Knife splashing

Chapter 569 Qingyang Palace, meeting the Jade Emperor

The customs of Shu state recorded: "On the 25th day, it is said that the Emperor of Heaven descends, and people all eat vegetarian food and fast, and no meat or fish is sold in the market."

This day is the day to welcome the Jade Emperor.

According to the common people, after the Kitchen God goes to heaven, the Jade Emperor will come down to the mortal world on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month to investigate the good and evil in the world and determine the fortune and misfortune for the coming year. Therefore, every family offers sacrifice to him to pray for blessings, which is called "welcoming the Jade Emperor."

In short, you should be careful in what you say and do on this day.

No one dared to swear, let alone kill someone with a knife.

So, Mr. Tian Qi’s death was not unjust.

Just the day before.

On this day, the snow fell less heavily, but it still did not stop.

Li Yan lowered his hat and turned his head again.

The Fuhe River Wharf is bustling again.

After chatting with Yang Chenghua, the reincarnation of Erlang Zhenjun last night, he cleaned up the corpse. He had taken away all the things that needed to be taken, leaving only the corpse.

At daybreak, he was discovered by a passing boatman, who ran to report the case in panic, holding a torch.

But the first to arrive were the guards from the Prince of Shu's Palace.

They took the body away neatly, cleaned up the scene, and whipped the boatman who reported the case a few times and gave him some silver.

Afterwards, several yamen runners came leisurely, walked around for a few times, warned the boatman, and then left.

The dock gradually became lively, but the events of last night had been overshadowed.

All of this was seen by Li Yan and the other man.

They did not stop it, but just watched coldly.

Some things will eventually come to an end.

Yang Chenghua is a surprise soldier, and Li Yan will not let him show up easily. After all, there are many old monsters hiding this time.

No one knew who the culprit was until the last moment.

After bidding farewell to the reincarnation of Erlang Zhenjun, Li Yan did not rush back to the city, but took a detour to Qingyang Palace.

There are several mysterious forces in Chengdu Prefecture.

The Du family, the Cheng family, and the Confucian family have made it clear that they are on the side of the Fifth Prince Xiao Jinghong, wanting to support him in ascending to the throne, and are even willing to go against the King of Shu...

The Huangling Sect originally didn't want to cause trouble, but they had been tricked by the Shu Palace before and had to swallow their anger. Now even the City God Temple has been infiltrated, which made them furious.

With Mingshanzi's help, he has stood on Xiao Jinghong's side.

The same is true in Qingcheng Mountain. The King of Shu has recruited so many evil masters from the southwest. The previous battle between good and evil in Dujiangyan was related to him. Even the King of Shu himself may have been possessed by another spirit.

Today, Qingcheng Mountain can no longer sit idly by.

This is the general trend.

Today is no longer the chaotic times of the late Tang Dynasty. Although the evil ways in Chengdu are rampant and the evil winds are strong, the power of righteousness is stronger.

As for Qingyang Palace, it is an exception.

They do not belong to Qingcheng, but are a descendant of Laozi. They act in a low-key manner and have a high reputation. There are also many Xuanmen monks who practice in seclusion.

Starting from the beginning of the year, various blessing ceremonies will be held here until the 15th or 16th day of the first lunar month, when the Chengdu Lantern Festival ends.

By then, Chengdu will have two focuses.

One is the various lantern festival activities in Qingyang Palace.

The second was the martial arts competition held by the Prince of Shu’s Palace.

If possible, it would be best to gather a large number of people to capture the King of Shu and destroy the monsters before things get out of hand.

But Li Yan knew that this was not realistic at all.

The King of Shu was not only the emperor's brother, but also had a special status. He also had a large number of officials in Shu supporting him and was able to command the army.

It can be said that a single move can affect the entire body.

If it is not handled properly, war will break out in Shu immediately and countless lives will be lost, so every step must be taken without error.

According to the information from Liang Yu of Mingxiang Pavilion, there are also abnormalities in Qingyang Palace.

Not only is it related to the overall situation, but the ceremony to help the Dragon Girl gather incense will also be performed here. Li Yan naturally wants to find out what is going on...

.........

"Little layman, please lend me your light~"

A hoarse voice sounded and Li Yan quickly moved aside.

But I saw an old porter carrying a load of tea squeezing through the crowd.

Li Yan could clearly hear that the tea was Laojun Tea from Qingcheng Mountain. It was not expensive, but the packaging was exquisite, and each package was tied with red silk.

This is tea offered to the gods.

Common people love to follow trends. As long as someone buys and offers sacrifices, it will always inspire others, otherwise they will feel at a loss.

In fact, even if you spend a fortune to buy it, it won’t be of much use and is nothing more than a psychological comfort.

At this time of year every year, tea merchants are always able to dispose of a batch of inventory.

After making way, Li Yan looked up and watched.

As he expected, Qingyang Palace is extremely lively nowadays.

Today is the day to welcome the Jade Emperor. From high-ranking officials in Chengdu to ordinary people, everyone comes to offer sacrifices and pray.

But outside the mountain gate, under the huge plaque of "Qingyang Palace" with golden characters on a black background, there was already a crowd of people, so dense that they even blocked the gate.

The Taoists in Qingyang Palace seemed to have gotten used to it long ago.

They guarded the door and remained calm despite the noisy crowds around them. They let one group in and another in to prevent the palace from being too crowded.

It was still early, so Li Yan was not in a hurry to go in.

He narrowed his eyes and looked outside the door, while practicing the Yang Jue technique.

Outside the mountain gate of Qingyang Palace, there are statues of the land god and the blue dragon on the left, a statue of the white tiger on the right, and seven star piles.

On the Seven Stars Post, there are inscriptions of heavenly script and cloud seals, which are called the Big Dipper Post according to the layout of the Big Dipper in the sky.

Ordinary people cannot detect it, but as a sorcerer, he can smell it clearly. The smell of incense mixed with the strong energy envelops the entire Qingyang Palace.

Li Yan was a little surprised and nodded slightly.

In Shu, Qingcheng and Emei are the most famous, but in the Taoist world, some places are no less famous.

For example, Guangde Temple in Suining is known as the "No. 1 Zen Temple in Southwest China".

The Qingyang Palace in front of us is known as the "No. 1 Taoist Temple in Western Sichuan."

It has a long history and was first built in the Zhou Dynasty.

It is recorded in "The Book of the Kings of Shu" by Yang Xiong of the Han Dynasty: "Laozi wrote "Tao Te Ching" for Guanling Yinxi. Before leaving, he said: "After you have practiced Taoism for a thousand days, come and find me in Qingyangsi, Chengdu."

Three years later, Laozi came here, and Yin Xi came as promised. Laozi showed his Dharma image and sat on the lotus platform. Yin Xi heard Taoism for the first time.

From then on, the status of Qingyang Palace was established.

During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xizong fled to Sichuan to avoid the Huang Chao Rebellion and stationed here.

In the temple, he saw a red light like a ball entering the ground and dug out a jade brick with ancient script engraved on it: "Taishang Pingzhonghezai", which he regarded as a good omen.

Regardless of whether it was man-made or not, Qingyang Palace was built with funds from the imperial court. From then on, the name of "temple" was changed to "palace", and it has reached its current scale.

Because of this, Qingyang Palace has a special status.

They were more involved in secular affairs, and were not very interested in the more prosperous Qingcheng Mountain. They also had close relations with the Shu Palace.

If it is infiltrated by the King of Shu, it will be a big trouble.

Thinking of this, Li Yan pulled down his hat, used the dragon and snake brand to restrain his breath, bought some incense and candles from the stall next to him, and pretended to be a pilgrim to blend into the crowd.

After waiting for a long time, I finally passed through the mountain gate.

Entering into Qingyang Palace, there were also a lot of people there.

The layout of Qingyang Palace is that the Sanqing Hall and Bagua Pavilion are in the front, and after passing through they are the Hunyuan Hall, Doumu Hall and Jade Emperor Hall.

That is the focus of today's incense burning.

But the pilgrims were seen stepping on the snow and rushing towards the Sanqing Temple.

The salt merchant in a silk jacket threw silver grains into the merit box, and the copper coins hit the bottom of the pine wood box, making a dull sound...

The old woman carrying a bamboo basket took out the frozen rice cake from the basket and placed it on the table tremblingly...

Incense sticks of all sizes were densely packed, and green smoke was curling up, making the plaque of "Qingyang Shengjing" hazy. Li Yan first entered the Sanqing Hall to burn incense.

Just like other places, once you enter the hall, the power of incense is strong, and the arrangement below directly blocks the supernatural powers.

Although Li Yan could use his identity as a celestial official to drive them away, the noise would be too loud, so he simply pretended to be an ordinary pilgrim, respectfully burned incense, and then left.

At the same time, he was also paying attention to the movements around him.

According to the information Liang Yu gave, the statue of Laozi in Qingyang Palace was shedding tears of blood. This was an ominous sign, but the Taoists in the palace did not seem to be affected...

Li Yan felt puzzled. After leaving Sanqing Hall, he followed the crowd through the corridor on the left side of the hall. A palace appeared in front of him again.

That is the Hunyuan Hall, where the main deity of Hunyuan is enshrined, Taishang Laojun.

Li Yan followed the crowd, but his eyes drifted to the other side.

There is an Eight Diagrams Pavilion over there, with double-layered flying eaves and gargoyles, and surrounded by tortoise-patterned doors and cloud-flower carved windows. It is also filled with offerings, and a bunch of people are worshipping there.

Inside, there is a statue of Laozi riding a green bull.

The one shedding tears of blood is this statue.

However, Li Yan just took a look and ignored it.

Although the shape is simple, the statue of Laozi riding a green bull has been replaced. It may deceive ordinary people, but not him.

Someone in Qingyang Palace deliberately suppressed this matter!

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something, and followed the crowd to Hunyuan Hall.

After taking a few steps, his ears suddenly moved slightly, and he carried the bamboo basket containing the offerings and walked to the other side of the hall as if casually.

Under the stone platform of the corridor pillar, there was a statue of a strong man squatting on the eaves, with snow all over his head and shoulders, making him look a bit silly.

The kid in the tiger-head hat pointed at the statue of the warrior and shouted. The poor scholar in the patched cotton robe quickly covered the kid's mouth and said, "Don't dare to offend him. This is the guardian of Xuanmen."

After that, he explained: "This strong man was the incarnation of the commander of the imperial guards who held a halberd and protected the road when Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty fled from the chaos."

Li Yan's heart moved, pretending to be curious, he stepped forward and asked, "Sir, I wonder what this statue means."

When the poor scholar saw someone asking about it, he immediately showed off, "The guest must have come from far away. This image is really a strange story."

"When Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty was fleeing, a demon from behind chased him here. His guards held him back, and then a thunderbolt from the sky struck the demon to death."

"See its arm?"

"It's the burn mark from the lightning that struck the demon."

Li Yan looked over and saw that there was indeed a burn mark on the right arm of the stone statue. Although it was very old, the color was obviously different from the surrounding area.

After the poor scholar finished speaking, he bowed and took the child away.

Li Yan, on the other hand, approached calmly, his ears moving slightly.

From this stone warrior statue, a faint cry came out:
"Demon, retreat! Retreat!"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and left silently.

This evil spirit was definitely not talking about him.

The stone statues have been struck by lightning and have been fumigated by incense until now. Most of them have developed spirituality and become guardians of the mountain gate, but their abilities are limited and the Taoists cannot understand the language of ghosts and gods.

What on earth is going on in this Qingyang Palace...

Li Yan remained calm and followed the people in burning incense.

Not long after, they arrived outside the Jade Emperor Temple.

Today is the day to welcome the Jade Emperor, and the place is packed with people. In the square in front of the temple, a tall altar has been built, with flags fluttering and incense and candles emitting curling smoke in the wind and snow.

More than a dozen Taoists stood guard with their backs turned, forbidding others to approach.

This is the ceremony to welcome the Jade Emperor, and the people around are waiting.

Li Yan carried a basket and mixed in the crowd. He stood under the west porch and looked up to see the colorful paintings between the brackets: Emperor Xuantian with his hair loose and barefoot stepping on a turtle and a snake, surrounded by paintings of the 72 Earthly Evil Gods.

Exquisite, ancient, and long-lasting.

It's hard to believe that any evil spirit would dare to approach.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
Suddenly, three bells rang, breaking the snow curtain.

A group of elderly Taoists in robes, holding tablets and gilded statues of the Jade Emperor, walked out of the Jade Emperor Hall in square steps.

Amid the sound of drums and music and accompanied by the chanting of scriptures, they stepped onto the altar one by one.

After placing the Jade Emperor statue, they swung the Jade Emperor banner, stepped on the Gangbu, chanted mantras, and the sound of the copper bell at the end of the banner continued to echo.

The Taoist priest beside the altar kept throwing yellow paper into the copper basin.

The blue smoke curled up and rose up, and in the wind and snow, condensed into four large characters "good weather and good harvests" (风调秋福). The smoke was then blown by the wind and passed over the people's heads.

"God bless you!"

The wealthy businessmen in front, who were dressed in gorgeous clothes, suddenly shouted with tears in their eyes.

"God bless you!"

In a blink of an eye, all the people in the courtyard knelt down, and their sheepskin coats, cotton-padded jackets and satin cloaks formed a colorful picture on the snow.

When Li Yan saw it, he frowned.

This was not a miracle, but a vision created by magic.

Ordinary people cannot see the flow of the evil energy, so when the sorcerers do things for others, they always perform some miracles to avoid being accused of being liars.

Even they have done this kind of thing.

But Xuanmen Zhengjiao is different.

There's no need to create such a scene unless it's necessary.

Qingyang Palace has no shortage of incense and is not afraid of being ridiculed.

All the people in the courtyard knelt down, and Li Yan, who still stood tall, stood out, attracting a lot of attention.

Li Yan's face was calm and he turned around to leave.

Of course he wouldn't kneel, but he didn't want to get into trouble either.

"Young Master Li?"

Just then, a clear voice came from the left.

But he saw a Taoist priest leading people to come over. When he saw him, he was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. "Young Master Li, you came to Qingyang Palace, why didn't you come to me, so as to show your hospitality as a host."

Li Yan had no choice but to turn around and bow:

"Meet Taoist Master Yun Lingzi."

The visitor was none other than the Taoist priest he met in Longtan Village outside Shennongjia.

This Taoist was ordered to suppress the Dragon Girl, and it was he who told him about Lord Jiang and the Dragon Girl.

After the incident in Shennongjia ended, the Dragon Girl stopped moving, so the other party left Longtan Village and returned to Qingyang Palace to report.

When he left, he also invited him to visit Chengdu.

If it were in the past, Li Yan would definitely visit first when he came.

But these days, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

The Qingyang Palace is in Chengdu, but it cares so much about the dragon girl who lives in an inconspicuous village in Shennongjia. I'm afraid it's not just because he cares about the world.

His attitude was neither cold nor warm, but Yun Lingzi on the opposite side seemed not to notice and said enthusiastically, "Come on, come on, I have some good tea, just in time for you, Young Master Li, to taste it."

After saying that, he stepped forward and held Li Yan's hand.

It looked enthusiastic, but it was a hard pinch.

Li Yan understood and smiled, "In that case, I'm sorry to bother you, Taoist priest."

The two of them quickly left the compound, and the sounds of drums, music and chanting were gradually left behind.

Not long after, they arrived at a small courtyard.

Yun Lingzi turned around and said to the young Taoist priests calmly, "You guys go and do your work. I will meet up with my old friend."

"Yes, uncle."

The young Taoist priests bowed and left.

Yun Lingzi took Li Yan into the tea room.

As soon as he entered the room, he immediately closed the door, his face grim, and he gritted his teeth and asked, "Young Master Li, something terrible has happened!"

(End of this chapter)