Chapter 6 The Divine Power of Incense Zhang Jiuyang did not go to the fortune-telling stall today, but took a day off. He walked on the streets of the county, looking at the people coming and going, the vendors hawking their wares, and the piles of fresh horse and cow manure on the ground. The laughter of children, the chirping of cicadas, and the shouting along the street intertwined together, suddenly giving him a sense of unreality. It was as if everything that happened last night was just a dream. The female ghost and evil spirits were out of place in this small county town full of the flavor of life. Before I knew it, I arrived at the steamed bun shop. From a distance, he saw the little cook Ali waving at him with a sweet smile and a voice as clear as a bell. "Brother Jiu, aren't you going to set up the stall today?" Zhang Jiuyang walked over quickly. Ah Li had already handed him two wrapped buns with a dimpled smile. At the age of seven or eight, she would be in primary school in later generations. With her cute appearance, she would probably be spoiled like a little princess by her parents. However, in this world, she has already started to shoulder the burden of the family. "I won't open the stall. I'll take a break today."

"Uncle Jiang, good morning." Zhang Jiuyang touched her head and smiled at Uncle Jiang. Uncle Jiang also showed an honest smile, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Zhang Jiuyang changed a little, as if he noticed that this young man had undergone some huge changes overnight. Seeing that no one was buying steamed buns, Zhang Jiuyang decided not to leave. He looked around and was just worrying about where to sit when he saw Ali happily bringing her little chair. "Brother Jiu, can I ask you for a favor?" Zhang Jiuyang sat down and looked at the clever little girl and said with a smile, "Tell me, what's the matter?" Ah Li clenched her hands and said nervously, "Brother Jiu, can you teach me how to read?" Seeing Zhang Jiuyang looking at her in surprise, Ah Li lowered her head and wiped her hands on her worn apron again and again. She felt a little regretful that she should not have made such an unreasonable request. Daddy often told her that one should not ask for anything in return when helping others. only…… "Okay." Zhang Jiuyang's clear voice rang out, causing the little girl to instantly raise her head with a look of surprise. "I didn't expect it to be such a simple thing, but can you tell me why you want to learn to read?" Ah Li said without thinking: "I heard that you can make a lot of money by studying. Then, then..." She stole a glance at her father and lowered her voice even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "When the time comes, I can find a good doctor to treat Dad and help him hear and speak again!" Zhang Jiuyang's heart moved, and he asked, "Uncle Jiang, could he hear and speak before?" Uncle Jiang is definitely not an ordinary person. Whether it was him asking me not to go out for the next few days last night, or the strange look in his eyes when he looked at me just now, it was enough to prove that he had discovered something. Zhang Jiuyang was somewhat curious about the extraordinary sensitivity.

Ali nodded and said that her father used to be a normal person, but became deaf and dumb due to a serious illness. That's why she thought that as long as she found a good doctor, her father could be cured. Looking at her expectant eyes, Zhang Jiuyang finally didn't have the heart to tell her that in this world, perhaps the path of studying was not open to women. He picked up a branch and wrote three words on the ground. Jiang Youli. The handwriting is elegant and handsome, with clear bones and a combination of hardness and softness. "Brother Jiu, you write so beautifully!" "This is your name. Practice these three characters first." Ali's eyes were full of admiration. She immediately picked up the branch and started to imitate. Although her writing was crooked, she practiced very seriously. Zhang Jiuyang smiled, quietly left a tael of silver in the cloth pocket of her apron, then turned around and left with two steamed buns. Under the golden sunlight, the little girl was practicing her name seriously on the ground. Uncle Jiang also temporarily stopped his work, leaned against the door and looked at his girl with a smile. Under the mottled shadows of the trees, it was as beautiful as a painting. Zhang Jiuyang sighed softly. He would not ask Uncle Jiang about his secret anymore because he did not want to disturb this happiness. …… After having a good meal at a restaurant in the county town, Zhang Jiuyang went to a bookstore and bought many books, mostly related to history, astronomy, and geography. He wanted to understand the world seriously, and books were undoubtedly the best way. In the evening, he sat at home, reading quietly by candlelight. This country is called Daqian. It has been founded for 600 years since Taizu killed the dragon and started the uprising. It has been passed down for 12 generations. It has been prosperous and powerful, but also experienced turmoil. Now it has been in decline and chaos has occurred frequently. After His Majesty ascended the throne, although he named the reign title "Taiping", the people have their own scale to judge whether it is truly Taiping. It is now the seventh year of peace and it is midsummer. Daqian occupies the rich land of Jiuzhou and is based on farming. The place where Zhang Jiuyang is located is Qingzhou. If Daqian is a sick tiger occupying a precious land, then the Liao Dynasty in the north is a hungry wolf drooling with desire. If it were not for the 800-mile Tongtian Mountains blocking the way, the war horses of the grassland peoples would probably have already ravaged the Central Plains. To the west, Yongzhou was the boundary, and the area was divided into sixteen kingdoms in the Western Regions. Among them, the Kingdom of Kalolan, whose state religion was Tantric Buddhism, was growing stronger and stronger, and was on the verge of unifying the Western Regions. To the south is the mysterious Ten Thousand Mountains, in the middle of which is the ancient country's Southern Xinjiang, which is shrouded in miasma all year round. Even the bravest soldiers would suffer from numerous illnesses when they arrived there. Therefore, the people of Daqian know very little about Southern Xinjiang and are terrified at the mere mention of it. As for the east, there is a boundless ocean called the East China Sea. No one knows where the end of this ocean is, but legend has it that there is a fairy island hidden in the deepest part of the East China Sea, named Penglai, where immortals live and grow elixirs that can make people immortal if eaten. Unfortunately, from ancient times to the present, all emperors who have tried to send people out to sea to find the elixir of immortality have failed without exception. Zhang Jiuyang closed the book and only looked at the records in it. This was indeed a place very similar to ancient China, but he searched through many books and did not find any records about cultivation or demons. There aren't even any supernatural novels. Even if words like immortals and elixirs are mentioned occasionally, they are all negative examples, warning people not to pursue these illusory things. But after the incident with the female ghost, he was convinced that this world was not a simple place. A small Yunhe County could have such a powerful female ghost. There could be no other monsters lurking in the land of Daqian. There is only one explanation, that there is an invisible hand behind this that is deliberately preventing the spread of this news.

Is it the government? Just as Zhang Jiuyang was thinking, the portrait of Zhong Kui in his mind trembled slightly. In a trance, Zhang Jiuyang felt that he seemed to hear a somewhat familiar voice. "Bless the Holy Lord of the House, Tianshi Zhong Kui." "Bless the Holy Lord of the House, Tianshi Zhong Kui." "Bless the Holy Lord of the House, Tianshi Zhong Kui." "Minzu Wang Lan sincerely burns incense, please bless my family to be safe and sound..." Isn’t this Aunt Wang’s voice? Just when Zhang Jiuyang was a little confused, he saw a wisp of green smoke slowly drifting into the painting. The next moment, the originally black and white ink-style portrait of Zhong Kui suddenly had a little more color. The whole portrait also has a little more spirit than before. Zhang Jiuyang suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes shining brightly. He seemed to have discovered something extraordinary! …… (End of this chapter)