Chapter 332: Barehanded Lu Zhishen, encountering a tiger in a pine forest

After the first month of the lunar year, the temperature slowly rises, especially as you go south, spring arrives faster.

However, there are differences between the north and the south.

Especially in the areas outside the Great Wall, there is no distinct spring and autumn. It is either cold or hot throughout the year, and this is especially true the further north you go.

Yang Changxiu was a man of high stature and was immune to wind and frost, but the horse he sat on could not withstand the pressure. If he had not changed horses several times along the way, it would have taken an unknown amount of time to arrive.

In March in the south, the grass is green and the birds are singing, but Huining Prefecture is still covered in white. Although the temperature has risen to a certain extent, the ice and snow have not completely melted.

Perhaps it was because of the bad weather that the defense of the Jin capital Shangjing was lax, and the guards at the city gates hardly ever gave any money to passers-by, so Yang Chang was able to sneak into the city so easily.

Compared to when Fan Rui came back, the appearance of Shangjing City has not changed much.

Wuqimai recruited craftsmen on a large scale, mainly to build royal palaces. Those with spare capacity were used to serve the nobles, and they would not contribute to the common people. However, a large number of Han people from Yanjing moved in, and gradually formed Han settlements. Facilities such as brothels, theaters, and inns also spread to the local area.

The three of them found an inn in the Han Chinese activity area and stayed there first. Because Lu Zhishen and Fan Rui were dressed as Hu people, they were looked at strangely by the waiters and guests.

They had seen this kind of look many times on the road and were no longer surprised.

After asking the shopkeeper for a place to stay, the three of them sat down by the fireplace in the lobby and ordered some soup, noodles and hot wine to fill their stomachs.

While they were waiting for food, two guests came in to have a meal. For some reason, Lu Zhishen suddenly stood up and ran out, startling Yang Chang and Fan Rui to follow him.

What's wrong with you?

Only when he got to the street did Yang Chang finally understand the crux of the problem.

It turned out that two monks left side by side. Lu Zhishen then stared at Fan Rui, as if asking why?
Didn't you say that there were no monks in the capital, and I would be too conspicuous if I didn't disguise myself? So I gave him an extremely ugly appearance (Khitan hairstyle), but how do you explain the scene in front of you?

Fan Rui understood what he meant and hurriedly explained: "Master, please don't blame me. There were indeed no monks when I came last time, and I don't know why there are suddenly more monks."

"Forget it, Master. We had a safe trip. Let's go back and have a drink."

Yang Chang patted Lu Zhishen's arm, then turned to ask Fan Rui, "By the way, Master Luo calculated that the demon is in Shangjing, but did he say where exactly? What is the demon's name?"

"I really didn't tell you about that, but Shangjing City isn't very big, so it shouldn't be difficult to find out. This inn seems to be doing good business, and the constant flow of people is where information gathers. The commander might as well ask the innkeeper."

"Businessmen may not be willing to talk about this kind of thing, but your idea is good. Let's go back to the house first."

"Eh."

Fan Rui followed Yang Chang back to the house and just sat down, he saw Lu Zhishen frowning and said in a deep voice: "If the monk's identity is fine, I want to remove the disguise, it's really uncomfortable"

"Don't worry, let me find out everything. Come, have a bowl of hot wine."

"Dry!"

Lu Zhishen raised the bowl and drank it in big gulps.

In order to be able to perform rituals at any time, Fan Rui had not drunk any alcohol along the way, and at this moment he was only drinking water. However, Yang Chang clinked his wine bowl with his.

"I remember that before we left, Brother Ma asked you to take us to Shangjing and then return directly to Erxian Mountain. Now that we have entered the city, I wonder when you will leave?"

"We gathered at Liangshan before, and now we are traveling a long distance together. Why are you so determined? The general is unfamiliar with the place, but I am familiar with it. I should stay and help find out the identity of the mage. It won't be too late to return to the mountain later."

"That's good. It's easier to get things done with more people."

Yang Chang did not refuse Fan Rui's kindness, and immediately started eating and drinking in the store.

It is easy to get drunk with warm wine, and Lu Zhishen drank too much and was soon sent back to his room.

Yang Chang was afraid that he would cause trouble after drinking, so he asked Fan Rui to help watch him while he went to the front hall to get information.

Businessmen are all very cunning, especially those doing business in the capital of the Jin Dynasty. Who among them is not a shrewd person?

Ordinary street news is not a big deal and people will tell it to others voluntarily, but if you ask about wizards and monsters, who would dare to answer you?

Yang Changsui started with the matter of monks and learned that with the increasing number of Han people coming to the capital, monks were no longer a rare sight, but the Jin Kingdom still maintained strict control over them and one could lose his head if he was not careful.

The shopkeeper gave an example, that on the night of the Lantern Festival this year, some monks living in the Lailiu River area used long poles to attract lanterns for fun. Wu Qimai heard about it and reported it to the police, suspecting that he was misleading the people and intending to incite rebellion, so he killed him. He also ordered all the monks from Huining Prefecture to enter the city and build temples to spread Buddhism. This is why there were so many monks passing by on the streets of Shangjing.

After hearing this, Yang Chang suddenly realized what was going on and thought that Lu Zhishen had to continue pretending to be a Xi person. He asked the shopkeeper indirectly about some interesting stories, but the shopkeeper could not explain it. He pointed out that there were lively performances in the tile houses in the city on the fifth and tenth day of every month and recommended that he go to the tile houses to have fun.

That day was the seventh day of March. Yang Chang stayed in the lobby for a while and then went back to his room to rest. The next day, he and Fan Rui went to the capital to get acquainted with each other.

On the way, they passed by the laundry house and the villa where Huizong was under house arrest. Fan Rui introduced them in detail. Yang Chang sighed as he listened, but he kept the villa in his mind.

He married Zhao Fujin, and Wu Song married Zhao Fujin. Perhaps they should go to see their father-in-law before leaving. If they could find a way to bring him back to the Central Plains, perhaps they could disgust Zhao Gou.

But soon, he gave up.

Because the latest news is that not long after Yelu Yanxi's death last year, Zhao Ji was also moved to another place, but passers-by did not know where he went.

No useful information was obtained that day, so on March 9th, the troops were divided into two groups to inquire, but in the end they got the same result. It was not until March 10th that Fan Rui, who could speak Jurchen, made a discovery in a brothel.

He heard a conversation in Jurchen language nearby, which mentioned that a shamanic ceremony had been going on in Jinlong Mountain near Shangjing since last New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, the two of them were not qualified to watch the ceremony in person, so they could only come to the brothel to watch the boring magic tricks of the Han people.

Fan Rui whispered the story in Yang Chang's ear, and Yang Chang stood up excitedly when he heard it.

He started to faint on New Year's Eve, and this condition has continued to this day. If Lu Zhishen had not accompanied him, he would never have been able to reach the capital.

Once you discover a clue, you can't let it go.

After watching the magic show in the brothel, Yang Chang and Lu Zhishen knocked them out and took them away from the scene. Then, they were blindfolded and interrogated in Jurchen by Fan Rui in Jurchen language, and some new information was revealed.

It turns out that the Jurchen ethnic groups believed in Shamanism. Usually, the chief shaman of each tribe organized a small sacrifice every year to pray for good weather and safe hunting. The shaman sacrifice was presided over by the chief priest, who summoned the chief shamans of various ethnic groups to perform the joint sacrifice. It was the most sacred ceremony of the Jurchens.

The shaman high priest had the same status as the chief in the tribal period, but after Aguda established the Jin Dynasty, this position was always held concurrently by the prime minister.

When they returned to the inn later, Lu Zhishen was impatient and muttered, "Brother Yang, the Prime Minister of the Jin Kingdom is Nianhan, the Shaman High Priest. If you kill him, he can't beat us head-on, so he uses this damn sacrifice to play dirty tricks. Why don't we attack Jinlong Mountain tonight and wipe out his mess!"

"Don't worry. Jinlong Mountain stretches for hundreds of miles. It's impossible to find the sacrificial site in one night. Let's find out the location first."

"What the commander said is very true. Master Lu, please don't be impatient. It won't take a day or two."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Lu Zhishen nodded and murmured, then sat down on the bed. Yang Changze opened the window and looked out. He saw that it was not even half past three in the afternoon, but it was already dark outside.

"Shangjing is not only in the extreme north, but also in the extreme east. It gets dark early and gets light early every day. It is one hour behind Yangqu. Master, please get ready. We will leave the city immediately."

"Oh, I'll go get the horse right away."

"install?"

Fan Rui was stunned when he heard this, and asked curiously: "Didn't the commander say there was no hurry? It's almost dark, why are you leaving the city now?"

"I'm going to explore the way first. I won't be back tonight. The shaman ceremony must have a fire, and it's easy to spot it at night. The ceremony has been going on for two months, so supplies should be brought into the mountains regularly. Mr. Fan can follow this idea and check again in the city tomorrow."

"Uh, when will the commander return? I may not be able to stay for long."

"I'll be back to meet you tomorrow night. Whether or not you find the sacrifice site, you can leave the day after tomorrow, sir."

Seeing Yang Chang say this, Fan Rui responded with a serious face, thinking that he would investigate carefully tomorrow, and if he could help him again before leaving, it would be a perfect ending. Later, Lu Zhishen brought the horses, and he and Yang Chang left Shangjing in the twilight.

Jinlong Mountain is twenty miles east of the city and stretches for hundreds of miles from north to south. It is impossible to find a sacrificial site in such a vast mountain without some means.

For such a grand sacrificial ceremony, there must be a living camp near the sacrificial site. Using fire at night will make it easier to be exposed. Yang Chang has [Eagle Eyes and Owl Vision], which can bring out his advantage at night.

He planned to ride along the foothills, and when he saw the fire, he would follow the map and go into the mountain to confirm.

It was already dark when the two arrived at the foot of the mountain. They could not see the end of the mountain range to the north or south, so they had to choose a direction to scout.

The moon had not come out yet. Yang Changxian saw the North Star above his head and subconsciously chose to head north.

Yang Chang held the reins of Lu Zhishen's horse, and he followed slowly forward in the dark, holding the reins.

After walking about ten miles, Yang Chang suddenly pulled the reins to stop the front line and pointed to the northeast to remind: "Master, do you see the flash on the hill over there?"

"An? No."

"Uh"

Yang Chang was stunned when he heard this, and realized that Lu Zhishen could not see far, so he urged his horse to move on.

"It doesn't matter if you didn't see it. I can see it clearly. Although the light is a little weak, it is still worth going up the mountain. Even an ordinary mountain hunter should know something about it."

"Oh, I can't see clearly, you decide."

Lu Zhishen's tone was filled with helplessness, but just as he was lost in thought, Yang Changtu stopped the horse again.

"what happened again?"

"There's actually a group of hunter-like people guarding the entrance to the mountain two miles away. We might have found the entrance!"

"Ah? What a coincidence? Then kill them?"

"Don't be reckless. If we alert the enemy, it will ruin the whole thing. Let's dismount first." After saying this, Yang Chang jumped down first.

Lu Zhishen held onto the saddle and asked curiously as he climbed down, "Aren't there still two miles to go? Why are you getting off the horse now?"

"Tie the horses nearby and we'll go over the mountain ahead of time."

"Climb the mountain ahead of time? Is that possible?"

"trust me!"

Yang Chang spoke with such determination that Lu Zhishen had no choice but to follow him.

He felt like a blind man. Apart from chanting some scriptures when Yang Chang was unconscious, the rest of his actions seemed to be of no use. He thought that if Brother Yang didn't have the fainting problem, finding a sacrificial site would be as easy as assassinating Xie Ye.

If I marry a woman who likes birds, will I become a burden?
As Lu Zhishen couldn't see, Yang Chang quickly tied the horse under a tree, then used the skill [Flowing Light and Shadow] to grab the monk's left hand, and moved towards the hillside next to him.

"Brother Yang, do you also know the magic of speed? How come you are so fast?"

"It's not the divine movement technique, but my Qinggong."

"Qinggong? The kind that Shi Qian knows? Be careful not to fall into the pit, and don't hit the tree. No, I'm quite heavy, don't jump too high with me."

Going up and down in the dark, even a tough guy like Lu Zhishen couldn't help swallowing his saliva and feeling scared.

Yang Chang was fully aware of his change in mentality, so he smiled and comforted him: "Master, relax. This height is nothing. The wall of Yangqu is high enough, right? I can go up and down easily."

"hiss"

Lu Zhishen took a deep breath. He was being led and moved like a child, his entire body controlled by Yang Chang with one hand, and his weight was completely ignored.

As time went on, the nervousness was replaced by numbness, and he no longer spoke to remind others, thinking that with Director Yang around, nothing could go wrong.

Yang Chang used Qinggong to move, but he couldn't leap up for a long time, as that would easily consume his true energy. So he tried to move forward on flat ground, and only when he encountered a place where he needed to take a shortcut, he took Lu Zhishen to experience "flying".

After traveling back and forth for half an hour, we finally saw a fire on a hilltop. There were many such fires between the mountains, flickering like lighthouses, and it didn't look like there were many people camping.

Am I looking in the wrong direction?

But what do the guards on duty at the foot of the mountain say?
Wait, lighthouses are for guiding the way, so these fires on the hilltops are also for guiding the way?

Thinking of this, Yang Chang's depressed mood finally eased. He decided to follow the guidance of the fires on the hilltops and go deep into the mountains to find the sacrificial site.

So he took Lu Zhishen with him and jumped in the mountains like a kangaroo.

It took him four full hours to climb up the last shining ridge.

Standing on it and looking up, you can see that the mountain ridge is surrounded by an oval shape, with a flat valley below. There is a huge bonfire in the center, and small fire racks at the four corners of the square, which illuminate the valley vaguely. There is a sacrificial platform next to the bonfire, and a group of camping tents on the edge.

The sacrifice should have ended that day, and there were only a dozen or sorcerers on duty with feathers on their heads and in strange costumes.

"Brother Yang, is this the place?"

"pretty close."

"What are you waiting for? Take me down and kill them. Let's burn this valley down."

"Not urgent."

Yang Chang rejected the proposal and explained, "This valley is not small. If the high priest Nianhan came here, he would definitely be accompanied by guards. Today's situation doesn't seem to be the case. We should first find out the surrounding routes. After discussing with Fan Rui tomorrow, we can use weapons to destroy this evil cult!"

"Oh"

"It feels like daybreak is coming. I have to quickly go back the same way and remember the locations I just visited so that I can find them during the day. I guess Nianhan will come during the day."

"That's good, I can work harder during the day!"

After Lu Zhishen finished speaking, he followed Yang Chang out of the mountain. He walked very slowly as he remembered the terrain, and he had only gone halfway when it was almost dawn.

The two men walked to a pine forest. Yang Chang carved marks on the trees along the way. Lu Zhishen found a broken tree and sat down in the howling snow wind in the forest.

"Brother Yang, you've been walking all night, you should take a rest."

"It's okay, I'm not tired."

Before Yang Chang finished speaking, he suddenly sensed danger approaching Lu Zhishen, and immediately turned around and shouted, "Master, be careful behind you!"

"Behind?"

There was a rush of wind in Lu Zhishen's ears, and when he turned around subconsciously to look, he heard a deafening roar.

Ouch!

In the dim light of morning, the monk suddenly saw a tiger as big as an ox, covered in snow, jumping towards him.

Oh my god, I'm at Jingyang Ridge? Why is he so big?

I don't have any weapons with me. Can Wu Song kill this thing with his bare hands?
(End of this chapter)