Knife splashing

Chapter 22: The Iceberg Corner of Xuanmen

Hearing that Leng Tan was rampant, Wang Daoxuan's expression suddenly changed.

Li Yan had been observing his expression and was completely relieved when he saw this.

He mentioned this directly, just to test the waters.

Although Wang Daoxuan gave him a good first impression, he was too down and out after all. If he hadn't even heard of Leng Tan Cang Bing, then there was no need to tell him some things.

"To be honest, I've run into some trouble..."

After confirming that the other party was an expert, Li Yan stopped beating around the bush and directly told him the story of Leng Tan Cangbing.

Of course, the world is dangerous and people only speak half of what they know to others, so he also concealed a few important things.

For example, the widow Wang only said that she was a fortune teller in the village. She later disappeared mysteriously and did not reveal her background in order to avoid causing trouble for others.

They are hiding from the enemy and cannot repay kindness with enmity.

There is also the technique of using plaques to bring good luck.

Since it involves family feuds, one must be careful and cautious. After all, the mastermind is likely related to someone from the Xuanmen.

The substitute statue will not be revealed to anyone.

As for the matter of the sense of smell, I will tell you everything.

Wang Daoxuan listened carefully, first puzzled, then frowned in thought, and finally stared at Li Yan with disbelief in his eyes, and said:

"Your horoscope must be very tough!"

Hard life?

With a substitute statue, he must be very lucky.

Li Yan quickly bowed and said, "I hope the Taoist priest can help me solve this problem."

Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "Forget it. Since you have awakened your magical powers, you are destined to be with Xuanmen. Besides, this is not a secret. You can find out if you ask carefully. It's okay to tell you."

"Speaking of rampant soldiers, we have to first mention the Xuanmen soldiers and horses. Whether it is the orthodox Xuanmen, the local sects, or some evil ways, when they set up an altar and perform rituals, they will raise soldiers and horses."

"There are many kinds of soldiers and horses, including the Taoist orthodox soldiers, the community soldiers of the city god temple, the five camps of the five directions of the local law lineage, the five routes of the immortals, and the five-way soldiers of the folk obscene worship..."

"These soldiers are invisible and hard for ordinary people to see. The magician can use them to search mountains and destroy temples, exorcise demons and catch evil spirits, fight with people, and even kill people..."

"The rampant soldiers come from many sources, and it is difficult to explain them all at once, but they are all characterized by their ferocious temperaments, being difficult to discipline and control, yet their power is considerable."

"As for the cold altar, it means that some Dharma lineages have become extinct and there are no disciples to inherit the incense, so it has become a cold altar and a ruined temple."

"There are many people who support the roaming soldiers, but there is a problem. Once the incense is cut off, they will go out of control and attach themselves to wild animals or humans, looking for blood food everywhere."

As he spoke, he seemed to be thinking about something: "In Guanzhong, the Taixuan Orthodox Church chooses a fixed time to search the mountains and destroy temples. There are very few cold altars. These rampant soldiers are likely to come from the Qinling Mountains."

"That Lengtan rampant soldier is comparable to a ferocious ghost. Although you have awakened your magical powers and someone has taught you how to break it, you are still able to survive. Your fate is definitely strong enough!"

Li Yan thought for a moment and said, "Are there many such soldiers and horses in Xuanmen?"

Wang Daoxuan nodded and said, "Tai Xuan Zheng Sect has talisman soldiers. No one knows how many there are, but it is definitely a lot. They can be called heavenly soldiers and generals. Otherwise, how could he become the leader of Xuan Zheng Sect and be worshipped by the court for generations."

“Not to mention the various local Dharma lineages, some of which are ancient, with their ancestors having hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses. Add to that those unknown folk sects, and the number of soldiers and horses in the world is simply incalculable…”

Li Yan was shocked and couldn't calm down for a long time.

One Lengtan rampant soldier almost took his life. If there were tens of thousands of them, the scene would be horrifying to think about.

He couldn't help but say, "The power of Xuanmen is so terrifying, isn't it easy to control the world?"

"It's not that easy."

Wang Daoxuan sneered and shook his head, saying, "Although there are many soldiers and horses, they need to be of sufficient Taoism to be driven. If you want to control tens of millions of soldiers and horses, you need many high-level magicians and hold large-scale rituals at the same time. Sometimes it even takes several days to prepare."

"Besides, the Great Dao has its own balance, and the soldiers are not invincible. For example, if you hide in a city god and land god temple with strong incense, a small-scale army can't get in at all..."

"There are many methods in Xuanmen, and soldiers are just one of them..."

"All famous mountains and rivers, as well as blessed places, have innate qi gathered there. For example, Mount Tai, the first of the Five Sacred Mountains, who dares to summon troops to besiege it?"

"Not only will the altar be blown up, but the soldiers will also attack and even alarm the gods inside..."

Li Yan lost his voice and said, "Is there really a god?"

Wang Daoxuan nodded and said, "Of course, but it is different from what is said in folk stories and legends. It is so complicated that even the orthodox masters may not be able to figure it out, let alone a half-baked person like me?" A hint of curiosity rose in Li Yan's eyes, "Then... what about the immortals?"

Wang Daoxuan sighed, "Eternal life is illusory, and the path to immortality is also vague. Although there are legends about immortals, most of them are only heard of but not seen. I dare not speak nonsense."

Li Yan asked again: "After practicing, can you fly into the sky and hide in the ground, fall to the stars and chase the moon? Or extend your life by hundreds of years?"

Wang Daoxuan was somewhat speechless. “Even the leader of the orthodox sect doesn’t have this ability. When it’s time to die, he will still go to see Daozu.”

As he spoke, he felt a little thirsty and picked up the cold tea beside him and drank it.

Li Yan was silent for a moment. Although he was disappointed, he still asked, "Master Wang, I have awakened my magical powers. Can you recommend me to join the Taixuan Orthodox Sect?"

puff!
Wang Daoxuan spat out a mouthful of tea, choked and coughed for a long time before shaking his head and saying, "Your Excellency has a tough life, but you can't just think about good things."

"Anyone who practices Xuanmen needs to concentrate and visualize. The older they are, the more complicated their thoughts are, and the more difficult it is to get started. Therefore, whether it is the orthodox sect or the Dharma lineage, most of them recruit boys for training."

"Some folk Dharma lines help people perform rituals. When they come across a boy who occasionally awakens his supernatural powers, they will try to recruit him as their disciple. The Xuanmen Orthodox Sect has its own unique process and has no shortage of disciples."

As he said this, he smiled bitterly, "There are many old awakeners, such as this poor Taoist. I was unwilling to accept my fate, so I forced myself into the Xuanmen Sect. In ten years, I spent all my family wealth and changed from the original Shopkeeper Wang to Wang Laonian."

"After going through so much trouble to enter the sect, even though I call myself Daoxuan, I am still a joke in the eyes of my fellow Daoists and cannot be accepted in the upper class."

"If you want to solve your problem, it's easy. I know the local City God Temple priest, who can help you perform a ritual to seal your six spiritual powers. At least you can be an ordinary person and not be spied on by evil spirits."

"If you really want to go to Taixuan Orthodox Sect, that's fine, but they will also seal your supernatural powers, and you will become a Taoist priest who burns incense and sweeps the floor. Chanting Huangting in silence every day is also a way to enter the Tao and escape from the worldly world."

Li Yan was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said, "I don't want to accept my fate!"

"It's better not to accept your fate."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and said, "If everyone in the world accepted their fate, there would be no mortal world, no dynasties, and no human nature would be dead."

"I also have the method of concentrating the spirit. Although it is not the orthodox teaching of the Xuanmen Sect, it has been passed down for thousands of years. If you can successfully concentrate your spirit, you can freely control your magical powers and even learn some simple techniques."

Li Yan was grateful and asked quickly, "How much does the Taoist's method cost?"

He has seen that although Wang Daoxuan is down and out, he has a righteous mind and treats people sincerely. He will surely not use false methods to cheat people out of money.

"how much is it?"

Wang Daoxuan said with emotion: "I spent all my family wealth and begged for help everywhere, but I could not get the true method. Instead, I was deceived many times. When I was discouraged, I met a wandering Taoist who was about to die. He gave me the true method and only asked me to pass it on to the people."

"Why would I charge for this stick of incense? Besides, it's still unknown whether it will be a blessing or a curse for you. If you can't concentrate, and you're targeted by evil spirits, won't that harm you?"

"I dare not accept this kind of money."

As he spoke, he stood up and took out a booklet from the bookshelf at the back. "This is a secret book. I copied several copies and checked them carefully. There will be no mistakes. If you don't understand anything, you can ask me. I will tell you the truth."

Li Yan still found it hard to believe. "Master, aren't you afraid that I am a bad person and will do evil after learning this technique?"

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly, "You are also a man of the world. If you just learned some ordinary punches and kicks, you can still kill people. But do you dare to kill casually?"

"There are also rules in the Xuan Sect. The Law Enforcement Hall of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect is no joke. The laws of the Great Xuan Dynasty must be followed by the people of the Xuan Sect as well."

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief. After taking it, he saw the words "Xixuan Dongming Zhenjing" written on it. After opening it, there were dense handwritings: For the way to keep the spirit, do not associate with the unkind, stay in a deep room to avoid things, keep the spirit in the air, keep the mind focused, be subtle and guard the charge, calm the soul and calm the body, then you will not be hurt by any harm, all ghosts will flee, and all monsters will not come...

He felt dizzy after reading it, so he simply put it away and said, "I came here for another important matter. Taoist priest, do you remember Salifei?"

"Sharifei?"

Wang Daoxuan was confused and frowned as he thought carefully.

That guy is really bragging!

Li Yan had expected this and described him as: "Big bald head, face full of flesh, beard, likes to brag, talk nonsense..."

"Oh!"

Wang Daoxuan suddenly realized and said, "I remember now. A few years ago, I met that Buddhist monk Sha and we had a very pleasant conversation."

"I still remember that it was spring. He said he would treat me to a drink at Zuihualou in Chang'an. He also invited many girls. But he took advantage of my drunkenness and ran away alone."

"I almost got beaten up, but luckily there was something evil in that brothel, so I performed a ritual to exorcise the evil spirit, and that's how I got away with it..."

"Why, Mr. Sha, are you here to pay back the money?"

(End of this chapter)