Linyang County.
The streets were deserted and deserted, with scattered pedestrians walking in a hurry.
The waiters in the tavern diligently wiped the tables and mopped the floor, fearing that business would be too poor and the shopkeeper would fire him.
In these days and months, countless people are rushing to do jobs that can provide enough food for free!
Natural disasters have occurred for four consecutive years. Even with the blessing of the land god, the people cannot avoid all kinds of misery.
It can range from buying and selling children to selling children, but can lead to the death of the entire family.
Nine of the ten rooms are empty, with bones covering the fields.
"Everyone in the world says that gods are good..."
Zhou Yi murmured to himself, and now when he said these words, he felt full of irony.
People in the county and nearby villages built earth temples everywhere out of gratitude, but they never imagined that the disasters in the years were caused by the gods that everyone praised and admired.
"My heart is depressed, so it's time to celebrate."
Zhou Yi told his waiters to keep an eye on the shop, then went out with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely on the street.
From time to time, I meet acquaintances and lament that business has been bad recently. If this continues, I will go back to the countryside to farm.
"Shopkeeper Zhu is going to listen to music again? You are not young at all. It's time to collect your thoughts and get married and have children!"
The shopkeeper of Huixianglou introduced: "I have a distant relative who can settle accounts and understand female celebrities. She is well-born. Why don't I make peace with you?"
"You guys, you've made us a lower class for nothing!"
Zhou Yi refused without a trace. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, already past middle age. In recent years, many people have tried to help him.
They all found reasons to refuse. Not long after the Earth God's longevity, he had acquired the secret skill of incense. He would be the tavern owner for a few years, so there was no need to delay others.
Shortly after.
East of the city.
Xiaoxiang Tower.
Unlike other shops where business is bleak, the building is bustling and noisy, and the doors are packed with customers even in the clear day.
The princes and merchants in luxurious clothes were full of spring breeze, and they had not experienced the distress of natural disasters at all.
Land prices have plummeted, and all people's land can be bought at extremely low prices. At the same time, food prices skyrocketed, and local wealthy families owned private granaries. With just a little bit of food, they could recoup the money they paid for the land and earn a deed of sale.
It's probably the poor who offer their land and rush to work as slaves!
With such good things going on for several years, it’s time to be happy.
As soon as Zhou Yi walked in, the madam came over with a smile on her face, as if she was seeing a relative.
This is a regular customer of Xiaoxiang Pavilion. He has been a regular customer for twenty years and has sent away three generations of bustards!
"Master Zhu, Miss Xiaoxiao is waiting for you upstairs."
The madam spoke very nicely, as if she was receiving a distinguished guest, but in fact Zhou Yi came so often that there was always a free girl.
Zhou Yi nodded slightly and was following the madam upstairs when he suddenly caught a glimpse of the girl in the Sun family's arms.
The Sun family belongs to the local gangsters of Linyang County. They control the officials, government officials, etc. all the year round. They can be said to be the county security chiefs passed down from generation to generation. Because Sun Dianli is fond of drinking and loves money, he is very familiar with Zhou Yi.
The girl looked at the stranger with fear and resistance on her face, as if she was not used to it yet.
The more this happened, the more desire was aroused in Mr. Zhang, and his words and actions became more explicit.
Zhou Yi was not filled with pity. Nine out of ten women in the hook bar had tragic origins and could not bear to be pitied. His eyes shone with light and he saw a wisp of black energy growing in the girl's body.
"The Romance of Fairy Wood"
It squirms and snakes like strange insects, burrowing in and out of the meridians and organs.
Due to frequent contact, Mr. Zhang was infected with a subtle black energy and grew stronger by absorbing his blood energy.
"Evil method..."
Zhou Yi's spiritual consciousness scanned the entire Xiaoxiang Pavilion and found that many people had black energy in their bodies, large or small. Most of them had no effect at all. Three of them were lying in the woodshed moaning in pain.
The three people's facial features were sunken, their bodies were skinny, and they already had more air coming out than in.
"The power of the spell is very weak. Not to mention harming monks, it can even be suppressed by martial arts masters. The only powerful thing is that it spreads very quickly, so this method is only for mortals?"
Zhou Yi had a vague guess in his mind, and it was most likely that the land god had taken action again.
After drought, locusts, floods and earthquakes, is another plague coming?
"This guy is crazy, what on earth do he want to do?"
Zhouyi consulted Linyang County Chronicles and compared the disasters in the past three hundred years, and found that they only occurred once in about five or six years.
Moreover, it is not all the work of the land gods, but also the mountain gods, water kings, and real natural disasters. It can be said that the whole thing can be called the righteous god who protects the place.
"My life is about to end, so I want to search for the wish beads in order to extend my life?"
Zhou Yi frowned slightly. This was the most likely reason. There were many monks in the Jiuzhou Immortal Cultivation World who made crazy blood sacrifices to extend their lives before they died.
There is great terror between life and death!
The monks are used to enjoying being aloof, they are more afraid of death than ordinary people, and they are reluctant to give up their positions of power.
"Let's continue and see what tricks this guy is playing!"
Zhou Yi's eyes were gloomy. The plague was different from other natural disasters. If it really spread quickly, a whole county might be wiped out.
The Daheng Dynasty could not control the evil gods of the mountains and wild lands, but there were still legal restrictions on the righteous gods of the state. If a huge disaster really happened, they would definitely send someone to liquidate the land gods.
Shinto herdsmen, however, cannot even cut off the leek roots!
…
Yuanding seventy-five years.
summer.
A strange epidemic broke out in Linyang, Qingyun Prefecture, infecting hundreds of thousands of people.
The disease devoured the vitality and blood, and the patients were as skinny as firewood, wandering around and wailing like living corpses.
…
There is a tavern.
The store door was shut tightly and the windows were nailed shut.
The man held a wooden stick to guard the front and back doors, looking nervously at the street outside through the holes.
There are scattered pedestrians on the street, their eyes are dull, and they are walking slowly and swaying. From time to time, they hear popping sounds, and without even looking, someone falls to the ground.
"Shopkeeper, are we just going to wait?"
The man who spoke was named Yang San. He was strong and knew a few crops, and he was responsible for guarding the front door.
Zhou Yi sighed: "What else can I do? If I go outside, I might be infected with the plague. Doctor Wang in the Huichun Hall can't save me, so I can only watch and wait for death!"
Yang San glanced at the non-living figures outside, and said with fear on his face: "There isn't much food in the store."
"Wine is food. If you persist for ten days and a half, someone will deal with the mess."
A cold light flashed in Zhou Yi's eyes. Those who were infected by the evil plague could only live for three to five days, while those who were young and strong could survive for ten and a half months.
At that time, if he did not show his divine power and "help the world and save the people," all the people in Linyang County would die.
How can we offer incense when all the people are dead?
Zhou Yi looked through the book in his hand and saw that it was the incense concentrating technique that he copied. Since he got this technique, he has been reading and studying it day and night.
As my understanding deepens, I feel more and more that this method is mysterious and can be said to be the foundation of Shinto!
Even if there is no Shinto inheritance in Dongsheng Shenzhou, as long as we continue to expand the uses of the Wish Power Bead, we will one day be able to derive a complete Shinto of Incense.
"The feeling this method gives me is similar to the Small Heaven-cutting Technique and the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Technique, but it is more complete and profound. I gain something every day by studying it... It's a pity that no matter how mysterious the Shinto is, I can't practice it. I only rely on the power of my wish." Zhudujie!"
Zhou Yi respected the power of incense and stayed away from it from the bottom of his heart. Even if his realm was low and the disadvantages were not obvious, he was not willing to be contaminated.
In the blink of an eye, ten days later.
Yang San lay in a daze behind the door and lived on wine and water for five consecutive days. Even the tough man couldn't bear it.
suddenly.
Dangdangdang...
The gong sounded outside, and then the yamen servant was heard shouting.
"The God of the land has appeared, the God of the land has appeared..."
"The Tutu Temple distributes protective talismans. If you wear them, you can get rid of evil diseases and be protected from all diseases..."
"Everyone must go and get the talisman. The God of the land will save the world and save the people. The talisman is free and does not cost a penny..."
Shouts echoed through the streets.
The county town, which had been dead for more than ten days, suddenly came to life. When the people heard the shouting, they immediately rushed to the Tutu Temple.
…
West of the city.
Earth Temple.
Originally there was only the Earth Temple in the east of the city. Due to the Earth God's continuous relief efforts, various large and small temples were erected.
There was a queue for miles long outside the temple, eager to receive the talisman.
The government officials maintained order and yelled at people who jumped in line. Those who dared to disobey were handcuffed and thrown into cells.
"Master Cha, please, can you please let me go to jail after receiving the magic talisman? If I drag it on longer, I will die."
The people who jumped in line had haggard faces, obviously suffering from the plague. They knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Please forgive me, I don't want to die. Please forgive me..."
The yamen servants didn't care about this. They beat him a few times with an iron ruler, shouted and dragged him away.
"Team Leader Liu, don't do this."
A gentle voice came, but it was a mage wearing a yellow robe: "He is trying to survive and has done nothing wrong. Can all the laymen delay for a moment and give him a spiritual talisman to save his life?"
"sure."
"Master Jia is merciful, the land god is merciful!"
"I recognize this person. He does good deeds and is not a bad person."
"..."
The people in line did not dare to have any objections and quickly spoke in support, because this person was Master Zhu Jia of the temple.
Bantou Liu quickly bowed and saluted, showing more respect than meeting the county magistrate, and said: "Master Jia has spoken, so this person will be given an advantage."
This common man survived death and immediately became the most devout believer of the Earth God. Under the guidance of Master Jia, he entered the Earth Temple.
The magic talisman is not easy to obtain!
According to the explanation of the temple blessing, the talisman was drawn by the earth god for the believers. Only by piously offering incense can it be effective.
After a series of kowtows, offering incense and chanting sutras, the people finally got the talisman.
The palm was folded with large yellow paper. The moment I took it, I felt comfortable all over my body. My body was still weak, but I no longer felt the pain of the bugs gnawing at my heart and liver.
"Thank you, God of the Earth!"
…
County government.
Back hall.
The doors and windows are in dilapidated condition, and the roof is in disrepair and may collapse at any time.
Since Taizu Daheng, there has been a management system where officials do not repair yamen. Since County Magistrate Zhao took office, he cannot and dare not repair it.
It’s midsummer and the heat is unbearable.
Magistrate Zhao didn't feel the heat at all. He sat cross-legged on the futon and held the wishing beads to refine the spiritual energy.
At this time.
A shadow appeared in the corner of the wall, transforming into an old man in a robe, bowing to report.
"Sir, that one has started to save people."
"knew."
County Magistrate Zhao stopped practicing, put away the wish beads, thought for a moment and said: "Don't keep an eye on this matter anymore. Everyone withdrew their hands and just pretended not to know anything about it."
The old man wondered: "This epidemic is not like a natural disaster. The traces of the spell are so obvious that anyone with a discerning eye can see it. If it spreads..."
"So what if it spreads?"
County Magistrate Zhao said: "I am only a ninth-rank official, and I have just established the foundation. How can I be qualified to control Jindan's actions? At most, it is a failure in supervision. I just cry a few times in front of the teacher and it will be over!"
The master said worriedly: "I'm afraid the higher ups will check the whereabouts of the wishing beads."
County Magistrate Zhao had already predicted it and said: "Those who wish to make a living, I will wait for the time being and observe the wind direction for a few years. If the incident occurs, I will hand it over to the court immediately. Maybe I can make a contribution!"
"My lord is wise."
The master immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Really, something went wrong with County Magistrate Zhao, and he also suffered.
"Do you think that one can do it?"
"Nine times out of ten, I can."
Magistrate Zhao said: "This plague can collect at least thousands of wish beads. Add in the previous four years, the number is over 10,000, enough to buy a state capital's underworld judge!"
"From a monk to a yin god, from the immortal to the ghost, the life span lasts for hundreds of years."
The master said enviously: "Besides, the power of the state judge is astonishing. No wonder that one is willing to take risks!"
"This is not an adventure, but a real gamble!"
Magistrate Zhao looked at the Tutu Temple and said quietly.
"The Shinto Way is far less free and carefree than the Immortal Way, and the cause and effect entanglement with the believers is too heavy. Not to mention that the promotion has not been accomplished yet, and it is difficult to say that there will be no future troubles if it is accomplished. Is it possible that the people of Linyang can be massacred?"
"It's easy for the people to be abused, but it's hard for God to bully you! The consequences will be repaid sooner or later..."
…
Earth Temple.
The crowd surged.
The people who originally had doubts about the talismans became even more enthusiastic when they saw the seriously ill and dying people being cured in an instant.
While queuing up to offer incense, they shouted thanks to the God of Land, each one louder than the other.
Zhou Yi lined up among the crowd, with a sarcastic look in his eyes. He could clearly see the strength of his wish by practicing the Incense Concentration Technique.
The people shouted slogans loudly, but the incense offered was shallow.
Of course, the plague involves life and death, and with the help of the earth god, it is ten times and a hundred times more than the usual incense.
"No wonder Hongluo said that due to continuous natural disasters, people's faith will not increase but will become weaker. They believe in gods in order to achieve a stable and prosperous life, but as a result they continue to suffer disasters."
"Life is too miserable. Even if gods save my life, I have no faith!"
Zhou Yi suddenly understood. No wonder there were natural disasters in the past few years. Even if the monks used spells to investigate, it was difficult to find the cause of the disaster.
This year, the evil spell was cast simply and crudely. It was obviously an ordinary natural disaster that could no longer arouse the people's willingness to offer incense, so more ruthless and poisonous methods had to be used.
Just like cutting leeks, you can't be too harsh or diligent, you have to give it a chance to grow!
Zhou Yi disappeared in a flash, and a moment later he came to the south of the city, which was the slums of Linyang County.
Streets filled with sewage, dilapidated and overcrowded houses.
Bitter Water Street.
C number thirteen.
There was only a thin, dark boy in the yard. He was so ill that he didn't even have the strength to get out of bed.
There was a flood the year before last and my mother drowned.
Last year, the earth dragon turned over and my father was crushed to death.
The remaining relatives, friends and neighbors have all died in the natural disasters in recent years. They can be said to be complete orphans.
The young man should have died, but he was very lucky and survived inexplicably every time.
When it was starving to death, a few little mice came out of the corner and were about to drown. A few driftwood floated over. Before the earth dragon turned over, it walked to the open space in a daze...
roof.
Zhou Yi looked at the dying young man, Tian Linggen, an orphan, surnamed Lin, with a deep hatred... It can be said that he had deep luck, waved his hand, released the ginseng doll, and ordered.
"Follow the plan."
"Don't worry, Immortal!"
As the ginseng doll spoke, it turned into a girl in a sky-green robe. Her hands were like catkins, her skin was like gelatin, and she wore bells on her wrists and bare feet, which made tinkling sounds as she moved around.
The sound startled the young man in the room. When he opened his eyes and saw the beautiful woman, he felt as if he had lost his soul.
The ginseng doll has bright eyes, white teeth, and a full smile.
"My benefactor, do you still remember the green snake you saved back then..."
