Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 123 Zhou Yi's Lightning Shatters the Illusion! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The stone statue of Fude Zhengshen weighs less than two tons. When it was lifted to its position by the truck, Zhou Yi wrapped the stone statue in layers of yellow silk cloth, and then wrapped it in a layer of felt cloth.

Finally, Zhao Wei and I used a crowbar to carefully lower the crane's tension strap and securely bind the stone statue.

Once everything was ready and the truck-mounted crane was in place, the driver laid sleepers inside the truck bed, then carefully lifted the stone statue and placed it on the sleepers.

After placing it in place, use a tow rope to secure the statue's body inside the vehicle to ensure it won't slide during the descent.

With everything prepared, the driver drove down the mountain, and Zhou Yi followed behind in Zhao Wei's Fangcheng Bao, escorting them all the way to Sanlizhuang. The stone statues remained safe and sound without any accidents.

In front of the land temple in Sanlizhuang, the renovation of the building is underway. The ground has been leveled, and a 1.5-meter square base has been built in the center of the main hall, just right to place the stone statue.

The base has a small pit in the middle, filled with five-colored soil, which not only echoes the five colors of the land and grain, but also makes the statue more down-to-earth.

Once the stone statue is placed on its base, the entire small temple can be paved with floor tiles and undergo detailed decoration.

The truck crane unloaded the stone statue. Zhou Yi originally planned to find a crane to transport it into the small temple, but Du Chunyi called over dozens of strong laborers without saying a word. With the help of wooden poles and other objects, they managed to lift the stone statue into the temple.

Using mechanical equipment cannot show the sincerity of the villagers of Sanlizhuang; only by relying on manual labor can the gods feel everyone's enthusiasm.

Zhou Yi pasted an inconspicuous Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams symbol on the felt cloth and said to Du Chunyi:
"Before the consecration, do not let anyone remove the felt cloth and yellow silk, otherwise it will displease the gods. Wait until the day of the consecration to remove them, and the God of Fortune will like this place even more."

People like to associate with those who know rules and follow etiquette, and even immortals are no exception.

It is extremely impolite to remove the silk cloth from one's body before the consecration ceremony.

Du Chunyi said:
"I will notify the villagers in the group chat later, and I will also arrange for elderly people to stay here to prevent some children from being naughty."

Actually, there was no need for any arrangements. As soon as the statue was placed, an elderly person came over with an incense burner to burn incense and pray for the safety of their family.

After leaving Sanlizhuang, Zhao Wei saw that it was already evening and said to Zhou Yi:

"Let's not go back. Let's find a place to have dinner before going home."

"Okay, whatever you want to eat, it's on me."

Zhao Wei thought for a moment and decided to go eat lobster... He and Sun Chenglin were junior high school classmates. Now that his old classmate had opened a restaurant, as the number one excavator operator in Yunwu Town, he had to go and support him.

So the two drove to the commercial street and found that there was already a queue in front of the crayfish restaurant. Business was so good that Zhao Wei even thought about selling his excavator to start a crayfish business.

While the two were getting their numbers and queuing, they ran into Sun Chenglin. Upon seeing their old classmates, Zhao Wei immediately started shouting:

"I'm accompanying Master Zhou on this inspection trip. Let's start by tasting ten catties of top-grade crayfish to see if they're salty enough. If they're not good, I'll put a 'shady merchant' talisman on your forehead."

Sun Chenglin laughed heartily:
"I don't care if I'm a shrewd businessman, but I'm afraid some people can't even dig a fishpond properly and let all the fish in the pond escape."

It's normal for old classmates to tease each other when they meet. After the laughter and banter, Sun Chenglin led the two to a private room upstairs that wasn't open to the public. He then made another phone call to bring Mao Cong over, served him ice-cold beer, and said he was treating him to dinner.

Seeing this, Zhao Wei became somewhat curious:
"What's wrong? What's the problem? Just say it. We know someone in the infertility clinic, so don't worry."

Sun Chenglin laughed and said:
"Get lost. I just wanted to ask Master Yi a small question. You're welcome to keep me company."

When Mao Cong arrived, the crayfish were served, one small bowl of each flavor, all made with the finest quality crayfish. After Zhou Yi put on disposable gloves and started eating, Sun Chenglin also shared his recent worries:

“Someone suggested that I open a branch store on North Street in partnership with someone, but I’m not sure about it and would like to hear Master Xiaoyi’s thoughts.”

Zhou Yi took off the gloves he had just put on and took out two copper coins from the inner pocket of his Taoist robe:
"Consider this crayfish your fortune-telling fee."

He used the simplest divination method to predict Sun Chenglin's fortune in opening a branch store, and the result was not optimistic:

"There is a possibility of financial loss and bad luck. My advice is not to open it. Even if you do, run it alone and don't go into partnerships. It's easy to have conflicts when you partner with someone in the catering industry."

Sun Chenglin has been struggling with this matter recently, and he is worried that opening a branch store will result in a complete loss.

Now, after hearing what the Book of Changes said, he immediately gave up the idea, and as for partnerships, he didn't even mention them again.

After finishing the business, everyone started chatting.

As a car dealership owner, Mao Cong is adept at recounting all sorts of gossip:
"I heard that the incense at the tomb of martyr Lao Zhuang has suddenly become very popular in the past two days. People often come to offer flowers and bow, and some even offer cigarettes and liquor. It has never been this lively before, not even during the Qingming Festival."

Zhou Yi felt that Hu Lijun's family should be the first to go. He had mentioned before that they should take some time to visit the martyrs' graves to express their gratitude. Elders like polite children, and the martyrs are no exception.

As for others, it's unclear; they might be following the trend, or they might have received protection.

Anyway, the whole village was filled with a murderous aura last time. All the evil spirits and malevolent forces were completely wiped out and will not come back for at least ten or eight years.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wei said he would also visit the martyrs' cemetery the next day to deliver two bottles of wine, so that the martyrs could taste the Yiyang Daqu, a local product of Yiyang.

After talking about the martyrs' cemetery, Mao Cong then brought up the Golden Sun Shopping Mall in the city:

“Yesterday I went shopping with some friends. Every time I got to the elevator, I felt a chill and my hair stood on end. My friends were listless and just bought a drink and left, feeling unwell… Master Yi, do you know what’s going on?”

Zhou Yi didn't dare say too much:
"A senior colleague and I are preparing to investigate that area, so you should try to avoid going there in the near future."

After a hearty meal, Sun Chenglin called a driver to take Zhou Yi and Zhao Wei back to Yunwu Town. Zhou Yi declined the offer to take them up the mountain and decided to stroll back to Hunyuan Palace. It was already late, and there were no streetlights on the mountain road. Zhou Yi held the twenty-four flowing beads in his hand and recited the "Taishang Ganying Pian" as he walked.

As they were walking, a gust of wind blew up from the mountain road ahead, making it hard for Zhou Yi to open his eyes. When the wind passed, a withered yellow leaf, as if in slow motion, fluttered down in front of Zhou Yi.

Upon seeing this bizarre scene, Zhou Yi immediately unleashed a golden talisman.

The golden light can be used for both offense and defense, and it can also expose villains in the dark.

After tossing the golden talisman aside, Zhou Yi began reciting the incantation for the lightning strike.

Dark clouds loomed in from all directions, occasionally accompanied by a muffled rumble of thunder, sending chills down one's spine.

Zhou Yi continued walking forward without stopping. When he arrived at the White Tiger position where the car accident had occurred, Zhou Yi pointed his fingers like a sword at the spot where Fan Chengye had the accident. Immediately, a golden bolt of lightning struck down from the sky.

He didn't know what he had encountered, nor what the other party's intentions were, so he could only strike first and use the lightning strike technique to draw out the killing intent of the White Tiger position.

In metaphysics, the White Tiger signifies killing and warfare. This position is inherently filled with murderous aura, and the recent deaths of several villains in this location have amplified this murderous energy.

Once the killing intent is unleashed by lightning, it will automatically seek out its target, leaving those hiding in the shadows nowhere to hide. This can be considered a kind of "stirring up trouble" from a metaphysical perspective.

Sure enough, after the lightning strike, the murderous aura surged outwards like a tide. Zhou Yi carefully observed his surroundings, and just as he was worried that the murderous aura would reach the town, the scene before him shattered like glass.

His body returned to the spot where the leaves had fallen, still some distance from the White Tiger position.

This familiar scene instantly reminded him of his experience drinking mutton soup that morning:

"Han Chu Jiu?"

No sooner had the call been uttered than the blind man's voice came through:
"No wonder your grandfather was so confident in entrusting the Hunyuan Palace to you. It turns out you're quite strong, kid. You were able to break through my illusion without getting hurt. You're the first one. Cultivating merit is truly remarkable!"

As he spoke, his voice drifted further and further away, as if it had flown away.

Zhou Yi looked up to the heavens and asked:

"Senior, your illusion magic is so powerful, do you often create illusions of beating up my grandfather to satisfy your own satisfaction?"

These words immediately revealed the blind man, who angrily pounded the stone wall beside him with his cane:
"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think I'm that kind of person? It's normal for cultivators to spar with each other using illusions; it's also a shortcut to make up for their own weaknesses..."

The Book of Changes: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
No, come to think of it, you actually did that?

Wow, the psychological trauma inflicted by her grandfather must be immense, to the point that she's resorting to illusions to regain her confidence.

Zhou Yi suddenly felt a deep sympathy for the old man. Unfortunately, he was in college at the time and did not witness the event in person, otherwise he would have felt even more deeply for him.

The blind man attempted to understand the I Ching twice today, but both attempts ended in failure.

He walked slowly down the mountain, saying as he went:

"He actually used lightning to unleash the killing intent of the White Tiger position. Going to university really does work. If I had known that the college entrance examination was reinstated back then, I would have gone to university too..."

Zhou Yi coughed lightly:
"There are now universities for senior citizens, would you like to consider them?"

The blind man's defenses were breached again:

"Go back to your Hunyuan Palace and don't give me a chance to talk!"

He walked down the mountain, cursing and swearing, sometimes saying he wanted to demolish the temple, sometimes saying he wanted to dig up the graves, which made Zhou Yi very worried about his mental health.

Back on the mountain, Zhou Yi took a bath, changed into a black Taoist robe, put on disposable gloves, and carefully began to read the book that Li Bai had given him.

Directly touching this book will turn it into an antique; at that point, not only will reading it be a problem, but even turning the pages will be an issue.

So first, put on gloves and read through it. If it's useful, print it out. Then, turn the whole book into a collection of cultural relics. That way, the collection of Hunyuan Palace will increase.

Mount Qingcheng has always been a major center of the Zhengyi sect. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling founded the Five Pecks of Rice sect on Mount Qingcheng, advocating the idea of ​​"using righteousness to govern evil and using oneness to unify all things," and creating the Zhengyi Mengwei sect, also known as the Celestial Masters sect.

Regardless of its name, Qingcheng Mountain has always been an important place for the transmission of orthodox religious sects.

Opening the Taoist scriptures of Qingcheng Mountain and reading the Book of Changes word by word, my restless heart began to calm down unconsciously, and my body and mind were drawn to the Taoist scriptures.

As he was reading, he suddenly came across a sentence:

[Life and death are intertwined; death and life are intertwined]

This is a famous saying by Zhuangzi, meaning that life and death are interdependent; life is the end of death, and death is the beginning of life.

This sentence reminded Zhou Yi of the blind man's hallucinations, which always happened without anyone noticing. Next time, he could try to decipher them using Zhuangzi's theories and give the blind man a surprise!
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Thank you all for your votes and support. We've surpassed 5 monthly votes, so I owe you one chapter update. I also owe you three chapters in May, making it a total of four chapters. Don't worry, brothers, I won't forget. It's just that my health has been really bad lately, with all sorts of ailments popping up. I'm also extremely sensitive to the cold. In the recent high temperatures in Henan, I need to wear a jacket and scarf when I go out, and even a little bit of cold wind gives me a headache. I've had a bunch of tests done, but none of them seem to match my symptoms. I'll be getting a cervical MRI next Monday to see if it's caused by my cervical spine.

Wishing everyone good health and all the best!
(End of this chapter)