Da Zaojun

The ritual of "Sending Away Poverty and Welcoming the New" is a ritual for beggars to change professions.

The rituals of beggars as the lowest of the low.

From a lowly beggar to a ninth-rank member of the Beggar Clan, an eighth-rank branch elder, a seventh-rank leader, a headmaster, and a sixth-rank gang leader.

Some martial arts and unorthodox, unorthodox traditions are difficult to cultivate to the fifth rank.

Therefore, a complete transformation is needed.

The Beggars' Sect was originally founded to provide a way of life for the poor people who had fallen into begging, but it later became a den of iniquity, where people were subjected to acts of animal cruelty, murder, and forced prostitution.

This ritual is meant to shed the appearance of poverty and cleanse oneself of worldly impoverishment.

He became the God of Wealth who protected the poor, also known as the God of Poverty Wealth, who could help the poor become rich through hard work.

However, Song Wuji estimated that even if the Beggars' Sect became a God of Wealth, they would be a poor God of Wealth.

The beggars swindle and cheat to accumulate wealth, all of which is ill-gotten gains.

“These beggars say I am the Kitchen God, but they worship the God of Poverty. The God of Poverty has no good food, no good clothes, no good shelter, and is widowed, orphaned, lonely, or disabled.”

"So you secretly wanted to steal the position of the God of Wealth, but why don't you mention that the God of Poverty and the God of Wealth are opposites?"

Now that Song Wuji's cultivation level has risen even higher, he can use the [Mengtou] spell to understand the situation, and that is, he doesn't want Song Wuji to get involved.

Because within the Beggars' Sect, there really is a "Sixth-Rank God of Poverty," also known as the "Beggar God," who is the actual controller of the Beggars' Sect.

However, since they could not leave the Beggar Clan's secret realm, they sent out some elders, especially the elders of the seven branches of the Beggar Clan, to compete for the new Beggar Clan leader. Then, they led the Beggar Clan disciples to complete the "Welcoming Wealth and Sending Away Poverty Ceremony" and recommended him to become a fifth-rank God of Wealth.

"Among the Gods of Wealth, there is a power that I remember is related to eating, called [Food Prosperity]."

Those who receive a salary must not compete with the common people for profit.

This means having a secure job in the imperial court. Officials' salaries were usually paid in grain. For example, a "two thousand shi" official was a fourth-rank official, such as a prefect or one of the Nine Ministers.

Another interpretation is that "a family that eats with bells and tripods" refers to a family that uses tripods for meals, representing royalty and nobility.

"Prosperity" and "wealth" are inherently related, but one tends to lean more towards a "secure job" or wealth acquired through legitimate means.

Moreover, Song Wuji now intends to establish a kingdom and control the system in the human realm, which aligns perfectly with the Royal Palace Token, the Ascension Token, and other royal secret realm tokens.

There is a saying: "Those who eat the emperor's salary become his subjects."

Song Wuji set up so many official positions, which must be to build a complete financial system. It would be perfect for him to personally wield a certain degree of power.

"It seems we need to enter Hongzhou City sooner rather than later," Song Wuji said. "Then let's urge City God Tian."

He then added, "I'm going back to the Tiger Fang Secret Realm in Taichang Realm to refine treasures. If you have any questions, ask me again. Also, Chen Xiu has already reached the seventh rank, so you should also hurry up and complete the corresponding Legalist rituals."

"The law should not be used lightly." Lü Han said, "I cultivate both Confucianism and Legalism, but I prioritize education. If education fails, then I will resort to magic and power. One is to cultivate oneself, and the other is to govern the country and bring peace to the world. I will do both at the same time!"

"That's true. After settling in Hongzhou, your Confucian etiquette will surely improve as well."

"If I have another feeling, the Confucian Eight Ranks Ritual is [Haoran Scholar], which is the way to seek knowledge; if it is the way to impart knowledge, it is [Preaching and Teaching]; and there is another one, [Filial Piety, Integrity, and Virtue], which is the meaning of benevolence and propriety."

"In terms of scholarship, I can be called a bachelor. I only need to take one exam, similar to the provincial examination."

"Preaching and teaching requires teaching more students. However, I myself serve as the instructor of Taichang County and am in charge of education. This procedure is not difficult."

"But the selection of filial and virtuous officials requires a national system. Local officials recommend them, and the national system then grants them official positions." "Otherwise, they can only be recommended as clerks, serving as officials in the Six Ministries in Hongzhou Prefecture. Although they are clerks, it is not a good background."

Song Wuji laughed: "Now that I have the Crown Prince's decree, I can appoint officials. I'll have the Prefect of Hongzhou recommend me, and then I'll use the Crown Prince's decree to expend my luck. What's wrong with you becoming an eighth-rank official?"

"That's one way."

After speaking with Lü Han, Song Wuji instantly used the Earth Net to teleport and transform, almost like the great supernatural power of "shrinking the earth into an inch".

First go to the Iron Pillar Palace and find Lin Fajing.

Song Wuji entrusted him with the task of casting the tripod. He is currently setting up the rituals and communicating with the mountains and rivers, but he still needs to settle in Hongzhou before the Hongzhou Tripod can be completely cast.

Lin Fajing, as expected of a fifth-grade Daoist with the cultivation of the primordial spirit, immediately noticed Song Wuji's change, expressed his delight, and then asked, "Does the Realm Master have something to discuss with me?"

“I received the lineage of the Xuanming True Dragon in the Old Dragon Mountain. I should have the destiny of a True Dragon King, and I have a Dragon Blood Jade that can be used to refine a seal. That’s why I’ve come to ask you.”

Lin Fajing said, "The Dragon Blood Jade is good, but it is not good if it only has a dragon and not a phoenix. Since ancient times, it has been said that when the phoenix cries on Mount Qi, the Mandate of Heaven is bestowed."

"Dragons need to be fought for."

"Feng, however, took the order voluntarily."

"The realm lord needs to find the Phoenix Secret Realm and obtain the three items: the phoenix wood, the Nirvana Fire, and the Phoenix Blood Jade."

“Phoenix Blood Jade and Dragon Blood Jade can be used to forge the Emperor’s Seal and the Empress’s Seal.”

"The paulownia wood is needed to make ritual objects."

"The fire of rebirth is for reshaping the rules of heaven and earth, and the order of humanity."

"Only the fire of Nirvana comes from the five virtues of the phoenix. The Zhou dynasty passed down the Zhou rites from the phoenix's cry at Mount Qi, which were used to govern the country. Rites are the embodiment of rules and regulations, and also the rules of the human world."

“Back then, Nuwa and Fuxi were one who set the rules and the other who set the standards.”

"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished."

"With just the Secret Realm Tokens, these tokens, though representing rules, are also woven together by the Weaver Girl using the Milky Way Shuttle, creating a net of heaven and earth."

"But in reality, it did not form a system of true human rules and regulations."

"Only the fire of Nirvana has such power to shape new rules, new heavenly laws, and a new human world, and to expel all heretical and heterodox forces."

Song Wuji nodded: "I knew it. It seems like I forgot something. But I don't have the Phoenix Secret Realm token, nor do I have any sense of it. Although I killed the Black Phoenix, I didn't get any treasures. I only saw the Calamity Treasure Tent."

Lin Fajing said, "Back then, the Eastern Wu once set up Phoenix Terrace in Nanchang County. The story of Phoenix Terrace was based on Xiao Shi playing the flute, which attracted the phoenix."

"This isn't around here, is it? I've never heard of it before."

“It’s normal not to have heard of it,” Lin Fajing said. “Times have changed. Phoenix Terrace is located by the water, and there is a golden bronze phoenix on it. It was built by the Prefect of Nanchang under the order of the Eastern Wu.”

"Our Iron Pillar Palace is based in Jiangnan. When our ancestor slew the dragon, he was helped by a phoenix, which forged the two swords into one and slaughtered more than three hundred true dragons."

"When he ascended to heaven, a phoenix came to guide him, but the patriarch chose to leave his home and did not ride the phoenix away."

(End of this chapter)