"Friend Daoist Li, I am so polite!"
Gu Hanzi stepped through the door, waved his sleeves, and saluted, with a smile on his face and a kind look on his face.
"I've met the Daoist priest."
Li Yan Although he was confused, he still smiled and nodded in response.
Most of the Ezhou Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect Daoists come from Mount Wudang and True Martial Palace.
They are good at martial arts and are somewhat similar to the Pure Yang Palace, and they are both the main strength of Mystic Sacrificial Official Enforcement Hall.
Li Yan Although he had fought alongside them, he had no friendship with them. How could he not be suspicious of such a warm reception?
Seeing the guarded look in his eyes, Gu Hanzi smiled slightly and without concealing it, said, "At Shangjin Town, seeing that all of you fellow Daoists are very skilled, Pindao has contacted Chang'an City God Temple to check some information."
"The reviews in Shaanzhou are very high. No matter Chang'an and Xianyang City God's Temple, Doumu, or Chunyang Ergong, they all have high praise for fellow Daoists."
"Coupled with our status as fellow Daoists, we can be considered one of our own."
"The Daoist priest is so complimentary."
Li Yan said modestly, but he didn't think so in his heart.
He was able to deal with the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect smoothly in Shaanzhou, and it was Luo MingZi who helped him most of the time.
And in Huashan, if it hadn't been for chance to prevent the disaster of Drought Demon, I'm afraid the treatment after going up the mountain would not be much better than that of other people.
He also knows some about the history of the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect.
This matter involves the Buddhism and Taoism dispute. There have been constant grievances for thousands of years. Even at the time of Three Disasters of Wu against Buddhism, the Daoist sect was still loose.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the Tao disappeared and the demons grew.
However, Divine Land each Daoist sect operates independently, and sometimes there are even fights over Blessed Grotto-Heavens.
In order to cope with the troubled times, Daoist sects in the world gathered Mount Tai, and Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect appeared. From Song Era onwards, it completely became Daoism Chief.
Even so, there are many factions within.
Even though he had some connections in Shaanzhou, he couldn't use them at all when he arrived in Ezhou. He was lucky to be treated equally and not cause trouble.
Being so diligent, it would be a lie to say that you are not worried.
Gu Hanzi smiled slightly and poured tea for several people, "You don't need to worry too much, Daoist friend Li. In fact, for a warlock like you who has good relations with the Daoist sect and has extraordinary methods, we will treat you with courtesy when you come to Ezhou."
"After all, many things require your help. Many Enforcement Hall tasks, True Martial Palace will also be open to you."
"The Daoist priest was joking."
Li Yan frowned, "True Martial Palace's martial arts are famous all over the world. I'm just a side sect, so how can we help?"
Gu Hanzi sighed, shook his head and said, "No matter how strong I True Martial Palace is, how many people will I have? Besides, the situation in Ezhou is far more complicated than fellow Daoists imagined."
"Ezhou connects the north and the south and is also an important Daoist town. Further south, the Dharma lineage is prosperous and there are countless sects of different sizes."
"Therefore, Ezhou Xuanmen is a pattern of north facing south, east Zen, and west way. In order to ensure the stability of Divine Land Xuanmen, many Blessed Grotto-Heavens will also be handed over to the Dharma lineage for suppression."
"Also, the situation in Wushan is complicated and is not controlled by the Orthodox Church. In addition, the natural danger of Shennongjia, the roof of Central China, separates the Orthodox Church in Sichuan from our Zhenwu Palace. It is difficult to support it alone."
"Oh, that's it..."
Li Yan After hearing this, his expression did not change, but his heart suddenly felt.
Good guy, the Buddhism and Taoism dispute, the cause and effect between Orthodoxy and Dharma, no matter which one, is a huge whirlpool.
Is this guy... trying to drag them into the water?
Thinking of this, Li Yan looked serious and said in a deep voice, "Daoist Master, we are just unknown people, traveling around the world to practice. We don't dare to mix these things."
Gu Hanzi was stunned for a moment, then laughed dumbly and said, "Fellow Daoist Li was wrong. Although the Xuanmen situation is complicated, there are rules."
"What should we do? Not to mention you, even the poor Daoist is not qualified to participate. That is a matter for higher-level monks to consider."
"Oh?"
Li Yan was a little curious when he heard this, "Other than these, is it possible that with your teaching's power, there will still be trouble?"
Gu Hanzi nodded, "Not only there, it's also huge."
"The situation in Ezhou is very special, especially here in Yunyang Prefecture. It involves mountain people, Heavenly Saint Sect, various chieftains, and some secret witches in Jingchu Mountain Area."
"Of course, the main problem now is still the mountain people."
"Yunyang Governor Yuan advocates taking things slowly. Although it has been slow over the past few years, it has shown results, and many mountain residents have chosen to move out."
"But there are also several imperial guards stationed here in Yunyang. People in the military have the support of Ministry of War, and they are more willing to follow Grand Ancestor's example and directly close the mountains to suppress and expel them, so as not to station troops for a long time and consume national power."
"Since last year, Governor Yuan has been in poor health and lacks energy. He is often bedridden and can no longer support himself in the bathroom..."
"Now, the mountain people and Heavenly Saint Sect have caused another major case, which also involves Black Market Gunpowder from various states. His Majesty is furious. Ministry of War urgently dispatches various health stations. A major chaos is inevitable..."
"Yunyang Prefecture City God Temple, as well as the soldiers and horses on Mount Wudang, are the basis for suppressing the four parties and preventing Xuanmen forces from participating on a large scale. I, True Martial Palace, have issued a call to withdraw my strength to deal with this matter..."
"Because of this matter, some places really can't take care of it, especially Jingzhou and Yichang, where weird things happen one after another. We can only assign Enforcement Hall's tasks to other monks."
"You can rest assured that these tasks do not involve sectarian disputes. Most of them are about eliminating evil. After all, protecting the environment and the people, preventing disasters and eliminating evil are our primary responsibilities."
"If evil spirits are rampant in the territory, it is my True Martial Palace fault."
"Oh..."
Li Yan became interested after hearing this, "I wonder how difficult these tasks are, and how are the rewards calculated?"
On Mount Huashan, they spent nearly half of their wealth, spending money along the way. Even if they took on small jobs like exorcism and evil spirits, they could only cover their daily expenses.
It is extremely difficult to save enough money for practice.
After listening to this, Gu Hanzi replied seriously, "The reward is naturally related to the difficulty of the task. I, True Martial Palace, cannot offer a high price, but after completing the task, I can be rewarded with spiritual things."
"If you have enough merit, we will even open 'Three Great Mysterious Realms' to you during the Wudang Dharma Conference."
"What?"
Wang Dao Xuan was silent at first, but when he heard "Three Great Mysterious Realms", his expression immediately changed slightly.
Seeing Li Yan's confusion, he quickly explained, "'Three Great Mysterious Realms' is the three extraordinary spiritual orifices in Wudang, namely 'True Martial Dragon Cave', 'Thunder Fire Refining Hall' and 'Purple Cloud Divine Lamp'."
"I heard that if you practice there, you will have extraordinary opportunities."
"Magic lamp, opportunity?"
Hearing this, Li Yan had bad memories in his heart.
That Hua Mountain Divine Lamp gave him White Emperor's Blessing, which extinguished a soul fire. Although it was an accidental mistake, the benefits were average.
The columns of the Cun Shen Tower were all turned into metal, making the tower more stable, but that was all.
It has Luo Feng Mountain as the foundation support, and the building itself is stable. This advantage is a bit useless...
Also, I got White Emperor's Blessing, which has bonuses when using weapons, but except for the moment when Severing Dust Blade was cast, it never elicited...
Li Yan had some vague guesses in his mind.
Originally, when absorbing White Emperor's Blessing, there was no need to resist at all. Huashan's innate Geng Metal Qi would be integrated into the Shen Shen.
The only drawback is that you have to endure the pain of a sharp blade piercing your soul.
For ordinary monks, it only takes a few breaths.
And he relied on <Luo Feng Scripture> and Great Luo Dharma Body to carry it through without letting the innate Geng Metal Qi merge with the existing god, and he persisted for more than an hour.
This huge force has nowhere to go.
Nature and building views are integrated.
It has become even more difficult to mobilize it.
Now that we hear about "magic lamp" and "lucky fate", we naturally doubt its effectiveness.
"Daoist Wang is well-informed."
Gu Hanzi praised it and said with a smile, "The 'Zhenwu Dragon Cave' is located under the Wulong Palace. It was built by imperial decree during the Zhenguan period and was the first of the nine major palaces in Wudang Mountain at that time."
"It is said that there was a severe drought in the world at that time. Xuan Gate People was ordered to pray for rain. Five dragons fell down and turned into a dragon pond. Five Dragons Palace built it because of this."
"'True Martial Dragon Cave' is under the dragon pond. Enter it for retreat. If you have the opportunity, you can understand martial arts. I sent Old Ancestor Sanfeng Zhenren to enlighten in 'True Martial Dragon Cave'..."
"Thunder Fire Refining Hall, built at the end of the Song and Jin Dynasties, can attract the thunder from the sky, which can be used to suppress evil spirits and practice the method of thunder and fire..."
"As for Purple Cloud Divine Lamp, it should be kept in the Purple Cloud Golden Hall and it will not burn out all year round. It will be of great benefit to cultivate the spirit in it!"
"This Three Realms, dealing with skills, magic, and martial arts respectively, is the foundation of my True Martial Palace. It is rarely open to ordinary monks. If it weren't for the current situation... Fellow Daoist Li, you can't miss it."
Li Yan was a little moved after hearing this, especially "True Martial Dragon Cave" and "Thunder Fire Refining Hall", but he shook his head and said, "Such an opportunity will definitely not be released casually. I'm afraid the task is not simple..."
"Young Daoist Li is right."
Gu Hanzi said with a solemn expression, "A storm is coming to Ezhou, and some Demons and Monsters are also ready to take action, and some are really dangerous."
"For example, Azure Dragon Mountain, not far from Yunyang, has recently been rumored to be haunted by Strange Beast. People often disappear inexplicably. Now no one dares to go in the mountains. Enforcement Hall sent his disciples to investigate, but found nothing."
"Yunyang Prefecture is too troubled to be guarded all the time, so a fellow Daoist from the Meishan Dharma Sect took over the task."
"They are hunters in the mountains, and they are the best at dealing with Strange Beast, but they disappeared this time."
"After all, Azure Dragon Mountain is not far from Yunyang. This task has also been upgraded. After completion, Silver Taels will be rewarded two thousand taels, as well as a token for 'Three Great Mysterious Realms' to enter."
"With this token, you can choose Three Great Mysterious Realms at will and gain enlightenment once."
Li Yan lost interest as soon as he heard it.
Meishan Dharma Sect's hunters have all disappeared. You can imagine the danger. What's even more troublesome is that they have to wait in the mountains. They don't have time to stay.
And this Three Great Mysterious Realms sounds mysterious, but it is only difficult for ordinary monks to enter. True Martial Palace disciples and those who are related may have vomited long ago.
Whether you can get the opportunity or not is another matter.
Using these imaginary objects, plus two thousand taels, to make the masters of the Dharma sell their lives, and there is no return, it is almost like a business without capital.
Thinking of this, he asked, "What other tasks are there?"
Gu Hanzi was obviously prepared. He took out a booklet from his arms and said, "All the reported tasks are written in the booklet. No matter which one you complete, you can go to the local City God Temple to report it, and someone will naturally check it."
After saying that, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "I have a mission, and I ask fellow Daoists to help me."
"Daoist Master, please speak."
"Jingzhou Dangyang County, there is Purple Canopy Mountain, which is one of Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. It is jointly managed by Dharma lineage Bamboo Mountain Sect, Buddhist Vinaya School, and Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect, each occupying one side."
"Since last year, Purple Canopy Mountain True Martial Palace, Daoist people have been dying one after another. The reports there were that they were normal deaths, but a secret message came from Feng Lingzi, a junior fellow of Pindao, saying that there is something strange in the palace, and he is secretly investigating."
"It has been nearly a month, and no secret message has been sent back. Pindao is very worried, but he can't leave."
"And there are three parties co-governing there. If Enforcement Hall enters in a big way, it may cause misunderstandings. I also ask fellow Daoists to help find out what happened."
"Jingzhou Dangyang?"
Li Yan thoughtfully nodded and said, "Okay, I'm going to Yichang right now. I can stop by for a visit after I'm done, but if I find any danger, I'll evacuate."
Gu Hanzi nodded and said, "That's natural. We just need to find out what happened and we will deal with it later."
With this relationship, Lu San's matter will not be a problem.
Gu Hanzi agreed that as long as Commandery Commandant Office withdraws Wanted Order, the ultimatum can be processed on the same day without waiting.
After leaving City God Temple, the two headed towards Commandery Commandant Office.
Somewhat different from Chang'an, Yunyang Commandery Commandant Office has been mainly targeting mountain residents since its establishment. To facilitate transfer, the address is near Yunyang Prefecture Yamen.
And Yunyang Prefecture Yamen is right in the center of the city.
It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive at the gate of the government office, but they saw a lot of people gathered in the square.
They all wore black scarves on their heads and coarse printed blue cloth clothes. Some even wore silver bracelets on their hands and feet. They were sitting or lying down, staring at the surrounding officers and soldiers without fear.
Many Yunyang people have gathered in the surrounding streets.
They whispered, their eyes filled with gloating.
"Lost again?"
"It must be lost. It has been lost for several years..."
Li Yan was puzzled, and after asking around for a while, he found out the reason.
These are all Western Hubei Tujia people. Former Dynasty Da Xing To facilitate management, a chieftain system was established. The court appointed chieftains and Tuguan to manage themselves.
Divine Land Minorities in the territory and in the border areas basically follow this method, and it continues to this day.
Chieftains from various places were not only responsible for taxation, but also paid tribute regularly.
These are all the native people under the command of Tangya Tusi Qin Clan. They were responsible for escorting tax grains to Yunyang, but they were robbed by water thieves on the way.
But the strange thing is here, they have been robbed for several years in a row, and even the tributes shipped to the capital have been robbed.
Everyone can see that this is a thief shouting to catch a thief.
The root cause of this matter is a policy "Replace Tusi with centrally appointed officials" proposed by the current emperor a few years ago to end the chieftain system and let the imperial court send people to manage it.
Because of this incident, the chieftains from all over the country were furious. They wrote letters and begged, and bribed the ministers of the DPRK and China with large sums of money to intercede.
In short, the procrastination never got done.
And the tax and grain being robbed is clearly an expression of dissatisfaction.
"This Yunyang Prefecture, there are so many things..."
Wang Dao Xuan and Li Yan looked at each other, shook their heads slightly, and walked towards an alley near the government office.
That's where Commandery Commandant Office Yamen is located.
Commandery Commandant Office has such a bad reputation that even ordinary people don't want to live there, not to mention restaurants and teahouses nearby. Most of them are owned by members of Commandery Commandant Office.
When we got to the door, Li Yan asked someone to report on his behalf.
Soon, a tall, red-faced man strode out, clasped his fists seriously and said, "I've seen Young Hero Li."
This person Li Yan has also met. He is Centurion Wang, Jiaozhou who is under Chiliarch Huang. He is good at using double swords and is extremely brave. He is considered to be Chiliarch Huang's confidant.
Li Yan glanced at the probe, "Chiliarch Huang isn't there?"
Centurion Wang shook his head and said, "Master Qianhu caught wind and cold in the mountains. Now he is sick at home, not in the Yamen."
"But don't worry, you two, Qianhu has already ordered your matter to be handled. I have checked with Chang'an. It can be revoked. It will be fine tomorrow. Official documents will be sent to various places."
"Thank you!"
Li Yan immediately clasped his fists in thanks and asked casually, "Is Master Qianhu okay?"
Centurion Wang said meaningfully, "It's not a serious illness. Maybe it will be fine after this period of time."
"Oh."
Li Yan understood instantly and left with fists in his hands.