Chapter 826: Peng Yanjun
Master Shi said, "Fellow Daoist Mingfu, the affairs of Gusu's gods and humans are in a complete mess right now. Do you have any good ideas?"
Gong Mengbi said, "I've heard the details from Master Liu, but I don't have any good ideas. I only have a stupid way."
"What stupid idea?"
"Make peace."
"Negotiate peace?" Master Shi hesitated and asked, "I'm afraid it will be difficult. The King of Wu is determined to conquer the land, and the City God of the world cannot sit idly by and watch Jiangnan slip away from his control."
Zen Master Jishan twisted his beads and said, "Indeed, even if they wanted to retreat, they probably couldn't."
The fat monk had a kind face, but his words were harsh: "If the City God of the World were to retreat, Da Gan would block him and prevent him from doing so. If the King of Wu were to retreat, he would be handing over his entire fortune and life to someone else. If they meet, I'm afraid they'll just bite each other. There's no way they'll talk about peace."
Gong Mengbi said, "If it was just the King of Wu and Da Gan fighting, I would be completely helpless. But now that ghosts and gods are involved, it's a completely different situation."
"How do you say that?"
Gong Mengbi said, "You three have a long heritage. I wonder if you know about the changes in the City God, Earth God, and Human God?"
Master Shi Da's eyebrows moved and he said, "I seem to have some impression."
"Before this dynasty, although all the city gods in the world had their own ranks, they were ultimately earth gods and Yin gods, under the jurisdiction of Hou Tu Niangniang. However, since this dynasty, the Human King has been freely enfeoffing sages and loyal martyrs as city gods and gods of the state. Hou Tu Niangniang did not want to compete with them with the way of the gods. From then on, the city gods were tied to the Human King and the state, and they were commanded by the City God of the whole world, protecting the Human King's country and the state."
Master Shi Da recalled, "I do have some impression of this matter. I once heard a senior master mention it, but I only attained enlightenment during this dynasty, so I don't know the details."
Master Shi Da was already the oldest, but he didn't quite understand it, so Master Jishan and Master Liu naturally didn't understand it either.
"The City God's duties haven't changed, but his authority has. This is the source of the current impasse in Gusu." Gong Mengbi shared these secrets. These matters weren't exactly secrets, but they involved a power struggle between the mortal emperor and the Earth Mother, so no one would deliberately bring them up. If anyone truly wanted to know, they could ask anyone in heaven or on earth.
"So that's how it is. If the City God was under the jurisdiction of the Earth Mother, sharing the throne with the Dynasty, then today's deadlock wouldn't exist. But the Human Emperor and the Earth Mother vying for power is truly unheard of." Zen Master Jishan paused fiddling with his rosary beads and asked, "Why is this happening?"
Gong Mengbi shook his head and said, "It is just that it is rumored that the current Great City God of the World saved the life of the founding emperor, so this imperial edict was issued to repay him."
Master Shi Da and Master Ji Shan raised their eyebrows simultaneously, thinking it was just a joke. Master Liu, even though he was only half-baked, knew the difference between the way of gods and the way of humans, and was also half-believing and half-doubting.
"I don't know anything else. The Human Emperor's ambition, and who came up with it, happened over four hundred years ago." Gong Mengbi shook his head and said, "You all know I was born on Mount Tai and have some connections with the gods of the underworld. Asking the Lord of the Underworld to mediate may help resolve the situation in Gusu."
Master Shi Da took the lead and said, "Then I will go and invite the City God of the World."
Zen Master Jishan said, "Let me speak for the King of Wu."
Master Liu hesitated for a moment, but was quite self-aware. He said, "If there's anything you need me to do, just tell me."
He did what he said. Zen Master Jishan and Master Shi left one after another. When Yang Dongwei served wine and food and invited people to the banquet, only Master Liu was left.
Yang Dongwei was stunned for a moment and asked, "Uncle Master, where are my master and the others?"
Master Liu narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying, "They are all busy. Don't worry about them. Come and have dinner with me."
Master Jishan set off for the Prince of Wu's Palace, and Gong Mengbi followed Master Shi to the City God Temple.
The City God Temple had been sealed off long ago, and the practitioners from Chongming Pavilion had taken over the place, but since Master Shi came in person, no one dared to stop him.
Master Shi set up an altar in the City God Temple to offer sacrifices to the spirit of the City God of Heaven. He burned incense and wrote talismans. Then his soul left his body, and only his physical body remained, sitting on a cushion holding an iron bamboo.
Before long, the incense on the altar burned out and Master Shi's soul returned to its place.
Master Shi opened his eyes, supported Tiezhu and stretched his stiff body, saying, "Fortunately, I still have some face, and the deity has agreed to come."
Master Shi Da asked the monks of Chongming Pavilion to arrange the venue, and they used the abandoned City God's Domain.
After the Gusu City God was captured, his seal was lost. The deity's throne lay vacant, and the entire divine realm fell into darkness. A chilling wind blew, and the bronze bells that awoke the spirit swung left and right, but remained silent.
Master Shi, a fourth-rank Taoist, illuminated a corner of the divine realm with his spirit. The cast iron incense cauldron in the courtyard of the City God Temple was two feet thick with incense ash. The Taoist priests from Chongming Pavilion smoothed the ash and spread the extremely expensive water-sinking incense in the cauldron. Smoke curled up like clouds, spreading a vibrant scene across the divine realm. A Taoist temple, a place of shifting winds and clouds, and the gentle vibrations of thunder, formed a banquet.
Gong Mengbi only just appeared in the divine realm at this moment. He had been hiding in the shadow of Master Shi Da. He said, "It's not convenient for me to show up. You should follow Lord Yama's instructions."
Master Shi nodded and said, "Thank you."
Gong Mengbi walked out from behind Master Shi, caught a wisp of smoke from the Taoist temple, and pulled it into the darkness like a vine.
Master Shi Da discovered that he had left, not this Taoist temple, but this divine realm, and stepped into the gap between yin and yang.
As the midnight hour arrives, thunder drums roar.
A divine light flickered on the wooden statue of the City God of the World. A middle-aged god in purple clothes and a golden crown replaced the wooden statue and appeared in the Taoist temple with majestic eyes and extraordinary bearing.
A ray of Zen light entered the temple, and King Wu was followed by Zen Master Jishan and two guards.
Master Shi, with a solemn appearance, stood in the middle and ushered the two parties to their seats, introducing them: "This is the City God of the Capital of the World, and this is the King of Wu."
The King of Wu, radiating a royal aura, stared unceremoniously at the City God of the World. His divine eyes, shimmering with purple energy, and his deep, unfathomable gaze probed each other, neither willing to compromise.
"I invited you two here today to ask you to each take a step back and make peace." Master Shi did not beat around the bush, and there was no need to beat around the bush.
The eyes of Tianxiadu City God and King Wu fell on Master Shi at the same time. Tianxiadu City God curled his lips and said, "If this is the case, I'm afraid Master Shi's efforts will be in vain."
Master Shi took a step back, revealing the empty main seat behind him, and said, "I know my influence is insignificant, so I invited distinguished guests here today, hoping to persuade you two."
"Distinguished guest?"
A tiger roared from behind the main seat, and a dark door was torn open. The sound of rushing water could be heard, and rows of green lanterns lit up from the door. In the light of the lanterns, two gods walked over, one in front and one behind.
One was dressed in purple and wore a tall crown, standing out from the crowd; the other was dressed in red and was thin, with lowered brows and a pleasant look.
The red-robed priest said, "This is my Lord Peng Yan, who governs the Kingdom of Futian."
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