Rules of Inviting the Gods

Flames appeared, bringing warmth to the darkness.

Er Gou first breathed a sigh of relief, but upon seeing the scene before him, his heart leaped into his throat. His back turned ice-cold, and his limbs went weak.

Ahead lay a valley, not very large.

Near the back of the valley stood a Mountain God Temple, old and dilapidated, beyond repair. Several burly beggars stood guard outside, each greasy and covered in sores.

And around the ruined temple were tents of all sizes.

Campfires blazed everywhere, with large pots set up over them.

At least hundreds of beggars had gathered here.

The elderly were white-haired and emaciated, their eyes milky white, squatting like corpses, devoid of any life...

The young ones were no more than seven or eight years old, all in rags, their faces blackened. Some were even disabled, fanning the flames in front of the large pots...

These West Traveling Beggars had their own way of cooking.

They gathered all the food they had begged, whether steamed buns, pastries, or moldy biscuits, even leftovers from restaurants, and threw it all into a large pot to boil.

Much of it had gone sour, and the smell was imaginable.

Even so, the beggars squatted by the fire, swallowing their saliva.

What made Er Gou's hair stand on end was something else.

Over there, in a clearing, the strong beggars were all gathered. Each held a Dog Beating Stick, forming a large circle, and continuously struck the ground.

In the center of the clearing, a wild dog darted about.

These wild dogs from the Mass Burial Grounds, having eaten human flesh, had blood-red eyes and were no smaller than starved wolves. They had large bumps on their heads from years of hitting coffins, making them extremely ferocious.

But now, it was panicked, whimpering.

Amidst the dense beating of the Dog Beating Sticks, it seemed to have lost its mind, running in circles like a Ghost Wall, refusing to run out.

And around it were venomous snakes, heads raised, fangs bared, hissing, looking for an opportunity to strike the wild dog.

Soon, the wild dog was poisoned and fell to the ground, twitching and trembling.

The surrounding venomous snakes swarmed, entering its body through its mouth and orifices...

Er Gou had never seen such a bizarre sight. He stood frozen, his limbs ice-cold, not daring to move.

"Let's go, what are you waiting for?"

The old beggar leading the way saw him and barked.

"Yes, yes."

Er Gou quickly followed, shrinking his neck, trying to be inconspicuous.

He followed the old beggar step by step into the ruined temple.

"Grandfather, the person is here."

The old beggar bowed and reported, then stepped aside.

Er Gou swallowed and secretly looked up.

He saw that the statue of the Mountain Lord on the stone platform where the deity statue once stood had been removed. In its place was a fat, big-eared beggar.

He was enormous, his chest bare, his belly layered with fat, and his bald head shone with grease.

He lay on his side, also covered in scabs.

This man was the Beggar Chief of the Xianyang West Travelers.

He was a mysterious figure who had been rooted in Xianyang for many years and rarely interacted with the gangs in the city. The beggars all called him Mountain Lord.

A pungent, foul odor assaulted Er Gou, making him want to vomit, but he dared not show any reaction. He respectfully cupped his hands and said, "This humble one greets Mountain Lord!"

"Mmm."

The Beggar Chief, Mountain Lord, was extremely obese. His eyelids bulged like light bulbs. Even when he tried to open his eyes, to others, it looked like only a slit.

He sized up Er Gou below and said indifferently, "The Iron Saber Gang, their leader is that Old Monkey's disciple, right?"

"I have no quarrel with you, why have you come here?"

Er Gou quickly clasped his hands, cutting to the chase. "The leader wants to ask for your help dealing with a few people. They are outsiders and don't understand the rules..."

After explaining the situation, he took out several silver notes from his bosom, smiling obsequiously, "For you, it's just a small matter. This is for your respect."

These silver notes totaled three hundred taels.

Honestly, it was more than what he had extorted from the Spring Breeze Troupe Leader's son.

But by now, it wasn't about the money.

Zheng HeiBei was willing to spend some silver to quell this matter.

The Beggar Chief, Mountain Lord, glanced at them, seemingly uninterested, and waved his hand, "Go. Poor families can't hold onto money, nor are they anyone's thugs."

"This..."

Er Gou panicked. "Mountain Lord, we all make a living in Xianyang. We see each other often. If you help us out, the Iron Saber Gang will surely remember this favor."

The Beggar Chief pondered for a moment, "Whether it's about human kindness or not is irrelevant, take the banknotes as well, but you must help me find someone."

Er Gou looked puzzled and chuckled, "Mountain Lord, you jest. Your disciples and followers are all over Xianyang. When it comes to information, you probably have more than us."

The Beggar Chief said indifferently, "Those from poor families, not old scoundrels from the Rong family. Our ancestors' rules dictate we can't enter. We can walk through a thousand households and visit ten thousand homes, but we only dare to linger outside their doors."

"Moreover, some places will chase us away as soon as we get close."

The man suddenly understood, "Who are you looking for?"

The Beggar Chief, Mountain Lord, slowly stood up and scratched his greasy belly.

"A few months ago, GuShui Village outside the city was attacked by bandits, and the entire village was reduced to ashes. Did you know about it?"

"I know."

The man chuckled, "That incident was an inside job, colluding with external bandits. What's laughable is that Landlord Lu's concubine was also selling land extensively, swindling several families at once. Truly skillful means."

"You're looking for her?"

"To be frank, we are also looking for this fat sheep."

"It's not her."

The Beggar Chief said calmly, "It's another concubine. If I'm not mistaken, she's still hiding in Xianyang City right now!"

Just as Wang Dao Xuan had said, the rain stopped the next day, and the sky cleared.

Early in the morning, the three of them arrived at the Spring Breeze Troupe's communal courtyard.

Today, Wang Dao Xuan had changed into a clean Taoist robe. All his equipment was packed into a rucksack resembling a scholar's satchel, carried by Sha Li Fei.

Upon arrival, the members of the Spring Breeze Troupe had already gathered.

Since the Iron Saber Gang had left yesterday, they hadn't returned, allowing them to sleep soundly. However, everyone knew this matter wasn't over.

No matter how innocent the Troupe Leader's son was, or how he was framed, the IOUs from the Iron Saber Gang were watertight. They had the upper hand no matter where they went.

Even if they didn't come to harass them, reporting to the yamen would put them in a difficult position.

Anger, helplessness, and rage were useless; reality was just like this.

These people usually avoided the sight of officials, how could they compare to those who operated in the grey areas between black and white?

The Guo Huo from Jinmen even dared to extort the granaries and extort settlement fees from the Imperial Court!

Therefore, they now had only one path to choose:

Perform ghost operas!

There was no shortage of such work. Some places frequently experienced incidents, or ancestral halls were unsettled, or there were problems during weddings and funerals. When the situation didn't warrant inviting the Orthodox Xuan Gate to perform rituals to ward off evil, people would hire performers for ghost operas to appease the spirits. The rewards were quite generous.

And the first step in this was to invite a Netherworld God who could command the scene.

Looking at the determined Spring Breeze Troupe members, Wang Dao Xuan sighed inwardly, his expression becoming even more serious, "Everyone, do you know the rules?"

"This Daoist will say them again."

"We depart at noon and will arrive at the Mass Burial Grounds in the evening. After finding a spot, everyone will wash their hands. During This Daoist's ritual, you will silently chant the Inviting the Gods incantation..."

"Remember, after going up the mountain, whatever animals you encounter, do not call them by their names. Tigers are 'Big Bugs,' bears are 'Old Masters,' eagles are 'Seat Grandfathers,' hedgehogs are 'White Second Grandfathers,' foxes are 'Third Grandfathers,' and ghosts are 'Gentle Breeze Grandfathers'..."

"This Daoist doesn't know what will be invited, so be polite. You never know which one might have gained Dao Progress and become sentient, coming to cause trouble for you..."

"Also, during the ritual, you cannot speak a single word."

"When This Daoist says 'They have arrived,' you will all shout 'Receive them!' Then, immediately descend the mountain. No matter what commotion is behind you, do not look back..."

Wang Dao Xuan explained meticulously, not daring to make the slightest omission.

To be honest, many opera troupes knew this method of inviting gods, and some even did it annually, with specific sayings and omens.

Sheep, dogs, cows, and benevolent gentle breezes were all auspicious signs. Encountering a wild boar was best, symbolizing good fortune in all matters.

If they encountered rabbits and flying birds, it represented a year of running around.

Of course, they often did it themselves. They would run upon hearing animal sounds, not knowing if they had successfully invited anything, and some were merely rituals.

However, the Spring Breeze Troupe was different.

To invite a Netherworld God to command the scene without causing any loss of life, there couldn't be the slightest error, and even the less clear taboos had to be observed.

As Wang Dao Xuan explained, Sha Li Fei sidled up to Li Yan and said with a worried expression in a low voice, "I went to the teahouse this morning and heard some news."

"Old Monkey Zhou Pan has already reached Transformed Strength, so he naturally won't make a move. But he has several disciples who have all achieved Hidden Strength, and they all want to kill you to please Old Monkey."

"I also heard something else. When your father, Li Hu, was alive, he was very close with Guan WanChe, the constable at the Xianyang Prefectural Office. Why don't you ask him to help mediate..."

"Guan WanChe?"

Li Yan frowned upon hearing this, then sneered, "My father never mentioned this person when he was alive, and he never visited in all these years. I suspect even if they knew each other, their relationship was ordinary."

"This arena, I can only rely on myself!"

"Rely on yourself?"

Sha Li Fei was furious, "How old are you? Even with potential, you're only at the peak of Manifested Strength. With one move, they can send their Martial Power through your internal organs and make you spit blood."

"How are you going to fight? Go up there and look for death?!"

Li Yan didn't reply. Instead, he stared at his palm, then gently placed it on a small tree nearby. He took a deep breath and pressed down forcefully.

Rustle!

The leaves on the entire tree fell