The grass in the factory should be plucked

The merchant said mysteriously, "Do you know? That God Temple is very popular. The God and God's wife enshrined in the temple are none other than General Xie, the Duke of Dingguo, who is leading the army here, and his wife, who was named Prince of Jing'an!"

An old man asked in astonishment: "Why would the temple of the God enshrine these two people?"

"In the past, there was a forest stretching for hundreds of miles between Southern Xinjiang and Great Chu. The mountains were high and the forests were dense. There were poisonous insects and miasma everywhere. The locals called it 'Mihuntang'. Outsiders who mistakenly entered this place would have a narrow escape from death."

The merchant continued, "Didn't the Great Chu attack Southern Xinjiang later? Duke Dingguo showed his divine power and split the 100-mile Mihun Pond with one sword, opening up a passage from the Great Chu to Southern Xinjiang!"

"From then on, the common people no longer had to risk their lives to cross the Mihun Pond, and Da Chu and Southern Xinjiang could trade freely. How could the common people not be grateful to him?"

"What about the God's wife? What did she do?" a woman asked curiously.

"After the Chu army conquered southern Xinjiang, Prince Jing'an built shops and repaired bridges and roads in the area to benefit the people. He soon made the newly established Dali Prefecture prosperous."

"I heard that she also used a brush to write a big word 'Fu' on the wall of a shop, three-quarters into the wall, just like a knife or an axe!"

"In order to thank the God for cutting through the natural barrier with one sword and opening up the passage between southern Xinjiang and the outside world, and to thank the God's wife for blessing the people so that everyone can live a good life with enough food and clothing, the local people converted the blessed shop into a temple for the God, erected golden statues of the God and his wife, and worshipped them day and night."

Everyone was envious when they heard this. If what the merchant said was true, would the common people be able to live such a good life after the Chu State conquered Turpan?

At this time, a group of soldiers rushed over and grabbed the merchant.

"This man is spreading rumors to confuse the people! Maybe he is a spy from the Great Chu!"

“It’s unfair, it’s unfair…”

The merchant cried out for justice, but was dragged away by the officers and soldiers without any explanation.

The crowd watching were all angry but dared not speak out.

The Khan was furious when he heard the news. Although he could not leave, it did not prevent him from issuing orders through the palace wall.

"Confiscate all those leaflets! Anyone who spreads rumors will be put to death!"

Under the high pressure, the people in the city no longer dared to discuss the contents of the leaflets in public, and even the whispers in the teahouses on the corners of the street were silenced.

But the words of the merchant were like a gust of wind, bypassing the tightly closed window frames, passing through the half-open door cracks, and quietly spreading over every inch of Gaochang City...

July 15th is the Ghost Festival. Legend has it that on this day the gates of hell open wide, allowing the souls of the dead to return to the human world.

Starting from early morning, every household is busy preparing "winter clothes" and offerings.

The elders in the family will lead their descendants to worship their ancestors, and they will also scatter some of the offerings on the roadside to share with the homeless souls.

People also release river lanterns, make ritual boats, hold roadside sacrifices, and burn paper money to liberate the souls of the dead and pray for peace.

The temples and Taoist temples in the city will hold grand ceremonies, chanting sutras and praying for the salvation of all living beings. They will also perform rituals to liberate the souls of those orphans who have no relatives or friends, praying that they can escape from suffering and be reborn in the Pure Land as soon as possible.

Longhu Mountain.

The disciples of Tianshi Dao started to get busy a few days ago. At this time, all the halls were filled with smoke and bright candlelight.

There is an altar in the square, and in front of the altar is an offering table with offerings such as fruits, cakes, and tea.

Around the altar are hanging banners with images of the Three Pure Ones, Taiyi Savior of Sufferings, the Ten Kings of Hell, etc. There are also "ground lamps" and "water lamps" arranged, which are meant to illuminate the road to the underworld and guide the dead souls to salvation.

Bells, tokens, prayer sticks and other ritual instruments are placed on the side of the altar, and the entire altar is decorated in a very solemn and dignified manner.

In the Tianshi Mansion, Tianshi Zhang and Lin Xuan sat opposite each other.

In the cloud-patterned copper furnace, the aroma of agarwood rises.

Zhang Tianshi tapped lightly on the jade table with his fingertips, making a rhythmic sound.

"Master Lin suspects that Xuan Ling and Chen Lie are in collusion with Nan Xi?"

Lin Xuan's thoughts were instantly pulled back to that gloomy night.

In the cold and gloomy cave in the Shiwandashan Mountains, the bodies of thirty-four Taoist disciples lay neatly on the cold stone slabs.

After Shen Muchun examined the bodies one by one, his eyes were solemn: "These disciples all have tiny needle holes on their necks, and all the blood and essence in their bodies have been sucked dry!"

Lin Xuan felt heartbroken when he thought of the five disciples of Lushan Sect who died with their eyes open.

He calmed down, collected his thoughts, and lowered his voice and said, "I wonder if the Heavenly Master has heard from the prince that the Princess Ruili sent by the Kingdom of Pagan and a concubine to be selected died in the same way as these disciples, all of them died after being sucked dry of blood by the poisonous insects!"

Zhang Tianshi nodded: "I heard the prince mention it."

Lin Xuan said angrily, "Those two women were killed by Nan Xi, the former Qinglian Patriarch and the current leader of the Jiulian Sect. From this, we can infer that the real murderer who killed those disciples was the evil cultivator Nan Xi!"

Zhang Tianshi nodded: "That's right. Nan Xi's true identity..."

He hesitated for a moment, "Did the prince inform Sect Leader Lin?"

Lin Xuan frowned and nodded, "It's a monster from outer space, bringing disaster to the world!"

"That monster's Gu technique is extremely strange, and it can invade the human body without anyone noticing. To be honest, I was also planted with Gu worms in my body. Fortunately, the prince discovered it in time and used his secret technique to kill the Gu worms in my body!"

"Otherwise, I don't know if the Lin Xuan today is me or not?"

Zhang Tianshi was shocked.

Lin Xuan then told Zhang Tianshi about the strange things he saw about "Chen Lie" in Min Mountain, as well as how the two of them spoke and fought.

"That Chen Lie, was actually someone else pretending to be him?" asked Zhang Tianshi.

Lin Xuan shook his head slowly: "Only disciples of our sect can enter Minshan. The prince said that the man is both Sun Chenlie and not Chenlie!"

Zhang Tianshi asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Substitute Gu!"

Lin Xuan told the details about the "substitute Gu" and how Shen Muchun had also been poisoned by it.

Zhang Tianshi stood up and paced back and forth, the hem of his wide Taoist robe sweeping across the ground.

"So, if there really is a poisonous insect in the body of each of the leaders..."

A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, "Isn't it like Chen Lie, whose core has been replaced?"

Lin Xuan sighed: "If the core is replaced, it will probably be too late to save it!"

"The prince said that the monster feeds on spirits and souls, and especially likes the souls of those with cultivation. For it, the souls of the Taoists are a great tonic! If the souls of the leaders fell into the hands of Nan Xi, I'm afraid they would have been devoured long ago!"

"Ah..." Master Zhang was shocked.

His snow-white eyebrows were tightly knitted together. It seemed that none of the leaders who came to attend the Dharma Assembly tonight could be trusted before it was confirmed whether they were bewitched or not!

Lin Xuan nodded: "The prince said that she would take advantage of this gathering to check whether there are any poisonous insects in the bodies of the leaders. If the core has been replaced..."

A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he had to cut the weeds at their roots!

Zhang Tianshi sighed, hoping that the monster had not had time to attack. Otherwise, after this disaster, the Taoist sect in the Central Plains would suffer heavy casualties and would never be able to recover!

"By the way, why does Sect Leader Lin suspect that our sect traitor Xuan Ling is also colluding with Nan Xi?"

Lin Xuan frowned, "After Xuan Ling escaped, several sects including me set up a net to catch him, but he seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth and has disappeared without a trace since then."

"If there is anyone who has the ability to hide the mysterious spirit, it is probably only the evil cultivator Nan Xi."

Zhang Tianshi pondered for a moment and nodded: "It is possible!"

Both of them looked heavy-hearted. It seemed that this Dharma Assembly would not end well and there would definitely be a fierce battle.

This not only concerns the safety of Taoism, but also the fate of all people in the world!

Zhang Tianshi spread the map on the table. "There are cliffs on three sides of this place, and only a small stone staircase is accessible. I have ambushed a group of elite disciples in the dense forest on both sides of the stone staircase."

He pointed at a few key locations and said, "The terrain of the mountain behind is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Please ask Sect Leader Lin to send a team of disciples to guard the secret passage in the mountain behind."

"Okay." Lin Xuan nodded. "I have arranged a team of disciples. They will follow the instructions of the Heavenly Master. But..."

He hesitated to speak, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.

"Just say it." Zhang Tianshi sat down again, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"I'm worried that there is someone among us who is spying on that monster."

Lin Xuan lowered his voice and said, "This operation is of great importance. If the news leaks out, the consequences will be disastrous."

Master Zhang Tian frowned, this was indeed a big problem!

As Lin Xuan said, the Substitute Gu can replace a person's core without anyone noticing. How do you know that this person is him?