Three Kingdoms Lords: Starting by walking into the mouth of a giant python

Chapter 126 The Rebellion of the Hermit of Fanghu and His Three Generals

The newcomer was not the Egg Monk, but a platoon leader from Beizhou City, twenty-eight years old, named Wang Ze, the protagonist of the novel "The Three Sui Suppressing Demons" in this world.

The novel "The Tale of the Demon Slayer" was originally written by Luo Guanzhong in twenty chapters, and Feng Menglong later added and adapted it to forty chapters.

The first thirty chapters mainly focus on the monk Egg and three fox spirits seeking enlightenment and cultivating magic, as well as the appearance of several important characters such as Zhang Luan and Bu Ji. The last ten chapters, however, tell the story of Wang Ze and Hu Yong'er's rebellion, and Wen Yanbo's "Three Sui" to quell the rebellion.

Wang Ze's origins are not simple; he is the reincarnation of the [Demon King of Lust] among the Asuras. He is born once every five hundred years, either male or female, lewd and bloodthirsty, arising in response to the demonic destiny of the human world. His previous incarnation was Empress Wu Zetian, and this incarnation has fallen upon Wang Ze.

Hu Yong'er is a little fox spirit. In her previous life, she was Zhang Changzong, a male favorite of Empress Wu Zetian. In this life, she has mastered the "Ruyi Treasure Book" and has extraordinary abilities.

At this moment, Wang Ze is unaware of his true origins. He is currently just a military leader, and people call him "Wang Dupai".

Wang Dupai lost his parents at a young age and had no relatives or elders to advise him on how to do good. He was strong and powerful, and enjoyed cockfighting, horse racing, and wielding spears and clubs; he also loved all kinds of magic tricks and would learn them whenever he came across them. However, he never met a famous teacher, and what he learned were all trivial and laughable tricks.

He had been fond of women since childhood, and if he saw a beautiful woman, he would rather spend a hundred taels of silver to have his way with her. Not to mention the brothels and kilns where he had squandered countless riches.

As a result, he squandered all the houses and land left by his ancestors.

However, this man was generous and righteous, and when he was poor, he would tighten his belt to make ends meet. As soon as he had money, he would invite his three or four brothers to drink and eat heartily. When things didn't go his way, he would pull out his fists and start fighting.

Some people respect him, some people fear him; he is quite well-known in Beizhou City.

When Wang Ze arrived at the market, many people greeted him. When he walked up to the "Clay Pot Taoist" and bowed to ask him a question, everyone watched with great interest.

Before this, it wasn't that no one had ever questioned the Taoist's name. Some even dared to ask if he was Zhang Luan, the "wicked Taoist" who had killed the prefect of Zhengzhou a month ago and for whom the imperial court had a bounty.

The Taoist priest only shook his head and never responded to anyone.

To the surprise of the city dwellers, this time, the Taoist priest bowed and greeted them, saying, "My surname is Li, and my sobriquet is 'Fanghu Jushi.' I come from overseas."

Upon hearing "overseas," Wang Ze was overjoyed and kowtowed, begging to learn magic.

The Taoist sighed, "We do have some predestined connection, but we have no master-disciple relationship."

Wang Ze was taken aback, and the Taoist priest said again, "If you want to learn magic, there's no need to rush. In time, your opportunity will come."

After saying this, the Taoist put away the foot-long fire-resistant cloth, then took out a white fur coat and handed it over: "This treasure is called [Fire Rat Fur], which has the ability to ward off fire. I give it to you to fulfill our predestined relationship."

Wang Ze took it instinctively.

The onlookers were all taken aback.

The fire-resistant cloth they had burned with a raging fire was indeed fire-repelling and could be considered a rare treasure. This [Fire Rat Fur] was clearly even better than the fire-resistant cloth, yet the Taoist priest gave it away casually.

All for that "predestined fate".

A predestined fate?

Many people, their minds racing, swarmed forward, creating a chaotic scene—

"Master, we also have a karmic connection!"

"Master, my surname is also Li!"

"I am willing to offer my entire fortune to you, sir!"

Wang Ze, who had been pushed to the outside, came to his senses and punched a few times, clearing a path: "Don't disturb the mage."

The scene quieted down a bit. Perhaps annoyed by the noise, the Taoist priest made a hand gesture, as if preparing to flee. Wang then knelt down abruptly: "Please, Master, stay at my home temporarily. I will take good care of you."

The Taoist priest laughed and said, "You haven't received your monthly salary yet, and you're renting a place to live. How are you going to support me?"

Seeing that the Taoist priest knew so much about his family's wealth, Wang was even more impressed. He knelt down and pleaded earnestly.

The Taoist priest was moved by his sincerity and respect, and finally agreed.

Wang Ze was overjoyed and led the Taoist priest away, while the people of the city reluctantly dispersed.

------

In a small house in the back alley of the Beizhou government office.

Wang Ze had been married once since childhood, but they had no children; she died a couple of years ago because of his bad luck. He usually only frequented brothels and the homes of a few lovers, and never remarried. Now he was single, and his room was somewhat cluttered.

Fearing the monk would find it distasteful, Wang summoned a group of cronies to tidy up the place and buy some new furniture.

The room was fully equipped with a couch, a bed with curtains, and a chair.

After a flurry of activity, we finally dared to invite Master Li into the room to rest.

At dusk, Wang went to prepare food and asked the monk if he could eat meat. The monk said that he had been abstaining from grains for a long time and had long since stopped eating grains and meat.

With a wave of his hand, a variety of fresh fruits appeared on the freshly wiped table, all of which were things that Wang Ze and the others had never heard of or seen before.

Master Li said it was strawberries, pineapples, bananas...

Wang Ze and his companions ate with shining eyes, praising the celestial fruits as something not found in the mortal world.

Master Li went directly to his inner chamber to cultivate, and Wang Ze and the others dared not disturb him, so they picked up the melons and fruits and left.

From then on, Wang Ze would come to pay his respects every morning and evening. He did not learn any magic, but he did receive a few "prophecies".

For example, "chasing after the candle" and "enjoying life after meeting the aunt".

Many people from the city came to visit, but Master Li refused to see them all. He only occasionally used some tricks to arouse the fervor of many officials and gentry, who regarded him as a terrestrial immortal.

For a time, the name "Fanghu Jushi" became widely known.

------

That day, Wang Ze went to the yamen at dawn to sign in, and after finishing his duties, he was about to go home to pay his respects to the Taoist priest. But he saw a group of people surrounding the yamen, three layers deep.

Wang casually asked, "What's there to watch?" His subordinate replied, "Sir, it's a woman selling clay candles."

"What's so special about candles? Why are so many people gathered around looking at them?"

"It's truly amazing. The woman used a knife to dig up mud from the ground, mixed it with water, and shaped it into a bamboo stick, like a candle. She lit it and it burned until dawn."

Candles made from mud and water?

Wang Ze was taken aback. Suddenly, he remembered what the Taoist priest had told him: "Chase after the candle." So he stopped in his tracks.

The woman was dressed in mourning clothes. There's a saying: "A man who wants to look good wears black; a woman who wants to look good wears mourning clothes."

The woman was already beautiful, and dressed in white, her figure appeared even more alluring. Though she wore no makeup, her beauty was divine, like Xi Shi holding her heart or Chang'e separated from the moon. Upon seeing her, Wang Ze was immediately delighted.

The woman had been selling clay candles for several days, and some people had already bought them to use at home, finding that they could indeed burn all night. Therefore, the ten clay candles she made were sold out in no time.

The woman didn't linger; she picked up the dredging knife, slung the candle basket over her shoulder, and got up to leave.

The crowd dispersed.

Wang then dismissed his men and went about their business, while he strolled alongside the woman.

Then the woman went out of the west gate, passed the market, and traveled for about ten miles before arriving at a desolate wilderness.

Wang Ze felt uneasy and thought it best to wait until he got home and asked the monk before making a decision. He turned to return the way he came, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was not the same route he had taken.

All that could be seen were towering mountains and clustered peaks, but no paths or travelers were to be seen.

Wang Ze couldn't help but feel flustered, but suddenly he heard the woman shout loudly from ahead, "Wang Dupai! We went to great lengths to invite you here, how can you go back?"

Wang Ze cupped his hands and said, "My lady, who are you? How do you know me?"

The woman said, "Please, the Holy Aunt has sent me to invite you to discuss important matters. Do not hesitate, come with me."

Upon hearing the words "Holy Aunt," Wang Ze recalled the prophecy spoken by Master Li—"Prosperity comes with meeting the aunt"—and felt somewhat at ease. He then boldly followed the woman on her way.

After passing through a pine forest, they came to a manor. The woman said, "This is where the Holy Aunt resides. We have been waiting for her for a long time."

Upon entering the estate, a young girl in green came to greet us, led us into the hall, and then went to inform the owner of the place.

Then, an old woman wearing a star-studded crown and a crane-feather cloak appeared. The woman said that this was "Holy Aunt".

Wang then paid his respects.

The Holy Aunt invited Wang Ze to the hall. The three sat down and were served tea and refreshments. Wang Ze asked the "Holy Aunt" why she had invited him there.

But then the Holy Aunt said, "Now that your time has come, you are destined to rise to power. You will be the overlord of the thirty-six prefectures of Hebei."

Wang Ze was startled and said, "Immortal, please don't say such things. The palace has many eyes and ears. I am merely a soldier in Beizhou. How dare I claim to be the ruler of the thirty-six prefectures?"

The Holy Aunt smiled and said, "If you didn't have this blessing, how could I send someone to invite you? It is the will of Heaven that you are destined to be the overlord."

Wang was completely bewildered, thinking to himself, "Is the 'prosperity' the monk was referring to, which is cooking?"

That's utterly absurd.

After speaking for a while, seeing that Wang Ze was not very interested, the Holy Aunt pointed to the woman selling clay candles and said, "I have this daughter, whose nickname is Yong'er. She is still a girl and is related to you by marriage for five hundred years. I will now marry this girl to you to help you succeed. What do you think?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Fairy Maiden, how could I refuse?" Wang Ze's spirits lifted, then he smiled bitterly, "The prefect of this prefecture is greedy and corrupt, ruining all the labor services and industries, and has long been cursed by everyone. The two battalions of soldiers have been on duty for three months without receiving a month's worth of rice, and they are also full of complaints. People like me have suffered countless hardships at the hands of that corrupt official. If I could kill him, I would naturally feel relieved. But we commoners are nothing but weeds, not comparable to thousands of soldiers. How can we accomplish great things?"

The Holy Aunt laughed and said, "How can you accomplish great things alone? You must rely on your wife. She has 100,000 troops to help you, only then can you succeed in your rebellion and become the overlord."

Wang Ze looked outside the hall: "If there really are so many troops, can the Fairy Maiden's manor accommodate them all?"

The Holy Aunt smiled and said, "These 100,000 troops do not need provisions or a place to be stationed. They can be used when needed and withdrawn when not needed."

Having said that, she instructed her maid to bring two baskets of straw. One basket contained soybeans, and the other contained cut straw. She handed both to the woman, Yong'er.

Yong'er reached out and grabbed a handful of beans and a handful of straw, scattering them into the air, and shouted, "Hurry!"

A gust of wind arose, and then about two hundred cavalrymen, with their iron horses and weapons, stood in formation in front of the hall, majestic and imposing.

Wang Ze was taken aback upon seeing this. After regaining his composure, he said, "With such extraordinary abilities, one can certainly accomplish great things."

Just then, someone outside the village shouted, "Cut grass into horses and scatter beans into soldiers! Are you plotting a rebellion?"

Wang Ze was terrified and panicked.

Before the plan was even completed and the scheme was even put into action, they were caught red-handed.

Wang Ze looked up to see where the sound came from, and saw four people entering the manor. The one in the lead was strangely handsome, wearing an iron crown, straw sandals, and a black-trimmed scarlet robe. His face was ashen, and his eyes were like strange stars. He rode a yellow lion and came straight into the manor.

The Holy Aunt said, "Mr. Zhang, Wang Du and I are discussing matters here. You've come, so there's no need to make a fuss."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ze realized it was a joke from an acquaintance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr. Zhang jumped off the yellow lion, and the yellow lion shook its head, transforming into a Taoist priest.

After the Holy Aunt made the introductions, Wang Ze realized that this man and the "lion" were actually Zhang Luan, a "wicked Taoist" wanted by the state government, and his disciple Bu Ji.

"Who are these three?" Aunt Saint looked at the three unfamiliar faces with impressive presence behind Zhang Luan.

He was only five feet tall, short in stature, but with narrow eyes, a long beard, and a very imposing presence.

One was the appearance of a noble young master from a prominent family, with a clear and bright face like the moon and a free and easy demeanor like the wind.

The last one was as ugly as a demon, yet as majestic as a tiger or bear.

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "I met these gentlemen by chance on my journey. Although they have no magical powers, they are all pillars of society with both virtue and talent, capable of becoming generals and ministers."

The three pillars of the family stepped forward with clasped hands and announced their names.

The five-foot-tall man was named Cao De.

The young nobleman's name is Yuan Ji.

Ugly ghost, named Dianlai.

Regarding the [Moonlight Scroll], the initial setting was that there were restrictions below the [Heaven and Earth Grade], preventing the native inhabitants from going to future generations. Only at the [Heaven and Earth Grade] would the restrictions on time, space, and the number of people be lifted.

The first few chapters briefly mentioned the setting, saying that the indigenous people could not go to the future. However, this was due to two reasons: firstly, the [Heaven and Earth] scroll had not yet been released, and secondly, it was the indigenous people's own speculation.

This shouldn't be considered a departure from the established storyline, right?

(End of this chapter)