The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 384 - 237 Stormy Weather_2

Chapter 384: Chapter 237 Stormy Weather_2

The Shennongjia area was shrouded in dense fog, and it had always been a forbidden place full of not only ferocious beasts and venomous insects, but also various bizarre spirits and monsters, making it extremely rare for anyone to enter and come out alive.

However, the inhabitants of the Jing Chu mountain had persisted in the mountains for hundreds of years and might have already found passageways to travel through, which would allow them to invade Zigui County directly...

Further west lay Wushan, equally mysterious and possessing natural secret realms, which the Proper Xuan Sect had yet to conquer completely.

Beyond Wushan, the influence of the Yang Family of the Bozhou Tusi was immense; even managing to hold onto Qingcheng Mountain was an achievement...

Further south was the Miaojiang area of Xiangxi. There, the Southern Great Wall was built, numerous garrisons stationed to suppress Miaojiang and separate the raw Miao from the cultured Miao.

Within Shizhou, the area belonged to the cultured Miao and included various Tusi cities like the Sanmao, Tangya, Jintong, Longtan, Zhongjian, Maoling, and Shinan Tusi.

Currently, the flagrant rebellion was led by the Tangya Tusi, the strongest among them. The others were either waiting or siding with the court.

His purpose here was to appease those Tusi who did not wish to rebel, advising them not to act rashly while the court dealt with the people of Jing Chu mountain.

Zigui County, perfectly situated among the three forces, divided their influences like a nail embedded in their midst and served as a vital throat to Ba Shu.

If this area was lost, those forces might unite, and even the Tusi siding with the court could be swept up into the rebellion.

Thinking this, Zhou Kai felt as if he was carrying a great mountain on his shoulders, the weight making it hard to breathe...

...

"Young Hero Li, Zigui is in trouble!"

In the tunnel, Feng Daoist held a torch, his face filled with bitterness. "I’m no fool, but due to the unique situation here, every move by my Taixuan Orthodox Sect draws trouble. I can only stay in the City God Temple."

"Although the Magic Veins of the Xuan Sects share the same origin and are all orthodox paths of the Divine State, their relationships are not all harmonious."

"The Ancestor Altar of the Zhushan Sect is in Zhushan. Now that their lair has been crushed, they are unlikely to relinquish control over this area. Both sides restrain each other, leading to the current bitter consequences."

"Zigui County is all too important. The Ghost Sect holds secret plots here. It is surely not just about killing a few people or performing simple sacrifices to the Ghost Gods."

Both Sha Lifei’s scalp tingled, "Do you suspect they’re going to lead troops to attack Zigui County?"

"From the north or the south?"

Feng Daoist shook his head, "The Jing Chu mountain people would have to pass through Shennongjia from the north, and right now, they face the main forces of the court, with reinforcements from various states on their way. They likely can’t spare the forces."

"The highest likelihood is from the south."

Sha Lifei scratched his head, "What do we do then, shall we call the Daoist and run?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Since we’ve promised Judge Zhou, let’s investigate first."

"Moreover, the movement of troops cannot be silent. Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, accompanied by many Xuanmen Practitioners, and then we can leave."

Feng Daoist also sighed and nodded, "There’s no rush to flee now but we must still be cautious."

"Once the battle begins, even Magicians are as vulnerable as grass..."

The exit of the City God Temple’s tunnel was ingeniously hidden, located just around a dip in the mountain, and was extremely concealed.

The three of them, covered in falling dust, pushed open the flap and reapplied soil and rocks to cover it, making it difficult for anyone passing by to notice.

They had two places to investigate: the old official temple to the west of the city and the Gratitude Light Temple outside the north gate.

Since the tunnel exit was to the west, naturally, they went to the old official temple first.

"The old official temple is by the Chi Xi River."

Walking along, Feng Daoist explained, "Locals call it the Divine Temple. It was constructed by the officials and is also called the old official temple."

Li Yan casually asked, "Is it a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple?"

Feng Daoist shook his head, "It’s a local Taoist Divine Temple, and it holds some significance."

"This temple was originally called the Yellow Demon God Temple, established during the Tang era. In the Xiantong period, Xiao Gou, exiled to Qian Nan, passed through Zigui along the Three Gorges, dreaming of a red-haired, blue-eyed spirit calling itself the Yellow Demon God, promising to protect him through the territory. Later Xiao became a chancellor, reported his dream about the god, and hence built the temple.

Since then, the Yellow Demon God became the Water God of the Three Gorges, quite efficacious back then. The nearby ship workers and commoners frequently offered sacrifices to it. However, during the Da Xing period of the Song era onwards, the temple’s efficacy waned, and incense offerings began to dwindle.

The temple has long been neglected and is nearly collapsing, with only a lonely old widower living inside, cleaning and sweeping...

During their conversation, the three of them had already arrived at the banks of the Chi Xi River.

Today, the sky was overcast with a light drizzle.

By the river, many locals were holding oil-paper umbrellas, accompanied by old and young, carrying baskets or holding paper banners made of white paper shaped like ingots, walking in twos and threes toward the nearby mountains.

"It’s a local custom called Tomb-Sweeping Puppet,"

Noticing Li Yan and another paying attention to the unique paper banners, Daoist Feng explained, then shook his head with a wry smile and said, "It’s Tomb-Sweeping Festival time, and I should be busy, but I’m afraid the triennial parade can’t be held this year."

Li Yan consoled him, "After the chaos has passed, if there are military troops and orders, the triennial parade will surely be even livelier."

On Tomb-Sweeping Festival, July 15 and October 1 of the lunar calendar, known jointly as the three major Ghost Festivals, the energy of the land yin rises, and yin souls and ghosts become active.

During this period in Divine State, grand parades of the City God are held everywhere. At that time, teams would carry the City God through the streets with drums and gongs roaring loudly.

And the locals who wish to atone for their sins dress in prisoner’s garb, shackled, following behind the procession, resembling prisoners escorted by the Yin Bureau.

Meanwhile, the official military marches also roam the nearby mountains and rivers, deterring the spirits and ghosts from causing trouble.

For City God Temples everywhere, the triennial parade is very important, even more significant than the temple fairs during New Year.

But in Guizhou City, it was clear that this could not happen.

As they spoke, everyone had followed the Chi Xi River to a river bend surrounded by peach trees blooming with flowers, petals fluttering down.

Among the peach trees, there was a dilapidated old temple.

The surrounding walls of the temple had mostly collapsed, several auxiliary halls that had long been neglected were either fallen apart or had rooftops overgrown with weeds and even a big hole.

Only the main hall was barely intact.

With the surrounding walls collapsed, there was naturally no obstruction, and seeing smoke rising from inside, the three of them entered the main hall under their oil-paper umbrellas in the drizzle.

"Daoist Feng, you have arrived."

The old man guarding the temple came out upon hearing them, dressed in tattered clothes, with white disheveled hair, looking hardly better than a beggar, and he walked with a limp.

Daoist Feng frowned and asked, "Who did this?"

The old man sighed deeply, "Some passing beggars wanted to take over the ruined temple, if not for a strange occurrence inside the temple that scared them away, I wouldn’t have survived."

Daoist Feng, full of regret, replied, "I’ve been busy with many issues recently and haven’t had the chance to check on you. Once I return, I’ll send some rice, flour, and cooking oil."

The old man’s eyes lit up, and he quickly offered thanks, "You are merciful, Daoist."

Daoist Feng nodded and asked, "What exactly happened inside the temple? We’ve come to investigate this matter."

"It’s nothing much," the old man glanced towards the temple hall and sighed, "Recently, every night, one can vaguely hear crying inside the great hall, but when entering with a torch, no one can be found."

"Once you leave, the candlelight extinguishes by itself, and the crying starts again. Local people are too frightened to come near. Maybe it’s some wandering ghost residing in the temple."

Sha Lifei was somewhat puzzled, "Old man, aren’t you afraid?"

The old man looked calm, "I’m alone and without support, living in this world, what difference is there between me and wandering ghosts? We are both pitiable, there’s nothing to fear."

Daoist Feng slightly shook his head, "Things have been somewhat unsettled lately, maybe it’s better if you leave earlier to avoid any trouble."

The old man shook his head, "No need, I’m used to living here, even if I die here, I would be at peace."

Daoist Feng sighed, not persuading further, and had the old man lead them to the main hall.

The wooden doors of the great hall were long gone, utterly empty, and without even entering, one could see the interior was in ruins, a ferocious divine statue covered in filth with its lacquer peeling, already decayed.

As Li Yan stepped into the great hall, he suddenly felt the Hook Paper at his waist heat up, and then mist began to rise around him...