Knife splashing

Chapter 401 Fighting in the air
"What happened?"

The short and strong general next to him asked hurriedly.

Seeing Yulongzi's appearance, his heart skipped a beat.

Although he was transferred from another place and was not from Ezhou, the identity of the Taoist in front of him was clear.

The Five Dragon Palace of Wudang Mountain is the direct lineage of the Zhenwu Palace. Since arriving in Baokang County, this Dragon Master has always looked like he has everything under control, leading his disciples to suppress the demon army of the Tiansheng Sect so much that they cannot raise their heads.

This is the first time I've seen him lose his composure like this.

"The thunderstorm time has changed!"

Yu Longzi didn't have time to explain and rushed out quickly, shouting, "Gu Linzi, hurry up, release 'Xiang Feng Wu' and Cheng Tu, and recalculate the time of the rain!"

"Yes, Master!"

Gu Linzi bowed solemnly and worked with his fellow apprentices.

After this period of time, they have absorbed the memories of the Five Qi Dragon Kings of their previous lives, just like an old dream, but they still focus on their identities in this life.

And with the help of the memories of two lives, they are also growing rapidly.

Soon, Gu Linzi and his fellow apprentices took out a small mechanism with a copper base at the bottom and an iron rod at the top connected to a golden crow bird.

This object is called "Xiangfeng Bronze Crow" and it has been inherited from the Han Dynasty. It is a bird-shaped sculpture on the top of a building swaying in the wind. The royal family used the Golden Crow and the Phoenix, while the common people used the rooster.

This device can measure wind direction and speed.

It is exactly what is meant by "Hearing the wind, the flags dance and the birds sing, and you return."

The Zhenwu Palace is a little special. They hang the "Xiangfeng Bronze Crow" on a specially made giant kite. With a strong pull, it instantly flies into the night sky.

Ordinary people naturally couldn't see at this distance, but Gu Linzi looked up at the sky, his golden pupils contracted, and he could see it clearly immediately.

In the night wind, the "Xiangfeng Tongwu" was seen heading northwest, with the disc below spinning rapidly, making a shrill whistling sound.

"The wind has changed..."

Gu Linzi also had a grim expression on his face. He quickly fetched a pen and paper and began to observe and record.

On the other side, Gu Xuzi, one of the Five Dragon Sons, also brought a group of disciples and took out an instrument from the tent. The instrument was made of pure copper and was similar to a balance scale. The moon and the sun were engraved on the base below.

They placed weights on one side of the scale and special charcoal on the other side. After both sides were balanced, they placed an hourglass on it to measure time.

These are instruments that measure the weather.

The "Xiangfeng Tongwu" measures wind speed and direction, while the Yin-Yang Tu method is used to test humidity.

Xuanmen is not just about practicing.

Since the ancient tribal era, they have been responsible for observing and predicting celestial phenomena and weather, formulating calendars, and especially controlling national sacrifices, which is of utmost importance.

The Book of Documents mentions that in the Xia Dynasty, there was a "Xihe" who managed the four seasons of heaven and earth. In the Shang Dynasty, there were witches who used oracle bones to predict the weather. In the Zhou Dynasty, there was a "Da Zong Bo". In the Han Dynasty, there was a "Tai Chang". Later, there were the Tai Shi Bureau and the Qin Tian Jian.

The Zhenwu Palace is highly regarded by the Daxuan royal family, so it naturally has in-depth research on this thing, and the Wulong Palace is also good at this.

Because we have to deal with the "wandering dragon" this time, we brought all the weapons with us.

The scale was very sensitive, and after a while, as the special charcoal absorbed moisture from the air, the scale began to lose balance.

There was a Lu Ban ruler on the scale hanging on one side. Gu Xuzi and his fellow apprentices hurriedly recorded the time and the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of the corresponding words within the corresponding time.

Two hours later, all the data was handed over to Yulongzi.

He also took out a round copper box with the Tai Chi diagram in the center and the twelve zodiac gods of Liu Ren arranged around it, which corresponded to the order of the Eight Trigrams. Each zodiac god corresponded to a small hole.

Yulongzi threw out the jade beads from heaven and earth, and they rolled inside the box.

Afterwards, he took out the Liuren-style plate engraved with the Big Dipper, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and performed divination based on the measured data.

These two objects, called the Huo Shi Qi and Liu Ren Shi Pan, are tools used for Liu Ren divination.

After a busy period, Yu Longzi's face suddenly turned ugly. He looked towards the southwest and said, "Someone is performing a ritual to pray for rain, interfering with the will of heaven."

"Come here, set up the altar, and wait for me to fight him!"

…………

Shennongjia, on the top of an unnamed mountain.

"There is indeed a problem!"

Wang Daoxuan held up a piece of cloth, looked at the shaking direction, frowned and said: "The sky has changed, the thunderstorm may come earlier."

Li Yan looked at the strip of cloth and frowned, "The wind is coming from the southwest, Taoist priest, I just clearly felt that there is something wrong in the northwest."

Having felt frightened before, Li Yan did not dare to be careless.

Most of the Xuanmen monks are focused on their cultivation and have a restrained mind. They won't have unexplained palpitations, and their spiritual perception is strong, so something must have happened.

If you are an expert in numerology, you will definitely tell the fortune immediately.

Unfortunately, although Li Yan had some talent in martial arts and techniques, he knew nothing about the mysterious art of divination, so he could only ask Wang Daoxuan to come up and take a look.

“Maybe you’re feeling wrong.”

Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "The wind is coming from the southwest, and the uncertainty is also coming from there. It looks like it is coming from the direction of Wushan. I'm afraid there will be trouble this time."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "What trouble?"

Wang Daoxuan looked at the gloomy and dark night sky, frowning, "I have calculated before that there will be white dew rain this year, which is a bad omen for the year, but the timing is important."

"Rain before Bailu is considered a minor disaster, while ghost rain after Bailu is a sign of major disaster. This time it is Bailu ghost rain, so the demons of Tiansheng Sect chose to 'walk the dragon' on the day of Bailu ghost rain."

“But now, the rains are coming early.”

Li Yan was a little confused, "Isn't it good to do it for Xiao Xiong in advance?"

Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly, "The method of divination only focuses on the place in front of you, which is often scattered and has an impact on the heaven, earth and people."

"The imperial court and Zhenwu Palace have already figured it out and must have a corresponding plan. Good or bad fortune, the right time, the right place, and the right people will all affect it."

"The will of heaven is unpredictable, and good and bad fortune are unpredictable. The Tiansheng Sect and Kunjiao have joined forces, and they have the advantage of the terrain. The imperial court and Zhenwu Palace have quelled the calamity, and they have the support of the people."

"It was originally a sure win, but now the weather has changed so suddenly, I'm afraid there will be twists and turns... Wait for me to tell your fortune."

As he said this, he quickly took out the tortoise shell and a few coins.

These coins have a sky full of stars carved on the front and the Yin-Yang and Eight Diagrams carved on the back. They were the "Heavenly Offering Coins" of the previous dynasty's Daxing Imperial Astronomical Observatory, and were originally placed under the Jiming Mountain Observatory in Nanjing.

After the Daxuan Rebellion, Nanjing was captured and during the chaos, this item was looted and circulated among the people.

Because it coincides with astronomical phenomena, it is most suitable for divination.

Wang Daoxuan obtained these pills from the stomach of the Donghu ancestor and treasured them very much. He kept them properly and warmed them regularly.

He stuffed the "Heaven Offering Money" into the tortoise shell while explaining: "When predicting rain, one must look at the gods of the Earth, Yin, Yuan, and Bai, and the eight gates of Rest, Shock, Open, and Injury, the nine stars of Peng, Zhu, Xin, and Chong, and the Yuan in the Metal and Water Bureau..."

Li Yan said helplessly: "Master, you don't need to teach me this. I'm too stupid to learn it."

Wang Daoxuan was speechless and no longer forced it. Instead, he pinched the magic spell, looked at the southwest sky, and shook the tortoise shell with a rustling sound.

When coins fall, the front side is a Yang Yao and the back side is a Yin Yao.

Wang Daoxuan repeated this six times, writing down the result each time, then took out the compass and calculated while looking to the southwest.

"Sure enough, someone is causing trouble!" After a while, his expression turned serious. "Something has happened in Wushan. According to the hexagram, someone is praying for rain and bringing the time forward."

Li Yan was surprised, "Who would do this?"

"I don't know."

Wang Daoxuan sighed, "The method of praying for rain is available in all orthodox sects, but those who can use this method are all masters of the Xuanmen sect, at least at the fifth level of Taoism, far beyond our reach."

"Wushan is a special place. Many masters and hermits practice there, blocking Shuzhong and Ezhou. Even Taixuan Orthodox Sect has not been able to control it for so many years."

"It is unknown who is causing the trouble..."

Call ~
Just then, there was a roar of thunder in the distant sky, and a gust of wind blew in, bringing a hint of freshness and moisture.

Li Yan could not detect anything, but Wang Daoxuan, who had awakened his magical power, the Vision Eye, suddenly widened his eyes, "Snake!"

"What did the Taoist see?"

Li Yan asked quickly.

Wang Daoxuan took a few steps forward, staring intently at the southwest, and said in a deep voice: "I see a yin energy swirling, like a snake soaring into the sky..."

As he said this, his face suddenly froze, "I know, this is the art of prophecy, there are Confucian masters messing around!"

"The art of prophecy?"

Li Yan knew about this magical skill and had even seen it before.

When they were taking a detour from Manhe River to Yichang, they encountered a Zhujiabao, where someone used prophecies and divination to bring disaster upon themselves.

Later it was discovered that it was Master Liu, the head priest of Danyang Academy in Zigui County, who had gone astray due to the tragic death of his family and joined the Ghost Cult. His body was later found by the river.

This kind of technique is even more mysterious than divination, and can even cause human catastrophes and the rise and fall of dynasties. It has always been a forbidden technique.

He wondered, "Can prophecy and divination also be used to pray for rain?"

"Of course!"

Wang Daoxuan nodded and said, "During the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu elaborated on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" and set up earthen dragons to attract rain. The idea was to bring clouds and dragons together. According to the "Book of Changes", 'clouds follow dragons, and winds follow tigers', we can find the answer by analogy."

"When I was at Mount Wudang, I read a book called "Chunqiu Han Hanzi". It said that Dong Zhongshu used the magic of attracting the same qi. He used lizards and snakes to resemble dragons, wrapped them in yellow silk, and raised the dragon qi to stir up the wind and clouds."

"Even now, Taixuan Orthodox Church and some local witchcraft also use this principle to pray for rain..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly looked to the southeast and said in astonishment, "There is anger rising over there, someone is fighting with the rain-stopping spell!"

Li Yan looked at the dark sky, feeling helpless.

It's not surprising that the demon tried to obstruct it. After all, it was a ghost cult, a demon cult that almost subverted the Central Plains of China.

But he was disappointed that he couldn't see a fight of this level...

…………

The altar had already been set up outside the military tent.

A temporary altar was surrounded by fiery red flags and cinnabar red ropes, forming a large Bagua pattern.

At each strategic location, there stood a strong man, all with the element of fire in their horoscopes, wearing a red robe. There were a total of 108 of them.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The five dragon sons of Zhenwu Palace hold the Dharma drums at the same time, stand according to the five elements, recite the Dharma spells, and beat the drums to invigorate the Yang energy.

In the center of the altar, Yu Longzi had his hair disheveled, holding a lightning-struck jujube wood sword, and stepped on the magic circle with his eyes pointed at the sky, chanting: "Kill animals to pray to the gods, and the rain will not stop. Beat the drums and use the red and green ropes to entangle them..."

At the same time, in the Wushan Mountain far in the southwest, on a flat mountain, a high platform was built with earth and stones, in the center of which was a small tripod with a black snake wrapped in yellow cloth inside.

Next to the altar stood an old man in a Confucian robe. His skin was an abnormal purple color, and he had a white beard and whiskers. He looked like an ordinary person.

He held a bamboo slip in his hand, burned incense and offered sacrifice to the heaven, silently chanting: "Heaven created the five grains to feed the people, but now the rain continues, which harms the five grains. What a blessing, but a misfortune..."

Opposite him, there was an old monk sitting cross-legged. He was wearing a yellow robe, with his chest exposed. He closed his eyes and clasped a rosary while chanting: "Namo Buddhaye, Namo Dharmaye, Namo Sanghaye, Om Horo Horo Horo..."

Two forces pulled at each other from a distance.

Above the sky, dark clouds rolled and thunder roared...

……

Outside the Tiansheng Sect's tent, Wang Hufa and others ran out, looked at the sky and laughed: "The thunderstorm has come early, God is helping us!"

“It’s not some divine help.”

The Right Prime Minister stroked his beard and looked at the sky with a solemn expression. He shook his head and said, "Someone is helping us. Maybe it's the Ghost Cult leader Zhao Changsheng. The Zhenwu Palace is also trying to stop the rain!"

Tan Zhihai from Tusi City also had a look of horror on his face.

He knew what this kind of magic represented, and a strange feeling rose in his heart. He couldn't help but whispered: "Right Prime Minister, this ghost cult is mysterious, do you really believe in them?"

All the members of the Ghost Cult in the camp had left, so he dared to speak.

The Right Prime Minister glanced at him calmly and said, "Fellow Daoist Qin is overly suspicious. The Left Prime Minister also followed them. With their level of Taoism, Sixth Master Huang can't do anything."

"As long as we escape this disaster and reach Tusi City, City Lord Qin will naturally handle it. We should not interfere."

Qin Zhihai snorted and said no more.

……

Outside the Shennongding Stone Forest Cave, Master Huang Liu and others were also looking at the sky in silence.

An old man in a Taoist robe nearby was horrified. "Is this... Master Zhao's backup plan? Why didn't Brother Huang tell us?"

Master Huang's eyes flashed with blood. "The leader has a profound plan. How can we understand it? Since Zuo Xiang has joined our Ghost Sect, you must remember that you will know what you should know, and don't ask about what you shouldn't know."

The old man in Taoist robes was the Left Prime Minister of Tiansheng Sect.

The left is the most respected, and the Zuo Xiang is the current leader of the Tiansheng Sect.

It is estimated that even the people of Tiansheng Sect do not know that their leader has defected to Gui Sect and become its puppet.

The reason is very simple. Only the Left Prime Minister knows that the Lord Tiansheng they follow appears to be generous and heroic on the surface, but is actually bloody in private.

He has controlled the Tiansheng Sect for many years. Once Tianshenggong is resurrected, the first thing he will do is to kill him and eliminate future troubles.

Even the resurrection of Tianshenggong was just a slogan of the Left Prime Minister, whose purpose was to unify the Tiansheng Sect which was on the verge of collapse at that time.

But I never thought that it would come to this day.

Therefore, he directly joined the Ghost Cult and tampered with the ceremony of resurrecting Tianshenggong.

"Yes, yes, I understand."

Hearing the scolding from Master Huang Liu, Zuo Lian hurriedly lowered his head, but as the leader of a sect, he was still somewhat dissatisfied to be scolded like this.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Master Huang Liu glanced at him calmly and said in a deep voice: "Don't feel wronged, we are all like this."

"The enemy of my Ghost Cult has never been the imperial court, let alone those Xuanmen orthodox sects. They are not worthy!"

As he spoke, a fanaticism rose in his eyes and he pointed to the sky:

"Our opponent is the heavens!"

　Second update later
　　
　
(End of this chapter)