My Years in the Folklore World

Chapter 317: Nuo Mask of the Rain Master (44)

The secret-keeping believers left.

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the colorful box in his hand and thought of the treasure of the Undead Village.

If we use this colorful box to crack the secret of that object, can we get a glimpse of some unknown secrets?

Jiang Xinghuo hesitated for a while, but finally reason prevailed. He put away the Secret-Keeping Immortal's colored box and planned to do so later when he went to explore the Immortal Village.

The story of Guandong City ends here. Jiang Xinghuo did not trigger new mission clues, but found the map of Yanshen Village.

"You used the map of Shiogami Village."

"From Guandong City, head southwest, cross two mountains, and walk for another day, you will see the Huanglong River in Guandong. Yanshen Village is located on the bank of the Huanglong River."

"Do you want to go to Yanshen Village immediately?"

Jiang Xinghuo glanced at the time. It was 8:30 in the morning. In a while, it would be busy.

Although the holiday is over and everyone has to go to work and school tomorrow, his business has not been greatly affected because of a few props.

However, it will take some time to travel, so I can use the daytime to travel.

"You chose to go to Salt God Village."

"On the move, it is estimated to take about 24 hours to reach our destination, Yanshen Village."

"Do you want to ride in the sedan chair?"

"If you choose to travel by sedan chair, the travel time will be greatly shortened, and you can reach your destination in just eighteen hours."

Looking at the prompts in the game text, Jiang Xinghuo thought about it and did not choose to use the sedan chair. Anyway, he was not in a hurry today, so it didn't matter how much time it took.

In the game, go on the road while AFK.

Jiang Xinghuo put his cell phone aside, opened the window to get some fresh air, and then waited quietly for guests to arrive.

After a while, the sound of wind chimes rang at the door and a person walked in from outside.

Jiang Xinghuo looked up and saw an old man in his seventies, wearing a blue cloth shirt and speaking with a thick Shaanxi accent.

"Young man, do you... do you accept anything here?"

The old man's tone was a little awkward, and he asked tentatively, as if he was afraid that Jiang Xinghuo would refuse.

Jiang Xinghuo stood up from the sofa and said with a smile: "Grandpa, you have a treasure to sell, can you let me see it?"

"It's not a treasure, just some old stuff from the countryside, probably not worth much."

When the old man heard what Jiang Xinghuo said, he hurriedly untied his cloth bag and took out a mask with strong folk colors.

Jiang Xinghuo took it and looked at it. The mask was carved out of wood, with huge teeth and fangs, black lacquer and red paint, and looked ferocious and vicious.

This is not an ordinary mask used in folk operas, but a Nuo opera mask used to invite gods to possess the body.

And it is indeed an old item, as can be seen from the mottled scratches and faded paint on it.

But to be honest, the symbolic meaning of this Nuo opera mask is far greater than its practical meaning. It is not worth much on the market, only about a hundred yuan.

Jiang Xinghuo looked up at the old man: "Uncle, is this mask a Nuo opera mask?"

"Yes, this mask is a Shaanxi folk Nuo opera mask. This mask is engraved with the Rain Master, the kind that can pray for rain. It's very effective!!"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded. The Guanzhong region has been dry and rainless since ancient times. In order to pray for rain, the common people have also developed various complicated rituals.

As for the history of Nuo opera, it can be traced back to ancient times. It was incorporated into the national ritual system in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It originated from the ancient ancestors' consciousness of nature worship and totem worship.

Moreover, Nuo opera masks for different purposes have different colored patterns on them, and the gods invited are also different.

Some are for exorcising ghosts, some are for warding off evil spirits, some are for curing diseases, and some are for praying for good weather and a good harvest...

Strictly speaking, Nuo opera was never intended for entertainment or jokes. It was not until the Northern Song Dynasty that it gradually became more of a means of entertaining the general public.

Jiang Xinghuo stroked the mask in his hand and decided to take it.

On the one hand, it is because the old man is old, and on the other hand, the things are really good and have collection value to him.

But at this moment, Jiang Xinghuo was suddenly stunned. He sensed a very weak fluctuation of magic power on the mask.

Ok?
The small pupils flashed with an invisible divine light, and Jiang Xinghuo activated the innate ability of Tathagata.

The relevant information about this Nuo mask of the Rain Master also appeared on the retina.

"Rain Master Nuo Mask (Excellent Item), a Nuo Opera mask that can pray for rain and water. It does not require any magical power to activate, as long as the user is sincere."

Jiang Xinghuo was really shocked this time. He didn't expect that this Nuo opera mask was actually a magical weapon from the secular world.

"Uncle, I accept this mask, but can you tell me where it came from?"

"origin?"

The old man fell into deep thought after hearing this, and after a while he said, "When I was a child, I heard from my grandfather's generation that the Nuo opera masks in our area were all passed down by a Taoist priest in the mountains."

Jiang Xinghuo raised his eyebrows and asked, "Do you still have a lot of these masks?"

"There are about twenty more..."

The old man sighed and said, "In fact, there were quite a few masks left, but they were all destroyed during that special era. They were said to be feudal superstitions of the old society. These masks were secretly kept by my father."

"Uncle, I want all the masks. Each mask costs 500 yuan. If you agree, please leave me your address and I will visit you in a few days."

The old man was startled and said quickly, "Young man, this is not a valuable thing, how can it be so expensive? If you want it, I'll keep it for you. You don't have to pay so much. We only get about this price after planting for a year. You're paying too much."

"You listen to me..."

Jiang Xinghuo did not allow the old man to refuse. He took out five hundred yuan from the counter, stuffed it into the old man's hand, and then left the old man's hometown address.

The old man wrote down the address and said that if Jiang Xinghuo thought it was too far, he could also send the items over by express delivery.

Or, when he comes to Binhai to visit his grandson again, he can bring those things with him.

His grandson is studying at a university in Binhai. Just as the autumn harvest was just finished at home, he came to visit his grandson and left some money for him.

Jiang Xinghuo declined the old man's kindness. In fact, his biggest doubt now was the origin of these masks.

I don't know whether the Taoist priest who passed down this mask was a master who came to the exile land from the secular world, or an earthling who inherited the secular world.

But no matter what, there may be something left on the mountain where the Taoist priest is.

After seeing the old man off, Jiang Xinghuo gently put the cleaned Nuo opera mask on his face.

A warm and moist breath blew towards me, as if it had just rained, and there was not the slightest feeling of stuffiness.

(End of this chapter)