"Daoist Master, were there so many people in previous years?"
Sha LiFei was secretly frightened and asked in a low voice.
"Of course not."
Wang Dao Xuan looked solemn, shook his head and said, "Taibai has a strong momentum, and there are no winds and rains. Only in the hot summer of June, people can pass through it, which is called 'opening the mountain'. In other seasons, the roads are blocked by fog and snow, and there are few people, commonly known as 'closing the mountain'."
"It's winter now, and the roads on the mountain are getting more and more difficult. Those devout pilgrims will go to the old temple halfway up the mountain, but Xuan Gate People must climb to the top. The road is dangerous, but there are not so many people."
Li Yan nodded and said, "That's probably because something happened. Be careful when you go in and find out what happened."
After saying that, the three of them jumped down and led their horses towards Wubao.
This Wubao gate was obviously renovated later and was simply made of charred logs. It was wide open at the moment and no one was guarding it.
Entering inside, Li Yan discovered that there is a completely different world.
The entire Wubao is like a small village, with the ancestral hall and Three Officials Temple in the center, six large houses around it, and various large houses on the periphery, which should be warehouses and stables.
Of course, the damage to the buildings inside was even more serious. Many old houses had completely collapsed and were simply rebuilt by vendors.
Shops are flaunting, including a Bai Family Inn, a teahouse and wine shop, a cloakroom shop, an incense shop, and even a Blacksmith Shop.
Although the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs.
It was approaching dusk now, and the castle was blocked by high walls. The light was dim, and lanterns had been lit. The noise of people, the neighing of mules and horses, the steam billowing from the restaurant, and the witches and gods walking by from time to time gave it a strange and bizarre feeling.
"You three, do you want to stay in a hotel?"
Before they could recover, a little boy came running up, nodding and bowing to ask.
Wang Dao Xuan wondered, "In the past few years, wasn't it called Gaojia Inn? Why, the owner has changed?"
"How strange..."
The boy sneered and said, "There are always profits and losses in business. If you can't continue, you can just leave. The inn has been taken over by our owner."
As he spoke, he raised his eyebrows and said, "To be honest, our boss is the descendant of Qin Dynasty Divine General Bai Qi. Legend has it that this Wubao was built by the Bai family. It is said that it is our boss's property..."
"Just forget it."
The blacksmith just passed by and heard the words and said sarcastically, "Don't say whether there was Wubao in Qin Shi. Even if there was, it is gone long ago. There is also your boss. We know what the situation is."
"Descendants of General Bai Shen, you dare to boast!"
The boy's face turned red, but he was obviously afraid of the blacksmith and did not dare to refute. He said angrily to Li Yan and the others, "Let's talk about it first. It's twenty taels of silver a night, not including meals and heating water. How many of you can't live here?"
Sha LiFei glared and said, "Twenty taels of silver, you are stealing it so openly!"
The boy was not afraid, and shouted with a stick in his neck, "This is the market now, and the price is clearly stated, you can't help it!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards another new guest.
Sha LiFei was very angry, but since this guy was so rampant, he must have someone to rely on. Besides, he was new to this place and was not familiar with the situation, so he could only hold it in for now.
The new guest is a middle-aged woman, wearing a mysterious robe, with a Seven Stars Sword and a Peach Wood Sword on her back. She is also wearing a bamboo armor and Soul Calming Bell hanging on her waist. She has a heroic and weathered face. At first glance, she is Xuan Gate People.
Contrary to their expectations, upon hearing the boy's quotation, the woman nodded without hesitation and said, "Well, lead the way, one room, and help me feed the horse along the way."
"Yes, guests are invited!"
The boy's face was full of enthusiasm, he nodded and bowed and took the person away.
At the end of the day, he turned around and shouted, "The guest rooms are full. Guests who want to stay at the hotel should wait until tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned around and left quickly.
Sha LiFei was confused, "Business is so hot?"
Li Yan watched the woman leave and whispered, "Daoist Master, this woman is not simple. Can you see any clues?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman turned her head suddenly, gave them a cold look, and then continued to leave with the boy.
It's Ear Mystical Power!
Li Yan's expression remained unchanged, but he was already on guard in his heart.
There are many Xuan Gate Peoples gathered in this place, and everyone has a Divine Ability. It seems that you have to be careful about what you say and do.
"Let's find a place to stay first."
Wang Dao Xuan shook his head slightly, his eyes full of doubts.
However, trouble came again.
Wang Dao Xuan remembers that apart from that Bai Family Inn, there are some broken houses in other places in Wubao, which can be used as a temporary resting place. Anyway, they will prepare to go up the mountain after staying one night.
But walking around Wubao, every place that could provide shelter from the wind and cold was occupied by people. People gathered around the bonfire and looked at them with guarded eyes.
"Brother, let me ask you something..."
"I don't know."
"Every mountain and river has its own way, where do brothers come from?"
"Get out!"
When Sha LiFei inquired about the information, he was met with disappointment. Whether he greeted me with a smile or Jianghu Vernacular, these people did not respond.
Vaguely, everyone is on guard against each other.
"Mom, it's really weird..." Sha LiFei cursed secretly. The atmosphere here made him vaguely panic.
Li Yan's heart moved, and he remembered the blacksmith who had made a mocking comment before, so he led the two of them to Blacksmith Shop.
No furnace work was started during Blacksmith Shop.
The blacksmith was tall, with a beard on his face and a body full of lumps. He was leading two apprentices to burn incense and worship.
Li Yan The three of them didn't bother them and waited outside.
Lower Yuan Festival, some craftsmen want to sacrifice Furnace God. As for this Furnace God, it is Laojun who burned the furnace to make elixir.
Being interrupted during a sacrifice is a big taboo.
After waiting for a stick of incense, the blacksmith finished his work, wiped his hands, turned around and said, "You guys are so interested, where can I get them from?"
Perhaps the three of them knew etiquette, which made his tone much kinder.
Li Yan cupped his hands and said, "Back to senior, I'll come from Xianyang and prepare to go up the mountain."
He has seen that there is a hot scent of incense lingering in this Blacksmith Shop, and he must be a Daoist craftsman.
"Xianyang..." the blacksmith pondered for a moment, "Do you know Manager Wan from the Hearing Sound Pavilion?"
"That's so familiar!"
Sha LiFei was a natural climber, so he quickly got close to her, "Our relationship is not ordinary. We lived at Shangyi Village for a while, and I also know Manager Wan."
The blacksmith nodded and said, "Yes, we have a friendship. Manager Wan sent a batch of drums up the mountain a while ago, and they just came down the mountain yesterday."
"Oh, what a pity, I missed it..."
With Manager Wan as the starting point, several people quickly became familiar with each other.
The blacksmith's surname is Hong and his name is Hong MuShan. He is indeed a Daoist craftsman. He took over the shop from his master and often worked for the Daoist temple on the mountain. He never worried about business.
"Brother Hong, there's something wrong with the atmosphere here..."
Li Yan couldn't help but express his doubts.
"You don't know?" Blacksmith Hong looked surprised.
"I've been on the road and haven't heard anything."
"No wonder..."
After listening to Li Yan's explanation, Blacksmith Hong shook his head and said, "At this time in previous years, there were really not many people, but something big happened before."
"Just after Cold Clothes Festival, Imperial Court several orthodox National Teacher came to report, saying that there is a Xuanmen evil way in Jiangnan Road that deceives the villagers. They hide day and night, Excessive Sacrifice evil gods, and call themselves Saint Yuan Marshal, trying to cause rebellion."
"The emperor was furious and ordered Mystic Sacrificial Official to strictly control it. News has spread that Blessed Grotto-Heavens occupied by the orthodox religions of various Dharma lineages. In the future, if you borrow spiritual orifices, you must have an ultimatum issued by Mystic Sacrificial Official."
"I heard that starting around the end of the year, not many people will receive the news and come in a hurry, wanting to take advantage of this last time to practice..."
When the three of them heard this, they immediately looked at each other.
Sha LiFei said speechlessly, "Does this sound like an excuse? It's clear that he wants to use Blessed Grotto-Heavens to control Daoism in the world."
Li Yan heard this and immediately understood.
A chivalrous person uses martial arts to violate the prohibition, and a Confucian scholar uses literature to disturb the law. If Xuan Gate People gives birth to thoughts, it will bring disaster to the entire world.
Witchcraft and poisonous chaos in the Han palace, emperors' dreams of immortality, prophecies in troubled times, famines and civil unrest... all dynasties have suffered from headaches.
But just like Jianghu, Xuanmen can't kill them all. Moreover, the court still needs to use it to calm the people and suppress evil spirits, so it can only focus on control.
Therefore, Great Xuan Dynasty has a law. All Xuan Gate People, regardless of whether they are monks, Daoists or witches, must be registered in Mystic Sacrificial Official and issued Daoist ultimatums.
But just like gunpowder, which has been repeatedly banned, many folk magicians simply ignore this law, let alone those who practice evil.
It is very difficult for a warlock to succeed in Building the Tower in ordinary places. With the help of Blessed Grotto-Heavens spiritual aperture, the chance is even greater.
It seems that the imperial court wants to clamp down on this to restrain Xuanmen.
Li Yan neither deceives nor uses magic to harm others, so naturally he does not object to this. He even asked Luo MingZi to help him create a book, and will go to Chang'an to receive the ultimatum years ago.
But this matter caused him trouble.
Tai Bai Mountain Dipper Mother Institute, a big ceremony will be held during the winter solstice, during which the Dongtian Qiao cave will be temporarily closed until the coming year.
You know, although the Dongtian Mountain Range is huge, there are very few Innate Firm Qi acupoints that have been discovered.
With so many warlocks, there must be some competition.
Thinking of this, Li Yan's heart moved slightly, and he asked, "Senior, there are so many people paying high prices for accommodation, so Bai Family Inn, something is wrong..."
It felt familiar just now. This situation seemed to be the same as the routine of some scenic spots in previous lives.
"Isn't it?"
Blacksmith Hong became angry when he heard this, "The original Boss Gao from the inn has a good relationship with us. Everyone makes money by guarding this Wubao, and their days are also counted as Xiaoyao."
"This man surnamed Bai took advantage of his marriage with the manager of the Daoist temple on the mountain, so he robbed Boss Gao of his business and forced him to leave his hometown."
As he said that, he glanced in the direction of the inn and whispered, "After learning about the news from the imperial court, this Bai Family Inn boss made an idea and stayed with them for twenty-two and one nights."
"There is a mystery here. What you receive is not the accommodation fee, but the opportunity to rent a spiritual aperture from the steward after you go up the mountain!"
Sure enough!
Li Yan sneered and guessed it correctly.
"I'm scared, I never thought that this Xuanmen Holy Land is also full of smoke and smoke!"
Sha LiFei cursed, but then asked, "Do you have a chance if you buy a ticket? If so, twenty taels is not expensive."
"Haha!"
Blacksmith Hong sneered and said, "Let's put it this way, this boss has been selling tickets every day since the past few days. I secretly estimate that he has sold more than a hundred tickets at least."
"There are only a few spiritual orifices on the mountain. I think I will have to search them out and let you bid for rent or something..."
Sha LiFei said in surprise, "More than a hundred, each one is twenty taels, which is two thousand taels of silver, just for a meeting."
"Dark, too dark!"
"Why don't we have this chance..."
"Yeah."
Boss Hong agreed, and then looked at Sha LiFei, feeling inexplicably sympathetic to each other.
Wang Dao Xuan was a little helpless, "I didn't expect something like this to happen. I'm afraid we don't have enough money prepared. What should we do?"
They excavated the bandit camp at Xianyang, and the trophies they obtained from Chen FaKui were considered quite wealthy.
After deducting the Building the Tower money, it was more than enough, so he spent a lot of money along the way, hiring people to carry the coffin, renting carriages, fine wine and tea, and enjoying the Luotang Bathhouse baths. The expenses were really not small.
If you bid, you probably won't be able to compete with others.
Li Yan thought for a moment and then asked, "Senior, since you often go to the mountain to help, do you know a Daoist named Yu Linzi in Dipper Mother Institute?"
When he left Xianyang City, Luo MingZi gave an email to Visiting Card, asking him to contact Yu Linzi if he had any inconvenience when he came to Tai Bai Mountain.
Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect is huge, and Mystic Sacrificial Official, to which Luo MingZi belongs, and Dipper Mother Institute belong to different factions, but they are in the same sect after all, and they often communicate with each other.
Since I gave him Visiting Card, it means that the relationship is irreversible.
"Yu Linzi?"
Blacksmith Hong was taken aback and nodded. "Of course I know. This person has extraordinary qualifications. He is already Third Floor at a young age, and his master is also Dipper Mother Institute High Merit Dharma Master."
"If we can ask for his help, this matter should be easy to handle, but there are too many people going up the mountain now, and they are afraid of finding intercessors, not just you."
"Then leave overnight!"
Sha LiFei slapped her face and said harshly, "You can't stay in an inn here anyway, it's no different from sleeping in the wilderness."
"Didn't the Daoist Master say that the Tai Bai Mountain road is not that easy to walk? It's hot in summer under the mountain, and the mountain is covered with ice and snow. Now it's winter and the mountain is closed, so many people must be stuck on the road."
"As long as we walk fast, we might be able to grab one!"
Li Yan hesitated and looked at Wang Dao Xuan.
He and Sha LiFei are naturally fine. They practice martial arts all year round and have extraordinary endurance. Even if they are tired from the journey, it doesn't matter.
Wang Dao Xuan is different, I'm afraid it won't be able to hold on.
"Don't worry about Pindao."
Wang Dao Xuan laughed dumbly, "Although I have weak legs, I have traveled around the world. Sometimes it is common to go over mountains and ridges for two or three days."
"That's good."
Li Yan stood up and said, "Let's buy some things and leave!"
To go up the mountain, you need to prepare a lot of things.
Thick sheepskin jackets, fire sickles, and some dry food.
More than one family took advantage of the situation and robbed them. These items were usually worthless, but now they have doubled in price.
Li Yan and others ignored the nonsense and bought the horses directly. They stored the horses in the stable and left Wubao overnight.
There is something obviously wrong with the atmosphere at Wubao. Many people are silent, but they are actually paying attention to what others are doing.
Seeing the three people leaving, some people's expressions suddenly changed slightly and they cursed, "Are you a fool for going up the mountain at night?"
"How about... let's go too?"
"Why are you so anxious, fellow Daoist? The road on the mountain is steep and you may fall off the cliff if you are not careful. Besides, do you really think you can get there by going there?"
"Don't worry, wait until my disciple delivers the money tomorrow, then it won't be too late to leave..."
Regardless of the thoughts of these people, not long after Li Yan and the others left, the middle-aged woman in Bai Family Inn who was carrying two swords also left Wubao in silence.
Outside Wubao, three lanterns slowly rise from Heaven Pole.
The vicissitudes of life sounded:
"Zhai Sanguan, go to Yuanye Shuiguan to relieve the misfortune..."