amaotonovel Chapter 313 The Recommender Has Heard of the Flying Osprey Memorial
Chapter 313 The Recommender Has Heard of the Flying Osprey Memorial
Chapter 313 The Recommender Has Heard of the Flying Osprey Memorial
At dawn, two or three horse-drawn carriages were already parked at the entrance of a Taoist temple at the foot of Wuyi Mountain. The stone gate of the temple had been polished and gleamed by a century of wind and rain, but the three large characters "Huixian Temple" on the lintel were written in a clear and vigorous style. Although the edges were slightly blurred by the wind, they still suppressed the tranquility of the courtyard. It was the handwriting of a high Taoist master of the Jindan School of the former Song Dynasty.
Jiang Wenming instructed Jingyan to have the hired groom wait outside, while he led the porters carrying people inside. He pushed open the wooden door covered with iron plates, which made a slow, long creaking sound.
The temple is small, yet it exudes the leisurely charm of Taoism. A mountain spring has been channeled into a corner of the courtyard, and a small lotus pond has been newly dug. One can imagine the pure white lotus flowers blooming in summer and the delicate ice forming in winter.
Jiang Wen ordered his men to place Huang Liang and Jian Fu inside the Sanqing Hall. He then walked alone through the inner courtyard and went straight to Danlu, where strings of calamus and mugwort hung under the eaves. As expected, he found Yuan Huazi processing medicinal herbs.
"Jiang Wen, why aren't you busy preparing for the martial arts tournament? What are you doing here causing trouble for this old Taoist priest?"
Yuan Huazi glared at Jiang Wen, not even bothering to lift his eyelids at the unannounced intrusion. He continued to steadily crush the medicinal herbs such as Polygonatum and Poria in his hands. Jiang Wen, on the other hand, squatted down and gave a brief description of Huang Liang and Jian Fu's situation, and also recounted his experiences in Yunnan about traveling through the Misty Road to the Green Kingdom. Then he waited for Yuan Huazi's reaction.
Normally, the temple is extremely quiet, with only the chanting of morning and evening prayers, accompanied by the sounds of bells, drums, and cymbals, echoing gently in the valley. At this moment, Yuan Huazi quietly stopped the guillotine, and suddenly it became so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.
"...If what you say is true, then this 'Jade Dragon Third Kingdom' in Yunnan is indeed somewhat strange..."
Jiang Wen knew that Yuan Huazi couldn't resist the allure of the unknown, especially after Xi Yi was dealt with on Manting Peak. His greatest pleasure was reading ancient books and inquiring about strange tales circulating in the martial arts world.
Jiang Wen grabbed a stool and sat down: "That's right. To be honest, I have truly witnessed the Misty Road Youcui Kingdom appear out of thin air and suddenly abduct people. Unless one is a highly skilled martial artist who can use their movement techniques to anticipate and dodge, there is absolutely no way to survive."
Yuan Huazi stroked his beard and pondered, “When heaven and earth were created, the pure and the turbid were separated, merging into rivers and forming mountains. Therefore, famous mountains and rivers are either associated with the stars and constellations above or hidden in caves below. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a place of outstanding natural beauty and spiritual energy. Perhaps it is a secret realm, a blessed land, outside the twenty-four regions.”
But then he shook his head and said, "No, even blessed lands are formed by the accumulation of Qi. They need to rely on famous mountains and rivers to communicate with each other in order to form a network of interconnected caves that lead to the heavens. There is absolutely no reason to travel thousands of miles to chase after people."
Jiang Wen replied, "That's right. If Wu Lu You Cui Guo ran from Yulong Snow Mountain to Jizu Mountain, it could be explained by the continuity of the mountain ranges and the interconnectedness of the mountain principles. But to wander to Wuyi Mountain... that's just too shocking."
After pondering for a moment, Yuan Huazi said, "Entering a grotto-heaven allows one to cultivate into a celestial immortal, while residing in a blessed land allows one to become an earth immortal. Perhaps this place was originally the Buddhist 'earth-dwelling heaven' level, a place of extraordinary beauty relying on famous mountains. Later, the ghosts, gods, and earth immortals of this world achieved something and transformed into the 'empty-dwelling heaven,' which is also possible."
Jiang Wen exclaimed in surprise, "I never imagined that you, Master, had such a deep understanding of Buddhist principles. Then the ghosts, gods, and earth immortals hidden within them must possess boundless magical power!"
Yuan Huazi slowly replied, "On the first day of the eighth month of the second year of the Taikang reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Xu Xun took his family of forty-two people from the Wanshou Palace in the Western Mountains and ascended to heaven. Hence, the thirty-eighth blessed land is called the 'Blessed Land of Abode.' In the end, what remains in the human world is only the physical body. Only the place where True Man Xu was and took away the ascension is the blessed land. That is the reason."
After saying that, Yuan Huazi shook his head again, "No, no, you just said that the Third Kingdom of Jade Dragon is the final resting place for young men and women who died because of love. How could the righteous gods enjoy such bloodshed? That is definitely not a pure and auspicious blessed land. You should know that after a person dies, their soul first enters the Eastern Peak or Fengdu. After being examined, according to their karma, they may ascend to heaven, be reincarnated, or remain. Only those who die violently usually have restless souls and are most easily attracted. The souls of the two people you brought are probably those who mistakenly entered the Third Kingdom of Jade Dragon and were forcibly detained."
After listening to the explanation, Jiang also felt that the second explanation was closer to the truth. How could a blessed land be filled with blood-red silkworms that prey on people, and teeming with lovesick men and women? However, he couldn't understand how Huang Liang and Jian Fu had become entangled with You Cuiguo of the Misty Road. Could it be that they had only been in the temple for a day and had already fallen in love with three female benefactors who came to offer incense?
"Master Yuanhua, Heaven cherishes life; do you have a way to save them?"
After finishing his enthusiastic conversation, Yuan Huazi realized he had been tricked by Jiang Wen and immediately glared at him, saying, "Stop bringing troublesome matters to our lives. Since their souls were taken by the Jade Dragon Third Kingdom, the best solution is to petition the local mountain and river deities to open the gates and allow them to pass through. Then, we can borrow the local mountain gods to enter and perform rituals to deliver the souls of the dead and save the bewitched. Unfortunately, Yunnan is far away and the mountains are high, and I'm busy refining elixirs. You'd better find someone more capable!"
Yuan Huazi first explained the plan, then rejected it without hesitation, intending to give Jiang Wen a hard time. However, Jiang Wen surprisingly stood up and dusted off his legs.
“Alright, Master, it turns out that the Three Pure Ones can’t control places beyond the realm of civilization. I’ve heard that Master Anren of Jizu Mountain in Binchuan is a reincarnation of an Arhat, who suppresses the Misty Road Youcui Kingdom. There’s also a local witch in Yunnan who can help people escape the pursuit of the Misty Road Youcui Kingdom… I’ll go ask her there.”
Yuan Huazi was so angry that his hair stood on end, and he threw the medicine bowl at his feet.
"You brat! My disciples are registered in the Jade Register, hold high positions, and are entrusted with the power to command troops and oversee the affairs of ghosts and gods. Asking for the help of such mountain and water gods is merely to give them face—this old Taoist will show you the thunderous methods of my sect in sealing off mountains, breaking caves, destroying temples, and eliminating evil!"
Yuan Huazi stormed out of the medicine hut and slapped Yuan Louzi, who was fast asleep and reeking of alcohol, awake from his room. In less than a quarter of an hour, the two of them, dressed in blue robes and carrying cleavers, arrived at the Sanqing Hall and directed the laborers to set up the ritual altar. However, Yuan Louzi's eyes were glazed and his nose was red, clearly indicating that he had drunk too much the night before and had not yet recovered from his hangover.
Seeing that the plan was going smoothly, Jiang Wen hurriedly helped with the carrying and asked Yuan Huazi, "Master, what kind of ritual are we going to perform today?"
After examining the two, Yuan Huazi frowned and pondered, "This matter... can only be accomplished through the Supreme Yellow Register Grand Fasting Ceremony."
Jiang was shocked upon hearing this, but could not believe it.
"The Yellow Register Fasting Ceremony? Isn't that for the purpose of delivering the souls of the dead and helping wandering spirits? Master, your plan is to kill them and then simply deliver them from the dead, is that right?"
Yuan Huazi angrily retorted, "You ignorant fool! I am preparing for the Yellow Register ceremony, which will bring great merit to the living! The souls of these two have left their bodies, like stars out of place, like the sun and moon losing their light, like rain and sunshine missing their appointed time, like cold and heat out of order. Yellow is the origin of all colors, and the register is the symbol of all truths. By holding a Yellow Register ceremony, one can govern all truths, enter the light from the darkness, save the living and deliver the dead, and liberate the spirits and gods..."
Jiang Wen finally understood after listening. The original meaning of "箓" is record, a secret book for registering the names of ghosts and gods; the original meaning of "黄" is ruler, the core authority that governs matters related to ghosts and gods. Giving someone the Yellow Register in advance is equivalent to converting them into an immortal, and naturally, ghosts and gods in the world will not dare to disturb them before or after their death.
"Alright, alright, then I'll have to trouble you, Master."
………………
Although Yuan Huazi's Huixian Temple was located in a remote area and he was content with a simple life, he had still organized many religious ceremonies over the years. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to afford the expenses of his alchemy and cultivation. Therefore, all kinds of things were readily available. Soon, an altar was set up in the Sanqing Hall. The inner main altar enshrined Yuanshi, Lingbao, and Daode Tianzun. The middle layer was lined with the divine positions of the Four Emperors, the Five Sacred Mountains, and the Fengdu Emperor. The outer layer was originally reserved for the patrons to pray for blessings. At this time, the altar was replaced with bedding and soft couches, where two martial arts practitioners who had been unconscious for many days lay.
Huang Liang and Jian Fu were covered in wounds, their brows furrowed, their knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and cold sweat poured down their foreheads. They were clearly trapped in an endless nightmare with no cure. At this moment, the Yellow Register Grand Fast was officially launched to prepare for the two to accumulate merit, resolve their grievances, and deliver the souls trapped in the Netherworld.
Although the altar was simple, its layout was impeccable. On the east side were ritual swords and talismans, on the west side were ritual drums and cymbals, and in the center, a basin of water and fire reflected the flickering candlelight. Yuan Huazi, dressed in a blue ritual robe, with a solemn expression, calculated the auspicious time, washed his hands, chanted the incantation seven times, and formed the Jade Purity Seal with his left hand—
He firmly held the middle joint of his middle finger with his thumb, lit the incense, and as the smoke curled upwards, he recited the initiation prayer aloud, each word perfectly in sync with the rhythm.
"On behalf of the two patrons, I respectfully petition the Grand Master Xuanzhong and the Heavenly Master of the Three Heavens who assist the teachings to open the gate of forgiveness and release them from their entanglements..."
Jiang Wen clicked his tongue in amazement, feeling that once this gaunt old Taoist with white hair and beard put on his robe, he naturally exuded an aura of authority and command over yin and yang, making him look more like a high-ranking Taoist master than his usual capricious attitude.
After the initiation ceremony, the next steps were to build the altar, perform the ritual of opening the altar, and present the petition. Yuan Huazi walked around the altar, stepping on the positions of the Big Dipper, with each step corresponding to a spell. When he recited the "Guardian Spirit Spell," his voice resounded throughout the hall. He also buried altar-suppressing talismans at the four corners of the altar, activated by performing the Four Symbols Seal, to prevent evil spirits from disturbing the altar.
But amidst the chanting, Jiang Wen, with his keen hearing, always sensed some background noise.
Concentrating his attention, he noticed Yuan Louzi standing beside Yuan Huazi. He should have been holding a magic sword to protect the altar, but at this moment his eyes were fixed on the vegetarian offerings on the offering table. Taking advantage of Yuan Huazi's focus on presenting the petition, he stepped forward, quickly hooked a snow pear with his fingertips, and stuffed it into his sleeve. He chanted a spell, but halfway through, he seemed to forget the words and just mumbled a couple of coughs to cover up the smell of alcohol in his mouth.
Jiang Wen: "???"
When presenting the petition, Yuan Huazi ascended the three steps of the altar. The petition, written on green rattan paper, clearly listed the reasons for the two men's predicaments, and was stamped with the seal of the Lingbao Grand Master of Laws at the end. He knelt and presented the petition seven times, kowtowing twenty-four times, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms. Each kowtow was steady and solemn, until the petition was burned to ashes and carefully placed under the altar.
Yuan Louzi stood by, and Jiang Wen saw him sneak a big gulp of wine while Yuan Huazi was kowtowing. He choked a little and quickly picked up the ritual tablet and struck the ritual drum, mixing his cough into the drumbeat. He pretended nothing had happened and stood straight with his eyes downcast.
Jiang Wen: "..."
Then came the core of the fasting ceremony, the Three-Day Ritual. Originally, this was to be held for three days, but Yuan Huazi confidently said that their Southern School of Golden Elixir had a secret method that could be shortened to three worships in the morning, noon, and evening.
At the early morning court, Yuan Huazi, dressed in a blue dharma robe, held a court tablet and paid homage to the Three Pure Ones. He recited the "Scripture of Salvation" and scattered nine flowers. With each flower scattered, he pinched the Sun God's seal with his fingertips and recited, "May this cloud of flowers cover the netherworld," praying for the Heavenly Official to bestow blessings upon the two and to dispel their calamities.
At noon, Yuan Huazi changed into his red dharma robes, held a bowl of pure water, and recited the "Nine Netherworld Repentance," repenting for the two men's sins and resolving their grievances line by line. He then made the Three Mountains Mudra with his fingertips and sprinkled pure water on their memorial tablets, chanting, "Cleanse the three karmas, and let the grievances melt away like ice."
In the evening, Yuan Huazi changed into a white dharma robe, made the Ghost-Chasing Incantation with his fingertips, recited the Rebirth Mantra, burned the guiding talisman in front of the paper bridge in the altar, and summoned the souls of the two people to return quickly to the altar to receive salvation. At the end, he made ten vows in succession, each word earnest and solemn.
Jiang Wen felt increasingly uneasy. Almost a day had passed, and Yuan Louzi, who was acting as the protector of the altar, not only showed no signs of waning his drunkenness but also appeared to be getting more and more intoxicated. Meanwhile, the offerings in front of the altar had vanished in various forms—fruits, pastries, dried bean curd, and candied fruit—none of them could escape the clutches of the ghosts.
It wasn't until it was completely dark that Yuan Huazi, who was finishing up the ritual, completed the ritual of dispelling evil spirits, chanted the sending-off incantation, made hand seals, and issued the sending-off document, sending the summoned officials and generals back to their original positions one by one. Then he removed the altar-guarding talisman, took down the water and fire basins, and finally unsealed the altar. Afterwards, he held a ritual to thank the gods, performed the three offerings, and burned the petition of thanks to the gods.
After completing the entire Yellow Register Grand Fasting Ritual, Yuan Huazi was drenched in sweat, but the two people on the soft couch still did not wake up. Instead, their brows furrowed even more, their clothes were soaked with cold sweat, their breaths grew weaker and weaker, and even their clenched fists loosened a little. Clearly, their souls were about to be trapped and die in the nightmare. The entire Yellow Register Grand Fasting Ritual had not been able to pull them back.
Exhausted after a long day, Yuan Huazi sat down in front of the altar, his face pale, and murmured, "This Jade Dragon Third Kingdom is so dangerous?! I clearly performed all the rituals perfectly and did everything right, so why... why is it all useless?"
"I don't know if this ritual is complete or not, but this person's spiritual practice is clearly lacking, and his moral character is also questionable, isn't it?"
Jiang Wen jumped three feet high and pointed at Yuan Louzi, saying, "Master Yuanhua, the problem is clearly right here! The Three Pure Ones didn't get a single bite of the offering fruit on the table; he stole and ate it all up. It would be a miracle if the feast was even effective!"
Jiang Wen was silent for a moment: "...If all else fails, find someone else. Just let me be the protector."
Yuan Huazi waved his hand wearily: "You're just a fake Taoist priest. You've never been ordained or granted a talisman, so how can you be qualified to submit memorials and petitions for blessings and warding off disasters? Besides, our sect's Supreme Yellow Register Grand Fasting Ceremony is different from others. It was initiated by the Immortal Master Bai Yuchan at the Limu Ridge in Qiongya. Even the Li people cannot reach such a place to receive the true master's teachings. It's definitely not that simple..."
A large portion of the books collected at Huixian Temple are the notes of Master Bai Yuchan and his disciples Yuan Chang, Peng Si, Chen Shoumo, Zhan Jirui, and others. Among them is a vague tale of a strange event. It tells of how, in the fifth year of the Jiading reign of Emperor Ningzong of the Southern Song Dynasty, Bai Yuchan, following the instructions of his master Chen Nan, went to Limu Mountain to seek the Dao. One night, he saw auspicious light shining in the mountains, illuminating the surrounding fields. In the deep mountains, Bai Yuchan saw the sky shaking without clouds, and miasma surging like living things. With a roar, thunder split the mountain belly and opened the earth's veins. In the middle of it, there was a huge rock that looked like an egg, but it was neither a bird nor an insect, nor a snake nor a fish.
Then a goddess in yellow robes arrived, riding a feathered chariot drawn by five dragons, descending from the sky and hovering in the courtyard. Her robes were not made of brocade or silk, but were dazzling and indescribable. She called herself the Weaving Maiden Star and then imparted to her the "Shangzhu Falu Dongfa Xuanlei Jue" and this set of "Taishang Huanglu Shengxuan Buxu Keyi".
Bai Yuchan studied it for many years and discovered that this set of Yellow Registers had an extraordinary origin. Later, he even said, "The scriptures are divided into thirty-six parts, but none is more important than the salvation of people; the fasts are divided into twenty-seven levels, but the Yellow Registers are the foremost." Whether it is to open the nine netherworlds and seven ancestors, to save the root of sins in hell, or to pray for favorable weather and seek universal blessings for humans and gods, the Yellow Registers can be cultivated and revered, and its merits are boundless.
Jiang Wen shook his head after hearing this, and he and Yuan Huazi sat facing each other in deep sorrow, unable to find a solution. Although Huang Liang and Jian Fu were not related to Jiang Wen, the matter was suspicious in every way. Jiang Wen would find it difficult to feel at ease until he woke them up and got to the bottom of things, especially with the Wuyi Sect martial arts tournament about to be held.
"Perhaps these two are not trapped in the blessed land, nor have they been possessed by demons or monsters?"
Yuan Huazi frowned deeply: "That's hard to say."
Meanwhile, Yuan Louzi, having just finished eating the last tribute fruit, threw the pit aside and, ignoring his junior brother's distraught appearance, prepared to go back to catch up on his sleep.
Jiang Wen quickly stopped the other party: "Master Yuanlou, don't leave yet! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"
Yuan Louzi pretended not to hear, stood in the lamplight and yawned, almost extinguishing the soul-guiding lamp in his hand. He quickly steadied himself and said, "What am I, a Taoist priest, doing building a pagoda? I won't do it."
“Look, Master, Jian Fu’s nose and eyes are somewhat similar to yours. Shouldn’t you lend a helping hand based on this connection? Why don’t you try holding another Huang Lu Zhai gathering?”
Yuan Louzi felt that the day's rituals were more tiring than his own adventures in the martial world and his arduous journeys over mountains and valleys. He secretly took a sip of wine to perk himself up, and with bleary, drunken eyes, he squinted at the two unconscious people, and remarked strangely, "They really do look somewhat alike..."
He finally sighed, patted the fruit residue off his hands, walked over, uncorked the wine gourd at his waist, tilted his head back and took a big gulp of osmanthus wine. The wine slid down his jawline and into his collar, but he didn't care at all.
He walked to the soft couch, looked at the two unconscious people, and muttered incantations. It wasn't the complicated incantations of rituals, but he took out a crumpled talisman and stuffed it into his mouth. Suddenly, he leaned down and spat a mouthful of wine between their eyebrows.
The amazing sight happened at that moment.
The sprayed wine didn't scatter; instead, it transformed into countless tiny starlight points in the air, like the Milky Way on a summer night suddenly falling onto this small altar. The shimmering light gently enveloped the two unconscious people, landing on their brows, cheeks, and clothes, like gentle hands brushing away the fear and anger between their brows. Their eyelids gradually trembled, and finally, they opened them in a dazed and weary state!
"A miracle worker indeed!"
Jiang Wen quickly ordered the laborers to help the two of them steady, brought warm water to dissolve the medicine and fed it to them, while repeatedly praising Yuan Louzi's miraculous skills.
Yuan Huazi stood there, stunned, staring at Yuan Louzi, speechless for a long time. "Senior brother, what is this...?"
Yuan Louzi, missing a front tooth, said smugly, "Junior brother, you're too stubborn. Who cares if they're trapped by some blessed land or demons? As long as they can escape the Three Realms in a short time, we'll be worry-free, right?"
Yuan Huazi stood there stunned for a moment, seemingly pondering Yuan Louzi's story, before pointing at him tremblingly and saying, "You...you...used the last...Supreme Star Ascension Talisman with them?!"