The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 189 A Passionate Life

Before dawn the next day, Wang Wen rode on two black oxen and flew towards Huangshan.

As soon as the unremarkable black ox flew out of Yangzhou City, it couldn't wait to revert to its original form as a black unicorn riding on four balls of blazing flames. It galloped wildly through the clouds like a madman. The cold, biting fog of the winter morning was melted by the billowing heat rising from its body, turning into a warm current that washed over Wang Wen's muscles like a flowing hot spring...

Wrapped in a thick fox fur cloak, he lay comfortably on Hei Erniu's broad, flat back, taking a nap. Sometimes, when Hei Erniu's running movements were too vigorous and jolted him, he would kick Hei Erniu's buttocks with his heel in dissatisfaction: "Stop shaking, I'm catching up on my sleep!"

Black Ox had to suppress its wild nature and obediently carry him steadily through the clouds.

"Sir, I don't understand. With so many men under your command, it seems like there's always something going on. Or is it just you running around all by yourself?"

Wang Wen pondered for a few seconds, then sighed softly, "Tiezi, that hurts."

Hei Erniu: "Huh?"

Wang Wen thought to himself, if he had known that becoming stronger would bring so much trouble, he should have stayed obediently in the Qinghe Gang, indulging in drinking, gambling, whoring, and other misdeeds, waiting to take over Huang Laodeng's position.

After reminiscing longingly about his past life of revelry and exhaustion, he suddenly smiled knowingly.

He knew that the complaints were genuine and the nostalgia was real, but if he could do it all over again, he would still choose the passionate life he had now!
He suddenly sat up, grabbed the reins, and, facing the howling fog, craned his neck and shouted: "The scenery of the Northland is magnificent, a thousand miles of ice, ten thousand miles of snow. Looking beyond the Great Wall, only vastness remains; the Yellow River, both upstream and downstream, has lost its roaring flow. The mountains dance like silver snakes, the plains gallop like wax elephants, vying with the heavens for height..."

"It is a pity that the Emperors of Qin and Han were slightly inferior in literary talent; the Emperors of Tang and Song were slightly inferior in style and elegance."

"Genghis Khan, the proud son of heaven, only knew how to bend his bow and shoot eagles."

"All the past is gone, but the heroes of today are still to be seen."

As if sensing his surging emotions, Hei Erniu, like a husky that had broken free of its reins, grinned and squinted, and ran wildly.

"Wuhu!"

Wang Wen laughed loudly, "When you reach the summit, you'll see all the mountains below... Go for it!"

Blackie Erniu shouted in agreement: "Charge!"

Just then, dawn broke, and the red sun leaped out of the sea of ​​clouds, releasing its golden rays, which gilded the silhouettes of the man and the ox with a dazzling golden light.

……

At midday, Hei Erniu descended from the clouds and landed in an unnamed forest outside Xing'an Town, Jiangxi (now Yingtan, Jiangxi).

Wang Wen casually threw Wan Li to the ground, then dismounted from the Qilin. Hei Erniu then concealed his true form as the Mo Qilin and transformed into the image of a black ox.

Although this black fellow has awakened the innate talent of the Qilin clan, he has yet to master any outstanding innate supernatural ability. The only skill he has is the transformation technique of turning into a cow.

Perhaps it's because it was a cow for over a decade...

"Let's go find somewhere to eat first."

Wang Wen took the reins and beckoned Wan Li to enter the town.

But then he noticed that Wan Li's eyes were glazed over, his face was pale, his lips were bluish, and his legs were trembling like a butterfly's wings.

He looked him up and down with a puzzled expression, then asked uncertainly, "Are you afraid of heights?"

Wan Li trembled, "A villain, a villain..."

He couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

Wang Wen asked in bewilderment, "Why didn't you say you were afraid of heights sooner?"

Upon hearing this, Wan Li almost burst into tears, and said with a wronged expression, "Didn't you hear me screaming so pitifully?"

Wang Wen saw the grievance in his eyes and said apologetically, "I heard you screaming so loudly just now, I thought it was your first time going to heaven and you were excited... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, when we go back, I will knock you out first and then carry you back, so you won't be afraid."

Wan Li looked at him with terror in her eyes: 'Are you a vengeful ghost?'

Stop dawdling!

Wang Wen shoved him impatiently: "You're a grown man, why are you acting like a sissy!"

Upon hearing this, Wan Li became furious.

When you're under someone's roof, you can only be angry and dare not speak out...

The two men and the ox wobbled along the main road, heading towards the market town not far away.

Perhaps because this town is located next to Longhu Mountain, although it is called a town, its size and popularity are no less than those of an ordinary county town, and it even has city walls.

The two mingled with the villagers, queuing to enter the city. Wang Wen found a reasonably clean little restaurant, sat down by the window, and watched Wan Li order food from the owner using a combination of words and gestures in a dialect with a heavy Gan accent.

He listened attentively for a while, but only understood a few words before turning his attention to the pedestrians outside the window.

Under the scan of divine sense, one could see that the sparse pedestrians on the street all bore traces of the Taoist sect to varying degrees.

Some people carry amulets.

Some people have a Bagua mirror hanging around their necks.

Someone was carrying a small peach wood sword at their waist...

Moreover, these items are not deceptive handicrafts, but genuine Taoist talismans and ritual implements with a certain power to ward off evil.

Although it was very weak, it was probably made by some ignorant and incompetent sorcerers.

But a fake is a fake, and a real is a real!

He listened attentively and overheard many locals greeting each other while chanting the holy name of "Boundless Blessings of Heaven".

"Your honor."

After dismissing the shopkeeper, Wan Li hesitated and said in a low voice, "I just saw Grandma Ma's secret mark."

Wang Wen raised an eyebrow: "The Gu witch Ma family?"

Wan Li nodded.

Previously in Huangshan, Wan Li had already given Wang Wen a general overview of the Xiangxi witchcraft lineage.

According to Wan Li, although witchcraft was widespread in western Hunan, only two lineages had a clear and orderly lineage: Gu witchcraft and corpse-driving craftsmen.

These two major lineages of witchcraft are widely spread in western Hunan. It can be said that wherever there are Miao villages, there are witchcraft practitioners, and wherever there are towns and villages, there are corpse-driving masters.

As for other witchcraft lineages outside of these two major lineages, such as the Falling Flower Cave Woman and Gu magic, they are all regarded as evil magic even in western Hunan.

To outsiders, these two major lineages of witchcraft in western Hunan are a complete mess, with no clear distinction between which village belongs to which lineage and which lineage is inherited from which...

However, within these two major lineages of witchcraft, the transmission and propagation of these two lineages are like the veins on a leaf, clearly visible and traceable.

Just like the hundreds of branches of the Taoist lineage in China, but tracing back to the source, most of these hundreds of lineages can be traced back to the three schools of talismans.

According to Wan Li, the Gu witchcraft lineage is a Miao ethnic group tradition, with the Ma family leading many Miao villages' Gu witchcraft traditions. Other Gu witchcraft branches are more or less related to the Ma family. For example, Wan Li's great-great-grandmother was a Ma family woman, and his Gu witchcraft skills were inherited from his great-great-grandmother.

The head of the Ma family, also known as "Grandma Ma," holds a position equivalent to the leader and saintess of the Gu witch lineage.

The lineage of corpse drivers is a Tujia tradition. Although there is no sect, it is passed down through master and apprentice. Today, the largest corpse driver sect in western Hunan is the Tian family, whose disciples are spread throughout western Hunan.

The head of the Tian family, also known as "Old Master Tian," holds a position equivalent to the ancestor of all corpse-driving craftsmen...

As the saying goes: A snake cannot function without a head.

The fragmented lineage of witchcraft in western Hunan was clearly no match for the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain.

Since the current Xiangxi witchcraft lineage can compete with the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, it means that these two witchcraft lineages have been organized by someone.

In the entire Xiangxi region, the only formidable figures who could organize the Gu witchcraft lineage and the corpse-driving artisan lineage to fight against the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain are Granny Ma and Old Master Tian.

The discovery of Grandma Magu's secret mark in Xing'an Town, where Wan Li currently resides in Longhu Mountain, undoubtedly confirms their previous deductions.

……

Seeing Wan Li nod, Wang Wen leisurely picked up the teacup on the table and poured a cup of tea from the patina-covered black iron kettle.

But in the end, he glanced at the unknown, dark tea in the bowl, and had no desire to take a sip. He simply used his fingertip to slowly stir the rim of the bowl and rotate it...

Before setting off from Huangshan, Wan Li not only gave him a general introduction to the two major witchcraft lineages, but also mentioned the past misdeeds of Longhu Mountain, which, relying on its backing by the imperial court and its wealth and power, had oppressed and exploited these two witchcraft lineages and even all the people of Jiangxi.

Although Wan Li's background meant that his criticism of the Celestial Master's Mansion at Longhu Mountain was inevitably influenced by strong subjective factors.

But generally speaking, Wang Wen still believed what he said.

The reason is that the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain in his memory was not a virtuous and benevolent family that was known for its generosity and charity... It was only slightly better than another family that was famous for cultivating and submitting to the Dao.

But how should I put it? He joked about Hunkun Zhenren, saying that his position determined his thinking, but how could he himself be any different?
There is no such thing as spotless air in the world; everyone is inhaling dust. All he can do is try his best not to become a bad person.

As for the others... out of sight, out of mind.

Therefore, his purpose in coming to Jiangxi this time is to smooth things over!
He pondered for a long time before finally asking, "Do you have any way to invite the Ma family here to talk to me?"

Wan Li hesitated for a few moments, his eyes flickering, before cautiously asking, "May I ask, in what capacity does Your Majesty wish to speak with them?"

Wang Wen smiled slowly and said, "In your opinion, what position should I use to talk to them?"

Wan Li hurriedly said, "Your Excellency acts with integrity and uprightness. No matter which identity you use to talk to them, it is giving them enough face... However, I think that if Your Excellency could intervene in this matter as the General Who Slays Demons in Huainan, they would be even more grateful to Your Excellency."

Wang Wen chuckled and said, "Aren't you afraid they'll be ungrateful and embarrass me, making me angry?"

Wan Li paused for two seconds, then decisively changed his words: "This humble one is foolish and ignorant. I beg Your Majesty to summon them to an audience, as you are the Venerable God Wu!"

Wang Wen chuckled: "You're worried that I'll use my power to intimidate them and force them to submit, but it makes no difference. Even if I meet them as the Demon-Slaying General, they still won't have the power to resist me!"

Wan Li's heart tightened. The words of explanation were on the tip of his tongue, but he forcibly swallowed them back and honestly clasped his hands, saying, "This humble one has presumptuously guessed His Majesty's intentions, and I beg His Majesty to punish me."

Wang Wen slapped his hands away and said lazily, "I'm not the emperor, so where would I get any imperial decree from... Don't worry, I'm here to reason with people, and I won't easily resort to violence."

Wan Li was moved to tears and thanked him repeatedly.

Just then, the innkeeper called out loudly to the waiter and, with a smile on his face, brought over the food Wan Li had ordered.

Wang Wen glanced at the food: two fish, one braised and one steamed; a large piece of cured pork stir-fried with pickled vegetables; a roast chicken; a clay pot of soup... The food smelled pretty good, but the presentation was not great; it was all dark and unappetizing.

He summoned a handful of water from under the table to wash his hands, then took out a set of pure silver chopsticks from his bag. He picked up a piece of bright yellow, translucent cured meat and put it in his mouth to taste it carefully... It was fatty but not greasy, chewy, and had the unique smoky flavor of old cured meat. It was unexpectedly delicious!

Wan Li glanced at his gleaming silver bowl and chopsticks, then at his own greasy, blackened earthenware bowl and bamboo chopsticks, and suddenly lost all desire to pick up his chopsticks.

"Eat! What are you standing there for?"

Wang Wen pretended not to see his pitiful eyes and, with a mischievous grin, lightly tapped the porcelain bowl with his silver chopsticks: "It's my treat today, so don't be shy!"

Wan Li stammered, "Please eat, I'm not hungry yet..."

Wang Wen couldn't help but chuckle: "You say you're a seasoned traveler, yet you travel without even bringing your own bowl and chopsticks?"

Wan Li said in a deep, muffled voice, "When we traveled before, we weren't as particular as you are."

Wang Wen: "Then why are you being so particular now?"

Wan Li restrained her gaze from glancing at his bowl and chopsticks, and remained silent.

Seeing his appearance, Wang Wen's appetite increased even more. He filled a bowl with rice and shoveled it into his mouth with cured meat and pickled vegetables. His oily lips made Wan Li almost unable to believe that this was a deity standing on a shrine receiving incense offerings!

Wang Wen: "You're so ignorant! Even in the palace, this is how I eat!"

But just as Wang Wen was having a hearty meal, four Taoist priests dressed in dark blue robes with gloomy faces walked into the small restaurant and went straight to Wang Wen's table.

The shopkeeper, who was happily fiddling with the abacus behind the counter, suddenly changed his expression upon seeing the four Taoist priests. He snatched the abacus and shrank back under the counter...

Wang Wen held his bowl, shoveling rice into his mouth while curiously observing the four Taoist priests approaching.

The Taoist priests in this area are undoubtedly from Longhu Mountain.

Four Taoist priests strode over to Wang Wen and his group's table. Two of them sat on an empty bench, while the other two stood behind Wang Wen and Wan Li. All four of them stared at Wan Li with hostile intent.

Wan Li glanced at Wang Wen, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

"Who gave you the audacity!"

The bearded Taoist priest at the head of the group roared in a low voice, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared at Wan Li: "How dare you swagger to the foot of my Longhu Mountain?"

Wan Li glanced at Wang Wen, who was watching the show with a bowl in his hand, and said helplessly, "I meant no harm, I just came back from out of town..."

"Boom."

The bearded Taoist priest slammed his hand on the table, sending bowls and plates flying and food scattering everywhere: "You think this Taoist priest will believe your nonsense? Take it..."

"I'm saying, aren't you guys treating me like I'm not even human?"

Wang Wen clutched his silver bowl tightly, his eyes filled with anger as he asked.

Four pairs of angry eyes turned to him simultaneously.

The bearded Taoist priest at the head of the group, spitting as he shouted, "This boy is traveling with witchcraft and sorcery, he's definitely not a good person, seize him too!"

The Taoist priest standing behind Wang Wen was about to make a move upon hearing the sound, but just as he was about to activate the talisman in his hand, he was suddenly horrified to find that he could not move.

An invisible and intangible yet terrifying pressure, as heavy as a mountain, firmly held him in place.

(End of this chapter)