From Orthodox to Heretical

Ran Zhongshi offered no explanation and simply waved his hand.

"Come and take a look."

After the two disappeared, the discussions inside the Prefectural Office suddenly intensified.

"Where did he capture the Ghost Mother Sect members in less than an hour?"

"I don't know, did I hear that right? Two Galloping Horse Upper Realm? How did they do that?"

"I saw a corpse with boils."

"He's got real skills, no wonder he's so popular. Let's all clear things up, the Tian Lao, don't go looking for trouble."

"Brother Shao has really lost out this time. He must be furious. Speaking of which, where is Brother Shao?"

"I don't know, he was soaked in the rain for a long time, and then he disappeared..."

Liang Qu followed Ran Zhongshi through a corridor and then turned to enter a Quiet Room.

The room was completely sealed off, with not a single window open. It was bathed in a dim yellow light, and the walls were lined with bookshelves. Instead of books, the shelves were filled with fresh mugwort, which emitted a strong fragrance. The rest of the shelves contained some calamus and peach wood branches.

The two minor officials who had previously carried away the corpse were now grinding the juice in a mortar and pestle, making the fragrance of the mugwort even more intense.

Ran Zhongshi stood behind the two and asked, "Do you remember at the end of May when we had a small meeting on the Painted Boat, Xiang Fangsu and the others said they wanted to go to an island to explore?"

"I remember, did you find anything useful?"

"Hmm, a rare find. There was one Wolf Smoke Martial Master, three Galloping Horse Martial Master, and more than ten ordinary Martial Artist on the island. We captured them all."

After cleaning up the battlefield, Ke Wenbin found several blood-soaked mugwort plants that were very wilted, with yellowing leaf edges, just like the Fire Devouring Seedling. "Do you know Fire Devouring Seedling?"

"I know, it's because of improper fertilization. My neighbor's child always likes to pee in the weeds behind the house, and the leaves of the weeds around it are all turning yellow."

The students in the academy were specifically learning about the seasons and solar terms, which was to familiarize themselves with basic planting knowledge, which was common sense.

Ran Zhongshi's so-called "Fire Devouring Seedling" refers to burning seedlings. This can happen due to under-rotted manure, excessive fertilizer, or improper fertilization.

Essentially, it's a change in osmotic pressure that causes the plant to lose water, turning the leaves yellow and red, as if they've been burned.

"Yes, Martial Artist have abundant Qi and Blood, and after their death they can benefit the world, in accordance with the principle of continuous life."

At the beginning of the founding of the Da Shun Dynasty, the Dragon Elephant Martial Saint had a battle with the Primal Zenith Martial Saint. Afterwards, rats that tasted his blood grew to the size of calves and wreaked havoc in the region.

Ultimately, human blood is different from fertilizer. As long as one isn't soaked in it, it can be absorbed little by little without easily causing weakness. And even if one is "too weak to tolerate tonics," the reaction shouldn't be that quick; it shouldn't take more than an hour from start to finish.

Liang Qu's eyes flashed.

"Is there something wrong with the blood of those Ghost Mother Sect?"

Ran Zhongshi snapped his fingers, "That's right. We later experimented and found that the stronger a member of the Ghost Mother Sect is, the easier it is for their blood to react with Artemisia."

The reaction is mildest for Martial Artist below the fourth level. When mixed with blood and left to stand for three hours, the mugwort juice will turn slightly yellow and have a slight stench.

The Wolf Smoke are most intense when the Galloping Horse for half an hour, and the color changes noticeably within a quarter of an hour.

Aside from mugwort, we have been searching for other plants that exhibit similar phenomena, and so far, we have found that calamus and peach wood also have a certain effect on the blood of the Ghost Mother Sect members.

Furthermore, mixing the juices of mugwort and calamus in a 3:1 ratio can halve the entire development time! The downside is that the juices must be very fresh, and the plants cannot be picked within half a day.

Liang Qu found it unbelievable after hearing this.

What is this supposed to be, a reagent exclusive to the Ghost Mother Sect?

"These plants actually have a common characteristic in folk culture. Brother Liang should be aware of this not long after May."

"To ward off evil spirits?"

"Right!"

Artemisia and calamus need no further explanation.

At noon on the fifth day of the fifth month, the Celestial Master rode a tiger made of mugwort; with his sword of calamus, he slew all evil spirits, and demons and monsters entered the tiger's mouth.

Peach wood is similar; peach has a pungent and unpleasant smell, so it can ward off Evil Qi, hence the saying that a hundred-year-old peach wood sword can slay ghosts and demons.

Daoist ritual Law Artifact still favor the use of peach wood to make swords. Starting from the age of three, the wood is selected through a traditional "grasping ceremony" to create a long sword of the same height. Secret Method are used to stimulate the body's Qi and Blood to nourish the sword. By the time the child reaches adulthood, the sword will be as hard as refined steel and covered with red veins.

But even if these three things can truly ward off evil, what's the logic behind their reaction with the blood of the Ghost Mother Sect's followers? Seeing Liang Qu's confusion, Ran Zhongshi continued.

"Martial Cultivation Method pursue the original text because the original text mostly contains the author's will, allowing people to experience its mysteries to the greatest extent."

When one's strength reaches a certain level, one's will can be substantially retained in external objects. An ordinary person might suffer spiritual annihilation and lose all vitality if glared at by Hunting Tiger Great Martial Master.

Just like a weak rabbit terrified by a fierce tiger, this place is named "Hunting Tiger".

At the Perfected Elephant Grandmaster the Young Dragon Martial Saint, the mysteries become even more profound. Even if their physical bodies are destroyed, they may still retain a lingering will. However, a will without a physical body is extremely susceptible to interference from external objects. Lacking consciousness, it gradually grows into something strange, which we call 'evil'.

The Ghost Mother Sect worships the Yinsha Water Old Mother; you grew up by the water, so you should be very familiar with her.

Liang Qu nodded.

Yinsha Water Old Mother is not a deity fabricated by the Great Qian Dynasty after it retreated to the marshland and established a sect, but a folk water god that has been passed down for a long time.

The exact cause is impossible to verify, and there are far too many similar deities, especially in the riverside areas, where it is not uncommon for a county to have two or three.

The original Yinsha Water Old Mother was indeed Orthodox God, but why she later became an evil deity is another matter.

Having fought against the Ghost Mother Sect, Liang Qu had specifically studied many legends about the Yinsha Water Old Mother.

Ultimately, it is because this Yinsha Water Old Mother naturally possesses a certain degree of evil and Evil Qi.

For example, if someone is said to "make people suddenly rich," she will naturally be sought after and worshipped by unscrupulous people, and gradually people's impression of her will begin to deteriorate.

When believers are impacted by the arrival of "Orthodox God" from other places, accompanied by some "quoting out of context" and "debating scriptures," they become completely unable to recover.

It's more accurate to call it a human evil than a god's evil.

"We suspect that the deity worshipped in the Ghost Mother Sect does exist, but it is definitely not a god. Rather, it is the resentment of a great Divine Ability being after death combined with something else. In life, it was guaranteed to have the strength of Young Dragon Martial Saint."

As a result, the entire Ghost Mother Sect has been affected by it, but we haven't yet figured out exactly how, or what the benefits and drawbacks are.

So this is what is meant by the birth of evil spirits.

Liang Qu seemed to be deep in thought, then turned to his own Dragon Tiger Golden Body.

When he used the Azure Dragon Seven Kill Spear to deflect the sword light, he activated the Dragon Tiger Two Qi, making the whole process very easy.

Logically, the opponent should have no shortage of superior Swordsmanship...

Could it be that the exorcism attempt has worked? "My lord, it's a failure!"

Two minor officials held up the yellowish liquid.

The previously bright green and fragrant mugwort and calamus juice had completely turned into a pool of yellow liquid, resembling pus from an inflamed wound, emitting a faint stench.

Ran Zhongshi covered his nose and told them to pour it out quickly, then turned to Liang Qu and said, "Look, the verification is correct."

Liang Qu was delighted.

"Thank you so much, Big Brother Ran!"

"Don't thank me. It's raining heavily outside. You've been swimming and fighting all day. Go back and rest early. I'll send someone to scout the road again. You can wait to receive your reward."

Feels good.

Having dealt with the lurking venomous snake, I've earned another achievement.

This time, with the addition of the Great Anchor design, I've accomplished two Great Merit, leaving me feeling completely relaxed.

Liang Qu stepped out the door, but was halfway there.

Ran Zhongshi looked up. "Is there anything else?"

"Big Brother Ran, did you bring any money? I have something to do, so I don't have to go home to get it."

"How many?"

"Two Small Silver Ingot, please."

"I don't know how much it is." Ran Zhongshi rummaged through his hands. "It's for you. I can't be bothered to remember it."

Liang Qu reached out and took it, thought for a moment, and then accepted it without hesitation.

What is borrowed must be returned; since it is said to be a gift, it implies that both parties owe each other a debt of gratitude.

Those who came and went from the Quiet Room appeared normal.

Liang Qu turned out of the corridor, knocked on the door, and found Li Shoufu in the Records Room. He asked Li Shoufu about the matter of keeping an eye out for files from Fragrant Township County.

He hadn't forgotten what the Old Giant Clam had said: Bloodstone County, now Fragrant Township County, once had Merfolk tribe. He had always wanted to take a mission abroad to go and check it out, so he asked Li Shoufu to keep an eye on it for him.

If there are any leftover Mermaid Tear, even just two or three, the several thousand units of Marsh Essence would be a huge profit.

Li Shoufu shook his head.

Liang Qu wasn't too disappointed; decades had passed, so a month or two wouldn't make a difference.

The River Conservancy Office controls the entire Huaiyin Prefecture, and will eventually extend its influence to other counties, so it has no shortage of tasks.

"If you have any, please let me know."

Liang Qu put down two Small Silver Ingot, which Li Shoufu discreetly tucked into his sleeve.

"Don't worry, Lord Liang, I will come to your residence to inform you as soon as I have any news, and I will not let anyone beat me to it."