Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 718 - 140: The Demon Being of the Longevity Sect Plans a Big Move
The situation deteriorated faster than Wang Yunxiao had anticipated.
Yang Youxuan, having prayed and worshipped Buddha for half a day, reluctantly told Wang Yunxiao that a master had indeed been found, but would not be able to come until a week later.
By then, the marigolds might as well have cooled down.
No sooner had the police station meeting concluded than news of a grain store being smashed, looted, and burned reached the outside.
According to intelligence summarized from the scene, it seemed that people received news of a fire at an external grain store, worried about a shortfall in the grain supply, and then flocked to buy grain at the store, leading to a bank run.
The grain store owner and several shop assistants were killed on the spot, and tens of thousands of jin of grain were looted.
Wang Yunxiao recalled that the news he had heard before was that a grain store outside the city had burned down ten thousand tons of corn.
One ton is one thousand kilograms, so ten thousand tons is two hundred million jin.
Tianmen City has a population of one and a half million people, which would amount to around one hundred jin per person.
If you’re calculating based on famine years, then indeed it’s a critical figure.
But these are not famine years, are you telling me you’ve been living on Northwest wind before the maize from outside the border could be imported?
In principle, that is so, but you can’t reason with these people.
Their level of education doesn’t allow them to solve such complex mathematical problems.
Moreover, various rumors and elements of contamination must also be considered.
At such times, organizations like the Red Lantern Society truly demonstrate their purpose.
The Lamp Holding Rakshasas of the Red Lantern Society walk the streets, hanging their lotus lamps at crossroads, and the surrounding civilians, upon seeing them, pay their respects in worship. This is a local custom that has been passed down for decades in Tianmen City.
When the rakshasas light the lamps, it signals that evil spirits and demons are causing trouble nearby. Seeing the rise of the lotus lamps, people must heighten their vigilance, secure their homes, and protect against demon mischief. If they don’t heed the warning and get beguiled by demons into making trouble in the streets, they only have themselves to blame if they end up slain by a rakshasa’s blade.
The reputation of the Red Lantern Society has been hard-won through years of real fighting with knife and spear, not just a civil charity organization good at empty talk.
The Incense Masters have started going from house to house, notifying residents that Heaven sees all, and there is retribution for good and evil. Whoever killed people and robbed the grain, they can turn themselves in now for leniency. If someone remains hopeful and unwilling to confess, wait until the rakshasas cleanse the streets at night, and don’t blame the swords and blades for being blind.
In these times, when you talk about law and morality to common folk, they don’t understand. But if you play to feudal superstitions, they get it immediately.
On one hand, it’s due to the excellent transmission of millennia-old cultural residue.
On the other hand, it’s because of the Red Lantern Society’s blood-stained gold sign.
As for questions about the grain shortage, Wang Yunxiao had also prepared an answer in advance for them.
The infamous robber Old Third Liu held a grudge deeper than the sea against the owner behind the grain store. Now he was spreading rumors, enchanting the public, just to ruin the grain store’s business and cut off the owner’s source of wealth.
That’s the charm of journalism.
Nobody is interested in reading serious news; if you want to cover up a hot news topic, all you have to do is push another even hotter topic to trend.
This shameless strategy clearly caught the other party off guard, and the streets finally quieted down.
But Wang Yunxiao knew very well that the other side, having prepared such a big setup, would not give up easily.
At dusk, Wang Yunxiao and his brothers returned to the station to rest and recuperate, while Youtiao and Little Gourd rushed back from outside.
As for where exactly the Secretary Bureau responsible for compiling the local gazette was located, that was a question no one could answer.
However, the local gazette itself is not classified information. Apart from being kept on file by government departments, it can often be found in some bookstores outside.
Do not think that scholars in the past only read the Four Books and Five Classics. Reference books like local gazettes were also essential on scholars’ desks.
Otherwise, after studying hard for ten years, if you can’t find your way once you step outside, and when someone tries to relate familiar relations to you, you wouldn’t even know how to respond.
Marrying a wife, clueless about what kind of family the other party comes from, just going along with whatever the matchmaker says.
When senior leaders ask you about any famous people from your hometown, or if there are any scenic beauty spots or delicacies, you’re ignorant about it all.
This job is pretty much finished.
Youtiao, accompanied by Little Gourd, spent a whole day outside and brought back several versions of the local chronicles.
There were concise editions, and also those that were more detailed but discontinuous...
Youtiao flipped open one of the pages and handed it to Wang Yunxiao.
"In the tenth year of the Apocalypse era, a great drought struck the Central Plains, turning the soil red for thousands of miles with no grain harvest. Tianmen City suffered severe rat infestations, with large black-haired rats swarming and parading in the streets in broad daylight... A man from Northeast China named Hu Dayou claimed he cultivated Immortal Technique in Changbai Mountain since his youth, could communicate with animals, expel spirits, summon warriors, and was an expert in drawing talismans and chanting spells..."
Up to this point, it’s all rather normal, but reading further, it starts getting absurd.
"Madame Liu’s young daughter, kind-hearted, left food out for sparrows and squirrels. She was seen by the Black-Haired Rat Demon, who transformed into a human and came knocking, wanting to forcefully marry her. Landlord Liu had no choice but to call for Hu Dayou to subdue the demon. Hu Dayou set up an altar, invited a Great Immortal to possess him, and used Samadhi True Fire to drive away the rat demon. After the event, Hu reminded Landlord Liu that this was caused by his daughter feeding squirrels but not rats, hence the Rat Demon held a grudge. To resolve the animosity, he advised preparing thirty-three pounds of roasted peanuts as an offering to be placed in the southeast part of the household..."
How petty can this rat spirit get?
Wang Yunxiao turned to the next page, only to see it titled "Hu Dayou Rescues Miss Liu for the Second Time".
There’s a second part to this? The fellow who compiled these local chronicles, has he been listening to too many storytelling sessions?
The story of the second part is noticeably more thrilling, narrating how Miss Liu reached marriageable age and due to her kind nature saved a stray cat, only to be retaliated against by the Rat Demon. A swarm of black-haired rats kidnapped her from her home. Upon hearing of this, Hu Dayou set off alone to rescue her. After a fierce struggle that left him gravely injured, he managed to save Miss Liu. Touched by his bravery, she reciprocated by marrying him.
To avoid the Rat Demon’s vengeance, the couple left Tianmen City and their whereabouts became unknown after their marriage.
Um... this story seems so familiar.
Wang Yunxiao thought hard for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead; isn’t this Old Third Liu! When Li Mumu took the two maids to visit the sick, they encountered a rat swarm attack on the way home, and out came the hero to save the damsel in distress, the Shaman’s Apprentice named Old Third Liu.
Even though he saved the girl, he himself got dragged into it.
At that time, Wang Yunxiao was preoccupied with watching over the Shen Family and never gave much thought as to where this person actually came from.
Although it’s not exactly the same story, the character setting seems very similar, highly coincidental.
Wang Yunxiao doesn’t believe this is just a coincidence.
This suggests that Youtiao’s speculation is very likely correct!
"Can you find any other cases that match or resemble this one?"
"It’s going to take some time; I’ve only found these few volumes, and the content is incomplete..."
Before Youtiao could finish speaking, a commotion was heard outside the cafeteria.
Yang Youxuan walked briskly into the cafeteria, came up to Wang Yunxiao, and, with a tense face, whispered, "Brother Wang, there’s trouble on the streets. My Incense Master has caught wind that someone is planning to cause trouble tonight!"
"Causing trouble?"
"It’s said that members of the Longevity Sect are planning to raise an army under the guise of ’Clearing the Emperor’s Side’ and start a rebellion."
"Ah?"
That’s a lot to process, and Wang Yunxiao felt his brain go numb.
The Longevity Sect staging a rebellion?
And ’Clearing the Emperor’s Side’?
How were these two matters forcibly linked together?
