I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 148 Exorcism, Gods (+7)

"Taibai! The game isn't over yet, why are you cleaning up?" Yuan Danqiu had been talking about that game for two days straight.

I'm about to win!

Li Bai ignored him, walked down the street, and bought a few skewers of roasted mutton.

On a cold winter day, eating hot mutton, with its rich, savory flavor bursting with flavor with every bite, is the most comforting thing.

Jiang She walked slowly, with Li Bai, Yuan Danqiu, and the Mountain God on one side, and Du Fu and his uncle on the other.

The cat darted ahead.

It was a dark, fluffy blob that stood out against the snow.

Li Bai bought six strings of rice, wrapped them in bamboo leaves, and gave each person a small packet.

The two members of the Du family thanked them in hushed tones.

Yuan Danqiu raised his hand to take it—

He missed his target. Li Bai handed Jiang She two packets directly, saying with a smile, "This cat loves mutton, so I bought it a portion especially for it."

The cat had already caught a whiff of the scent and came running over.

I called out softly.

Yuan Danqiu turned his head away, no longer looking at Li Bai. He exhaled and used his money to buy himself some mutton. The roasted mutton skewers were small, which is why they were so cheap. One skewer wasn't enough, so he bought as many as he wanted.

The street was crowded, so Jiang She moved to the side.

I gave some to the cat.

The cat ate without even lifting its head.

The streets were bustling with activity.

When you get close to the City God Temple in Yanzhou, you can see smoke billowing and bells and drums ringing out.

Pedestrians stood shoulder to shoulder on the road, and many stalls were set up outside the temple, selling all sorts of things: food, calligraphy and paintings, utensils, paper horses for sacrifices... Foreign merchants loudly hawked spices brought from foreign lands.

The air was filled with the aroma of sesame cakes and meat soup.

The performers danced the Hu Teng dance with a brisk rhythm and unrestrained movements.

Even stronger men used their shoulders to lift a long pole, on which three children climbed to the top and came to the woman at the top. The four of them then did a handstand at the top of the pole, which was quite thrilling.

The onlookers gasped in surprise.

"It's probably going to fall!"

“No, Pan Er is best at this, he has it every month,” someone said with relish. “This pole isn’t that high. I once saw someone in Chang’an balance a hundred-foot-high pole, that was really impressive!”

As they were talking, they saw a child on a pole, his feet hooked around the pole and hanging down.

"it is good!"

The crowd cheered!

They all threw out copper coins.

"This is awesome!"

"Pretty!"

Children, biting into sugar figurines, frolicked and played among the crowd. Beside Jiang She, Du Fu watched intently.

For a time, copper coins rained down.

Jiang She noticed that Du Fu was not speaking, so he asked.

"What is the young master thinking?"

Du Fu, regaining his composure, said to Jiang She, "This is a family; what if they fall..."

He didn't continue the story, and just ate the roasted chestnuts he bought on the street.

Suddenly.

Further away, sounds came from afar. Jiang She could hear many chaotic footsteps, accompanied by the sounds of bronze drums and gongs, creating a noisy and lively atmosphere.

"Let's avoid it—"

"Excuse me—"

People on both sides cleared a path, squeezing out space from the crowd, and treading on the snow, their footsteps a mixture of snow, mud, and water.

Jiang She picked up the cat and moved away as well.

He, along with the black cat, Li Bai, Du Fu, his uncle, Yuan Danqiu, and the mountain god, watched the lively temple fair. The twelfth lunar month was the month for sacrifices, and the exorcism rituals began in Yanzhou City.

The ancients hoped to drive away evil spirits and plagues, and to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

Thankfully, it arrived.

Jiang She stood in the crowd, the cat in his arms also gazing into the distance. In the eyes of both the cat and the man, the firelight of the exorcism was reflected.

"My son, Wei—"

A loud, resonant shout rang out.

"The art of exorcism dates back to the time of the Yellow Emperor—"

A group of strong and burly soldiers and constables slowly walked over. They were dressed as gods and ghosts, their faces painted, barefoot, and wearing red trousers. Their appearance was terrifying, but wherever they went, screams and laughter followed.

Someone was playing the flute.

Others lit firecrackers and banged on utensils, making rhythmic and melodious sounds.

They marched along, beating drums and gongs, and lighting torches.

"May all the evil spirits of the past year be driven out of the land and to other rivers. From now on, families will prosper, people will become wealthy, and officials will rise in rank and be promoted daily—"

"Cattle and sheep graze everywhere, and grains and wheat grow as tall as Mount Tai—"

The crowd wore a variety of frightening, heavily painted masks. Some played Nuomu (a type of exorcising ritual), some played judges, and others played ghosts, soldiers, or plague demons. Many of these masks were either inherited from tradition or were based on the artisans' own interpretations.

Li Bai secretly spoke with Jiang She.

"The judge I saw the day before yesterday didn't seem to be like this; he looked more like the statue in the temple."

Jiang She also laughed.

Yuan Danqiu, who was standing nearby, overheard what Taibai said.

Putting aside past grievances, she asked him in a low voice:
"What does it look like?"

Li Bai glanced at the Du family uncle and nephew, pulled Yuan Danqiu aside, and quietly told him about the backs of the two judges and the city god he had seen.

He even made some connections based on the silhouette...

Jiang She found it interesting.

The old deer mountain god stood beside him, watching quietly. After meditating on the mountain for several days, he came down to find such a lively scene, and stroked his white beard with a smile.

It's remote and secluded on the mountain.

Down the mountain, the world was bustling and noisy, a vibrant and bustling place.

The soldiers dressed as ghosts and gods were still shouting, their voices loud enough to be heard clearly from a great distance.

"The jealous ghost, barking and babbling. The poor child's ghost, whining and snickering. The country ghost, distant and wistful—"

"If you draw a prison on the ground outside your door, only ghosts will come to imprison you."

The crowd shouted in unison.

"Nuo! Nuo!"

Several people stood in front of the temple.

Watching this magnificent exorcism procession pass through, and then proceed in a grand procession to other parts of the city.

"Mr. Jiang!"

The crowd passed through the voice.

Pei Ze and his wife squeezed through, followed by several servants and maids.

Pei Ze bowed with his hands clasped, clearly delighted.

"I don't want to see you here, sir!"

Jiang She, holding the cat, couldn't return the greeting, but smiled and said, "Greetings, Young Master Pei, greetings, Madam Pei. Are you out for a stroll today as well?"

He introduced the man to the Du family in a low voice, saying that he was a local scholar he had met a few days ago.

The group exchanged greetings and got to know each other.

Pei looked at Jiang She, wondering if the gentleman knew about the City God, or if the City God had ever visited him.

There are also people who are unaware of this.

Finally, he just smiled and said:

"I had a dream a few days ago, in which I saw the City God and two judges. Since I haven't been to the temple to worship in a long time, I lit an incense stick!"

Du Langjun listened.

Suddenly he asked, "Did you also dream of the City God?"

……also?

Pei Ze and his wife were both taken aback.

Seeing the couple's stunned expression, Du Langjun understood. Uncharacteristically, he disregarded etiquette, tugged at Pei Ze's sleeve, and whispered:
"What Pei Jun dreamed about was..."

Pei hesitated to speak, glancing at Mr. Jiang.

The City God asked him where the immortals lived.

Du Langjun whispered, "Me too."

He said, "Mr. Jiang and I are neighbors. That day, I was eating steamed buns at the alley entrance when I suddenly drifted off to sleep and had a short dream..."

Pei held his hand tightly.

"Me too!"

The three looked at Jiang She.

Just then, the man in blue robes glanced past the exorcism procession, stepped over the high threshold of the City God Temple, and peered inside.

The City God Temple was crowded with people. The colorful statues of the gods stood majestically on a high platform. In the center was the City God, flanked by civil and military judges.

The other person had a gentle expression and stood in the crowd.

Pei let go of Du Langjun's hand, and the group squeezed through.

Jiang She was seen examining the statue.

There were already so many incense sticks in front of the incense burner that there was almost no room left. A thin old man had many incense sticks in front of him, and when someone asked, he said, "Five coins a bunch!"

Pei helped the lady up.

He stood behind Jiang She and said enthusiastically.

"Mr. Jiang, I brought some fine incense with me this time, would you like some?"

As he spoke, Pei turned around and asked a servant to fetch incense.

The elderly Deer Mountain God entered the temple and overheard this, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)