"I know this!"
Looking at the fire, Sha LiFei said proudly, "I heard the driver of the cart say before that the Lolo people have a saying, 'Han people respect officials, they respect fire.' Even if they are captured in war, they are not afraid of torture, but they are afraid of not being able to be cremated."
"This thing is called Torch Festival!"
"Torch Festival passed long ago."
Long Yan'er, who was riding on the back of a mule, said weakly, "At this time of year, it should be the Lolo village'Ku Shi', which is the Chinese New Year, but usually we have to wait until the first snowfall."
"Perhaps it's the autumn harvest, and fire rituals drive away wild beasts and protect the harvest."
Li Yan frowned slightly, "If I enter the village at this time, will I disturb others and be kicked out?"
"That won't happen."
Long Yan'er shook his head and said, "Everyone entering the village at this time is a guest, and they will even treat you to a drink."
"Remember, they worshiped fire and entered the Lolo village. Everything else is easy to say, but the fire is absolutely indestructible. The firepit for cooking and lighting is the most sacred place in every household, and you must never step over it."
"When you're in town, do as the Romans do, as you should."
Li Yan turned to look at the crowd, "Let's go into the village right now. Don't conflict with them. If that doesn't work, we'll leave tonight and get on Official Road and find a place to sleep rough."
After giving the order, the team continued to move forward.
In the wilderness and dense forest, the night is shrouded. People are wearing cloaks and wearing Nuo masks on their heads, walking in silence, like ghosts and gods wandering in the wilderness.
Phew!
As they approached the village Zi Hour, a sharp arrow roared out and was inserted into the ground in front of them. The arrow shaft buzzed and trembled with full force.
Wow wow wow!
In the darkness in the distance, someone shouted loudly.
Everyone looked at each other and couldn't understand at all, but Long Yan'er reluctantly straightened up and shouted a few words in an unskilled language.
After a conversation between the two parties, two men walked out of the dense forest.
They have black scarves on their heads, black linen clothes with the right hem, and black blankets. They hold bows and arrows, wear large silver rings on their ears, and wear scimitars on their waists.
Seeing a group of people dressed up, the two men had a mixture of fear and respect in their eyes. They put their palms on their chests, bent slightly, and spoke a lot, as if to express greetings.
Afterwards, the two people quickly left.
Long Yan'er whispered, "They said that guests from far away are welcome, but if they can enter the village, they have to let 'Su Ni' see."
Li Yan wondered, "What is 'Su Ni'?"
Long Yan'er explained, "It is also a wizard sacrifice, but there are some differences. 'Bimo' or 'Xi Po' are both hereditary inheritance. You must be a man and you need to learn a lot of scriptures."
"As for 'Su Ni', there are both men and women. They are often mad and confused due to unexpected accidents, frights or serious illnesses. When they wake up, they become 'Su Ni', who specializes in dealing with ghosts and gods. They are also called divine Su Ni."
"They are afraid that we are unclean people."
"That's it."
After saying this, everyone immediately understood.
These symptoms are all signs of awakening Divine Ability, and most of the people who come are also warlocks in the village.
They were not in a hurry and waited quietly where they were.
After a while, Li Yan felt something and looked into the distance.
He could smell something approaching, and there were whispering sounds in his ears, as if a group of people were talking, both men and women.
Human Ghost!
Li Yan You can immediately understand what this is.
Ancestor gods, Yin gods... every place has different names, but they all belong to Human Ghost.
Gods, gods, and Human Ghost are all different.
Human Ghost is the belief of the ancestors, and the earth is sometimes the god of mountains, rivers, vegetation, and nature, and it is also condensed by belief.
The other party must have seniors from the past accompanying him.
Sure enough, as the torches flickered in the dense forest, a large group of people came out, surrounding a hunchbacked white-haired man in black robes and hats Old Woman.
Seeing Li Yan and others, a flash of fear flashed in the eyes of the hunchbacked, white-haired Old Woman. He bowed respectfully and asked, "Where are the guests coming from and where are they going?"
What he spoke was Mandarin. Although it was unfamiliar, he had obviously learned it.
The senior "Su Ni" beside her kept trying to persuade her to be respectful to Li Yan and others. When she got closer, she was so frightened that she scattered away.
Although Li Yan and others have restrained their aura, they still have a lot of treasures on them, which makes these Yin Soul feel vaguely threatened.
"We'll take the road to Chongqing Prefecture."
Li Yan frowned slightly and responded in a deep voice.
To prevent accidents, they wrapped "Wish-Fulfilling Pearl" in red cloth and affixed it with talismans to cover it.
It seems to be a failure now.
Even if you restrain your breath, you can still be sensed by some things.
"Oh."
The white-haired Old Woman nodded slightly, winked at the tribesmen next to him, raised his hand respectfully and said, "There is a sacrifice going on in the village. Guests, please have a glass of water and wine before leaving."
"That's fine."
Li Yan didn't refuse.
Surrounded by people, they quickly saw the mountain stronghold.
In the Sichuan and Sichuan areas, stilted buildings are popular, and some of them are integrated with Han Chinese architecture to form a unique architectural style.
Lolo (Yi People) is a little different. Their building is Earthen Palm House, made of rammed earth, with a thick and flat roof. It is built against the mountain and serves as a sunbathing area or verandah.
The distance between houses is small, forming a honeycomb shape.
In the open space in front of the village, a huge bonfire was burning and the flames were rising into the sky. There were several old men in black robes and bamboo hats around, either shaking Dharma fans or shaking copper bells, sitting upright and reading scriptures by the fire.
The sound of bells, the crackle of fire, and the murmur of ancient languages all come together to create a mysterious atmosphere.
All around, the tribesmen were sitting around, praying silently.
Li Yan pinched Mystical Gestures and took a deep breath.
Suddenly, a smell rushed into the nose.
A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he looked to the sky.
This ritual is really interesting.
The flames rose, and amidst the chanting of the people, a blazing Gang Qi filled the air and surged into the mountains and forests.
Although it is very weak, Lonely Souls and Wild Ghosts will definitely run away.
"Alas~"
The white-haired Old Woman sighed and explained in a low voice, "The autumn harvest is coming soon. I don't know what's going on on the mountain. I'm driving the wild boars down to cause harm. I hope this ritual can avoid the disaster."
"If not, can you please sing a Yang opera?"
"This..."
Li Yan Hearing this, he hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Sorry, I have something else to do, so I can't waste time."
Old Woman A flash of disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he didn't force it.
Although the arrival of a large group of mysterious outsiders made the mountain people in the village wary, no one dared to disturb them with Su Ni's permission.
Not only that, he also entertained everyone warmly.
They brought straw mats and served delicious wine and food.
The wine is sweet wine, made from grains. Although the wine is turbid in color, it tastes sweet and slightly drunk, making it easy to drink.
The pork was cut into large pieces and cooked in a clay pot. When served, it was still bubbling.
"This is called Tuo Tuo meat."
Long Yan'er introduced in a low voice, "Although it doesn't look good, it tastes pretty good. It seems that the village has prepared for the New Year and will only serve it to entertain distinguished guests."
In addition, there are some sauerkraut soup, milk cakes and scones.
To be honest, Li Yan and others traveled all over the country and ate a lot of good food, but in terms of exquisiteness, these things are simply not comparable.
The best thing is that it has a rustic taste, and after being on the road for many days, it is not easy to have a hot meal, which naturally makes me feel happy.
In the distance, the bonfire sacrifice is still going on.
There were so many of them, and there was also a big-bellied man like Wu Ba, so the women in the village had to send them off twice in a row before they could barely eat enough.
Li Yan looked a little confused and took out a few taels of silver from his arms, intending to keep them as food money.
At this moment, a sound of Tiger's Roar came from the distant mountains and forests.
There was a sudden commotion among the villagers in the village. Several strong men immediately stood up, picked up their bows and arrows, and ran towards the archery tower.
Lu San, on the other hand, moved its ears slightly and whispered to Li Yan, "Tiger's Roar's voice is wrong. Someone is controlling it and deliberately driving the wild beasts down the mountain."
"Man-made disaster?"
Li Yan frowned slightly and looked around.
Sha LiFei whispered, "It's almost Chongqing Prefecture. It's better to cause less trouble so as not to let the news out."
Li Yan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Next to the fire opposite, the white-haired "Su Ni" Old Woman also started practicing with several "Bimo".
Those "Bimo" old men danced around the fire, beating drums and waving bells at the same time, surrounding the white-haired Old Woman.
And the white-haired Old Woman was also trembling all over, his eyes gradually turned white, and he was lying on the ground holding a handful of sheep bones, shaking them gently.
Li Yan and others are watching from a distance.
Wang Dao Xuan whispered, "They are still Ancient Sorcery. Divination, taboos, and disaster prevention are generally the same three steps."
As he spoke, Old Woman was already looking at the mutton leg bone.
Several Bimo old men next to them also saw the result, and their faces were filled with anger and they cursed loudly at the mountains in the distance.
Through divination, they also discovered that someone was causing trouble.
The white-haired Old Woman trembled all over, and his face gradually became ferocious. Then he took out the straw man, slaughtered the animal, soaked it in blood, picked up the bloody straw man, and chanted a curse to the mountain in the distance.
Phew~
In the forest at night, a strong wind suddenly howled and the leaves rustled, as if something was moving towards the top of the mountain with the strong wind.
"Ho--!"
The ferocious Tiger's Roar sound resounded in the mountains, and the sound continued, as if something was fighting.
The white-haired Old Woman and those "Bimo" old men sat beside the campfire, danced and played drums, and chanted scriptures. The scene was very lively.
After struggling for a long time, the Tiger's Roar sound gradually stopped.
Then, accompanied by firelight and anxious shouts in the distance, a man was carried over, breathing heavily and his face was ashen.
It was the man who had just greeted them.
The villagers put it beside the fire in a hurry.
Pulling open his shirt, a black palm print was revealed on his chest.
"It's Black Sand Palm!"
Sha LiFei glanced at it and whispered.
This kind of kung fu is widely spread and can be found all over the world, but it is inseparable from the secret method passed down from family, and there are many people who can practice it.
"If it's not Cinnabar Palm or Five Poison Palm, there will be help."
Li Yan shook his head slightly and took out a pill from his arms. It was the trauma pill that Daoist Mount Wudang Wang Jingxiu helped them refine.
When those people saw him coming, they suddenly became wary.
The white-haired Old Woman quickly stopped him. After asking Li Yan what his purpose was, he hesitated a little and asked him to help.
Li Yan pressed his hand on the black palm print, flicked his wrist, and Hidden Strength puffed and puffed to disperse the accumulated energy and blood.
Poof!
The man stood up suddenly and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The people around him were startled, and soon they were surprised to find that the man's complexion gradually improved and his breathing was no longer rapid.
Li Yan took out the elixir again and asked him to take it.
His method was purely violent and could be described as stopping the injury with an injury. Although the congestion was dispersed, it also damaged his lungs.
Without the precious elixir, this man would vomit blood and die before dawn.
This elixir was refined from the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure "Longevity Herb" they found from Shennongjia. It has miraculous effects in stopping bleeding and healing injuries.
After the man took it, he quickly fell asleep and no longer vomited blood.
"Thank you sir for your help."
The white-haired Old Woman quickly stood up and thanked her.
"It doesn't matter."
Li Yan waved his hand, not caring, and not ready to tell these villagers how precious this elixir was.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "Excuse me for my words, have you offended anyone?"
"Alas~"
The white-haired Old Woman sighed, "I already know what's going on."
"The original chieftain used his power to bully others, plunder the people's wealth, and lived in Chongqing Prefecture to enjoy his own life, without caring whether we lived or died."
"Now that the imperial court is Replace Tusi with centrally appointed officials, he wants to come back as a big ghost, but we refused, so he colluded with some people to cause trouble."
Li Yan frowned and said, "Why don't you report it to the court?"
"The imperial court is not a good thing either!"
One man said angrily, "We sent an official before, and we really wanted to submit to him, but he disliked the remoteness of the country and was bribed by the chieftain. It's like he is blind and we let him do whatever he wants."
"That's it..." Li Yan suddenly understood.
Replace Tusi with centrally appointed officials's policy was strongly resisted by the chieftains in Ezhou and Bozhou, but in the land of Bashu, it was a different situation.
The people didn't have any objections, after all, Bashu was a land of abundance.
It is no joke that the fields are fertile, the people are prosperous, and the fertile fields are thousands of miles away.
Only a fool would want to rebel if he could eat and drink enough.
Only the government in Shu was weak, and many of them had been dragged into the trap by the Salt Gang. They were greedy in the first place, and they took advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of them.
Sha LiFei rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "This is a simple matter. I'll teach you a trick. Be a Ten Thousand People Umbrella, go to the Chongqing Prefecture government office with a big fanfare, and say that you support the imperial government's policies. You will have no worries in the future."
"This..."
The white-haired Old Woman was a little skeptical, "Is it possible?"
"Don't worry, do it!"
Sha LiFei said happily, "Don't be afraid of embarrassment. In public, the yamen is also glorious. As long as they accept the umbrella, if the original chieftain makes trouble again, he will slap them in the face. He looks better."
"Okay!"
The white-haired Old Woman had already noticed how good these people were, and after discussing with the Bimo old men around him, he nodded in agreement.
Seeing that the matter was resolved, the people in the village became more polite and rushed to invite them into their houses.
Li Yan and others did not want to be disturbed, so they found a place to camp. After resting for a night, they continued on their way until dawn the next day.
They were also fast, and with their attire, they would avoid pedestrians when they encountered them on the road, and would give them a hand as a sign of goodwill.
Finally, we arrived at Chongqing Prefecture two days later.
Standing on the mountain and looking down, I saw the Yangtze River surging with waves and undulating mountains on both sides. After encountering a pier, two waterways branched off.
One Jialing River, heading north.
The other is the Yangtze River, flowing to the southwest.
On that pier, there were countless boats, large and small, going back and forth, there was a huge flow of people, there were densely populated houses, and the long stairs went straight up and passed through three city gates.
"We're here!"
Sha LiFei looked down, his eyes full of excitement, "Ancient Yu Fortress Chaotian Gate, the first dock in the southwest Jianghu!"