge into the Doumu Palace.

After entering the door, you can feel that this place is extraordinary.

The ancient palaces and temples are majestic, with blue bricks and black tiles, carved beams and painted buildings, which fully demonstrate the ingenuity of the design. The flying eaves and corners, and the staggered layers, are like a phoenix dancing in the sky, which is spectacular.

In addition, at this time of sunrise, the surrounding mountains stand tall, the sea of ​​clouds lingers, and the ever-changing sea complements the palace, making it like a fairyland.

Of course, Li Yan had seen all kinds of landscapes in his previous life, many of which were more magnificent than this one. What really shocked him was the aura of the scene.

The palace was filled with the smell of incense and the sound of melodious bells. It seemed peaceful and harmonious, but there were dense streams of fierce and evil energy rising into the sky, which seemed to be related to the arrangement of stars.

Furthermore, as soon as he took a few steps into the main entrance, his sense of smell began to be suppressed, and as he approached the main hall, it completely disappeared, making him no different from an ordinary person.

Li Yan looked at Wang Daoxuan with shock in his eyes.

Wang Daoxuan seemed to guess what he was thinking, and smiled and whispered: "This place was built in the late Han Dynasty, and masters of the Xuanmen from all dynasties gathered here. It was also renovated at a huge cost in the Tang Dynasty. I heard that a lot of natural treasures were used at that time."

"Moreover, this is the Dou Mu Holy Land. The thousand-year incense combined with the situation of the cave has formed an innate divine power. Not to mention you, even if a dragon comes, it will have to stay."

"Do you remember the Yellow River stone coffin that Yue Ba'e mentioned? It was carried to Wangwu Mountain and suppressed by the Taoist temple there."

Li Yan immediately understood that there might be something being suppressed here. The formation was so powerful that even his magical powers were suppressed.

Thinking of this, Li Yan no longer had the desire to continue exploring.

The Xuanmen monks who came in were forbidden to set foot in the back hall and were arranged to stay in a large house in the side yard of the Dou Mu Hall.

Motherfucker!
Li Yan cursed inwardly, knowing that Blacksmith Hong was right. Letting the people in was only the first step. Manager Bai was most likely going to play a bidding game and continue plucking feathers.

Seeing this, he stopped talking nonsense and took the visiting card and letter to find the Taoist boy guarding the backyard passage, "Excuse me, is Taoist Master Yu Linzi here?"

"Uncle Yulinzi is doing morning prayers, please wait a moment."

The Taoist boy spoke quite politely. After taking the visiting card, he turned and went into the back hall, while Li Yan and others were blocked outside.

The Dou Mu Palace Taoist temple is huge. Although there is a statue of Dou Mu in the front yard where they are for pilgrims to burn incense, it actually only occupies one tenth of the entire palace.

The latter part is probably the real core.

The Taoist boy was gone for a long time.

Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei became impatient and entered the main hall, lit three incense sticks and kowtowed to Dou Mu Yuanjun.

Li Yan thought about it for a moment and went in to kowtow.

However, perhaps because his supernatural powers were suppressed, he felt that it was no different from worshipping gods in his previous life, and there was no ripple in his heart, and there was no movement at all from the Gou Yue.

After waiting for another stick of incense, a Taoist priest, led by a Taoist boy, hurried over from the backyard.

What an immortal figure!

At the first glance, Li Yan couldn't help but secretly praise it.

This Taoist was tall and slender, and seemed to have never practiced martial arts. He was rather thin, with his back hunched and chest hunched, and his body leaning forward.

Ordinary people like this would most likely have a vulgar temperament, but he had a fair face, narrow eyes, a calm and relaxed temperament, and a loose Taoist robe. When he walked, his sleeves fluttered in the wind, and his three long beards swung in the wind. He really looked like an immortal wandering towards him.

"It must be Mr. Li."

Taoist Yu Linzi smiled gently and said, "We are not allowed to stop during the daily morning class. I hope you will forgive me. Please follow me." After that, he led the three people into the inner courtyard.

There was nothing unusual inside, just a lot of Taoists busy coming and going. But what surprised Li Yan was that there was an ancient building similar to an observatory on the right corner.

There’s even a giant copper telescope poking its head out!

“That’s the observatory.”

Yu Linzi smiled bitterly and explained: "Please don't laugh at me, because of this thing, my Doumuyuan almost couldn't afford to eat."

Having said that, his eyes were full of joy.

Li Yan nodded in agreement. "This thing costs a lot, it looks like the court will allocate money for it?"

Yu Linzi was stunned. "What does our study of astrology have to do with the imperial court?"

Li Yan was at a loss for words and said, "This thing will be used in the formulation of the calendar and the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, right?"

Yu Linzi smiled and shook his head, saying, "The calendar is already perfected. The Imperial Observatory has much more than us. Why would they come to borrow it? The court has many other places to spend money, and it is even more impossible for them to pay for us."

As he spoke, he led everyone into a quiet room.

Before entering the house, Li Yan turned his head to look at the observatory again, and suddenly had a guess in his mind that the various skills of the Daxuan Dynasty might be more advanced than he imagined.

Of course, there is no time to think too much at this moment.

Yu Linzi is a man of great virtue, but he is a very kind person. He personally brewed tea for everyone, "There is a tea garden halfway up the mountain in Doumuyuan. I picked and stir-fried the tea myself before Qingming Festival. Please have a taste."

“Good tea!”

Li Yan took a sip and found it refreshing and sweet. It was a high-quality green tea, but he couldn't tell the variety.

"I already know why you are here."

Yu Linzi then started to talk about business and sighed, "Since Senior Brother Luo Mingzi asked me to do this, I will naturally take care of it, but I have no say in this matter."

Then, he shook his head and smiled bitterly, "There is no need to hide this matter, it is because of the observatory outside."

"In theory, the imperial court would allocate money every year. We would guard the altar and send soldiers to patrol at fixed times, so there would always be some left. Add some magic tools consigned to the mysterious priests, and it would be enough to maintain the operation of the palace."

"But the construction of the observatory cost a lot, and it also diverted the money used to repair the Doumu Palace. We are seekers of the Tao, and the Taoist temple is far away from the world. The journey is difficult, and there are few pilgrims. Naturally, we are a little nervous."

"Masters and uncles are devoted to seeking the truth. They can tell you about astrology for three days and three nights, but they are helpless in getting money. Fortunately, there is this Senior Brother Bai who seized the opportunity and came up with the idea of ​​bidding."

"If it's done, it can make up for a lot of deficits. The mountains are about to be closed due to heavy snow, and there is a big festival on the winter solstice. Money is needed everywhere..."

After hearing the reason, Li Yan and the other two found it unbelievable.

I thought that since Taixuan Orthodox Church was the state religion and the leader of the Xuanmen sect, it must be very rich, but I didn't expect that it was also worried about money.

But when I think about what they did, it seems normal.

The only bronze mirror exposed on the observatory was extremely complicated to make. Not only did it require Xuanmen craftsmen, but all the materials had to be transported up from the bottom of the mountain. You can imagine how difficult it was.

Moreover, this is the residence of Taixuan Orthodox monks. It may have some special abilities, and the cost is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Li Yan was helpless. "Compared with the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, these sorcerers are all poor ghosts. They can't squeeze out much money."

"It's a little bit."

Yu Linzi scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "It's really hard for me to talk about this matter. How about you wait a moment?"

"Next spring, the price will definitely not be so expensive."

Li Yan naturally didn't want to force him, and said in a deep voice: "To be honest, I really can't wait. If the prices are similar, I would rather pay first."

By now, it’s not about money.

If they delay any further, they will not be able to do many things.

Yu Linzi pondered for a moment and said, "Don't worry. There are actually more acupoints on the mountain that have been discovered. I will ask Senior Brother Bai."

After saying that, he turned and left the quiet room.

After he left, Sharifei was shocked and said, "Well, we are short of money, why is the Doumu Palace in such a mess?"

Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "In this world, money is indispensable for everything you do. Even the emperor is worried about money and is willing to lift the ban on sea trade to fill the treasury."

"What's more, Taibai Mansion is just one branch of Doumuyuan. We have to raise money for many things..."

As he was speaking, footsteps were heard outside.

Yu Linzi came back again, followed by Manager Bai.

This steward Bai seemed to be very busy. He didn't say much nonsense when he came in. His attitude was also quite friendly. He said directly: "Since it was introduced by a fellow apprentice from the Sheji Academy, I naturally cannot refuse his honor."

"But the snowy season is approaching, and the renovation of Doumu Palace will cost money. There are too many people asking for mercy, and I can't make an exception for you guys, otherwise I won't be able to survive this winter."

"How about this, the price just now is about three thousand taels to rent a spiritual orifice, you only need to pay two thousand five hundred taels, and I will leave it to you."

"Two thousand five hundred taels?"

Sharifei swallowed and looked at Li Yan and the others.

Wang Daoxuan had said before that the cost of building the tower, from renting the spiritual orifice to purchasing various ritual instruments, would cost one thousand taels.

The second-story building is slightly more expensive, costing about 1,500 taels.

In order to go up the mountain this time, they deliberately left some more, and there were about four thousand taels left, but they didn't expect that it was still not enough.

Li Yan had no choice but to tell the truth.

After hearing this, Steward Bai shook his head slightly and said, "I'm sorry, everyone. If I accept this mission, I can only be a bad guy."

At this moment, Yu Linzi said, "Brother Bai, I remember you discovered two spiritual orifices a few days ago, but you didn't release them this time..."

"You mean Qian Er and Qian San?"

Manager Bai hesitated for a moment and said, "No, those two roads are a bit far..."

"We are not afraid of the distance!" Sharifei said quickly.

Wang Daoxuan bowed and asked, "May I ask where it is?"

Manager Bai glanced at Yu Linzi and shook his head.

"It's near the highest peak of Taibai Mountain, Baxiantai!"

(End of this chapter)