(42)
The torment of the scorching sun is like poisonous smoke, turbulent in the will and heart of those pious people. As time went by, more and more Taiping Taoists, as well as the soldiers and guards stationed nearby, fell to the ground and fainted due to exhaustion due to the scorching sun above their heads.
In the end, E Bing couldn't help but his soldiers encountered life-threatening threats one after another due to "unfounded" things, and resolutely ordered the withdrawal of the garrison around the altar.
The frog-faced Taoist priest who had received the two "siblings" E Feiying and Bai Feng came to ask on behalf of the Taiping Dao people why the guards had to be withdrawn. E Bing could only reply helplessly: "With the current shortage of troops, how can we let the garrison suffer life-threatening danger for no reason? I hope the Taoist priest will forgive me."
After hearing this, the Taoist looked at the people around E Binghuan with some hostility, and left with a slight annoyance.
Around the huge altar, in the blink of an eye, there were only a few people watching the ceremony and hundreds of Taiping Taoists.
Among these Taiping Taoist congregations, only half wear Taoist robes and Taoist scarves. The rest are believers, that is, the common people in Xiahe Town.
For believers, the "hope" that Sima Tu said can be achieved by just kneeling down and praying is actually a kind of salvation or relief, even if this "hope" is illusory before it achieves results. Since converting to Taiping Dao can relieve the worries of hunger and future, why are we still struggling to find our own way in this troubled world?
The young swordsman watched all this with a cold expression, and unconsciously recalled his own past - those memories of desperately escaping from the enemy's hands, and the memories of practicing martial arts hard day and night in order to survive in peace.
At this moment, he became more and more certain that he could never be associated with Taiping Dao. Perhaps his master, the legendary "White Snake Immortal", was ostracized because of this. He took the sword that had left a reputation all over the world and retired from the court and the public.
What would happen if those believers suddenly learned that Taiping Dao was the one who set fire to the Zhang Family Pharmacy? It is not difficult to imagine that if they knew that the murderer who destroyed the medicine and indirectly killed their family members was actually the "adults" they had always relied on, it would not be surprising to see what kind of riots would occur! But now, the soldiers and guards were withdrawn from the heaven-sacrifice ceremony. In the dark, it seems that all the preparations have been made for this thing that has not happened yet.
Sure enough, after half a day of suffering, the so-called turning point finally arrived.
I saw Sima Tu standing up again from the sword formation composed of nine Taoists. With his back to the altar a few steps away, he faced the Taoists and spectators, looking up to the sky and sighing. Those dry lips kept moving up and down, as if they were whispering some magic spells.
"Finally... it's here." Sima Tu opened his arms and looked at the sky sincerely, "The Tengu eats the sun."
Everyone under the altar saw the strange appearance and raised their eyes to the sky. After seeing the spectacle, they couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
The originally round and huge golden wheel was missing a few points like a round cake that was bitten off by a cynic. At the same time, the heat slowly dissipated due to the missing sun, and the thick clouds condensed by the hot and humid mist were coming with the wind.
This change came so suddenly that many people thought it was a sign of disaster from heaven. However, when people saw the calmness on Sima Tu's face, they dispelled this doubt.
If you lean less, dark clouds are coming, trying to fill the blue sky. The sun has filled the dark hole in the center, but there is still a circle of golden light hanging on the horizon. At this time, the earth seems like winter is approaching, and the Yin Qi is raging. Before people could fully adapt, there was a sudden thunder and heavy rain.
"Is it the rain?" the young swordsman said to himself: "Taoist Master Wu Gu is really not an ordinary person."
Under the sound of rain, people were singing and dancing in great joy. They held hands, singing about the great achievements of the Taiping Road and praising Sima Tu's magical skill of praying for rain. Some believers took off their outer clothes and almost frantically bathed in the torrential rain. There were also women among them.
The Taiping Taoists in front of the altar all had kind faces and kind smiles, following Sima Tu as they faced the altar and saluted heaven in return.
"Mr. Sima is really a strange person! He actually solved the situation of Xiahe Town without rain for a long time in just a few days!" E Bing was still looking ahead, and at the same time he took his little daughter's hand and said: "That's why I can safely hand Ying'er over to Shaoxia Bai! After all, Mr. Sima is the one holding the red string..."
"Dad..." E Feiying murmured and glanced timidly in the direction of Bai Feng's two siblings, as if she was afraid of causing any trouble.
Unexpectedly, the rich young man sitting on the other side was suddenly shocked and said: "Master E, look!" Zhao Kuo pointed in the direction of the altar and said: "How can there be a fire under this torrential rain!"
E Bing took a closer look and found that it was indeed the case. The few Taoists in front of the altar were at a loss as they watched helplessly as the fire burned the altar, turning it into a bonfire for the people of Xiahe to dance.
"Is this 'Wuwang Fire' the 'Song Wuji' that Taoist Master Wugou said came down to earth?" Zhang Yi immediately fanned the flames and said: "But Taoist Wugou, who is so clever and calculating, how could he miss this? Up?"
At this time, Murong Yan took out the fire folder that she found in the ruins of the pharmacy after the fire, presented it to E Binghuan, and said: "Master E, this is the kindling that my daughter found in the ruins of the pharmacy. My daughter has been I suspect that someone set the fire deliberately, because Doctor Zhang said that Taipingdao has always been at odds with the Zhang family. But due to Brother Feng's disapproval... Brother Feng was afraid that Master E and Miss E would be implicated, so..."
"Yan'er!" Bai Feng pretended to be furious and took away the crucial evidence, scolding: "How can you be so reckless? If you wrongly accuse a good person, it will not only be Master E and Miss E 5 who will be affected! What do you mean? It's the kindling left by the arsonist. Could it really be immortal in the rain?"
After Bai Feng finished speaking, he selected a few of the fire sticks, cut them off, took off his coat, and sprinkled the fuel in the fire sticks onto his clothes.
"Everyone, let me prove now who is the culprit of arson!" As soon as he finished speaking, the young swordsman used the fire stick he carried with him to light his coat. Wait until it burns vigorously, then throw it to a place outside the shade.
Only then did the believers who had been singing and dancing for a long time see two flames still standing in the heavy rain. People with good memories can quickly recall the "Song Wuji" fire that night in Zhang's Pharmacy, no matter how much water was poured on it, it had no effect.
Gradually, voices of doubt began to replace the hymns of Taipingdao.
"Taoist Priest Wugou, 'Song Wuji' is coming here, how could you not inform us in advance!"
"What if someone is burned?"
"That's right! This fire can't be extinguished! Those who are infected will have to shed their skin even if they die!"
When E Bing saw this, he frowned and hesitated for a while, then he made up his mind to call his entourage and surround the altar.
"Good nephew, although uncle and I have always been afraid of the death of Ying'er's mother, what you have done is worthy of the Zhang family's reputation. Uncle E will definitely seek justice for you!"
After Zhang Yi heard this, he immediately walked around from his seat to E Binghuan, knelt down and thanked him repeatedly.
