Chapter 266: Killing the Snake on Bainiao Lake Island

A week later, Xuri and Dongli Town held a formal signing ceremony.

I won't describe this ceremony in detail. You've all seen it. It's a major event in the lives of the people of Dongli Town. After all, as the city planned its expansion southward, Xuri kept its promise and fulfilled it.

Engineer He was a bit upset, but General Manager Cao personally went to explain. Everything was fine. Now it was time to officially start construction. The group held a meeting to discuss the official start of construction.

The date is set for September 18th, and there is still a month of preparation time.

According to tradition, when construction officially begins, relevant leaders and representatives from all parties are invited to attend a grand ceremony. However, there is one very important task to be done in the early stages.

Using a bulldozer to build a venue, leveling the ground and setting up the podium was as important as the groundbreaking ceremony.

In a sense, it is more important than the groundbreaking ceremony because this work is called "groundbreaking" in the local community.

From building bridges and tunnels to building private homes, a groundbreaking ceremony was held. And it always involved blood. Small ceremonies involved killing chickens, while larger ones involved slaughtering pigs and cows.

It is also necessary to invite a master to preside over the sacrifice on site, inform the local land bodhisattva, and appease the gods and ghosts of the surrounding areas.

The date is set for August 27th. There's no need to invite anyone else, Xu Ri. I'll be the lead, with Shiyu as my assistant, to preside over the groundbreaking ceremony.

After the news spread, people from the surrounding villages rowed their boats to the island to watch the excitement that day.

All the company's executives in upstate were present. A specialized butcher was hired to slaughter a bull. A large, fat, and robust bull was brought out. The butcher, aided by several assistants, struck the bull's throat with lightning speed, sending blood spurting out.

The timid audience screamed and covered their eyes.

The master brought a bowl of hot blood, and I held it in my hands and placed it on the altar. A square table covered with a red cloth, on which were placed three animals, five grains, and the steaming hot blood of the cow.

Shiyu Master of Ceremonies.

He read: "The groundbreaking ceremony for the Xuri Group's Bainiao Lake project begins now. Please welcome Mr. Cao Weiqian, Deputy General Manager of the Group, to the main ceremony. Please welcome Wan Shanhong to the secondary ceremony."

Fire the cannon——

The "Earth Red" exploded into a cacophony, instantly resounding throughout the island.

I'd discussed this with Mr. Cao beforehand, and we worked well together. He wore a suit and tie, I a robe. We each emerged from the crowd.

Shiyu was also standing on the side in a long robe.

Shi Yu Nian: Wash your hands and pass me the towel.

Mr. Cao and I washed our hands in front of the washbasin, took the towel handed to us by the staff, washed our hands, wiped our hands, and returned the towel.

Shi Yu Nian: Burn incense.

Mr. Cao burns incense.

Shi Yu Nian: Kowtow.

I accompanied Mr. Cao in knocking once, twice, and three times.

Shi Yu Nian: Sacrifice with blood first.

I bowed deeply three times. Then, stretching my back, I recited: It is only in this ninth month of the Shangzhou, the sun is shining brightly, the mountains are red with the sacrifices, and I offer my blood to the gods, praying for the wind and rain to regulate, and for the island to be reclaimed and established.

Burn incense and bow three times, then return to your seat.

Shi Yu Nian: Read the text.

The drum beats loudly, then the bass drum hits three times and stops.

Mr. Cao burns incense and bows three times. He recites: On the occasion of the groundbreaking of the Rising Sun Bainiao Lake project, I hereby inform the White Dragon Earth Bodhisattva of the 21st Dongli District of Qiao Yongfu:

Only the island of Bainiao Lake was originally a shallow, waterlogged depression. Gradually, it accumulated and became flat land. Now, Rising Sun has chosen this site as the foundation for his business venture. He prays for help from heaven and protection from the gods. He prays for peace and tranquility from the land below. May his business flourish and his fortune last forever.

Now I have prepared three kinds of animals and five kinds of grains, and some wild celery, as a humble tribute to show my humble intention. I sincerely offer sacrifices to the gods, and hope they will bless me with peace and happiness. I hope the gods will be spiritual and come to enjoy the feast.

The presiding officer is Cao Weiqian of the Rising Sun Group.

Shi Yu Nian: The ceremony is over. Please return to your seat, officiant.

Mr. Cao took three steps back, turned around, and walked to where the leaders were originally standing.

Shi Yu Nian: If snakes and insects are not eliminated, dirt will arise. If feng shui is not balanced, water monsters will cause trouble. I pray to the local gods and other gods for help. I will slay the evil spirits with my sword and bring peace and prosperity. Now, I invite Taoist Master Honghui of Taiyi Temple to slay the snake.

When everyone heard this, they immediately became excited. They had heard about this ceremony a long time ago, and their purpose of coming was to see how I killed the snake.

I yelled: Duh—

Everyone was wondering what I was going to do. They saw me turning around with Shiyu and running towards the bushes, then turning back and running again. This happened three times.

After running three times, the staff immediately came forward and placed a red carpet in the middle of the square. I sat on it, muttering something.

Within five minutes, someone in the crowd screamed, "Snake, snake, look, a big snake—"

The crowd began to stir, some people stepped back, and those who were brave enough came closer to take a look, only to see snakes of all sizes slowly emerging from the grass.

One by one, they crawled around me and then stopped moving. The snakes kept coming, and it looked like a snake island. People were terrified, and the timid ones had already run to the water's edge, preparing to board the boats.

Until someone shouted, "Don't be afraid, they're not moving," those who had fled to the water's edge turned back. Some braver ones ran over to take a closer look and shouted, "They're not moving at all."

Everyone's eyes widened.

I stood up and took a look, picked out the largest snake, and Shiyu handed me a sword.

The big snake hung straight down. I held the snake in my left hand and the sword in my right hand.

The timid ones covered their eyes and screamed.

I swung my sword and the snake was instantly cut into two pieces.

The crowd let out screams of terror, even including the cries of children.

I chanted, "If you stir up trouble, this snake will end up like this. All of you should retreat, cross the water and return to the mountains. That's the only way to survive." Then I threw the half snake head into the bushes.

The snakes began to retreat, winding their way into the grass.

I didn't come out to wash my hands until the snakes had all retreated. The timid people hid away from me as if I were still holding a snake in my hand.

Shi Yu Nian: Break ground!

Six bulldozers headed towards the grass together.

There were loud blasts of firecrackers and salutes launched into the sky.

Thousands of snake heads emerged from the lake and evacuated across the water.

Everyone held up their phones and took photos everywhere.

The heads of the four villages, Pijia, Yujia, Yaojia and Weijia, came over to shake my hand and said: Master, now that you have shown me this skill, no one dares to cause trouble.

Mayor Tian also shook my hand tightly and said, "It's a success, quite a success. From now on, this place will be quiet."

Mr. Chen nodded at me with satisfaction. He had no idea I had such a skill. He smiled and said, "The steps are one by one, the means are one by one. The real person does not reveal his true intentions. I am relieved, Qing Ruo. Master Wan has cleared all obstacles for you. You can rest assured to pursue your ambitions."

"I'm afraid of him. I'm afraid of snakes, and I'm even more afraid of people who kill snakes." She said as she backed away.

Everyone laughed.

On the way back, Qing Ruo didn't dare sit in the same row with me, so she retreated to the back and sat with Mr. Cao. Mr. Chen joked, "If you marry him, you'll have to sleep in separate beds."

Qing Ruo said, "You need to reconsider your boyfriend. If he can charm snakes like Teacher Wan, then we have no choice but to break up."

Mr. Cao smiled and said, "I don't think it would be easy for you to meet someone as rare as Teacher Wan."

Mr. Chen said, "This time, thanks to Shanhong, he scared away so many people by beheading the snake. So, being too elegant is not good. It's best to be both good and evil. If you find a snake charmer, at least the neighbors next door won't dare bully you."

Old Xiao sat in the passenger seat and said with a smile, "My relative was involved in a lawsuit that year, and we asked Master Wan to judge the case. He held a snake in his hand and made a very clear judgment."

Everyone asked Lao Xiao to tell that story.

Mr. Cao and Qing Ruo were stunned by what they heard along the way.

Mr. Chen has heard it all before, so he closed his eyes and rested. I correct Lao Xiao's exaggerations from time to time.

There was laughter and joy along the way, and everyone was in a very happy mood. Back at Xuri, Mr. Chen hosted a banquet for his guests.

On September 18th, the first year of Shangzhou, the Bainiao Lake project officially began construction. This was no longer my business. I asked Mr. Chen for a two-week leave to devote all my energy to completing a major event in my life: getting married.