The firelight appeared, bringing warmth to the darkness.
Er Gou initially breathed a sigh of relief, but upon seeing the scene before him, his heart leapt into his throat, leaving a cold sweat on his back and his limbs weak.
Ahead was a mountain valley, not very large in size.
Near the back of the valley was a Mountain God Temple, dilapidated from years of neglect, guarded by several robust beggars, each of them greasy and covered in festering sores.
Surrounding the rundown temple were tents of various sizes.
Fires burned everywhere, each suspending a large pot.
At least several hundred beggars had gathered here.
The elderly, with white hair, emaciated faces, and eyes devoid of life, squatted there like corpses, devoid of vitality...
Children, barely seven or eight years old, were all dressed in rags, their little faces blackened, so even disabled, gathered around the pots fanning the flas with great effort...
These westward-bound beggars had their own way of cooking.
They threw all the food they had begged into large pots for boiling, whether it was stead buns, leftover pastries, or even moldy cakes and leftover restaurant dishes.
Many of the items had already soured, and the resulting sll was imaginable.
Even so, the beggars squatted by the fire, swallowing their saliva.
What really made Er Gou’s hair stand on end was on the other side.
There, on an open space, all the robust beggars had gathered, each holding a dog-beating stick, forming a large circle and continuously pounding the ground.
In the center of the circle, a wild dog was frantically darting about.
This wild dog from the Chaotic Burial Mound, fed on human flesh and bloodshot-eyed, was no less fierce than a starving wolf, with a large bump on its head from years of gnawing on coffins; it was indeed extrely fierce.
But now, it was panicking, letting out a series of whimpers.
Amidst the rhythmic pounding of the dog-beating sticks, it seed to have lost its senses, circling mindlessly as if haunted by a Ghost Wall, refusing to run outwards.
Surrounding it were venomous snakes, raising their heads and baring their fangs, hissing loudly as they struck the wild dog at any opportunity.
Soon, the wild dog was poisoned, collapsing to the ground, stiff and shivering.
The venomous snakes quickly sward over it, burrowing through its mouth and every orifice...
Er Gou had never witnessed such an eerie scene; he stood frozen in place, his hands and feet cold, not daring to move.
"Let’s go! What are you waiting for?"
The old beggar leading the way noticed and barked a reprimand.
"Yes, yes."
Er Gou hurriedly caught up, pulling his neck in modesty.
Step by step, he followed the old beggar into the rundown temple.
"Master, the person is here."
The old beggar bowed and reported, then stepped aside.
Er Gou swallowed his saliva, sneaking a glance.
On the stone platform where the Divine Statue once stood, the statue of the Mountain God had long been removed, replaced by a fat, big-eared beggar.
His enormous body lay sideways, exposing layered rolls of fat on his chest and belly, his bald head shining with oil.
He lay there, also covered in sores.
This person was the beggar leader from the western part of Xianyang.
Mysterious by nature, he had been rooted in Xianyang for many years and rarely associated with city gangs. The beggars all called him Mountain Grandfather.
A pungent odor assaulted him, and Er Gou felt nauseous, wanting to vomit, but he dared not show any hint of discomfort. He cupped his hands respectfully, saying, "I greet Mountain Grandfather!"
"Mm."
The beggar leader, Mountain Grandfather, was extrely obese, his eyelids swollen like light bulbs, and even when trying hard to open his eyes, it seed to others as if they were rely slits.
He sized up Er Gou below, speaking indifferently: "The Iron Blade Gang, your leader was that old monkey’s disciple, right?"
"I have no quarrel with you, what brings you here?"
Er Gou quickly cupped his hands, getting straight to the point: "The gang leader wishes to invite your assistance against a few outsiders who do not understand the rules..."
After explaining the situation, he took out a few silver notes from his pocket, grinning ingratiatingly: "It’s just a small effort for you, this is our respect for you."
The silver notes totaled three hundred taels.
Frankly, it was more than what they extorted from the leader of the Spring Breeze Class.
But by now, it was not a matter of money.
Zheng Hebei preferred to spend so silver to pacify the situation.
The beggar leader, Mountain Grandfather, glanced at the notes, seemingly uninterested, and waved him off, "Leave, the poor cannot hold onto money, nor are we others’ hired thugs."
"But..."
Er Gou was anxious, "Mountain Grandfather, we’re all making a living in Xianyang, eting each other frequently. Please lend a hand, and the Iron Blade Gang will rember your favor."
The beggar leader pondered, "Favor isn’t important, take the silver notes back, but you have to help find soone."
Er Gou was puzzled, chuckling dryly: "Mountain Grandfather, you jest. Your followers are spread throughout Xianyang, likely better inford than us."
The beggar leader spoke flatly: "We beggars are not robbers from affluent families; our ancestral rules forbid entering houses, and we only dare linger at doorsteps."
"Moreover, so places drive us away as soon as we approach."
The man understood imdiately, "Who are you looking for?"
The beggar leader, Mountain Grandfather, got up slowly, scratching his greasy belly.
"Several months ago, Ancient Water Village outside the city was attacked by bandits, the entire village was burned, did you know?"
"I know."
The man laughed: "That incident was collusion between internal and external traitors. Ironically, that Landlord Lu’s concubine sold land vigorously, deceiving several families. Her thods were indeed extraordinary."
"Are you looking for her?"
"To be honest, we’ve also been looking for that fat sheep."
"Not her."
The beggar leader spoke plainly: "It’s another concubine. If my guess is right, she’s still hiding in Xianyang City!"
...
Just as Wang Daoxuan said, the rain stopped the next day, and the sky cleared.
Early in the morning, the three people arrived at the Spring Breeze Class compound.
Today, Wang Daoxuan had changed into a clean Daoist robe, carrying all his tools in a scholar’s case-like basket, borne by Sha Lifei.
Upon arrival, the Spring Breeze Class mbers had already gathered.
Since the Iron Blade Gang left yesterday, they had not returned. They had a peaceful rest, but everyone knew this matter was not settled.
No matter how innocent the class leader’s son was, having been set up, the Iron Blade Gang’s IOUs were watertight and valid anywhere.
Even if they stopped harassing them, should they report to the governnt office, they would be in a difficult position.
Anger, helplessness, and fury were futile, the reality was as such.
People like them usually avoided governnt officials, unlike those who operated in the gray areas between law and order.
The Jinn brokers even dared to extort warehouses, earning settlent fees from the court!
Hence, now they had only one path:
Perform Ghost Plays!
Such tasks were plentiful; so places frequently experienced disturbances, or ancestral shrines were unstable, unexpected incidents occurred at weddings or funerals, but not to the extent of inviting the Proper Xuan Sect for rituals, Ghost Plays were hired for appeasent, and the remuneration was very generous.
And the first step was to invite a potent Yin God to take charge.
Seeing the determined faces of the Spring Breeze Class mbers, Wang Daoxuan sighed inwardly, but his expression beca even more serious, "Ladies and gentlen, do you know the rules?"
"Let repeat."
"Depart at noon, arrive at the Chaotic Burial Mound in the evening, after finding the place, everyone wash your hands, during my Daoist ritual, silently chant the prayer..."
"Rember, after ascending the mountain, do not call any animal by na, a tiger is ’Big Worm,’ a bear ’Old Man,’ an eagle ’Master Eagle,’ a hedgehog ’Bachelor White,’ a fox ’Third Master,’ ghosts are ’Master Qingfeng’..."
"I do not know who we may invite, so be courteous, and you cannot predict which one possesses Dao or spirituality, ddling with you..."
"Also, during the ritual, no talking allowed."
"When I say, ’It’s here,’ you all shout, ’Caught it,’ and imdiately descend the mountain, regardless of any commotion behind you, no looking back..."
Wang Daoxuan explained ticulously, not daring to miss a single detail.
Frankly, this thod of inviting deities was well known among many theater troupes, perford annually with specific signs and ons.
Sheep, dogs, oxen, and benevolent Qingfeng were auspicious ons, encountering a wild boar was best, symbolizing good fortune in all matters.
If encountering rabbits or birds, it foretold a year of wandering.
Of course, they mostly did it themselves, running when they heard animals, unsure if a deity was invited, so were rely ceremonial.
However, for the Spring Breeze Class, it was different.
To invite a Yin God to take charge without fatalities, no errors were permissible, even vague taboos must be adhered to.
While Wang Daoxuan explained, Sha Lifei approached Li Yan, face filled with worry, speaking softly: "I went to the teahouse this morning and heard so news."
"Zhou Pan, that old monkey, has already achieved Force Transformation, naturally he won’t act himself, but his disciples have mastered Hidden Energy, all wanting to kill you to please the old monkey."
"I also found out sothing, your father Li Hu was close friends with Guan Wanche, the arrest officer of the Xianyang Prefecture, why not request his help to diate..."
"Guan Wanche?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yan frowned, then chuckled: "Father never ntioned this person, nor visited us over the years. Even if they knew each other, the relationship is probably average."
"This arena, I must face myself!"
"You?"
Sha Lifei was exasperated, "You’re still young. Even with potential, you’re at most at the Ming Jin Peak. One move from them, their power penetrates your insides and makes you vomit blood."
"How will you fight, just go get killed?!"
Li Yan said nothing, instead focusing on his hand, gently placing it on a small tree beside him, taking a deep breath, and suddenly pressing down.
Rustle!
The leaves fell from the tree, scattering...
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