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

Chapter 268 The Celestial Master Descends to the Mortal Realm, Zhong Kui Arrives! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

As soon as the ceremony began, fluffy white clouds drifted in from the previously clear sky, completely blocking out the sunlight.

Zhong Kui is different from other gods. He is a god who became a god from a soul, without a physical body. In addition, he has been catching and killing ghosts all year round, so he is surrounded by a cold and gloomy aura and does not like sunlight.

As the clear sky turned cloudy, the nearby trees began to sway, and the wind picked up.

The wind was strange. Even though it was only in the thirties, the wind made me shiver involuntarily when it blew on me, and I felt a chill to my bones.

The Book of Changes knew that this was the arrival of Zhong Kui, the Holy Lord who bestows blessings and protects the home.

However, I didn't invite him here today to bestow blessings and ward off evil spirits, but to introduce him to a new business opportunity.

Soon, the Zhong Kui portrait on the flagpole began to sway in the wind, as if the celestial master in the painting had come to life.

There are countless deities in China, and each deity has a different way of being summoned. For example, Zhong Kui can be summoned without a statue; simply hanging up a painting is sufficient.

Zhong Kui carries a heavy yin energy, and prolonged descent from him can be unbearable for the homeowner. Therefore, whether you invite Zhong Kui to ward off evil spirits or do other things, it's best not to invite a statue of him; just hang a painting at home.

The divine power that a painting can carry is limited, and the amount of yin energy it brings is also insufficient, so it will not have a negative effect.

If you really want to place a statue of a deity, try to choose a smaller one. Otherwise, Zhong Kui will bring a huge amount of yin energy into your home, which can easily cause a lack of yang energy.

Besides Zhong Kui, Xing Tian is also a deity suitable for being painted. The image of Xing Tian brings an excessive amount of killing energy, and being in such an environment for a long time can easily make one irritable.

A cool breeze blew continuously at the Dharma assembly site as Zhou Yi meticulously carried out the fasting and sacrificial rites.

Wu Meiniang looked up at the mountain and saw that the ornamental trees were swaying violently in the wind, which was at least level five or six, as if Zhong Kui was leading his ghostly soldiers to capture the evil spirits and monsters here.

At the entrance of the cemetery, the blind man looked up, his two dark eye sockets fixed on the mountain, his surprise growing stronger.

He wanted to join in the fun, but worried about disrupting the ceremony, so he turned to the person in charge of the cemetery and said:

"Prepare 200,000 yuan in cash. This kid solved a huge problem for you. If it weren't for him, your cemetery would have been in serious trouble!"

Upon hearing this, the person in charge asked: The cemetery has expenses related to feng shui.

"How many years will 200,000 cover?"

“One year, and then give him 200,000 every year. He will help you solve all metaphysical problems.”

The person in charge hesitated for a moment:
"He's so young, is he really capable?"

The blind man chuckled upon hearing this. The child had summoned Zhong Kui with a mere wave of his hand, and Zhong Kui was currently catching ghosts all over the mountains. Yet, the child still complained about the price and immediately raised it on the spot:

"Three hundred thousand!"

If the person in charge dares to bargain, the price will be raised directly to 500,000.

"Alright, alright, three hundred thousand it is. Let's make it clear first, after signing the contract, we will not cooperate with other Taoist priests. If someone needs a burial ceremony and a ritual is performed, he/she will have to come over, and the payment will be calculated separately."

The blind man agreed:
“No problem, as long as he gets the appearance fee, everything else is negotiable.”

As the two were talking, the Zhong Kui portrait on the flagpole quietly turned halfway around in the breeze, and a strong wind immediately blew up on the mountain facing the canvas.

About half an hour later, the Zhong Kui portrait on the flagpole had completed a rotation, and the entire area of ​​the cemetery was swept by the strong wind.

After the event, the mountain where the cemetery is located looked much brighter, unlike the gloomy atmosphere it used to have.

After the matter was completed, the ceremony to send off the gods was about to begin. However, Zhou Yi thought that it was better not to trouble two people with the same task, so he asked Emperor Zhao Xu of the Song Dynasty to designate the Xishan Mausoleum as the final resting place.

This matter falls under Zhong Kui's jurisdiction, so it's a good opportunity to involve him.

Although Wu Zetian also had the destiny of an emperor, she had not yet ascended the throne, and was not as fitting as Emperor Zhao Xu.

If there's a chance, you could let Guo Rong try. He's the God of Wealth, and the God of Wealth bestowed a blessed land under the witness of Zhong Kui. Just thinking about it is interesting... However, when he was bestowed the title, Guo Rong had to change his name to Chai Rong, because his divine name was Chai Rong, not Guo Rong.

After the imperial decree was issued, Zhou Yi began the ritual of sending off the gods.

After Zhong Kui left, the white clouds in the sky dispersed, and the sun shone on the earth once again.

Suddenly exposed to the sunlight, no one felt hot at all; this was a negative effect of Zhong Kui's excessive divine power.

"An eight-foot painting is still too big. We must remember this in the future and not use it in ordinary residences."

After the ceremony, Zhou Yi slowly lowered the painting from the flagpole, rolled it up, and put it in the car.

At this moment, the blind man called him to sign the contract, and Zhou Yi ran away.

Granny Gongsun grabbed a piece of corn candy from the offering table, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. She said with some disappointment:
"I thought I'd be asked to use the Dragon Slayer Sword to help the Celestial Master, but I didn't expect to be completely uninvolved from beginning to end."

Li Qingzhao held the torture stick in her hand and played with it:

"This little bit of merit is not even enough to fill the teeth of the Blessed Holy Lord. How could I let you steal the credit? But I really want to see your 'Full House Stance, Flying Sword Soaring into the Clouds' move. How much strength does that take?"

Grandma Gongsun originally wanted to do it on the spot, but worried about causing any unforeseen complications, so she said with a smile:

"I'll give you a performance when we get back... Sister Xi Shi, what are your thoughts on participating in a Buddhist ritual for the first time?"

Xi Shi said:

"There are a few steps I didn't remember, and I didn't hear the scriptures clearly. May I ask the immortal for guidance?"

A single sentence from the beautiful woman made Gongsun Da Niang and Li Qingzhao feel like underachievers:

"Are you going to learn this too?" Xi Shi nodded:

"Since it was done by an immortal, it must have a profound meaning. It would be better to learn it. In case we need to invite gods to perform rituals in our respective worlds, how can we do it without knowing how?"

Li Qingzhao: "!!! ...

I need to work harder, otherwise the title of "great talent" will be taken away by the "number one beauty"!
Not far away, Zhao Xu was also marveling at the magnificent scene of Zhong Kui's arrival:
"Although we can't see the true face of the gods, we can clearly feel that they have truly descended... I wonder if we can summon the gods on the battlefield?"

Xin Qiji said:
"We can invite Xing Tian. Xing Tian wields his axe and shield, his fierce will remains undiminished, which will surely ignite the fighting spirit of the entire army."

Li Bai chuckled:
"We can also ask Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, to descend to the mortal realm. I wonder what it would be like if Li Jing in the Zhenguan era asked Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, to descend to the mortal realm on the battlefield."

Chen Tang chuckled:

"According to you, it would be even more interesting if Guan Yu had asked the Great Emperor of the Three Realms to descend to the mortal world when he was defeated at Maicheng."

Soon, Zhou Yi signed the contract. Uncle Ming helped everyone pack their things. It was almost noon, and Zhou Yi planned to find a place to have lunch before heading back.

Apart from Guo Rong, all the members of Hunyuan Palace are here; it's time for a team-building activity.

He said goodbye to the blind man and Uncle Ming, and went to a well-established restaurant. He asked for a private room, ordered about twenty dishes, and asked for several pots of rice.

Everyone sat together and enjoyed a delicious lunch.

After the meal, the group returned to Hunyuan Palace, preparing to return to their respective worlds.

Zhao Xu sighed:
"Only after going to the city did I realize how big the gap is between my Great Song Dynasty and modern society. We need to speed up the cement production process. Once we have a breakthrough, I will share my experience with you."

In any world, cement is a vital national asset; once it is produced, it can directly alter the social landscape.

After he led his horse away, Xin Qiji also left.

A lot of potato seeds have been prepared for Xin Qiji in Hunyuan Palace. By then, the sweet potato leaves will be ready to be cut and transplanted.

For a short period of time, Xin Qiji and his comrades did not have to worry about food.

Chen Tang left Huo Qubing a few sets of weapon samples, and then took the rest back to the Yuan Emperor World, intending to broaden the horizons of the Imperial Guards.

Xi Shi picked a few cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, intending to let Zigong try them.

She also brought a bronze script version of the Analects and a comparison table of bronze script and modern Chinese characters for Zigong to study, so that he could read modern books.

Wu Zetian instructed:

"I will organize the relevant information on salt production and boiling in the next few days. You can bring it to Zigong next time you come. You can make a lot of money through salt production. He is known as a Confucian merchant and should be able to help many people."

Xi Shi agreed and pushed her bicycle away from Hunyuan Palace.

Huo Qubing originally intended to leave, but upon hearing that someone was going to donate a crane the next day, he decided to stay another night to see what the crane donated to Hunyuan Palace would look like.

With cranes, road construction and bridge building will be much more convenient in the Martial Emperor World.

Gongsun Da Niang also wanted to stay and take a look, but Li Bai looked through the work plan of Yiyuan Temple. Tomorrow, drones were to be used to inspect all the temples in the city. It was a matter of merit and could not be delayed.

The two brought a lot of food and hurriedly went to the Tang Dynasty Kaiyuan World.

It was still early, so Zhou Yi climbed to the top of the God of Wealth Temple and led Huo Qubing, Wu Meiniang, and Li Qingzhao to continue working on the roof. They were busy until evening before coming down from the roof, tidying up, and starting to cook dinner.

On the other side, on the northern grasslands of Dingxiang.

After several days of planning, and considering the need for in-person notification, Wei Qing finally officially issued the mission to Sima Qian and Su Jian, who had rushed back to the camp, today.

All the officers and soldiers inside the tent were driven out. Wei Qing looked at Su Jian and Sima Qian and asked:

"His Majesty has issued a top-secret order that requires reliable personnel to carry it out. I have already drafted the plan, and now I would like to ask you two whether you are willing to carry out this mission without official documentation."

This is a very important matter. If the two of them are not mentally prepared to kill the prince, things will get very complicated afterward.

Sima Qian had just experienced the extermination policy of flattening cartwheels, and his mind was filled with thoughts of killing more Xiongnu people.
"Is it about killing the Xiongnu? As long as it's about killing the Xiongnu, I'm not afraid even if we directly attack the Xiongnu royal court."

Su Jian is honest:

"General, please give your orders. I, Su Jian, will do my utmost to fulfill His Majesty's command!"

Wei Qing lowered his voice and first described the witchcraft scare, then recounted the Zhao family's rebellious acts, especially the story of Liu Dan, the human-shaped teddy bear, which made Su Jian spit out in disgust:
"They are worse than livestock. How can such people be members of the royal family? It is a disgrace to the Liu family!"

Without any hesitation, the two accepted the task.

Wei Qing placed the letter, which the young Xiongnu prince had "voluntarily" written, in front of the two men:

"According to the confession of the captured Xiongnu royal family, Prince Liu Dan of Zhao colluded with the Xiongnu and recognized Yizhixie as his adoptive father, intending to overthrow the Han regime. His crime is unforgivable. You two led 5,000 troops, under the pretext of withdrawing troops, to pass through Zhao and seize the opportunity to capture Liu Pengzu and his son. King Zhao resisted stubbornly, and his entire family died in battle..."

At this point, Wei Qing put forward his requirements for this battle:
"Remember, leave no survivors. First, exterminate Liu Pengzu's entire family, then use Jiang Qi's interference as a pretext to wipe out the Jiang clan!"

Su Jian and Sima Qian exchanged a glance, then simultaneously knelt on one knee to receive the order:

"Here!"

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)