Knife splashing

Chapter 129: The Palace is Overgrown with Weeds

"Haojing?"

When Hong Yasha heard this, he didn't show any curiosity at all, but frowned slightly, "Are you still associated with those country rats?"

"Hahaha…"

Seeing her worried look, Boss Feng felt a little warm in his heart, and smiled with his hands covering his mouth: "Don't worry, Sister Hong, I'm not a novice who knows nothing. I've suffered a loss once, so why would I provoke these people again?"

Then he said meaningfully:

"This news is about you."

Red Yaksha didn't care and shook his head, saying, "I don't participate in disputes in the martial arts world, and I don't have the heart to seek the road. I just take some work to support the children. No matter how good the treasure is, it has nothing to do with me."

Boss Feng said calmly, "I heard that it was the tomb of an ancient Zhou Dynasty Taoist priest. It was first found by the Xunyou lineage. Something happened at that time and everyone who went in died. Only one person escaped."

"Many people on the underworld heard the news and went there secretly at night. Someone used explosives and actually let them open the tomb. They looted all the funerary objects inside and a fight broke out."

"Many of these things have been brought to Chang'an. The others are easy to deal with, but I heard that someone got the Ziwu Demon-Slaying Sword..."

"what?"

Red Yaksha stood up suddenly, his face full of shock, then slowly sat down again, not knowing what he was thinking of, muttering: "Master..."

…………

The Chang'an City God Temple is the Daxuandu City God Temple.

The so-called Capital City God Temple is a temple that governs all the city gods, big and small, in an area of ​​China. It is considered the highest level and is worshipped by the royal family.

The original City God Temple of Chang'an City was completely burned down during the war between the previous dynasty Daxing and the Golden Horde.

When the Daxuan Dynasty was first established, the founding emperor Xiao Chengyou ordered the reconstruction and repair of city god temples in various places, and enshrined Taixuan Orthodox Christianity as the state religion.

Therefore, the Chang'an City God Temple was built just a hundred years ago.

Its address is the original Guangdefang, which was the location of Jingzhao Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty. It is huge in scale and enshrines the first City God of China.

Like the City God Temple in Xianyang City, the City God Temple in Chang'an is also divided into two parts.

The Qianmen City God Temple is open day and night, and all pilgrims can enter to worship. A temple fair is held regularly on the eighth day of the second lunar month every year.

However, entering and leaving the palace behind is prohibited.

There is not only the Taixuan Orthodox Church that worships a large number of soldiers and horses, but also the Xuan priests who manage the Xuanmen, the Law Enforcement Hall and other institutions.

Nowadays, there is an endless stream of pilgrims coming and going in front of the temple.

Even the side door leading to the rear hall had a long queue.

These people also looked strange. There was a blind old woman in black clothes, a white-haired old man carrying a willow harp, and even a monk in a cassock.

They lined up quietly in the snow and wind, occasionally chatting in low voices.

These are naturally people from the Xuanmen.

Although the Daxuan Dynasty was dominated by Taoism, it did not exclude Buddhism. Buddhism was also included in the orthodox religions, and the certificates issued to Buddhist disciples were called Buddhist certificates.

As for the witches and sorcerers from unconventional sects, they all have Taoist certificates.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan were also in the team.

Because they were unsure of the situation at Chang'an City God Temple, and with so many people waiting, they couldn't make an exception and not to embarrass Luo Mingzi, so they just followed in line.

Who knows what kind of magical powers people in the Xuanmen may have.

Perhaps because they were afraid of being exposed, everyone was very silent. Even when they talked, they only spoke in low voices and would not say anything important.

At this moment, a Taoist priest in gray with a long sword on his back came out from inside, his face looking very ugly.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, what's wrong?"

Someone couldn't help but ask.

"Humph!"

The Taoist in gray snorted coldly and said dissatisfiedly: "I understand that the court wants to restrict the Xuanmen, but why do they check people's Taoism and divide them into different levels?"

As he spoke, he raised the Taoist document in his hand and said, "See? The orthodox sect is black, the Dharma lineage is red, and the side sects are all white, just like funeral paper!"

The people around looked at each other in bewilderment, and then an old man shook his head and advised: "Daoyou, calm down. There are always high and low in the Xuanmen. We are just afraid of trouble. We don't get money from the court, so why should we care about it?"

"That being said, ah~"

The Taoist in gray wanted to refute, but seeing that everyone didn't want to cause trouble, he suddenly felt discouraged and shook his head, saying, "Forget it, I practiced cultivation just to be free, but I didn't expect that even in the Xuanmen, I can't escape being controlled by others."

"What's this about following the laws of nature and living a carefree life... bullshit!"

He shook his head as he spoke, and gradually walked away, disappearing in the wind and snow...

Li Yan's face was calm, he had expected this.

The court's new policies are bound to cause dissatisfaction.

But the Daxuan Dynasty was a powerful country with strict laws. What it wanted to do could not be done by just a few complaints.

Before he knew it, it was finally his turn.

Priest Xuan did not go too far. Everyone entered individually and was not allowed to be seen by others, so the line was a little long.

The registration place is in a side courtyard at the side door.

In the wind and snow, the door to the main hall of the side courtyard was open. An old Taoist was flipping through the list of names, while another clerk in a green robe was copying it.

The weather was cold, and the two of them blew air and rubbed their hands from time to time.

Seeing Li Yan coming in, the old Taoist was very kind, "Please take a seat, Taoist friend. No need to be polite. Are you here to register?"

Li Yan bowed slightly, "I came to get the certificate. Senior Luo Mingzi said it has been processed."

"Oh?"

The old Taoist seemed to have thought of something and looked up at Li Yan. "My friend, your name is Li Yan. Are you from Lantian and from Xianyang?"

Li Yan nodded and said, "That's right."

The old Taoist didn't waste any words. He stood up and took out a dark-colored Taoist certificate from the shelf. "It's already been done. Can you verify it?"

"Black Taoist certificate?"

Li Yan was a little surprised after taking it.

The old Taoist smiled and said, "Your status is special. The so-called orthodox religion is only conferred by the imperial court. It is far inferior to yours."

Although it was not stated explicitly, Li Yan understood it instantly.

It is talking about the identity of a living ghost.

Li Yan opened the Taoist certificate and took a look. Apart from his name and place of origin, he did not say much about his inheritance and Taoist practice.

He wondered, "What's the difference between this black certificate?"

The old Taoist stroked his beard and smiled, "The orthodox religion is conferred by the imperial court and has the responsibility to protect the country. The Taoist certificate will naturally bring many conveniences."

"First, they will not easily leak information. Second, if they encounter an emergency, they can go to the local government and ask for a favorable treatment."

"I see."

Li Yan understood instantly and felt very satisfied.

He had a rough idea of ​​how this document was divided.

The black color is respected and is considered one of our own.

Red is second, and the court is less prepared. After all, the Dharma lineage is well-established, and if someone commits a crime, the monk can escape but the temple cannot.

White is the main focus of local Xuan priests.

Having gotten the upper hand, Li Yan was naturally in a good mood. He stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you, senior. I would like to visit Taoist Luo. Could you please pass me on?"

The old Taoist shook his head and said, "Luo Mingzi has important matters to attend to and has left Chang'an. I don't know when he will return."

Just as he recovered from his injury, he got a mission? Li Yan was not disappointed, and nodded and said, "I'll leave a letter. If Taoist Luo comes back, please pass it on."

…………

Although Luo Mingzi was not there, getting the Taoist certificate was considered a big deal.

Li Yan was in a good mood and strolled around with Wang Daoxuan after going out.

"That's the Tang Dynasty West Market."

Wang Daoxuan was quite familiar with Chang'an. He pointed at the dilapidated earthen wall in the distance and said, "During the Tang Dynasty, the West Market was famous all over the world. There were hundreds of industries and tens of thousands of shops. Merchants from the Western Regions to Southeast Asia came and went. It was very prosperous..."

"Oh?"

Li Yan became interested when he heard it, "Let's go and take a look."

He had heard of this "Chang'an West Market" for a long time in his previous life. He did not expect that it was still preserved in this world, so he naturally wanted to see it.

Unexpectedly, Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "The West Market is long gone."

"During the Tang Dynasty, all the districts were closed, private transactions were prohibited, and there was a curfew at night, so naturally they could only gather in the West Market."

"Nowadays, the Great Xuan Dynasty has no curfew and encourages business. Every market is full of shops. Besides, the West Market has been through war and is no longer a market."

"So what is it now?"

"The polo field. When Chang'an was being renovated, the West Market was originally going to be razed to the ground. But the then governor of Shanzhou made a petition and turned the area into a polo field."

"The people of the Xuan Dynasty love polo very much. All walks of life have their own teams and compete regularly. During temple fairs or Lantern Festivals, this place will also be very lively..."

In the end, Li Yan ran to take a look.

Unfortunately, the result disappointed him. Perhaps it was because the winter solstice had just ended, the withered yellow grass was covered with snow, and there were not many people around.

But a few Hu people who walked by the door attracted his attention.

"It's a merchant from the Western Regions."

Wang Daoxuan whispered, "There is a Zoroastrian Hu temple in Liquanfang across the street, and a Nestorian temple in Yiningfang."

"Although the prosperous Tang Dynasty has fallen, its reputation in foreign countries remains unchanged. Merchants from the Western Regions often choose Chang'an as their first stop. In addition, all of their descendants now live in these two markets."

As he said this, he chuckled and said, "There are also people from the Xuanmen sect among the Hu people. I heard that a wealthy businessman in Chang'an believed in this way. He not only donated money for incense, but also asked for help when he encountered problems."

"I just don't know if this foreign method can catch the local ghosts..."

Li Yan thought about that scene and smiled silently.

The two of them wandered around casually and unknowingly came to the former Taiji Palace and Daming Palace for a visit.

Unfortunately, the once glorious palace is now reduced to ruins and overgrown with weeds, with common people farming and shepherds herding sheep.

Looking around, it was a desolate scene.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "The old palace was destroyed in the war a long time ago, but the foundation of the city wall is difficult to clean, and Chang'an City has no shortage of space, so this place has been abandoned. Occasionally, scholars and writers come here to reminisce about the past."

As he spoke, he whispered, "However, I heard that this is the location of the Chang'an Ghost Market. There are people from the Jianghu selling stolen goods, and people from the Xuanmen trading magic tools and heavenly treasures."

"It's just that the location is secret and it changes location frequently. It would be difficult to enter without a guide."

Li Yan's mind moved, "Master, do you need some treasures from heaven and earth to build a three-story building?"

Wang Daoxuan nodded and said, "Well, after settling down, I will see if I can find someone who can help me with the treasure. If that doesn't work, I can only look for it in the black market. The City God Temple also has some, but the price asked by the Taixuan Orthodox Church is too high."

Li Yan smiled and said, "You can contact Zhao Luzi. After all, this brother Zhao is from the treasure-holding business and knows the ins and outs of it."

"This kid said he had saved enough money and wanted to marry a wife, but I wonder if he has found one yet..."

…………

Chang'an City is quite large. Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan did not visit many places. When they returned to the inn, it was already night.

In the snowy night, the lights are bright, and the city of Chang'an looks even more dazzling.

"Hey, you guys are finally back!"

Sharifei was waiting in the main hall of the inn. When he saw the two of them coming back, he immediately complained, "What's so good about those crappy places? I wanted to take you to eat something good, but I guess there's no room there now."

"Where place?" Wang Daoxuan asked hurriedly.

"The Hua'e Tower in Pingkangfang!"

Sha Lifei said with longing eyes: "I heard that it is the holy land of Chang'an chefs, gathering masters from the north and south. I have been craving for it for many years, but unfortunately I am short of money."

"Now that I have money, I must fulfill my wish!"

"Oh, Huaye Tower..."

Wang Daoxuan obviously knew this place, and nodded, "It's okay, let's find an opportunity another day and go there early."

That's the problem with the trio.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan were both focused on seeking the truth and practicing. Although Shalifai was greedy for money, he was also the kind of person who would spend it if he had too much.

As soon as I heard there was something delicious or fun to do, I would just start looking for it.

Li Yan naturally did not object. He looked upstairs and asked in confusion, "Where is Sister Hong? Is she still drinking with Boss Feng?"

"I left in the afternoon."

Sharifei replied, "He said he had something to do, so let's go to bed early and take Brother Yan to become a disciple tomorrow."

"Have you found a house?"

"Hey, don't mention it. People in Chang'an City, don't they know how valuable money is? A few shabby houses dare to ask for three thousand taels. I'd be a fool to buy them."

"If that doesn't work, then just rent one for a long time, preferably one that's secluded."

"Well, wait a moment. I'll ask my brothers in the dental office to keep an eye on it. If it doesn't work out, we can just rent it out for a long time..."

The three of them returned to the courtyard while chatting, and asked the waiter to prepare some oil-splashed noodles and some wine and food.

After dinner, Sha Lifei went back to his room and fell asleep, while Wang Daoxuan and Li Yan returned to their respective rooms.

One of them was studying the rituals with a book, and the other was practicing various hand gestures and seals, and then they concentrated on practicing at midnight.

They knew that if they wanted to gain a foothold in the Xuanmen of Chang'an City, they would have to have some special skills...

…………

The next day, the light snow finally stopped.

The three of them got up early, but they didn't wait until the sun was high in the sky before the Red Yaksha hurried over, his face frosted and his body still cold.

"Sister Hong, what's the matter?"

Noticing that Red Yaksha looked tired, Li Yan hurriedly asked.

"It's okay, let's check some information." Red Yaksha shook his head slightly, "Let's go, I have already inquired on the way, and Senior Li happens to be sitting in the hall today."

Seeing that Red Yaksha didn't want to say much, the three of them didn't dare to ask too much.

Yong'anfang is not far from Lanlingfang. After leaving the inn, it takes less than an incense stick of time to reach Zhuque Street.

Zhuque Street is also known as Tianjie. The saying "The rain in Tianjie is as soft as butter" refers to this street. It was more than 100 meters wide in the Tang Dynasty. Now that the wall has been demolished, it appears even wider.

There were people coming and going on the streets, including camel and horse caravans delivering goods, as well as sedan chairs from wealthy families. It looked lively, but walking left and right, it did not seem crowded at all.

The streets are full of various street vendors.

There is the fortune teller Jinmen, the medicine seller Pimen, the magician Caimen, and the magician Xingguaizi... it is a true gathering of all kinds of people.

The few of them had other important matters to attend to, so they did not bother to look closely and crossed Zhuque Street to Lanlingfang on the opposite side.

Lanlingfang is opposite to Zhuque Street, so it is naturally a good location. Looking around, there are all kinds of restaurants and teahouses.

"It's right there." Red Yaksha pointed ahead.

Li Yan looked around and saw a crowd of people outside a clinic called Renxintang...

(End of this chapter)