Chapter 6: What is a land god?
"Third Uncle, we have carefully investigated the entire town and found that three families in West City were attacked by Evil Ghosts, resulting in thirteen deaths.
The victims' vital energy and blood had been completely drained, and their hearts were missing.
No traces of Evil Ghost attacks were found in the other three directions."
"Hmm, continue the search.
We must find the hiding places of the three Evil Ghosts during the day, otherwise, it will be troublesome at night!" Wang Hao nodded and said.
"Yes!" The two replied and bowed before withdrawing.
"Jiao'er, come back with me and explain the situation thoroughly to your Elder Uncle.
We might need support," Wang Hao turned and said.
"Yes, Third Uncle!" Wang Jiao replied.
The two left the Clock Tower and quickly returned to the Wang Family.
They passed through the courtyards and arrived at the inner residence of the Wang Family, where they were led to the study by the Steward.
The Town Chief of Wangjia Town, who was also the current Wang Family Patriarch, Wang Lang, was waiting in the study at this time.
Seeing the two enter, he said, "Third Brother, Jiao'er, have a seat!
Steward, serve tea!
What happened that made you rush back like this?"
After sitting down, Wang Hao said, "Elder Uncle, the situation is bad.
We might need to ask for help from the County Town."
"What!" Wang Lang's eyebrows lifted.
He straightened up and stared intently at Wang Hao, saying, "Third Brother, what's the situation?"
Wang Hao recounted the events of last night in detail and explained his suspicions.
Wang Lang gasped, saying, "You suspect that three Evil Ghosts have already infiltrated?"
"Yes, Elder Uncle!
I have already ordered them to search carefully, hoping to find them during the day," Wang Hao said.
"If we can find them during the day, with our current strength, we still have a chance to fight.
If it's at night, it will be bad," Wang Lang sighed.
"Third Brother, what are your thoughts?"
"Elder Uncle, please ask Sixth Uncle and Ninth Uncle to come out of seclusion!
With the two of them holding down the fort, there should be no worries.
Additionally, write a letter to Second Brother and ask him to make arrangements in the County Town, preferably inviting a few experts over."
"Xiao Xuan, are you home?"
Zhang Xuan was eating lunch.
He was starting to get used to this coarse rice now, after all, the original owner's stomach had always eaten this kind of rice, and the initial discomfort was just his subjective feeling as a modern person.
However, Zhang Xuan had already planned to carve a stone mill to grind some polished rice or flour to eat.
"Uncle Wu, I'm home!" Zhang Xuan suddenly heard someone calling and immediately got up to open the door and welcome them.
The person who came was the owner of the grain store in South City, surnamed Wu, and he had a good relationship with Zhang Xuan's adoptive father.
During the time since his adoptive father's death, he had also helped Zhang Xuan quite a bit.
"Xiao Xuan, you look in good spirits today!
Alas, it's a pity Old Zhang Head left a bit too early!
This damned world, good people don't live long either!" Wu Boss looked at Zhang Xuan, his face showing a hint of sadness.
"Uncle Wu, please come in and sit down quickly!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly pulled over a chair.
After sitting down, Wu Boss held Zhang Xuan's hand, motioned for Zhang Xuan to sit down as well, and said, "Xiao Xuan, from morning until now, the Wang Family Martial Artists have been searching the entire town.
I heard that Evil Ghosts entered the town last night.
Several families in West City died.
You also know that my nephew works for the Wang Family.
He specifically came back today to tell me to be sure to close the doors and windows early tonight and check the condition of the God Statues.
Remember to close your door early today, don't be too late."
"Okay, Uncle Wu, I understand.
I will definitely close the door early today.
I just got the God Statue from the Ancestral Hall yesterday, please rest assured!" Zhang Xuan felt a warmth in his heart and said.
"Hmm, it's good that you know what's important.
Please get me two wooden God Statues.
I happen to be going to the Ancestral Hall tomorrow," Wu Boss said, drinking the tea Zhang Xuan poured for him.
"Uncle Wu, please wait a moment," Zhang Xuan said, then turned and retrieved two earth god statues.
"Oh..." Wu Boss took the God Statues Zhang Xuan handed him and exclaimed in surprise, saying, "Xiao Xuan, the images of these two God Statues are so unique today, is there any special meaning?"
Wu Boss knew very well what the images of the God Statues Zhang Xuan carved and molded in the past looked like.
Although there were various images like scholars, Martial Warriors, old people, and children, the character images were generally quite simple, and the craftsmanship was relatively rough.
Like these two God Statues this time, whether it was the expressions or the clothing and accessories, they were all lifelike and vivid.
"What is this?" Wu Boss pointed to the Dragon Head Staff in the hand of the God Statue and asked in surprise.
"This is the Dragon Head Staff, Uncle Wu!"
"Dragon Head Staff?
What is this thing, is it just a walking stick?" Wu Boss asked doubtfully.
"Uh..." Zhang Xuan was stunned.
How should he explain this?
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan briefly explained the basic situation of the land god to Wu Boss.
In fact, he just roughly said that the land god guarded the home, protected the peace of an area, and could also be prayed to for favorable weather, abundant harvests, many children and grandchildren, good health, and so on.
Wu Boss was dumbfounded after listening, saying, "Xiao Xuan, this?
The land god, is it really that miraculous?
Why have I never heard of it!
Where did you learn all this!"
Zhang Xuan awkwardly scratched his head, could only vaguely answer a few sentences, and then turned and returned to the room.
A moment later, he came out with several long strips of paper, two long and one short, which were three red papers, exactly a set of couplets.
The upper couplet was "Sitting before the land god's Hall"; the lower couplet was "Protecting the entire Family"; the horizontal inscription was "land god".
This world also had red paper, but the method of writing couplets appeared for the first time.
Zhang Xuan handed this set of couplets to Wu Boss and carefully explained how to use the couplets, which were to be pasted on the left and right sides and above the Shrine.
Seeing that Wu Boss still had a look of confusion, Zhang Xuan could only say that he should come back in a couple of days to see how he did it.
This world also had Shrines, so there was no need to explain Shrines too much.
After seeing off Wu Boss, Zhang Xuan quickly finished his lunch, then got up and returned to the courtyard.
He inventoried the grey bricks in the courtyard, preparing to build a Spirit Screen Wall according to his memories from his previous life, and then make a Shrine for the land god in the middle of the wall.
The Spirit Molding shop had a portion of grey bricks and tiles in stock, as spare bricks and tiles for house maintenance.
As soon as he decided, Zhang Xuan started mixing mud and then began building the wall.
He had to admit, Zhang Xuan, who had inherited the memories of his predecessor, was slightly clumsy at first when he started working, but soon became more and more proficient.
After two hours of work, a Spirit Screen Wall was basically formed.
A Shrine was left in the exact center of the wall facing the main gate.
The size of the Shrine was just right to place the two God Statues of the land god and land god, and space was left in front of the God Statues to place an incense burner.
Zhang Xuan carefully examined it for a moment and was very satisfied.
As long as it didn't rain tonight, he could work on it tomorrow.
At that time, he could paint a mural on the Spirit Screen Wall.
What to paint, Zhang Xuan decided to think about it tomorrow.
During the time he was building the wall, people came one after another to request God Statues.
In the afternoon, over a dozen more were requested.
They were all neighbors.
When everyone saw Zhang Xuan building the wall, they would ask curiously.
Zhang Xuan just said he was building a Shrine.
As for everyone asking why he wasn't building it in the center of the courtyard, but rather in the position directly facing the inner gate, Zhang Xuan vaguely brushed them off, after all, he really couldn't explain it too clearly.
According to the customs of this world, many families with conditions would place a Shrine in the exact center of the courtyard and then place the God Statues inside the Shrine.
Additionally, they would also place one in the bedroom.
This way, it was very difficult for ordinary minor ghosts and monsters to invade.
The original owner had never placed a Shrine in the courtyard because it wasn't needed.
As a Spirit Molding shop, there were a large number of God Statues inside the shop.
Although most had not yet received incense in the Ancestral Hall, they still had a strong deterrent effect on Evil Ghosts.
But it was clear that the night the original owner died, it did not deter that Evil Ghost.
Zhang Xuan looked at the sky.
The sun had already set towards the west, and it was probably already the Hour of You (5-7 PM).
Remembering Uncle Wu's reminder, he quickly closed the main gate.
After eating dinner, Zhang Xuan tidied up the clay God Statues in the courtyard and placed them inside the counter.
Additionally, he carried the two wooden God Statues of the land god and land god from yesterday back into the room and placed them on the table, just like yesterday.
Because Zhang Xuan had a feeling that the reason he slept so soundly last night seemed to be inseparable from the newly carved land god Statues, even though the God Statues had not yet been empowered in the Ancestral Hall.
As usual, he arranged the four God Statues neatly and inserted chopsticks into the bowl.
Zhang Xuan took off his clothes and got into bed.
A wave of fatigue washed over him, and he quickly fell asleep.
When night fell, the earth god statues began to glow faintly, and Zhang Xuan's body also began to glow, illuminating each other.
Unfortunately, this light was invisible to the human eye.
To the human eye, it was still pitch black.
At this time, within Wangjia Town, as night fell, there was an atmosphere filled with a sense of killing.
Inside the Drum Tower, Wang Hao sat cross-legged, holding a ceramic God Statue about six inches high.
On Wang Hao's left and right were two Old Men with white hair and beards, also holding ceramic God Statues and meditating with closed eyes.
With the three of them as the center, over twenty people sat in three circles, also meditating cross-legged, holding wooden God Statues in their arms.
Around the outermost layer, there were eight people, divided into groups of two.
One person stared intently at the bronze bell in front of them, while the other closed their eyes and meditated.
Inside the Drum Tower, no one spoke, and the silence was so deep that a falling needle could be heard, filled with a sense of oppression.
The number of people on duty on the city walls of Wangjia Town was also doubled today, all waiting for midnight to arrive.