Chapter 619 This junior, Lianghan, begs Master Tao to descend and bestow divine favor! [Begging for monthly votes at the end of the month!]
It was late at night.
After having a satisfying meal in the quiet courtyard and receiving a hearty thank you from the Fang sisters, Ouyang Rong walked a few more steps to digest her food.
At a street intersection not far from the quiet courtyard, yamen soldiers, who had suddenly received orders from their superiors and rushed over, set up a temporary outpost under the command of several constables.
A temporary outpost blocked the road from the quiet lakeside courtyard to Chengtian Temple.
The latter two are separated by Xingzi Lake.
If you don't take this main road and want to get to Chengtian Temple, then swimming there is the only option.
Having experienced the depth and icy coolness of Xingzi Lake, Ouyang Rong did not believe that the Fang sisters, who had no spiritual cultivation, could get away with it.
Ouyang Rong calmly bypassed the military outposts lined with torches.
We arrived at a spot under a dense shady tree.
As night fell and the trees cast shadows, a carriage quietly came to a stop in the pitch-black darkness.
Three dark figures stood silently with their hands at their sides, waiting.
A dull-witted driver, a blue-clad constable holding a knife in his arms, and a plump woman wearing a shawl and a black silk hat.
Ouyang Rong walked straight past them and boarded the carriage.
Inside the carriage, he sat down and slowly lit an oil lamp with a tinderbox.
"What are you all standing there for? If you two have nothing else to do, go back."
Ouyang Rong said with a hint of helplessness.
Pei Shisan Niang wore a green brocade cloak over a luxurious black silk dress. Despite her warm attire, she trembled slightly in the cool early spring night breeze.
She glanced discreetly at Yan Liulang, who was standing beside her in a tacit agreement as if he were being punished, and saw that he didn't move first.
Pei Shisan Niang gritted her teeth inwardly.
She stepped forward and boarded the carriage first.
"Thump—!"
With a muffled thud, the beautiful woman draped in a shawl knelt on the hard floor, her knees bent, and said weakly:
“Young master, this time it was my fault for not taking good care of her. You repeatedly told me to take good care of the embroiderer, but I was still negligent. I was busy today and didn’t get to spend time with her. My servants also did a bad job. They didn’t even know that their carriage was being followed, which led us here…”
Ouyang Rong didn't say anything at first, but bent down and put the violin case he had brought back into the empty space under the seat.
"Your Excellency."
Yan Liulang also got into the carriage, bowing his head in remorse and saying:
"This humble servant was also negligent in his duty, failing to keep a close watch on these two sisters. By the time we discovered them sneaking into the embroiderer's courtyard, it was already too late... Fortunately, Your Excellency arrived in the evening..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"Alright, get up, all of you. Actually, it's not your fault. I told you before not to get too close to this courtyard, in case you disturb the embroiderer... After all, it's hard to have both."
Yan Liulang and Pei Shisan Niang breathed a sigh of relief.
Ouyang Rong waved his hand:
"These two girls don't have any bad intentions. We've managed to keep them calm for now. Madam Pei, you should go back now."
"Yes, young master."
Pei Shisan Niang nodded vigorously. Before leaving, she left behind several exquisitely packaged boxed inksticks, as was customary.
Ouyang Rong calmly reached out and put away the Hanlei Inkstone.
Yan Liulang remained in the carriage until Pei Shisan Niang's joyful figure disappeared from sight, then he spoke:
"My lord, the investigation is complete. As you predicted, the two women are indeed the sisters from the Nanfang family in the city, Fang Yiwu's two daughters."
"The two of them arrived in Xunyang City by boat this morning and disembarked at Xunyang Ferry."
"The reason we went to Yunshui Pavilion later was specifically to gather information. We asked Yunshui Pavilion to tell them that we were looking for our lost cousin... The embroiderer's features are quite distinctive. She is usually seen by some people when she goes to Taoshouzhai to buy things."
"The Fang sisters used this opportunity to find someone and followed them here..."
"My lost cousin."
Ouyang Rong chuckled softly.
He paused, then suddenly asked:
"Besides their cousin, the embroiderer, did they tell any other people what characteristics they had or ask any other relatives or friends for help?"
"No."
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself, "Should I be cautious or...?"
He turned his head and glanced in the direction of Chengtian Temple.
After hesitating for a long time, Yan Liulang asked:
“My lord, what do they want with the embroiderer? Also, when I brought people into the courtyard just now, they looked guilty and suspicious. I’m sure they have the Yunmeng Token on them.”
"Yes, I know."
Seeing Ouyang Rong's calm expression as he gazed out the window at the night sky, Yan Liulang cautiously asked:
"Then why not just arrest them after they leave? Isn't it a bit... Is the Prefect afraid they'll fall into the hands of those female officials in the Censorate and be implicated in something they shouldn't be implicated in?"
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly, then shook his head.
His gaze shifted from the direction of Chengtian Temple across the lake, and he suddenly said:
"When they first entered, the embroiderer was serving them pastries. The embroiderer... seemed quite happy. It wouldn't hurt to stay a few more days."
Yan Liulang was taken aback, but had no choice but to nod.
After exchanging a few more words, before the blue-clad constable got out of the carriage, Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment and called out to him:
"Without my orders, do not send anyone to search Chengtian Temple in the short term. Keep everything as usual. If any people from the Censorate or Jiangzhou Hall come to search, help block them or delay them until I arrive."
"In addition, once the new outposts are set up here, have people on guard around the clock and do not withdraw them for a short period of time. Make it look like this area is heavily guarded and check documents with everyone you meet. As for what to do next, wait for my instructions."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Yan Liulang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, got out of the carriage, and left.
The carriage slowly started moving and headed towards Xunyangfang.
Midway through the journey, Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain and turned to look at the brightly lit Buddhist temple hall across the lake.
He muttered to himself, "Did he bring back the Yunmeng Token...? He even wants to run to Chengtian Temple..."
...
It was already late at night when Ouyang Rong returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane.
His aunt, Zhen Shuyuan, was still waiting for him in the hall. She sat at the table with a vase in front of her, arranging flowers in the style that was popular among the noble ladies of the Great Zhou Dynasty. She would turn her head from time to time to look at the inky night outside the door.
When Ouyang Rong arrived home, Zhen Shuyuan immediately dropped the bouquet, took his coat, and didn't ask why he was back so late. She then busied herself with preparing a small maidservant to bring over a nourishing chicken soup that had been simmering for a long time.
Ouyang Rong drank from a small bowl, chatted with his aunt for a while, and then returned to Yinbingzhai.
Entering the study, Ouyang Rong turned around and locked the door.
On the desk, there was a newly delivered letter.
Ouyang Rong's expression was not surprised. Ye Weilai, who had gone to prepare hot water, had just mentioned to him that the letter had been delivered during the day.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the wax seal on the letter; it was from Huang Xuan.
A few days ago, Ouyang Rong took the initiative to write a letter, subtly inquiring about the Shangqing Absolute Learning Divine Decree.
The young girl had no reservations about Ouyang Rong and spoke frankly about everything she knew.
In fact, this was the style of communication between the two in their correspondence.
Ouyang Rong was efficient and straightforward, asking questions only when necessary and avoiding idle chatter. Huang Xuan would write long and detailed replies each time, mostly recounting her life at the Maoshan Ancestral Hall, aside from answering questions about the Three Pure Ones that Ouyang Rong was interested in.
Some of the girl's funny stories, or the problems in her life, and occasionally she would complain about her father Huang Feihong's love of drinking.
Huang Xuan rarely asked about the points that Ouyang Rong was concerned about.
This made someone a little embarrassed.
However, this tacit understanding was not explicitly stated.
After reading the letter, Ouyang Rong folded it again and put it back in the box.
He clasped his hands together, resting his chin on the back of his hands, and looked at the floor in front of him with a deep gaze.
In fact, Huang Xuan, who had just joined the Shangqing Sect, did not know much. Ouyang Rong knew or could deduce most of the contents of the letter regarding the divine edict.
After all, he had personally witnessed Li Dalang swallowing one of the talismans left behind by Master Yuan.
Moreover, he himself once performed a divine invocation, declaring himself a god and descending into other bodily vessels, where he gained his own insights.
However, one point mentioned in Huang Xuan's letter caught his attention.
For thousands of years, the core members of the Shangqing Sect's ancestral hall have adhered to one of the greatest taboos when using divine invocations: one cannot casually invite "wild gods" to possess one's body.
The so-called "wild gods" are, simply put, unfamiliar beings.
The core members of the Shangqing Sect's Ancestral Hall generally only invite the spirits of the ancestors worshipped by the Sanqing Taoist sect, or the living Celestial Masters of their own sect.
These are all "acquaintances," so there's a high probability they won't harm or backfire on the outstanding younger generation of our sect.
Similar to the talisman left behind by Master Yuan.
Ouyang Rong had tried it on Huang Feihong. As long as one consumed a powerful medium from a creature that had once existed, such as the creature's blood or hair, there was a high probability that the god could be summoned to temporarily descend.
The scope of the divine decree is certainly not limited to the ancestral spirits of the Three Pure Ones sect.
However, you can't just pick up things from the ground and eat them, or invite any kind of "god" onto yourself.
Ouyang Rong, who originally possessed Huang Feihong, was considered a "wild god" in the eyes of the Qing Ancestral Master Hall.
Summoning a "wild god" to possess you carries a great risk.
The Shangqing Ancestral Hall had strictly warned against this, repeatedly emphasizing it to Huang Xuan and other younger generations.
The biggest negative consequence is that the "wild gods" will become attached to this human body and refuse to leave. Although it is impossible for them to descend to the heavens indefinitely, they can at least delay the process.
If a "wild god" is cruel enough and unwilling to retreat, and cannot find a supply of spiritual energy, it can exhaust this human vessel to death in order to prolong the time.
Moreover, using the divine command consumes a lot of the user's mental energy; it's not enough to just have a supply of spiritual energy.
In the history of the Shangqing Ancestral Hall, there have even been instances where the summoned deities were so powerful that they occupied too much space behind the person who issued the summoning order, literally squeezing them to death. The person was reduced to a mindless shell, a walking corpse, no different from a fool...
However, according to Huang Xuan's letter, there was a sequel to this case. That mindless body, which had lost its own consciousness but possessed spiritual cultivation and had become a walking corpse, was later "repurposed" by the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan and became an excellent vessel for repeated spirit summonings...
However, such things are too cruel and immoral. The Maoshan Shangqing Sect takes it upon itself to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path, so naturally there will be no more repetitions...
In addition, according to Huang Xuan, many "wild gods" in this world are delusional and lack intelligence, so asking them to possess you is not only useless, but will also harm you.
According to the experience of the Shangqing Sect Ancestral Hall, the condition for a "god" to maintain a certain level of past intelligence is "immortality".
This "immortality" does not refer to physical immortality, but rather to immortality on another level:
It has an anchor point.
For example, they are still worshipped by later generations with incense; for example, they have made meritorious contributions, established virtues, and left behind immortal deeds in the world... and so on.
As long as this anchor point remains, the past intelligence and memories can be largely preserved, and thus one cannot be considered completely dead.
Due to various dangerous and unknown factors, coupled with the extreme value of the red and black talismans, and the fact that the Shangqing Sect is notorious for its dwindling population, with only a handful of ancestral hall members qualified to perform this Shangqing secret art in each generation, they are conservative and only invoke the spirits related to their sect to perform their divine invocations...
"To be remembered by future generations, to have made meritorious contributions, to have virtuous deeds and to have words that have left an indelible mark... This senior is so famous, he must meet this requirement. I just don't know what kind of personality he has. What if he refuses to leave?"
Ouyang Rong murmured softly, his eyes showing a hint of wariness: "According to Yuan Huaimin's unofficial history, he has a history of defaulting on alcohol purchases, so he might be a drunken deadbeat."
"Based on my years of experience, people who are involved in alcohol, gambling, or drugs are generally not very respectable people."
He paused, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face: "Furthermore, Huang Xuan is right. Last time I channeled my spirit into Huang Feihong, I could clearly feel that as long as I didn't want to leave, Huang Feihong's spiritual consciousness, which was observing from the sidelines, couldn't drive me away..."
"However, the feeling of being possessed by another person is very strange. At that time, Huang Feihong's consciousness was still intact, and it seemed that we could communicate. He was like an observer, and the two of us shared the same perspective, but he could not interfere with me... If I asked that senior to possess me, would I be in the same situation and be able to communicate with him?"
He pondered for a moment.
Ouyang Rong took out a red and black talisman that he had treasured for a long time, as well as a genuine manuscript of "The Peach Blossom Spring". He placed the two on the table and gently stroked them with his palm.
Under the lamplight, his eyes held a calm that defied easy explanation.
This is Ouyang Rong's latest trump card.
Chengtian Temple area has a rather oppressive atmosphere.
As a virgin of Yue, she should at least be a sixth-rank official, considering that her junior sister, who always loved to compete with her, is already a sixth-rank sage.
As a prodigy of her time and the successor to the Yuanjun, Yue Chuzi couldn't possibly be much slower than her junior sister.
Moreover, Yue Chuzi is the best swordsman in the world... In short, her combat strength can be regarded as that of a high-grade Qi cultivator similar to the Great Lady Xue Zhongzhu, and they should not be too far apart.
To arm wrestle with such a goddess-like figure and make her back down in fear, you need to have a trump card up your sleeve.
Therefore, Ouyang Rong wondered if he could cast a divine decree to summon the legendary swordsman Tao Yuanming, who was once a "poor scholar," to descend into his body.
This was a sudden inspiration he had while reviewing the previous incident involving the Xingzi Lake Buddha, after he had drunkenly summoned a spirit and used a sword to kill the enemy.
Both being legendary swordsmen, how powerful was Tao Yuanming hundreds of years ago?
To dare to retire to the countryside during the chaotic and turbulent years of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, one must have had the strength to escape unscathed.
Otherwise, wouldn't the various forces coveting the cauldron and sword be chasing after people and killing them?
Perhaps this senior, like him, had grown tired of using the "Humble Scholar" technique and, out of compassion, sincerely chose to retire into seclusion.
Now, with this authentic handwritten work by Tao Yuanming, imbued with literary spirit, and accompanied by red and black talismans, is it possible to invite this venerable elder, whose swordsmanship has been severed, to descend and possess us?
Of all the people Ouyang Rong had encountered along the same path since he arrived in Longcheng, the one he was most familiar with was this Master Tao.
In fact, the two have quite a history, so given the presence of a strong intermediary, it should be a natural progression.
Ouyang Rong's gaze fell on the original copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring," his hand stroking the paper... After reading Huang Xuan's letter, his only worry was that Tao Yuanming had passed away hundreds of years ago. If he rashly asked him to possess him, would there be a problem of a "wild spirit" refusing to leave?
After all, with such a handsome appearance, wouldn't he attract unwanted attention?
Thinking of this, Ouyang Rong, who was sitting at his desk with a pensive expression, rubbed his face with a hint of worry.
...
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(End of this chapter)
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