Chapter 526: Chapter 269: Darkness Over the Yin River Path
The Ancient Yin River Dao extends through Dayong, spreading to the four corners of the world, with entrances scattered across the sixteen prefectures of Dayong.
According to the Eight Banner Marshals, there are twelve sacred beings guarding the Ancient Yin River Dao, collectively known as the twelve gatekeepers.
The entrance in the Capital City and Jin Sect area is under the jurisdiction of the gatekeeper ’Ghost Law’.
The Capital City is where the dragon of the nation’s destiny resides, gathering the spirit of the nation. After the founding emperor discovered an entrance to the Yin River in the capital, he modified the river courses, excavating a second canal connecting the capital to Jin Sect, and laid a stone foundation on the old riverbed for use by Dayong’s emperors for rituals to heaven and earth.
Outsiders are unaware, only those within the path understand that Emperor Tianzhi went to such great lengths to seal the entrance to the Yin River, preventing unforeseen consequences.
With the entrance in the Capital City gone, the nearest entrance at Jin Sect became the burial site of the Eight Banner Marshals after their death.
As for why the founding emperor sent the Eight Banner Marshals into the Ancient Yin River Dao...
Those who establish a new dynasty often harbor ambitions as vast as the universe, a desire to encompass and devour all within heaven and earth. To Emperor Tianzhi, all under heaven belongs to the king; all at the edges of the land are his subjects.
Since the Ancient Yin River Dao lay beneath his feet, why couldn’t it be part of Dayong’s realm?
Emperor Tianzhi intended to use the Eight Banner Marshals as an advance army to explore the Yin River. If properly arranged, perhaps upon his death, he could become the ruler of the Yin River, extending his life in the underworld.
Sadly, the heavens did not favor him. Upon Emperor Tianzhi’s death, the Ancient Yin River Dao remained enveloped by chaotic mist, with the Eight Banner Marshals only able to explore a thousand miles around over many years.
Beyond that, it was already beyond the influence of mortal kingdoms.
Even so, over the centuries, the Eight Banner Marshals relied on devouring the remnants of the Yin Devouring Dharma King’s forces, influencing great matters in the mortal world through victories in the underworld. As a result, the ancestor veins of the southern tribes dried up, and to this day, the southern clans continue to wage battle, with the kingdom of Nan Cuo having already become a nominal existence.
The Eight Banner Marshals, while alive, followed the former emperor, establishing achievements unparalleled in history. Even after death, they continued to exert influence, but unfortunately, Dayong’s successors are incompetent. Despite such strong support, they still govern the country terribly.
Emperor Tianzhi foresaw the influence of the Ancient Yin River Dao on the mortal world and laid out governance plans openly.
Yet, the successors of Emperor Tianzhi had their own ideas, predicting their ancestors’ thoughts and making decisions contrary to tradition, causing people to lose their sense of belonging to Dayong. Consequently, half of the national spirit dissipated, reducing the power of the Eight Banner Marshals, which relied on national fortune, by half.
Now, the Cangyi Group seizes the opportunity to create chaos, supporting the Yin Devouring Dharma King, deceiving Dayong’s people into worshipping the Yin Devouring Dharma King. They not only frequently organize Dharma assemblies, preach doctrines, but even daily distribute rice, oil, and eggs in street corners early every morning before officials gather, to the surprise of Xu Qing.
Turns out you’ve monopolized all the eggs in Jin Sect!
Xu Qing disdains these crooked practices, but at certain times, one must admit they are indeed simple and effective.
Incense offerings in this world roughly fall into two types: ordinary faith and merit-based faith.
The former involves unorthodox worship at wild shrines, or legit temples neglecting proper duties, enjoying incense while ignoring divine duties. This type of faith offering incense, despite being abundant, lacks merit support, and eventually, the grand edifice will collapse.
Yet before the collapse, they can always deceive devout followers into offering sincerely, which allows this type of faith to provide a steady stream of divine power for those false gods.
The Cangyi Group clearly understands this, as the Yin Devouring Dharma King stands opposed to Dayong. When people believe in the Yin Devouring Dharma King, the corresponding influence on Dayong diminishes.
Xu Qing has never practiced such leftist paths. In his temple hall, miracles always manifest; the grain provided by the Cat Immortal Hall for disaster relief is never false, and the Bao Sheng Temple’s conservation manual similarly benefits the masses.
Even Xu Qing, seen as sacredly untouchable in people’s eyes, the Mother of Salvation will appear among the people, granting wishes to the faithful.
One hall, one temple, imposing in the heart, the grace bestowed upon the people, the gratitude from the people is sincere. When returning vows, hearts are pure and connection with heaven and earth is made, rendering incense offerings of golden splendor as merit.
Thus, Xu Qing has never regarded the crooked practices of the Cangyi Group with importance, but now...
Xu Qing thinks occasionally acting like a rogue might not be a bad thing.
...
Early the next morning, Xu Qing went to Flower and Bird Street.
Uncle Feng had money, connections, and a bank. Xu Qing planned to exchange the funerary objects’ gold and silver acquired from grave digging for strings of cash with Uncle Feng.
Uncle Feng didn’t even ask, as he regarded Xu Qing as his reborn parents, willing to call him dad, not to mention these small favors.
After handling the money matters, Xu Qing sought out a broker, saying he would celebrate the six-year anniversary of the Funeral Shop opening in a few days, giving back to the local community. Regarding how many eggs there are in Jin Sect, get them all for me, a higher price won’t matter.
Besides that, Xu Qing went to the Pear Garden Theater to find the troupe leader, wanting to book a performance of the Eight Banner Marshals’ drama about conquering lands and safeguarding rivers as the anniversary’s show.
The troupe leader found this difficult. There were dramas about the Eight Banner Marshals before, but they didn’t sell well. Xu Qing wanted to create a new show based on the original, and given the tight time, even if the ancestral master ’Old God’ personally stepped in, it couldn’t be done!
Because this is simply not something a mortal can achieve!
Xu Qing, as the leader of the funeral industry in Jin Sect, has provided many death-related performances to the theaters over the years. We are brotherly industries, think of a plan, at least for the sake of brothers’ faces, won’t you?