On the Avenue

In the morning, Chen Shi woke up early. Grandpa was cooking in the kitchen. He had his back to Chen Shi, but his sleeves were bloody. He didn't know what kind of meat was chopped on the chopping board.

Chen Shi looked around and thought to himself: "As long as it's not human flesh, I can eat anything."

There was a noise outside. It was the villagers of Huangpo Village who came to the ancient tree to offer incense.

Chen Shi went out and saw people holding incense and candles, carrying fruits, chickens and ducks, and coming to the ancient tree in the village.

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The ancient tree has been vicissitudes for many years. The roots arched out of the ground, like a dragon coiling, and the branches were strange, like a twisted giant python. There were not many branches and leaves, not lush.

But the tree was hung with red ropes and wooden signs tied to it. The wooden signs were written with the wishes of the villagers.

This ancient tree in Huangpo Village has a history of many years. It is the godmother of most villagers. Every first day of the lunar month, the villagers come to worship and pray, which is called the moon festival.

There are three days in the lunar festival. The first day is for worshipping the godmother, and the second and third days are for the market.

Ancient trees are spiritual, especially the ancient tree worshipped by Huangpo Village, which is even more effective. This tree can dispel evil spirits and protect the people after nightfall, so the houses in Huangpo Village are built around the ancient tree.

If you offer offerings, you can also make a wish to the ancient tree, marriage, children, wealth, and find things to ensure safety, all of which will come true.

Sitting on the trunk of the ancient tree is a girl, 28 years old, with a beautiful and dignified appearance, wearing a light green moonlight skirt, a black dress embroidered with red money on the upper body, and a lotus gold hairpin on her head.

This girl is very quiet and never speaks.

No one in the village can see this girl, but Chen Shi can see her every time he goes out.

Whether it is windy or rainy, the girl sits on the tree.

The girl on the tree once gave Chen Shi a red fruit, which was discovered by his grandfather. His grandfather asked Chen Shi to throw it away, saying it was poisonous.

"She is not your godmother, but someone else's godmother. To her, you are an outsider in this village. If she poisons you, everyone in the village will be her godchildren." Grandpa said.

"Xiao Shi, it's time to eat." Grandpa's voice came from the yard.

Chen Shi responded and went home to the dining table. There was rice and meat in the porridge on the table, with a green color and a strange smell.

There were also three dishes, fried unknown meat with medicinal herbs, and some things like insects as thick as fingers, which smelled not very friendly, and some of the insects were still raw and squirming.

Chen Shi asked carefully: "Grandpa, is this food or medicine?"

Grandpa didn't even turn his head: "It's food and medicine. You are sick, you have to finish it."

Chen Shi weighed his words and said: "Grandpa, I am cured."

"No, you are not."

Grandpa turned his back to him and said indifferently: "You were sick again last night, right? You need to continue taking medicine."

Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat: "Grandpa was out last night, how did he know that I was sick again?"

He didn't care what the food tasted like, he just stuffed it into his mouth.

Although Grandpa turned his back to him, he didn't know when an eye appeared on his shoulder, and the nerve plexus seemed to be a slender leg, peeping at him and supervising him to eat.

Chen Shi finished the meal in a hurry, and felt a burning sensation in his stomach, getting hotter and hotter, as if there was a ball of fire in his body, burning his heart.

Every time he ate, it was like this, but this time the medicine seemed too strong, he felt that the blood in his heart was about to be boiled!

He quietly activated the Three Lights Righteous Qi Jue, trying to introduce the power of the medicine into his limbs and bones, and then he felt better.

Chen Shi's heart moved slightly: "The Three Lights Righteous Qi Jue says that it is to lead the Three Lights Righteous Qi and refine the holy fetus and Dharma body. I don't have a divine fetus and cannot condense the magic power, but I can refine my body into a holy fetus without refining the magic power, isn't it?"

When he thought of this, he removed the part of the Three Lights Righteous Qi Jue that tempered the true qi, leaving only the method of refining the body. When practicing, it can function smoothly, and it can improve the body faster.

After dinner, Chen Shi helped his grandfather tie up the car, put various daily necessities and dry food on the car, and tied it tightly with ropes.

The car was a wooden wheel, and many talismans were engraved on the wheel hub. The painting was a horse-armor talisman, which could make the car run faster.

Grandpa wore a bamboo hat, making it difficult to see his face. He took out cinnabar and carefully traced the talismans on the wheel to make the talismans clearer.

Cinnabar was not ground with water, but with black dog blood, which had a fishy smell. Chen Shi glanced at Hei Guo and saw that the black dog was drooping. Grandpa must have taken blood from it.

Chen Shi helped to trace the talisman while muttering to himself: "The black dog blood in front of the neck has the best effect, the most yang energy, and it is not easy to fade when applied. I should cut a knife on the neck."

He was narrow-minded and still resented the dog for adding fuel to the fire.

Hei Guo shuddered and glanced at him with resentment.

The grandfather and grandson were ready and got on the wooden cart. The armor and horse talismans on the four wheels of the wooden cart gradually lit up. The wheels were unmanned and automatically carried them out of the village.

Hei Guo took a step and followed the wooden cart.

Grandpa held a bronze compass in his hand. The pointer on the compass shook slightly. Whenever the pointer changed direction, the wooden cart also changed direction.

When the car drove outside the village, Chen Shi jumped out of the car, took out the incense, candles and paper money, ran uphill, and came to the old tree outside the village.

Grandpa did not stop him or stop the car.

Chen Shi burned paper and incense for Shitou's godmother, offered fruits, kowtowed a few times, and then burned a few sticks of incense for the scholar ghost hanging on the tree, and then ran back and caught up with the wooden cart.

On the first day of every month, the grandfather and grandson always went out.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, every village holds a moon festival. In addition to worshiping the godmother, it is also a lively market where you can buy a variety of goods.

He, Chen Shi, sat on the wooden cart and continued to practice the Three Lights Righteousness Technique. Starlight fell down one after another and merged into his body.

Grandpa looked him over and said, "You can take more medicine."

When Chen Shi heard this, he almost lost his temper. He quickly gave up his mind and concentrated on practicing.

Strange to say, after eating the "meal" cooked by his grandfather, he felt that the speed of practicing the Three Lights Righteousness Art was inexplicably faster. His body became stronger and stronger, and his limbs were full of strength!

"Even if I don't take things like preserved souls, I can still enter the true king's tomb again and walk such a long distance!" He thought to himself.

However, this is not enough.

His goal is to obtain the complete Three Lights Righteousness Technique!

The wooden cart traveled more than ten miles and arrived at Shanyang Village next door.

This village is built around an ancient pagoda. The ancient pagoda has thirteen floors and is seven or eight feet high. The bricks and stones are old and clumsy, and they are engraved with patterns from an unknown age.

Chen Shi looked up and saw a handsome monk sitting on the second floor of the ancient pagoda. While receiving the incense, he slowly turned his head and watched the wooden cart of his grandfather and grandson passing by the pagoda.

This little monk is the godmother of Shanyang Village.

The godmother does not have to be a tree. Anyone with extraordinary power can be worshiped by the world, protect one side, and be worshiped as a godmother.

The real godmother of Shanyang Village is actually the ancient pagoda, and the young monk is just the image formed by the extraordinary power of the villagers' sacrifices.

"This monk is not a good person either." Chen Shi said sincerely.

When he first came here, he entered the tower rashly and was almost eaten as a sacrifice by the young monk.

He still remembers the scene in which the little monk changed from kind-faced and kind-hearted to a ferocious giant Buddha in an instant, and he still shudders to this day.

When the wooden cart stopped, Chen Shi got out of the car and helped his grandfather set up the stall and put on various talismans.

The grandfather and grandson mainly make a living by selling talismans. There are talismans for communicating with relatives in other places, peach talismans to ward off evil spirits, armor and horse talismans for traveling, water-bending talismans for boating, and rain master talismans for praying for rain.

Those who are able to draw talismans must become divine beings and possess divine power. However, such people are often civil servants and hold official positions in the city. Where can they come out to sell talismans?

"Old Chen, are you out selling talismans again?" Someone recognized the grandfather and grandson and greeted them.

"Um."

"How did I hear that you were dead? I heard from people in your village that when you go to bed at night, you sleep in your own coffin!"

"It's nothing, don't talk nonsense."

Grandpa chatted with regular customers. The business of the talisman stall was good, and soon the grandfather and grandson sold a lot of talismans.

At this time, two young girls came over playfully. They were both dressed in clothes that they were reluctant to wear on weekdays, but they exposed their slender pink-white legs and arms like chopsticks. Their faces were lightly painted with pink and white, and they were bright and sunny.

"Two peach blossom charms." One of the girls was more courageous and handed over two pieces of broken silver and said with a smile.

Her palm touched Chen Shi's, soft and smooth, which made the young man's heart flutter.

Chen Shi quickly fetched the peach blossom charm and handed it to them. The two girls walked away laughing. The bolder girl glanced back at Chen Shi twice and smiled twice.

Chen Shi's heart was beating rapidly. He pinched a peach blossom charm and quietly stuffed it into his sleeve.

"Take it out." Grandpa said without raising his head.

"What did you bring out?" Chen Shi pretended.

"Peach Blossom Talisman."

Chen Shi muttered in annoyance, reluctantly took out the Peach Blossom Talisman, and exclaimed: "Grandpa, I'm not young anymore, I can use the Peach Blossom Talisman!"

Grandpa shook his head: "You are still young. I saw you when you were taking a medicinal bath. You will grow for another two years."

Chen Shi's face turned red.

"And you're still sick," Grandpa added.

Chen Shi practiced Sanguang Zhengqi honestly and strived to recover from the disease as soon as possible, but he still had a question: "Grandpa, what disease do I have?"

Grandpa didn't answer.

By noon, the grandfather and grandson had sold out all the talismans, packed up the stall, got on the wooden cart, and drove out of Shanyang Village.

The wooden cart drove smoothly. Chen Shi ate some dry food in the cart. Grandpa didn't eat anything. Instead, he took out a few sticks of incense and lit them, holding them in his hands to inhale the aroma.

When Chen Shi saw this scene, he was silent for a long time and said, "Grandpa, will you become the godmother of the village after your death? Then I can see you every day."

Grandpa was silent for a moment, wondering if he was a little sentimental. He shook his head and said, "No. After I die, I will probably be pulled away by the power of the netherworld and fall into the underworld."

There was another moment of silence.

"Grandpa, can you not die?"

Chen Shi lowered his head and looked at the road in front of the car, which was gradually blurring, "I don't want grandpa to die."

After a long time, grandpa stretched out his rough hand and touched his head.

"Silly boy, how can a person not die?" Grandpa said with a smile.

In the past ten days, Chen Shi felt the tenderness of his elders and relatives for the first time.

The wooden cart trudged forward, with a giant tree standing in front of it. Unfortunately, it was a dead tree. Its branches were like sharp claws of a monster, piercing the sky.

There are hundreds of houses surrounding the giant tree, also in a ring, but no one is living in this village.

The godmother of this village is dead.

The day the giant tree died, the village lost its protection and was invaded by external evil spirits, killing many people.

As the wooden cart passed by, Chen Shi saw people swaying in the village, about a hundred or so people, smiling and dressed in costumes, and children playing.

They are also celebrating the Moon Festival.

But, they have been dead for a long time.

"Why didn't the power of the netherworld pull them into the underworld?" Chen Shi asked in confusion.

Grandpa couldn't answer either.

The wooden cart came to the next village, which was called Fangdian Village. The Yudai River made a bend like a rope loop here, and Fangdian Village was built on the river bend. There were lush grass everywhere, and the grass was long and the warblers were flying, which was very beautiful.

The godmother of Fangdian Village was an ancient tree, which should be an elm tree. The tree trunk was extremely thick and there were many red ropes and wish cards tied to it. Chen Shi looked up at the tree and didn't see the tree god formed by the extraordinary power. He was stunned.

When he came under the tree, he found that there was a small temple under the tree. In front of the shrine in the temple, incense was curling. There was a girl of the same age as himself sitting there, wearing a pink dress and two long ponytails. She ate the offerings while checking the villagers' wishes.

"So it's here." Chen Shi thought to himself.

As soon as the grandfather and grandson left the stall, they heard a commotion. The market, which was bustling just now, suddenly became less crowded.

The woman held the child in her arms and hurried home. The man hurriedly picked up the tools he could use, such as axes and kitchen knives, and put them on his waist. The people who were eating just now ran away, leaving the shopkeepers with tears in their eyes.

"The Six Gates are coming!" someone shouted.

The so-called Six Gates refers to the government office. The main gate of the county government usually has six door panels, so those who work in the county government are jokingly called the Six Gates.

Chen Shi looked up and saw dozens of government runners coming in a line, smashing and destroying stalls and shops along the way.

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, those who fail to pay taxes shall be punished with 100 strokes of the cane! You are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty, please do not make things difficult for us who are on duty!"

The head of the yamen looked around, opened the account book, and said loudly, "Liu Zexi, Liu Zexi! Your family has paid the land tax, but there are still household tax and business tax to be paid! Come out!"

A man from Fangdian Village said boldly: "Shangguan, Liu Zexi is dead."

The head of the yamen pulled a stool and sat down with a big horse and a golden knife, and asked in surprise: "Dead? When did he die?"

"The last time Shangguan came to collect taxes, he didn't receive them, and he died the next day."

The man said carefully, "Hanging on the godmother's tree, it was already hard when I found it."

The head of the yamen grunted, his eyes were like lightning, looking at the ancient tree in the center of Fangdian Village, and sneered: "You mean he used himself as a sacrifice to offer to your godmother in your village? Liu Zexi, you sacrificed yourself and made a wish to your godmother, so... what exactly did you wish for?"