Knife splashing

Chapter 628: Old Stories in the Capital of Gods
On the north bank of Luo River, it was just past noon.

"Hey hoo~ Hey hoo~"

The men of the Heluo Chamber of Commerce shouted the Yellow River slogan.

They were wearing black cotton trousers held together by red belts. It was a very cold day, and they were all shirtless, revealing their strong muscles. They were either pulling the oars or lifting big wooden hammers.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
One after another, mud splashed everywhere and the ebony stakes tied with red cloth were nailed heavily into the river beach.

You can vaguely see that it is the arrangement of the eight trigrams.

Various tributes have also been laid out.

There were many people on the riverbank, and the firewood pile was rising, making it very lively.

Li Yan and others stood far away and watched the ceremony.

Just when they were about to leave, Mrs. Pei from the Longmen Inn extended an invitation, and everyone realized that several priests from the Heluo Chamber of Commerce had already gathered in secret to discuss holding a "sacrifice to the River God" ceremony.

The decline of the Central Plains region affected not only the common people.

The Heluo business group has a long history and has always been rooted in the local area.

Unlike those merchants who can go to the coast, the Heluo merchant group's foundation is the ancient Yellow River Road and the Central Plains Trade Route.

To go to the coast is to cross the border.

No matter how good the relationship is, it can still cause trouble.

The business route declined, and coupled with changes in the astronomical phenomena, the ice on the Yellow River melted later than in previous years. The old men in the gang were worried that there would be problems with the Yellow River waterway, or even a breach of the dike causing a catastrophe, so they planned to offer sacrifices to the River God.

"In previous years, it wouldn't have been so troublesome..."

The waiter sent by the Dragon Gate Inn to greet us curled his lips and said, "The court has just issued a decree that all large-scale sacrifices must be approved by the mysterious priest."

"But those people in the City God Temple are always difficult to talk to. Plus, since the Paper Figure case happened, they are using this as an excuse to embarrass us."

"The elders and the priests discussed it secretly and spent money to smooth the relationship. Only then did they barely catch up with the time..."

His words showed his dissatisfaction with the City God Temple.

After complaining for a while, he saw that there were not enough people to carry things in the distance, so he excused himself and left. It was obvious that he was someone who couldn't sit still.

"Sacrificing to He Bo, is it useful?"

Sharifei muttered something, obviously not believing it.

Li Yan shook his head slightly and said, "In ancient times, He Bo was both an ancient clan and a secular god. He had a high status and had been worshipped since the Shang Dynasty."

"Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has become a dual-faceted being with both good and evil sides. In the Hu Zi Song written by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it is mentioned that it both brings disasters and receives prayers. The Taoists also worship it as a god."

"But since the Tang and Song dynasties, it has gradually declined, and the duties of water gods in various places have also become the Four Rivers Dragon Kings..."

"Yo?"

Sharifei was surprised: "I didn't expect Brother Yan to explore ancient sites."

Li Yan laughed dumbly, "I just checked it specifically."

In fact, he still had something to say.

Ever since he experienced what happened with Master Erlang, he specifically asked Ling Yunzi to study the matter, and the other party readily agreed.

After all, it is very rare for Erlang Zhenjun to be the reincarnation of a secular god.

This investigation is amazing, there are indeed many suspected people in history.

For example, this "He Bo" was once said to be Feng Yi from Tongxiang, Huayin. After his death, he turned into He Bo and gave the River Map to Xia Yu.

Li Yan smelled something unusual.

If a secular god wants to be a reincarnated god like Erlang, he must gather a large amount of incense power and become a part of the national sacrifice.

Later on, He Bo's reputation became not very good.

In Zhuangzi's "Autumn Water", he is described as arrogant, defeated by Yinglong, and entangled with the goddess of Luoshui and Houyi...

There seem to be two forces entangled.

Now it seems that He Bo has failed, which may also reflect the feelings that the Chinese people have had towards the Yellow River over the years.

Sharifi was right about one thing.

Habaek's influence continued to decline.

The ritual of offering sacrifice to He Bo is probably useless.

At the same time, the sacrificial ceremony in the distance was about to begin. The Heluo business gang tied yellow cattle and white sheep to the west side of the earthen platform, and dug out their internal organs and placed them on the five-colored soil. The black pig was tied with iron chains, with mulberry blood charms stuck on its back, and placed on a raft...

"Isn't this method of offering three animals wrong?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, somewhat confused.

He just focused on checking some secular gods and strong men, but had no idea how to offer sacrifices.

"This is called 'sinking sacrifice'."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and said, "In ancient times, there were two types of sacrifices: burial sacrifices and sinking sacrifices, which were offered to the gods of mountains and forests and waters respectively. In the Zhou Li Da Zong Bo, it is written that 'using raccoons to sink sacrifices to mountains, rivers, forests and marshes'."

"It seems that this sacrificial method has been passed down for a long time..."

Boom boom boom!
Just as everyone was discussing, the sacrificial ceremony finally began.

But I saw an old priest in black from the Heluo business group standing in front of the altar made of old wood, spreading out mulberry paper, and writing a sacrificial message with a Luo cinnabar pen dipped in the blood of a rooster's comb: With my strong mane and soft fur, I dare to announce to the holy god Hebo...

Behind him, twenty-four disciples of the Heluo Merchant Gang clapped their swords in unison, the sound like boatmen's songs piercing through the morning mist.

After the sacrificial text was recited, four shirtless men carried a yellow ox and a white sheep off the high platform, dug a pit three meters high, and buried three animals according to the number of "three talents".

The black pig was dragged into the rapids by an iron chain.

"Hey!"

Many disciples of the Merchant Gang pulled the iron chain together, and the fragile raft broke apart immediately. The black pig didn't even have time to make a sound before it sank into the whirlpool and disappeared.

Seeing that the sacrificial ceremony was almost over, Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Let's go, we have other things to do."

After saying goodbye to Madam Pei, everyone led their horses and continued on their journey.

When we arrived here, we were not far from Luoyang City. We could see the tall and dilapidated city walls bathed in the morning sun from afar.

Not long after they left, the sacrificial ceremony finally ended.

"My fellow martial artists."

Madam Pei smiled and bowed, saying, "After offering sacrifices to the River God, there will be good weather and good harvests this year. Please move aside. We have prepared a banquet."

She was also skeptical about the ritual of offering sacrifice to He Bo.

What was more important were the people invited to watch the ceremony. There were not only the gangsters from Yuzhou, but also nearby chambers of commerce and wealthy people. There were also countless common people who came to follow the sacrifice.

This is also one of the goals of the Heluo Merchants Group.

Through the sacrificial ceremony, everyone is invited to come and calm people's hearts, and at the same time attract people for the Heluo Merchants Gang's business this year.

"Look, what is that!"

Just then, someone shouted in surprise.

Madam Pei raised her foot and took a look, her expression immediately turned ugly.

But I saw a few objects floating slowly from a nearby tributary, rising and falling in the turbid water waves.

They turned out to be several black coffins!
For a moment, everyone by the river was silent.

When offering sacrifices to the God of River, this thing appears, which looks like a bad omen no matter how you look at it.

"Pull up!"

Seeing the gang elders giving her a look, Madam Pei immediately gave the order.

We can't be careless about this matter.

There are also ancient water burial ceremonies on the Yellow River, but most of them are boat burials, which will sink when they enter the center of the river.

Some people would place a coffin, and if the ropes used to bind it were not strong, it would not be uncommon for it to float to the surface.

But when it comes to offering sacrifices to the God of Rivers, you have to find out the truth.

Otherwise, rumors will spread tomorrow.

There were many brave young men in the Chamber of Commerce who were good at swimming. They immediately threw out iron hooks and hooked the coffins on the river to the riverside.

"It's Sophora japonica!"

As soon as it was dragged ashore, someone exclaimed in a low voice.

The people around were also frightened and retreated.

There are certain rules for making coffins in the folk: "One is cypress, two is pine, and three is elm. If it really doesn't work, use willow." However, locust and Chinese toon woods are absolutely not allowed to be used to make coffins for the deceased.

Sophora japonica, there is a ghost beside the tree.

If you use locust wood to make a coffin, you will be troubled by ghosts.

"Open!"

Madam Pei also had a gloomy expression on her face. She looked around, suspecting that someone was doing something to cause trouble for their Chamber of Commerce.

But after opening it, even the Chamber of Commerce disciples turned pale.

Inside the coffin, there were paper figures.

It is so lifelike and particularly creepy.

Madam Pei gritted her teeth and looked up at the river.

"Mangshan..."

…………

As they got closer, Li Yan and others saw that Luoyang City looked even more dilapidated.

Where the bricks of the city wall peel off, the rammed earth from the Han and Wei dynasties is exposed.

The collapsed part of Changxia Gate was repaired with wooden fences.

After paying the entrance fee, everyone continued on their way.

Along the way, we saw many refugees and beggars huddled in straw huts under the arrow towers of the city walls. The ruts of the canal carts had created deep grooves on the bluestone slabs. The accumulated water smelled of the sour smell of animal feces and urine, and after freezing into ice, it was crushed by the iron hands of the horse caravans...

This scene caused everyone to fall silent.

They could hardly imagine that this was the once glorious divine capital Luoyang.

Li Yan sighed slightly, "Let's find a place to stay first."

After passing through the city gate and entering Tongtuo Street, the situation was obviously much better.

The sun has climbed over the remaining pillars of Tianjin Bridge, casting long shadows. The spicy aroma of Hu La Tang wafts from the shops on both sides.

The old man who was carrying a load of noodles squatted outside the store, wiping his sweat with a cloth towel and shouting, "The noodles are too thick, and the donkey meat sauce is too salty. Sir, can you leave the bowl for me?"

"Yes! Add more apricot juice."

"New wheat buns! Hot."

"The fried dough sticks are crispy, the sugar cakes are sweet, and three cents is enough to keep you full until noon!"

The old blind man at the fortune-telling stall at the end of the street played his sanxian and sang in a Central Plains tune: "Divining the horoscopes to match marriages and break the door evil - if your new wife grinds her teeth at night or your child cries at night, be careful!"

Bah bah bah!
The people passing by immediately cursed inwardly.

Li Yan and his companions had not eaten yet, and when they heard the hawking in the street, their stomachs suddenly rumbled, so they found a clean mutton soup restaurant, ordered a large bowl each, and also got a basket of Guanxi pot cakes.

The mutton soup is fresh and white, and the pot cake is crispy and fragrant.

The boredom just now was also dispelled by the flavor of the market.

Just then, the conversation nearby attracted their attention.

"Have you heard that Wang Banxian has been arrested?"

"Damn it, he should have been arrested long ago. He is a notorious rapist who has ruined countless good families. If it weren't for the palace..."

"I heard that it was a monk from the White Horse Temple who led people from the Duwei Division to the Tianxiang Tower to arrest someone. The prince and his son were also arrested."

“Hehe, that scene…”

When Li Yan and others heard this, they exchanged glances with each other.

One of their main targets this time was the Duwei Division.

Dilongzi was assassinated by them, and Zhao Luzi's incident might be related to some of them.

Now it seems that they are actually involved with the White Horse Temple.

The water in Luoyang is very deep...

…………

After breakfast, everyone went to the East Market.

During the Tang Dynasty, the layout of the capital was divided into two cities, north and south, with the Luo River as the boundary. It was extremely large, but with the unrest in the late Tang Dynasty and the city being burned down several times in wars, the southern city has long disappeared.

When they passed by just now, it had become a large tract of farmland, with only the occasional stone-carved corridors between the fields, telling of its former glory.

The former Tang Palace has also disappeared.

The current layout is more like Chang'an. The new royal palace is built in the north of the city, but it is much smaller than Chang'an.

When we arrived at the East Market, the streets here were much narrower than Tongtuo Street. Although there were many businesses along the street, most of the buildings were old walls that had been renovated.

The cold wind blew, and the yellow wine flag fluttered.

On the streets and alleys, people from nearby areas set up stalls with baskets on their shoulders, selling everything from game hunted in the mountains to homemade wooden farm tools, hemp ropes and iron pots.

There are even people selling Tang Sancai and pottery on the street.

Most of them were damaged, and it was obvious that they had just been dug out of the soil.

Although there were a lot of people, there was an inexplicable sense of desolation.

It was obvious at first glance that Li Yan and his men were not people to be trifled with, so the city foxes, community rats, and street beggars all stayed away from them and did not approach them to harass them.

They came to the end of the street, where there was also a Longmen Inn, which was the place that Madam Pei had found for them to stay.

"But Young Master Li."

The boss here had already received the news and was waiting outside. When he saw everyone, he hurried forward to greet them.

The Longmen Inn in Luoyang City is not as big and high-ranking as the one at Yihe Wharf, but it is more elegant and clean.

After arranging the rooms for everyone, the innkeeper immediately took out the prepared envelope from his arms and said respectfully: "Everyone, this is what Captain Pei asked me to check. Now the wind in Luoyang City is not right, and we dare not act recklessly. Please forgive me if there are any omissions."

Li Yan asked: "What happened again?"

The shopkeeper did not hide it and explained directly:
"This matter is related to Buddhism and Taoism. Two years ago, Shangqing Palace and White Horse Temple were fighting over land."

"Later, a senior official of the imperial court visited Luoyang and saw the situation. He mocked and wrote a poem: 'The Buddha's bones have turned to dust, but the will to save the world remains. The Tao is there to feed the people, so why bother to make the elixir?' The two families stopped temporarily..."

"After the Paper Figure case came out, they started fighting each other again. They used this incident to make a big fuss. Since it was not possible to do it openly, they just targeted those who had a good relationship with the other party and beat them up fiercely."

"There are some Fusang monks in the White Horse Temple. Shangqing Palace said that these people are related to the remnants of Maitreya Sect, so they were all arrested."

"In Luoyang City, there is a man named Wang Banxian who is proficient in the art of sex and has close relationships with many dignitaries. He is also close friends with several Taoist priests in Shangqing Palace. He was also arrested last night..."

"In short, it's a mess, so please be careful."

After saying that, he bowed and said goodbye and left.

After he left, Sharifei shook his head and said, "I wonder if the court will regret what they did when they see Luoyang in this state now."

What he was referring to was the old case of King Luoyang.

While at Longmen Inn, they had collected some intelligence about Luoyang.

The King of Luoyang at that time was wise and capable. He managed Luoyang in an orderly manner and the city gradually showed signs of rising.

Unfortunately, he stood on the wrong side. Now that the emperor has ascended the throne, although the other party has repeatedly begged for mercy, his entire family is still executed.

The current prince of Luoyang is actually a fool who got to the top by taking advantage of the situation. He is greedy, stupid, and unable to control the situation.

Although Luoyang's current decline is influenced by the general trend, it is also inseparable from the actions of this stupid prince.

"How could the superiors care about these things?"

Li Yan shook his head and checked the information in his hand.

In Madam Pei’s previous intelligence, two people were mentioned specifically.

One of them was called "Tulong Zhang". On the surface, he was a wealthy man in Luoyang, but in fact, he was the leader of the Yuzhou Tanyou lineage. Later, he disappeared mysteriously, and his old house at the foot of Mang Mountain became empty. It was said that strange things often happened there...

The other one is called "Golden-eyed Feng", a well-known master in Luoyang Ghost Market. He is well-versed in history and knows how to appreciate all kinds of rare treasures.

Zhao Luzi had looked for this person before he disappeared.

However, after reading the information, Li Yan was a little surprised.

"what happened?"

Wang Daoxuan asked hurriedly.

Li Yan shook his head and said, "This 'Golden Eyes Feng' has been arrested and thrown into the government prison because of the paper figurine case..."

(End of this chapter)