The three of them are all people with Taoism, although Zhiqiu Yiye is not yet proficient in resisting the wind, but his method of escaping is Sun Xu and Yan Chixia, who can catch up with the wind.

Soon, the three of them came to Hetong County, Nanping Prefecture.

When he arrived at the gate of the county office, Sun Xu reported his name to the official at the door and asked him to pass it on his behalf.

Not long after, I saw a middle-aged man wearing a county official uniform hurriedly walking out of it. When you look closely, the man has thick eyebrows and broad eyes, and his temperament is extraordinary, and there is a faint sense of righteousness in his body.

Seeing Sun Xu and the others, the man smiled and said, "The virtuous nephew is coming from afar, why don't you inform me in advance, I will send someone to pick you up." In such a hurry, doesn't it seem foolish and lazy?" This person is Liu Gang, the county magistrate of Hetong County.

Sun Xu bowed his hand and said, "Uncle Liu is serious, Uncle Shi and his father are close friends, so don't you see outside?"

Liu Gang looked at Sun Xu with great satisfaction, he had a good friendship with Sun Bin, and most of them intersected during the period when they worked together in the Hanlin Academy after the imperial examination.

Sun Bin preceded him in the foreign place, but he has been a speech official in Beijing for many years. During this period, only because he was outspoken and dared to admonish, he offended many people, and it was not until the past two years that the county order was released. Although the two have not met during this time, they have always exchanged letters, and their friendship is strong, which can be described as a divine friendship.

As for Sun Xu, Liu Gang had only seen it when he visited Sun Bin a limited time, and he didn't know much about it. Although Liu Gang felt that Sun Xu was young and old, he never thought that he would ask him for help one day, but such a thing of gods and ghosts really should not be taken lightly.

At this time, Liu Gang also saw the two people behind Sun Xu, and couldn't help asking, "Virtuous nephew, who are these two?"

The two also bowed their hands to Liu Gang and introduced themselves individually.

"It turned out to be a helper of the virtuous nephew, disrespectful and disrespectful. Let's go inside. ”

The group entered the county office, and Yan Chixia saw that the county government was dilapidated, and some places were even inferior to ordinary houses, so she couldn't help but be in awe: "I didn't expect Lord Liu to be so diligent and thrifty, and this county government office is so shabby." ”

"Mr. Yan is overrated. The official is also the place where the court governs. The high-rise buildings of Zhumen can manage things, and the thatched huts can also manage things. Liu Gang had a straight face.

With a little reverence, the three of them quietly followed Liu Gang into the back hall.

After everyone was seated, someone came to bring tea.

"Uncle Shi, what is the situation, please explain it to Uncle Shi, so that I can wait to be prepared. Sun Xu said.

Liu Gang sighed and told the story.

It turned out that this Hetong County was only the name of the current dynasty, and in the previous dynasty, the name of the county was Yingcheng County.

There is a well outside the county, and according to ancient legend, this well is the place where yin and yang meet.

There is also a legend that mortals must regularly burn incense and sacrifice near the well, and also throw tribute into the well. If it is not given, there will be a plague from heaven.

According to the records of the county, there was a year when the people of the county were not able to worship effectively, and a plague really broke out in the county. After that, the people hurriedly made up the offerings, and the year was safe.

Later, some people were bold enough to go down to the well to check, and when they came back, they all said that there were ghosts and gods below, and people didn't dare to neglect the sacrifice to that place after hearing about it.

However, over the years, this expenditure has become a burden on the common people, and the county consumes thousands of taels of silver every year for sacrifices.

After Liu Gang arrived, he learned that there was such a bad custom in the local area, so he explicitly banned it.

This ban was originally well-intentioned, but it caused an uproar among the common people: they feared that it would bring disaster to Hetong County, which would make the heavens unhappy, but there would be a plague.

However, Liu Gang was very determined about this, and still ordered to continue to carry it out.

Who would dare to disobey the order of the county magistrate? Therefore, this decree was quickly implemented.

Although the people carried it out, they were inevitably uneasy in their hearts, so they elected some respected old men as representatives and pleaded to Liu Gang: "The master loves the people, and the ghosts and gods are forbidden, and the people should be obeyed and obeyed." However, if there is a plague, I am afraid that it will be more terrible than paying the 'Yin Si money and grain'. If the prince can affirm the reason for impeachment and prohibition to the ghosts and gods, so that the people can avoid disasters and live in peace, they will do everything. ”

Liu Gang is just a mortal, how can he have the ability to communicate with ghosts and gods? However, he loves the people, and after thinking about it, he went down the well to communicate with ghosts and gods.

"Uncle Liu, could it be that you really saw the ghosts and gods?" asked Sun Xu with some curiosity.

"Yes, I have ordered a long rope and a large basket to be bound strongly. I sat in the basket, and the big basket slowly went down the wall of the well. It is about more than five zhang deep, and the well gradually brightens. When you reach the bottom of the well, there is a world and a world that is no different from the world outside the well: castles, streets, temples, houses, bazaars and shops.

It seems that they already knew that I was coming, and a group of ghosts and spirits greeted me.

Led by the imps, I came to a majestic hall, on which sat a "ghost" with a high hat and a wide robe, and a white beard, and he warned me that this money was the incense money of the gods, and I had to give it unto him. If you dare not to give, you will definitely be relieved.

I looked closely, and saw that although the man seemed to look a little good, he was full of evil spirits, so I reprimanded him with words. But the man did not take it seriously, but ordered me to be sent back, and warned me that if I did not pay on time, I would send someone to spread the plague. Liu Gang told the story again.

"Where is this ghost god, it's clearly an evil ghost!" Yan Chixia on the side said indignantly. He had been a saint for a while, and he already knew the way of incense from some gods.

The gods needed incense, but not just those incense and candle offerings. It's like a great drought in the sky, the common people go to the Dragon King Temple to ask for rain, and they go with a few pig heads and whole sheep in their hands.

Mortal sacrifices, as long as the heart is pious, there is faith. And the gods who are worshiped ask for this faith.

Faith can not only promote cultivation, but also prolong the longevity of the gods. Because the gods are not immortal and immortal, the old and the new come have always been the truth, and the gods cannot avoid it, but the life span of the gods is longer than that of ordinary people and monks.

This is also the reason why those immortals obviously have nothing to do with people, but they go down to help people from time to time.

Liu Gang's face was full of loneliness, and he sighed, "I also know that those are not true gods, but the people have suffered from the plague because of me, how can I sit idly by? When I wrote to Brother Sun, Brother Sun happened to say that the virtuous nephew has the ability to subdue demons, and I also learned the names of some virtuous nephews from the mouths of the people in the two places, so I invited the virtuous nephew to come here." ”

Liu Gang thought that if this matter had not been stubborn, it would not have happened.

Seeing that his expression was gloomy, Sun Xu hurriedly said with relief: "Uncle Shi must not blame himself, even without Uncle Shi, these evil ghosts will not make the people feel better." ”

At this moment, he saw that Zhiqiu Yiye, who had not spoken, suddenly shrugged his nose, looked towards the beam, and said in a deep voice: "There is a ghost!"

After speaking, as soon as his mind moved, a Dao talisman flew out of his arms, and Zhiqiu Yiye shouted in his mouth: "Exorcism order for demons!"

The rune aura flickered, and then turned into a fire dragon and erupted.