The New Year finally arrived, and everywhere was decorated with lights and colors. The master of the Li family, Li Ping, had returned to the capital to become a high-ranking official, and had no plans to go home for the New Year.
Although the Li family's old house lacked the New Year atmosphere, it was still very busy. Li Feng didn't care about it. Not many people cared about him, so he was happy to go to Nichen Temple every day. The tuition fee that Zuo Wuji asked for was more than enough to be deducted from his pocket money.
Zuo Wuji had never taught anyone martial arts himself, but he was born to be a master. As the person who truly created the martial arts, and as a person who has been hailed as a martial arts saint in some martial arts circles and among the people, his understanding of the martial arts is almost unmatched. In addition, Li Feng himself has excellent qualifications, so even though he is slowly laying the foundation, he is making rapid progress.
Zuo Wuji's wandering around the Southern Wasteland also stopped because of the presence of the child Li Feng.
…
Far away in the capital of Dazhen in Yunzhou, the Yin family also celebrated the New Year with great relish. However, the masters of the Yin family only rested for a few days from New Year's Eve to the fifth day of the first lunar month, and soon they plunged into the preparations for the Fengshan ceremony.
Now everyone in Dazhen knew that the emperor was about to offer sacrifices to the gods in Tingqiu Mountain. Not only were the common people gossiping about it after dinner, but even the ghosts and gods inside and outside Dazhen were also communicating closely.
All the officials who had work to do in Dazhen started to get busy one after another, especially those officials along the route of the emperor's carriage and those at the foot of Tingqiu Mountain, who were extremely busy.
The most important thing is to ensure the emperor's personal safety, including ensuring that all items needed for the Fengshan ceremony are complete and that roads are unobstructed.
The father and son of the Yin family are both responsible for all matters concerning the Fengshan ceremony, while the other is responsible for the safety of the ceremony. They can be said to be one of the busiest people.
Ji Yuan not only spent the New Year at the Yin family, but also watched them prepare for the Fengshan ceremony bit by bit, and occasionally he could give them some advice on their confusions.
Amid the tension and excitement of officials in the capital and along Tingqiu Mountain, the chariot for Emperor Dazhen's Fengshan ceremony finally set off on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
The Lantern Festival is also a festival for human beings, a time when the human spirit is at its most vigorous. The entire imperial carriage procession is covered with canopies, and the number of accompanying civil and military ministers is huge, and the number of attendants is countless.
The entire team was filled with a righteous spirit, and there was a faint purple aura overhead, as if purple clouds were condensing. Along the way, the Taoist priests led by Du Changsheng put in a lot of effort, using all their tricks to disperse any clouds and fog to ensure that it was sunny wherever the emperor's carriage passed.
In fact, when the emperor's carriage of Dazhen set out towards Tingqiu Mountain, many beings, whether from the ghost realm or the Shinto, whether from immortals or demons, were paying close attention. They vaguely knew in their hearts that this Fengshan must be an event of great influence, but it seemed that they were not in it. They felt like witnessing the great trend but not knowing what to do.
Ji Yuan did not follow the chariot team, but flew to Tingqiu Mountain first. The Fengshan ceremony there had actually been prepared a year ago, but it had never been used. At this moment, there were officials leading people to clean up the area, clearing the snow and fallen leaves.
"Ah, huh... I'm so tired. It's still early for the emperor to come. Why do we have to clean the way up and down the mountain every day?"
A yamen runner holding a broom couldn't help but complain after cleaning a section of the mountain road that was his responsibility. His companion was startled and quickly stopped him.
"Shh... Keep your voice down. Don't you want to feel better? Is this something you can discuss?"
"What are you afraid of? There are only two of us on this stretch of mountain road. Who can hear us?"
The companion looked at the other person and thought that this colleague might not be very smart, but he still said a few more words.
"This Fengshan ceremony is a national event, and we have countless talented people in Dazhen. Haven't you heard from those old soldiers that some of them are heavenly masters who can fly into the sky and hide underground? Ordinary people may not bother to pay attention to you, but we are on the road to Fengshan, and you never know if there are eyes in the sky watching us."
As they said this, the two of them subconsciously looked up, and seemed to see a green light passing across the sky. Immediately, they both picked up brooms and pretended to sweep.
Ji Yuan happened to land on a hilltop at this moment. He looked around at the beautiful scenery of Tingqiu Mountain in winter. After a moment, he lightly stepped on the hilltop.
"Please invite the mountain god Tingqiu to come and have a chat."
This method of summoning gods only involves inviting them, but it does not involve "confining" them. It is equivalent to shouting outside Hong Shengting's door.
Not long after, a misty light rose at Ji Yuan's feet, turned into a human figure and gradually became clearer. It was Hong Shengting, the mountain god of Tingqiu Mountain.
"Hello, Mr. Ji. How are you?"
"It's almost time for Fengshan, but Hongshan God seems to be very relaxed?"
One bowed and the other returned the bow. Ji Yuan did not beat around the bush and pointed to the Fengshan Terrace on the high mountain in the distance.
"God of Hongshan, the Emperor Dazhen's chariot will arrive very quickly this time and will not stop for too long along the way. With the help of the heavenly masters, it will arrive at your Tingqiu Mountain and ascend the Fengchan platform in at most half a month."
"Of course I know about this, but since the Emperor Dazhen is offering sacrifices to the gods, I won't go sweeping the mountains like those yamen runners, right? What's the urgent matter?"
Ji Yuan smiled. Hong Shengting was a mountain god, so he naturally didn't need to sweep the mountain. But although he said that, his mentality as a mountain god was exactly as Ji Yuan had expected.
"That's good. If God Hongshan wants to regret now, it will be too late."
Hong Shengting looked at Ji Yuan and smiled.
"Mr. Ji, are you here to make fun of me? I have already agreed, so I naturally cannot go back on my word. Besides, at this point, this matter is of great benefit to me."
Ji Yuan restrained his smile and shook his head.
"Hongshan God, Hongshan God, you have been practicing in the mountains for too long, not caring about worldly affairs. Have you lost your sharpness?"
Hong Shengting frowned slightly. He made the choice because he understood Dazhen's influence and its growing foundation and potential. Why did Mr. Ji have something else in mind
"What does sir mean?"
Hong Shengting was puzzled, but did not dare to be negligent and bowed to Ji Yuan again.
"Please forgive my ignorance, sir. I hope you can help me solve my confusion!"
Ji Yuan waved his hand, and a table and cups appeared on the top of the mountain. He stretched out his hand and touched the teapot, and the water inside gradually boiled. Ji Yuan sat down first, stretched out his hand and pointed to the opposite side of the table, and Hong Shengting sat down opposite him.
"Today's Dazhen is not the same as yesterday's Dazhen, and this year's Fengshan is not the same as last year's Fengshan. First, the Black Wasteland demons crossed the sea to cause chaos in Tianyuzhou, and then the monks of Tianyuzhou went to the Black Wasteland to kill the demons. The turmoil has not stopped until now; the two wastelands and even the demons of the world are in turmoil; and Ruoli has encountered a petition from the dragon clan and has decided to throw the water clan to open up the wasteland sea; the human race seems to be prosperous in both civil and military fortunes and has opened up the civil and military paths, but except for some core areas of the continent, there are endless wars and countless casualties everywhere..."
Ji Yuan paused, then continued.
"This is just on the surface. There may be some things that I don't know, or I know but can't say. All the signs show that there is already a trend of great chaos and conflict between heaven and earth!"
Hong Shengting's heart skipped a beat.
"What about the two paths of immortals and Buddhas, and the various paths of gods? If each path is at peace, then..."
"Hey, what peace? Let's not talk about Tianyuzhou for now. There are naturally immortal sects in other places who are content with their own caves and ignore everything in the outside world, but I'm afraid they will get involved in the human world more in the future. Xianxia Island moved to another island and hid from the world a few years ago. Tianji Pavilion has been secluded from the world for a long time. How many years have there been no rumors about Changjian Mountain? I don't know much about Buddhism, but in recent years, the immortals have been practicing the right way, and there is a trend of polarization. One side is getting more and more involved in the world, and the other side is getting more and more secluded..."
After hearing what Ji Yuan said, Hong Shengting's face showed enlightenment. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case. In the past, he always took care of his own practice and Ting Qiushan's three acres of land, and thought that everything had nothing to do with him. It was indeed not wrong to think so before, but it is no longer possible now.
"Not only that, the sacred places like Yuhu Cave and Tianzheng, which were originally thought to be places of the righteous path of demons, are no longer clean and have begun to be tainted with evil things. There are countless ghosts waiting in the dark for an opportunity to move..."
Hong Shengting, a mountain and water god with profound Taoism, actually felt a chill down his spine after hearing this. He hadn't thought about these things before Ji Yuan said them, but now he suddenly realized that many of these disturbances seemed normal and far away, but it was definitely not normal for them to occur in the same era. It was as if a catastrophe of heaven and earth was about to befall.
When Hong Shengting thought of the word "disaster", his mind flashed and a chill suddenly flowed through his body. He trembled slightly and looked at Ji Yuan again, only to see a meaningful look in the other's eyes.
"Hongshan God, it is unspeakable..."
"yes!"
Hong Shengting broke out in a cold sweat, he almost asked the question just now.
Ji Yuan reached out and picked up the teapot, turned over the two cups, and poured water for himself and Hong Shengting. There was no tea leaves in the teapot, just two cups of boiling water.
"God Hongshan, I have just said so much, have you discovered anything?"
"What?"
Hong Shengting was slightly stunned. Didn't he say that he couldn't say it? He was a little confused now, and didn't want to think too much, so he said it bluntly.
"Please enlighten me, Mr. Ji!"
Ji Yuan picked up the teacup and looked down at it. Although it was not shaking, the water inside was swirling as if someone was stirring it with chopsticks.
"In this chaos, the only positive things that can be discerned are the prosperity of humanity, civil and military fortunes. Even if it is a true dragon opening up the desolate sea, I, who know a little bit of the inside story, know that it is not very worthy of mention, not to mention the unpredictable good and bad luck..."
Ji Yuan shook his head slightly, drank the water in the cup, and then looked at Hong Shengting again.
“What did Hongshan God think before? Your great chastity in the human world, my Tingqiu Mountain of Hong Shengting? Hong Shengting! You should stop having the mentality of trying to measure every inch. Since you have accepted the Fengshan ceremony, it means that we will all prosper together. In the future, your Tingqiu Mountain, Hong Shengting, will be the first to bear the brunt. Immortals, Buddhas, demons, ghosts, and gods... all of them will look here, and you will have no choice but to advance and retreat in moderation!”
Ji Yuan's last words were very heavy, like a drum hitting Hong Shengting's heart, shattering some of his previous mentality. In the past, Ji Yuan had advised him with kind words, but since Hong Shengting had dragged on for so long, and other chess opponents had already woken up, the situation was completely different.
Ji Yuan has no intention of spending years or even decades with Hong Shengting to play any game that truly recognizes Dazhen. Since you have agreed to get on board, then I will make you realize what kind of stormy waves are coming below the boat.