Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 21 Wang Cheng Eats Incense, Rebellious Disciple and Master-Disciple Rebellion
After hearing what the stall owner said, Wang Cheng and the Zhang brothers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Especially the Zhang brothers, who took twenty lives last night, were initially uneasy, wondering if Xue Da and his gang had left any clues in their disappearance.

Surprisingly, this group of fishing tyrants didn't cause any ripples at all, and didn't even qualify to appear in the rumors.

It's normal to think about it carefully.

Xue Da and his gang were just ordinary tax collectors. With the news of the disappearance of that "Du Shui Lang" and several other tax officials, the other tax collectors probably thought that this group had already fled.

"However, to say that so many people, including a [Du Shui Lang], disappeared on the same night, is it really just an ordinary missing persons case?"

Others might only have suspicions, but Wang Cheng, who had just caused Xue Da and his group to "disappear," immediately thought upon hearing the word:

Are there any experts?

Which competitor is going to go this far? I've used this modus operandi before!
Whether they are alive or dead, it's so hard to guess.
But Wang Cheng also had doubts:
“A full-fledged [Du Shui Lang] is already a real official of the imperial court with a rank, at least the sixth rank.”

I, a mere novice who has lit the lamp of my heart, am only an apprentice. Even if I am ordained and formally become a Shinto official, I will only be a seventh-rank official at the beginning, and I am no match for him at all.

Moreover, the official air emanating from a sixth-rank official far surpasses that of a group of tax collectors.

Who could have made him disappear without a trace, without the official's presence causing any disturbance?
The town of Yuegang, under the jurisdiction of Wufengqi, certainly doesn't have that ability.

Wang Cheng pondered for a while but had no clue, feeling that it was not something Huang Yuanzhou and his group could do.

His brows soon relaxed.

This is ultimately a good thing. With the missing [Du Shui Lang] drawing attention, no one will bother with Xue Da anymore. This time, the "hearing the truth in the morning, one can die in the evening" story has finally come to an end.

Last night's substantial haul is now completely secured!

Overjoyed, Wang Cheng took out a piece of silver and called out to the breakfast stall owner beside him:
"Whatever food you have, bring one serving for each of us. We're in a good mood today, so I, Young Master Wang, will pay the bill for everything!"

"Alright, although our stall is small, our Xiangzhou braised noodles and tofu vermicelli are absolutely authentic."

Please, have a seat! Please, have a seat!

Yesterday, people were furious at the tax collectors' tyranny; today, countless people are gloating and watching the spectacle unfold.

Wang Cheng's behavior was not abrupt at all, and the stall owner did not think anything was wrong, and hurriedly and warmly invited everyone to sit down.

Soon, large bowls of braised noodles and tofu vermicelli were served.

The Zhang brothers were surrounded by tofu pudding fans.

Tender tofu paired with perfectly elastic thin rice noodles, topped with a spoonful of sweet syrup or savory braised sauce, is both satisfying and refreshing.

"I want it sweet, with sugar syrup!"

"I want it salty, add some braising liquid!"

Last night, when they were dividing the spoils, they were all friendly and respectful to each other. But today, they were arguing and fighting over a more important matter of principle.

Ignoring the fact that the two had finally avenged their great grudge and regained some of their youthful vigor, Wang Cheng ordered a large bowl of braised noodles, the bowl brimming with toppings.

This is Xiangzhou Prefecture, only 40 li from the prefectural city. The local cuisine is similar to that of Xiangzhou Prefecture. The people live by the sea, but they also place great importance on agriculture and sericulture.

For many people in Xiangzhou, their day begins with a bowl of steaming hot braised noodles.

Golden noodles are soaked in a rich broth, paired with delicious mushrooms, squid, lean meat and other ingredients.

The squid is caught and killed on the spot, and it's still alive when it goes into the pot. Every bite of this braised noodle soup is incredibly delicious.

This was the impression Wang Cheng had in his mind.

But when he took a big bite full of anticipation, he found it tasteless and couldn't taste any flavor at all.

"How is this going?"

Turning his head, he saw that all the other boatmen and diners around him were enjoying their meals. Clearly, the problem wasn't with the noodles, but with him.

Before he could use [Rare Goods] to check what was wrong with him...

Suddenly, a strong aroma wafted from the nearby beach, an irresistible combination of roast chicken, braised pork, and braised beef—an aroma that would be hard for any meat lover to resist.

Turning my head, I found that there were no newly opened restaurants or eateries there.

Instead, a group of men, women, and children were offering sacrifices to the souls of the boatmen who died in yesterday's tax collection conflict.

The strong fragrance was clearly coming from the rising incense smoke.

Geek!

Wang Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized what had happened to him.

He immediately placed his right hand on his left and secretly checked his pulse.

This is a fundamental skill for officials practicing cultivation—understanding ghostly pulses. In this world where encountering evil spirits is as frequent as falling ill, even those who aren't earth-rank officials (doctors) will eventually need to use these general skills.

The basic method of absorbing ghost veins is very simple and can be learned by ordinary people.

Following the principle of men on the left and women on the right, use the index finger and thumb of one hand to pinch and touch the knuckle of the middle finger of the other hand to see if there is any pulsation. If the pulsation is strong, it means that it has been contaminated with dirt.

A more complete method of pulse diagnosis is to feel the "three pulses of gods, ghosts, and men". First, feel the Chi pulse of the Cun, Guan, and Chi points in the pulse diagnosis manual, then feel the palm of the hand, and then feel the first, second, and third joints of the middle finger.

Different symptoms require different solutions.

Wang Cheng touched it and immediately discovered where the problem lay:
"I wasn't struck by ghosts or spirits, but by evil spirits and spirits within my destiny."

Humans eat, but ghosts find food delicious!
Last night, I only fully revealed my evil spirit form [the Crown Prince who patrols on behalf of Heaven] for a few breaths, and it disrupted the balance of Yin and Yang within my body, with the Yin form momentarily overpowering the Yang form.

They become like those who are dying or ghosts, liking incense and rejecting normal food from the mortal world.

Fortunately, he didn't rush things and continue buying other people's lives to increase his bone weight, otherwise it probably wouldn't have been as simple as just liking food.

The problem isn't too serious. I've already lit the lamp of my heart, and by eating more, practicing the [Chenlong Breathing Technique], and getting some sunshine, I should recover.

But the matter of becoming an apprentice really can't be delayed any longer.

The evil spirit bound to the folk custom of sending off the king boat is stronger in spirit than in physical form. It's best to find a guide as soon as possible; receiving ordination and being formally registered is the proper path to spiritual practice.

He needs to arrive in time for the Rain Water solar term in the first month of next year, and take advantage of the "Otter Sacrificing Fish" pentad of the seventy-two pentads to be granted his official rank and place in the ranks. There are still nearly two months to go.

Now, however, a sense of urgency has been added.

The question is, who should we worship?
It seems we still have to resort to the brute force approach.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wang Cheng asked Zhang Wu, Zhang Wen, and their group to find a suitable courtyard to settle down.

In Yuegang, where there is no government, the Tanka people are not required to abide by the rule that they cannot live on land.

He then turned and went into a teahouse by the dock, ordered a pot of cheap tea, and scanned the crowds coming and going at the port, checking their information and value one by one using the "Rare Goods for Sale" feature.

Throughout the entire Dazhao coastline, Yuegang has the most water collectors, and the chances of finding a renowned master are greatest there.

In this era, the master-disciple relationship is not much different from the father-son relationship. Becoming a disciple is like being reborn, so one must be extremely careful.

Character, ability, and affiliation with power must all be taken into account.

Ordinary people have no choice but to seize every opportunity to climb up the social ladder. Since he has the help of "rare commodity", he must find the best "rare commodity".

A golden light shone from his eyes, and everything before him was bathed in a colorful glow.

"Wu Si, a water official [corpse retriever], has a lifelong passion for collecting corpses and beautiful women. If you present him with such a gift, you can easily become his disciple."

The mere mention of specific official positions and the obsession with transactions sent a chill down Wang Cheng's spine.

"Humans cannot, or at least should not, take human form first."

Even if you like female ghosts, female corpses are just too grotesque.

They immediately ignored the body retriever.

He turned to look at the others.

"Bao Tai, a boatman on the Zhuohe River, is determined to concoct a colorless and odorless medicine to give all of you the best experience."

He was given a rare and precious incense formula, rarely seen elsewhere, and promised to test the medicine on him; this would surely win his favor.

"Guo Liang, a local official [Guanshan Taibao], made his living by collecting swallows on cliffs and steep slopes."

His disciple was harvesting bird's nests below, while he was pulling the rope above. His life's ambition was to find a disciple who could "not die from a fall."

“Sun Sanping, a local official [monkey trainer], likes to give a hoop to anyone he meets. If someone kneels down in the street and begs his master to give him a hoop, he will immediately become a disciple.”

"Qiu Shisan Niang, a water brigade official [West Lake boat girl], is known as one of the four most beautiful women in the Orchid Court, along with Yangzhou Slim Horse, Taishan Nun, and Datong Woman."

"A man who is handsome enough can be both her disciple and her husband."

From morning to afternoon, Wang Cheng's complexion grew increasingly worse.

"These officials all appear respectable on the surface, but once you look into their true intentions and obsessions, you can only say that they are all somewhat human."

Many people spend their entire lives in the mortal world, and these officials have all the faults of ordinary people: greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt.

If you all die and become evil spirits, each of you would be capable of taking on ten men. If it weren't for the presence of a "Director of the Hall" in each branch, who knows how much trouble you would cause.

Besides, I have no interest in being a 'rebellious disciple'.

(End of this chapter)