After returning to the village, start chasing the mountain from binding Emei

Chapter 759 Huang Daolin performs a ritual, the appearance of an old friend?

Tong Family Ancestral Hall.

Upon entering the ancestral hall, a gust of wind swept in, causing everyone to shiver involuntarily.

Keep in mind that it's only early afternoon, not even 2 p.m., which is the time when the yang energy is at its peak.

The fact that this place can feel so cold shows just how yin it is.

Huang Daolin glanced at it and then walked directly towards the main hall of the ancestral hall.

Inside the main hall, eight pillars support the entire hall, which is quite spacious, about a hundred square meters.

Against the wall in front is an altar, filled with the memorial tablets of the deceased ancestors of the Tong family.

There are six rows in total, and there are many of them, numbering in the hundreds.

The higher the ancestral tablet, the higher its seniority and the older it is.

In front of the memorial tablet, five oil lamps were placed side by side, and in the middle was an incense burner, the incense and candles inside never going out.

The entire hall was filled with the smell of burning incense and candles.

Huang Daolin glanced at the memorial tablets. "Senior Brother Tong Chen's memorial tablet isn't here, is it?"

"No."

Tong Chuan quickly replied, "When he passed away, my father was still alive. I arranged his burial. I don't know why, but we didn't arrange for his spirit tablet to be placed in the ancestral hall. He was from my second uncle's lineage. In that lineage, my second uncle only had him as his son. With his death, that branch of the family ended..."

"His grave, I heard, is a cenotaph?"

“Yes, after the incident at Erlang Temple, my father took my second aunt there. It is said that the scene was too tragic. Many bodies were charred and could not be identified at all. There was no DNA identification technology at that time, so it was impossible to just bring back a body for burial. It was just a cenotaph!”

……

These are cenotaphs, without ancestral halls or memorial tablets, and are not worshipped by descendants.

This certainly meets the requirements for becoming a wandering master.

Huang Daolin didn't ask any more questions. He looked around the hall, holding a compass in his hand, seemingly trying to confirm some direction.

Finally, he came to a pillar on the left and looked up. He saw that a roof beam was attached to the pillar.

He leaped up, pushed off the pillar with his toes, and flipped himself onto the beam.

He reached out and groped around on the beam.

The wooden beams, no matter how old they were, hadn't accumulated a speck of dust, as if someone cleaned them every day.

The middle of the wooden beam was a bit loose. Huang Daolin pulled hard, and the wood cracked open. After tearing it open, it was hollow inside.

There was a small space, about half a foot long and a finger wide, inside which was a piece of red cloth wrapped in oil paper, and something else seemed to be wrapped inside the red cloth.

Huang Daolin took out the items and then jumped down from the beam.

Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw it.

There's actually another secret hidden on the beams of this ancestral hall?
Xuan Jing and Zhou Mingyuan, in particular, had searched the ancestral hall inside and out several times before, and hadn't noticed what was hidden on the beam at all.

Huang Daolin put away the compass, placed the object in his hand, unwrapped the oil paper, and found a red cloth wrapped with red thread. He untied the red thread, removed the red cloth, and inside was a small wooden figure.

The wooden figure was more than a finger's length, with a head, body, eyebrows, and eyes. It was carved very finely, but it looked somewhat eerie.

Those eyes seemed alive, staring intently at everyone present.

The wooden figure was completely black, as if it had been soaked in filthy blood, making people feel a bit reluctant to reach out and pick it up.

Huang Daolin immediately bit his finger and smeared the blood on the wooden figure's eyes. The little figure seemed to have its eyes covered, and the feeling of being stared at disappeared instantly.

"what is this?"

Standing beside Huang Daolin, Chen Yang could clearly sense the malevolent energy emanating from the puppet.

Huang Daolin said, "The location of the ancestral hall is the eye of the 'White Python Devouring Evil Formation.' This formation is one that only takes in and doesn't give out. The accumulated yin energy has nowhere to go. Over time, the energy will accumulate to a certain level, resulting in an explosion that brings disaster to the surrounding area. This formation has existed for so many years without any problems, and the reason lies in this thing..."

"He is very skilled in puppetry. The existence of this little wooden figure can absorb Yin energy and refine it in his place..."

As Huang Daolin spoke, he turned the little figure over. On its back was a yellow talisman with some incantations and its birth date and time written on it.

Lifting the yellow talisman, you can see that there is a hole in the back of the little wooden figure, with a few strands of hair and some bone-like material inside.

Huang Daolin said, "The wooden puppet can not only take the place of the tribulation, but also enter one's destiny, forming an invisible bond between the two. The wooden puppet can cultivate in his place, and he doesn't have to do anything to reap the benefits..."

"Isn't this a bit too far-fetched?"

Xuanjing couldn't help but say that it was a bit too exaggerated.

It's just a piece of wood, yet it can replace a person in cultivation. It sounds outrageous.

Huang Daolin smiled and said, "I've only heard about it, I've never tried it, and this is the first time I've seen it. However, since it's right in front of me, there must be some story behind it!"

Xuan Jing said no more.

Huang Daolin said, "This talisman should contain the birth date and time of the person who cast the spell. The wooden puppet is inlaid with the caster's hair, nails, and baby teeth, and has been soaked in their own blood. It is far superior to ordinary puppets. Moreover, this wooden puppet has been cultivated for a long time and has already developed sentience..."

Birth date and time (eight characters)?

Xuan Jing quickly called Tong Chuan over and asked him to check the birth date and time on the talisman to see if it matched the Tong family.

After checking, Tong Chuan confirmed that it was indeed Tong Chen's birth date and time.

This confirms the identity of the person behind this whole mess.

Huang Daolin was also a little surprised that his senior brother was actually still alive.
Could the upheaval at Erlang Temple back then really have been caused by this fellow disciple?

Of course, now is not the time to think about that.

Zhou Mingyuan said, "If you take this thing, won't he notice?"

"It's certain that he noticed, but I've covered the wooden puppet's eyes and ears, so even if he did notice, he wouldn't know what happened!"

Huang Daolin said, "This wooden puppet can be considered a true external avatar, connected to the caster's life and also to the White Python Devouring Evil Formation. If the White Python Devouring Evil Formation is broken, or if this wooden puppet is destroyed, the caster will surely suffer a backlash..."

"Backlash?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

No wonder they wanted to demolish the ancestral hall; the person behind it reacted so strongly, directly threatening them.

Everyone was eager to try it out.

What are we waiting for? Let's destroy this wooden puppet and teach that thing hiding behind it a lesson first.

Huang Daolin shook his head. “Destroying it now is not the right time. I can use magic to find its hiding place at night, using its birth date and hair. We can keep the wooden puppet and use it when necessary. Destroying it now will probably frighten it away…”

Upon hearing this, no one had any objections.

Destroying the wooden puppet might backfire on that person and allow them to act impulsively, but if that person were to run away because of it, then it would be a net loss.

Moreover, the other party may not be just one person.

Shi Ling said that he sensed six powerful auras in the mountains that day.

Aside from Wang Xuance and his three wandering masters, there are at least three more. If these three are in cahoots, you can't just deal with Tong Chen alone.

Since Huang Daolin said he had a way to find Tong Chen's hiding place, let's wait and talk about it tonight.

Just then, Xuanjing also informed Xuanqing, who would likely be able to reach Washan this afternoon.

Huang Daolin said, "For safety's sake, it's best to evacuate the villagers first. He can sense that something has happened to the wooden puppet, and he might not be able to hold back and make a move this afternoon. So, everyone should be more vigilant."

……

After that, Huang Daolin began to set up an altar in the courtyard of the Tong Family Ancestral Hall.

Tong Chuan gathered all the villagers together, keeping only some of the able-bodied men and sending the rest away.

It's an hour's drive from here to Luoshan, and they've all been sent there for temporary accommodation.

Because of the attack on Chen Yang that morning, Xuan Jing was worried that the villagers might be attacked if they left. So, for safety's sake, he asked Chen Yang to come along and accompany the convoy, escorting the Tong family for a while.

……

The journey was safe and uneventful, and the convoy arrived safely in the city. Chen Yang then returned with Xuan Jing.

"Chen Yang, how old is your great-uncle?"

On the way back, Xuan Jing sat in the passenger seat and casually asked Chen Yang a question.

Chen Yang said, "You should be in your seventies by now, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just ask."

Xuan Jing shook her head. "He used to cultivate at Erlang Temple? I think his cultivation level is quite high. Does he have some other master?"

"This one……"

This question stumped Chen Yang. "I really don't know. My uncle said that after he left Erlang Temple, he had some encounters, but he didn't say what those encounters were. However, he had a good relationship with that person from Laoguanshan, uh, that is, the Woyun Zhenren from Qitian Temple in Emei. When Woyun Zhenren broke through to Daozhen some time ago, it was my uncle who guarded the gate for him." "Oh."

Xuan Jing nodded, "Master Woyun, he is indeed a highly accomplished senior."

Back then, Qitian Temple was the leading Taoist sect of Emei Mountain. The influence of the Buddhist sect of Mount Emei in the cultivation world was far inferior to that of Qitian Temple.

Several of the eighteen generations of mountain lords in Sichuan originated from Qitian Temple.

Moreover, since the last mountain lord passed away four hundred years ago, there has been no mountain lord in Shu. Since then, Qitian Temple has been acting as the mountain lord, which shows how influential it is.

Although Qitian Temple and even the Emei Taoist sect are now mostly history, they were once glorious.

As far as Xuanjing was concerned, this Daoist Woyun was a senior, with much more seniority than him.

If it weren't for the incident with the Pingtian Sect back then, this Master Woyun would probably have entered the Daoist realm many years ago.

Putting aside everything else, his act of using longevity insects to prolong his life and sealing his coffin in Bamian Mountain to suppress demons for 150 years is admirable. It is not something that just anyone can do.

Chen Yang nodded. "I heard from my uncle that after Master Woyun left Bamian Mountain, he hurriedly went to the Western Frontier, but I don't know why."

Xuan Jing shook her head and didn't say anything more.

“Master Woyun is a Xuanzhen of the Daoist sect, while your uncle follows the Duan Gong lineage. Senior Woyun might be of some help to him, but not much. His lineage must have come from somewhere else…”

He didn't seem to have much interest in Master Woyun; instead, his interest was all in Huang Daolin.

Chen Yang glanced at Xuan Jing strangely in the rearview mirror. "Master, you seem quite interested in my great-uncle?"

Xuan Jing gave a wry smile. "I wouldn't say I'm interested, I'm just a little curious. From the first moment I saw him, I had a strange sense of familiarity..."

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps, as my uncle said, he often goes to Mount Emei for pilgrimage, and you might have met him sometime?"

Xuan Jing shook her head. "The familiarity I'm talking about isn't about physical appearance. If we happened to run into each other, I wouldn't be surprised. What I'm talking about is familiarity in terms of temperament..."

"temperament?"

Chen Yang was slightly taken aback; the two words Xuan Jing had uttered were a bit hard for him to understand.

Xuanjing said, “All living beings have myriad appearances, and a thousand people have a thousand faces. Although some people have different appearances, their inner qualities are similar. Your uncle’s inner qualities reveal a unique temperament that, in my opinion, is quite similar to that of an old friend of mine.”

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang's eyes lit up. "May I ask who this old friend of yours is?"

Xuan Jing shook her head. "I want to talk to your uncle after this matter is over. We'll talk about it then. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

These words confused Chen Yang.

"Grandmaster."

Chen Yang asked疑惑地, "You mean, my great-uncle and your old friend..."

Xuanjing said, "As the old saying goes, learn to be good by following good people, and learn to summon gods by following Master Duan. I was wondering if your uncle and this old friend of mine might have some special relationship, such as a lineage..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang's eyes flickered slightly. "Is this old friend of yours, Master, also a highly accomplished figure in the Dharma Sect?"

"That's it."

Xuanjing nodded, then shook his head. "He studied Buddhism for a short time, then went to study Taoism. Later, he probably felt that the two paths of Buddhism and Taoism had too many constraints. He couldn't succeed in either Taoism or Buddhism, so he went back to his hometown and studied Taoist priesthood on his own..."

Chen Yang's face twitched. "Is he still alive?"

Hyun Jing shook her head. "He passed away many years ago."

"Oh."

Chen Yang thought for a moment and said, "I only know that my uncle practiced at Erlang Temple, but I don't really know if he ever took another master. However, I heard from my uncle that his ancestors came from the Huang family of Jintang. The Huang family of Jintang has produced many capable people. The Huanglong Taoist who was chased by Old Zhou came from the Huang family of Jintang..."

"Ah."

Xuan Jing nodded slightly and didn't say anything more. He just had a little doubt and would ask Huang Daolin directly when he had the chance.

The setting sun casts its rays, and darkness is approaching.

The roads near Dawa Mountain were all closed, and apart from Chen Yang's car, there were no other vehicles on the mountain road.

Xuanjing rolled down the car window and looked towards Dawa Mountain.

The vast forest, like a broken pillar of heaven, stands silently beneath the sky, majestic and mysterious.

"Tonight, there's likely to be a fierce battle."

Xuan Jing said something that sounded like a sigh.

Several dark clouds drifted in from the horizon, obscuring the glow of the setting sun and creating a gloomy atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.

……

-

Tongjia'ao.

Xuanqing had already arrived and was chatting with Huang Daolin and Zhou Mingyuan at the entrance of the Tong Family Ancestral Hall.

Xuanqing said that his car was also attacked by paper figures on his way here.

However, he reacted quickly enough to defeat the group of paper figures, so he did not suffer any losses.

The others traveling with them were only slightly frightened.

"They've really gone completely lawless."

Xuan Jing snorted, her dignity challenged, and she was angrier than ever before.

Tong Chen is indeed a remarkable figure, capable of bringing together two of the three eminent monks of Emei to Dawa Mountain.

It should be noted that the three eminent monks of Emei rarely move from their lodgings, especially when Xuan Chang is in seclusion year-round. Even if something requires the assistance of the three eminent monks, only one of them will come out, while the other will remain in Emei. It is extremely rare for two of them to come out together.

This time, given the uncertainty of the other party's strength, we were being quite lenient to ensure a safe outcome.

With two mid-stage Dao Zhen realm cultivators, one late-stage Dao Zhen realm cultivator, plus Chen Yang and Huang Daolin, this lineup is probably capable of going toe-to-toe with the top-tier sects in the country.

Now, all we have to do is find where they are hiding and take the initiative to strike.

Those few wandering monks truly deserved to die.

It was already dark, and Huang Daolin's altar was ready. After dinner, the time was set precisely.

Let's begin.

Huang Daolin, dressed in a Dharma robe and wearing a Five Directions and Five Elders headdress, stood in front of the table, holding a master's knife.

The table was filled with various ritual implements.

Dharma bell, Dharma seal, ox horn, yellow talisman, command flag, incense burner, porcelain bowl...

The crowd watched from a distance.

Chen Yang only knew that his uncle was very fierce in fights. This was the first time he had seen his uncle perform magic, and he was both expectant and curious.

Huang Daolin remained calm and had someone bring a large red-crested rooster from the village. He cut off the rooster's comb, put some blood into a bowl, and mixed in half a bowl of pure yang water.

The blade of the master knife is placed on a bamboo horse in front of the table, with the rooster standing upright on the blade.

Huang Daolin muttered incantations and reached out to touch the chicken's head.

The rooster stood there motionless, as if frozen in place.

He checked the time and told everyone to be wary of those around them.

The Dharma Master is divided into two altars: the literary altar leans towards Taoism, and the martial altar leans towards witchcraft.

The approach to literary practice is relatively gentle. When problems arise, they tend to talk things out and advocate for harmony.

The martial arts world is quite different; it starts with violence, they just go straight into battle, and talk things out afterward.

Therefore, there is a saying in the Duan Gong profession.

"The martial arts master was born into hardship, going into the mountains at midnight to fight tigers, beating the heavens above and trampling the underworld below, and sending troops to punish his mother-in-law."

These words carried a hint of self-deprecation and mockery. Although he spoke of hardship, they actually revealed the arrogance of the martial arts master.

Uncle is in this line of work, but it's unclear whether it's the literary or martial arts world.

Chen Yang didn't know much about the profession of legal shaman.

When the time came, Huang Daolin placed the wooden puppet on the table and took out the four-eyed golden mask to put on.

This face has four eyes, wide open in anger, and its tongue is turned outwards, like a hanged demon, which is very frightening.

"Your disciple respectfully bows to the 36 cases and 42 altars of the Punishment God Assembly, representing the Civil and Martial Religions, the Upper Three Religions, the Middle Three Religions, the Lower Mountain Religion, the River God, the Earth God, and the Three Saints of Medicine King..."

Then Huang Daolin lit an incense stick, placed it in the incense burner, held the decree in his hands, and began to chant incantations in a low voice, following the steps of a Taoist priest.

(End of this chapter)