Knife splashing

Chapter 287 The Doubts Are Gradually Dispersed
Unlike passive communication, there is no thick fog.

The main hall is still in front of me, majestic and spacious, with extremely intricate bricks, stones and wood carvings, but there is no one in the hall.

All the monks, including the abbot Mingzhu, disappeared.

However, the hall was not deserted at all.

The statue of Sakyamuni still had blood flowing from his eyes, but the statue seemed to be alive at this moment. With a rumbling sound, it turned its head and looked around.

Beside him, there are two statues of Bodhisattva.

One has five knots on his head, holds a sword in his hand and rides a green lion.

One wears a crown, holds a lotus in his hand, and rides a six-tusked white elephant.

It is none other than Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas.

There are also Eighteen Arhats outside them.

These gods and Buddhas were all sculptures in the form of flesh, but they seemed to be alive. When they saw him, they all lowered their heads and looked at him.

Even though Li Yan was brave, he was startled when he saw this. He quickly bowed, but when he wanted to speak, he found that no sound came out of his mouth.

Li Yan was already familiar with this situation.

These are all clay sculptures of Buddha and Bodhisattva.

They are worshipped in the human world, and the power of incense and vows is condensed. Perhaps they are connected to the real Buddha. They can barely be considered as incarnations, and still belong to the earthly gods.

The gods and Buddhas who are truly far away in heaven always abide by the constraints of the "Heavenly Laws" and basically do not interfere in the affairs of the mortal world.

However, these gods also have certain limitations. They cannot communicate directly through words and can only provide prompts through various illusions.

The only exception he had seen was the Divine Palace of Yunzhongjun.

During the sacrifice at the lakeside, the sacred palace seemed to be hidden in the clouds and thunder, changing constantly, but Lu San was able to get things from it, as if the boundary between reality and illusion had become blurred.

Li Yan still can't understand this situation.

The scene before him showed that Liu Gang's secret method had been successful, but this action was also somewhat dangerous, as it symbolized entering the territory of ghosts and gods.

If he was not holding a certificate representing the underworld, and this was not the altar of the orthodox Xuanmen sect, he would not have performed it easily.

The ghosts and gods in those evil places will definitely attack immediately.

Sure enough, although the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall were staring at him, they did not show any hostility. Instead, they all raised their heads and looked towards the sky above the hall.

Li Yan also looked up.

Above the main hall, I saw the Buddha's light wrapped in clouds and mist, swirling like a rolling river, and it looked somewhat familiar.

An idea suddenly occurred to Li Yan.

It’s a map of the nearby mountains, rivers and water veins!

The largest one is undoubtedly the Yangtze River, the smaller ones are tributaries such as the Han River, and the even smaller and more messy ones are the surrounding rivers.

On both sides of the Yangtze River, a turtle and a snake are facing each other across the bank.

Black spots have appeared on their bodies, and they are shaking their heads. Although they can't make any sound, they seem to be twisting and roaring...

In the distance, a white tiger was pressed down by the mountains, with dark and yin energy surging around it and red light flashing in its eyes, looking eerie and menacing...

Farther away, there is also a firebird buried deep underground, curled up, seemingly still asleep, but sparks are already rising from its body, like a burning fire...

It seems that these four symbols are the key.

But now it’s in a different situation…

Just as Li Yan was thinking, all the gods, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall slowly lowered their heads, and many illusions shattered like glass.

Li Yan felt a darkness before his eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, the hall was filled with candles and the strong smell of incense filled the air.

Abbot Mingzhu and several senior monks were still sitting cross-legged on cushions. Their aura was connected to the main hall and they were clearly guarding it.

"What did the little donor see?"

Seeing Li Yan wake up, Abbot Mingzhu hurriedly asked.

"I saw the location of the four symbols..."

Li Yan did not dare to be negligent and described in detail what he had seen.

Abbot Mingzhu seemed to be thinking about something after hearing this, and then turned to look at an elderly monk, "It seems to be related to Feng Shui. Brother Tonghai, you are good at this, what can you see?"

The old monk raised his eyelids slightly and said to the outside of the hall: "Chengjue, come in for a moment."

"Yes, uncle."

Chengjue, who was guarding outside, hurried into the main hall.

The old monk asked, "I remember when you reported, you said that someone from the Xu Clan in Hanyang City cooperated with the tomb robbers to dig up many large tombs. What was lost in them?"

Chengjue replied, "All the tombs were destroyed, but my disciples asked someone to check one by one and found that all the coffins, bricks, and funerary objects in the tombs were stolen."

The old monk didn't seem surprised after hearing this, and said to the crowd: "If I'm not mistaken, the tortoise and snake coiled by the river represent the Turtle and Snake Mountains."

"A hundred years ago, Prime Minister Jiang sent a master to look at the Feng Shui of this place. He said it was a situation where 'one song sings a thousand harmonies' and 'mountain dragons roar together'."

"One song is sung by a thousand others, which means that the Yangtze River is the main thing, and Yunmeng is surrounded by thousands of lakes. Therefore, 'water is the most important, and wind is the second'. The land veins emphasize water rather than mountains..."

"The roar of mountain dragons refers to Turtle Mountain and Snake Mountain. The water veins here start from the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Han River and end in the Tianxing Township area. The Turtle and Snake Mountains are the key points."

"Turtle Mountain guards the northwest gate, and Snake Mountain responds in the southeast, presenting a scene of 'the gate of heaven is open, and the gate of earth is closed'. It also implies that the two generals of turtle and snake under the command of the Great Emperor Zhenwu Dangmo are guarding, so the three towns can be peaceful."

"The two gods of Turtle Mountain and Snake Mountain lock the river and narrow it, just like a treasure bottle. The Parrot Island Pier draws energy, so it is prosperous..."

This old monk was indeed well versed in Feng Shui. After listening to his explanation, Li Yan had a general impression of the layout of the place.

No wonder this place is still prosperous thousands of years later.

The old monk continued, "The Turtle and Snake Mountains are the key points of the Feng Shui of this place, so there are Qingchuan and the Yellow Crane Second Tower facing each other across the river, suppressing the luck. Those monsters must have secretly made some moves in the mountains, using the talismans in the tombs to disturb the Turtle and Snake Gods."

The host Mingzhu seemed to be thinking, "Brother, your judgment should be correct, but what about the two symbols of White Tiger and Vermillion Bird?"

The old monk asked someone to fetch a map of the nearby mountains and rivers, and said to Li Yan, "Young donor, can you help me point out the direction?"

Li Yan looked at the map of mountains and rivers, and it was exactly the same as what he saw in the illusion, so he pointed to two areas, "Here the White Tiger is suppressed by the mountains, and here the Vermillion Bird is sleeping."

The old monk took a look and nodded, saying, "This is the tomb of the Barbarian King. During the Han Dynasty, this was the area where the Jiangxia Barbarians were active and they rebelled many times."

"It is said that when the ancestor of the Ba people, Linjun, died, his soul was reborn as a white tiger. Therefore, the Ba people use the white tiger as their totem. The Jiangxia barbarians do the same. There must be something strange in the barbarian king's tomb."

"The place where the Vermillion Bird shines is the ancient mine pit of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It may be related to the ancient Chu. This old monk can't see anything strange about it."

"Now it seems that the demon wants to use the changes of the four symbols to disturb the earth veins. Then the earth dragon will turn over and the water dragon will wreak havoc, causing a catastrophe!"

"I see!"

Hearing this, the host Mingzhu broke out in cold sweat. "My Baotong Zen Temple is also located on the key point of the earth vein, so the Buddha statue is warning us. If we let these monsters succeed, it will be a disaster."

"Chengjue, gather all the troops and horses, and go into the city with me overnight to report this matter to the King of Wuchang. We must not let the evildoer succeed!"

"Yes, host!"

Chengjue had been feeling very aggrieved during this period of time. Now that he had finally figured out the enemy's plan, he could hardly suppress the anger in his eyes.

Dangdang Dangdang!
Soon, the bell of Baotong Temple rang, and many monks gathered.

Li Yan also breathed a sigh of relief.

When the earth dragon turns over, it is an earthquake; when the water dragon rages, it is a flood. If these two things happen at the same time, the scene is chilling to think about.

Hanyang, Hankou, and Wuchang are all likely to be destroyed. Inside the Great Hall, an old monk sighed, "This place is the thoroughfare of nine provinces. If something happens, the court will be in even worse trouble. The war in the southwest will also encounter twists and turns, which will affect the destiny of China."

"The person behind this is so cruel and ruthless that he cannot be allowed to stay!"

After that, he looked at Li Yan again and said, "Thank you for your warning. If we were a few steps later and let the demon succeed, the consequences would be disastrous. You have done a great deed, and we will reward you handsomely."

Li Yan cupped his hands and said, "I just happened to be here. I don't need any reward for doing this for the sake of justice."

The old monk stroked his beard and nodded, looking at Li Yan with a much kinder look in his eyes, "Good deeds will have good results, and there are reasons for cultivating merits in the Xuanmen sect."

"After this matter is settled, you can come to the Great Hall again, and perhaps you will gain a lot."

Although this was said in a veiled manner, Li Yan was no fool. He turned his head and glanced at the towering Buddha statue, a hint of curiosity arising in his heart.

…………

The evildoer's plot became apparent, and the power of Buddhism finally erupted.

In Baotong Temple, many martial monks gathered, lit torches like dragons, and headed towards Wuchang City overnight.

The Law Enforcement Hall naturally had a way to quickly transmit messages. Several night owls flew out from the sky and flew towards the three cities.

It was already past midnight and the night was quiet, but soon the silence of the three cities was broken.

The three city government offices, the Duwei Division, and the Law Enforcement Hall were all mobilized. The entire city was in turmoil, with flames, the sound of horses' hooves, and so on.

The group of Fengmen scammers who set up the trap and the officials who secretly assisted them were all arrested overnight.

The reason they were kept before was to lure out the mastermind behind the incident.

But now that we know their conspiracy, there is naturally no need to keep it.

At the same time, many soldiers from the Wuchang Garrison also set out overnight, surrounded the Turtle and Snake Mountains, and searched everywhere.

Li Yan also followed Abbot Mingzhu and others back to Wuchang City.

At this time, the city gate had already been opened, and the inspectors from the Wuchang government office were waiting outside the city. Seeing this, they hurriedly came forward and said, "Greetings, Master Mingzhu. The prince and the governor are waiting at the government office."

"Ah."

Abbot Mingzhu also had a serious look on his face at this time, and he took the monks from Baotong Zen Temple and headed towards the government office.

After Li Yan entered the city, he bowed and said goodbye to everyone, "Everyone, I still have a job to do. I have to protect the Tian family. So I'll take my leave now."

So many forces have been mobilized, there is no point for him to go with them. It would be better for him to go back to avoid the chaos and accidents over there.

The great monk Chengjue pondered for a moment, "Although the evildoer's plot has been figured out, it is still unclear why he is plotting against the Tian family."

"Huide, take a few people with you to follow Young Master Li and protect the Tian family. You can take my order and do whatever you want."

"Yes, senior brother!"

Several monks immediately bowed and left the team.

Seeing this, Li Yan smiled and said, "Thank you, Master."

With these monks, he can free up his hands and solve many troubles without having to be so restrained.

If they finish the work early, they will feel much more relaxed.

After saying goodbye to each other, Li Yan took several monks to the Chamber of Commerce.

The lights in the Chamber of Commerce were also bright.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce is naturally very powerful, and has close ties with the imperial court. At a time like this, it naturally has to do its part.

When we arrived at the door of the Chamber of Commerce, the people here seemed to have received the news long ago and sent a steward to greet us outside.

The steward was dressed in a Confucian robe and had three long beards. He spoke in an elegant manner. He bowed and smiled and said, "Young Master Li, I am Cheng Yu, and I am here to greet you on the orders of the president. You can be dispatched at any time if you need me."

Li Yan had met this person before, and he was Wu Honglin's confidant.

It is obvious that the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce is very well-informed. He may have known the information as soon as it reached Wuchang City.

I'm afraid they are also discussing it in the government office at this moment.

"Good work."

Li Yan bowed to express his gratitude, then followed him to a small courtyard behind the Chamber of Commerce, where was Mr. Tian's family.

In addition, the Chamber of Commerce also sent some good men to guard outside.

Seeing this, Li Yan felt much more at ease.

Although his Taoism and martial arts skills improved rapidly, he also knew that the world was vast and there were many masters, so he often had to take advantage of the situation.

Now the situation is completely open.

With such a loud noise, Mr. Tian's family had naturally been awakened long ago. They were waiting in the yard feeling uneasy. When they saw Li Yan returning, they hurried to greet him.

"Young Master Li, what happened?"

Mr. Tian's forehead was covered with sweat and his heart was filled with fear.

This was the first time he had seen such a big scene.

Li Yan asked the monks who followed him to guard outside, and only spoke after entering the house: "We discovered something in Baotong Zen Temple. The demon does have a big plan. If it succeeds, it will be a disaster that will bring disaster to the world."

"I can't talk nonsense about this matter, but Mr. Tian, ​​don't worry, those charlatans who set up the trap for you have been caught."

"Whether it's the land and houses in Hanyang Prefecture or your third brother's place in Hankou, they are all guarded at the moment."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Mr. Tian breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.

He was not a fool. He knew that with such a big commotion, it must be a serious matter. He was lucky to be able to protect his family and get through the disaster safely.

Tian Wei on the side asked, "Young Master Li, now that the evildoer's plot has been exposed, is my family's disaster over?"

"I'm afraid not."

Li Yan's face was serious, and he said truthfully: "The demon's plot is terrible, but it is definitely not trivial to spend so much energy on your Tian family."

"Think about it again. What else is going on? If you don't find out the reason, they will come to your door sooner or later."

"this…"

Mr. Tian and his family looked at each other, frowning and thinking hard.

At this moment, the second son of the Tian family suddenly said, "Brother, I remembered something."

"Do you remember? What happened when we first met Mr. Zhou?"

Mr. Tian nodded and said, "Mr. Zhou is our noble man. Without him, the Tian family would still be in the same situation as before."

The second son of the Tian family hesitated for a moment, "We were just helping others with some work at that time, but Mr. Zhou was so supportive and even picked us out when something happened. Don't you think it's strange?"

Mr. Tian nodded and said, "Indeed, to be honest, we brothers are really not as smart as those people. At that time, someone was jealous and framed us, and Mr. Zhou dealt with it secretly."

"We were young at the time and thought we were being appreciated. Now that I think about it, Mr. Zhou was really too nice to us."

The second son of the Tian family was silent for a moment. "Mr. Zhou's tone of voice sometimes reminds me of my father for some reason."

"I once said something out of turn after drinking, and the third brother also said he had this feeling..."

Tian Yuanwai stood there for a long while after hearing this. "This... I have it too."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Mr. Zhou, what did you do wrong at that time?"

Tian Yuanwai smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Zhou stole a lot of things from the palace treasury..."

(End of this chapter)