Chapter 101 Luck
Southern Continent, Han Dynasty, Yuzhou.
The scorching sun hung in the sky, emitting light and heat wantonly, and the air seemed to be a little distorted.
The sky was clear, without a single cloud or even a hint of wind.
The cracked ground is like a mouth opening and closing with difficulty, telling the extent of the drought.
Groups of disaster victims looked numb and walked towards Yecheng like zombies.
Everywhere they looked was dark yellow; all the vegetation had been eaten up by them, but this was far from enough to fill their stomachs. Every now and then, someone could not hold on and fell to the ground.
"quack--"
The vultures had been waiting on the side, staring at these staggering people. When they saw someone fall, they flapped their wings and swooped over.
But it was still a step late.
At the moment the victim fell down, many victims around him had already noticed it.
They turned their heads stiffly, like awakened evil spirits; their numb expressions became ferocious and fanatical, and they swarmed over.
After a while, the crowd gradually dispersed.
There was only a large pool of blood on the ground.
The ground was littered with white bones and covered with teeth marks.
At the same time, a high platform about three meters high was erected in the county seat of Qiao County, the capital of Yuzhou.
There were flags of the twenty-eight constellations on the left and right sides of the platform, and a table on the top with an incense burner and candlesticks, and a golden plaque with the name of the Thunder God engraved on it.
There were five large vats underneath, all filled with water. Willow branches were floating on the water, and on the willow branches was an iron plate, on which was written the talisman of the Thunder Commander.
There is a paper stove in the middle, and there are several lifelike figures, all of whom are the talisman-holding messengers and the gods of the land.
A Taoist priest wearing straw sandals, a Taoist robe and a yellow turban stood in front of the table, holding a sword and muttering something.
There was also a young Taoist priest standing next to him, holding a few talismans written on yellow paper in his hand.
The governor of Yuzhou led the city officials to kneel near the high platform, and outside were countless people from Yecheng.
Since three years ago, Qiao County, no, it should be said that the entire Yuzhou has been in turmoil and natural disasters have continued.
First, there was an earthquake, which caused nearly half of the buildings in the city to collapse and countless people to be killed and injured.
The earthquake was followed by a severe drought.
It lasted for three full years and has not ended yet.
Today's Yuzhou no longer has the prosperity it once had in the heart of the Central Plains. Bandits are rampant outside the county town, and most of the people are homeless. In many places, cannibalism has occurred.
"God bless us! Please save the people of Yuzhou!"
The governor of Yuzhou was only forty-two years old, but his hair had turned gray from worrying about his health, and he looked like a man in his fifties or sixties.
He knelt on the ground respectfully, praying constantly in his heart.
This is also the wish of the people of Yuzhou.
The Taoist priest on the stage stepped on the seven stars, walked like a dragon and a tiger, circled left and right three times, suddenly opened his eyes, took the token from the little Taoist priest, threw it into the air, and shouted, "Wind!"
The token ignited without fire, and a wisp of white smoke floated up into the sky, as if conveying a message.
call--
In just a moment, a breeze blew in and continued to grow stronger, blowing the flags on the stage and making them rustle.
"The wind is blowing! The wind is really blowing! The Taoist priest of Taiping Dao is indeed a god who can communicate with gods!" The governor of Yuzhou looked at the sudden wind and a look of ecstasy appeared on his face.
Needless to say, the people around were all looking at the Taoist on the stage with fanatical eyes.
They did not dare to disturb the Taoist from casting the spell, and just kept knocking their heads. Some of them even had their foreheads bruised, but they still refused to stop.
Compared with other places, Qiao County, as the seat of Yuzhou, has relatively wealthy people whose situation is better than that of the refugees and disaster victims outside.
But it's just a little better!
Today, they are almost at the end of their rope.
Today's prayer for rain is their last hope!
The Yellow Turban Taoist took out another token and threw it into the sky, shouting, "Clouds are coming!"
In an instant, thick clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun, giving the earth a chance to breathe.
This time, not only the people around the platform, but also the victims outside the city noticed the changes in the sky. They knelt on the ground one by one, wanting to cry but their tears had long dried up, and they kept kowtowing and praying to God.
On the stage, the Yellow Turban Taoist priest became increasingly busy, adding incense, burning talismans, chanting spells, and displaying tokens.
"Thunder is coming!"
Boom boom boom——
Lightning flashed in the clouds and golden snakes danced wildly.
Throw the token again.
“Rain is coming!”
There was a drizzle in the sky, which grew heavier and heavier. In an instant, it turned into a heavy downpour, pouring down.
"It's raining! It's raining! Woohoo! It's finally raining!"
"Great! God bless you! God bless you!"
"Quick! Go get some water!"
…
The entire Qiao County was instantly thrown into chaos.
Everyone, even the civil officials and military generals, were ecstatic. They looked up and opened their mouths, swallowing the rain water in big gulps.
More people began to look for all the tools they could find to hold water, collecting the hard-earned rainwater for future use.
The Yellow Turban Taoist stood on the high platform, looking coldly at the crowd below.
After half an hour, the governor of Qiao County hurriedly shouted, "Master, that's enough! The rain has stopped. If it gets any more, it will be a disaster!"
The Yellow Turban Taoist then leisurely took out the last token, threw it into the sky, and shouted, "Stop the rain!"
The rainstorm began to gradually subside, and after a while, it stopped completely. Then the wind stopped and the clouds disappeared. A ray of golden sunlight was cast through the gaps in the clouds, but it was no longer as fierce and vicious as before.
"Thank you, Taoist Priest! You are truly a god!"
The governor of Qiao County walked up quickly, bowed respectfully, and asked his men to present a thousand taels of gold and silver, saying, "Master, this is a small gift of thanks. It is not a token of respect, but I hope you will accept it."
The Taoist waved his hand calmly and refused, saying, "I am following the orders of my master to travel around the world to help the world. You should use this money to help the victims."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people around him became even more grateful, and they looked at the Taoist as if they were looking at a god, full of enthusiasm.
The prefect was also greatly shocked. He kept praising the Taoist's virtue, promised to provide disaster relief in the Taoist's name, and invited the Taoist to go back to his mansion with him to teach him the teachings of the Taiping Dao.
This time the Yellow Turban Taoist did not refuse and went there happily.
And just above their heads, the Wind Fairy, Xun Erlang, Tuiyun Boy, Buwu Langjun and Yulong Wang put away their magic weapons and spells and dispersed after the Taoist shouted "Stop raining".
The chief god of thunder, Deng Zhong, was about to leave with the father of thunder and the mother of lightning when he suddenly saw a lucky cloud floating in the sky. Looking up, he saw a Taoist with a face like a full moon, eyes as round as beads, and wearing a light yellow robe.
Deng Zhong was somewhat surprised: "Brother Li, why did you come so early this time? Didn't you usually come back a month later to spread the plague?"
The round-faced Taoist explained, "The thirteenth of next month is my master's birthday. All of us brothers and sisters will go to celebrate my master's birthday, so we may not be able to spare time to come down to earth. I want to solve the matter here as soon as possible to avoid trouble."
"I see." Deng Zhong suddenly realized, but he was a little worried: "Brother Dao, the decree we requested is to spread the plague next month. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to do it a month earlier?"
The round-faced Taoist said nonchalantly, "What's wrong with this? It's just some mortals dying, it's not a big deal! I'll help them enter reincarnation early, so that they can suffer less from the sufferings of the mortal world!"
Deng Zhong heard a hint of impatience in the round-faced Taoist's tone, so he didn't say anything more. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he took Lei Gong and Dian Mu back to Heaven.
The round-faced Taoist waited for him to walk away, then curled his lips in disdain, "After all, he is just a casual cultivator with little experience. Even if he was lucky enough to become a Heavenly Monarch of the Thunder Department with the help of Uncle Wen Zhong, he will never achieve anything!"
The round-faced Taoist opened his right hand, and a large purple banner appeared in his palm.
The banner is three feet long and purple all over. There is a white skeleton inlaid on the top and strange and mysterious patterns painted on it. Wisps of black mist are rising from it, giving people an ominous feeling just by looking at it.
Swoosh——
The round-faced Taoist lightly waved the purple banner, and countless dark purple light spots that were imperceptible to the naked eye fell from the air and penetrated into the bodies of the mortals below who were drenched by the rain.
All the people who came into contact with this light couldn't help but shiver. Their faces turned pale and their whole bodies felt like they were on fire, sometimes cold and sometimes hot.
Ordinary people did not take it too seriously. They just thought they were caught a cold from the rain, and had no idea that this was a sign of the coming plague.
The round-faced Taoist did not stop, he continued riding the cloud and waving the purple flag.
Only after most of Yuzhou had been sown did he stop with satisfaction.
He was in no hurry to leave at this time.
Instead, he looked down at it, as if admiring his own masterpiece.
Looking at the victims who were already weak from the drought falling down in large numbers under the erosion of the disease, they groaned in pain.
A smug smile appeared on his face.
"Li Qi, the Southern Plague Envoy!"
Just then, a loud shout interrupted his thoughts.
Following the sound, I looked.
Above the head, through the thick clouds, the proud and arrogant figure of Yang Jian appeared, wearing silver armor and a black cloak.
"Yang Jian?!" Li Qi was shocked and pretended to be calm, "What are you doing here?"
"How dare you ask me what I am doing here!"
Yang Jian said in a cold voice: "Li Qi, you spread the plague in the mortal world without authorization, causing countless deaths and injuries to the people of Yuzhou. You can see that this is a serious crime that violated the Heavenly Law!"
Li Qi secretly cursed in his heart.
Although he had the Jade Emperor's order, the order stated that he should spread the plague one month later, not at this moment!
This is also a serious crime that violates the laws of heaven!
Li Qi shouted, "Yang Jian, stop slandering me! I came to Yuzhou to spread the plague under the order of the Jade Emperor. How can I say anything without authorization?"
Yang Jian stretched out his hand and said, "Where is your Majesty's decree? Bring it out so I can see it!"
Li Qi blurted out: "Why should I give it to you!"
After saying this, he regretted it. What he said in front of Yang Jian was tantamount to digging a hole for himself.
Sure enough, Yang Jian sneered and said, "Li Qi, I am the God of Justice in Heaven, and I have the right to supervise the judicial law enforcement of various departments! Tell me, am I qualified to check your will?"
Li Qi said: "The imperial edict from the Jade Emperor was left in the Plague Department. If you want to see it, go ask my master for it!"
Yang Jian didn't buy his tricks and said in a cold voice: "According to the Heavenly Rules, when the officials of the Heavenly Court come down to earth to perform official duties, they need to carry the imperial edict with them and act according to the will without any mistakes. You have violated the Heavenly Rules by not bringing the imperial edict. Come with me to the Temple of the God of Justice!"
Li Qi shouted, "Yang Jian! You are deliberately looking for trouble with me! I am too lazy to talk to you! If you don't believe me, just go to the Jade Emperor and report me! Then, the truth will be revealed!"
Li Qi was not afraid that Yang Jian would report this to the Jade Emperor.
His own name is on the List of Gods, and he is the Plague Messenger of the South, the God of Plague.
His master, Lu Yue, is the direct disciple of Master Tongtian, the number one disciple of Jiejiao (so he claims to be), and the chief god of the plague department, Emperor Wenhuang Haotian .
Even the Jade Emperor could not punish him for bringing the plague forward. The most he could do was to ask him to reflect on himself for a while.
What he was afraid of was that Yang Jian would capture him and take him to the Temple of Justice!
If that happens, the entire Plague Department will lose face!
Li Qi was anxious and turned around to fly away on the cloud.
However, before he flew out less than half a meter, he was stopped by Yang Jian.
"Yang Jian, don't go too far!"
Li Qi was furious and waved the banner in his hand towards Yang Jian. The plague turned into purple spots all over the sky and flew towards Yang Jian.
He knew that Yang Jian was powerful, and he only wanted to force Yang Jian to retreat so as to give himself a chance to escape.
However, Yang Jian did not move at all, only a silver light burst out from the third eye on his forehead.
boom!
The purple spots of light in the sky evaporated directly, and the plague hidden inside was turned into ashes.
Li Qi's face changed, and he was about to make another move, but suddenly his eyes blurred and he lost sight of Yang Jian.
not good!
Li Qi knew something was wrong and quickly waved the anger flag behind him.
But, his judgment was wrong.
There was nothing behind him, no trace of Yang Jian at all.
Next second.
Li Qi felt that his hands were empty, and the agitated banner had been taken away by Yang Jian.
Immediately afterwards, a silver light surrounded his body and suddenly shrank inwards.
Li Qi lost his balance and fell into the clouds.
Li Qi knew that he was no match for Yang Jian, but he didn't expect that he couldn't even make it through a single round. He felt completely humiliated and said angrily, "Yang Jian! Let me go..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Qi's voice stopped abruptly. It turned out that Yang Jian thought he was too noisy and directly sealed his five senses.
Yang Jian picked up the anger flag, studied it for a while, and immediately understood what was going on.
"Go!" Yang Jian threw the angry banner into the sky.
whoosh!
The angry flag turned into a purple light and flew backwards along the route that Li Qi had just taken.
Countless specks of purple light floated out from the bodies of various creatures and flew back to the agitated banner.
The plague was temporarily lifted.
However, Yang Jian did not show much joy on his face, instead his brows were furrowed.
He was able to stop Li Qi because Li Qi acted on his own and moved the time of the plague forward by one month, which violated the Heavenly Law.
However, there are more similar natural disasters happening in the southern continent, and he is powerless to do anything!
These natural disasters were all permitted by the Jade Emperor!
Those gods are also carrying out the Jade Emperor's will!
This is also the reason why a mere mortal Taoist priest can get help from immortals and easily pray for heavy rain !
"What on earth do they want to do? They are willing to destroy all the lives of the people in the entire Southern Continent!"
Yang Jian could sense that the suppressive power of the Nine Cauldrons Formation had weakened a lot, which meant that the fortune of the human race was declining!
The decline of a clan's fortune, especially for a clan like the human race which is the protagonist of the world, even the slightest decline means the death of an extremely terrifying number of clan members!
One can imagine the huge cause and effect involved!
What’s even more terrifying is that behind this matter, not only is there the support of the Jade Emperor, but there are also shadows of the Jiejiao and even the Chanjiao!
