Chapter 248 Weird things in the village
When people build houses, the beam-raising ceremony is the most solemn.
Once the beams are raised, the house is considered to be built, and usually there are a lot of ceremonies, firecrackers go off, and if the family is wealthy, the neighbors are invited to have a feast.
This kind of ceremony is mostly completed by carpenters.
Of course, most of them are not Xuan Gate People, they are just rules passed down orally for auspiciousness and celebration.
Unexpectedly, something really happened.
"This, this..."
Ink Marker fell from the carpenter's hand and he was so frightened that he backed away.
The boss sat down on the ground, his face was pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "How... how could this happen?"
"Why are the wooden beams bleeding?"
"It's an ominous sign..."
The people around him also exclaimed and were stunned.
"Everyone get out of the way!"
Guan Peide was a little surprised at first, why Li Yan and others stopped.
As soon as he saw what was going on, he quickly scolded everyone to disperse, then turned around and said with an uneasy look on his face, "Young Hero Li, what's going on?"
Headless Knight's matter hasn't been settled yet, and now there is this ominous sign in the village, which makes him feel more and more uneasy.
Li Yan stepped forward to check and saw that the wooden beam was dark in color and old. He also smelled the Corpse Qi emanating from it. He already had a guess in his mind, so he turned around and asked, "Where did you find this thing?"
"This..."
The owner's eyes flickered, "It was cut from the mountain."
Wang Dao Xuan on the side shook his head and said, "This thing is from the tomb. It is quite evil. Something has happened. Don't hide it anymore."
"Wu Lao Si!"
Guan Peide, who was standing next to him, was furious when he heard this, "Now that the matter has come to this, and you still dare to hide it, I will tell you why you suddenly have money to build a house. It turns out that you are involved in tomb robbing!"
When the villagers nearby heard this, they also cursed angrily.
"Okay Wu Lao Si, how dare you be Grave Robbers!"
"I'm just telling you, you lazy guy, how did you suddenly get rich?"
"Catch him and send him to the government!"
Guan Family Village is not far from Guanling Mausoleum, and the people in the village regard themselves as mausoleum keepers. The trees near the mausoleum are not willing to be destroyed, and they hate tomb robbers deeply.
"No, no, no, I didn't!"
Seeing this, the owner was scared to death and quickly explained, "I picked up all these things."
"Picked it up?"
Guan Peide saw anger rising in his eyes, "Do you think I will believe it?"
What seemed like a happy event turned into a disaster. Seeing people around him cursing, his wife and children all ran over and burst into tears.
"I really picked it up!"
The boss was also shaking all over, kneeling on the ground, with runny nose and tears, and told what happened.
"A few days ago, I was working for someone to pay the bill, and I happened to meet Liu Quezi in the city, so we got together and had a drink. It was already dark when we left the city..."
"We drank a little too much, and we were half way there in a daze. Suddenly we heard someone talking behind us, but when we turned around, we couldn't see anything. The voice said, please do us a favor, and then gave us a Prosperity..."
"We were both scared and wanted to escape, but we couldn't get out of the mountain path. We knew we had encountered Ghost Wall, so we could only obey his orders."
"Oh?"
Wang Dao Xuan said thoughtfully, "What does that thing want you to do?"
Wu Lao Si said with a sad face, "We are still a little confused, but we just followed the voice and walked, and we came to a temple."
"The temple is very big, and there are many people inside. They are all wearing yellow clothes, their faces are like those of dead people, they don't speak, they just stare at us."
"We were both scared and didn't dare to ask any more questions. We followed the instructions of the voice and pulled out a few flags outside the temple. After a while, we were confused and returned to the mountain road."
"I walked out this time, but I didn't go very far when I found a lot of dead people, as if they had been bitten to death by some wild beast."
"Liu Quezi said that this was Prosperity given by Mountain Immortal, so the two of us searched a lot of money from those people, divided it equally and quickly left the mountain road."
"These people were also carrying a few logs. I thought one of them was good and thought it could be used as a beam, so I turned back and returned home carrying the logs."
Guan Peide said coldly, "There is clearly something behind this matter, don't you know how to report it to the official immediately?"
Wu Lao Si said with a sad face, "Then Liu Quezi is an old bachelor and has connections with gangs in the city. He threatened that this matter should not be revealed, otherwise he would come to trouble me."
Guan Peide frowned, "Wu Lao Si, you are not honest!"
"I grew up in Guan Family Village. I've been all over the place. Apart from Guanling, I haven't seen any temples. What's going on?"
"Chief, everything I said is true."
Wu Lao Si became anxious and hurriedly swore, "If there is even half a lie, the villain will be beaten Five Thunder Strike. But those corpses disappeared again, so the government didn't know about it."
"By the way, Headless Knight showed up later, and then Liu Quezi came to see me again. He gambled away all the money he got, and asked me to lend him some more, and asked if he remembered the way that night."
"He took the money and left in a hurry. He was not here during this period. Maybe he went to find the great immortal again..."
After hearing these words, the people around him were stunned.
An old man shook his head and said, "You are also brave. That thing might be Mountain Demon. You dare to take money from dead people, and you are not afraid of causing disaster to your family."
Guan Peide looked gloomy and looked at the wooden beam again.
At this time, the wooden beam no longer oozed blood, but it still had a sinister air. Standing next to it made people feel uncomfortable.
He raised his hands to Li Yan and said, "Young Hero Li, how should I deal with this thing?"
Li Yan didn't understand, so he quickly looked at Wang Dao Xuan.
Wang Dao Xuan then stroked his beard and said, "This thing is 'Grave Blood Beam'. Originally, Yin Energy was restrained and not visible. It was because of the yang energy in the blood of the rooster's comb that Yin Energy was drawn out."
"Now that Yin Energy has been revealed, if nothing happens, Lonely Souls and Wild Ghosts will cause trouble at night."
"Find some cockscomb blood and sprinkle it. When it no longer oozes blood, pile it up with peach wood and burn it. Also, sprinkle the dried wood ashes around the village and don't go out at night."
"If nothing happens in three days, it will be safe."
"Just listen to the Daoist priest, do it without further delay!"
Guan Peide As soon as he heard this, he didn't dare to delay. He immediately led the people in the village to catch the big roosters from each house and collected peach wood and dry firewood.
The ancestors of the Chu people worshiped Feng and believed that chickens have Five Virtues and Little Phoenix. Therefore, every family raises chickens, kills chickens and eats chickens. Chickens are also used in many local witchcraft and folk customs.
There are also peach trees, which have the power to ward off evil spirits, but are taboo. They are all planted on the hillside outside the village. This is the so-called "Don't plant mulberries in front, don't plant willows in the back, and don't plant executioners in the courtyard."
The executioner means Tao Mu.
There is never a shortage of these two things in the village, and they are quickly found.
The cockscomb blood was splashed, and the wooden beam began to ooze blood again, and this time, everyone could smell a disgusting corpse smell.
Wang Dao Xuan saw it, and his face became solemn.
After being splashed more than ten times in succession, the wooden beams stopped bleeding.
The villagers set up a pile of peach wood and burned it. Suddenly, thick smoke billowed and a pungent stench filled the entire village.
I worked until the afternoon to completely burn this thing to ashes.
Guan Depei personally took his son and clan members to collect the wood ash and sprinkle it around the village little by little.
After some busy work, he asked anxiously, "Is it okay?"
"Okay."
Wang Dao Xuan checked again and saw Li Yan nodding to indicate that the wood Yin Energy had dissipated, and then he said, "Instruct the people not to leave the village at night, hang Peach Charms on the door, and do not leave the yard if you hear any sound."
Needless to say, no one in the village dared to be careless.
After all, such weird things can scare everyone.
Guan Peide was also very angry and cursed angrily, "Wu Lao Si, you are greedy and have brought disaster to the village. This matter cannot be taken lightly."
"Go to the county government office tomorrow morning and explain the matter clearly. After that, you will go to the ancestral hall to be punished. You also have to take out the money. I will scrape together some more to repair Land God Temple. Can you accept the punishment?"
"Accept the punishment and accept the punishment!"
Wu Lao Si nodded quickly, not daring to talk nonsense.
Li Yan and others saw it and said nothing.
In this era, imperial power did not go to the countryside, and county government offices had limited manpower. Every place was governed either by Clan Rules or by village rules and civil contracts.
There are many landlords and gentry who use Clan Rules to oppress people.
But this thing is indispensable.
Just like the previous Zhu Family Fortress, Muramasa was too lazy to manage, and as a result, the atmosphere was unhealthy, and the younger generation went to work as river pirates, which not only caused death, but also brought disaster to the village.
If this kind of thing is not dealt with strictly, some people will inevitably be tempted, and eventually everyone will follow suit, and the atmosphere will be ruined.
After handling the matter, Guan Peide said with a grateful face, "Thank you for your hard work. I have to bother you before I even get in."
"Please come to my home quickly. I have ordered people to prepare a banquet to welcome you."
After that, he took a few people and left the Wu Lao Si house.
This Guan Family Village is a typical clan residential building in Ezhou. With the old house as the center, an ancestral hall is built, and future generations surround it and expand outwards.
Of course, no house can be built in front of the ancestral hall.
Not long after I left, I saw a huge archway.
The first line of the archway reads "Righteousness and Courage Passed Down Through Generations", the second line reads "Loyal Souls Protect the World for Eternity", and the horizontal line reads "Guan Clan Legacy".
Traveling merchants on the road said that the Guan family was a wealthy family in Dangyang. This was true, and the house they built was quite impressive.
There are more than a dozen patios alone, a total of more than 50 main rooms and wing rooms, as well as ancestral halls, family schools, stables, mill houses and other buildings.
Of course, this big house is not occupied by one family. Several direct relatives of the Guan family live in various parts of the house.
Li Yan and others' story has been spread for a long time, and the disaster was solved as soon as they entered the village, so the Guan family naturally tried their best to entertain them.
Even the banquet presentation is very particular.
"Everyone, this is called Dangyang Head Dish..."
Although this old man Guan Peide also practices martial arts, he is a Confucian Circle. The disciples in his family are all educated in Spring and Autumn Period. He speaks and acts like a scholar, and the origin of the banquet is also clear and logical.
The dish he was talking about, also called "Three Yangs Bring Bliss", is made up of meat loaf, egg rolls and dumplings.
There are eight pieces of Pearl Meatball in the center, surrounded by a circle of egg rolls, and under the egg rolls are surrounded by a circle of cut meat loaf, served with lean pork shreds, fungus, day lily, etc.
They are neatly stacked and look quite delicate.
In addition, there are also the "four major and six minor" concepts.
There are four big bowls of meat cake dumplings, fried pork with magnolia slices, braised pork, and braised pork belly. The "six small" ones include roast chicken, braised fish, pork liver, lean meat, beef or mutton, and pork belly.
Li Yan and others haven't eaten in the morning. They have been busy until now. They are already so hungry that they don't care about anything and are sweating all over.
Guan Peide was also very patient. He just asked for a drink and didn't say much else. Seeing that Sha LiFei liked roasted chicken, he asked someone to bring two more.
After having enough wine and food, and drinking tea, a few people felt comfortable.
Guan Peide poured them another round of tea, and then sighed, "Young Hero Li, you guys are indeed really capable. This matter makes me sleepy day and night. I hope..."
"Lord Guan, don't worry!"
Sha LiFei patted his chest and said, "That demon is also too ambitious to be bold. If he dares to slander Lord Guan's reputation, he will definitely not let them go!"
"That's good, that's good."
Guan Peide heard this, and his face showed joy.
But Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan are not so optimistic.
Li Yan thought for a moment and then said, "This matter is probably not that simple. People were too confused before and didn't dare to say more, lest they frighten the people."
"What Wu Lao Si encountered was definitely not a good thing!"
"Oh?"
Guan Peide suddenly thought, "How do you say this?"
Wang Dao Xuan stroked his beard and said, "According to what Guan Layman said, there is no temple nearby at all, but Wu Lao Si can see it with his own eyes. He is obviously under an illusion. He may have crawled into some cave or tomb."
"This kind of method can only be used by the mountain spirits with great deeds."
"There are those fox demons who take evil paths and confuse passers-by into thinking that they have entered a rich family's house and are enjoying all kinds of sexual blessings. They don't even know that they are lying in a cave before they die."
"The monster appears in a temple, and its behavior is even more extraordinary. Those men in yellow may be the ghosts it drives."
"Also, Headless Knight, who is pretending to be Emperor Guan Saintly Monarch, might be another group of people causing trouble."
Guan Peide felt cold sweat break out on his forehead, "This...Dangyang County When did so many demons and ghosts come here? What are their intentions for causing such trouble?"
"That's the key."
Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Most of the dead people Wu Lao Si encountered were related to this matter. The wooden beams excavated were obtained from tomb robbing."
"And the flags around the monster temple were clearly banned. They tempted Wu Lao Si and others to help lift them, and then killed those people."
"If we find out the identities of these people, the truth about this matter will be revealed. Unfortunately, Wu Lao Si concealed this matter, and the bodies of those people are missing."
"There is also Guan Ling, which suffered continuous lightning strikes. If it is really related to these people, then their methods are definitely extraordinary!"
Guan Peide was dumbfounded.
He thought it was an ordinary charlatan who wanted to tarnish Emperor Guan Saintly Monarch's reputation and cause trouble for their family, so he was anxious.
Now it seems that things may be bigger than imagined.
"This, what should we do?"
Guan Peide suddenly felt anxious.
"Lord Guan, don't panic."
Li Yan stood up and said, "That Rice Woman probably found something and was harmed."
"As long as we revive him, we can ask him clearly."
"Okay, everyone, please come with me."
Guan Peide quickly got up and led everyone to a small courtyard.
I saw a Black-Clothed Old Woman lying on the bed among Wing Room in the hospital, with his eyes closed, his teeth clenched, and his dry fists clenched.
Fortunately, only a few of his teeth were missing. A maid was holding a bamboo tube, sucking a mouthful of porridge, and then blowing it in along the bamboo tube.
"Lord Guan is interested."
Wang Dao Xuan saw it and couldn't help but nod in appreciation.
Guan Peide sighed, "Although my Guan family mainly focuses on farming and studying, we dare not forget the loyalty of the world. How can we leave people alone."
"But after several doctors were called in, they couldn't save the person, so we could only use this method to hold on for a while."
Wang Dao Xuan nodded, took out a Evil Expelling and Blessing Coin from his arms, placed it on Black-Clothed Old Woman's forehead, took out a yellow paper talisman, circled it up and down three times, and lit it to make a talisman.
He made a secret with his left hand, and took a hold of the talisman water with his right hand. He put it into his mouth and tasted it carefully. Then he frowned and said, "Sure enough, I have lost my soul."
"Lord Guan, help me find a chicken to summon the soul of this fellow Daoist tonight. If we can find it, this matter will be easy to handle."
Sha LiFei asked curiously, "What if I can't find it back?"
Li Yan said in a cold voice, "Then it's being pressed by something. I'll do it and snatch it back!"