"Master, it's like this. We were originally famous for coming here to pay our respects...but when we saw the magnificent scenery by the river on the way, we turned away. Then Mr. Zhou was lazy, so he headed here after seeing the river scenery. When I came here, I found that there was a wall of Guiguan next to the river, so I climbed in directly. I didn’t want to disturb the temple, I’m really sorry.”
Zhang Xing sincerely explained to the real master who came to question him and emphasized it specifically. "We definitely didn't want to steal the carrot."
That year, the eldest teacher repeatedly looked at the three of them. She first stared at Mr. Zhou Xingfan and looked at him, which made Mr. Zhou quickly cross his hands and bend down to salute. This made the eldest teacher's face soften a little.
However, when she looked at Zhang Xing and Qin Bao again and discovered the embroidered knives in their waists, she wanted to speak several times, but finally could not hold back: "Of course I don't believe in stealing radishes, but why do the nobles in the north want to be in plain clothes?" Come to visit us?"
"I really came here to pay my respects. There are no traces of the True Fire Cult in the north. I'm really curious." Zhang Xing became more sincere, not caring about his identity being revealed. "Are you wearing plain clothes so as not to cause panic...or do you mean that you have to change into brocade clothes and be serious before you are allowed to enter the temple to pay homage to the Red Emperor Empress?"
The master paused for a moment and then corrected seriously: "Our True Fire Sect does not worship the Red Emperor Empress, but only worships the Qionghua Female Sanctuary to light the true fire!"
"Of course it is, of course." Zhang Xing immediately nodded seriously. "Actually, I came to worship just because I wanted to know these scriptures."
Next to him, Young Master Zhou hesitated to speak. He wanted to say that he knew it, but he didn't say it after all.
The master thought for a moment and finally nodded: "That's it, you three, don't wander around, just follow me."
The three of them quickly followed.
By the way, Zhang Xing really came here to visit, just to do some research related to the True Fire Sect... Although the True Fire Sect has been repeatedly suppressed by the court, its routine has been unstable recently, and it has gradually become an unstable factor in the south, but south of the river , especially in the Jiangdong area, it still exists widely and openly. In fact, not only the True Fire Cult is practiced in major cities, but also many dignitaries who are from the South and whose families are notified secretly believe in this religion.
Lai Zhan'er is one of them, and Zhou Xiaoming is also one of them. This is all public information, but even these two cannot be worshiped publicly in the rewarded mansion in Dongdu. They can only make a long ceremony. A bright brazier serves as a refuge.
So, why does a world with living gods and real dragons have such an embarrassing religion?
The reason lies in the four characters of Qionghua Female Saint - this is the land title given to the Red Emperor Empress before her enthronement.
The Red Emperor Empress was originally a princess from the demon clan.
If not, Black Emperor, who was born in the human race, would not have cut the Red Emperor Empress to death in Hongshan. If this were not the case, there would be no such thing as the Emperor's Eastern Expedition, which ended with the hatred of the dragon and phoenix throwing swords in "The Legend of the Heroine Li Yue". Instead, they immediately initiated religious reforms and launched the Trinity Orthodox Church. .
However, no matter how much the Red Emperor Empress is a demon clan, no matter how much she tries to hinder the trend of history, her ability to achieve the supreme status is already telling. When she was alive, she was almost a thorn in the road, and she leveled the witch miasma in the south and eliminated it. Countless strange beasts and true dragons flattened the southeastern coastline, floated the current two demon islands, and built a canopy in the southwest.
Regardless of why she did it at the time, most of the people enjoying this protection now are still mortals under the rule of Wei.
To put it bluntly, as I said before, there is no unworthy supreme being in the world.
Therefore, in the south, the belief in the Red Emperor Empress cannot be widespread.
Therefore, even if it conflicts with the Trinity Orthodox Church's doctrine of only worshiping the Supreme Being, the existence of the True Fire Sect is inevitable - you ordered the True Fire Sect to be destroyed, and no one was allowed to believe in the Saint Qionghua. That real fire in Nanling that has been burning for thousands of years? !
Which mortal emperor would dare to do this without being forced into a corner?
Oh, you are the only one who claims to be the supreme one on land?
Located in the south of Jiangdu City, this Zhenhuo Temple is neither large nor small, and it must be a few years old. Many places are in a state of disrepair. After leaving the vegetable garden, turn around to a side yard used for adopting babies, and then open it yourself. Passing under a blooming plum tree, you arrive at the large courtyard where the central axis building is located.
When we arrived here, it was a building surrounded on all sides similar to the one under the influence of the Trinity Orthodox Church in the north. It can be seen that gods and immortals cannot block the communication between mortals - except that there is no longer a three-hui golden pillar in the middle, and the roof above is actually A large pavilion that serves as a chimney, in which a large fire pit with a stone base burns.
The weather is very good today, and there are many people worshiping around.
"It is the first big fallacy to think that our True Fire Sect worships the Red Emperor Empress; it is the second big fallacy to think that our True Fire Sect worships the Saint Qionghua." The female viewer looked forward and stepped forward. Mr. Zhou, who worshiped the true fire, explained in a slightly weird tone to two brocade dogs dressed in cloth. "Actually, what our Lord worships is the true fire of Nanli lit by the female saint Qionghua... All things will never cease, and the true fire will never be extinguished, but in the end there will be great light!"
Zhang Xing stood with his hands behind his hands, his gaze turned from the brazier to the slightly outdated open-faced hall to the south of the brazier, and landed on the statue of the female saint Qionghua in the hall - it was a statue that was obviously more advanced than the concept of the four emperors under the Trinity Orthodox Church. The statue has many vivid expressions, and there is a pair of peacock wings-like decoration on the back.
The latter is a very taboo thing under the concept of Trinity Orthodoxy.
After watching for a moment, as Qin Bao couldn't help but go forward to pay homage, Zhang Xingfu turned his gaze back to the brazier. Even dozens of steps away, he could feel that the fire was indeed not ordinary fire, because the brazier It can faintly arouse the sea of qi in the Dantian within one's body, and surge out in the form of Lihuo Zhenqi.
"Master, I don't quite understand." After looking at it for a while, Zhang Xing suddenly asked again sincerely. "Please forgive me if my question is superficial or offensive... First of all, why not enshrine the Holy Trinity of the Red Emperor Empress, Qionghua Saint, and True Fire? Secondly, why fire?"
"I guessed you were going to ask like this." The female viewer sighed. "These two questions are actually the same question...that is, where does the true fire of the True Fire Sect come from?"
"Didn't the female saint light it?"
"Of course it is true that the female saint lit it. If the female saint had not ignited it, how could the real fire be made to exist in the world? But before the female saint lit it, would there be no real fire in heaven and earth?" The female viewer asked seriously.
"Then what is the real fire?" Zhang Xing couldn't wait.
"This is a manifestation of the struggle between good and evil." The female viewer clasped her hands together and declared loudly. "When the heaven and earth first opened, there were all things and good and evil. All things are visible, good and evil are invisible. Good and evil exist in all things, and all things compete with each other. This struggle process is the true fire itself... and the true fire obtains its own light and shines on all things. It enables good to be preserved and evil to be eliminated. Therefore, although the world is turbulent, although there are twists and turns, although it is difficult to see the final outcome of good and evil in the future in a mortal body, and even in one's life, one only sees evil more than good, from the overall situation of heaven and earth, it is ultimately good. Gradually overcome evil to reach the supreme light.”
At this point, the female contemplative leader in coarse cloth lowered her voice slightly and said calmly: "As servants of the true fire, the establishment of this sect is nothing more than to practice it personally and persuade people in the world to do good and avoid evil, so that this The process is just faster... This is the essence of the True Fire Cult and the essence of life in this world."
Zhang Xing was slightly stunned. He realized keenly that the True Fire Sect was by no means a messy church. There was a reason why it could exist forever.
After hesitating for a moment, looking at Qin Bao who was following Zhou Xingfan's example in adding firewood to the fire, the man in Jinyi and Baishou who came to investigate made a decision that was not unexpected. He lowered his voice and asked directly to the other party. key problem:
"Master, I still don't quite understand. If we only worship the true fire, and the true fire is burned before one of the four emperors is enthroned, why can't the Trinity Orthodox Church tolerate the true fire sect? And why do some people keep lighting the true fire? What about assassinations, arson, or even rebellion in the name of a Christian?"
The female viewer crossed her arms and lowered her head in silence.
Zhang Xing was not in a hurry, and just continued to ask calmly: "Is it because the person who lit the fire was not the Red Emperor Empress who upholds the way of heaven, but the female Saint Qionghua who has a stand and feelings? Or, could there be a pious person? People see the hard work in the world, so-called good deeds are difficult and evil deeds are numerous, so they always want to use themselves as firewood to make the true fire burn stronger. Moreover, will those who serve the fire also have differences, so that they will burn each other? Woolen cloth??"
The female viewer crossed her hands on her chest, raised her head, looked at the fire and was silent for a long time, and finally said: "Your Excellency always says that he doesn't understand, but in fact he understands everything... Some things are inevitable for ordinary people, and a wise man will know it at a glance. , why bother asking?"
Zhang Xing nodded and finally got the answer - to put it bluntly, everything is man-made. No matter how philosophical and universal any religion is, once a religious organization is established, it will inevitably be manipulated by others and then pursued. What's more, There are gods in this world.
After the two of them were silent for a while, it was the female viewer's turn to urge:
"Aren't you here to worship? The real fire is ahead, why not go forward and light it first? Our rules of the True Fire Sect are to throw into the real fire a combustible object, regardless of rich or poor, regardless of north or south, regardless of people or witches. All demons can be washed by the true fire and see great light in the future."
Zhang Xing looked at the endless line of worshippers. Sure enough, there were people carrying a bundle of firewood, and there were servants behind them carrying a large oil tank. There was a huge difference.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Xing decided to ask the last question: "Master Tai, before I pay homage to the true fire, I have one more question... Do you personally only believe in the true fire?"
Without any hesitation, the commoner female viewer crossed her arms and responded seriously: "Yes, this is the only true fire in this life."
Zhang Xing nodded, then walked over, came to the brazier, and bowed towards the big brazier. When he was about to get up, he couldn't find anything flammable on his body.
"You can cut off some clothes." Zhou Xingfan, who had stood beside him early, reminded him kindly.
Zhang Xing quickly drew out his sword, but when he saw the embroidered sheath on the sword, he simply took off the sheath, crumpled it into a ball, threw it into the brazier, then turned around and left.
Walking to the eaves of the north corridor, I saw a broken wooden box underneath, with quite a few copper coins and broken silver in it. I stood up again, took out all the ten taels of silver I just got yesterday, threw it down, and started walking again.
Zhou Xingfan and Qin Bao also touched their arms.
But at this moment, there was a sudden exclamation behind him. Zhang Xing looked back and saw a red and white light hanging down from the air like a rope, hanging straight into the brazier.
The firemen and female temples all over the courtyard were inexplicably excited. They all muttered words and came to worship respectfully. Only the temple owner was stunned for a moment and seemed a little at a loss.
"It's holy."
As a believer, Zhou Xingfan was stunned and spoke in confusion. "The female saint Qionghua has appeared! The last time I saw her was in Wu County when I was five years old... Brother Zhang, third brother, you were the last one to throw in flammable objects with you just now, weren't you?"
"It's none of my business?" Zhang Xing looked away from the viewer who was looking at him in confusion, shook his head repeatedly, and put his hands behind his back.
In fact, it is just the true fire of good and evil that burns spontaneously in the heart, and there is no fear of showing the saint. But why the show of the saint, who will show the saint, may it be clear?
As for the ways of good and evil, it certainly makes sense, but I'm afraid it still has to be interpreted by gods, real dragons, and mortals according to their own wishes.
In this way, when it was dark, Zhang Xing and Qin Bao returned to their station outside the palace.
ps: Good night everyone.
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