Knife splashing

Chapter 301: Dragon Boat Festival, Sending Away Plague, and Offering Flame Mouth
The bright moon hangs high in the sky, casting its silver light on Wuchang City.

Today is the fifth day of May, which is the "first day of the Dragon Boat Festival". This grand festival that lasts for many days has officially begun.

People get up early in the morning and start to work.

The collected mugwort leaves were hung on the door, realgar was scattered beside the house to avoid miasma, a picture of "Zhang Zhenren" was hung in the hall, and people from the City God Temple gave "Duanyang Fu" to every household...

Relatives and neighbors visit each other to give gifts, which are simple, just realgar wine and rice dumplings. Children in the family have their faces and ear holes rubbed with realgar, or have the word "king" written on their foreheads. They also have to wear sachets and tie colorful silk strings...

Of course, the young men and women were not idle either.

Men buy beautiful round fans and cloth umbrellas for their fiancées, while women knit hatbands, belts, sachets and other gifts in return...

At night, the whole city of Wuchang becomes more lively.

The streets and alleys are decorated with lights and lanterns look like stars.

There are opera troupes performing in every corner of the city.

In addition to Han and Chu dialects, Huangmei Opera is also very popular. "The Story of the White Fan", "The Story of the Black Gold", "Zhang San Praying to the Bodhisattva"... There are performances in every street and alley, and the singing is melodious and flows throughout the city.

When Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan returned to Wuchang City, it was already evening. Although the city gates were not closed, the streets and alleys were crowded with tourists. It still took them a long time to return to the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce.

"Young Master Li, the Taoist priest is back!"

Everyone in the Tian family came out to greet them.

The crisis had not been resolved yet, so they did not dare to go out. They simply set up a family dinner in the courtyard to celebrate the festival.

Although it was a bit simple and the Dragon Boat Festival was a bit awkward, the fact that the three brothers reconciled after many years was of extraordinary significance.

Before Li Yan and his companions could even catch their breath, the Tian family invited them to take the first seat at the table, where they toasted each of them to express their gratitude.

The wine is good, and the banquet is even better.

In addition to the staple food, there are twelve plates and ten dishes, including braised whitebait, sea cucumber in noodles, clear-boiled whole chicken, braised pork... Plates of dishes are piled up in an irregular manner, filling the entire table.

It is not possible to make a fire on Guishan Mountain. Even though the Chamber of Commerce had made some preparations, Li Yan had been making do with whatever he had these days. He had not eaten a single grain of rice since noon.

He didn't say anything polite. He drank and chatted with the Tian family while wolfing down the food, finally satisfying his craving.

"How's Uncle Sha doing?"

After he had eaten, he asked Lu San.

Lu San was feeding the little white fox with a roasted chicken leg. Hearing this, he said in a muffled voice, "The Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce sent someone to deliver a festival gift earlier. They said they are still busy there. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep all night."

"Oh."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, turned around and said, "Mr. Tian, ​​can you ask the people from the Chamber of Commerce to help me prepare the gifts? It's a good opportunity for me to come and take a look."

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. After careful calculation, Sha Lifei has been gone for seven or eight days. Li Yan is really worried, so he goes to check on him under the pretext of delivering gifts.

"Of course."

Mr. Tian nodded quickly, then hesitated for a moment and said, "Young Master Li, a ritual is being performed outside the city."

"After all, we live on the water. Every year at this time, my family and I always attend to appease those wandering ghosts. Now that I can't go out, I'm always worried."

"I want to take someone out of town to participate in this event, which will be over soon. I wonder if you..."

"That's easy to say."

Li Yan smiled and said, "It just so happens that I have to go out of the city tonight to go to Yuquan Temple. I will escort you out, but don't bring too many people."

Tian Yuanwai was delighted and nodded quickly, saying, "Of course, I will be alone with a few servants."

After saying that, he hurriedly got up to make arrangements.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was wealthy, so these things were naturally no problem for them. Before long, they had prepared a large truck full of them.

In addition to the offerings and incense used for food offerings, there were also a lot of miscellaneous items.

Mr. Tian was rich and naturally generous. After leaving the Chamber of Commerce, every time he reached a street corner, he would put down a plate of offerings, light incense, burn paper, and kowtow sincerely.

Li Yan watched with interest from the side.

According to rumors, some wandering ghosts are often trapped at street intersections and find it difficult to leave. If this lasts for a long time and there is no city god guarding the area, some strange things will happen and confuse passers-by.

This method of offering food is still mostly used by Buddhists to show kindness. The "Dharani Sutra on Saving the Hungry Ghosts of Flame Mouth" records the detailed method.

However, the practice of burning paper originated from our homeland.

This is the characteristic of Shenzhou Xuanmen. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism learn from each other, so there are some disputes among them, but the three religions are always converging.

Therefore, in some Taoist temples in the secular world, there is often a lively scene where Laojun is worshipped on one side, the Supreme Sage is worshipped on the other side, and the Buddha also has to occupy a place.

After the people enter the temple, they can worship whatever they want, whether it is for children, marriage, or wealth. The key is to worship all of them in one temple.

Buddhism is very popular in Wuchang, but even in the Baotong Zen Temple, Feng Shui is discussed when it is necessary, and the common people use Taoist customs but just pretend not to see anything.

At every street corner along the way, you can see people burning incense and offering food.

The poor families will wait until the ceremony is over to take these things away, while the rich will leave after the worship. When the incense and candles are burned out, the beggars nearby will rush over and eat their fill.

There are hungry ghosts in the underworld, and the same is true in the world of the living...

Of course, Mr. Tian also knew that time was running out, so after giving food at each corner he left quickly, and the team gradually left the city.

The river bank near the city is even more lively at this time.

All the surrounding temples set up altars on the shore to perform the Yimakou ritual, and many Taoists were also sending away the God of Plague.

"Quick, take the things out!"

Mr. Tian immediately ordered people to unload the things from the cart.

There was a small straw boat woven from bamboo sticks and reeds placed below. The weaving was extremely beautiful, and on it there were five ferocious-looking straw men with cloth heads. Some had green faces and fangs, some had red hair and vertical eyes, and they were wearing colorful clothes.

Tian Yuanwai immediately bowed to Wang Daoxuan and said, "Master, I'll trouble you to preside over this meeting."

"Easy to say."

Wang Daoxuan did not refuse. He had already changed into a clean Taoist robe and set up a temporary altar. After praying for blessings, he slaughtered a rooster according to the local customs of Ezhou and smeared the chicken blood on the bow and stern of the boat.

This ritual is called Sending Away the Five Plague Gods.

At Mr. Tian's command, the servants carried the small straw boat to the shore and pushed it into the river.

On the straw boat, in addition to the straw statues of the Five Plague Gods, there were also some tribute incense and oily peach wood firewood.

When they were brought to the straw boat far from the shore, Tian Yuanwai handed over a peach bow and willow arrows, and lit a torch in front, "Young Master Li, this is up to you."

Li Yan smiled slightly, took the peach wood bow, bent the bow, put the arrow on it, and shot it towards the river.

call out!
A rocket drew a beautiful arc and landed on the straw boat, which then turned into a fire boat. It floated for a short while before sinking into the river.

At this point, the ceremony of sending away the God of Plague is over.

Logically speaking, this method would not have much effect. After all, if the God of Plague really appeared in the world, both the Xuanmen and the orthodox sects would be in a state of panic.

But just like revising family trees, recording history, and inheriting folk customs, it not only represents the good wishes of the people, but is also related to where the people come from.

They were not the only family that sent away the God of Plague. Anyone with a little wealth in the city prepared a straw boat. The ceremony was presided over by wild Taoist priests, Taoist priests, witches and shamans.

Fireboats were constantly burning on the river.

Ordinary people naturally didn't have the money to buy such things, so they took their families to fold paper boats, lit lotus lanterns, and put them into the river. For a moment, the lights on the river looked like the reflection of the starry sky.

After sending away the God of Plague, Mr. Tian ran to the altars of various temples on the shore, placed his own cakes on the table piled high with offerings, and kowtowed sincerely as the monks chanted scriptures.

Finally, he took down a few pieces of cake, broke them into pieces and threw them into the river.

Li Yan pinched his fingers and made some hand gestures, seeming to be thinking about something.

The previous rituals to send away the God of Plague were basically just custom. Some families invited witches and shamans, who were not even from the Taoist sects, but were just Golden Gate scammers, and they did not have much effect.

But the Buddhist altar is an authentic Xuanmen altar.

He could smell the scent of sandalwood filling the river as the sounds of wooden fish and chanting echoed, and there were streams of evil energy in the water, surging up and down like a school of fish.

The Yangtze River has well-developed water transportation, and there have always been many wandering ghosts in it. Now, the gods from the Turtle and Snake Mountains have appeared, and with the arrival of the Dragon Boat Festival, it seems as if the sediment has been stirred up, and many evil creatures have appeared.

These wandering ghosts are insignificant individually, but once they gather together, they can stir up trouble and raise dark fog.

If a boat enters it, people on board will often hear someone calling from behind or see strange objects floating in the water.

If you are not careful, you will be lost and fall into the river.

As the ritual proceeded, many wandering ghosts were liberated and powerful evil spirits were appeased, and would not cause trouble for a long time.

At this point, Li Yan already understood Yu Lanshan's arrangement.

The Turtle and Snake Mountains were the first to be gathered with spirits, the Buddhist sect eliminated the impurities, and then used the dragon boat race to connect the water and wood energies, thus suppressing and destroying the demon's arrangements.

When the White Tiger Evil outside the Barbarian King's Tomb dissipates, we can kill the monster, suppress it again, and adjust the Feng Shui.

The demon is hiding in the dark, and every move he makes is a blatant conspiracy.

The Dragon Boat Festival was a favorable time, Wuchang's special topography was a favorable location, and the cooperation of the imperial court and the countless people celebrating the festival were a harmonious people.

If we have the right time, right place and right people, we can avoid this disaster.

After taking a few more glances, Li Yan had a clear idea in his mind. He sent Tian Yuanwai and Wang Daoxuan back to the Chamber of Commerce, and rode out of the city alone again.

What he didn't realize was that there were a few eyes in the crowd watching him disappear...

………………

Yuquan Temple is located on Fuhu Mountain, fifteen miles east of the city.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Guandi stationed his troops at Fuhu Mountain. Due to lack of water, Guandi struck the ground with his sword, and water gushed out to form a spring, hence the name Zhuodao Spring.

Even the name of Fuhu Mountain is related to Guandi. Legend has it that he got the name from the fact that he subdued the white tiger spirit that was endangering the local area in the mountain.

A temple was built because of the spring in the Song Dynasty. It was destroyed in war during the previous dynasty. Fifteen years after the establishment of the Daxuan Dynasty, it was rebuilt by the former King of Wuchang.

The distance of fifteen miles is not far. Li Yan rode his horse and soon arrived at the foot of Fuhu Mountain.

He jumped off his horse and looked back.

The moon was dim and the stars were sparse. There was no one on the official road and no night owls were flying in the sky.

There was some disappointment in Li Yan's eyes. He deliberately went out of the city alone late at night in order to eliminate some hidden dangers in advance, but he didn't expect that the monster would not be fooled at all.

He shook it, turned and looked forward.

This Yuquan Temple is a mortal temple, mainly dedicated to Guandi Emperor, so it was built at the foot of the mountain and is quite popular on weekdays.

Under the moonlight, surrounded by mountains and rivers, the pine and bamboo forests rustled in the night wind, and the river flowed in front of the temple, which was quite elegant.

There is a stone bridge over the river that leads directly to the other side.

"Who comes here so late at night?!"

Before Li Yan led his horse across the bridge, two monks and a man with a sword walked out from the darkness.

Li Yan had naturally noticed it, and smiled and bowed, saying: "I am Li Yan, and I come to meet Master Lu."

"It turned out to be Young Master Li."

Both the two monks and the man were startled and quickly bowed.

Although the imperial court sent troops to block Guishan, the news of the fighting arena on the mountain was still able to spread through various channels.

After coming down the mountain, Li Yan had already become famous in the Ezhou world.

The two monks bowed and retreated, but the man hurried forward and said, "Young Master Li, I am Zhang Shu, the escort of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce. Boss Hu has told you that you will definitely come after you come down the mountain. He is already waiting in the temple."

"Young Master Li, please come this way."

"Ah."

Li Yan nodded and followed, leading the horse.

Zezhou Jade Emperor Temple is famous for studying astrology, calendar, and numerology. Its martial arts may not be top-notch, but anyone who can study these things is definitely not a fool.

Hu Ming was able to be sent out to run the team and raise money everywhere. He must be a shrewd man, so it is not surprising that he was expected to come.

Sure enough, before they reached the temple entrance, Hu Ming received the news and came out to greet them. When they met, he smiled and bowed, saying, "Young Master Li, you shook Turtle Mountain with your fist. Congratulations."

"It was just a fluke."

Li Yan smiled slightly and said something polite.

Hu Ming knew that he was anxious, so he didn't waste any words and raised his hand and said, "Master Lu and Brother Sha are still busy. I will take Young Master Li over."

After saying that, he ordered his men to take the horse away and bring Li Yan in.

The main hall in the front yard of Yuquan Temple is dedicated to Guandi.

Of course, in Buddhism, Guandi was originally the "Kalan Bodhisattva", and now he has been officially named the "Protector of the Country Buddha".

At this moment, the main hall was closed. The two walked around the corridor and suddenly came to a small courtyard with a well in it.

The well mouth is carved from bluestone. It is very old, with moss on the bottom and smooth on the top. Next to it stands a stone tablet with the three characters "Zhuo Dao Quan" in a simple and bold style.

Li Yan pinched the spell and smelled it, with some doubt in his eyes: "Is this Zhuo Dao Spring?"

He couldn't smell any strange odor, it felt like an ordinary well.

"Young Master Li doesn't know."

Hu Ming smiled and said, "Yuquan Temple can become a treasured place for Buddhist weapon refining, firstly because of the key points of the earth veins, and secondly because of this well."

This well is directly connected to the earth veins. If you want to refine weapons, you need to set up an altar to draw out the cold spring water for tempering the weapons.

Every year on the birthday of Guandi, the well becomes even more magical when the “knife-sharpening rain” falls.

"I see."

Li Yan suddenly realized, and looked at the well water, curiously asking: "With so many coincidences, could it be that Guan Sheng Emperor really pierced through it with one sword?"

Hu Ming laughed and said, "That's not clear."

The two continued walking forward and came to the side courtyard of the temple.

Clang! Clang!
Before I even got close, I could hear the sound of metal grinding inside. The lights were on and more than a dozen people were working busily...

(End of this chapter)