You have mastered the art of thunder and you tell me that it is in a strange world?

Chapter 104 Small Altar

There are many strange people in the world, but this is the first time Zuo Chen has seen someone like the county magistrate.

Not only did he become the county magistrate, he also became the city god!
It's amazing!

After the magistrate entered the reception room, he looked at everyone in the room. He first looked at the old Taoist priest with an immortal look, and then looked at Zuo Chen who was still wearing a hat.

The eyes of the City God behind him lit up and he watched everyone from another angle.

The old Taoist priest only felt a gust of cold wind blowing, and got goose bumps on his body. He didn't know why, so he could only grin and laugh dryly.

Zuo Chen nodded gently towards the City God, which surprised the latter.

Just by looking at each other, the magistrate could tell who was stronger and who was weaker.

"I am the county magistrate of this county. My last name is Xun. You can just call me Magistrate Xun." Magistrate Xun smiled and said to the four people in front of him, "Are you from the same group?"

“No.” Caiyi shook her head and gestured: “We two are together, and they two are together.”

"Oh, no wonder." County Magistrate Xun nodded.

Huh? No wonder?
Wuwei Shanren hadn't reacted at all yet and thought that what Magistrate Xun said was incomprehensible.

"Hurry up and move the seats." Magistrate Xun said to his men. Several servants quickly entered the back hall and brought in four good chairs in a short while.

Zuo Chen and Wuwei Shanren sat in the middle, Caiyi and Wuhui sat on both sides. There was a short distance between the four people, as if to indicate that they were two groups.

Magistrate Xun sat in the main seat, smiling and enthusiastic, and said in his yang mouth: "It is reassuring to have several experts to help us get rid of this hat monster."

The City God behind him bowed towards Zuo Chen:
"I've met the Taoist priest."

Zuo Chen found it interesting and thought this method was quite novel. Caiyi next to him also poked Zuo Chen slightly and lowered her voice: "Master, what's behind the magistrate?"

Without answering Caiyi, Zuo Chen held his breath for a while and found that he really didn't know how to let his soul leave the body. So he simply exerted force in his dantian and let out some of the afterglow of his primordial spirit. He formed a faceless golden figure and returned the gift to Magistrate Xun.

"Something has appeared behind the Taoist priest!" Caiyi was horrified.

Wuwei Shanren glanced at Caiyi.

What is this girl talking about?

Zuo Chen flicked Caiyi's head to make her quiet down, and then he replied with his own golden figurine:

"I've seen the City God."

He asked again, "I have been to quite a few places along the way, but I have never seen a City God on weekdays. I didn't expect to see one today, and it was... in this situation."

"You are joking, Taoist priest. I have had soul-leaving disease since I was young. My body needs to sleep for six hours every day, but in fact, my soul has left my body and is wandering around. Later, I worked hard and got a good score in the exam. I met King Wei, who was kind and righteous. He appointed me as the county magistrate and asked Liu Daxian to come out and bless my soul. That's how I became like this. I can both help the living and calm the ghosts."

The City God explained, and then sighed deeply twice:

"It's a pity that I am not strong enough as a mortal. The hats that have been causing trouble in the county recently are all from the mortal world, which has restricted my actions."

After hearing what the magistrate said, Zuo Chen nodded in understanding.

But I felt a little surprised.

According to the county magistrate, the immortal Liu even has the ability to seal the city god.

What Zuo Chen left behind when he passed by two days ago was the City God Dharma, a Dharma recorded in the Taoist scriptures, which talked about nothing more than what the City God should do.

If used for a long time, it can generate merits and become the City God.

But after all, it was not Zuo Chen who conferred the title, and Zuo Chen did not know the method of conferring the title of deity.

And from what we hear now, this Immortal Liu knows this method.

He does have some skills.

He then asked the county magistrate, "Since the county has such a big commotion, didn't you report it to your superiors?"

"I have reported it. A good fighter has been sent down from above. Although he is very strong, he has too many things to do. He needs to travel around Youzhou. It will probably take him a month to get to the county. I can't just sit there and do nothing before that."

After asking this question, Zuo Chen finally understood the current problems in the county.

There is indeed a backup plan, but you can't wait for it to come.

King Wei’s acting ability was strong, but there were also many things happening in cities, counties and villages. Many of these things were not that serious, so the county solved them on its own.

The matter of the hat monster is stuck in the middle. Although someone died, it was not a noble person. The county should be able to get rid of it if they make an effort. I'm afraid its priority on the list created by the King of Wei is relatively low.

"I feel relieved to be able to invite someone like the Taoist priest who has great magical powers this time." The City God said politely, "Let Yangren talk about the details of the hat monster."

After saying this, he stopped moving and turned to Magistrate Xun and said:

"Everyone, the hat monster has been causing trouble in our county for a long time, and I hope you can help."

The communication between the souls just now took only a moment. Except for Caiyi who saw and sensed it, no one else in the room noticed anything unusual.

I just thought the magistrate paused for a moment before speaking after the first sentence, so I didn't pay much attention to it. "You are too kind, magistrate." Wuwei Shanren stood up and stroked his beard, looking righteous and awe-inspiring. "It is our duty to help the people get rid of disasters and difficulties. This monster is killing people, and I will definitely subdue and destroy it!"

Wu Hui beside him blinked and whispered, "Master, aren't we doing this for money?"

Wuweishanren: “…”

Magistrate Xun pretended not to have heard what the Taoist priest had just said, and also responded politely:
"I would like to thank you for your generosity."

Then he told her everything that had happened to the Hat Monster recently.

Most of them were not much different from what the old man said. The wealthy businessman who died found three groups of people to look for the hat monster and they all lost their lives. The only difference was that the words used by Magistrate Xun were more accurate and rigorous in the description.

When he heard that so many people had died, Wuweishanren's face looked a little unhappy.

Magistrate Xun also noticed his embarrassment and said:
"Mountain people don't have to force it."

"No force," Wuwei Shanren thought about it, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "I have a talisman that can protect my life and property, and can get rid of this monster."

Zuo Chen looked at Wuwei Shanren twice more.

Short of money?

Seeing that he could not persuade Wuwei Shanren, and thinking that Zuo Chen was here, Magistrate Xun did not say much, but just gave two more instructions:

"Protecting yourself is the most important thing. If you really encounter any threat, just run to the county. I will send a few guys to meet you outside. Let's see if we can beat the hat monster to death with the stick."

Ask again:

"Is there anything else I need to prepare?"

"Please prepare some more yellow paper and cinnabar," Wuwei Shanren said, and thought for a while, "Find a long stick made of peach wood. I heard that the hat monster's method of killing is similar to the blood drop in the legend. It can fly and hit the head and take the head off. That thing is afraid of spears. If you have a peach wood stick, it should be effective against the hat monster."

"Okay." County Magistrate Xun looked at Zuo Chen.

Zuo Chen said:
"Please prepare a small lamp and a pair of scissors for me."

Compared with the yellow paper, cinnabar and peach wood stick that Wuwei Shanren had to prepare, these two things were a bit meaningless, but County Magistrate Xun just nodded seriously and immediately asked his men to get it done.

Soon all the things were brought over. Wuhui took the peach wood stick, and Wuwei Shanren asked for a table and started drawing talismans, acting like masters.

Zuo Chen put the scissors in his arms and handed the lamp to Caiyi.

Caiyi held the small lamp in her hand, puzzled:
"Master, are you planning to let me breathe fire on this?"

"It's called a small altar." Zuo Chen smiled and pointed out: "If you want to enhance the effect of performing a spell, you often need mantras, Taoist seals, and an altar. The best effect is achieved when the three are combined. But if you don't have a special method, you need to move a large table, build a high platform with wood, and put up a square apricot yellow flag to perform the spell. It's very inconvenient.

"Some Taoists who go out cannot set up a large altar when they encounter an emergency, so they simply carry some special small items with them, such as lanterns for fire and gourds for water. They use these things as small altars.

"If you use it for a long time, you will produce a magical tool, which takes a long time to accumulate.

"Some evil people dislike this method because it is slow, so they kill people and use filth, dirt, and resentment to make things. Although the objects made in this way are very lethal, they will not last long and will also hurt their own bodies. They are truly despicable."

Caiyi nodded as if she understood. Only then did she understand how those strange objects that were circulating in the world came into being.

Caiyi was even more impressed by the despicable things Zuo Chen mentioned - the spine sword that the monk Xuanmi pulled out from the rice bowl that they met some time ago was a representative example of this.

From what I heard, the Taoist priest wants the scissors for making a small altar?
Caiyi didn't ask any further questions, she just thought it was natural for the scissors to hit the hat monster.

When Wuwei Shanren finished drawing the talisman, it was still bright in the sky. Several people asked the magistrate for the place where the monster was happening, and then went there together.

It was a small woods next to the county, not too far away. Zuo Chen simply didn't ride the donkey. He asked the magistrate to prepare some hay and radishes to feed the donkey, and he went there with Cai Yi.

Wuwei Shanren and Wuhui naturally followed. When they got near the forest, Wuwei Shanren paused for a moment and stopped Zuo Chen:
"Fellow Daoist, we are about to see a monster, so you should take off your hat." Wuwei Shanren said, "After all, the other party is an expert in this field, and he specifically pointed at the hat. Even if you are good at killing monsters, why do you have to leave a weakness on yourself?"

Wuweishanren had good intentions, and Zuo Chen felt that it would be inappropriate for him to refuse again, so he simply took off the tall hat and put the colorful clothes in the backpack.

Caiyi also stared at Zuo Chen twice more.

It was the first time she saw Zuo Chen without a hat.

After everything was ready, the group entered the forest and came to the place where the previous groups had lost their heads.

It was an open space in the woods. The body had been dealt with, but there was still a pool of blood.

Wuhui was so frightened by the murderous aura on the ground that his hands holding the peach wood stick began to tremble, and he was scolded by Wuwei Shanren for being "cowardly".

But his face was obviously not in a good state. He took out three talismans from his arms, which were "Concentrate the Mind and Protect the Heart", "Kill the Evil and Keep It Away" and "Catch the Shadows".

Zuo Chen looked around and soon found some clues in the breath.

That aura floating in the air is not some evil spirit.

It's more like someone is performing a ritual and giving a recipe!

(End of this chapter)