Chapter 247: The Young Man in Yellow Clothes, the First Watchman's Drum
Gong Mengbi said, "I have settled in Lanyin Mountain outside the city. I will not stay in the city for long. I came to visit an old friend. I was entrusted by Xiang Jun to help relieve the county city from its distress."
The county magistrate thanked Xiang Jun and said, "I just invited the divine wizard here this morning. I thought he was unwilling to do this, but I didn't expect that he would be so cold-hearted and actually summon such a master."
Xiang Jun was speechless and could only nod with a stern face.
She always had this expression on her face, and this was not the first time the county magistrate had dealt with her, so he was not surprised.
Just as they were coming out of the prefectural government, a young man in yellow clothes and wearing a bamboo hat came outside the county government office.
The reason he was called a teenager was because his exposed hands and feet didn't resemble those of an adult. His voice was a little hoarse, and he caught the yamen runner and asked, "I heard the county yamen had posted a notice offering a reward for someone to get rid of rats. How come I haven't seen the notice?"
The young man was not tall, but his hands were very strong. He grabbed the collar of the yamen runner tightly, making it difficult for him to breathe.
The yamen runner didn't dare to offend him. There had been so many talented people coming here recently, and who knew if this young man was any formidable figure. He quickly smiled and said, "The notice has been taken down by a remarkable person."
The young man let go of his hand and muttered to himself, "Has it been taken away?"
The bailiff said, "That's right. The county magistrate has already taken the man to the prefectural governor's residence. Perhaps he has a solution."
The young man immediately waved his hands in frustration and said, "How could it be revealed? I clearly came here as soon as I got the news!"
He glanced at the yamen runner, turned around with his hat on, and went into an alley on the side, disappearing from the yamen runner's sight.
When the county magistrate brought Gong Mengbi and Xiangjun back to the county government office and stood at the gate of the county government office, Gong Mengbi suddenly stopped and looked at the wall in the distance.
He looked around, but saw no one.
I only heard the yamen runner report: "I don't know what happened, but not long after you left, a young man in yellow clothes came to take down the list. As soon as I told him someone had taken it down, he left."
The magistrate asked, "Did you ever ask where he lived?"
The yamen runner said aggrievedly, "He was very fierce, how could I dare to ask."
The county magistrate was about to lecture him, but when he saw Gong Mengbi standing beside him, he said awkwardly, "With Mr. Gong here, I think it's almost a sure thing."
Gong Mengbi said, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency. We will return to prepare first. Please inform your Excellency not to travel or patrol at night to avoid collisions."
The county magistrate had already ordered the yamen runners to go to the market to announce that a curfew had been imposed at the first watch and no one was allowed to travel at night.
Gong Mengbi and Xiangjun first returned to Anyi Restaurant and told Fatty Kang about this.
When Jialu heard that Gong Mengbi was going to summon foxes to drive away rats, he quickly said, "Sir, please be merciful and allow me to order the elderly and weak in the clan to take shelter."
Gong Mengbi said, "Find another excuse and don't let the news leak out."
Jialu replied, "Don't worry, sir."
Jialu asked Fatty Kang for leave, and Fatty Kang waved his hand and said, "Go early and come back early. It will be time for dinner soon. If you leave, no one will watch the store."
Jialu hurried out and said, "I'll be back after I say a word."
Gong Mengbi and Xiangjun went back to set up the altar first, and called Wenxiu, who was accompanying Xiao Yier in the kitchen. Xiao Yier quickly caught up with them, leaned against the door, and peeked, "Come over to eat when you're done!"
Gong Mengbi said, "I understand."
Xiang Jun had already bought a property in the county town and hired two literate young men to help her with external affairs and receiving visitors.
The two young men were dressed simply but neatly. When they saw Xiangjun return, they immediately came forward to greet him. "The shaman has returned. Today, a family seems to be possessed by evil spirits, and we would like to ask the shaman to take a look."
Xiang Jun then looked at Gong Mengbi.
Gong Mengbi smiled and said, "Sister, if you don't mind me doing it myself, you can go ahead and do it first."
Xiang Jun said, "Little Wu, take me there. Big Wu, stay here. This is my friend, Mr. Gong. He wants to set up a Dharma altar at home. You can help him."
The younger one took Xiangjun to do the shamanic work. The more mature one looked at Gong Mengbi with some restraint and called out, "Mr. Gong, please follow me."
There are many thin bamboos planted in Xiangjun's house, which is already full of green shade.
Gong Mengbi took a look and said, "Da Wu, could you help me pick some bamboo leaves?"
Da Wu said, "Okay, how much would you like, sir?"
Gong Mengbi said: "Sixty pieces will be enough."
Da Wu glanced at the bamboo clump and whispered, "The divine witch loves bamboo the most."
Gong Mengbi smiled and said, "It's okay, I know."
Da Wu took scissors to cut bamboo leaves, while Gong Mengbi found an auspicious location, piled up earth into a platform, and enshrined the tablet of the Goddess of Mount Tai on it.
When Da Wu brought in a basket filled with bamboo leaves, Gong Mengbi used the leaves as paper, wrote a fox talisman to command the fox people to gather here, and covered it with the talisman of Hu Zheng.
Gong Mengbi waved his hand toward the sky, and a bird descended from the sky and landed in front of the altar.
Gong Mengbi said: "Wen Xiu, since you remember the route, I'll leave it to you."
Wen Xiu let out a long cry, spread his wings, and hid all the fox talismans in his feathers. He flapped his wings and rode the wind, disappearing from Gong Mengbi's sight.
Gong Mengbi is now more advanced in Taoism. He is no longer like he was in Wuning County where his talismans were not responded to. Now, he has more authority when he uses talismans.
Of course, the county town could not hide so many fox spirits. About fifty of the sixty bamboo leaves were used, and most of them were fox spirits in the villages and mountains near the county town.
There weren't many fox spirits in the county town, but those who dared to make a living there were quite capable. But compared to Gong Mengbi, they were nothing.
When night fell, Da Wu heard the sound of drums.
"The street drum has sounded, and the curfew will be earlier today."
Gong Mengbi asked, "How brave are you?"
Da Wu said, "It's not bad."
Gong Mengbi asked, "Have you ever seen a monster?"
Da Wu shook his head and said, "I haven't seen it, but I've heard of it."
Gong Mengbi smiled and said, "If you haven't seen it, go and rest first. Don't look around. I'm going to perform a ritual."
Da Wu went into the room and closed the door, but he was still curious and couldn't sleep, so he looked into the yard through the window.
The courtyard gate was wide open, and Gong Mengbi lit the small golden stove.
The fragrance floats in the night. Although the sky is dark at this time of year, there are still a few deep and magnificent clouds in the sky.
The fragrance seemed to fly above the sky, like a lively fox, leaping and moving in the wind.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew, causing the fox fire lantern hanging on the courtyard gate to sway slightly.
One after another, human figures with demonic auras flew in from the open gate. Soon, the entire yard was filled with shadowy figures.
Da Wu looked out through the crack in the window, covering his mouth and not daring to breathe.
All I saw were the human-shaped monsters in the courtyard bowing down to Mr. Gong. I saw Mr. Gong speak, but I couldn't hear clearly what he said.
It seemed that one of the monsters wanted to resist, but after being looked at by Mr. Gong, it started wailing and rolling on the ground.
Mr. Gong pointed outside the door and said something, then he heard the monsters, whose shapes could not be seen clearly, each took out a wisp of flame from the incense burner, turned into a cold wind and went out the door.
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