Knife splashing

Chapter 448: Crossing the Mountain to See the Great Pass

"I know this!"

Looking at the fire, Sharifei said proudly, "I heard from the cart driver before that the Luoluo people have a saying, 'Han people respect officials, they respect fire.' Even if they are captured in battle, they are not afraid of torture, but they are afraid of not being able to be cremated."

“This thing is called Torch Festival!”

"The Torch Festival is long gone."

Long Yan'er, who was riding on the mule's back, said weakly: "At this time of year, it should be the 'Kush' of Luoluo Village, which is the Chinese New Year, but it usually takes until the first snow."

"Perhaps it is the autumn harvest, and the fire sacrifice drives away the wild beasts and blesses the harvest."

Li Yan frowned slightly, "If I enter the village at this time, will I disturb others and get chased away?"

"That won't happen."

Long Yaner shook her head and said, "Everyone who enters the village at this time is a guest. They will even offer you a drink."

"Remember, they respect fire. Once you enter Luoluo Village, everything else is fine, except fire, which must not be defiled. The fire pit for cooking is the most sacred place in every household, and you must never cross it."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That's the way it should be."

Li Yan turned his head and looked at everyone, "Let's go into the village now, don't get into conflict with them, if it doesn't work, we'll leave tonight and find a place to camp on the official road."

At the command, the team continued to move forward.

In the dense forest of the wilderness, shrouded in the darkness of night, people wearing cloaks and Nuo masks walked forward in silence, like ghosts wandering in the wilderness.

call out!
As they were approaching the village, a sharp arrow whizzed over and stuck into the ground in front of them. The arrow shaft vibrated with great force.

Wow wow wow!

In the darkness in the distance, someone shouted loudly.

Everyone looked at each other, not understanding anything at all. However, Long Yan'er managed to straighten herself up and shouted a few words in an unskilled language.

After a conversation between the two sides, two men walked out of the dense forest.

They had black scarves on their heads, wore black linen robes with right-side openings, and were draped over black blankets. They held bows and arrows, wore huge silver rings on their ears, and wore scimitars on their waists.

Seeing a group of people dressed up, the two men had fear and respect in their eyes. They put their palms on their chests, bent slightly, and spoke a long paragraph, as if expressing greetings.

Then, the two of them left quickly.

Long Yaner whispered, "They said that they welcome guests from afar, but whether they can enter the village depends on Suni's approval."

Li Yan asked in confusion: "What is 'Suni'?"

Long Yaner explained: "It is also a shaman sacrifice, but there are some differences. 'Bimo' or 'Xipo' are hereditary, must be male, and must learn a lot of scriptures."

"There are both male and female Suni. They often become crazy and confused due to sudden accidents, shock or serious illness. When they wake up, they become Suni. They specialize in dealing with ghosts and gods and are also called divine Suni."

"They are afraid that we are unclean things."

"I see."

After hearing this, everyone immediately understood.

These symptoms are all signs of awakening supernatural powers, and most of the people here are sorcerers in the village.

They were not in a hurry and waited quietly.

After a while, Li Yan seemed to sense something and looked into the distance.

He could smell something approaching, and he could hear whispering in his ears, as if a group of people were talking, both men and women.

Human ghost!

Li Yan immediately understood what this was.

Ancestor gods, ghost gods... every place has different names, but they are all human ghosts.

The gods of heaven, earth, and human ghosts are all different.

Human ghosts are ancestral beliefs, while earthly gods are sometimes gods of mountains, rivers, grasses and nature, and they are also united by faith.

The other party must have been accompanied by his predecessors.

Sure enough, as torches flickered in the dense forest, a large group of people came out, surrounding a hunchbacked, white-haired old woman in a black robe and a black hat.

Seeing Li Yan and the others, the hunchbacked, white-haired old woman's eyes flashed with fear. She bowed respectfully and asked, "Where are you from and where are you going?"

He spoke Mandarin, and although it was unfamiliar, it was obvious that he had learned it.

The senior "Suni" beside her kept persuading her to be respectful to Li Yan and others, but was so scared that she scattered away when they got close.

Although Li Yan and others had restrained their aura, they still had a lot of treasures on them, which made these ghosts feel threatened.

"We are going to Chongqing Prefecture via this route."

Li Yan frowned slightly and responded in a deep voice.

To prevent accidents, they wrapped the "Ruyi Pearl" in red cloth and pasted talismans on it to cover it.

Now it seems like a failure.

Even if you restrain your breath, it can still be sensed by some things.

"Oh."

The white-haired old woman nodded slightly, winked at the tribesmen next to her, raised her hand respectfully and said, "The village is holding a sacrifice ceremony. Guests, please have a drink of water and wine first, and it won't be too late to leave."

"Alright."

Li Yan did not refuse.

Surrounded by the crowd, they soon saw the mountain village.

In the Sichuan-Shu area, stilt houses are popular, some of which are integrated with Han Chinese architecture to form a unique architectural style.

The Luoluo (Yi ethnic group) are a little different. Their buildings are earthen houses made of rammed earth, with thick and flat roofs. They are built against the mountain and serve as drying yards or balconies.

The houses are spaced close together, forming a honeycomb pattern.

In the open space in front of the village, a huge bonfire was burning, with flames rising into the sky. Around it, several old men in black robes and black hats were sitting upright, chanting scriptures beside the fire, some waving Buddhist fans, some ringing copper bells.

The sound of bells, the crackling of flames, and the murmur of ancient languages ​​all come together to create a mysterious atmosphere.

And around them, the tribesmen all sat in a circle, silently praying.

Li Yan pinched his fingers and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, a smell rushed into my nose.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes and he looked up at the sky.

This ritual is indeed quite interesting.

Flames rose, and amid the sound of people chanting, a blazing aura spread and rushed towards the mountains and forests.

Although it sounds very weak, wandering ghosts will surely flee at the sight of it.

"Ah~"

The white-haired old woman sighed and explained in a low voice: "The autumn harvest is coming soon. I don't know what happened in the mountain. The wild boars were driven down to cause trouble. I hope this ritual can prevent the disaster."

"If that doesn't work, can you please perform a Yang opera?"

"this…"

Li Yan hesitated when he heard this, then shook his head and said, "Sorry, we have something else to do and can't waste time."

There was a hint of disappointment in the old woman's eyes, but she didn't force it.

Although the arrival of a large group of mysterious outsiders made the villagers in the village vigilant, no one dared to disturb them since Suni gave the permission.

Not only that, but they also entertained everyone warmly.

They brought straw mats and served wine and delicious food.

The wine is sweet wine, brewed from five grains. Although the color of the wine is turbid, it tastes sweet and slightly intoxicating and is very easy to drink.

The pork was cut into large pieces and cooked in a clay pot until it was soft and mushy. When it was served, it was still bubbling.

“This is called Tuotuo meat.”

Long Yaner introduced in a low voice: "Although it doesn't look good, it tastes good. It seems that the village has already prepared for the New Year and will only serve it to entertain distinguished guests."

In addition, there are some sauerkraut soup, cheese cakes and flatbreads.

To be honest, Li Yan and his companions had traveled extensively and had eaten a lot of delicious food, but these food could not compare in terms of delicacy. The food was better because of the rustic taste, and after traveling for days, it was not easy to have a hot meal, so they were naturally in a good mood.

In the distance, the bonfire sacrifice was still going on.

There were many of them, and Wuba was a big belly among them. The women in the village had to send food to them twice before they could barely get enough to eat.

Li Yan felt a little embarrassed and took out a few taels of silver from his pocket, ready to keep it for food money.

At this moment, a tiger roar was heard from the distant mountains and forests.

There was a sudden commotion among the villagers in the village. Several strong men immediately stood up, picked up their bows and arrows, and ran towards the arrow tower.

Lu San's ears twitched slightly, and he whispered to Li Yan, "The tiger's roar is not right. Someone is controlling it and deliberately driving the beast down the mountain."

"Man-made disaster?"

Li Yan frowned slightly and looked around.

Sharifei whispered, "We are almost at Chongqing Prefecture. It is better to avoid causing trouble so as not to let the news leak out."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Meanwhile, beside the fire opposite, the white-haired old woman named "Tian Shou Suni" and several "Bimos" also began to perform rituals.

The "Bimo" elders danced around the fire, beating drums and waving bells, surrounding the white-haired old woman.

The white-haired old woman was also trembling all over, her eyes gradually turned white, and she was lying on the ground holding a handful of sheep bones in her hand, shaking gently.

Li Yan and others watched from a distance.

Wang Daoxuan whispered, "They are still using ancient witchcraft, divination, taboos, and disaster prevention. Generally, they follow these three steps."

As she spoke, the old woman was already looking at the lamb leg bone.

Several old Bimos nearby also saw the result, and their faces were immediately filled with anger, and they cursed loudly at the distant mountain.

Through divination, they also discovered that someone was causing trouble.

The white-haired old woman was trembling all over, and her face gradually became ferocious. Then she took out a straw man, slaughtered some animals, soaked them in blood, picked up the bloody straw man, and chanted a spell towards the distant mountain.

Call ~
In the forest at night, there was a sudden howling of wind and rustling of leaves. It seemed that something was flying towards the top of the mountain along with the wind.

"Roar--!"

The ferocious roar of a tiger rang out in the mountains, one after another, as if something was being fought.

The white-haired old women and those "Bimo" elders sat by the campfire, dancing, beating drums, and reciting scriptures. The scene was very lively.

After struggling for a long time, the tiger's roar gradually subsided.

Then, in the distance, accompanied by the light of fire and anxious shouts, a man was carried over, gasping for breath, his face ashen.

It was the man who had just greeted them.

The villagers hurriedly placed it next to the fire.

When he ripped open his shirt, a black palm print was revealed on his chest.

"It's the Black Sand Palm!"

Sharifei glanced and whispered.

This kind of Kung Fu is very widespread and can be found all over the world, but it all depends on the secret family method, and there are many people who can master it.

"If it's not the Cinnabar Palm or the Five Poison Palm, there is hope."

Li Yan shook his head slightly and took out a pill from his arms. It was the external injury pill that Taoist Master Wang Jingxiu from Wudang Mountain helped them refine.

When those people saw him coming, they immediately became alert.

The white-haired old woman hurriedly tried to stop him, and after asking Li Yan's purpose, she hesitated for a moment and then asked him to help.

Li Yan pressed his hand on the black palm print, shook his wrist, and used hidden strength to disperse the stagnant qi and blood.

puff!
The man suddenly stood up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The people around were startled, but soon they were surprised to find that the man's complexion was gradually getting better and his breathing was no longer rapid.

Li Yan took out the pill again and asked him to take it.

This was a purely violent method, which could be described as stopping injury with injury. Although it dispersed the blood clots, it also injured his lungs.

If it weren't for the precious elixir, this man would have vomited blood and died before dawn.

This medicine was made from the natural treasure "Tyllium" they found in Shennongjia, and it is very effective in stopping bleeding and healing wounds.

After taking it, the man soon fell into a deep sleep and stopped vomiting blood.

"Thank you sir for your help."

The white-haired old woman quickly stood up to express her gratitude.

"It doesn't matter."

Li Yan waved his hands, not caring and not planning to tell the villagers how precious this pill was.

He pondered for a moment and asked, "Excuse me, but have you offended anyone?"

"Ah~"

The white-haired old woman sighed and said, "I already know what's going on."

"The original chieftains used their power to bully others, plundered the people's wealth, lived in Chongqing and enjoyed themselves, and didn't care about our lives."

"Now that the imperial court has changed the system of aboriginals to civilians, he wants to come back and be the great ghost again, but we refused him, so he colluded with some people to cause trouble."

Li Yan frowned and asked, "Why not report it to the court?"

"The imperial court is not a good thing either!"

One man said angrily, "We sent an official before. We sincerely wanted to surrender, but he thought the countryside was too remote and he was bribed by the chieftain. He was like a blind man and let him do whatever he wanted."

"So that's it..." Li Yan suddenly understood.

The policy of transforming chieftains into officials met with strong resistance from the chieftains in Ezhou and Bozhou, but the situation was quite different in the land of Bashu.

The common people had no objections, after all, Bashu was a land of abundance.

The fields are fertile, the people are prosperous, and the thousands of miles of fertile land are no joke.

Only fools would rebel if they have enough food and drink.

The only difference is that the government in Shu was not strong enough. Many of them had been dragged into the salt gang. They were greedy to begin with, and they took the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Sharifi rolled his eyes and said with a chuckle, "This is a simple matter. I'll teach you a trick. Make an umbrella for the people and go to the Chongqing government office with great fanfare. Say that you support the court's policies, and you will have no worries in the future."

"this…"

The white-haired old woman was a little skeptical, "Can it work?"

"Just do it!"

Sharifei said happily: "Don't be afraid of losing face. It's an honor for the government to be in public. As long as they accept the umbrella, if the original chieftain makes trouble again, it will be a slap in their face. He will suffer."

"it is good!"

The white-haired old woman had already seen that those people were extraordinary. After discussing with the old Bimos around her, she nodded in agreement.

Seeing that the problem was solved, the people in the village became more polite and vied with each other to invite them into their homes.

Li Yan and others did not want to disturb them, so they found a place to camp and rested for a night. Then they continued on their journey at dawn the next day.

They were very fast, and with their well-dressed clothes, they would avoid pedestrians they occasionally met on the road and bow to show their good will.

Finally, we arrived in Chongqing Prefecture two days later.

Standing on the mountain and looking down, you can see the surging waves of the Yangtze River and the undulating mountains on both sides. After reaching a pier, the river splits into two waterways.

The Jialing River flows northward.

The other is the Yangtze River, which flows southwest.

On the pier, there were countless large and small ships shuttling back and forth, a surging flow of people, densely populated houses, and a long staircase leading straight up, connecting through three city gates.

"arrive!"

Sharifei looked down, his eyes full of excitement, "Guyuxiongguan Chaotianmen, the first wharf in the southwest Jianghu!"

(End of this chapter)