On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the stove was sacrificed, and on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, people had to "sweep the dust", which meant sweeping away the dirt and welcoming the god Naji.
The people of Chengdu Prefecture call this day "Year Crossing Festival". Local customs record. "On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, every household sweeps the house, removes dust and filth, and prepares wine and fruits to worship the stove."
Not only for cleaning, but also for "removing the old and welcoming the new".
Even the broom used has its own explanation.
Chengdu people tie long brooms with bamboo branches, which they call "Year Sweeping Broom". After sweeping the house, they burn the broom and old things in the stove, which means "giving away the poor".
"When sweeping a house, you must choose an auspicious side to start. Sweep the main beam first to 'sweep away bad luck'. Avoid sweeping from the door outward to avoid 'wealth leakage'..."
Wang Dao Xuan said while cleaning, "We northerners place great emphasis on offering sacrifices to the stove, and Shu people place great emphasis on the 'New Year' celebration. These are customs passed down from ancient Chu."
There are servants in the palace, but Wang Dao Xuan insists on cleaning.
According to him, he has been wandering all over the world, calling himself home in the north and the south. Although people are outside, these cannot be cut off.
Without a sense of ceremony, the festival will lose its flavor.
Li Yan and others don't object either. Most of their team is made up of lonely people. When they get together, he is the leader, but Wang Dao Xuan is more like a parent.
After some busy work, they had breakfast and then went about their business.
According to the assignment last night, Li Yan went to investigate the news, Sha LiFei went to contact Hou Xuan, and the rest stayed at Bamboo Grove Abode.
After all, they also accepted the task of protecting Xiao Jinghong.
Once Ming Shanzi left, they became the main force.
Lu San alert defense, mid-range attack, Wu Ba melee protection, Wang Dao Xuan set up an altar to control the field, plus Dumen's group of disciples, it is enough to cope with most situations.
Li Yan left Prince's house and came to the street.
After sweeping the dust, there are only a few days left before the Chinese New Year, and the New Year market on the streets of Chengdu becomes more and more lively, with Door Gods, Peach Charms, New Year paintings for sale everywhere, and the sound of firecrackers is endless.
From today on, even the government will suspend proceedings, and the people say that "the case is sealed and the punishment is ignored."
Li Yan did not hesitate and went to the Fragrant Tea Pavilion.
The situation of Shu King Residence is a bit complicated. Not only does it contain the master of "Ghost Opera Troupe", but it also contains the reincarnation of an immortal.
Moreover, King of Shu has been possessed by Lu Sheng.
That is a famous alchemist in history. He has been alive longer than Zhao Changsheng. Who knows how powerful he is.
Until we are sure, Li Yan does not plan to provoke him again.
Of course, we gained a lot last night. Judging from the conversation between "Ghost Opera Troupe" and "Ghost Opera Troupe", there are currently two main groups of monks under the command of King of Shu.
One is the southwest evil path that was previously gathered.
The second is the hired "Ghost Opera Troupe" members.
"King of Shu" has fallen out with the Dragon Worship Sect, and the people of "Ghost Opera Troupe" are not good birds either. They gather together for profit and plot against each other.
This matter can probably be used to some advantage.
The most important thing at the moment is to figure out what the other party wants to do.
Such a big news, Li Yan can't believe it, can't find any flaws...
Chengdu Prefecture The east side of the city is more lively than other areas.
This place originally gathered Three Religions and Nine Schools, but because of Chengdu Lantern Festival and the martial arts competition, a large number of Jianghu artists and Daoist magicians came here.
The street tavern has no intention of closing.
The wine flags were still flying, and the sounds of punches kept coming.
There was a snowstorm last night and it has not stopped today. People are passing by on the street, and there are also people selling livestock, trampling the snow into mud. There is a lot of people's voices, and the noise of mules and horses.
Li Yan has been here before, so he is naturally familiar with the road.
He quickly noticed that there were more people in the world here than when he came last time, and among them there were many sorcerers with the second level of Dao Xing, or martial artists who had reached Transformed Strength.
Don't underestimate this.
Although he is far inferior to what he is today, he can be called a local king, similar to Xianyang's Old Monkey Zhou before.
It is not an exaggeration to say that all heroes have gathered together.
Things are more complicated than imagined...
Li Yan frowned slightly, lowered his hat, walked through the streets and alleys, and soon arrived outside the Fragrant Tea Pavilion.
"Young Master Li, please..."
The waiter at the door had already remembered him. When he saw him from a distance, he came up to him and invited him into the teahouse.
Even during the Chinese New Year, there were many people in the teahouse.
What was a bit unexpected was that on the stage there was a group of Daoist priests playing shengxiao, playing fishing drums and singing Pacing the Void Lyrics.
"Emperor Wenchang, Purple Mansion is highly true. The jade book and the gold book hold the laurel book in the nine heavens. The red robe and the white horse send down the light of literature to the three realms. The great compassion and great wishes, the great sage and the great mercy, Wenchang Zitong, the reborn immortal god..."
This is a tribute to Emperor Wenchang.
There are two great gods in Shu, one is Erlang Zhenjun, and the other is this Emperor Wenchang.
Divine Land, the land, has a long history of worshiping Confucius in the north and worshiping Wenchang in the south. Now it has spread all over the country and is even more famous than Erlang Zhenjun.
Seemingly sensing Li Yan's surprise, the waiter hurriedly stepped forward and whispered, "A businessman wanted to ask someone to do something for him. He knew that his son was in Beijing rushing to take the exam, so he specially asked someone to play."
"Mr. Li, come with me..."
After that, he took Li Yan through the front hall and went to the backyard.
What they didn't notice was that in the private room on the second floor of the front hall, a pair of eyes accidentally glanced at the back of Li Yan, and their eyes suddenly became sharp...
When we arrived at the small courtyard at the back, Li Yan suddenly smelled a strange smell.
The taste is like tea mixed with medicinal soup.
It even smells like Gu worms.
Li Yan frowned slightly and entered the small courtyard.
But I saw Liang Yu, one of Six Idlers of the Bamboo Grove, cooking a medicinal soup. The medicinal jar used was very strange. It was made of brass, with runes and grooves engraved on it.
In the central groove of the copper boat, there is a strange little insect that looks like an earthworm, twisting crazily. On both sides are Miancha and medicinal soup.
Liang Yu stared at the medicine boat and kept pinching Mystical Gestures with both hands.
As the fire boiled, the medicinal soup and Miancha also bubbled, spreading along the lines and converging toward the center.
By the time we reached the center of the medicine boat, it had turned into a dark, viscous liquid.
The strange Gu worms was distorted by the heat, sucking the sticky liquid crazily, and its body became bigger and bigger.
When the medicinal soup Miancha boils down, Gu worms also turns into a round ball, and the outer skin is quickly dried by the copper medicine boat.
Li Yan now knows the nickname Six Idlers of the Bamboo Grove.
Liang Yu not only understands tea, but also practices "Lingnan Tea Gu" and "Xiangxi Grass Witch" techniques, nicknamed "Tea Gu Maiden".
This method of refining medicine is simply unheard of.
As for Situ Bo lying on the side, his nickname is "Ghost Face".
Although Li Yan was curious, he didn't speak. He stood quietly and waited. Six Idlers of the Bamboo Grove's relationship was no worse than that of him and his companions, so he would naturally not harm him.
I saw Liang Yu taking out the insect pill, peeling off the dry and cracked skin, and it suddenly turned into a dark pill.
Situ Bo took it and mixed it with tea and swallowed it in one gulp.
His originally pale complexion suddenly improved.
"This is called Grass God Pill."
Liang Yu then explained, "This old guy injured Divine Soul and wants to regain his fighting strength as soon as possible. Ordinary methods are not enough, but the hidden dangers are not small. I'm afraid it will be difficult to make progress in the future."
Situ Bo didn't care at all, shook his head and said, "I have grown old and don't care about this anymore."
As he said that, he turned to look at Li Yan, his tone became excited, "Young Hero Li, but found the trace of the traitor?"
"Well, it's at Shu King Residence."
Li Yan did not hide anything and told what he saw.
Of course, the immortals who descended to the mortal world were hidden, and they were only mentioned as mysterious masters.
"He... he did practice it as expected!"
Situ Bo After hearing this, his expression became excited and he wanted to get up, but he accidentally affected his lung meridian, causing him to cough violently and his face turned red.
"You old guy, what are you so anxious about?"
Liang Yu looked dissatisfied, but still handed over a cup of special tea.
Situ Bo After taking a sip, he felt better. After calming down, he said in a deep voice, "You don't know what this traitor has done."
"My lineage, the ancestral secret book <Hundred Aspects Manual>, was passed down from Jiangzuo Evil Path, and has three aspects: humans, ghosts, and gods."
"Human beings need to be skinned alive to make them, and they are tortured to the extreme during their lifetime to make them full of resentment..."
"In addition to human skin, the ghost phase also needs to make the remaining soul into Fierce Ghost and attach it to it..."
"The Divine Appearance has the First Gate secret method, which can refine the 'Yao Yao', and it needs to be practiced in a very yin place. It is very overbearing. There are nine refining methods Ghost Zhong Kui and Ghost Eight Immortals."
"That traitor practiced this method and harmed countless people. It's all my fault. I should have destroyed the secret book if I had known."
Next to him, Liang Yu said in a deep voice, "Now that the matter has come to this, what's the use of talking about this? If you know this method, you must know how to solve it."
"Say it and I'll make preparations soon."
Situ Bo nodded and said, "He refined Ghost Zhong Kui. Once released, there will be hundreds of ghosts accompanying him. He is best at seducing people's souls and can break them by taking the blood of roosters."
"That's fine."
Liang Yu said coldly, "When the other fellow Daoists arrive, we will find an opportunity to block this guy and help you clean up the door."
"I'm afraid it won't be easy."
Li Yan said in a deep voice, "According to the information I heard, King of Shu also has several evil masters under his command, namely Nie Third Aunt, Blood Nuo Master Ba Dai Zha, Water Ghost Artisan Tian Qi Ye, Black Sect Lama Duo Ji Zha Xi."
"These old things are actually alive!"
Liang Yu heard this, and his eyes were filled with shock.
Although they, Six Idlers of the Bamboo Grove, were a team of wandering immortals and had gained a lot of fame back then, they were still not as good as these notorious evil demons of the Southwest.
Even if they gather together, it will be difficult to defeat them.
"Not only that, there are even more powerful masters, Black Feather Guard under King of Shu, and everyone carries New Style Firearm..."
Li Yan described the severe situation and then said, "But we also have a chance. Qingcheng Mountain reinforcements will arrive when the time comes."
"Now, we must first find out what they are going to do. It is best to inquire from the outside so as not to alert the enemy."
"King of Shu held Martial Arts Tournament to muddy the waters, and they must want to cover up the plan."
"Senior Liang, you are well-informed here. Do you know what strange things happened to Chengdu Prefecture recently?"
"Strange thing?"
Liang Yu thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Indeed."
"Just yesterday, Cheng City God Temple suddenly closed the door, and then the temple was replaced. Yellow Mausoleum Sect summoned all the disciples and imprisoned a few..."
"I know this."
Li Yan said in a deep voice, "City God Temple Someone was bribed by Shu King Residence to deliberately cover up the formation and secretly help Nie Third Aunt. Senior Ming Shanzi of Qingcheng Mountain has informed them to deal with it."
"That's it..."
Liang Yu nodded and continued, "Just the day before yesterday, something strange happened Qingyang Palace outside the city. The Laozi statue actually shed blood and tears, making people panic..."
"Also, many people from the world have come here these days, and they have spread rumors that Fu River Wharf will be haunted by water ghosts in the middle of the night. People they meet often get beaten up with black noses and swollen faces."
"There were also warlocks who went to suppress them, but some of them were not encountered. Without exception, all the warlocks they encountered fell asleep. When they woke up, they were covered in black and blue, and their clothes were in pieces..."
"That thing didn't kill anyone, so no one pays attention to it now. It's just Fu River Wharf that no one dares to stay with it until midnight."
"Fu River Wharf?"
Li Yan frowned slightly after hearing this, "King of Shu's monsters should be hiding outside the city. Maybe they want to smuggle things in the middle of the night. I'll go take a look tonight."
Situ Bo nodded and said, "It's not far from here to Fu River Wharf. There's no need to rush. It's a holiday today, so why not have a quick meal and go there in the evening."
"That's fine, then I'm bothering you."
Senior's warm invitation, Li Yan couldn't refuse.
It was said to be a casual meal, but in fact it was a big banquet. Because I had to do errands in the evening, Li Yan didn't drink.
But being with these two seniors is not boring.
They told about the evil ways in the southwest, especially the information about the four Old Devil, and also talked about many old events in the Xuanmen world.
The most numerous ones are Divine Land Top Ten Grandmasters.
Li Yan I have never had any idea about these masters, but now I know their majesty after listening to the masters of the same era.
Lu HongYuan, Mingde Martial Hall, the owner of the hall, Luzhou son-in-law of Confucius, borrowed Confucianism's awe-inspiring spirit to integrate Xingyi, Bagua and Tai Chi. Known as the way of civility and martial arts, he once competed with Huo Yin for the position of Divine Fist Society president, and also suppressed Golden Horde Wolf Country's remnant National Teacher...
Cheng JianXin Needless to say, one sword controls the southwest...
Huo Yin's divine fist is invincible, and he is also the emperor's bodyguard...
Liang ZanZhi Southern Fist Grandmaster, once fought against all the monsters in Nanyang...
Taiji Gate Wu Shuang, a woman as good as a man, was also a peerless figure at that time, and was called "unparalleled in the world"...
Sun Cunhuan, the master of Xingyi, has mastered the art of boxing...
Chen YuanLu, Qiankun Martial Hall, the master of the hall, has a big gun that stirs up the world. He once competed with Cheng JianXin and lost only one move...
Grandmaster Dong Changxing, Eight Trigrams Palm once fought so hard that no one in the capital dared to challenge. Huo Yin took action, but it was just a matter of outcome. Since then, Bagua Gate has flourished in the capital...
Wan Sheng Ying, Wan Sheng Fist Founder, head of the bodyguard bureaus of thirteen provinces in the north and south, once killed thirteen water monsters in Taihu Lake in one night. Since then, the bodyguard flag has spread all over the world, and has a close relationship with the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce...
Hao Cunzhen is a slovenly Daoist wandering around the world.
People in the world have only one comment on him: Sanfeng's reincarnation!
These people are all the great masters of the world. When they encounter Xuanmen, they are very troublesome, and the court even wants to sell their face.
Li Yan was fascinated by what he heard.
Liang Yu next to him saw it, but shook his head and sneered, "What's the use of being invincible? The world is ebbing and flowing, and there are always new people better than the old ones. They are already old, and the future will belong to you young people."
"Maybe not long after, the new ten Grandmasters will appear. If you are determined, go and grab that title."
"Senior is joking."
Li Yan was a little speechless, and turned to look out the window, "It's getting late, I'll go to Fu River Wharf first to have a look."
"Be careful on the road, keep the green hills, and don't worry about running out of firewood."
"Yes, seniors, don't worry."
After bidding farewell to the two of them, Li Yan left Fragrant Tea Pavilion.
At this time, night had fallen, and just before the city gate was about to close, Li Yan left the West City.
Outside the city of Chengdu, there is not an empty land. There are also many poor people in Chengdu who have gathered and built shacks one after another in different areas.
This was originally a temporary arrangement during floods decades ago to resettle nearby victims. Over time, more poor people gathered, forming a large shack area.
In these places, there is no official jurisdiction, the public security is chaotic, and local gangs have spawned, which is one of the characteristics of Chengdu.
Looking around the shack area, there are faint candle lights.
"Oh~Dad!"
In the night sky, there was crying.
Li Yan sighed in his heart after hearing this.
He knew that the weather was unusually cold this winter, with constant wind and snow, and many people did not survive the New Year.
Keep walking forward and you will arrive at Fu River Wharf not far away.
It was pitch black here, with not a single soul in sight.
But Li Yan stopped and his expression became strange.
He vaguely smelled the smell of roasted mutton...