Day and night tour

Chapter 383 The City of Shepherds in the Mist
Has Shepherd City descended?
Painters and musicians had always known that Zhou Xuan was crazy, but they never imagined he was crazy to this extent.

Not to mention the King of Xishan's breach of etiquette, the painter's expression froze, staring blankly at Zhou Xuan.

“Sir, you must be joking.”

The musician interjected.

King Xishan also came to his senses and hurriedly advised, "Oh dear, Master, that Shepherd Soul City belongs to the Netherworld. If it descends, I'm afraid Mingjiang Prefecture won't need to be rebuilt. In time, it will become a bitterly cold place in the Netherworld, where evil spirits roam."
All the people will be condemned to the dead, never to be reborn.

"What are you thinking? When I say 'descend,' I don't mean 'descend.'"

Zhou Xuan grabbed the empty wine glass on the table, poured himself a glass of wine, drank it all in one gulp, and said, "Actually, I'm going to set up a scam to fool the people of Mingjiang Prefecture."

He pointed to the "Cloud City" outside the window and said, "When I told stories tonight, I don't know if you noticed, but the power of my will that I gathered from telling stories could not enter the Cloud City."

"Wasn't it you... who deliberately prevented it from going in?" King Xishan retorted sharply.

"..." Zhou Xuan.

The painter chimed in, "I think the master had some profound idea and deliberately intervened to prevent the Mountain of Wish Power from rising into the Cloud Palace."

Zhou Xuan was speechless: "Although we need a lot of trust between us, your trust is going too far."

Even when something is clearly botched, people can imagine it as if it was deliberately botched.

"It wasn't my intention to do this, but the people of Mingjiang Prefecture don't believe in the possibility of the dead being brought back to life. So their vows couldn't enter Yunzhong Prefecture City. Out of desperation, I asked Zen Master Wuya to come up with a way to collect those vows to prevent them from disappearing into thin air."

As Zhou Xuan finished speaking, the painter, the King of Xishan, and the musician all frowned in unison, forming a deep frown.

"The Master's words were like a veil being lifted, revealing the blind spots in our thinking. Indeed, for those of us who practice the path of incense and deities, we can believe even the most mystical things, but what about the common people..."

"Ordinary people have almost never seen anyone come back to life, especially since countless people have died in Mingjiang Prefecture. How could they possibly believe that so many people could all come back to life at once?"

"Yes, the essence of human willpower is belief and trust. Without belief and trust, it will naturally not work."

The king of Mount Himalayas, the painter, and the musician, each offering their own perspective, quickly identified the issues.

Zhou Xuan nodded and said, "Through this experience, I have come to understand that the Book of Will is not a one-sided, forceful command, but rather an unparalleled will that, together with the common people, is writing the changes in the world."

He recalled the game of chess he had played with the cliff monk. During the game, the cliff monk said something that was absolutely right: "The game of chess is originally a wonderful painting jointly created by the black and white sides."

The same applies to the Book of Will.

Upon hearing this, the painter asked Zhou Xuan, "Master, so according to you, you want to put on a show to make all the people of Mingjiang Prefecture believe in the possibility of the dead coming back to life?"

"Yes."

Zhou Xuan said, "The theme of this play is the arrival of Shepherd Soul City, and I have already chosen the location for the arrival."

"But how did Shepherd City descend?"

"How to descend is my responsibility, you don't need to worry about that. What you need to do is help me to naturally guide the audience to the place of descent."

Zhou Xuan already had a deep understanding of deception.

In essence, scams are nothing more than how to subtly and naturally lead the victim into a pre-designed trap.

To successfully deceive someone, one must put a lot of effort into mastering the art of "natural shrewdness."

"To achieve natural and smooth progress, one must employ some unsavory methods to confuse the public."

The King of Xishan immediately responded to Zhou Xuan.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan knew that the King of Xishan was a man of ideas, and immediately asked, "Old Xi, from what you're saying, it seems you have a plan?"

"Yes, yes!"

King Xishan immediately said, "Our fox clan also knows how to spread rumors. What happened today is no different from spreading rumors."

I sent some inexperienced foxes to Huifeng Medical College to tell some disaster victims that the City of Shepherd Souls would be descending upon a certain place in Mingjiang Prefecture. Once the disaster victims heard this, the news spread like wildfire, and they spontaneously gathered to witness the event.

Thus, things become naturally harmonious and balanced.

After carefully considering the suggestion from the King of Xishan for a while, Zhou Xuan first affirmed its feasibility.
"Well, in general, there are no problems. However, there are some minor details that I think need further discussion."

Zhou Xuan immediately modified the plan, saying, "First, before the little fox spreads the rumors, you, the musician, and Brother Peng must use divine power to create a slight sense of a major earthquake, to build momentum for the arrival of 'Shepherd Soul City'."

Secondly, the little foxes are spreading rumors. Never actively seek out anyone to tell them. As I've said before, let it all unfold naturally… What do I mean by naturally… It means that those little foxes are chatting amongst themselves in some corner, and then, quite 'accidentally,' the disaster victims of Mingjiang Prefecture overhear them…

Remember this feeling: it wasn't the fox who revealed it, but rather someone who was accidentally witnessed by a disaster victim… People always tend to believe rumors they overhear and take them as truth, understand?

As King Xishan listened, he secretly pondered in his heart, and the more he pondered, the more he felt that Zhou Xuan's idea was watertight.

“What you say is absolutely right, sir. I will make the arrangements now.”

"When making arrangements, we should also select some good foxes, the most clever and capable ones... Also, we must not let the news leak out."

Zhou Xuan reminded him again.

"Don't worry, sir, I understand your plan and it won't go wrong."

King Xishan immediately went out the door.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xuan, along with the painter and musician, observed the activities and situation within the medical school from inside the teaching building.

……

Zhou Xuan's choice to use the methods of "fox spirits and ghosts" as the prelude to the spectacle of "the arrival of Shepherd City" was naturally for a reason.

He had also read many history books and knew that the biggest rumors in the world were spread through the story of "strange tales".

Such as that chirping fox cry—the rise of the Great Chu, the reign of Chen Sheng.

Another example is the "one-eyed stone man" pulled from the Yellow River, accompanied by a children's rhyme about supernatural phenomena—"The stone man has only one eye, stirring up the Yellow River and causing the world to rebel..."

People tend to believe in tales of foxes, ghosts, and strange phenomena, and once they do, they believe it to the core, making them perfect for spreading rumors and misinformation.

At four o'clock in the morning that night, the deception that Zhou Xuan had set up began to show signs of activity.

With the divine power of the three—the Mountain-Moving King, the Musician, and Peng Sheng—they worked together to move the earth of the Medical School, causing it to tremble slightly.

The tremors weren't very strong, but they were enough to wake many light sleepers.
It can also stimulate the instinctive reactions of nearby field mice and rabbits.

The field mice moved house en masse, and the rabbits, neglecting their burrows, hopped and skipped around the academy.

Even the ant colonies hidden deep underground crawl out of the gullies in the land and migrate in neat lines.

The tremors will cause animals to exhibit various unusual behaviors.

In the days when meteorological monitoring was not perfect, people judged what major disasters were about to occur based on the unusual phenomena of these animals.

In an instant, those who had woken up nudged those who were still asleep, telling them that it seemed an earthquake had struck.

But this tremor only lasted for a few dozen seconds before ceasing completely.
The people were initially worried, then engaged in heated discussions, and finally became indifferent. After fussing around five or six in the morning, they fell into a deep sleep again.

"To hell with the earthquake! Mingjiang Prefecture is already in ruins, what are we afraid of?"

The tremors came and went quickly, and people gradually forgot about the sudden, minor tremor.
But Zhou Xuan was quite satisfied with this earthquake of negligible intensity—the tremors had already planted a seed in the hearts of the people, and this seed had taken root and was just waiting to sprout.

……

At six o'clock in the morning, before dawn in Mingjiang Prefecture, in the southwest corner of the medical school, the old man Zhao Huaide felt an urgent need to urinate. He woke up from his sleep and went outside the tent to relieve himself.
As soon as Zhao Huaide took off his pants, he heard some small murmurs, the voices high-pitched, like children chatting.

However, the content itself doesn't sound childish.

Zhao Huaide was very curious, so he tilted his head to look. What he saw was a "Fox Fairy Temple" not far away, where three white fox cubs were talking.

"An earthquake has struck; it's time to leave."

"It's not an earthquake. The little fox from the west side told me that fog has risen in the west, and there's a large city that appears and disappears in the fog."

"A Zoroastrian fire almost burned Mingjiang Prefecture to the ground, so where is the great city?"

"What fell from the sky was that city. It descended and caused the tremors in Mingjiang Prefecture."

Where did that city come from?

"I do not know."

The little fox's conversation reached Zhao Huaide's ears, so he returned to his tent and told his companions inside about the exciting news he had just heard.

In order to bestow the title of "Hu Clan," Zhou Xuan built many fox spirit temples within Huifeng Medical College.

In those secluded fox spirit temples, there are always some foxes, in groups of three or five, talking about rumors and hearsay, which are then "accidentally" overheard by the people of Mingjiang Prefecture.

These rumors varied, with some saying that a great city was about to descend upon the Xicheng District area.
Some rumors say that Master Zhou Xuan's book reading last night moved the heavens and earth, and the heavens and earth bestowed great power to rebuild Mingjiang Prefecture.

There were even rumors that the reconstruction of Mingjiang Prefecture would resurrect the people who died in the Zoroastrian fire.

These foxes' "devious words" were like a pebble that rippled through the tranquil medical school, drawing strong attention from the general public.

"Those little foxes are spreading rumors that the Great Master can rebuild Mingjiang Prefecture and bring the dead back to life."

"That's fake, right? When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out."

"You're making it sound so plausible; it can't be just empty talk."

"I also think there's some truth to it. If the dead could really come back to life, then my baby could come back to my side. I really hope it's true."

"Whether it's true or not, why don't we just go to the west side of the city and take a look?"

"Let's go to the West City and take a look."

The public's attitude towards "coming back to life" has undergone a subtle change because of those superstitious rumors.

...Zhou Xuan sat in the teaching building and looked out the window at many ordinary people, all heading west in groups.

And the second brother's home, the donkey shed shop, is located in the western district—that is also the location designated by Zhou Xuan for the "landing of Shepherd Soul City".

The painter sat with Zhou Xuan all night. At this time, Gu Ling from the Bureau of Wandering Gods came to report.

"Master, Master Hua, among the common people, quite a few have become interested in the rumors, and at least one-fifth of them have already set off for the West District."

"However, the vast majority of ordinary people still think the rumors are absurd and are unwilling to go there."

The painter nodded, waved to Gu Ling, signaling her to continue supervising, and then asked Zhou Xuan for his opinion.

"Sir, there are still many people who don't believe it."

"It's alright. The ingrained beliefs in people's hearts are a very tall mountain. It takes time to move them. Right now, the time hasn't come yet."

Zhou Xuan stood up and called out, "Cerebellum, come out."

A silver, walnut-sized Buddhist brain emerged from Zhou Xuan's secret realm and hovered in the air.

"My great Xuan God, your cerebellum has appeared."

Xiaonao is the group leader of the praise group; every time she comes out, she comes up with some new phrases.

Zhou Xuan asked Xiaonao, "After studying in the secret realm all night, did Miss Qiang teach you what Shepherd Soul City is?"

Zhou Xuan wasn't idle at night either... mainly because Miss Qiang wasn't idle either.

In the dramatic performance of "The Descent of Shepherd City," the cerebellum, the master of "projection and sound projection," is of paramount importance.

Given his important role, he naturally needed prior training—the main content of which was to gain a deep understanding of Shepherd Soul City.

Fortunately, Miss Wall has the Secret Realm Blackwater as a blueprint, and the cerebellum is a bankrupt version of the "Flesh and Blood Divine Dynasty's Main Brain," which is extremely intelligent and easy to master.

“Xuan Shen, I have already figured out what Shepherd Soul City looks like. Xiao Nao doesn’t like to brag… If you let me project an image of Shepherd Soul City, even if it’s just an inconspicuous ripple in the River Styx, I won’t make a mistake.”

Xiaonao was full of confidence. Zhou Xuan nodded and pointed at the painter, saying, "It seems you have made some progress. Then you will follow the old painter to the West City and project the image of Shepherd Soul City into the sky."

Then, Zhou Xuan said to the painter, "You, inform the musician, Brother Peng, and King Xishan to create a thick fog in the west city, the kind where you can't see your hand in front of your face."

"If fog rolls in, wouldn't the image of Shepherd Soul City be difficult to see clearly when projected?"

"Cerebellum asked from the side."

"That's exactly what we want—to see things through a fog, in a blurry way."

Zhou Xuan said, "This is the prelude, the warm-up for this colorful performance. We can't reveal the whole thing at once. If we do, the mystery of this colorful performance will be gone."

Indistinct, shadowy figures are often the source of mystery.

Zhou Xuan gestured to the painter and Xiaonao that they could go and get on with their business.

……

The donkey shed was still just a pile of scorched earth, but a sudden thick fog had turned it into a white expanse, so thick that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

However, tens of thousands of disaster victims still came to the Mingjiang Prefecture Medical College. They did not completely believe the fox's rumors, but they did not completely disbelieve them either.

"What if what those foxes said is true?"

Driven by a strong sense of wishful thinking, they braved the thick fog and arrived at the donkey shed.

In the fog, fearing they would get separated from their companions, most people held hands, gazing intently at the sky.

In the sky, the phantom of a colossal city was hidden in the mist; sometimes a wide stone bridge could be seen, sometimes a verdant river.

"Is that the legendary great city?"

"Could the fox be telling the truth?"

"If the people of Mingjiang Prefecture could truly come back to life, I would burn incense and pray to Buddha every day and abstain from meat and killing."

The city shrouded in fog, though not real, truly gave the people their last glimmer of hope.

"There really is a big city, there really is a big city. I want to go back and tell the people at the medical school that maybe the rumors of the dead coming back to life are true."

As long as the population base is large, there will inevitably be some kind-hearted people.

These kind-hearted people immediately brought the news of "a large city hidden in the fog" back to the medical school.

Such news was rampant in the medical school, and even the unwavering faith of ordinary people who did not believe in "resurrection" was subtly and gradually shaken.

"Is there really a great city shrouded in fog? I...I'd like to go and see for myself."

"Is that so? Don't you dare talk nonsense."

"Would we lie to you? We saw it clearly with our own eyes. You'll see when you get there."

"I'm going right now. If it's not that foggy city, I'll come back and beat you to a pulp."

As the news spread, more and more people from the medical school flocked to the west side of the city.

By 11 a.m., the Huifeng Medical College was no longer as bustling as it used to be; it would be no exaggeration to say that it was "empty and deserted."

"Progress is going relatively smoothly."

Zhou Xuan looked out the window at the now empty Huifeng Medical College, quite satisfied, and then headed towards Guishan Taoist Temple for a day trip.

"The audience is all here, and the actors are all in their places."

……

The local residents of Huifeng Medical College have all heard the news that "the city is suspended in mid-air in the fog".

Among these ordinary people, there were also some who had transformed from rats—the consciousness of the evil rats from the abyss.

The main consciousness of the Abyssal Rat naturally heard the "rumors".

Countless mice were reporting the news to the main consciousness, the Mouse King.

"Rat King, the Book of Will has been activated. A great city is about to descend upon Mingjiang Prefecture."

"This great city was built to rebuild Mingjiang Prefecture, and it can even bring the dead people of Mingjiang Prefecture back to life."

"Continue to observe and continue to report."

The Rat King was getting restless. He knew that once Mingjiang Prefecture was rebuilt, it would return to its pre-disaster state.

During that period before the disaster, there was a time reversal. Once time was reversed, he, the "evil rat of the abyss" who only emerged after the disaster, would be eliminated. He did not know.

The unknown is the deepest, most unfathomable fear, and this fear also enveloped the Rat King.

"We can't let Zhou Xuan finish rebuilding. I need help to kill Zhou Xuan as quickly as possible."

"Help...helper..."

The Rat King immediately thought of Bifang, a celestial-level deity.

He immediately contacted Li Dazhu through mental communication.

"Where is the mouse's large column?"

"Rat King, I'm here."

"How's the progress of keeping an eye on the Taoist priests at Guishan Taoist Temple?" the Rat King asked.

"The Rat King, that Taoist priest, is extremely cruel. Last night, I saw him kill five people in a row. The method he used was extremely brutal."

Li Dazhu described the scene he saw last night, saying, "Those five people were all beaten to death by the Taoist priests with a door bolt, beaten into mincemeat."

Has the level of that Daoist changed?

“Yes, yes… that Taoist temple has been completely transformed. You said he was the guardian of the temple, so as long as the temple has changed, it means his level has changed,” Li Dazhu said.

The Rat King immediately nodded and said, "Yes, yes, the Taoist priest increases the incense offerings by feeding on humans. The people in that temple killed five people to increase the incense offerings, which is exactly the same as the Taoist priest's characteristics."
Go to that temple, contact the Taoist priest, and show him that we want to join forces with him and his master.

The Rat King failed to see through Zhou Xuan's deception, and the great city shrouded in fog unintentionally brought him a sense of urgency, as if time was running out.

As the crisis loomed, the Rat King was slightly flustered and thought of joining forces with Bi Fang to eliminate Zhou Xuan.

……

Inside the Guishan Taoist Temple, the air was thick with the smell of blood. The Guishan Taoist priest looked at the brand-new temple with great regret and sighed, "What a fine temple! It's been turned into a mess by this bloody atmosphere."

Just then, his ears twitched as he heard furtive footsteps coming from the foot of the mountain.

"Visiting temples broadens one's horizons."

With the new Taoist temple, a new level of understanding, Guishan Taoist was no longer just a temple keeper; he had acquired the rudiments of a "mountain god."

Under his guidance, an eye grew on the gate of the Taoist temple, reflecting the image of the person walking at the foot of the mountain.

"Hey, the rat-mongers are here again."

As soon as Guishan Daoist finished speaking, Zhou Xuan's true form appeared beside him.

Zhou Xuan asked, "Have the people of the evil rats arrived?"

"Hey, sir."

Guishan Daoist immediately bowed to Zhou Xuan and said, "The people sent by the Earth Abyss Evil Rat to keep watch have come up the mountain. Why don't you excuse yourselves, sir?"

(End of this chapter)