Knife splashing

Chapter 325: The Demonic Alliance on the River
Wow!
"The dead are passing by, the dead should not disturb them."

In the setting sun, Wang Daoxuan stretched out his hand and paper money flew everywhere.

Behind him, the people of the Tian family were dressed in mourning clothes, holding mourning sticks and holding sacrificial banners, and they walked and stopped to the sound of funeral music such as suona, gongs and drums.

At every corner, people would burn incense and scatter money, fold paper into the shape of the Chinese character “王” (king), and press it to the ground with stones.

Behind him, on the coffin, sat a child with powdered face and pigtails, looking around without fear.

Funeral customs vary across China.

In some places, the coffin is called a "dragon", and the wooden frame and wooden poles used to carry it are called "dragon poles". If they are moved during the funeral procession, it will affect the feng shui of the home, so there is a custom of "suppressing the dragon".

The ritual of "suppressing the dragon" varies from place to place.

This is the custom in Tian Yuanwai's hometown. Children sit on the coffin, and in addition, women sit on the wooden bars on both sides.

Of course, both children and women only eat white food. They are used to it and are not afraid of any taboos.

Wang Daoxuan didn't care at all.

He helps people preside over weddings and funerals, and has seen all kinds of customs. It all depends on the host's preferences. As long as it doesn't violate certain taboos, offend evil spirits, or cause disasters, it's fine.

The reason why he was specially invited was because of this corpse.

A headless corpse, a person who died suddenly, a resurrected old ghost, or a Taoist monk, if you get involved with any one of these four things, there might be problems, let alone if you get involved with all four.

Although Po Liu Han Baling's soul had passed away, Wang Daoxuan was not sure whether his body would cause trouble. So he simply cremated his body with willow branches, leaving only the ashes. He also performed a ritual to remove the aura of disaster before he felt relieved.

According to the local custom, funerals can be held either early or late as long as they are not held at noon, so it was already dusk when they left the house.

It was also quite low-key, with only people from the Tian family participating.

After all, the identity of the person buried is somewhat special.

After a busy time, it was already late at night when we returned to Hanyang.

Now that the Tian family's disaster had been resolved, there was no need for them to stay in the Ezhou Guild Hall anymore, and they all returned to the Tian family mansion in Hanyang City.

The Tian family mansion is magnificent, with many large and small courtyards. Now that three families have moved in, it doesn't seem crowded at all.

Li Yan and his group also moved in.

After all, there are too many people in the Chamber of Commerce, which is always a bit inconvenient.

After returning, there is naturally a funeral banquet.

Mr. Tian hired the best chef in Wuchang City and set up a few simple tables. He did not invite outsiders, mainly to thank Li Yan and others for their help.

"Young Master Li, please."

Mr. Tian experienced a great disaster and almost lost his family. Now the three brothers have reconciled, and the deserted Tian family has become lively again. It can be said that all the hard work has paid off.

He didn't waste any words and kept toasting until he was already a little drunk.

"drink."

Li Yan didn't waste any words and toasted along with them.

He knew that Mr. Tian just wanted to get drunk.

At the other table, the younger members of the Tian family were secretly looking at the corner, where Lu San and Wu Ba occupied a table alone.

The main reason is that I’m afraid Wu Ba will suddenly go crazy.

Under their astonished gaze, Wu Ba ate and drank voraciously, clearing the entire table by himself, his stomach was simply a bottomless pit.

The Tian family naturally had no shortage of this, and they kept serving up fish and meat until Wu Ba held his stomach, sat down on the ground and grinned foolishly, then he stopped and whispered to Lu San, communicating in the upper language.

After a while, Mr. Tian became drunk and passed out. The banquet ended and everyone dispersed.

The largest courtyard was given to Li Yan and his group.

After returning to the yard, Wu Ba went into Lu San's room, rolled into the corner and fell asleep, snoring like an old bear.

Not to mention that Li Yan was on guard against him, Wu Ba was the same.

After all, he came from the wilderness, and everything he saw was beyond his understanding. He was still full of vigilance and only trusted Lu San.

With his body size, he couldn't even sleep in the bed, and he was not used to it, so he always rolled around on the floor.

This made the little white fox quite dissatisfied. He bared his teeth, jumped to the roof, and kowtowed to the moon.

As for Shu Lao Shu Er, he was very calm.

They are just like savages, too lazy to move after eating and sleeping well.

Sharifei shook his head as he watched, but didn't say anything. He returned to the room with Li Yan and others, lit candles, and discussed the next plan.

"The Tian family's matter is settled."

Li Yan drank a sip of tea, rubbed his brows and said, "Ezhou is still a little turbulent right now. I sold the crystal egg and got 100,000 taels. Adding the reward from the Tian family, the money to build the building on the mountain is more than enough."

"There's a war going on in Yunyang. War is cruel and ruthless. We'd better not join in the fun. Wuchang is also stable for the time being. We might as well take a break for a while."

"During this period, I need to go to the mass grave at night to practice, and strive to meet the building requirements by autumn. Then we will go to Wudang Mountain."

"By then, the battle in the southwest will probably have come to an end. After we build the building, we will set out into Sichuan and go to Fengdu to see the organization that Wu Qu mentioned."

"That's fine too."

Sharifei nodded and said, "The people from the palace came to urge us again yesterday, saying that after May 15th, they will let Brother Lu San help them communicate with Master Tu, and I will go with them then."

"Also, new firearms also need practice. If we have a chance during weekdays, we can go to the mountains outside the city to practice..."

After some discussion, they decided on a plan.

……

The next day was May 15th.

Although the Dragon Boat Race has passed, things in Wuchang are not over yet. A ritual is needed to completely stabilize the feng shui situation.

Along the Yangtze River, temples and Taoist temples, especially those dedicated to the water god, would carry out the statues of the god and perform rituals and parade them around.

From the city to the shore, people along the way lined the streets to see them off, holding incense and offerings, and some even followed them.

This is called "carrying the Buddha", and in some places it is also called "parading the gods".

The most popular one is naturally General Yang Si.

Although something went wrong during the dragon boat race, it did not cause too much panic due to the appeasement of the imperial court, and temple fairs were still held in various places along the river.

After a whole day of excitement, the ritual finally came to an end.

Although according to the customs in Ezhou, the event will not end until May 25th, the "Duanmu Yang", but after the dragon boat race is over and the Bodhisattva is carried, the streets are no longer as lively.

Even the local opera troupes of street performers left one after another.

The Dragon Boat Festival in Ezhou is over, but there are also various grand events in other parts of China, so they have to leave quickly to attend them.

This is the real life in the underworld.

Hurrying around, wandering around, just to earn some money to make a living...

…………

Boom boom boom!
Early in the morning on May 16, someone knocked on the door outside the Tian family mansion.

There were several soldiers in armor, all with solemn expressions, and two of them were carrying muskets, looking murderous.

The leader said in a deep voice: "I am Liu Teng, a captain of the Wuchang Guard, and I am here to invite Mr. Lv San."

The Tian family servants had already received instructions, so they naturally did not dare to neglect them. They led everyone into the main hall and served tea.

Soon, Li Yan and his group came out one after another.

Looking at the large group of people, Captain Liu Teng was obviously a little surprised, "Are you all going?"

Sharifei chuckled and said, "My lord, we have always been together, and the Lu brothers don't like to talk to outsiders."

"Alright."

Captain Liu Teng didn't say much.

The order he received was to cooperate fully. As long as he could communicate well with the crocodile, these people would be useless.

Everyone arrived at the Parrot Island Pier, where a huge warship was docked with military flags flying and cannons neatly arranged.

It looks very impressive.

"Jiujiang patrol boat?"

When Sharifei saw this, his eyes lit up immediately. Captain Liu nodded expressionlessly and said, "We have received news that the demons are trying to disrupt the transportation of grain and grass on the Yangtze River, so we will strengthen water patrols in the future."

After saying that, he led everyone on board.

It was the first time for Li Yan and others to board a warship, so they couldn't help looking around.

Especially Wu Ba, who was strong and healthy, was arranged by Lu San to take over the responsibility of carrying the team's luggage, which made Sharifei very satisfied.

This savage came from the mountains. When he saw this terrifying big guy, he was obviously a little afraid and followed Lu San closely.

The imperial military was obviously very concerned about this matter. As soon as Li Yan and others got on the boat, four people came up to greet them.

The person walking in front was Tian Yuanwai's son-in-law, Liu Yizhong, the captain of Wuchang Guard.

He was already familiar with Li Yan and the others, so he introduced them with a smile: "Young Master Li, let me introduce you."

"This is Han Peng, the deputy commander of the Wuchang navy. This is Cheng Xuanming, the commander of the Wuchang garrison. This is Qiu Huang, the commander of the Wuchang military command..."

Li Yan and others were startled and bowed quickly.

"I have met you sirs."

The ones in front of you are all the senior officers in the Wuchang imperial army.

I didn't expect the commotion to be so big.

"You don't have to be polite."

Cheng Xuan, the commander of the garrison, held the highest position and said, "This matter was ordered by the prince himself, so we will naturally do our best."

Qiu Huang, the commander of the Wuchang Military Commission, said with a smile, "I heard about this and wanted to join in the fun."

To be honest, he was the most interested among everyone.

Commander Cheng Xuan didn't waste any words and said directly: "Everyone, where do we start?"

Sharifei had already communicated with Lu San. Hearing this, he clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Don't worry, my lords. There are too many people here. Let's find a secluded waterway so as not to alarm the people."

"Oh?"

Hearing the noise, Cheng Xuan also became interested and said, "Jiangxia has wide waterways, is it feasible?"

"No."

Sharifei shook his head and said, "There are several great water monsters in the Yangtze River area. That is their sphere of influence. Master Tuo does not want to cause trouble. His territory is only in the Han River area."

"Once we get to Xiangyang, we still can't get close to it."

"Is there anything else going on?"

Commander Cheng Xuan was obviously surprised. "Whether it is the Han River or the Yangtze River, we have not found any big monsters causing trouble."

Sharifei was stunned and looked at Lu San.

He really doesn't understand this kind of thing.

Lu San replied in a muffled voice: "Those great monsters have opened up water palaces. They are very smart and will not conflict with the imperial court. They will even avoid being discovered by the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect."

"Even if they are causing trouble, they are just small demons. But if the Tuo Master invades their territory, it will definitely cause a fight."

When Qiu Huang, the commander of the Duwei Division, heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up, "I wonder if we can ask Master Tu to communicate on our behalf and help the court cut off the water transport of the southwestern rebels?"

Lu San shook his head and said, "I don't know, but I can ask."

"it is good!"

Commander Cheng Xuan immediately gave the order, "Change the route and go through the Han River. Order the troops along the way to temporarily block the river!"

"Yes, my lord!"

At the command, the falcon immediately took off into the sky.

The huge sails fluttered in the wind, and the Jiujiang patrol boat slowly left the dock and headed towards the Han River.

As the warship moves forward, its momentum is naturally extraordinary.

Not only was it fast and stable, but merchant ships along the way also avoided it.

Not long after entering the Han River, they found that the river was blocked. It turned out that the navy had received orders to block the waterway and prohibit merchant ships from moving forward.

Once the navy shows up, all gangs have to step aside.

Soon, the huge warship arrived at a wide area of ​​water. There was no merchant ship around, and it seemed very secluded.

Lu San didn't waste any words. He set up an altar on the deck, performed the Nuo dance, and chanted ancient spells.

Call ~
The wind was howling and thick fog was gradually spreading over the river.

Several military leaders widened their eyes.

In the thick fog on the river, the huge figure of the crocodile master broke out of the water, surrounded by densely packed crocodiles, big and small, which were gathering more and more.

Soon, it occupied the entire surface of the river.

"so much?"

Commander Cheng Xuan was surprised.

Lu San turned his head and said, "The crocodiles in this area are all disciples of the crocodile master. They are also expressing their sincerity. Once an agreement is reached with the court, at least in this area, the river will be peaceful."

After that, he began to speak the Shangfang language and communicate with Master Tuo.

The two sides talked for a long time.

And Lu San's expression suddenly became solemn.

"What happened?"

Qiu Huang, the commander of the Duwei Division, noticed something was wrong and asked about it immediately.

Lu San immediately turned around and said in a deep voice: "Something has happened."

"Master Tu mentioned a piece of information that a cultivator had poisoned the river and killed several of her disciples. She went to take revenge and was almost ambushed."

"There are reports from crocodiles in other places that the demon king Nanmu King in Xiangyang and the old ghost in the water on the Yangtze River have been making some unusual moves recently. I don't know who has bewitched them to attack the grain transport ships."

Commander Cheng Xuan's eyes widened, "Where do these monsters get the courage?"

Qiu Huang, the commander of the Duwei Division, said in a deep voice: "My Duwei Division spies have received news that after the Wuchang plan failed, the Tiansheng Sect monsters will still attack the grain ships. It turns out that they want to borrow the power of monsters."

Just then, Master Crocodile slowly swam over.

Looking at its huge body, the soldiers on the ship suddenly became nervous, and some of them couldn't help but set up the ship's crossbow.

"Don't move!"

Commander Cheng Xuan scolded him upon seeing this.

But suddenly the crocodile master opened his big mouth with fangs and spurted out a stream of water.

Wow!
A buffalo horn mixed with the water and rolled onto the deck.

This thing is quite old, and there is an evil aura lingering around it, so it is obviously a magical weapon.

Lu San picked it up and handed it to Commander Cheng Xuan.

"Blow this horn and Master Tu will appear. He is not good at speaking, but he can understand. General, you can communicate directly from now on."

"Also, Master Tu said that if we want to deal with those big monsters, we must have the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect to take action, and she is willing to help then..."

Everyone on the boat was smart, so how could they not understand what I meant?

This crocodile master also wanted to borrow the power of the imperial court to eliminate the powerful enemy.

She wants to be the water god of Han River. Only by protecting one side can she gain worship and offerings from the people. These big monsters are trouble.

Commander Cheng Xuan smiled slightly, took the horn, and bowed to Master Tu, saying, "Don't worry, Your Excellency. I will report this matter to the prince."

He couldn't make the decision on this matter, but it was probably okay.

After the alliance was reached, the crocodile master turned around and dived into the water, and the crocodile dragons scattered and disappeared.

Li Yan looked at the water in the distance and shook his head slightly.

I'm afraid there will be some fighting on the Yangtze River waterway in the future.

At this time, Lu San whispered to him again: "There is one more thing. Master Lin is looking for the 'Centipede'. Master Tu has found some information for us..."

(End of this chapter)