The Nanyang head-lowering technique was something that Liu Ruxiang was helpless to deal with. The old patriarch of the Liu family, the old man, was over a hundred years old this year. He did not turn over the book or even open his eyes. He just relied on After thinking about it for a while, I can tell that there are records in the materials and classics, which is simply amazing.
When many people get old, their brains are not very bright. They have Alzheimer's disease, or they just forget things. It would be good to be able to take care of themselves. But the old patriarch is over a hundred years old, and his memory is so good. I can't believe it. .
At this time, the sixth uncle hurriedly ran to the book next to him, opened a cabinet with a long set of keys, put on a woolen glove, and carefully dug out a book from inside.
"Found it." The Sixth Master took out the book, and then searched according to the bibliography on it, and soon found the information recorded back then.
In the 14th year of Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty, foreign merchants from the coastal areas headed west and stopped in Mengshan County. However, within a few days, several families in the local area were massacred. The dead all fell to the ground, as thin as mummies, with haggard faces, stiff bodies, blurry eyes, and a pair of small holes on the back of the neck that were bleeding. An autopsy concluded that a wild beast broke into the house and killed the person. There were Taoist priests who passed by this place and were frightened after seeing it. They said that this was a kind of Nanyang evil magic that lowers the head.
He left behind the method of eradication and hurriedly left. Two days later, someone went out at night and saw a ferocious scene. A man's head flew into the sky, and he fell to kill people. He was bitten and died. After a while, he came forward to check, and the blood in his body was exhausted.
There are rumors among the people that Jianfeng refers to foreign businessmen. The government sent people to arrest him, but the aftermath of the torture showed a ferocious appearance. His head flew into the air, his face was ferocious, and he swallowed blood in his mouth. After a fierce battle for half a day, he could not be captured. Chen Dajiang, a double tiger town, took action. He practiced public law and supplemented it with Taoist teachings. defeat evil spirits
The record ends here.
That is to say, this evil method had already appeared in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Many people died that year. In the end, they relied on the magic left by a Taoist priest and a master of the Chen family to defeat it with difficulty.
The old patriarch, who was leaning on the bamboo recliner, rubbed his nose and sighed: "Oh, our ancestors failed to live up to their expectations, otherwise it would not be the turn of the Chen family in Shuanghu Town to take away this credit."
The old patriarch's words were full of complaints. Then, he stood up gently, recalled for a while, and said: "The Chen family of Shuanghu Town should still be there, but I don't know whose hands the spells have been passed on after so many years." Inside? Is it still cut off? If it is completely cut off, a lot of effort will be wasted. "
After the old patriarch finished speaking, the fourth uncle beside him said: "That hasn't happened yet. I remember that the new generation of the Chen family have all gone to school in the provincial capital. They don't know anything about their studies. They are just cultural people. They are not willing to come back to accept us. This master has passed on."
"The old guy is not dead yet. Their family is far inferior to our Liu family in Shuanghu Town, but their lives are not easy either."
The fourth uncle took off his reading glasses and sighed.
I was confused when I heard it, and then I understood that our Liu family has been prosperous since its establishment in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty to this day. It can be considered prosperous, and it is also a big family in this area.
Listening to the fourth uncle's description, the Chen family in Shuanghu Town seems to be a little declining and insignificant now.
"Well, my ancestors have blessed me, the Liu family of Yumen. Xiaosi, take Xiaoxiang girl over there and have some contact with the people over there. Remember to be polite. It's best if you can ask for the method to deal with falling head. ." The old man thought for a moment and then gave the order.
The fourth uncle was called Xiaosi, and he nodded with a smile.
"I know, if we encounter this kind of flying head descending again in the future, if we don't have good magic skills, it may be difficult to deal with it. It's better sooner rather than later, so let's leave now."
The old patriarch suddenly thought of something at this time. He stretched out his hand and said: "Don't worry, you can't lack etiquette. After all, we are all traveling together. Our two families have different inheritances. It would be too rash to come to the door like this. You can go and get the things in my room." Take out a compass, wrap it in a cardboard box, and give it to the boss of the Chen family."
"Also, put this little guy on again. If something happens, just let them go and let them see what level Xiaoxiang girl's disciple is."
After the old patriarch finished speaking, he suddenly became quiet again. He lay on the bamboo recliner and fell asleep, like a very quiet and long-lived turtle. Even though his face was full of wrinkles, you could feel it from his words and deeds. There is a sense of stability and unquestionability.
After the old patriarch here fell asleep, there was no movement.
The other people also consciously lowered their voices when speaking. The fourth uncle thought about it and called us all out.
"Xiaoxiang, and this child, have you been busy these two days? You are probably tired, so go back and sleep for a while. At noon, I will call you to come and I will eat. After eating, we will go to Shuanghu together. Zhen Chen’s family, but when we have dinner afterwards, I can tell you some stories about our origins in the past.”
The big four just said that, and Uncle Liu next to him had his eyes shining brightly.
"Fourth, I remember that your daughter gave you two bottles of West Wind wine. I think I am free today, so I will go to you with some braised pig ears."
The fourth uncle was furious: "You old man, you want to open my bottle of good wine with that piece of broken pork head. Let me tell you, there is no way..."
Liu Ruxiang had no expression on her face. After bidding farewell to them, she led me home.
By this time, I was already so sleepy that I couldn't stop yawning while walking.
Just now in the ancestral hall, I was really afraid of the majesty of several elders of the Liu family, especially the old patriarch. Looking at his wrinkled face, I always felt like he was not angry and self-powerful. Moreover, his double eyelids are slightly squinted when sleeping. It looks like his eyes are not completely closed. There is still a gap, as if he is staring at you, and he feels nervous from the inside.
When I got home, I took a quick shower and then fell asleep. When I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky at noon.
…
The fourth uncle came over and called us to eat. I quickly changed into a set of clean clothes and followed him out.
His eyes were shining, and he was sitting under the eaves of the yard smoking a cigarette while saying: "I just called the old Chen family in Shuanghu Town, and their family happened to be at home. We haven't asked them about anything yet. Tell him. But there is something going on in their family. I heard that their grandson has stopped studying in high school and is coming back to study the Master’s Public Dharma. It is estimated that he will be a monk and become a Buddhist monk soon."
The fourth uncle looked at me twice and asked me with a smile: "Wenshan, let me ask you, how have you learned in singing spells and other spells in the past year?"
"It's not bad." I was trembling in my heart. After all, I am an apprentice who has not yet started my apprenticeship. I have to go to school on weekdays. Learning the master's public method is a time-consuming job. It is difficult to become proficient without putting in the effort. But now I can guarantee it. Those who have mastered it are very skilled, definitely no worse than those who have already taken the precepts.
I heard that he only said two words, and the fourth uncle began to look me up and down: "Wenshan, go to Shuanghu Town immediately. It is very likely that you will be allowed to compete with the grandson of that family. He is two years older than you." , but the study time is not long, only two and a half years, so that’s no problem.”
Two and a half years!
Ah, I only came to Liujiacun in July and August last year, and I had never been exposed to this master's method before. Although I have studied it seriously for most of the past six months, I am still very clear about how much I weigh.
Perhaps my strongest point is reciting Master's scriptures, but this is not enough. The opponent over there has two and a half years of skill. Even if he fishes for three days and basks in nets for two days, he is still better than me, who is just a dabbler.
The fourth uncle saw that I felt guilty and said, "Well, you can sing a short entertaining opera first and I can listen to it."
My mind immediately began to reminisce.
The operas for entertaining the gods are a major category in the master's song book. They are almost as numerous as those for exorcising evil spirits and beating the wind. They have many characteristics. They are all sung to blind daters in some festivals or large-scale rituals. Basically, they are all It's very long, and it tells stories about ancestors, gods, and grand masters. The narrative style is obvious.
I immediately recalled a piece of singing Mo Yi, which is an opera singing about King Mo Yi, the ancestor of our Zhuang family. His story Liu Ruxiang had told me before.
After thinking about it for a while, he immediately opened his mouth and started singing: "The drums and mountains in front of the altar are ringing loudly. I don't make noises in front of the altar when I sing. I don't sing about my ancestors and grandfathers. I sing about my parents who raised me. When my mother gave birth to me, she took water to wash me." My body is as white as an egg when I wash it in the morning, and as beautiful as silver when I wash it in the evening. When I turn thirteen, I learn to ride a horse. When I turn fourteen, I get strong and use a big bow and sharp arrows. I shoot two or three arrows at once, making the birds fall to the ground. , I can shoot hundreds of miles away and still hit people. Although I am young, I am very strong, and my kung fu is better than that of the people in Hechi. That year, I went to the capital to take the civil and military examination. I was born to be a prince..."
Singing Mo Yi's long piece is not difficult to memorize, just like memorizing classical Chinese in school. If you don't understand the meaning and just memorize those awkward words by rote, it's easy to make mistakes. But when you understand it and understand the meaning, it becomes much easier. Maybe you can memorize it in half an hour while copying and reading silently.
I quickly memorized a large chapter of Master's scriptures. There was no expression on the fourth uncle's face, but he nodded silently after listening.
"Dance again."
The dance steps were a bit difficult. I recalled the beat in my mind and sang a section again. The fourth uncle’s eyes finally showed a hint of satisfaction.
"That's right, that's right. You're studying and learning at the same time. It's already pretty good to have reached this point. People probably won't believe it if I tell you."
After the fourth uncle finished his comments, Mr. Liu Ruxiang changed his clothes and walked out of the room.
Today I was going to someone else's house, so Master dressed up beautifully.
She wore a little makeup, a pair of silver flower earrings on her ears, a light blue dress, and a pair of white leather shoes.
