Chapter 301 Duanyang, sending plague, setting off flames
The bright moon hangs high, and the silver light shines on Wu Prefecture City.
Today, the fifth day of May, is "First Dragon Boat Festival", and this grand festival that lasts for many days has officially kicked off.
The people got up early in the morning and started busy.
The harvested mugwort leaves were hung on the door, and realgar was spread beside the house to avoid miasma. A statue of "Zhang Zhenren" was hung in the hall, and City God Temple people sent "Dragon Boat Festival Talisman" from door to door...
Relatives and neighbors come to give each other gifts, and the gifts are simple, just realgar wine and rice dumplings. Children in the family have their foreheads and ear holes wiped with realgar when they wake up early, or the word "" is written on their foreheads. They also have to wear sachets and tie colorful silk strings...
Of course, young men and women are not idle either.
Men buy beautiful fans and cloth umbrellas as gifts for their fiancées, while women knit hat ties, trouser belts, sachets and other items as gifts in return...
At night, the whole Wu Prefecture City is even more lively.
The streets and alleys are decorated with lanterns and lanterns like stars.
There are troupes performing in every corner of the city.
In addition to Han Tune Chu Aria, Huangmei Opera is also very popular, <White Fan Tale>, <Black Gold Tale>, <Zhang San Invites the Bodhisattva>... There are performances in every street and alley, and the singing is mellow and flows throughout the city.
When Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan returned to Wu Prefecture City, it was already evening. Although the city gate was not closed, the streets and alleys were full of tourists. It still took them a long time to return to the E Prefecture Merchant Guild Hall.
"Young Hero Li, Master Dao is back!"
Everyone in the Tian family in the courtyard came out to greet him.
The crisis has not yet been resolved, so they did not dare to go out, so they simply held a family dinner in the small courtyard to celebrate the festival.
Although it was a bit crude and this Dragon Boat Festival lived in a bit of embarrassment, the reunion of the three brothers after many years is of great significance.
Li Yan Before they could take a breath, the Tian family invited them to the table Chief Seat and toasted them one by one to express their gratitude.
Wine is good wine, and banquets are even better.
In addition to the staple food, there are also Twelve Dishes and Ten Platters, whitebait braised, sea cucumbers with noodles, braised whole chicken, braised pork... plates of large dishes are piled up at random, covering the whole table.
You can't light a fire on Turtle Mountain. Even if the Chamber of Commerce is prepared, Li Yan has been making do in the past few days, and has not eaten even a drop of rice since noon.
He was not polite, drank wine and joked with everyone in the Tian family, and wolfed down the food, finally appeasing his gluttons.
"Uncle Sha How is it over there?"
After he was full, he asked Lu San.
Lu San was feeding the roast chicken legs to Little White Fox when he heard this and said in a dull voice, "Jin Prefecture Merchant Guild got up early and sent someone to deliver the boxing gifts. He said that they are still busy there and I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep all night."
"Oh."
Li Yan thought for a moment, turned around and said, "Patriarch Tian, can you ask someone from the Chamber of Commerce to help me backup the gift? I just want to come and have a look."
Today is Dragon Boat Festival. After careful calculation, Sha LiFei has been gone for seven or eight days. Li Yan is really worried, so he happened to come to visit in the name of giving gifts.
"Of course."
Patriarch Tian nodded quickly, then hesitated and said, "Young Hero Li, there is something going on outside the city."
"After all, we are also eating on the water. Every year at this time, my family will participate to appease those Lonely Souls and Wild Ghosts. Now that I can't go out, I always have something on my mind."
"I want to take people out of the city to participate. It will be over soon. I wonder if you..."
"That's easy to say."
Li Yan smiled and said, "It just so happens that I am leaving the city tonight to Yuquan Temple. I will escort you out, but there can't be too many people."
Patriarch Tian was overjoyed and nodded quickly. "That's natural, I just have a few servants."
After saying that, he hurriedly got up and made arrangements.
E Prefecture Merchant Guild is rich, so these things are not a problem. It didn't take long for him to prepare a large car.
Apart from the tribute incense used for serving food, there are also a lot of sundries.
This Patriarch Tian is rich and naturally generous. After leaving the chamber of commerce, every time he goes to the corner of the street, he will put down a plate of tribute, light incense, burn paper, and bow sincerely.
Li Yan looks interesting on the sidelines.
Rumor has it that some Lonely Souls and Wild Ghostss are often trapped at street intersections, making it difficult to leave. If a period of time goes by without City Gods guarding them, some bizarre things will happen and confuse passers-by.
This method of giving food is still commonly used by Buddhists to show kindness. The detailed method is recorded in the "Buddha Speaks of the Dharani Sutra on Saving the Hungry Ghosts of the Balyankou".
However, the method of burning paper comes from the local area.
This is the characteristic of Divine Land Daoism. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism The three religions learn from each other, so there are some disputes between them, but the three religions are always converging.
Therefore, in some Hongchen Daoist temples, there is often a lively scene where Laojun is offered here and Most Sage Teacher is offered there, and the Buddha also has to occupy a seat.
After the people enter the temple, whether they are seeking a child, marriage, or wealth, they can worship whatever they want. The emphasis is on one temple serving all.
Buddhism is very popular here in Wuchang, but even Baotong Chan Temple talks about Feng Shui when it's time to talk about Feng Shui. People use Daoist customs and just pretend they don't see it.
Along the street corners, you can see people burning incense and giving food.
The poor people will take these things away after they are finished, while the rich people will leave after praying. When the incense candles are burned out, the beggars next to them will swarm up and eat to their full belly.
There are hungry ghosts in the underworld, and the same is true in the upper world...
Of course, Patriarch Tian also knew that time was tight, so he left quickly after serving food at every corner, and the team gradually left the city.
The river bank beside the city was even more lively at this time.
Various temples around have set up altars and flame outlets on the shore, and many Daoist priests are Sending the God of Plague.
"Quickly, take out the things!"
Patriarch Tian quickly ordered people to unload the things on the cart.
I saw a small straw boat woven from bamboo sticks and reeds placed underneath. The weaving was extremely exquisite. There were five ferocious-looking straw men on it. They had heads made of cloth, some had green faces and fangs, some had red hair and erect eyes, and wore five-color clothes.
Patriarch Tian then raised his hands to Wang Dao Xuan and said, "Daoist Priest, I need to trouble you to preside over it."
"Easy to say."
Wang Dao Xuan did not refuse. He had already put on a clean Daoist robe and set up a temporary altar. After praying for blessings, he slaughtered the rooster according to the local custom of Ezhou and smeared the chicken blood on the bow and stern of the boat.
This ritual is called sending Five Gods of Plague.
Patriarch Tian After saying hello, the servants carried the small straw boat to the shore and pushed it into the river.
On top of the straw boat, in addition to the Five Gods of Plague grass figures, there are also some tribute incense and grease peach firewood.
Taking it to the straw boat away from the shore, Patriarch Tian handed over the peach bow and willow arrows again, with a torch lit in front, "Young Hero Li, this is up to you."
Li Yan smiled slightly, took the mahogany bow, bent the bow and set an arrow, and shot it towards the river.
Phew!
A Fire Arrow drew a beautiful arc and landed on the straw boat. The straw boat also turned into a fire boat. It floated for a short time and then sank into the river.
At this point, the ceremony of Sending the God of Plague is over.
It stands to reason that this method won't have much effect. After all, if Plague God really appears in the world, Orthodox Xuan Gate will have a big headache.
But just like revising genealogy, recording history, and passing on folk customs, they not only represent the good blessings of the people, but also relate to where the people come from.
They are not the only ones who are Sending the God of Plague. Those with some wealth in the city have prepared straw boats. Those who preside over the ceremony are not only wild Daoist priests, but also Spirit Medium, witches and divine men.
Fire boats one after another were constantly lit on the river.
Ordinary people, of course, didn't have the money to do this thing, so they took their families, folded paper into boats, lit up Lotus Lamp, and put it into the river.
For a moment, the lights all over the river seemed to be reflected in the starry sky.
After delivering Plague God, Patriarch Tian ran to the mandala of various temples on the shore. On the piled tribute platform, he put down his own cakes and kowtowed sincerely amidst the chanting of the monks.
Finally, he took out a few more cakes, broke them into pieces and threw them into the river.
Li Yan pinched Mystical Gestures, thoughtfully.
The previous Sending the God of Plague rituals were basically just customs. Some of the witches and gods invited by some families were not even Xuan Gate People, but just Gold Gate liars, which did not have much effect.
But the Buddhist altar is the authentic Daoist altar.
He could smell, as the sound of wooden fish and chanting reverberated, a scent of sandalwood filled the river, and streaks of Yin Energy in the water surged up and down like schools of fish.
The Yangtze River has developed water transportation, and there has always been a lot of Lonely Souls and Wild Ghosts in it. Now Tortoise and Snake Mountains appears to be Spirit Transformation, and adding Dragon Boat Festival to it seems to stir up sediment, and many negative things also appear.
Individually, these Lonely Souls and Wild Ghosts are nothing, but once they gather together, they can make waves and stir up mist.
If a boat enters it, people on the boat will often hear someone shouting from behind, or see foreign objects floating in the water.
If you are not careful, you will be fascinated and fall into the river.
As the religious ceremony progressed, many Lonely Souls and Wild Ghosts were saved, and powerful evil spirits were appeased, and they would not cause trouble for a long time.
Li Yan At this point, you have understood the layout of Yu LanShan.
Tortoise and Snake Mountains is the first to be gathered together, and Buddhism eliminates impurities. Then, through Dragon Boat Race, the two qi of water and wood are penetrated, and the evil spirit can be suppressed and destroyed.
When the Barbarian King Tomb outside White Tiger Evil dissipates, you can kill the demon, suppress it again, and adjust the feng shui.
The demon lurks in the dark, and every step he takes is an outright conspiracy.
Dragon Boat Festival It's the right time, Wuchang's special topography is the right location, the imperial court and Xuanmen cooperate, and countless people celebrate the festival is the harmony.
If the time, place and people are favorable, this disaster can be eliminated.
After a few more glances, Li Yan had a complete idea. He sent Patriarch Tian and Wang Dao Xuan back to the Chamber of Commerce, and rode out of the city again alone.
What he didn't notice was that there were a few eyes in the crowd, watching him disappear...
Yuquan Temple, located fifteen miles east of the city Subduing Tiger Mountain.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Lord Guan stationed troops at Subduing Tiger Mountain. Due to the lack of water, Lord Guan used his sword to break the ground, and the water gushed into a spring, hence the name Zhuodao Spring.
Even the name Subduing Tiger Mountain is related to Lord Guan. It is said that it subdued the white tiger spirit that harmed one side in the mountains and got its name.
Song Era built the temple because of the spring, but it was destroyed by war during the previous dynasty. Fifteen years after the founding of the Daxuan Dynasty, it was rebuilt by the original Prince of Wu Prefecture.
The distance of fifteen miles was not that far. Li Yan rode on horseback and soon arrived at the foot of Subduing Tiger Mountain.
He jumped off his horse and turned around to take a look.
Only the moon and stars were sparse, there was no one above Official Road, and there were no Night Owl flying in the sky.
Li Yan looked a little disappointed. He deliberately left the city alone late at night, also wanting to eliminate some hidden dangers in advance, but he didn't expect that the demon would not be fooled at all.
He shook his head and turned to look ahead.
This Yuquan Temple is a red dust temple, mainly Attendant Lord Guan, so it is built at the foot of the mountain, and the incense is quite strong on weekdays.
Under the moonlight, surrounded by mountains and rivers, pine trees and bamboo forests rustle in the night wind, and the river flows in front of the temple, which is quite elegant.
There is a stone bridge on the river that leads directly to the other side.
"Who came here late at night?!"
Before Li Yan could lead the horse across the bridge, two monks and a man with a sword came out of the darkness.
Li Yan naturally noticed it a long time ago, smiled and said with a cupped hand, "Li Yan, come to see Master Lu."
"It turns out to be Young Hero Li."
Both the two Martial Monk and the man were all taken aback and quickly bent down and handed over their hands.
Although the imperial court sent troops to block Guishan, news about the arena on the mountain could still be spread through various channels.
After coming down the mountain, Li Yan has already become famous in the Ezhou world.
The two Martial Monk backed away, but the man hurriedly stepped forward, clasped his fists and said, "Young Hero Li, I'm Jin Prefecture Merchant Guild, the escort Zhang Shu, Patriarch Hu has given instructions. You will definitely come after you come down from the mountain. He is already waiting in the temple."
"Young Hero Li, please."
"Hmm."
Li Yan nodded and followed the lead horse.
Ze Prefecture Jade Emperor Temple is famous for studying astrology, calendars, and deducing magic. His martial arts is not considered top-notch, but anyone who can study these things is definitely not a fool.
Hu Ming can be sent out to run the caravan to raise money, so he must be a good person. It is not surprising that he is coming.
Sure enough, before arriving at the entrance of the temple, Hu Ming received the news and came out. When they met, he smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Young Hero Li punched Guishan, congratulations."
"It was just a fluke."
Li Yan smiled slightly and said a polite word.
Hu Ming knew that he was impatient, so he didn't talk nonsense. He raised his hand and said, "Master Lu and Brother Sha are still busy. I will take Young Hero Li over."
After that, he ordered people to take away the horses and bring Li Yan through the door.
This Yuquan Temple front yard hall, Attendant is exactly Lord Guan.
Of course, in Buddhism, Lord Guan was originally "Sangharama Bodhisattva", but now it has been officially named "Nation Protecting Ming King Buddha".
At this moment, the main hall was closed. The two of them walked around the corridor and immediately came to a small courtyard, in which stood a well.
The mouth of the well is carved out of bluestone. It has been around for a long time. The lower part is covered with moss and the upper part is polished smooth. Next to it stands a stone tablet with the three characters "Zhuodao Spring" simple and bold.
Li Yan pinched Mystical Gestures and smelled it, with some confusion in his eyes. "Is this Zhuodao Spring?"
He couldn't smell any peculiar smell, it just felt like an ordinary well.
"Young Hero Li doesn't know something."
Hu Ming smiled and said, "Yuquan Temple can become a treasured place for Buddhist weapon refining. Firstly, it is because of the earth veins and the second is because of this well."
This well leads directly to the earth's veins. If you want to refine weapons, you need to arrange an altar to draw out the cold spring water and use it to temper the treasures.
And every year on the birthday of Lord Guan, when "Knife Sharpening Rain" falls, the well becomes even more magical."
"That's it."
Li Yan suddenly realized it, looked at the well water, and said curiously, "With so many coincidences, could it be that Lord Guan really cuts through it all?"
Hu Ming laughed dumbly and said, "That's not clear."
The two of them continued walking and came to the side courtyard of the temple.
Clang! Clang!
Before you even get close, you can hear the sound of metal grinding inside, the lights are bright, and a dozen people are working in full swing...