Knife splashing

Chapter 699: Ghost Parade
"Old ghost in Beijing..."

Looking at the other person's leaving figure, Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something.

Although this old beggar hid himself deeply, he could vaguely sense that there was something wrong with the opponent's magic.

The Qi is sluggish and obscure, probably because of a serious injury.

He is so proficient in the method of entering the "Nine Gates of Yinxu", could he be related to the royal family...

The thought flashed through Li Yan's mind and he didn't have time to think about it. He immediately turned around and returned to the courtyard.

In the small courtyard, the altar had already been set up.

Four colored flags are set according to the four directions, implying that the four divine beasts are guarding the altar...

The altar is covered with yellow and white brocade, and the "Five Offerings" are offered in front of the statue of the ancestor. A peach wood sword is inserted diagonally in front of the altar, and the hilt is tied with talisman coins tied with a red rope, which is connected to the four-color flag, wrapping the entire altar.

In addition, the Sanqing Bell is hung on the wooden frame on the east side, and the sound of the bell can scare away wandering ghosts.

Eight Bagua mirrors are hung on the courtyard wall, reflecting the moonlight and forming a "celestial light net" with red ropes and copper coins to prevent the invasion of external evil.

As for the ground in front of the altar, a Tai Chi diagram is laid out with glutinous rice and incense ash.

Seven copper lamps are arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, symbolizing the power of the stars to protect the soul.

Even in the incense burner next to it, there was burning "soul-returning incense" made of sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, etc.

In order to ensure Li Yan's safety, Wang Daoxuan used his best trick.

"Brother Yan."

Wang Daoxuan said solemnly, "Brother Yan, although you have reached the fourth level of Taoism, you are still unable to control your soul. I will light the soul lamp to protect your body, use the Yin talisman to open your mind, and then use the soul-guiding incense to guide your soul to travel."

"But this is a dangerous matter, and there are a few points that require special attention."

"Your ghost can only travel within the first three quarters of the midnight hour. The yin energy is at its strongest now. You can use the power of the moon to alleviate the loss of your soul. Once the time passes and the midnight and noon come, the yang energy will rise again, and the loss of your soul will increase. You will feel groggy and unable to find your way home..."

"I have buried hidden talisman jades around the altar. If you encounter a patrol by the City God, you can hide, but it can only last three times..."

"After your soul leaves your body, I will set up a soul-binding thread. After three quarters of an hour, I will wave the soul-calling flag. If you do not return within the time limit, I will cut the soul-binding thread with the peach wood sword, light the substitute straw man on fire, and force your soul to return to your body."

"So, this soul-binding thread must not be broken!"

"Don't worry, Taoist priest. I understand."

Li Yan nodded seriously, and then, under the guidance of Wang Daoxuan, sat cross-legged in the Yin-Yang fish in front of the altar.

Long Yaner immediately stepped forward and lit up the seven-star lamps one by one, and warned: "Brother Yan, be careful. If things are impossible, return immediately. We still have time and opportunities."

"Don't worry, I know."

Li Yan said one more word of comfort, then made hand gestures and entered into a state of meditation.

Wang Daoxuan signaled Long Yaner and Wuba to protect him, then shook his Taoist robe, dipped a willow branch in rootless water (rainwater), stepped on the Gang Step, and sprinkled it around the altar, chanting at the same time: "The natural world, the foul air disperses... The mysterious void in the cave, the bright Taiyuan!"

This is the "Divine Mantra for Purifying Heaven and Earth", which is used to purify the altar to prevent interference from foreign energy.

It will only be used when it is an important spell.

The willow branches sprinkled water, and the air around seemed to become fresher.

Wang Daoxuan turned around and returned to the altar. He made a hand gesture with his left hand and wrote with a cinnabar pen in his right hand on the yellow paper, "I order the Dingmao divine general Sima Qing to protect the soul, and the Jiaxu divine general Zhan Zijiang to calm the spirit..." and then lit it.

This is burning talismans to summon the Six Dings and Six Jias to protect the altar.

As the yellow paper burned, the ashes formed twelve whirlwinds and scattered in all directions.

Today's Wang Daoxuan is no longer the miserable Taoist priest he used to be.

Not only does he have profound Taoist skills and complete his heritage, he has also mastered the "Five Heads Divine Art", which allows him to do two things at once.

This kind of altar usually requires three people to perform, but he can easily complete it alone.

After everything was ready, Wang Daoxuan looked solemn and took out a piece of yellow mounted paper from the altar.

Cinnabar is mixed with gecko blood to make a "soul-separation talisman".

He placed the "Soul Separation Talisman" on Li Yanmei's spiritual acupoint, pressed his thumb against the base of his ring finger, and put the other three fingers together, chanting:

"The Nine Netherworlds are auspicious, and the souls are leaving the Mysterious Gate... Command!"

As the sword pointed out, Li Yan, who was sitting in the Yin Fish Eye position, suddenly trembled slightly.

At this moment, his whole body relaxed quickly, his shoulders drooped slightly, and his breathing slowed down, as if he had turned into a clay statue.

Li Yan himself felt his body getting heavier and heavier, and the surroundings fell into darkness, as if he was wrapped in a quilt.

He concentrated his mind and suddenly leaped forward.

In an instant, the surroundings felt completely different.

The whole person felt light and his feet were off the ground. The world around him lost all its color and was left with only gray.

But all the subtle sounds, breaths, and even the flow of heat became a hundred times clearer.

Looking up, there was a cold and gloomy atmosphere as heavy as mercury between heaven and earth.

That is the power of the moonlight brought by the Seven Star Lamp.

Turning around and looking around, the surroundings became dim and seemed to be shrouded in a mist.

He could see that in the courtyard, Long Yan'er and Wu Ba had serious expressions on their faces as they looked at his body in front of the altar.

But they turned a blind eye to his soul.

Ring ring ring~
The red rope copper coin on the hilt of Wang Daoxuanfa Sword trembled slightly.

Li Yan felt like a balloon, being pulled left and right.

Looking at the wrist again, a red rope the size of a copper coin also appeared, with the tail end sinking into the void, as if connected to the hilt of Wang Daoxuan's sword.

Li Yan felt something and shook his wrist.

The red rope and copper coins on the peach wood hilt immediately trembled.

"Go!"

Wang Daoxuan suddenly opened his eyes and pointed at the incense burner.

Threads of green smoke rose from the incense burner and swirled around Li Yan.

Then, a stream of green smoke floated towards the darkness outside the yard.

Li Yan knew that this was the soul-guiding incense.

Time was running out, so he didn't dare to delay and immediately followed the soul-guiding incense forward.

The ghost's travels are truly swift.

Li Yan just had a thought and rushed forward suddenly, passing through the door.

In the eyes of others, a cold wind suddenly blew up in the courtyard, and then Li Yan's breath disappeared completely.

When he opened his eyes again, Li Yan was already on the street.

He looked around, and the streets became strange at this moment.

Everything was dim and uncertain. It was pitch black a hundred meters away and nothing could be seen clearly.

It’s like stepping into the netherworld.

If an ordinary person encounters this situation, he will most likely run around in fear, his soul will be scared to death.

Li Yan was proficient in magical skills and had experienced this before, so he was not afraid.

He saw the direction clearly, and with a thought, he flew quickly to the left.

There are nine gates in the capital city, and there is more than one night watchman, each of whom is only responsible for one area.

This is the first hurdle to entering the "Nine Gates Yinxu".

He had no idea where the "Oil-stealing Rat Demon" would appear, so he could only take his chances by following the night watchman...

…………

Bang~Bang~Bang~
"At midnight, beware of fire and theft."

The night watchman "Lao Dou" yawned and shouted weakly.

There are many miserable people in the world, and "Lao Dou" is one of them.

He had suffered from a strange disease since he was a child. Half of his face was swollen, and his eyes and facial features were dislocated, making him look like a monster.

Perhaps it was because he was born with a tough life. His parents had abandoned him, but he was picked up by a deaf-mute old man and brought home.

Although life was hard, "Lao Dou" finally grew up.

Naturally, this honor was feared and despised by others since childhood, and "Lao Dou" became more and more unwilling to go out and see people.

The job of "night watchman" is to stay awake during the day and work out at night, which is just right for him.

As for the ghosts that ordinary people fear, Lao Dou is not afraid of them at all.

To him, humans are more brutal than ghosts.

Just after the gong was struck, a chilly wind whistled around, and the fallen leaves on the ground swirled and scattered. Lao Dou rubbed his nose, glared and cursed: "You bastard, hurry up and reincarnate!"

Li Yan turned around in the air, frowning slightly.

He is just an ordinary person. Could it be that he has the ability to see ghosts and spirits?

Although he was confused, Li Yan was too lazy to pay attention and continued to move forward.

The ghost's travels were indeed very fast. In less than a cup of tea, it had circled the nine gates.

Unfortunately, nothing unusual was found.

Once again, Li Yan passed by Lao Dou.

The old man was standing at the foot of the wall urinating, muttering: "I told you guys to be crazy, the whole capital is my toilet..."

A cold wind blew past him, and he shuddered. He squinted his eyes and cursed, "Could it be a woman? Look at how big my penis is?"

Of course, looking in the other direction.

Li Yan finally realized that this was just a foul mouth.

He hadn't found the place in the first place, and as the moment passed, he became anxious.

Hearing this, he immediately became angry and wanted to scare this foul-mouthed man.

But at this moment, his heart trembled and he suddenly shrank into the corner.

Suddenly, black fog rolled up above the street, and the sounds of horse hooves and armor continued.

Three deep gong sounds suddenly rang out in the distance, and the sound waves, carrying a chilling aura, shook the entire street.

Hearing this voice, Li Yan felt his soul shaken.

It's the City God patrolling the streets!
Li Yan suddenly realized something and followed Wang Daoxuan's instructions, concentrating his mind and taking a deep breath.

Ghosts have no physical bodies, so naturally they cannot breathe, but what they breathe is not air.

The soul-guiding incense that had been lingering around him was immediately swallowed by his ghost and then quickly spat out.

The moment it was exhaled, the green smoke of the soul-guiding incense dispersed, enveloping him like a straw raincoat.

Afterwards, Li Yan stood in the corner, motionless.

At the same time, rows of phantoms gradually emerged from the thick fog, their figures were ethereal but their murderous aura was solid.

His clothes were tattered and his face could not be seen clearly.

The leader held up a sign that read "Silence" and "Avoid", and scarlet characters appeared in the fog.

Wherever these phantoms stepped, a strong cold wind suddenly blew around.

咣 咣 咣!
Two shadows at the back were carrying a large gong.

It is light in texture and looks like it is made of paper.

But every time the other phantom struck, it produced a startling echo, shaking the dark fog.

This sound is like thunder drum to ghosts, shocking their hearts, but mortals cannot hear it.

Just like that "Old Fighter", seeing the strong wind blowing out of nowhere, he hid in the corner in a panic, cursing under his breath.

He was completely unaware that the soldiers of the City God Temple were just three feet in front of him.

In the center of the parade, eight ghost sedan chairs carried the phantom image of the City God.

The curtain of the sedan moved without wind in the black fog, revealing two eyes like faint fire, scanning the dark alley.

In the dark alley, there were a few pale shadows, standing motionless against the wall.

These are the lonely souls who died in the capital. Because their spirits are incomplete, they can only stand there stupidly.

Don't underestimate these things. If they accumulate too much, they will devour each other and turn into evil spirits. They hide in the streets and crossroads, creating a ghost wall for pedestrians returning home at night, scaring people half to death and devouring their remaining souls.

In the "Youxuan Tan" by the monster catcher, it is called "the four-intersecting ghosts".

However, when the City God's gaze came into contact with the wandering souls, these residual souls were like candle flames encountering strong winds, and they disappeared with a "hiss" and turned into green smoke.

Li Yan's scalp tingled as he watched.

He finally understood why those masters of the Xuanmen sect were so eager to take over other people's bodies after their death.

The physical body is a boat. If the soul is separated from the body, it will become very weak and be restrained by many things.

Of course, he also has ways to deal with it.

Once the "Heavenly Order" is issued, the City God can be driven away.

But the City God Temples nearby are all controlled by the Zongrenfu.

If you force the City God to retreat, the other party will also find out.

Fortunately, Wang Daoxuan's methods were quite good, and the patrol team couldn't see Li Yan hiding in the corner at all.

After a while, the patrol team went away and disappeared into the black fog.

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, and the soul-guiding incense on his body gathered again, wrapping around his body and twisting along his arms like a spirit snake.

Swish!
Li Yan was about to continue searching when the smoke suddenly twisted and pointed to the other side of the wall.

Over there, it was the night watchman "Lao Dou".

The strong wind dissipated and the City God's night patrol team left.

Lao Dou cursed and continued his patrol with his stick in hand.

But at this moment, a small black shadow appeared in the dark corner.

It was not small at all. The beard alone was a foot long, and its huge nose was looking around, sniffing everywhere.

It's the oil-stealing rat spirit!
Li Yan immediately perked up.

I saw a huge rat wrapped in black smoke crawling out from the crack in the wall.

This thing is also in the form of a ghost, but its body is extremely solid.

The fur was shiny and glossy, and streaks of black smoke were coming out of the skin.

Facing the unaware night watchman "Lao Dou", the rat demon actually stood up, with half a head larger than "Lao Dou", and put his hands on his shoulders, with his two hind paws under the night watchman's feet.

Almost instantly, "Lao Dou's" eyes became dull, and he tiptoed, staggering forward.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and followed closely.

"She" means soil and "ji" means grain.

The emperor of China often mentioned "the country, the people and the people", but it was the people who cared more about "the mountains and rivers" and "the people".

Starting from the earliest worship of the "earth god", land temples are now spread all over the world.

Just like in this capital city, there must be a land temple near every street.

The temple is not big, about half a person's height, and the God of Land and the Goddess of Land are enshrined in it.

The people of the capital city often offer sacrifices, and the ashes in the incense burners have piled up into small mountains.

But the night watchman staggered to one of the towers and bent down stiffly.

The "oil-stealing rat spirit" lying on his shoulder immediately sniffed and took a deep breath.

Wisps of green smoke floated out from the land temple and entered his nostrils.

The "oil-stealing rat spirit" immediately closed its dark eyes and revealed a happy expression.

Then, Lao Dou tiptoed towards the next land temple.

Li Yan was about to move forward when he suddenly discovered a dragon-headed cane stretched out from the shrine of the land temple, pointing at the back of the rat demon.

Then, another hand with a jade pendant reached out and pulled the dragon-headed cane back.

Li Yan glanced secretly when he passed by.

But the clay statues of the Earth God and the Earth Goddess suddenly changed positions and faced away from each other.

Li Yan was happy in his heart, but he did not stop and followed the oil-stealing rat demon closely.

In this way, he watched helplessly as the oil-stealing rat spirit stole incense from several land temples.

Seeing this, Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something.

What's so strange about this "oil-stealing rat spirit" that he could make the landowners suffer in silence?

As if he had absorbed enough incense, the night watchman "Lao Dou" suddenly stopped.

The oil-stealing rat demon suddenly jumped out and rushed towards the dark streets.

Li Yan's mind moved, and he followed the rat demon into the dark alley.

Seeing the other party crawling into the crack in the wall, Li Yan gritted his teeth and rushed forward, also disappearing into the crack in the wall.

On the street, there was only "Lao Dou". His heels suddenly landed on the ground, and then he regained consciousness. Looking at the changing streets around him, he was suddenly furious, "Grandson, you caught me and made trouble for me, right..."

(End of this chapter)