Qujiang County, Shuhe Town.
This place is separated by a mountain from Qingshan Town in Fenghe County.
Follow the official road and bypass the mountain to reach Qujiang County.
If the carriage hadn't overturned into a ditch, we would have been able to stay at the inn in Shuhe Town before dark.
But because the carriage overturned into a ditch, it was delayed for a while. It was getting late, there was a light wind and drizzle, and the road was muddy. I feared that we would not be able to reach the inn in Shuhe Town tonight.
And in front of you, you can see a stream winding down the mountain like a white dragon!
Not far from the left side of the stream, there is a small temple.
It seems to have been recently renovated, with red silk hanging on it and couplets on it, and the color is bright.
There are still remnants of burning incense candles in the incense burner.
The gold foil paper dust in front of the temple has not completely dispersed yet.
"You are so distracted that your car flipped into a ditch. What were you thinking about?" Lu Wan drove the car himself and glanced at Bai Yuan, feeling helpless.
"Zuo Shi, I was wrong..." Bai Ape, covered in black robes, knew that he had made a mistake, and his tone was timid.
"Let's change the title. Your mountain accent sounds like you are seeking death." Lu Wan rubbed his brows and sighed: "Don't call me Master Headmaster outside. Just call me Master."
"Okay, sir." Bai Yuan said this, and then said: "The temple in front seems to have good incense... Why don't we rest here?"
"This is a newly built temple. There must be a god inside who has just been enshrined." Lu Wan shook his head slightly and said, "The grass-headed gods in places like this are often the court's spies. There is no need to interact with each other. Just go around. good."
"Grass-headed God?" Bai Yuan was a little confused.
"Within the territory of the Daqian Dynasty, there were government offices in various places, and officials were appointed to manage local affairs."
Lu Wan spoke calmly and said: "At the same time, villages and towns all over the country use incense to worship the gods. Anyone recognized by the court is the righteous god! In fact, in the eyes of practitioners, the status of these grass-headed gods is equivalent to the court officials!"
"Since he is the righteous god enshrined by the imperial court, why is he also called the Caotou God?" Bai Yuan couldn't help but ask.
"Because Chengming Tianshi Mansion believes that gods are enshrined in the sky, and the Daqian Dynasty does not have the qualifications to enshrine gods."
"And this so-called method of entrusting gods to gods is very similar to the Taoist sect's 'talisman granting' technique!"
Lu Wan said slowly: "So... in the eyes of orthodox Taoist practitioners, this cannot be regarded as a 'god'! But the Chengming Tianshi Mansion probably gave the court a face, so it was called the Grass-Headed God. At least he got it. 'God' name!"
When Bai Yuan heard this, he was suddenly enlightened.
Chengming Celestial Master's Mansion is known as the ancestral palace of the Taoist sect of the Daqian Dynasty, so most practitioners still use the name Chengming Celestial Master's Mansion.
But the next moment, doubts arose in Bai Yuan's heart.
"Are all the conferred gods practitioners?"
"There are some who have done good deeds and accumulated virtues during their lifetime, so that they are popular among the people. After their death, they are loved by the people, and they build temples to worship them. They are also recognized by the court and recorded in the records, and they are recorded as righteous gods!"
"What about the other part?"
"It's a monster like you."
"Ah?" Bai Yuan obviously didn't know the rules and was extremely surprised: "Can a demon become a god?"
"Daqian's law, if the monster does not cause harm, has a decent character, and is not bad in his conduct, he can come to visit the local officials. After inspection, he can report to the imperial court and request for canonization."
"Then follow me. Is it true that I want to get the talisman from the master?" Bai Yuan said thoughtfully.
"Yes, but after being granted the talisman, you will be my disciple of Xuantian Guan." Lu Wan continued: "And the imperial court canonizes you to a god! However, the local gods often have the responsibility of monitoring local affairs and protecting the people. "
"So, the little monsters in the mountains can also become priests?" Bai Yuan's eyes lit up, as if he thought of his little friends.
"A little monster like you would have probably been beaten to death before he could reach the county government after walking out of the mountains." Lu Wan said calmly, "If you want to be granted a title by the court, you often have to be in the Daoji realm, or even It’s a great demon at the level of casting a tripod…”
"It seems that the little monster has a hard time wherever he goes." Bai Yuan sighed.
"In fact, how can it be easy for a small person in this world to live?"
When Lu Wan said this, he sighed and said: "I remember it was recorded in the classics that when Daqian was founded, evil spirits and monsters were swept away and all demons and monsters were killed."
"After all, there are often birds and beasts in the mountains and forests. If they develop intelligence and become monsters, they cannot be killed..."
"Moreover, many monsters, after escaping the great disaster of the Qing Dynasty, hid deep in the mountains and forests, and when they have reached the peak of their cultivation, they will cause chaos in the world and avenge the grudges of the past!"
"Later, in order to completely solve the demon problem, after many discussions, the imperial court decided to confer a god!"
When he said this, he exhaled and said: "Today, within the territory of Daqian, there are many gods in various regions and all kinds of gods, forming their own systems... Over the years, it has basically been the old gods supporting the new gods. "
"In the past, the imperial court used 'character' as an important assessment direction when conferring gods, but now... the new gods who are consecrated are often the same people of the old gods, the descendants of high-ranking officials in the court, and even those who have 'purchased a god's throne'! "
"Nowadays, in the Dao of Shinto, good and bad are mixed, and it is difficult to distinguish between good and evil."
As Lu Wan's voice fell, Bai Yuan touched his head and grunted.
"I've learned a lot."
It quickly thanked the master for his guidance, but when it raised its head, it couldn't help but scratch its ears and head, and asked, "Then why have I never seen the Grass-headed God in Fenghe County?"
"Because Fenghe County has Xuantian Temple."
Lu Wan responded: "The past masters of Xuantian Temple are all in the realm of refining gods, great practitioners in the upper echelons of the world! Even the imperial court will give Xuantian Temple the most basic respect..."
"For example, the Chengming Tianshi Mansion is the ancestral palace of the Taoist sect of the Daqian Dynasty. The Chengtian Domain where he is located does not have these so-called mountain gods' lands!"
"Even the appointment of officials in local government offices is recommended by the Chengming Tianshi Mansion, and ultimately approved by Emperor Daqian who lives in the Divine Capital."
This man and an ape, driving a carriage, passed the official road and could not see the two hundred steps before they passed the temple.
To avoid unnecessary complications, Lu Wan stopped talking.
But at this moment, a voice was heard coming from the temple.
"If you are just in the Qi Refining Realm and don't worship when you pass by a temple, do you look down on the gods?"
"..."
Lu Wan was startled for a moment and turned his head to look at the temple.
The temple was still silent, as if waiting for this man and ape to kneel three times and kowtow nine times to burn incense in the temple.
But at this moment, Lu Wan heard an old voice in his mind.
"Although this is Qujiang County, it is located at the junction with Fenghe County!"
"Building a temple here will not give us Xuan Tian Guan face!"
"Interception midway is another attempt to provoke."
Master Yanfa Daojun, who was silent during the day, seemed to wake up after nightfall, and said in a rather dissatisfied tone: "Xiao Liu, go up and destroy this ruined temple!"
"..."
Is the fourth ancestor so hot-tempered?
Lu Wan vaguely remembered that among the ancestors of Xuantian Temple, the fourth ancestor was gentle and elegant. He was obsessed with all kinds of classics, studied various exercises and magical powers, and was not good at socializing.
But you call this gentle?
Moreover, has Master forgotten that the sixth generation headmaster of Xuantian Temple is currently just an ordinary little monk in the Qi Refining Realm?
This is the Qi Refining Realm, you want me to kill the gods?
