Gong Mengbi invited them into the Fox Courtyard, and there was nothing to entertain them, just two cups of tea.
The Huziyuan has been basically completed, but what is missing is some polishing and the purchase of furniture.
Now there are only a few crooked benches and a bumpy stone table.
It is very simple, but because the tea drinkers are quite impressive, it gives rise to some elegance and wildness.
Gong Mengbi is not ashamed of this, he is calm and composed, and has a certain atmosphere of his own.
Listening to Gong Mengbi's complaint, Taoist Master Yao praised: "The fox fairy has visions for the living beings. He can open a road to the underworld and build a bridge between yin and yang. His merits are immeasurable."
Gong Mengbi said: "It's just that we can't bear the loss of life and the chaos of yin and yang. Now that you two are back, you must share this matter and hold a fasting ceremony to save the souls of the dead and get rid of suffering and become auspicious."
This is the special skill of temples and Taoist temples, and Taoist Master Yao and Zen Master Faming will certainly not refuse.
In fact, almost all the ghost palace Mengbi who can be extradited in the county have been extradited, and the rest are either newly dead ghosts or people with deep grievances.
It’s not that it’s impossible to cross, it’s just more troublesome. For the big monk nearby, it was time to accumulate merit.
This catastrophe was due to the lack of these two Taoist masters. Although the left-behind monks at Taiqing Temple and Huaguang Temple were also willing to rescue, they lacked people who could make decisions, so their sense of participation was very weak.
On the contrary, it was Ma Shenpo, a witch, who established a deep prestige among the refugees in Wuning County and made the name of Taishan Empress deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Especially after the fox summoned the soul at night, it coincided with what Ma Shenpo said. For a time, the legend of the fox god and Mount Tai’s requiem remained long-lasting.
Gong Mengbi has done what he should do and what he deserves, so he doesn't have to continue to work hard and be thankless.
So, we discussed with Taoist Yao and Zen Master Faming that they would take over the matter of extraditing ghosts until the new city god took office and took charge of the overall situation of yin and yang.
Taoist priest Yao and Zen Master Faming were filled with emotion for a while, "We were invited to go to the city to hold a land and water conference to pray for blessings and eliminate disasters for all living beings in Wu, and to save the lonely souls of land and water. This should have been a good thing, but the floods were so violent that there were many casualties. It’s so tragic that demons and demons are taking advantage of the chaos to harm people. We were dispatched by the King of Wu to kill demons everywhere, but we didn’t expect that such a big thing happened at home, and even the righteous god of the court died.”
Gong Mengbi was still frightened: "Who said otherwise? I also asked why you two came back so late. It turned out that you had traveled thousands of miles to conquer demons. That day, red clouds were rising into the sky. I saw them on Fox Slope. I never expected that the seventh-level righteous city god would have his statue knocked down and the temple burned down."
At this point, he became a little more secretive: "I heard rumors that the city god knew that the flood was coming, but he was not allowed to report it to the world. Later, he drove plague ghosts and disease ghosts to harm the refugees, and he was caught. He is the righteous god of the court and protects the people. Cheng Wei said, how could this happen? I really can't believe it."
Taoist priest Yao said: "We can't believe it either. But if it weren't for his wrong doings, how could he have such bad retribution? How could a righteous god be killed by his followers when his blessings are endless and his energy is unwavering?"
Zen Master Faming sighed: "After this incident, the City God of the world lost all his face, and the plaque of the city god was trampled to pieces. I heard that the City God of the world ordered a strict investigation, and the city gods of the prefectures and prefectures were in dire straits. The ghosts and gods from the picket department were sent to investigate the case."
Gong Mengbi said: "I hope the truth can be found out. If the City God has a grievance, we must avenge him. If it is true as the rumors say..."
Gong Mengbi suddenly stopped talking, but Taoist Yao and Zen Master Faming could clearly hear the worry and fear in his words.
In fact, it was not just Gong Mengbi who was worried, Taoist Master Yao and Zen Master Faming were also worried.
The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.
There are gods in the sky, gods in the earth, and water gods in the water. But it is the City God who is closely related to the dynasty and the common people share weal and woe.
The god of heaven controls the sky, the god of earth controls the earth, and the god of water controls the water. The city god communicates with yin and yang, guides the ghosts, protects the city, and protects the people. The line of City God is closely connected with people.
It can even be said that in Shinto related to humans, the city god is the cornerstone of God.
If even the City God has done evil, it means that the entire Shinto is rotten and festering.
Taoist priest Yao and Zen master Faming are both human beings. They can think of anything Gong Mengbi can think of.
My heart felt heavy for a while, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent.
Gong Mengbi didn't want to get entangled here, so he clicked on them and changed the topic, "I heard that King Wu was a benevolent man, and I also saw that the relief work in Wuning County is now in good order. The floods have receded, and life will gradually return to normal in the future. .”
Speaking of King Wu, Taoist Yao and Zen Master Faming both have something to say.
"It is true that the King of Wu respected heaven and gods, cared about the people, and loved the people like his own son. First, he held water and land rituals to save the souls of the dead and pray for the country, and then he worked hard to provide disaster relief and save the people. It is indeed the demeanor of a benevolent person."
Gong Mengbi praised: "Such a virtuous person, I wish I could see him."
Taoist priest Yao and Zen Master Faming laughed, "You are a Taoist fox fairy. If you are willing to meet me, I'm afraid King Wu will treat you as a guest."
Gong Mengbi waved his hands repeatedly: "It's just these little foxes in Wu Ning County that I can't control anymore. How can I think about meeting the King of Wu?"
Zen Master Faming looked around and saw that the layout and layout of Fox Courtyard was similar to that of an academy, and asked, "Is the Fox Immortal going to build this place into an academy?"
Gong Mengbi sighed: "That's it. Fox cultivation is difficult. If it cannot be civilized, it will have no chance of immortality. Moreover, it is wild and difficult to tame, and it is easy to cause trouble and disturb the people. So I will cultivate this fox school and just wait to hire a few teachers. Come and teach them how to read and write, and teach them some human principles."
Zen Master Faming said: "Educating and converting foxes has immeasurable merit."
How could Gong Mengbi dare to accept the rhetoric of immeasurable merit and virtue? He only said that he was doing what he could.
Cleaning up in the mountains is certainly a practice, and educating the foxes is also a practice.
The road is not far away from people, and leaving this world is not necessarily higher than traveling around the world.
Taoist priest Yao and Zen Master Faming only came to see why the fox was summoning spirits, but they had a pleasant conversation with Gong Mengbi, and they rushed back to the county seat just before dawn.
Gong Mengbi saw them off and watched them pass through the mist of Fox Slope, knowing that they could rest recently.
He has been running around for days without stopping. First, he designed to get rid of General Ban Yin, and then designed to get rid of the evil city god. Then he maintained the dojo and extradited the souls. It was really tiring.
He said he was looking forward to the stars, the moon, and hoped that Taoist Yao and Zen Master Faming would come back soon, which was not all polite.
The matter of extraditing the dead souls was left to Taoist Yao and Zen Master Faming. King Wu wanted to show his kindness and sincerity, and Gong Mengbi did not need to worry about the refugees.
Wuning County quickly launched post-disaster reconstruction work and brought in a large amount of medicine to prevent and treat current diseases. Soon the refugees disappeared from the city.
Either working for relief or returning to their homes, the entire Wuning County gradually regained its vitality.
During this period, the ghosts and gods from Fucheng came to Wuning County to investigate the case of the City God.
Gong Mengbi hid Liu Sheng, Zeng Fan and Fox Girl in Meng Yue Tower, using the Taoist temple blessed by Empress Taishan to cover their energy.
Fox Slope has been visited several times by these ghosts and gods, and some of them are not even able to pass through the mist. Those who could pass through the mist always alarmed Gong Mengbi. After several investigations to no avail, he stopped coming.
Of course, these ghosts and gods found nothing.
Because these things have nothing to do with Gong Mengbi, there are no traces of evil practices, they are indeed common people destroying temples and blaspheming gods.
Instead, they dug out two jars from the ground and found the bags used by the plague ghost and the disease ghost to plant plague seeds. Unfortunately, they were indeed public property in the City God's Temple.
As for Liu Sheng and Zeng Fan, they were just two key criminals who fled in fear of crime.
This investigation ended in a hurry and ended in an anticlimax. Gong Mengbi didn't know whether he had found anything.
If it is found out that the city god colluded with ghosts and gods to kill people, can it be found out that King Wu was the mastermind behind it? Do you dare to continue to investigate further?
Of course Guan Mengbi knew that this investigation would definitely yield nothing.
If the investigation is detailed enough, it involves the kingship of the human world. If the investigation is not detailed enough, then the reputation of the nameless county god can only be sacrificed, the value of the dead god will be exhausted, and the blame for squandering human lives will be firmly carried down.
After the ghosts and gods from Fucheng left, Liu Sheng and Zeng Fan also regained their freedom.
Gong Mengbi was free, but he didn't do anything. Let Kang Wen direct the fox prisoner to polish the fox courtyard carefully and purchase various tools, so that it gradually looks more like an academy.
This time was also the time Gong Mengbi had made an appointment with the two teachers he had appointed.
Affected by the flood, prices have risen rapidly, medicines have become more scarce, and the cost of living has increased, making Ning Caichen, who was already not wealthy, even worse.
Although his family was not greatly affected by the flood, having no money to eat was a life-threatening matter.
Ning Caichen had been restless all day, and his mother could see that he was absent-minded and asked, "What is on my son's mind?"
Of course, Ning Caichen couldn't say that he had been instructed by ghosts and gods, and he was still hesitating whether to teach the fox.
Ning's mother hesitated for a moment, then turned and entered the house. After a moment, she came out with a gold hairpin and handed it to Ning Caichen.
Ning's mother coughed twice just as she was about to speak, but she held it back, not wanting to worry Ning Caichen. Instead, she smiled and said, "We don't have much rice and food at home. You pawned the gold hairpin and exchanged it for some money." Come, don’t worry about your livelihood, I still have some money for my dowry.”
Ning Caichen looked at the golden hairpin in his hand, and then at his sallow-faced mother, and there was nothing left to hesitate about.
She didn't have any dowry. All the expenses for his education over the years were the meager wealth left by his father and her dowry. The gold hairpin in her hand was bought by her father when she got married. She had seen her wearing it when she was young and cherished it very much.
Later, when her family fell into decline, she put it away and never wore it again. She only occasionally took it out to see things and miss people.
"Ning Caichen, Ning Caichen, you can't even take care of your mother. You worry about this and that, and you can't be filial. Why do you care about the world?" Ning Caichen reflected in his heart and returned the golden hairpin to Ning's mother.
"Mom, you don't have to worry about family affairs. I'm uneasy because a friend recommended me to teach in other people's homes. The benefits are generous, but the road is far, and I might not be able to come back at night, so I'm hesitant." Ning Caichen explained. road.
Mother Ning patted his hand and said, "There's nothing to hesitate about. I'm not too old to move. I want you to serve me in front of the bed. Just go and don't worry about me."
Ning Caichen smiled and said, "Okay, I'm going out now. I made an appointment with someone today. If I don't go, they will find another husband."
Ning's mother looked at the sky and said hesitantly, "It's getting dark."
Ning Caichen said: "It's still too late to go, but I may not be able to come back today."
Ning's mother said: "A gentleman keeps his promise, let's go."
Ning Caichen packed up his suitcases and went out.
After the flood, all industries in Wuning County were in decline and people's livelihood was poor. Outside the city, the fields are abandoned and there are few people around.
Ning Caichen sighed and went straight to Fox Slope on the outskirts of the city.
It was not too late when we went out, but when we arrived at Fox Slope, it was already dusk.
Ning Caichen was covered in sweat and looked at the gloomy mountain, unable to see clearly what was going on inside.
The fog in the mountains is extremely heavy and the mist is thick and dense.
Ning Caichen was a little frightened, but he was full of scholarly energy and plucked up the courage to go into the mountain.
In the dark forest, you can always hear the sound of stepping on the plants while walking. Ning Caichen took a few steps and faintly felt that there was a sound that overlapped with his own footsteps.
He suddenly paused and the surroundings became quiet.
Ning Caichen breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that it was just an illusion.
He went up the mountain again, and the footsteps sounded on the ground, making a sound, and the front feet and the back feet were connected together, without any gap.
Ning Caichen suddenly looked back, but there was nothing behind him.
He was fearful in his heart, and his steps became faster and faster. The faster he stepped, the more it seemed like someone was following behind him.
The feeling of being stared at by invisible eyes became more and more obvious, and Ning Caichen became more and more panicked.
As he walked, he looked back, as if something was chasing him in the dull fog.
The fog became thicker for no reason, making it difficult for him to see clearly and making it difficult to breathe.
Suddenly!
When he was looking back, he didn't pay attention and bumped into something in front of him.
"ah!"
A scream suddenly rang in Ning Caichen's ears, and Ning Caichen screamed in fright, unsteady on his feet, and fell to the ground.
The two frightened voices screaming at each other suddenly stopped, and Ning Caichen and the screaming man looked at each other.
"Ning Caichen!"
"Ma Junji!"
"Why are you here!" they both asked at the same time.
The two of them were in a panic, but now they spoke in unison, and their hearts gradually calmed down.
Ma Junji took a deep breath and said, "I told you why I always feel the sound of other footsteps. It turns out to be you!"
Ning Caichen stood up and laughed when he heard this, "You scared me too."
The two looked at each other, and Ning Caichen asked: "Is it possible that Brother Ma is here too..."
Ma Junji said: "Teaching to foxes?"
Ning Caichen asked: "Why did Brother Ma come to Fox Slope?"
Ma Junji said: "Three months ago, I received advice from Hei Wuchang, saying that there was a fox fairy on Fox Slope to educate the fox people, and they were in need of a teacher. The monthly salary would be generous. Brother Ning knows that my family is poor, and I am really short of money. Where is Brother Ning? "
Ning Caichen smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Brother Ma and I are in the same situation, we just came here under Bai Wuchang's guidance."
The two had a false alarm, and after talking about it, they walked together.
This time, I am not afraid of the deep dusk and heavy mist.
In just a moment, I saw the lights in the mountains dazzling, and it seemed like someone was living there.
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