Knife splashing

Chapter 434: Entering Yindu at Night
"Yin Changsheng?"

The old man turned around slowly, his face grim and his dark ghost eyes looked extremely creepy. "Are you teasing me? Everyone in Fengdu County knows about 'Yin Changsheng'!"

"Oh?"

Li Yan was a little surprised, and said with a folded hand: "I have come from afar, and I really don't know. I hope you can teach me."

The old man frowned and said, "It's very simple."

Then, he pointed to the high mountain in the north of the Yangtze River and said, "This mountain is listed as one of the blessed places of Taoism because of 'Yin Changsheng'."

"This mountain was originally called 'Pingdu Mountain'. During the Han Dynasty, there were two alchemists named Yin Changsheng and Wang Fangping who practiced on the mountain. It was said that they became immortals. Later, the people spread the name, and the two words Yin and Wang were read together, and it was mistakenly spread as 'Yin Wang'."

"In addition, this mountain is indeed strange. It is difficult for monks to concentrate. Every midnight, they have many hallucinations. Over time, the name of the ghost town spread."

"During the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi wrote a poem titled 'Pingdu is a famous ancient mountain in the world', and it has been called a 'famous mountain' since then."

"It can be said that the origin of Fengdu Ghost City is 'Yin Changsheng' and 'Wang Fangping'."

"I see…"

Li Yan was thoughtful after hearing this.

I didn't expect Yin Changsheng to be so famous here.

There is also one more person, Wang Fangping.

Wang Fangping is also a character in "Biographies of Immortals".

Ordinary people know little about him, but he is very famous in the Taoist circles, and several anecdotes about him are widely circulated.

First, Emperor Huan summoned Wang Fangping several times, but Wang Fangping never responded. Emperor Huan then sent people to force him to come to Beijing. After Wang Fangping arrived, he wrote four hundred prophecies on the palace gate. Emperor Huan had the words erased, but the ink had seeped into the board and became clearer the more he erased.

Secondly, when he traveled, there were servants with wax-sealed mouths leading the way, five dragons pulling the carriage, and flags, pennants, and ceremonial guards accompanying him. Wherever he passed, the gods of mountains and waters came to pay him homage. It seemed like he was using some kind of escape technique, and he looked very majestic.

There is also the story about him and "Magu".

"Magu" is even more famous. There are Magu Caves in many places, including Qingcheng Mountain. Li Bai also wrote in "Short Song" that "Magu's temples are half white."

But Yin Changsheng is even better than this.

He passed on the secrets of Taoism to Bao Liang, who was the father-in-law of Ge Xianweng. The Taoist sect in Shu, as well as others, were deeply influenced by Yin Changsheng.

But this was not what Li Yan wanted to ask.

Judging from the appearance of the old man in front of him, he probably doesn’t know that Yin Changsheng’s other identity is a living ghost messenger.

Moreover, he is a person who successfully ascended to godhood among the living ghosts.

Thinking of this, Li Yan asked again tentatively: "Senior, what I want to know is whether there are any relics left by Yin Changsheng or a place for cultivation here."

"That's a lot."

The old man sneered and said, "There are at least eight caves where Yin Changsheng practiced on this famous mountain, if not ten. Anyway, if we find a cave, we can say it is related to Yin Changsheng."

"I advise you not to waste your time on this. For thousands of years, the famous mountain has been searched thoroughly by people. It is more important to think about how to get through tonight."

Then, he asked with some doubt: "By the way, you were so arrogant just now, why are you so humble now?"

Li Yan was silent for a moment, then looked at the young man in the cabin, with a trace of pity in his eyes, "You can't sustain your life for too long with ghost energy..."

That's why he changed his attitude.

When he got closer, he found that the young man was already terminally ill. He should have died long ago, but he used the ghost qi to gather his soul.

That's why the other party didn't leave the cabin and wrapped himself in a quilt, because he felt as if he was falling into the underworld and his whole body was cold to the bone all the time.

The opponent has no way to practice and can only use the Gou Die to suppress the evil spirit and prolong his life, which is equivalent to being a living dead.

The Xuanmen Orthodox Sect doesn't even need to find a reason to take action.

No wonder the old man had such a bad attitude.

This young man is the weakest among the living ghost messengers, and that agreement is the guarantee of the safety of the grandfather and grandson.

"You don't need to meddle in other people's business!"

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately became furious, gasped twice, and his voice trembled.

Li Yan remained silent and stopped talking.

This old man must have practiced some ghost magic, and he often invites evil spirits to possess him and fight with people.

More likely, it was to help his grandson complete the task.

After all, no expert is willing to protect this burden...

Is it pitiful?

Of course it’s pitiful!
But there is no way...

After a long silence, the old man looked at the river. When he was about to reach the shore, he suddenly said, "I am from the Yinshan Sect. I was once like you, relying on magic to do whatever you want, but I got my retribution in the end."

"My son practiced ghost magic and was too greedy for success, so he gave birth to a child with a weak soul and was haunted by ghosts."

"The organization of living ghost messengers is called 'Huangquan'!"

"I have no ill will towards you, I just don't want Fengdu to be in turmoil. I hope I can spend more time with my grandson on the road to the underworld..."

"Go ahead. Once you get to the Jieyin Hall, someone will take you into the mountain."

Li Yan nodded silently. When the boat approached, he jumped onto the shore, turned around and bowed, saying, "Don't worry, senior. No matter what happens tonight, I will leave as soon as possible."

After that, he turned around and went up the mountain in the thick rain and fog...

…………

Outside Fengdu City, at the riverside pier.

It was already late at night and the dock was pitch black. Even though there were oil lamps lit on a few boats, they could not illuminate very far on this stormy and rainy night.

Wow!
The river water surged and hit the dock.

Snap!

A pair of footprints suddenly appeared on the bluestone steps.

Afterwards, footprints appeared again, already outside Fengdu City.

Outside Fengdu City, there is a bronze sculpture that is very old and looks very strange. It is a huge ghost head.

Just as the footprints approached, a faint white smoke suddenly came out of the bronze ghost head's mouth, and there seemed to be a sound of chains.

The footprints quickly retreated and lingered on the river bank.

There was a small boat at the dock. It was pitch black outside, but there was an oil lamp lit inside the cabin, dim as a bean. Two people were sitting cross-legged at the table.

"Have you heard about it?"

"It was at Wangxiang Inn. Just as Master Lu said, they were stopped after the news was leaked."

"What about Qingniu Temple?"

"We have already sent someone to notify the Beggars' Gang in the city. They only want to take our money and don't know anything. They won't reveal our identities."

"I still don't understand why Master Lu would go to all this trouble. We've spent so much money, and it's not like we don't have any experts."

"You know nothing, this is called killing two birds with one stone, no, killing three birds with one stone!"

Before he finished speaking, wet footprints appeared out of nowhere outside the cabin. The cold air spread, and the cabin planks quickly became rotten...

…………

The wind and rain were blowing, and it was dark and gloomy outside the mountain gate.

The archway is tall, with four large characters "Famous Mountains Under the World" inscribed on it. It is older than later generations, and the stones used to build the archway appear somewhat mottled.

As soon as he approached the archway, Li Yan realized something was wrong.

My body inexplicably became cold. Not only was the Gou Die in my arms cold, but the aura on this mountain was also a little special.

"Stop it."

A man suddenly appeared from behind the tall archway. He was wearing a Nuo mask and a black robe. It was impossible to tell what he looked like.

Judging from his figure alone, he is a middle-aged man.

He spoke with great authority, "Now that you have stepped into this place, don't regret it. It's not time for the 'Yellow Springs Gathering' yet, and we are the only ones left in Fengdu right now." "Originally, with Wu Qu's recommendation and your status, you could have joined the guild directly, but you have violated a taboo after all, so you can only take a trip to the Yellow Springs."

"But don't worry, if you can pass through the famous mountains, we won't pursue the matter of violating the agreement. Although we are the only ones left in Fengdu, we will testify for you."

"If the Wushan Immortals continue to cause trouble, we can just take action. It's okay. After all, the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect has long disliked them..."

I'm afraid this is the reason.

Li Yan secretly complained in his heart.

Also pick the soft persimmons to squeeze.

There are many independent cultivators in Wushan, and even the orthodox Xuanmen has suffered losses, but their biggest nemesis is the living Yincha.

Apart from anything else, if we get ten living ghost messengers to cast the Gangling together, the entire Wushan Mountain can be wiped out. The only problem is that they are afraid of making too much noise.

It seems that Huo Yinchai's "Huangquan" organization has been silent for too long, and some people want to use this incident to establish their authority.

In a blink of an eye, Li Yan had figured out the reason.

Of course, he wouldn't say it directly, his expression remained calm.

The man in black looked at him and seemed a little surprised. He then said, "Don't think this is easy. If you can easily get through it, how can it be a test?"

"Especially for the living Yin messenger, very few can pass."

"Remember, after entering the mountain, go to the Jieying Hall first, but before entering the Jieying Hall, go to the Dongyue Temple first... By the way, what is the method you practice?"

"The Luofeng Sutra."

"The Luofeng Sutra?!"

The black-robed man asked casually, but Li Yan's answer surprised him, "How did you practice the Luofeng Sutra? Who led you into the door? You are really ridiculous!"

Li Yan frowned slightly, "I have no one to guide me, is there something wrong with practicing the Luofeng Sutra?"

"Of course there is a problem!"

The black-robed man said in a deep voice: "The Luofeng Sutra is an ancient method, but the world is changing, and the ancient method may not be better than the modern method."

"The Six Paths Sutra that we practice is divided into three good paths and three evil paths, the heavenly path, the human path, the asura path, and the animal, hell, and hungry ghost paths. Each of us specializes in one, and is more powerful against the corresponding enemy."

"More importantly, the Luofeng Sutra is difficult to practice. Even in ancient times, few people succeeded, let alone now."

"Don't think that the theory of the six paths comes from Buddhism, but the underworld is complete because of it. We living underworld messengers are also Buddhist and Taoist practitioners. Even if someone teaches us, it is a very bad choice for living underworld messengers to practice the Luofeng Sutra!"

Is there such a thing?
Li Yan was surprised.

I didn't expect that I, like Lu San, was practicing a martial art that was not in line with the times.

But thinking about what he had learned along the way, he still shook his head and said, "Ancient and modern methods are all methods. As long as they are useful, that's fine."

"That's all."

The man in black robes seemed too lazy to argue and said, "Since you are practicing the Luofeng Sutra, you should go to the Fengdu Hall on the west side of the Jieying Hall to worship, and then enter the Jieying Hall."

"There are only mortals on the mountain. We have already informed them that the mountain gate is open tonight and no one will come out to disturb us."

"Remember, once you enter the Ghost Gate, don't look back no matter who calls you. After passing through Yuanjue Hall, you will reach the Yellow Springs Road. Just take the right path. No matter what you see, don't stray from the path."

"This is the experience of our predecessors. The rest depends on you. If you fail, just lie down where you are. Don't run around. Wait until dawn and you will get through it safely."

After that, he waved his hand and said, "Go ahead. I'll be waiting for you at the Wangxiang Terrace in the back mountain. If you can get there before tonight, you'll be considered admitted."

Li Yan bowed slightly, walked through the mountain gate, went up the stone steps, and disappeared in the clouds.

The man in black robe shook his head and went around to the back mountain.

…………

Li Yan had also been to Fengdu Ghost City in his previous life.

But the famous mountains at that time had experienced wars and various destructions, and many of them were rebuilt later.

But the mountain before us has no interruption.

After walking up several hundred bluestone steps, a wide flat area suddenly appeared above, with the Jieying Hall in the center and the Dongyue Hall and Fengdu Hall on both sides.

One is dedicated to Emperor Dongyue.

One is dedicated to the Emperor of Beiyin Fengdu.

They all seem to be the gods in charge of the underworld, but their responsibilities are different.

The Emperor of Dongyue is the first of the Five Mountains. There are many legends about his origins, including the theory of Pangu's incarnation, the theory of Jinhong, and the theory of Taihao.

According to Taoism, it controls life and death, good and bad fortune in the world, and is also a bridge of communication between heaven, earth, humans and gods.

It is quite normal to offer sacrifices and worship to the living ghost.

But Li Yan just took a look and walked straight towards Fengdu Palace.

Because it was opened in advance, all the doors of the halls were opened wide and lit with dim candles, swaying in the wind and rain.

And Li Yan soon sensed something unusual.

The Gou Die in his arms became colder and colder, and he could also feel that the Yang energy in his body was being suppressed, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

At some point, thick fog rose around, making it dark and unclear. Three large halls stood in the fog in the distance, looking even more eerie.

It seems that I have entered the underworld without realizing it.

This feeling is like the magic...

Li Yan looked around thoughtfully and continued walking.

He could remember clearly the scene where he performed the divine power.

Although the soul is still in the body, I am afraid that I will see some things that ordinary people cannot see...

Arriving at Fengdu Hall, Li Yan looked up.

The statue of Fengdu Emperor here is exactly the same as the one seen in that small sect. He wears a crown, looks solemn and majestic, with twelve tassels behind him, his hands are crossed, and he holds a talisman in his hands.

Li Yan burned incense respectfully, but he had no fear in his heart.

He already knew that people like the King of Fengdu, the Emperor Zhenwu, the Buddha, and the Queen Mother had ascended to deity long ago.

These statues of gods in the human world, no matter how popular they are, are still earthly gods, not the real gods, and their power is proportional to the amount of incense they offer.

But people like Guandi and Erlang are the top gods among the earthly gods. They are worshipped by people all over China and their power is unfathomable.

Thinking of the "Chengdu merchant", Li Yan felt his scalp tingling. This kind of thing was completely beyond his understanding.

After lighting three incense sticks and inserting them into the incense burner, Li Yan bowed respectfully. After looking around and seeing nothing unusual, he turned and left.

What he didn't notice was that after he left, a breeze swirled around the statue of Beiyin Fengdu Emperor, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker.

When we arrived at the Jieying Hall, it was also empty.

This is usually a place to receive food and lodging for pilgrims who come up the mountain. There are even rooms for accommodation and rest, but they are all made of old bricks and wood, which are very old and give off a musty smell.

But after passing through the Jieying Hall, the situation suddenly changed.

The surroundings were thick with fog and the scenery beyond five meters was not clear.

Li Yan became alert and walked along the brick and stone road.

Call ~
At this moment, a cold wind suddenly blew up and thick fog rolled around. Li Yan suddenly smelled two strong scents of incense, standing in the fog on both sides of him, and their bodies were extremely large.

"Humph!"

There was a whistling sound, which made his head buzz.

"what!"

Another whistling sound made his chest feel stuffy and he almost fell down.

They are the two generals Heng and Ha!
The god who guards the famous mountain.

Li Yan's whole body was tense and his eyelids were twitching.

Why is the situation different from what the black-robed man said...

(End of this chapter)