The Zhang family invited Jiang Chen to perform a ritual ceremony for him.
As his knowledge improved and he read more and more Taoist canons and miscellaneous books, Jiang Chen became more and more comfortable with things like rituals.
To perform a religious service is not to do it at the right time, but to choose a day to prepare for it. Jiang Chen did not set the day on the day of the funeral, but on the seventh day when the soul comes back to life.
The reason is that they are afraid that the deceased will be attached to the mortal world, unwilling to leave, and do things that harm their loved ones.
To perform the ritual, you need to fast for three days and purify your body. Not only do you not eat meat, but you also need to fast your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, walking, and heart.
Arrive in seven days.
At midnight, Jiang Chen set up an altar at Chiyang Martial Arts Hall.
Prepare an offering table, a pair of candles, a handful of incense, three wine cups, three pairs of chopsticks, some offerings, death money, and a large amount of tinfoil money.
"The Immortal Way is noble, and there is no limit to human beings. It opens eight doors and flies to heaven."
"Forbidden sins, blessings, destiny, universal enlightenment, and the rebirth of dead souls."
"When the body is reborn, I can hear from the heavens..."
Jiang Chen is wearing a Taoist robe, holding a yellow talisman in his left hand and a mahogany sword in his right hand, with a solemn appearance, reciting the "Tai Shang Cave Xuan Ling Bao Immeasurable Human High Grade Miao Sutra" to save the souls of the dead.
The children of the Zhang family stood respectfully under the altar with sad expressions on their faces.
As the salvation ceremony progressed, Jiang Chen's face became increasingly uglier. He discovered that Zhang Yi's soul had not come back, and he didn't know where it had gone!
"Fellow laymen, the ritual has been completed, and I would like to ask you to express your condolences and accept the change!"
"Blessings and Immeasurable Heavenly Lord!"
Jiang Chen nodded and spoke.
"Thank you for your hard work, Taoist Master."
Zhang Yi's eldest son, Zhang Ping'an, returned the greeting and handed over ten taels of silver as a reward for the Buddhist ritual.
Jiang Chen accepted the money, packed his things, and turned to leave. Before leaving, he took a hair from Zhang's eldest son and used the Wanli Tracking Talisman to find Zhang Yi's soul with blood relatives as a link.
Wanli's tracking talisman instantly turned into a fluorescent paper crane. Jiang Chen followed the paper crane's guidance and chased it all the way to the City God's Temple.
The paper crane chased it here and kept circling the Chenghuang Temple until the talisman spontaneously ignited and the paper crane turned into a wisp of fly ash.
“It’s the City God’s Temple again?!”
Jiang Chen couldn't help but frowned when he saw the Chenghuang Temple.
The Changfeng County Town God's surname was Li Mingxuan. He was a well-known good man in Changfeng County during his lifetime. He was a great scholar in the Zhou Dynasty. He once served as an official in the court, served the country and the people, and worked conscientiously. Later, he offended powerful ministers and was forced to retire and return to his hometown, Changfeng County.
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In Changfeng County, he supported scholars to take scientific examinations free of charge and went to the county school to teach students in person.
Every year of great famine, he gave free porridge many times, reduced or exempted rents for tenant farmers, and called on wealthy gentry households in Changfeng County to donate money and materials.
After his death, the imperial court posthumously named him Marquis of Changfeng and his posthumous title of Wenzhong, so the locals also called him Marquis Wenzhong.
The Chief City God of the Imperial City of the Great Zhou Dynasty felt his virtue and reported his situation to the underworld. The Lord of the Underworld ordered him to be named the City God of Changfeng.
Judging from Li Xuan's resume, such a person was not a treacherous person, and even after his death, he became a county god due to his merits during his lifetime.
But why did Zhang Yi’s soul completely disappear when he arrived at the Chenghuang Temple?
Was he recruited as a ghost by the city god, or was he beaten to the point of being beaten to pieces?
Jiang Chen held the Tongyou Talisman in his left hand and the mahogany sword in his right hand. He walked into the Chenghuang Temple again and said loudly:
"Jiang Chen, a Taoist priest from Qingyang Taoist Palace, with the Taoist name Chunyangzi, came to pay homage to Changfeng City God, and also asked the City God to show up to meet him!"
This statement was made, but there was no response for a long time.
"Please also ask the City God to show up and see you!"
Jiang Chen spoke again.
"snort!"
A sound like a roar from a god or demon came from all directions, shocking Jiang Chen and almost losing his mind:
"You little Taoist priest are so rude!"
"Is this God someone you can see whenever you want?"
"How unbecoming are you to yell in my City God's Temple?"
Jiang Chen saw that the clay statue of the City God enshrined in the City God's Temple seemed to come to life. He was wearing a county official's hat with raised gauze wings on both sides, and an official robe. His eyes were wide open, showing no anger or authority.
"Meet the City God on the trail!"
Jiang Chen nodded and said respectfully.
After coming here so many times, I finally met the City God.
"It's really helpless to disturb you late at night. Please forgive me, City God!"
"This is Zhang Yi, a person from Changfeng County, Chiyang Martial Arts School. Seven days after his death, he did not return to the soul. He used Taoism on Xiaodao and tracked him all the way to the vicinity of the City God's Temple, but the breath of Zhang Yi's soul disappeared."
"May I ask the City God if you have ever seen Zhang Yi's soul?"
Jiang Chen asked.
"Never seen it."
Changfeng City God directly denied it:
"If there is no other reason, it is better to retreat quickly."
"Next time you dare to be rude, I will make you look good!"
After finishing speaking, the city god's incense and fire divine body gradually melted into the clay sculpture and golden body, and everything returned to calm.
"this……"
Jiang Chen was dumbfounded. How could this city god be so cold and cold?
You don't belong to the righteous gods of heaven, you are just a little yin god, a petty official the size of sesame seeds and mung beans, how can you be so arrogant?!
It's really annoying.
Was this guy still a good person during his lifetime?
Then after Jiang Chen dies, won't he be able to become a judge or a lord of the underworld?
Zhang Yi's soul disappeared without a trace, and the Changfeng City God was so difficult to talk to, so the clues were lost again at this point.
But at least we have met the city god, which can at least prove that the city god of Changfeng County is not dead and is still alive.
"Corpse Qi?"
Before Jiang Chen left, he used Zhanzhan Qi Technique to look around the Chenghuang Temple. In addition to the weak scent of incense in the temple, he also noticed a hint of corpse aura.
It’s really strange, has anyone died in the Chenghuang Temple?
"Get out of here!"
The head of the clay statue of the City God seemed to be enlarging continuously, becoming more and more ferocious, and he yelled at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen frowned and was about to have an attack, but he still endured it.
After Jiang Chen left, a figure in black robes walked out from behind the golden clay sculpture of the City God, puffing out his cheeks, grinding his teeth, and looking like he was still unfinished.
"The essence, blood and soul of those who practice martial arts are great tonics."
"It's a pity that there are too few masters in Changfeng County."
The man in black robe said with great emotion.
At this moment, the City God also appeared from the clay sculpture and golden body, and said very flatteringly:
"Sir, the souls of cultivators contain a lot of spirituality. How about we treat the little Taoist priest who just came..."
The city god made a gesture of wiping his neck.
"Talk too much!"
"We can also provoke the Taoist priests from Qingyang Taoist Palace?"
The man in black robe looked at the City God, frowned, and said coldly:
"If you take off this City God robe in front of me from now on, I will feel sick when I see you!"
"If it weren't for the fact that I have some use for you, I would have swallowed you up long ago."
"snort!"
"Sir, spare my life!"
"Sir, spare my life!"
"Young man, take off your City God official uniform now!"
After saying that, the City God immediately took off the City God's official uniform. After taking off the City God's robe, the City God's whole appearance also changed a lot. It was completely different from the clay statue of the City God enshrined in the City God's Temple. His whole person also became sinister and ghostly.
Zongheng!
"Taiyin refining the body, replenishing the body with form, replenishing the spirit with spirit, reshaping the bones, disintegrating the corpse and becoming an immortal. How long will this road take?"
The man in black robe murmured to himself.
I don’t know whether I said it to the city god or myself.
"Your Majesty has unparalleled talent. If you use your corpse to become a Taoist, you will definitely become an immortal!"
The city god said flatteringly.
"There's no need to flatter me, just do things for me and I won't treat you badly!"