Chapter Thirty-Five: Sanping's Illusory Mirror

  The imperial power has fallen, and for decades the world has been in turmoil, with people struggling to survive. Many large families from the north have fled south to the Wu-Yue region to escape disaster, finding rest on the vast and fertile land of the water town. The borders of Wu-Yue have been peaceful and prosperous since ancient times, relying on the moral teachings of the Tiantai Mountain hermits. Most people are introverted and gentle in their dealings, without great ambition, and their sacrifices are simply to commemorate their ancestors.

  But with the strong invasion of Onmyodo, people began to believe that human calamities were caused by ghosts and monsters. Technicians, witches, and Yin-yang families were highly respected, and various small sects actively recruited followers. For a time, immortal formulas were everywhere, and extravagant and even lustful sacrificial scenes could be seen everywhere.

  Among all the folk sects, the most powerful is Sanping Dao, who claims to have been sent by the immortal to come to the world to eliminate disasters and troubles. They say that human life is short, and after death, if there are still unfulfilled desires, one will become a ghost, and the ten thousand ghosts will be evil, suffering endless hardships. As long as they worship their teachings and take the elixir of immortality, they can live forever, fulfill their wishes in life, and die peacefully without becoming a ghost.

  The rise of the Three Peace Tao has been less than a year, and it has already absorbed tens of thousands of followers. It worships three saints: Shui Yu Dashi, Tongbai Zhenren, and Jing Xian. Shui Yu Dashi calms illnesses, Tongbai Zhenren calms disasters, and Jing Xian calms early wishes, hence the name Three Peace Tao.

  It is said that in the early days, the true god often descended to heal the sick and ward off disasters for believers. At that time, some people who were suffering from stubborn illnesses were indeed cured, and they also taught the common people to be harmonious with their neighbors and do good deeds. Therefore, although the Tiantai Mountain side knew about it, they didn't take it seriously. However, gradually, the followers of this sect began to abandon many of their original principles. At first, when they were ill, they would not see a doctor but instead seek so-called "immortal medicine". Later on, when they encountered unfavorable situations, they would not make an effort to solve them but instead pray in front of the god's image, hoping that the divine spirit would handle things for them. Finally, some even went to the extreme of selling their property and abandoning their wives and children in order to devote themselves wholeheartedly to seeking the appearance of the mirror immortal to fulfill all their wishes. Once they reached this third level, those who had seen the mirror immortal would never appear in the world again, it is said that they had already fulfilled their wishes and attained eternal bliss.

  After all, the living people are gone, making it hard to accept. When their families go searching for them, they often don't return either. Some say they joined Sanping Dao, some say they flew up with their relatives, and others say they were harmed. But Sanping Dao is powerful, even if someone suspects something, there's nothing they can do about it.

  What is most unexpected is that the title of "True Man of the Two Sacred Trees" was actually the first divine position held by Xuan Yi Shang Xian. Because Xuan Yi Shang Xian quickly rose to the position of Lord after receiving his appointment, it would be inappropriate to still call him True Man, so this name did not spread among the common people. The worship in the villages today is all under the name of Shang Xian.

  People shouldn't know about this, and they don't even know where the two wild immortals came from, yet they're on par with Master? This made Dao Jing very angry, so he took Meng Mu and Lu Jian and immediately set off for the Sanping Dao headquarters.

  In Qingji County, a hundred miles southwest of Qiongtai Town, which is one of the larger counties in the Wu-Yue region, Dao Jing and his companions passed through, hearing strange rumors about the various divine manifestations of Sanping Dao. For example, someone's child went missing, prayed to the gods, and after offering sacrifices, a document was issued by the authorities and the child was found; or someone had suffered from tuberculosis for many years, took celestial medicine, not only recovered but also rejuvenated; the most exaggerated one was that there was a girl who longed for her lover and went to ask Mirror Fairy for help, prayed for three days, and then put on her wedding dress and came to the market, under the gaze of everyone, she flew up into the sky in broad daylight.

  "Is it really that amazing?" Lu Jian's eyes were fixed on the steaming hot rice cake, and he asked casually.

  From her careless expression, it can be seen that even this little girl who has just arrived is skeptical of these mysterious things, but the world believes them. Probably because such strange talks are passed on from one person to another, no matter whether they are true or false, as long as they come from someone relatively close, they become more believable.

  Dao Jing had been gloomy since leaving the tea house, but seeing her drooling now somewhat dispersed his displeasure. He took out money to buy a piece of steamed cake and handed it to her, "Eat, don't mind these absurd talks."

  Meng Mu suddenly pulled out a large knife from somewhere, slung it over his shoulder with an air of grandeur. Seeing two people eating and strolling ahead, he maintained his image, keeping a straight face as their bodyguard, which indeed scared off many girls who were batting their eyelashes at him.

  "I say, young master, isn't it time for us to have lunch?"

  Eat, eat, eat, and you'll know what to eat. Dao Jing suppressed the inexplicable anger that had been rising in his heart for the past two days, and quickly pulled Lu Jian away. This county was very prosperous, more lively than Nanxian and Qiongtai, of course, there were also many people. Lu Jian was curious about everything, pulling Dao Jing to look around, but soon they were swallowed up by the crowd and lost their trace.

  "Wanna test my tracking skills, huh?" Momo smiled mischievously as he stood in the middle of the street, looking up at the bright sun to get his bearings. He was about to use his special technique to locate Tao Jing and the others by sound.

  "Boss, the bill!" A crisp sentence suddenly drilled into his ears. The voice sounded very familiar. Mengmu looked around and saw a girl in a colorful short shirt walking out of a wine shop at the far corner.

  What is this!!!!!!!

  Meng Mu just wanted to chase after her, but suddenly someone slapped him hard on the back, scaring him so much that he jumped high into the air.

  "Oh no, mom! You scared me to death... you two rascals!"

  It turned out that the two companions had secretly returned, Lu Jian covered his mouth and laughed like a little cat who had stolen fish, Dao Jing's face was stern but his mouth was also raised in a suppressed smile. Rarely seeing Meng Mu being embarrassed, their mood improved a lot, they walked to the nearby restaurant as if nothing had happened, "Didn't you say you were hungry?"

  "What? Oh, I'm starving! This old man is going to die of hunger!" Mengmu followed him into the door and decided to ignore his previous discovery. "The sky is big, the earth is big, but eating is the biggest. Father and mother are dear, but a bowl of rice is even more intimate. Doesn't my sentence make sense?"

  Lu Jian glared at him, "...... nonsense"

  Meng Mu's heart was unwilling to give up, and he chased after him, wanting to turn the tables. "Haha, you see, this great ambition of yours originated from nothing more than dressing and eating, what do you have to say for yourself, young master?"

  Dào Jìng found a vacant spot and sat down cross-legged, tilting his head in thought. "Hmmm, 'Store grain and know the rituals', that's well said!"

  "Look, look!" Mu Mu's complacent tone earned him an indifferent glance from Lu Jian. He lazily curled his lip and yelled at the shop assistant, "Hey, come over here!"

  Unexpectedly, a young man wearing a yellow Taoist robe appeared. He came over and bowed his hands in greeting, then pulled out a bamboo plaque from his sleeve and handed it to Meng Mu. With an air of mystery, he said: "I see that you gentlemen are all robust and handsome, but you should know that the pleasures of this world are like clouds and smoke - they vanish in the blink of an eye. Only the Three Saints can ensure eternal joy. Are any of you interested in joining my Sanping Tao?"

  "...it's really getting what you wish for"

  Mengmu and Daojing exchanged a glance, got the permission, and then took it. On it were engraved two lines of words: "Three Saints Save All Suffering" above and "Peaceful Suffering Brings Eternal Bliss" below.

  He coldly looked at the man, who seemed weak and bookish, why didn't he study well? He handed the bamboo card to Dao Jing. Turned his face with a gentle smile, inviting him to sit down.

  "Brother, I don't know where you're from?"

  That man thought he had a chance, so he enthusiastically introduced himself. "My surname is Lu, my name is Jiukun, I'm a local, and I study at Wenxi Hall in the city. It wasn't until last month that my brother brought me into the church, and I discovered that studying is dull and uninteresting, not as fun as being in the church and getting a half-official position. Look, it's only been less than a month and I'm already in charge of this street. The elder said that if I can bring in 100 believers for the church, he'll promote me to Langguan. Not bad, right? You guys think about it."

  "Haha, haha, it's not bad, it's not bad..." Mengmu casually replied, taking advantage of the waiter pouring water to make a subtle inquiry about Jing's intentions.

  Dao Jing's eyes were calm and steady, almost imperceptibly nodding his head.

  "How's it going? How's your consideration?"

  Lu Jiucan was so eager that Meng Mu couldn't help but laugh loudly: "Good, of course I want to join, but what conditions do you have?"

  "This is simple, I have always treated everyone equally. As long as new believers take an oath in front of the elder's sacrifice, they can receive the elixir. This elixir can strengthen one's body and eliminate all diseases after consumption. If taken every month, it can even achieve immortality."

  Meng Mu found it amusing and asked in feigned surprise: "Ah? So divine? It must be very expensive, right?"

  Lu Jiujin's face was full of praise, greatly commending Meng Muzhi for being knowledgeable and interesting. "This immortal medicine has an extraordinary origin, ordinary people can't even see it, let alone take it. But our sect's disciples have the opportunity to obtain it, except for the first time it was given as a gift, later if you want to use it again, it only costs one or two silver coins."

  "Wow! This is called instant noodles?" Mengmu muttered to himself, looking around and sighing, "Your family here is really wealthy."

  Lu Jing had just seen Dao Jing buy two pieces of cake with a coin, she didn't quite understand what the silver was, but seeing everyone's surprise, she asked Lu Jiuqin: "Brother Lu, how much is one or two silver coins worth?"

  Lu Jiuren was stunned and replied inexplicably: "One or two is just one or two."

  Meng Mu couldn't help but knock on Lu Jian's head, saying in a low voice: "How can you call anyone big brother? Your big brother is the only god of Tiantai Mountain! Don't call anyone else that from now on!"

  "Oh, and these two silver coins..."

  "Silver...?" Mengmu thought for a moment, "Silver is money, copper coins are also money. Didn't Daojing just give you some copper coins to buy pastries with?"

  One

  "This silver is commonly seen in the city, but not often used in rural areas. One or two silver coins can now be exchanged for at least 200 copper coins, which means you can buy 400 pastries, enough for that old man to sell for ten days and eight days, enough for you to eat until you vomit, do you understand?"

  "How disgusting..." Lu Jian made a face, "Got it"

  "Cough cough" interrupted their casual conversation at the right moment. He looked at Lu Jiuqin, "So, can we substitute it with money?"

  Lu Jiuban resolutely refused and lowered his voice, saying: "Now the government has ordered the use of new coins, and our commonly used five-copper coins are no longer allowed to circulate. Although the common people still use them privately, the court is now changing its orders every day, who knows when they will not be allowed to use new coins again, it's safer with gold and silver."

  After hearing these words, Dao was calm and composed. Originally, the use of gold and silver coins among the people was not very widespread. Like today, when prices are soaring due to inflation, gold and silver have shown even higher value. Today, you can exchange for 200 pieces of currency, but tomorrow it may double in value.

  He thought to himself: "These three flat roads are indeed somewhat clever"

  Jin Chao Mama 2014/09/19 22:41