I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 48 Licentious Sacrifices and the City God

The child led the way, clutching half a steamed bun tightly in one hand. He hadn't finished it, intending to take it home. He held it tightly the whole way.

He would occasionally turn around and look at those people.

They were afraid that the people behind them wouldn't catch up.

They were also afraid the gods would run away.

This is a deity! He has lived for so long and this is the first time he has ever seen such a powerful figure. Even the city god of the county has to pay his respects to the deity.

He saw the deity wave his hand. All the things they were carrying—several large horses, a carriage, jars, pots, and chests—vanished.

I don't know where it went.

The village boy's heart pounded the whole way.

After walking for more than an hour along the mountain path, turning several corners, we arrived at the Silangjun Temple.

The Temple of Silangjun is very grand.

It's hard to imagine that such a magnificent temple could exist in a small mountain valley in Ruzhou. One can only imagine how much effort the temple keeper must have put into it. The pillars in the temple are tall and straight, the main hall is solemn, and the entire structure is black and red, which is quite different from the temples and Taoist temples of today. The entire structure is paved with stone bricks and decorated with flame patterns.

Jiang She noticed that all the areas depicting flames were coated with gold powder, creating an intricate and exquisite design.

this……

They're doing quite well.

As the group stepped across the threshold, they saw that the incense burner in front of the temple was filled with burning incense, and wisps of smoke were rising from it.

The wisps of blue smoke reflected on the verdant mountains.

The child leading the way spoke much softer.

I felt a deep sense of awe.

He spoke very, very softly, forgetting that the deity was right beside him, afraid of being discovered, and lowered his voice to say it.

"This is the Temple of Silangjun."

The cat sniffed too; her nose was the most sensitive. Her whiskers trembled, and her nose wrinkled. She clung to the fabric of Jiang She's robe and crawled up to it.

Some people dislike the smell of incense.

Jiang She picked up the cat and asked, "Since it's a grand temple, why is it located deep in the mountains of Ruzhou?"

The child looked at the pretty little cat. He scratched his head. The village children didn't know anything about this. All they knew was that one day, a temple suddenly appeared in this inconspicuous place, and many villagers secretly went to worship there, finding it very effective.

He also knew that people from other states came specifically to worship at their temple.

They'll start charging a lot of money later, even gold. The village boy's family can barely afford five copper coins, so they've never gone there before.

The child thought for a while.

"People who want to get rich don't care how far away it is."

“He’s willing to walk any distance, even dozens of miles…that’s how my dad is.”

Jiang She laughed: "That's a brilliant remark."

The child tilted his head back, somewhat puzzled. How was this so wonderful? He looked at the cat, which was entirely black with beautifully grown fur. When curled up, it was a very small ball of fur—truly a tiny, very small cat.

I really want to pet it, but I'm afraid of getting the kitten dirty.

My heart felt itchy.

The child mustered his courage and asked, "How big is it?"

"About two months."

Do cats eat a lot?

"Compared to people, there are probably not many."

"Then I can eat a little less and share it with it." The child looked at the cat curled up in a ball. "If I'm half as pretty as it, that's fine."

Jiang She did not answer for a moment.

The child looked around for a while, then remembered the white steamed buns the people had given him. He was a man of his word, so he led them through the maze of the temple.

Although I've never been there myself, fortunately, even the immortals haven't been there and haven't discovered it.

Jiang She and his companions circled the Silangjun Temple several times before finally reaching the main hall.

Neither Jiang She, nor the Old Deer Mountain God, nor Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu pointed this out. They tacitly followed behind him, even when they could see the main hall not far away, they followed the child aimlessly, like flies buzzing around.

"arrive!"

The child breathed a sigh of relief.

As if he had accomplished a great feat, he turned around and looked at the group.

"This is the main hall."

He hesitated for a moment, looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, said very quietly:
"If it's a good temple, can the gods not punish them?"

The child vaguely sensed that the deities didn't seem to like the temple and had even complained to the City God. The villagers all loved visiting the Silangjun Temple.

The villagers didn't know what a "wild temple" was; they only knew that this temple was very grand, cost a lot of money, and was very efficacious. Jiang She tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible.

echoing what the child had just said, in his tone, "If it's a good temple and they do good deeds, no one will bother them."

"Of course, there will be no punishment."

As Jiang She spoke, he stepped into the main hall.

There were several people dressed in silk and satin in the main hall, who didn't seem to care when someone came in.

Holding strings of gold and silver coins.

He muttered to himself.

Jiang She listened carefully, thinking to himself:

"May the Fourth Prince bless me. I am willing to offer ten taels of gold, hoping that if my elder brother suffers any misfortune, I will assume the responsibility for the family property. I am also willing to raise my nephew..."

"May the Fourth Prince bless me, may the God of Wealth bless me, and next time I go to the casino I'll surely win big and recoup all the money I've already invested... If I can make some more, that would be even better. If I succeed, I'm willing to offer 30% of the profits to the immortals..."

"May the Fourth Prince bless me, I would like to ask for two more catties of incense ash. Last time I used it to make talismans and the effect was excellent. Many people have made a fortune. They urged me to make more... Haha, the Fourth Prince is truly miraculous. Even the righteous gods in the City God Temple are not as good as him."

"I wish to win the favor of a beautiful woman. I, the Prefect of Ruzhou, have a granddaughter who is as beautiful as a flower and as lovely as the moon..."

Seven emotions and six desires, a hundred kinds of wants.

They're all in there.

Jiang She listened for a while, then gazed at the golden statue above.

The statue, with its eyes lowered and its wide robes flowing, stands atop a golden platform of flames. The platform is carved with patterns symbolizing longevity and good health, its deep black and red hues blending with the patterns of the flames.

I looked at it for a while.

Jiang She spoke.

"Having listened for so long, won't you come out and meet me?"

……

……

After returning home, the City God was still shaken and immediately summoned the civil and military judges, as well as the day and night gods.

The civil judge was solemn and refined, dressed in a blue official robe, with a long beard and white face, holding a writing brush and carrying a case file. The military judge was fierce and imposing, holding an iron pen and chains, with red hair and a blue face, as ferocious as a demon, inspiring fear in all who beheld him.

The Day God followed behind the two judges, his demeanor mysterious and elusive.

Holding a thin book, he records the good and evil in the mortal world.

Upon seeing the City God, they all bowed and paid their respects, signifying submission and reverence.

When the City God was alive, he was an official in Ruzhou. After his death, because of his good deeds during his lifetime and the love and respect of the people, he was granted a pardon by Heaven and Earth and became a local deity, who was very majestic.

He asked with his hands behind his back:

"Have you ever heard of the Temple of the Fourth Prince?"

Judge Wu, with his red hair and blue face, lowered his ferocious head and blinked.

Both the civil and military judges and the day-roaming night god said:
"Is this some kind of illicit temple or cult in Ruzhou? I have not found any such place."

"I don't know about this place either."

"Where in Ruzhou is it?" the Day-Roaming God asked respectfully. "This humble official will go and investigate immediately."

The City God stared at them intently and said slowly, "Today I encountered an immortal who could manipulate the primordial energy of heaven and earth as freely as a person stretching their limbs. His Taoist magic is profound. I wonder which immortal he is."

“The immortal told me about the Temple of Silangjun. I’ll give you a chance. You can try to explain it again.”

Judge Wen was greatly surprised.

"Are there really immortals?"

Even the day-roaming, night-roaming gods were terrified upon hearing this.

"There are actually immortals in this world?"

The City God, recalling what he had just witnessed, sighed and said to them, "There really are immortals in the world. Their Taoist magic is so profound that the poems and writings of mortals, and even the legendary figures Guang Chengzi and Chi Songzi, cannot compare to them."

"If the immortal hadn't summoned me, I probably would have thought I was just an ordinary person."

"He doesn't even recognize a fairy's face."

The judge suddenly passed in front of the desk and couldn't help but lean forward.

"Is that so?"

The City God sighed, then returned to the immortal's instructions. He carefully looked around and asked sternly, "You really don't know?"

"If you continue to conceal this, beware of the celestial being's wrath!"

"Dangdang!"

Judge Wu's iron pen fell to the ground.

(End of this chapter)