Day and night tour

Chapter 459 Capturing Zhou Xuan
The so-called "filling the body with the internal organs" is to put the internal organs of a living person into the body of a paper figure, thereby making the paper figure spiritual.

One dirty head requires the life of a living person to fill it; seventy-odd dirty heads would require the lives of seventy-odd people.

"Sir, let's not talk about whether we can find these seventy-odd lives. Even if we can, how long has it been from now until tonight?"
Even if you asked me to kill over seventy pigs, I couldn't possibly kill that many.

Guishan Daoist kept complaining.

Zhou Xuan then changed the subject, asking, "If seventy can't be filled, how many can be filled?"

"Seven at most." Guishan Daoist felt that if he went all out, he could probably complete about ten "dirty" tasks.

But fearing that Zhou Xuan might try to bargain, he left himself some leeway.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Xuan said very readily, "Alright, seven it is. Do your best and deliver tonight."

"Huh? No more haggling?" Guishan Daoist was quite surprised.

"I only wanted to carry three dirty bags, and you've carried seven. I'm already very satisfied. If you keep haggling, won't you be exhausted?"

Zhou Xuan said slyly.

"..." Guishan Daoist asked again, "Didn't you just ask for seventy?"

"Oh, that's how it is. If I want to open a window, I just tell people I want to demolish a house. If people won't let me demolish the house, they'll let me open a window. It's the same with asking you to do something."

"..." Guishan Daoist sighed, "Master, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve."

"It's settled then. Seven 'dirty' items, and the materials for 'filing dirt'—go get them from Li Chengfeng. He has plenty of people who deserve to die."

After Zhou Xuan finished discussing the amount of "dirty goods," he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he circled around the "Turtle Mountain Taoist Temple," stroking the temple pillars as he did so, and asked, "Old Turtle, if I remember correctly, you're a temple keeper, right?"

"correct."

"Therefore, you have no incense offerings; this temple is your incense offering."

"That's right, all my skills can only be displayed in this temple."

"That's what Guishan Daoren said."

Zhou Xuan then asked, "Can this temple be moved around?"

"If I had accumulated enough incense sticks to burn seven or eight times, that would be fine. However, I don't have that much incense right now. If I want the temple to be moved, I need to perform a ritual in advance."

Guishan Daoist explained everything in detail.

"That's good," Zhou Xuan said. "Now that you've finished your dirty work, are you ready to move this temple to a different location?"

"Where to go instead?"

Guishan Daoren asked.

“Xiejia’ao, the place where I give lectures, come here tonight with your temple and your filth.”

After giving one last instruction, Zhou Xuan decisively left.

Guishan Daoist stared blankly at Zhou Xuan's departing figure. He didn't know why this great master, who was supposed to be giving a lecture tonight, would pretend to be dirty and visit temples.

"How can my paper effigy filled with dirty offerings, and this little temple, help him?"

After thinking for a long time, Guishan Daoist still couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it and muttered to himself, "The Master is a great man. How could someone as insignificant as me possibly understand his thoughts? I'll stop guessing and just focus on doing my job."

He immediately went out of the temple to find Li Chengfeng and collect the materials for the matter Zhou Xuan had instructed him to handle...

……

On East Market Street, at Zhou Family Purification Shop, Zhou Xuan was flipping through the book he had written, busily making final preparations for his performance.

The painter, musician, and Xishan Wang entered the shop to pick up Zhou Xuan and take him to Xiejia'ao.

“Master, the stage is set up, and most of the people who want to join in the celebration and listen to the story have already gone to Xiejia’ao. It’s time for us to set off.”

"Ah."

Zhou Xuan put the book beam into the drawer, stood up, and asked Xishan Wang, "Old Xi, Sister Cui is going to build a pill furnace for me tonight, which requires the lives of many foxes..."

"Don't worry, sir, our fox clan has made all the arrangements and there won't be any problems."

"That's good."

Zhou Xuan walked out of the shop.
The painter drove Zhou Xuan to "Xiejia'ao".

As the car drove out of Dongshi Street, Zhou Xuan noticed that red lanterns were hanging at the door of every household, and asked, "Why are so many houses lighting red lanterns?"

"Master, everyone knows that tonight is the day our Mingjiang Prefecture returns to Yemingjiang. They also know that tonight is a joyous night, so they have prepared red lanterns in advance."

"Once the reconstruction is completed, the entire Mingjiang Prefecture will be brightly decorated and every household will be all smiles."

The musician chimed in from the side.

"Ah."

Zhou Xuan responded, but his interest wasn't too high. He simply said, "However, tonight, bloodshed is unavoidable."

"The imperial procession commanders from both prefectures have assembled," the musician said.

"Whoever comes will be in deep trouble," King Xishan declared ruthlessly.

In the entire Mingjiang Prefecture, there are currently only two people with nine incense sticks each: one is Li Changxun, and the other is the Prince of Xishan.

But Li Changxun's combat strength is no match for that of the Prince of Xishan.

This fox spirit, who has cultivated for many years, is the greatest asset of Mingjiang Prefecture.

"With you all here, I naturally feel at ease."

After Zhou Xuan finished speaking, he closed his eyes, needing to rest and recharge.

……

Xiejia'ao, that depression the size of several football fields, is full of pits and valleys.

To liven up the atmosphere, Gu Ling led the singers from "Metropolis" in singing and dancing.

However, the singer's beautiful voice and her white thighs, in today's world, only fail to interest the audience.

Their gazes, some unfocused, others intensely fixed on the road, awaited the appearance of that almost miraculous figure.

As the two headlights illuminated the road, Zhou Xuan stepped out of the parked car.
Thunderous applause, along with excited whistles and cheers, rang out throughout the vast Xiejia'ao village.

"The Master is here; he's going to give a lecture."

"Sir, I love you."

"From now on, my family's photo wall will only display your image, and no other Buddhas."

The adoration for Zhou Xuan in Mingjiang Prefecture is no less than the popularity of any major celebrity or singer in the past.

The singers performing in Xiejia'ao were also all eager to catch a glimpse of the great master's charisma.

Not a single singer or performer felt jealous or resentful because Zhou Xuan had stolen some of the attention. In their eyes, every applause and shout of encouragement for Zhou Xuan was perfectly deserved.
"Perhaps it should be a little more passionate."

As Gu Ling gazed at Zhou Xuan's graceful figure, she recalled the scene when she first met him.

Back then, Zhou Xuan was a novice and still seemed a bit green, but now... his demeanor and bearing are those of a true master of Mingjiang Prefecture.

"That's not right. It hasn't been that long since I first met the Master, but it feels like more than ten years have passed."

As Zhou Xuan drew closer, Gu Ling made way for him, pointed to the standing microphone, and said with great emotion, "Tonight, we have all gathered in Xiejia'ao just to hear his voice."
Tonight belongs to the Great Master—Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan walked gracefully to the microphone and said, word by word, "Tonight belongs to Yemingjiang, and to everyone who loves this land."

Boom, boom!
The applause erupted again like a thunderous roar.

Gu Ling led the other singers out of the center of the depression, leaving Zhou Xuan alone.

Zhou Xuan is now a seasoned veteran of the stage. He feels no pressure at all under the spotlight; on the contrary, he is as comfortable as a fish in water.

Zhou Xuan leaned close to the microphone and said, "Everyone, I've kept you waiting."

"Not long, not long."

"Waiting for Mr. Da is worth it, no matter how long it takes."

"Master, I really came here to listen to 'The Record of the Mingjiang Zoroastrian Fire,' I'm a big fan of your books."

Among the audience, some came to get lucky, some came to join in the fun, some hoped for Mingjiang's rebirth, and of course, there were quite a few people who genuinely loved listening to Zhou Xuan's storytelling.

Zhou Xuan said with a smile, "Storytelling and opera are ways to persuade people. There are three main roads to take, but in our Jing Kingdom, storytellers have never just told a joke to make people laugh."

"Even a storyteller like me, who usually loves to tell stories about martial arts, cultivation, romance, and the supernatural, would not be so frivolous on such an important day."

Zhou Xuan set the tone for tonight's storytelling session. "Tonight, we will continue to tell the story of the Mingjiang Zoroastrian Fire, and the heroes of our Mingjiang Prefecture during the Zoroastrian Fire disaster—these heroes are none other than every one of us in Mingjiang Prefecture."

This is a lament for the common people, and also their epic.

Zhou Xuan had only given his opening remarks when the audience clapped so hard their hands turned red.

Meanwhile, the spotlights on site were flashing incessantly, as if they were free.

"Crackling, crackling".

"Enough of the small talk, let's get down to business. Today's protagonist is still that waiter from the eatery, and his name is..."

Zhou Xuan deliberately left an opening for air.
Almost all the audience members shouted in unison, "Hu Muhua."

This shout prompted Zhou Xuan to begin his storytelling: "Continuing from the last chapter, the Zoroastrian fire descended upon Mingjiang Prefecture. Hu Muhua and his sister Hu Yuncui fled amidst the flames. During their escape, the two siblings witnessed many moving events..."

This storytelling performance, set in Mingjiang Prefecture, drew the audience in with immense enthusiasm, making them instantly captivated.

If we're talking about who's most immersed in the role, it has to be Sister Cui.

After Zhou Xuan's voice rang out, Sister Cui's eyes filled with tears. She never imagined that her brother's name would be shouted out simultaneously by the sea of ​​people in the crowd.

She never imagined that she and her brother would appear in the script of a great storyteller, becoming names that the entire city could neither avoid nor forget.

……

This storytelling event by Mingjiang was a grand affair, attracting considerable attention from various prefectures and counties.

Especially Pingshui Prefecture,

Zhou Xuan is now a living icon of Pingshui Prefecture, precisely because he recently made a name for himself by rebuilding one-third of Mingjiang Prefecture.

He won the favor of many large conglomerates in the country, and many of them invested in Pingshui Prefecture. For a time, Pingshui Prefecture was thriving.

Today, Zhou Xuan is about to make a big splash again, and Ping Shui Prefecture certainly won't let this publicity opportunity slip by. Their radio operators, whom they had sent to Mingjiang Prefecture in advance, set up a temporary radio station in Xiejia'ao immediately.
Then, using radio and radio broadcasts, they broadcast the message directly to the people of Pingshui Prefecture.

Leaving aside other places, just take the Zhou family troupe. At this moment, none of the masters are doing anything. They are all gathered in twos and threes, sitting by the radio, listening to the young master's storytelling.

The courtyard where the troupe was stationed was also packed with people.
Senior Brother Yu Zhengyuan and Senior Sister-in-law Xu Li were overjoyed.

“Old Yu, listen to how Xuanzi speaks now. He’s got such a presence. Even those big stars and singers can’t speak as well as him.”

"Are you kidding me? What big singers or celebrities can compare to our Xuanzi these days?"

Yu Zhengyuan stood up straight, pointed to the sandpit in the courtyard, and said, "Our Xuanzi, that's a great storyteller who was nurtured and promoted by our troupe."
Within the land of Jing, he was the foremost storyteller.

As he spoke, he asked Yuan Buyu, "Old Yuan, don't you think so?"

"Of course! Don't let my master position fool you; who else could be the number one storyteller besides my disciple? Could it be me?"

Yuan Buyu grinned widely.

Yu Zhengyuan sighed and said, "Alas, what a pity. My junior brother is not a perfect person. If he had my literary talent and could recite a poem on the spot... that would be perfect."

After he finished speaking, he actually started reciting: "The mornings at the Zhou family's troupe are all white, the big trees and small trees are like girls..."

"..."

The people around were speechless, wondering to themselves, "We were just listening to the story, how did this strange thing get in?"

Everyone in the Zhou family troupe was having a good time, except for Zhou Lingyi, who couldn't be happy.

She frowned, a terrible premonition creeping into her heart.

"Master Zhou, are you still worried?"

"Ah."

Zhou Lingyi couldn't help but worry that the "human willpower" that could completely repair Mingjiang Prefecture, and the "seven-colored elixir" that the world coveted, would be equivalent to two great treasures appearing tonight.

"I'm afraid things might get complicated."

She was speaking seriously when she heard a rustling sound. She looked down and immediately relaxed.

“Oh, I’m not so worried now,” Zhou Lingyi said.

"how……"

Yuan Buyu followed the troupe leader's gaze and saw that the ancestral tree of the Zhou family troupe had awakened.

This ancestral tree, which has recently been nourished by the booming Zhou Family Troupe, has actually shed dozens of branches.

Those branches, like arms, plunged straight into the soil and continued to extend towards the distant Mingjiang Prefecture.

"The ancestral tree has awakened; this is no ordinary signal."

Zhou Lingyi's gaze softened considerably.

……

As Zhou Xuan recounted the story, he continued, recounting the events leading up to the point where "Mingjiang Prefecture was trapped in the chessboard of heaven and earth, and the monks from the four great Buddhist kingdoms, including the cliff-carving monks, were about to wage war against the people of Mingjiang Prefecture."
He suddenly stopped and said, "The great battle of Mingjiang Prefecture is about to break out. What follows is truly exciting. If I were to speak with my face showing, it might be a bit jarring for everyone to see my face. I'll invite a temple here and tell stories in the temple. You'll only hear my voice and not see me, so it won't be so jarring."

At this point, Zhou Xuan snapped open the folding fan in his hand.
The audience could only see that a Taoist temple had appeared in the center of the depression.

The Taoist temple was originally only the size of a palm, but in the blink of an eye, it became a temple of moderate size.

The plaque above the temple gate bears four characters: Guishan Taoist Temple.

The temple "grew up," and the temple door creaked open automatically. Zhou Xuan entered the temple, and after the door closed, he continued telling his story.

"Those four monks seeking the waves are all formidable characters. The cliff-carving monk holds the chessboard of heaven and earth in his hand, while the monk who knows destiny, the Heavenly King of the Precious Tree, and the monk who travels by boat are all not to be trifled with..."

The sound of storytelling, carried through the walls of Guishan Temple, did indeed add a touch of ethereal beauty.

The audience in Xiejia'ao listened with rapt attention, and the powerful and sweeping "human willpower" gathered together with tremendous force.

As Zhou Xuan was lecturing in the temple, he pondered—some uninvited guests must be arriving soon, right?

He had barely finished thinking about it when someone arrived to "get things done."

The sound of galloping horses echoed outside Xiejia'ao.

Zhao Longhu, accompanied by dozens of disciples of the Dunjia Incense Sect, shouted loudly, "The Dunjia Sect of the Capital Prefecture, by order of the Imperial Observatory, is hereby ordered to arrest Zhou Xuan and bring him back to the capital."

"Anyone who obstructs this will be punished the same as Zhou Xuan!"

Zhao Longhu shouted in a domineering manner, but Zhao Youting had a bitter face.

As he was leaving the Observatory, Madam Kong specifically emphasized that the Dunjia Sect could capture Zhou Xuan, but they must not use the name of the "Imperial Observatory."

As it turned out, the name of the "Imperial Observatory" was already revealed as soon as they met.

"Senior brother, it's best not to use the name of the Imperial Observatory."

"The local officials in charge of the 'Wandering Gods' are quite unruly; they won't submit unless you throw around a big name."

After patting Zhao Youting on the shoulder, Zhao Longhu strode confidently toward Xiejia'ao.

But they didn't realize that revealing the name of the "Imperial Observatory" at this time would be counterproductive.

When Guishan Daoist heard that the people outside were from the Imperial Observatory, he trembled with fear inside the temple. Zhou Xuan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Old Gui, the real trouble is yet to come."

"These people are from the Imperial Observatory. Aren't they a big problem?" Guishan Daoist had heard of the Imperial Observatory's domineering style and was terrified.

"With so many media friends here, I'm not afraid of those who wander the martial arts world, but I'm not afraid of the imperial court," Zhou Xuan said.

……

The call to capture Zhou Xuan rang out, and Zhou Xuan's storytelling abruptly stopped, causing the audience to begin discussing amongst themselves.

But one group of people was in a real bind—the reporters and media personnel broadcasting live on the radio.

They're always afraid of not finding a big news story and not selling their newspapers; this is really bad!

Thousands of spotlights, like the bright headlights of countless cars, shone brightly.

And those live radio stations are shoving their microphones forward like they're free.
Upon seeing this scene, Zhao Wuyai said, "Brother Longhu, this is bad. This storytelling performance is being watched by all the prefectures. Our every word and action will probably be reported in the newspapers tomorrow and reach the ears of the people of the nine prefectures of Jing Kingdom today."

"What's there to be afraid of? I'll have all those radio stations and cameras reimbursed."

After saying that, Zhao Longhu used his powerful perception to burn the important components in the equipment with this invisible aura.

When all the parts burn out, the equipment naturally stops working.

"You used your perception to burn so much equipment and machinery right in front of me? You didn't treat me like a human being!"

Zhou Xuan's perception was undoubtedly the strongest in the Jing Kingdom, so he could naturally sense what Zhao Longhu wanted to do...

(End of this chapter)