Chapter 24 Goodbye, Big Brother
Qingfeng Temple!
After Lin Ye entered, he found that Qingfeng Temple had returned to its former tranquility and all the refugees had disappeared.
"Mr. Lin!"
Daogu was very happy to see Lin Ye. Lin Ye rubbed the little Taoist's hairpin and asked with a smile: "Where are the people in the Taoist temple?"
"Master Lin, after those rebels entered the city, they arrested all the rice merchants, and then distributed the grain they had stored to the people who had no grain. The people in the Taoist temple all received the grain and left."
"Distribute the food to the people. It seems that the rebels this time have a conscience."
"Who says it's not? Not only are they distributing food, I heard from the people who came back to the Taoist temple to get things that they also distributed the land that originally belonged to the landlords to them, so that they have land to farm. Many people want to join them."
Listening to Daogu's words, Lin Ye was somewhat delighted. It seemed that the eldest senior brother had listened to what he had said at the beginning and was taking the approach of dividing the land and fighting the landlords.
"Then do you know who is the leader of this rebellion?"
"I heard from the people that his surname is Qiao and he is very young."
Lin Ye confirmed that it was the eldest senior brother. His surname was Qiao and he was not very old, only about thirty years old.
"Dawu, go to my place and ask Uncle Xu for some rice and food. I'll go find your master."
Lin Ye patted Daogu's shoulder and walked towards the temple. Daogu saw Lin Ye's back and muttered, "But there are no people in the temple now. It's useless to have so much rice."
In the Shangqing Hall, Taoist Ding Xuan was doing his daily prayers in front of the statue. Lin Ye did not disturb him and just watched him quietly.
A quarter of an hour later, Taoist Ding Xuan finished his daily lesson and looked at Lin Ye: "You're here?"
"Master, I delivered the food as agreed."
"Um."
Taoist Priest Ding Xuan nodded and looked at Lin Ye. "Yes, it seems that you have been meditating these days. Your soul is more stable than before. If you continue to persevere for another year, your soul will return to normal."
One year is neither long nor short, but for Lin Ye who has an auto-attack system, one year is just a blink of an eye.
"Master, I have a question that I would like to ask you."
"Oh, is this a question about meditation? Go ahead and tell me."
Taoist Priest Ding Xuan thought that Lin Ye didn't understand something about meditation. Lin Ye looked a little embarrassed and said, "It's not meditation, it's about ghosts."
Swish!
Taoist Priest Ding Xuan's face suddenly darkened. As soon as Lin Ye saw the Taoist's face, he knew that he had misunderstood him again. He felt that he was the same person his master had met before, so he quickly explained:
"Master, you also know that my soul is unstable and I am prone to seeing ghosts. The day before yesterday, I saw a ghost who was stranded in the world of the living. I asked him why he didn't go to the underworld. He said that he had stayed in the world of the living for more than 49 days and now wanted to go to the underworld, but he didn't know how to get there. He asked other ghosts and found that the routes these ghosts felt to be summoned by the underworld were different from what he felt at the beginning."
After listening to Lin Ye's explanation, Taoist Ding Xuan's complexion became a little better. He stroked his beard and said, "After a person dies, within the 49th day, the underworld will summon and guide them forward. The path to the underworld is different for every ghost, but don't worry if you miss this number of days. You can go to the city god of each city, and the city god will be responsible for sending you to the underworld."
City God.
Lin Ye's eyes narrowed and he asked, "Master, are there really City Gods in this world?"
"Of course there are. Every place has its own City God and the Netherworld, which is responsible for matters concerning ghosts. This is the rule, and no dynasty can change it."
Taoist Priest Ding Xuan gave Lin Ye an example. Six hundred years ago, during the Jing Dynasty, when Emperor Jing Taizong had just unified the country, he did not listen to the officials' petition to confer the titles of City God on the officials of the previous Zhou Dynasty. Instead, he ordered the officers and soldiers who died in battle with him to be conferred the titles of City God.
As soon as this edict was issued, ghosts all over the world were in chaos. First, the officers and soldiers who had just died were unable to suppress the ghosts. Secondly, the officials of the Zhou Dynasty also began to disturb the world after their death. However, within just two years, Emperor Jing Taizong was forced to issue an edict of remorse and re-enfeoff the city gods of the world.
"It has always been a custom for this dynasty to appoint officials from the previous dynasty as city gods. There are three reasons for this. One is that the previous dynasty existed for hundreds of years, and some officials who loved the people and were upright have long passed away. The people built temples to worship them, and with incense and offerings, they gained merits and virtues, which can suppress the ghosts."
"The second reason is that the change of dynasties led to wars and the dead soldiers of the previous dynasty were unwilling to resign. Having their colleagues from the same dynasty as the city gods could appease the souls of these dead soldiers and prevent them from staying in the world of the living and harming the people."
"The third is to stabilize the people's hearts and confer the title of City God on the officials of the previous dynasty. This will also prevent the gentry families who have close ties with the previous dynasty from worrying about being punished by the new dynasty later."
After listening to Taoist Ding Xuan's explanation, Lin Ye was also somewhat moved that there were so many tricks involved in conferring the title of City God.
There are City Gods in other worlds, and there must have been City Gods in the ancient world as well, but the problem now is that many cities in the real world no longer have City God Temples.
"Master, if there is no City God Temple in this place, how can those ghosts go to the underworld? Can they go to other counties to find the City God?"
Taoist Priest Ding Xuan said sternly: "No."
"Why not?"
"The City God has his own territory. If you are not within his jurisdiction, the City God will not interfere. In this case, we can only wait until Qingming Festival and Ghost Festival, when the gates of the underworld are wide open. Ghosts can then sense the entrance to the underworld and go to the underworld. Or... or we can find a cultivator to send them to the underworld."
When answering, Taoist Ding Xuan's face was slightly sad. Lin Ye was a little confused about the old Taoist's expression, but after listening, he roughly understood.
I see. The City God doesn't care about things outside the earth. This is to benefit the Taoist priests and other practitioners.
No wonder the old Taoist felt a little embarrassed.
But the problem now is that he can't find such people in the real world, and he is not sure whether those Taoists and monks are really capable. It is impossible for him to let these ghosts stay until Qingming Festival.
"Master, is it easy to send the ghost to the underworld?"
“It’s not easy to say, but it’s not difficult to say.” Taoist Priest Ding Xuan stroked his beard and saw Lin Ye’s confused look. He explained, “ If you want to send ghosts to the underworld, you only need to recite the sutra for sending ghosts to the afterlife. This sutra is not difficult, but the one who recites it must practice the sense of qi in order to communicate between yin and yang.”
Lin Ye was not unfamiliar with the concept of Qi. The Taoist master had explained it to him last time when he taught him the Long Silence Meditation Sutra. The so-called Qi sensation was actually the absorption of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth by the practitioner. Every time a practitioner meditates and breathes in and out, he will absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body. After accumulation over time, a vortex will form in the body. This is called Qi sensation.
To put it bluntly, it is not difficult at all for those who have cultivated the sense of qi, but it is impossible for those who have not cultivated the sense of qi.
"With your aptitude, you should be able to cultivate a sense of Qi within three years."
"I understand. Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Taoist priest."
Lin Ye didn't care. Three years was just a matter of a moment. He would just go idle this time when he returned and stay idle for three years.
"Are you also a member of the uprising?"
Just when Lin Ye was about to leave, Taoist Ding Xuan suddenly asked a question that stunned him.
No outsiders knew that I knew the senior brother. Before coming here, I had never met any acquaintances who came down from the mountain. How did the old Taoist priest know about it?
"Ahem, this old Taoist made a breakthrough in my five senses yesterday, and heard the conversation between you and that scholar in the study." Taoist Ding Xuan explained lightly.
Lin Ye just looked at Taoist Ding Xuan quietly. He must be eavesdropping on him on purpose.
He could imagine the old Taoist's psychological activities. His five senses had broken through and his hearing was better than before. He thought of doing an experiment, and then he thought of himself living next door and eavesdropping on his conversation with the scholar.
"I am not a member of the rebellion. I just feel that in today's world, the people can't survive, and I think it's good for someone to rebel. Don't you think so, Taoist priest?"
Taoist Priest Ding Xuan was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "It's just that the people are suffering in the end."
"At least no matter what the outcome is, the people will have some time to rest and recuperate."
If this fails, the court officials will kill a group of corrupt officials in order to appease the people, and the people will live better for a while. It will be even better if the rebellion succeeds, as all production resources will be reshuffled and the people will be able to get land.
"Forget it, let's not discuss right or wrong here. Is there anything you don't understand in cultivation?"
…
…
Half an hour later, Lin Ye walked out of the Taoist temple and saw Xu Bo walking towards him.
"Master, I was just looking for you. The scholar who left earlier came back and brought someone with him. I led them to the side hall."
"good."
Lin Ye nodded to show that he understood, feeling somewhat curious. An Zisheng had just left after being defeated by him, but he came back so soon and brought people back with him?
After returning to the house, before Lin Ye even stepped into the side hall, he saw a figure in green clothes with his back to him, admiring the ink painting hanging on the wall. His eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace and shouted, "Big Brother."
Lin Ye never thought that the person An Zisheng brought was actually the senior brother. Could it be that this guy ran to the senior brother after being beaten by him?
The eldest brother turned around upon hearing the voice, and seeing Lin Ye's excited expression, he smiled warmly and said, "I heard that you have become a landlord now, so I came here specially to see you."
"No way, I just bought a house when the house price was low, but I don't have an acre of land."
Lin Ye chuckled and scratched his head. Facing his senior brother, he didn't know why he had a sense of familiarity as if he was facing an elder.
"Big Brother, why are you with him?"
An Zisheng sensed the disdain in Lin Ye's tone , but he didn't get angry. Instead, he took the initiative to explain, "After listening to Master Lin's remarks, I went to find the rebels. I found out that the rebels were indeed as Master Lin said, so I asked the rebels to see their leader, General Han. After General Han met me, I told General Qiao about Master Lin's remarks. General Qiao asked Master Lin's name and brought me here."
Lin Ye just stared at An Zisheng, who avoided his gaze slightly and didn't dare to look him in the eye. Lin Ye snorted coldly, thinking it was not that simple.
In An Zisheng's heart, he felt that he must be a member of the rebel army. After being brainwashed by him... Oh no, after being guided onto the right path, he wanted to join the rebel army. He probably ran to the rebel army and stated his name and asked to see his senior brother.
I guessed this expression exactly.
