Chapter 105 The Sword Nun with all her immortal bones destroyed (seventeen)
The villagers did not seem to expect that Lin Zhen would ask them to take the offerings back. They stood there at a loss, with a trace of fear and despair in their eyes.
Lin Zhen originally thought they would be happy when they heard the news. After all, there was no Xia Jing to accept their offerings, so they could take the grain and livestock back and spend this year's cold winter comfortably.
Who would have thought that when they arrived, there would be a look of fear on their faces that looked like stagnant water: "You...don't you plan to stay in Qianlian City and become an immortal official?"
Lin Zhen didn't understand why they asked this, and tried to explain to them: "We are not immortal officials..."
It was just because I couldn't stand Xia Jing's misbehavior that I drove him away, not to seize his position as an immortal official.
"You, you must be a more powerful immortal than Xia Xianguan if you can drive him away..." An old man at the head tremblingly wanted to kneel down and said, "We can gather more offerings next month.
Yes, please, please... stay, we will worship the immortal devoutly from now on..."
Lin Zhen swallowed back the words he explained immediately.
Isn't it bad that there are no immortal officials in Qianlian City? Isn't it good that people farm their own crops and don't have to pay tribute to the immortal officials? Why are they so persistent in keeping an immortal official? They would even rather give up the one who can save lives.
It sounds unbelievable that even if you have to pluck food out of your mouth, you have to collect it as an offering to the immortal official.
At this moment when Lin Zhen was at a loss, the old man had already leaned down and worshiped with tears in his eyes: "Immortal..."
Although Lin Zhen didn't quite understand, she quickly helped him up. She thought about it and felt that people might be worried that without the immortal official, it would be difficult for Qianlian City to return to normal, so she thought about her words.
He comforted: "Don't worry, we will stay here to help rebuild Qianlian City. But those offerings will not be used. You can keep them for the winter."
"This..." There was a tangle on the old man's face. After a while, he said hesitantly, "Then, can we still invite the immortal to the village to see the villagers off?"
Lin Zhen found that he really couldn't understand more and more what Xia Jing was doing in Qianlian City.
"Send off?"
"Yes, see you off." The old man thought there was something wrong with his expression, and extended his hand to gesture, "It's that kind of magic... that can send the souls of the dead into reincarnation, so that they can live with good families in the next life.
The kind that goes..."
"Oh." Lin Zhen roughly understood: "So these offerings you gave are for the immortal officials to perform rituals for the villagers?"
"Yes, yes!" The old man nodded repeatedly, "I beg you, Immortal, to be merciful and say goodbye to those who died..."
So this is the reason why Xia Jing collected more offerings? What a talent. And the people actually believed it so easily. Just for this kind of thing, they sold their sons and daughters to make offerings to Xia Jing! Could it be that people who are still alive are just like this?
Does it matter that there is no illusory afterlife?
And that Xia Jing, who is so pretentious and deceitful, what is the difference between him, an immortal official, and a great person?
But the people of Qianlian City seem to believe this.
They would rather starve to death, sell their children, and collect offerings to let the immortals "send off" for them, so that they can live a good life in the next life. As for the pain they have encountered in this life, they will comfort themselves: It doesn't matter.
You can live a good life in your next life!
Lin Zhen even wanted to scold them for the ignorance of their behavior.
But she couldn't help but let out a long sigh as she looked at the uneven faces of the villagers that had been damaged by wind and frost, and the rare glimmer of hope that flashed through their numb expressions.
This can be regarded as a kind of spiritual sustenance for the people of Qianlian City, right?
Lin Zhen sighed and glanced at the devastated Qianlian City, and said to the villagers who came to offer offerings: "Okay, we will stay in Qianlian City, but we will not accept offerings. If we need to see off... we will start now.
Say goodbye to all the people who have passed away in Qianlian City."
When the villagers heard this, tears rolled down their eyes: "Thank you, thank you immortal..."
"No need." Lin Zhen sighed helplessly and said to the disciples behind him, "Everyone, please help prepare."
Someone asked in a low voice: "Senior Yun, what are you preparing for?"
Do you really want to do those rituals for Qianlian City? This kind of thing doesn't seem to have much meaning.
Lin Zhen said softly: "Prepare white silk, spiritual flags, and magic weapons, and go. Don't ask so many questions."
The disciples found a piece of white silk in the Golden Palace. It was not the kind of pale undyed white cloth, but a piece of snow-white silk satin, as misty and hazy as clouds.
Lin Zhen took the piece of white silk, pointed it like a sword, and gently scratched it on the white silk. The silk satin tore into slender white cloth strips.
She handed these strips of cloth to the disciples' hands, then used her fingers to vaguely circle a place in the open space outside the Golden Palace, and said: "In this place, put up spiritual flags in eight directions, and put the white silk
Hang it up."
The disciples took the pieces of white silk and began to move busily. Because there were so many people, it didn't take long to erect the spiritual flags in the open space according to Lin Zhen's request.
"Senior Yun..."
Lin Zhen heard someone calling her, turned around and saw that it was the little girl named Xie Ling.
She led a group of disciples over, holding some banners with strange patterns in her hands.
"Xie Ling, what's wrong?"
Xie Ling walked up to Lin Zhen, held the flag in her hand, and whispered: "Senior Yun, if you want to perform this ritual for Qianlian City, can we all come and help?" She blinked softly, "
After all, if the ceremony is grander, the people will be able to relax more quickly, right?"
Lin really liked this smart little girl. She nodded and said, "Okay, then please lead everyone to get the flags and stand in various directions."
Xie Ling solemnly responded: "Yes."
When the ceremony was almost ready, a dignified and solemn scene appeared in front of everyone.
On the periphery are serious disciples holding banners. They stand there motionless, like heavy mountains. Looking at them can give people a sense of reliability.
The spiritual flags erected in all directions stood silently, with the breeze blowing slowly, causing the misty white flags to flutter and flutter with the wind, connecting with the clouds in the sky. People can't distinguish them clearly, and can only see all the eyes.
Overwhelming white.
Lin Zhen stood alone in the middle of this fluttering white snow.
In her hand, she held a magic weapon with a simple copper bell tied to it. She waved it gently, emitting a long and sad sound that almost made people shed tears.
