Chapter 129 List of Gods
Chapter 129 List of Gods
There are dozens of temples of various sizes inside and outside the city of Zhelongfu, and there are nine large temples in the city itself.
Among them are the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple, the Can God Temple, the Eyeless Arhat Temple, the One-Legged God, the Five-Directions God Temple and other temples that Li Yuan is very familiar with.
"Not counting the previous dynasty, there are as many as 420 gods and spirits that have been canonized in the past thousand years. The most common ones are 123, including the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva, the Remnant God, and the Four Gods of Blood, Flesh, Bone, and Tendon..."
In the teahouse, Li Yuan was flipping through a book, or rather, the 'List of Gods'.
There are many lists in Yunshu Building, and the categories are even more varied. Many of them even require very high thresholds to purchase, which are simply inaccessible to ordinary people.
It is similar to the "Talent List" of other states and provinces.
The List of Gods was not included in this list, but a copy was still priced at twenty taels, making it the most expensive of the dozen or so lists that Liu Zheng had purchased.
The above lists in detail the 123 most common gods among the people and the distribution of their temples.
"Among all the gods, the one with the most temples is the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva, with as many as 4,346 temples. This number is also the number of temples in Dayun County..."
Li Yuan read with great interest. There was a little story for each god on the list.
Whether it's true or not, it's quite interesting.
"...Red-haired Buddha, with 380 temples, distributed in the five provinces and 28 states..."
"Sword Spirit God..."
"The Taoist with a Hundred Arms..."
……
Li Yuan looked at it very carefully, mainly because he was also very interested in incense and it was necessary for him to understand these things.
What made him secretly resentful was that the so-called righteous god appointed by the Dayun court, in terms of name, appearance, story and so on, was more like an evil god than a righteous god.
"If you want them to believe, you must first make them fear?"
Li Yuan closed the book. After Liu Zheng went out for a while, he brought back all the lists he had bought during this period:
"The Oiran Ranking, the Ghostwriter Ranking, the Magical Weapon Ranking, the Secret Skills Ranking... Oh, and there's also the Spirit Beast Ranking, the Spirit Insect Ranking, and the Spirit Fish Ranking."
“…So comprehensive.”
Glancing at the sky, Li Yuan took the books and stuffed them into his sleeves, but he was not in the mood to read them at this moment.
"Let's find a place to have a good meal."
There is no shortage of food and delicious food in the mountains, but the variety is definitely far less than that in the city. Every time he comes down the mountain, the first thing Li Yuan does is to reward himself.
Although he has not yet learned the true method of worshipping gods, but compared with the teachings of the God Worshipping Religion, isn't this also considered offering sacrifices to gods?
He washes and bathes every day, eats good food, takes all kinds of pills, and spends money like water.
Which believer in God could be as good to himself as he is?
……
After dinner, Li Yuan sent Wang Peiyao to search for various intelligence, while he went shopping with Liu Zheng under the latter's resentful eyes.
On the way, Li Yuan went to the stores he often visited and found four pairs of first-level boots, two pairs each in Sihe and Liuhe.
The starting price of boots made of spiritual beast skin is twelve taels of silver and above. Ordinary people simply won’t buy them, but most of the time, they are not available.
There is no other reason, spiritual beasts are rare.
The spiritual beasts among animals are like superior bones. It is an exaggeration to say that they are only one in ten thousand, but they can still be found in one in a thousand, so it is naturally difficult to catch them.
"There are many people in the city, and there are many famous restaurants. No matter how many spirit beasts there are, there won't be enough to share."
Liu Zheng picked his teeth with an iron skewer, savoring the delicious taste of the spirit beast. In the past, he would have been reluctant to have a meal of it.
"The Baihua Pavilion has it every meal."
"Ok?"
Li Yuan glanced at him and remembered that he still had dozens of invitations that he had not used.
"Well, I can pick a few to check out later..."
Li Yuan did not reject this. The promotion of the Military Control Scroll to the sixth level and the Combination Furnaces were both large consumers of gold and silver, so he would never have too much.
The capital city is good for Zhelong Prefecture, but after thousands of years, many industries have already been established, and he cannot intervene even if he wants to.
The only way is to cooperate with these big and small families. Small business is also business, and small amounts can add up to a lot.
"There are a few who are quite sincere. They came to treat me to banquets several times recently and spent a lot of money."
Liu Zheng was very concerned and did not hide anything, telling everyone everything that had happened during this period.
Including which banquets he accepted, who gave him gifts, how much he returned, how much he kept...
'No wonder Liu Bin was able to fill the vacant position of county magistrate...'
Li Yuan nodded in his heart.
Everyone in the world is busy seeking profit, but he has never thought of eating alone, nor does he like others to eat alone.
"Brother Li, are you going to the Bodhisattva Temple?"
Liu Zheng reported on the journey and when he looked up, he saw the towering temple in the distance.
"It's rare to go down the mountain, so I naturally have to take a look around."
Li Yuan glanced behind him and had to admit that the inner disciples of Shenbing Valley had quite something.
He didn't even notice the disciples following him along the way.
"That's right, I've been here."
Liu Zheng smiled and led the way. Although he had poor talent and physique, he quickly became familiar with the environment.
In less than half a year, he had a clear understanding of every district and every force in the capital.
"I don't know. Has 'Zhao Yunsheng' or the people behind him targeted me?"
Li Yuan was curious and cautious.
This was his first time fishing, and he didn't know if he could catch a big fish.
He had not originally planned to go down the mountain, nor did he want to attend Sun Zan's birthday party, but with Ba Wanli and Fang Baoluo around, he thought of giving it a try.
It's not a pleasant feeling to be targeted by others. If I don't kill a bunch of them, I probably won't be able to concentrate on practicing martial arts.
The Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple in the city is much larger than the one in Gaoliu County, and there is an endless stream of believers and pilgrims coming and going.
Outside the temple, there are various stalls, with the sounds of hawking being endless and the aroma of snacks being emitted.
Li Yuan bought some and followed the crowd into the temple.
As soon as you enter the temple gate, the strong smell of incense is overwhelming. In the center of the venue that can accommodate thousands of people,
There was an incense burner there that was bigger than his three combined.
[Incense burner in front of the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple (third level)]
[Wrought iron mixed with iron and copper, has not changed color for thousands of years... The desires of countless believers have turned into wisps of incense here, and gradually the spirits have emerged...]
[Control conditions: Third level of God Worship, tremendous strength]
[Control effect: Taking root immediately (light blue), a little good luck (light blue), incomplete worship method (light blue), solemn appearance (light blue)]
“This incense burner…”
Twenty meters away from the incense burner, Li Yuan's eyes lit up. The color of this incense burner was pure, without a trace of blood!
“Is this the orthodox way of worshipping God?”
Li Yuan became interested, but before he could go forward, he suddenly noticed that the crowd was in a commotion.
"Master of the Palace!"
The pilgrims around exclaimed and dispersed.
When Li Yuan turned around, he saw a gray sedan parked outside the temple gate, and an elegant old man walked into the temple accompanied by a constable.
"The captain's name is Ren Jingfei, one of the six great captains in the city. It is said that he is very skilled in martial arts. The old man is the new palace master, Wang Zhaozhi..."
Liu Zheng introduced in a low voice.
The new Palace Lord took office two years after the death of the previous Palace Lord. However, it happened that the Divine Weapon Valley was opening its gates just then, so no one paid much attention to it.
After all, the lord of the palace may come and go, but the Divine Weapon Valley remains forever.
"Ah."
Looking at the two people being taken away by several monks, Li Yuan couldn't help but think of the County Magistrate Lu.
Compared with various sectarian forces, the imperial court’s presence is not very noticeable in various prefectures and counties, but as the nominal ruler of the world, the imperial court’s strength is naturally unquestionable.
He suspected that the orthodox way of worshiping gods was in the hands of the imperial court. Otherwise, he could not understand why the imperial court would support so many temples.
"How does the court use the power of incense?"
Li Yuan was very curious, but did not show it. He walked around the temple with Liu Zheng for a few rounds and then left.
"Li Yuan!"
As soon as he walked out of the temple gate, Li Yuan heard a cry of surprise and turned back in surprise:
"It's you?"
The person who called him was a stall owner outside the temple gate, and it was the ghostwriter who had stopped him before by pretending to be a fortune teller.
"Zhang Yuanfang!"
The stall owner said this with a complicated look in his eyes.
"You, can really tell fortunes?" Li Yuan was a little surprised.
When they met again, Zhang Yuanfang was still dressed as a Taoist priest and still setting up his fortune-telling stall, but Li Yuan was sharp-eyed and noticed that his sleeves were empty.
Zhang Yuanfang shook his empty sleeves and said self-deprecatingly:
"I met a group of strong men on the road and lost an arm. Now, I can only make a living by fortune-telling."
"Are you the ghostwriter from before?"
Liu Zheng also recognized this man. He had seen this man when the city guards were arresting people.
"You are so blind that you have become a true disciple..."
Zhang Yuanfang sighed.
He never imagined that a young apprentice he had casually stopped in a small county town would now be a true disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley.
If he had known this would happen, he would have gone bankrupt and sold everything he had to get close to this person...
"It's also what the master values. Luck, luck."
Li Yuan had a deep impression of this "colleague", and seeing him in such a miserable state, he couldn't help but feel a little touched.
It's hard for a Taoist priest who is not a naturalized citizen to survive no matter where he is.
"Luck is not a true skill."
Zhang Yuanfang shook his head. He glanced at Liu Zheng and whispered, "How about we talk somewhere else?"
Li Yuan nodded.
……
In the restaurant, Zhang Yuanfang wolfed down his food, and one hand did not hinder his eating at all.
Liu Zheng tactfully returned to the blacksmith shop.
"Is that enough? If not, order a few more dishes."
Li Yuan put down his bowl and chopsticks. He had eaten a lot of snacks on the way, so he was not very hungry.
"Thank you."
After wiping the grease from his mouth and drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Yuanfang leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face.
He has never been to a restaurant since his arm was broken.
"It's just a meal."
Li Yuan waved his hand:
"Brother Zhang stopped me, but what's the matter?"
"Ah."
Zhang Yuanfang nodded, glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he lowered his voice and said:
"You came down the mountain this time for the Talent List, right?"
Li Yuan's eyes moved slightly, but he did not answer.
"I have seen the merchant who delivered the list to Yunshu Tower..."
"Ok?"
Li Yuan raised his eyebrows.
Before Fang Baoluo and Ba Wanli led their men down the mountain, they told him the whole story.
The merchant disappeared without a trace, and the Supervisory Hall was unable to find him...
Zhang Yuanfang gritted his teeth and whispered:
"Brother Li, can I ask you for a bowl of rice in exchange for this information?"
"If it's true, you'll have plenty to eat in the valley."
Li Yuan agreed without thinking. There were already many people in Shenbing Valley, so he didn't mind having one more.
Zhang Yuanfang shook his head: "It's not the Divine Weapon Valley, it's you."
"Oh?"
Li Yuan was a little surprised.
"That merchant is Zhao Bogang, an outer disciple of Sanyuanwu. He is a member of the Zhao family that was exterminated by you."
Zhang Yuanfang did not negotiate the conditions and said in a low voice.
"Zhao family?"
Li Yuan was somewhat surprised: "Can the Zhao family join Sanyuanwu?"
As far as he knew, the major sects in Huizhou had strict geographical restrictions when recruiting disciples, and a clear identity was a must.
The Zhao family has always had a connection with the Divine Weapon Valley, so it is impossible for them to be accepted as their disciple...
"Maybe a cunning rabbit has three burrows?"
Zhang Yuanfang was very confident and gritted his teeth:
"That man must be Zhao Bogang! More than 20 years ago, he rode his horse and killed my brother. I would recognize him even if he turned into ashes!"
Li Yuan didn't dwell on this and asked:
"Where are the others?"
"Outside the city, the Blood Vajra Temple!"
……
"Outside the city?"
Watching Zhang Yuanfang leave, Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a little curious: "Did I catch a fish?"
They had only met once and they didn't have any close relationship, so he naturally wouldn't easily believe what Zhang Yuanfang said.
Even though he gave reasons and talked about how he discovered it.
But, how could an internal force warrior with a broken right hand have the courage to follow an outer disciple of a big sect?
Li Yuan guessed that anyone who dared to sneak into Zhelong Mansion and stir up trouble might be a fake outer disciple.
“Maybe it’s a really big fish?”
Li Yuan stroked his chin. As far as he knew, novice fishermen often caught big fish...
"In this case."
Li Yuan thought about it, then calmly went to the blacksmith shop and took out a second-level long-handled heavy hammer from the warehouse.
Before going to look for Zhang Yuanfang, he called Liu Zheng and Wang Peiyao.
"Although the eldest and second brothers are here, for the sake of safety, we should call a few more people..."
……
……
It is not easy to live in Zhelongfu, but every year people from various counties migrate here.
Some people gained a foothold in the capital, some sold themselves into slavery, and more people gathered outside the city.
They have no land or property. Some make a living by fishing, while the majority are laborers, servants, and waiters in the city, or miners working in the mines of Shenbing Valley.
Over time, "villages and towns" with tens of thousands of households were formed, which were more prosperous than ordinary county towns.
"In the eyes of the people in the prefecture, we are pariahs who can't make it in our respective counties, but I have to say that it's really good to live here."
After walking for more than ten miles along the river bank, Zhang Yuanfang pointed to the villages and towns in the distance.
Except for the lack of thick city walls, the "town" is not inferior to Gaoliu County, and there are many people coming and going.
"It has convenient transportation, is close to the mountains, close to the water, and close to the city. It is indeed a good place."
Li Yuan felt a little touched.
This gathering place reminded him of the urban village where he used to live.
"Still relying on the Divine Weapon Valley!"
Zhang Yuanfang added: "We stay here and accumulate our strength from generation to generation, just waiting for the day when one of our descendants will have a superior physique..."
Li Yuan nodded to show his understanding.
In fact, many disciples of Shenbing Valley have come from here throughout the ages, and the most famous one is Ba Wanli.
Many years ago, it also caused a sensation.
“Perhaps after a few or even a dozen generations, someone from my Zhang family will be able to join the Divine Weapon Valley, right?”
Zhang Yuanfang remained silent and led the way.
Not long after, Li Yuan saw a rather deserted small temple built at the foot of a hill.
"Brother Zhang, can we go to your house first?"
Li Yuan suddenly spoke.
"what?"
Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "In order to prevent any more trouble, Brother Li should..."
Before he finished speaking, a low roar was heard from the Blood Vajra Temple:
"Do it!"
(End of this chapter)