Ji Xiang left two talismans at the workshop. The red one was inscribed with "Talismans for warding off household calamities," intended to stabilize the home. Its effect was straightforward and potent, capable of averting all domestic disasters, regardless of the target.
The yellow one was for the child himself, inscribed with the Divine Incantation of Xuan Tian Shang Di.
Ji Xiang pinched the yellow talisman between his fingers. Incense smoke ignited, transforming into the divine form of the talisman. The child with the Nezha hairstyle watched, stunned, holding the talisman with both hands, examining it with great curiosity.
Ji Xiang taught the child to recite the divine incantation. The child began to follow along, his voice clear and crisp: "Humbly I invoke the True Warrior God of the North, whose feet tread upon the celestial gate and the Ao spirit; his hair unbound, he is the supreme general, his head crowned with the seven stars of the underworld...."
A strange occurrence then took place.
As the child recited the Divine Incantation of Xuan Tian Shang Di, Ji Xiang suddenly felt a connection, sensing a guiding wish originating from the child before him.
Ji Xiang blinked, a ripple of surprise spreading through his mind.
Had he, by seizing the divine form of the White-faced True Martial Great Emperor, now become a worldly avatar of Zhen Wu?
Could he then share in the incense offerings meant for Zhen Wu Great Emperor?
The thought immediately made Ji Xiang feel that his old trade of scavenging in Da Fu Li Tu could be put to good use once more.
"I will return in two days. I hope you will consider it carefully."
Ji Xiang spoke softly to the craftsman father. The craftsman father knew that this was an opportunity for an immortal connection. Mount Wudang was the pinnacle of Daoist sects, its status comparable to the Three Mountains of Daoism.
He was a craftsman, and if nothing unexpected happened, his son would likely achieve little.
Ji Xiang took the wooden seal and played with the child for a while before bidding farewell.
Watching Ji Xiang's retreating back, the craftsman father had already made up his mind.
How could he allow his son to remain at the bottom of society, just like himself?
Perhaps destiny could be altered today. Such a fated encounter, sought after by the world, how could it be casually discarded?
"My son, you are about to join the ranks of the immortals."
The craftsman father gazed at his son's receding figure, his eyes distant. He felt that his family would finally have a descendant who could hold their head high. Moreover, a Zhengyi Daoist priest could marry and have children, so there would be no worries about lineage.
Shortly after Ji Xiang's departure, the craftsman saw a Daoist priest in a bright red robe walking over from nearby, carrying a large bundle of yellow talismans.
.........
Tian Fengyu smiled. "Shopkeeper, this humble Daoist is Tian Fengyu, the temple keeper of the Dongyue Temple outside Chaoyang Gate in the east city."
The craftsman was bewildered, nodding repeatedly. "May I ask what the Daoist priest requires?"
"Ah, it's like this. I, this humble Daoist, have accumulated quite a bit of incense money over the years. After renovating the statues of various deities, there's still a considerable surplus. So, I thought I'd invite everyone to watch a play here in the west city. After all, incense money comes from the people, and it should be used for the people."
"You see, if you follow this street to the end and turn left, you'll reach Fucai Fang in the West Market..."
Tian Fengyu stated that he was here in the west city to do charity, using the incense money he had earned to give back to society.
"At You Chu (around 3-5 PM), come to Fucai Fang. I've invited a troupe to perform. You don't need to spend any money, just bring your own tea and a stool. Everyone can watch."
"However, I hope that everyone who comes to watch the play will carry this talisman with them. This will serve as a form of promotion for our Dongyue Temple."
"These two talismans you have will allow you to sit in the front rows."
As Tian Fengyu spoke, he picked up a large stack of talismans he had just retrieved from the Han Jing Factory. These talismans were all printed and inscribed with charms. He took out two and placed them in the craftsman's hands.
The craftsman was puzzled. "To the West Market? Setting up a play there, but that's not a good place..."
Tian Fengyu smiled, looking at the honest and hardworking man, and explained, "This humble Daoist is the temple keeper of Dongyue Temple. Dongyue Temple is precisely the main office of the underworld. The West Market has extremely heavy Yin energy. The play is also meant to suppress the Yin energy and liven things up. Moreover, our masters from Dongyue Temple will be present, so what is there to fear?"
"After all, what minor ghosts or Yin energy would dare to cause trouble under the watchful eye of the Great Emperor Dongyue?"
"What you say is true."
The craftsman scratched his head. "But I don't think I've ever offered incense at the East City... Why are you giving me a talisman for a front-row seat?"
He understood the principle of "no reward without merit" and felt a bit guilty, believing he was taking advantage since he had never offered incense in the east city.
"No, Daoism emphasizes fate and connection. I feel a connection with you, so I brought it. Didn't another Daoist priest pass by here just now? That's fate."
"Ah, so the Daoist priest from just now, and you are...?"
"We can be considered fellow disciples, but we are not from the same sect. He is a highly favored figure in the palace, a Daoist serving the current Emperor!"
Tian Fengyu praised Ji Xiang, causing the craftsman's eyes to widen. Even the child with the Nezha hairstyle looked incredulous and exclaimed,
"I saw the Daoist brother walking alongside a high-ranking eunuch from the palace earlier. I didn't expect he was actually..."
Tian Fengyu smiled.
"Those who have achieved cultivation naturally take pride in serving the Emperor! In the past, there was Shao Yuanjie, Tao Zhongwen, and now True Master Zhang, Ji Xiang... Oh, Ji Xiang, that's the name of my junior fellow disciple from just now."
"Never mind that. Just remember, the play starts at You Shi and continues until Xu Shi (around 5-7 PM) when the night watch begins. Don't forget to come. Thank you for your patronage."
The craftsman repeatedly thanked him. "Certainly, certainly. Safe travels, Daoist priest."
The craftsman saw Tian Fengyu off. He and the child each held a talisman. His honest and simple face was filled with joy, but he then thought of the impending separation from his son, perhaps this play would be the last one they watched together.
He gently stroked the child's head and said softly,
"We'll close the shop early today. Dad will go watch the grand play with you."
"Hooray!"
The small conflict between father and son vanished at this moment. The craftsman sighed, "Today is truly a good day. To meet two such accomplished Daoist priests consecutively. In a few days, I will definitely bring some incense money to Dongyue Temple as an offering."
"Dad, Daoist Ji is a noble person from the palace. They won't want your offerings."
"Alas, even noble people must be thanked. Your father is just a craftsman, with nothing valuable. In a few days, I'll carve an excellent Dao seal and entrust it to Daoist Tian to send to the palace, won't that do?"
.........
Tian Fengyu needed a large number of living people to gather in the West Market. This was called "pressing Yin."
Pressing Yin, because the West Market, like Dongyue Temple, was a place of extremely heavy Yin energy. Tian Fengyu had already investigated the layout. Dongyue Temple was in the east, the West Market in the west, and Da Gaoxuan Hall in the north.
This formed a perfect "One Yang supporting Two Yin!"
This West Market had been manipulated by Tao Zhongwen, making it a Yin-dominant location that rivaled Dongyue Temple. With Da Gaoxuan Hall supporting the two Yin locations, the entire Shuntian Prefecture formed a giant "Zhen" trigram!
Upon seeing this layout, Tian Fengyu couldn't help but marvel. The Shenxiao School's operation of thunder made Shuntian Prefecture like the body of a giant, with several key points acting as its internal organs. The bodies of the common people contained the vital energy of the internal organs, which could then transform into the Five Thunders.
The activities of the people were like the vital energy of the internal organs flowing within the Shuntian giant!
Using the power of the masses to suppress the anomalies beneath Dongyue Temple was truly formidable.
Therefore, before breaking the formation and reversing the Yin-Yang pivot, all the Yin energy had to be concentrated in Dongyue Temple in the east. This way, once the Zhen trigram was broken, the Yin energy from the east would surge skyward, and Yin and Yang would lose their balance.
Then, it would be the crucial moment to reverse Yin and Yang. When Da Gaoxuan Hall lost its function, Dongyue Temple would transition from Yin to Yang. There was only one method: if the dead were to be resurrected, then the living must die unjustly.