Knife splashing

Chapter 238 Precarious
"We will search Danyang Academy overnight."

"There was no one in the academy, and we found no clues. We checked the list and found that those who were not there yesterday had disappeared. We then sent out hunting dogs and found more than a dozen bodies in the back mountain."

"After being identified by the disciples of the academy, they are the abbot, the clerk, the treasurer, and the servants working in the academy."

"The only person I haven't found is the head priest Liu Danqiu!"

Zhou Kai narrowed his eyes slightly, "He has no family?"

The commander of the guards clasped his fists and said, "I have already inquired about it. This Liu Danqiu is a Confucian sorcerer who originally lived in Guizhou City."

"Ten years ago, the Maitreya sect caused chaos in Guanzhong. Later, a plague broke out on the battlefield and spread to Ezhou. All of Liu Danqiu's family members contracted the disease and died, leaving only a grandson."

"Later, his grandson went out to study and was killed by river pirates. Since then, Liu Danqiu has lived in a hut in the mountains and only returned when the academy held sacrifices..."

When Sharifei heard this, his eyes rolled and he whispered, "Brother Yan, why does it sound familiar? Could it be the one who caused trouble in Zhujiabao?"

Li Yan was a little surprised. "It has been reported a long time ago. If it is true, the Confucian Church should have come to arrest him long ago..."

Zhou Kai beside him quickly asked: "What are you two talking about?"

Li Yan did not hide anything and told the whole story.

After all, Zhou Kai is also a Confucian. Even if he is not a sorcerer, he should be clear about these things.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Kai listened and said thoughtfully: "I'm afraid you two don't know. If it is an ordinary case, it must be sent to Wenjin Academy in Ezhou first, and then the document will be issued to check with the heads of the academies."

"This round trip will take quite a while. But if it involves the art of prophecy, we will definitely use the imperial post station to send a message, so three days will be enough..."

"Someone, bring Wu Defa up here!"

With the sound of chains, County Magistrate Wu Defa was dragged up.

Although he was imprisoned, he was still an official after all, so he was not tortured. He just had disheveled hair and a dazed look.

Zhou Kai said in a cold voice: "Wu Defa, I want to ask you, can Wenjin Academy send a document to request verification of the academy's head priest?"

Having caused such a big disaster, Wu Defa knew that he was doomed. At this moment, he was already desperate. He did not hide it and said in a low voice, "These matters are all handled by the master."

"What a good-for-nothing!"

Zhou Kai's face was full of disgust. He ordered someone to drag him down and bring his master from the prison.

This legal advisor is even more of a scum. Although he is not a member of the Chaoshan Society, he has already been bribed and has done many immoral things.

During the interrogation last night, he was beaten and covered in blood.

Seeing how ferociously they looked, he dared not hide anything and told them everything.

Indeed, Wenjin Academy had sent a letter some time ago.

But the leader of Chaoshan Society, Lu Yuan, suddenly found him and threatened him with the evidence in his hand, forcing him to write a reply letter, and secretly stamped the county magistrate's seal to fool him...

These alone are enough to confirm the other party's identity.

Taoist Feng shook his head and said, "I have also met this Master Liu. Since his family members passed away, his personality has become strange. I am afraid that at that time, he had already started to come into contact with the Ghost Cult."

"Although he is a Confucian sorcerer, he is old and weak, and he doesn't know how to fight or kick. He only knows some sacrificial rules. He is not valued by others, and he lives a relatively poor life."

"I didn't expect that he had secretly learned the art of prophecy. I really misjudged him..."

The general of the guard station clasped his fists and said, "Sir, we have searched the nearby mountains and found no trace of the monster. Please give us your orders on what to do next."

Zhou Kai said in a deep voice: "This matter may be related to the native mountain city. You just need to guard the city well and don't slack off!"

"Yes!"

The captain of the garrison clasped his fists, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

After he left, Zhou Kai narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Young Master Li, from last night's confession, Wu Shiqing likes Buddhist scriptures and often goes to Baoen Guangxiao Temple outside the north gate."

"When the accident happened, they also returned from there. Maybe there is something wrong with that place. There is also the Old Official Temple in the west of the city, which has also been plagued by strange things."

"Please leave secretly and investigate."

Li Yan understood immediately, "Do you suspect Qianhu Suo?"

Zhou Kai said in a deep voice: "The Zigui Thousand Households are stationed all year round. Although they are not allowed to go out without military orders, such a big incident has never been reported before! Also, the news leaked too quickly."

"I suspect that some people in the Qianhu Division have joined the Ghost Cult. During the Song Dynasty, they promised huge profits and lured many officials into joining the cult, which led to the commotion getting bigger and bigger."

"Zigui County is in turmoil right now, so we have to be on guard. They didn't join the rebellion yesterday, so maybe they have a bigger plan."

"There are only a few people left that I can trust, apart from the people I brought from Yunyang."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Are you not afraid, sir?"

The judge Zhou Kai had a calm expression, "Young Master Li, there is no need to test us. Although the officialdom is corrupt, it concerns the country of China. If everyone is corrupt, how can our Great Xuan stand firm for a hundred years?"

"I need to stabilize the people's hearts in the city. The reinforcements sent by Yichang will arrive tomorrow, and then we will have peace."

"Row!"

Li Yan bowed, turned around and was about to leave.

"I will go with you!"

Taoist Feng stood up quickly and said, "There is a secret passage in the City God Temple that leads directly to the outside of the city. You are not familiar with the way, so I am here to help you."

"Alright."

Li Yan saw through the old Taoist's thoughts. It was obvious that he was afraid after hearing that there might be problems with the Qianhu Suo.

After they left, Judge Zhou Kai sighed, took out the map and slowly spread it out. The more he looked at it, the gloomier his expression became.

"Jingchu Mountain People, Tiansheng Sect, Ghost Sect, Bozhou Yang Family..."

Shalifai's words just now unintentionally reminded him.

Judging from the map, the Jingchu rebel army has occupied Zhushan County, and there is only Shennongjia between it and Zigui County.

Shennongjia is shrouded in fog and has been a forbidden area since ancient times. Not only are there ferocious beasts and poisonous insects rampant, but there are also all kinds of mountain spirits and ghosts that are bizarre and strange. Very few people who enter the mountain can come out.

But the people of Jingchu have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years, and they may have already found a passage to and from the mountains, so that they can directly invade Zigui County...

Further west is Wushan Mountain, which is equally mysterious and has natural secret realms. It is a tough nut that the orthodox Xuanmen sect has never been able to crack.

After Wushan, the power of the Yang family, the chieftain of Bozhou, is very strong, and it would be great if Qingcheng Mountain could hold on to one side...

Further south, they all belonged to the Miao area in western Hunan. A southern Great Wall was built, with many guards stationed there to suppress the Miao area and isolate the virgin Miao from the cultivated Miao.

The territory of Shizhou belongs to the mature Miao people, and there are Tusi cities such as Sanmao Tusi, Tangya Tusi, Jindong Tusi, Longtan Tusi, Zhongjian Tusi, Maoling Tusi, and Shinan Tusi.

The one who is now in rebellion is Tangya Tusi, the most powerful among all the Tusi. The rest are either watching or standing on the side of the court.

The purpose of his visit this time was to appease the chieftains who did not want to take part in the rebellion and ask them not to make any moves until the imperial court had dealt with the mountain people of Jingchu.

Zigui County happened to be located in the middle of the three parties, dividing the forces of each party, like a nail embedded in it, and it was also the throat of the road leading to Bashu. If this place was lost, those forces would probably unite, and then even the chieftains who stood on the side of the court would be forced to join the rebels.

Thinking of this, Zhou Kai felt as if he was carrying a huge mountain on his shoulders, pressing him so hard that he couldn't breathe...

…………

"Young Master Li, Zigui is in trouble!"

In the tunnel, Taoist Feng held a torch with a bitter look on his face, "I am not a fool, but this place is special. Any action of my Taixuan Orthodox Sect will cause trouble. I can only stay in the City God Temple."

"Although the Xuanmen Dharma lineages have the same origin and are all the righteous ways of the Divine Land, they are not so harmonious with each other."

"The Zhushan Sect's altar is in Zhushan. Now that their old nest has been destroyed, they will not let go of this area. The two sides are restraining each other, leading to the bitter consequences today."

"Zigui County is too important. The Ghost Cult is plotting here. It must not be as simple as just killing a few people and offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods."

Sharifei's scalp was tingling. "Do you think they will lead troops to attack Zigui County?"

"From the north or the south?"

Taoist Feng shook his head and said, "The mountain people of Jingchu in the north can only come through Shennongjia. They are now facing the main force of the court, and the reinforcements from various states are on the way. I guess they can't spare any effort."

"Most likely, it came from the south."

Sharifei scratched his head and said, "What should we do? Should we call the Taoist priest and run away?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Since you have promised Judge Zhou, let's investigate first."

"Besides, the mobilization of the army cannot be silent. The reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, accompanied by many Xuanmen monks. We will leave then."

Taoist Feng also sighed and nodded, "There's no need to rush to run now, but we must be careful."

"When war breaks out, even warlocks' lives are worthless..."

The exit of the tunnel of Chenghuang Temple was dug very cleverly, right at the corner of a valley, and was very hidden.

The three men pushed open the flap amid the falling dust, and then sprinkled soil and rocks again to cover it up. Even if someone passed by, it would be difficult to find it.

There were two places they wanted to investigate: the old official temple in the west of the city and the Baoen Guangxiao Temple outside the north gate.

The tunnel exit is in the west of the city, so naturally we go to the Laoguan Temple first.

"The old official temple is on the bank of the Chixi River."

Taoist Feng introduced as he walked: "The locals call it the Chishen Temple. It was built by the government, so it is also called the Old Official Temple."

Li Yan asked casually: "Is it a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple?"

Taoist Feng shook his head. "It belongs to a local Taoist temple and has a certain background."

"This temple was originally called the Yellow Demon Temple and was first built in the Tang Dynasty. During the Xiantong period, Xiao Gou was demoted from Youshi to Qiannan. He passed through the Three Gorges and stopped at Zigui. He dreamed of a god with red hair and blue eyes. He called himself the Yellow Demon God and was willing to protect him from this place. After Xiao became the prime minister, he dreamed of the god asking for his return, so the temple was built.

Later, Huang Moshen became the water god of the Three Gorges and was quite effective at the time, so nearby boatmen and people often offered sacrifices to him. However, after the Song Dynasty, during the Daxing period, the temple was no longer effective and the incense began to decline.

Now it has fallen into disrepair and is about to collapse. Only an old widower lives in the temple, cleaning it up..."

As they were talking, the three of them had arrived at the bank of Chixi River.

Today the sky is gloomy and drizzling.

There were many people by the river, holding oil-paper umbrellas, walking towards the nearby mountains in groups of two or three, with the old and the young, carrying baskets or holding paper banners made of white gold ingot paper.

"That's a local custom, called Qingming Diaozi."

Seeing that Li Yan and the other two noticed the unique paper banner, Taoist Feng explained it, then shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The Qingming Festival is here, and I should be busy, but I'm afraid I can't hold the three rounds of meetings this year."

Li Yan consoled him, "After the chaos, with the presence of Sheling soldiers, the Sanxunhui will surely be more lively."

Tomb-Sweeping Day, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, and the first day of the tenth lunar month are collectively known as the Three Major Ghost Festivals. The yin energy in the earth rises, and ghosts and spirits are active.

At this time of year, a grand parade of the City God will be held in various parts of China. At that time, a team will carry the City God out for a parade, with gongs and drums beating loudly.

The people who wish to atone their sins will wear prison uniforms, shackles and shackles, and pretend to be prisoners, following behind the team, just like the underworld escorting ghost prisoners.

At the same time, the community commander's soldiers would also go out on patrol and roam the nearby mountains and rivers to scare away ghosts and spirits, making it difficult for them to cause trouble.

For the City God Temples in various places, the Three Tours are very important, and even the temple fairs during the Chinese New Year cannot compare to them.

But the situation in Guizhou City obviously cannot be solved.

As they were talking, they had already followed Chixi River to a river bend, where they saw peach trees planted all around, with peach blossoms in full bloom and petals falling everywhere.

Hidden among the peach trees, there is an old and dilapidated temple.

Most of the walls outside the temple have collapsed, and several side halls have fallen into disrepair. Some have collapsed, and some have roofs covered with weeds and have large holes.

Only the main hall remained barely intact.

The outer wall of the temple had collapsed, so there was naturally no obstruction. Seeing the smoke rising from inside, the three of them entered the hall in the drizzle, holding oil-paper umbrellas.

"Master Feng, you are here."

The old man guarding the temple came out upon hearing the noise. He was dressed in rags and had white hair. He looked no better than a beggar and he even walked with a limp.

Taoist Feng frowned, "Who hit you?"

The old man sighed and said, "A few beggars passing by wanted to occupy the dilapidated temple. If something strange hadn't happened in the temple and scared them away, I would have lost my life."

Hearing this, Taoist Feng looked apologetic, "I've been busy lately and haven't had time to see you. I'll have someone send some rice, flour and diesel when I get back."

The old man's eyes lit up with joy, and he quickly thanked him: "Master, please be merciful."

Taoist Feng nodded and asked, "What strange thing happened in the temple? We are here to investigate this matter."

"Nothing much."

The old man looked towards the temple and sighed, "During this period, every night, we can faintly hear crying in the hall, but when we enter with torches, we can't find anyone."

"Once I left, the candles went out and the crying sounded again. People nearby were too scared to get close. Maybe some ghost was living in the temple."

Sharifei was a little surprised, "Master, aren't you afraid?"

The old man said calmly, "I am an old man who is alone and helpless. Living in this world, what is the difference between me and a wandering ghost? We are all pitiful people. There is nothing to be afraid of."

Taoist Feng shook his head slightly when he heard this. "Things have been a bit uneasy lately. Why don't you leave early to avoid any trouble?"

The old man shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm used to living here. Even if I die here, I'll feel at ease."

Taoist Feng sighed and stopped persuading them. He asked the old man to take a few people to the main hall.

The wooden door of the main hall had long been lost and was empty. Before entering the temple, one could see that it was in a dilapidated state. A ferocious statue was covered in dirt, and the paint was mottled and had long since decayed.

The moment he stepped into the hall, Li Yan felt a heat on his waist, and then white mist rose around him...

(End of this chapter)