Chapter 687: Dividing the Priesthood
Chapter 687: Dividing the Priesthood
The scene in front of the farm altar is solemn and silent, as vast as the universe.
The central platform, which was like a pyramid without a spire, reached straight into the clouds. Each level of the white jade steps was engraved with clouds and strange beasts, which looked lifelike. It was surrounded by officials from all directions, and countless flags almost covered the entire sky.
The little mirage dragon jumped off his shoulder and transformed into a heavy belt.
Liang Qu put on his clothes and waited silently for the great sacrifice to heaven and earth.
In silence.
The music of "Taiping Song" was played outside the farm altar, as magnificent as a loud sound, sweeping away the complicated thoughts.
The wind chimes under the eaves rose and fell gently, sounding as accompaniment to the music.
From the former Yixing City to Xiangyi County to ask for the white ape, and then to Zhizhihong in Huazhu County to send the king's boat.
Liangqu has experienced quite a few sacrifices, and each place has its own set of procedures, which are different from each other, with local beliefs taking precedence.
The only similarity is that the larger the place, the more complicated the process becomes, so complicated that someone has to remember the huge amount of details.
A small village must have knowledgeable village elders, a small county must have a special team of temple priests, and the imperial court that commands the entire world is even more special. The entire Ministry of Rites has so many officials at all levels, and most of them are responsible for etiquette, from entertaining foreign envoys to arranging sacrifices and arranging ceremonial guards.
If there is any mistake, the consequence is dismissal from office at the least and loss of head at the worst.
This is what my master’s wife’s father, Xu Rongguang, used to do.
All these things are full of the so-called "sense of ritual", which makes people feel awe.
Rumble!
On the high platform in front of the square, there was heavy wind, rain, thunder and lightning.
The flags fluttered, the officials' robes fluttered, and the tassels of the jade pendants around their waists spread out.
These are the “Four Gods” of wind, rain, cloud and thunder, all of whom are played by great martial artists who practice special techniques.
After that, they welcomed the emperor and gods and offered sacrifices to jade and silk.
The strong man lifted the bronze tripod, the Holy Emperor stepped onto the stage, and sprinkled willow branches dipped in water into the tripod filled with yellow soil.
Liang Qu probably knew that this was meant to pray for a good harvest.
It is said that the soil in the big tripod was all taken from various places in the two capitals and eighteen provinces of Dashun.
The water on the willow branches comes from the Huai River in the south and the Huangsha River in the north. The water is taken from five locations, namely, ice and snow in the mountains, the upper reaches, the middle reaches, the lower reaches, and the estuary. A white porcelain bottle is placed in each of them.
However, this was still a small scene. After the initial stage, a faint sense of pressure rose.
The little mirage dragon opened his eyes.
Liang Qu was startled.
The main event is coming!
The chains clinked with a sound and the ground shook slightly.
Three monsters several dozen feet long were tied up with long chains, their heads knocking on the ground as they were dragged forward.
Every big monster is guarded by several masters and blessed with several magical powers, so it is difficult for the monster to even scream, let alone struggle.
A rhinoceros, a bird, and a fish.
The great demon's pressure was so strong that it felt like a huge rock was pressing on people's hearts.
no doubt.
Serve.
The big demon's pupils trembled and blood spilled on the spot.
The muscles twitched and jumped, and a strong and strange fragrance wafted in the air.
The centipede was dead but its body was still stiff. The three-headed monster drained all its blood and cut off its head. Its wide-open eyes could still move, revealing its fear.
The pressure in one's heart increased by another three points, and some people even found it difficult to breathe and held their hands to their hearts.
Everyone was in awe.
Liang Qu was a little different. He was not only in awe, but also a little envious.
With all this fancy stuff, if I sacrifice it to Jiang Huai, how much favor points will I get?
The higher the favor, the more powerful Liang Qu's talent in water is, like getting a lever.
After this attack today, I estimate that all the favors will be taken away directly. I don't need to play tricks with the dragon anymore, I can just attack with a set of smooth combos.
After having his tendons and skin peeled off, he put on a set of majestic armor, and then lived in the Dragon Palace in a dignified manner, reaching the pinnacle of life...
My thoughts drifted away unconsciously.
The content of the grand ceremony did not stop.
Nine tripods are lined up, stewing a great monster. White mist rises to the sky, and the entire altar is glowing. The flowing clouds and strange beasts on the white jade steps seem to come alive, rushing and running, indescribably sacred.
The first offering, officials reading prayers, the second offering, the final offering, drinking blessed wine, receiving sacrificial meat, removing food, sending off the gods, and watching the burning of the gods.
At each stage, there is music played by the Taiyue Commander and dances by civil and military dancers.
Be respectful and make no mistakes.
The entire sacrificial process lasted from the morning till noon, and then came to an end.
Under the huge bronze cauldron that was as big as a mountain, the white bones of the great demon shot straight into the sky, the flesh and skin were surging, and the charcoal fire that was not extinguished was emitting sparks. The officials of the Honglu Temple began to divide the sacrificial meat.
There are certain rules for distributing sacrificial offerings: those with higher status get much better, while those with lower status get less or worse.
There are so many officials in the field, it is impossible for everyone to have different standards, so most of them are based on the standards of official positions.
Normally, a fifth-rank official would receive ten kilograms of sacrificial meat, and it would be the inferior parts that would not be put into water, mostly the tail part of the fish.
But Liang Quming was just a "small official" of the fifth rank, but his rank and title were both of the fifth rank, and he had the title of the youngest tiger hunting master, so he was directly allocated 60 kilograms, and 20 kilograms each of rhinoceros, bird, and fish, all of which were good meat from the waist and abdomen!
This number is much greater than that of the fourth-grade Meng Qiang!
Delicious.
Liang Qu sniffed the scent.
It has a strong meaty aroma, without any smell of mutton, and looks very soft and tender.
When one has cultivated to the level of a great demon, his physical body will naturally be extraordinary.
It's just a sacrifice to the gods, so it can't be raw meat, it has to be cooked, with a lot of precious ingredients added in it, and it's stewed in a unique big pot.
This is also the most time-consuming part of the entire process, as all kinds of precious materials completely break down the hardness of the normal flesh of a large monster.
After getting a share of the meat and completing the sacrificial ceremony, the princes and nobles left first. Liang Qu was not in a high position, so he could not leave immediately. He followed Meng Qiang and fished for a while. He waited until a quarter of the people had left before he mounted his horse and went back.
"Brother!"
Xu Zishuai had been squatting at the gate waiting for a long time, and at a glance he saw the pieces of meat braided with thin ropes in Liang Qu's hands.
"Big demon meat?"
"Sixty kilograms, three-headed monsters, some walking on the ground, some flying in the sky, some swimming in the water, all ready!" Liang Qu picked up the straw rope in his hand and looked towards the center of the courtyard. All the senior brothers and sisters and the dragon people were there. "Have you eaten?"
"How can we possibly eat? We agreed to finish at noon the day before yesterday. We are just waiting for our junior brother's meat to go with our rice!" Cao Rang started to make a noise.
"Come on, come on! Turn on the stove!" Liang Qu stepped over the threshold. "We killed them this morning. Let's cook them right away. They're so fresh!"
"Then isn't it ripe? It smells really good." Xiang Changsong sniffed it twice and it smelled really good.
"The sacrificial meat has no seasoning, so it needs to be cooked again."
"Come on, come on!"
Liang Qu waved his hand and asked the chef at home to do the secondary processing, slicing and stir-frying, and pouring hot oil on it.
Sixty kilograms of meat is definitely not enough for a martial artist's appetite, so some of it must be divided for the water beasts. However, with the addition of side dishes, it is enough to make more than ten large dishes.
Jab Lala!
The hot oil bubbles and splashes.
Fragrant and fragrant.
Snowflakes were falling outside and the heat in the house was rising and hitting my face.
Everyone sat around the round table, dividing the food into groups.
[Water Essence +16]
[Water Essence +12]
Liang Qu picked up a few pieces of fish, but did not absorb much of the essence of the water.
Expected.
The whole monster was so huge that a piece of meat with a chopstick was like scraping off a layer of skin, and perhaps it wouldn't even feel like anything.
However, from the ministers to the officials in the capital.
All it takes is face!
In the past, when he was starving, he could catch a yellow croaker and sell it to the restaurant for money. But now, even a powerful monster is just a prey on the plate.
Fragrant!
There is a pool of water in the backyard.
White mist rolled in.
Taotaokai carried the steaming big wooden barrel to the lake, and used a ladle to scoop out the hot food to feed the water beasts.
The water splashed everywhere.
Fat catfish and other animals broke through the broken ice and swallowed it in big gulps.
midnight.
The candlelight is dim.
The bamboo tube is gleaming with luster.
The time insect has no intention of breaking out of its cocoon.
Liang Qu meditated until his energy, spirit and mind were adjusted to the peak.
A small mirage dragon danced down from the sky, spewing out white mist.
The grand sacrifice is over, let’s explore the fairy island first!
(End of this chapter)