Chapter 264: Sacrifice to the Land and State, Sacrifice to Confucianism

He handed over a kettle with steam still coming out of the spout.

Xi hesitated for a moment, but still took the kettle.

She took a sip and felt a warm current flowing into her heart, which made her feel a little comforted.

However, when she looked up at Gongsun Ce, she found that he had disappeared.

Her little face turned red and she cursed in her heart, but she could do nothing about it.

She knew that Gongsun Ce was faster than her and she had no way of escaping his pursuit, but Xi didn't want to give up hope.

Xi continued to escape, constantly traveling across the land of Kyushu, from bustling cities to barren deserts, from verdant grasslands to steep mountains.

She thought she could escape from Gongsun Ce's control, but every time she stopped to rest, Gongsun Ce would appear in front of her.

"Have a candied date." Gongsun Ce's voice sounded again, and he handed over a crystal clear candied date.

Xi looked at the candied date and felt an inexplicable emotion in her heart.

She took the candied date, took a light bite, and the sweet taste instantly filled her mouth.

However, when she looked up at Gongsun Ce again, his figure had disappeared again.

Gongsun Ce had already arrived in Xinzheng at this moment. Since he was in Xinzheng, he naturally wanted to visit Han Fei and give him a Tongtian Pill.

"Hey, senior brother, are you busy?" Gongsun Ce teased when he saw Han Fei writing furiously.

"Yes, junior brother, the county magistrate has a lot of work to do." Han Fei answered Gongsun Ce without raising his head, and then he realized that someone who shouldn't be here appeared.

"Junior brother, why are you here?"

"I made a bet with an old man, and I came to see you." Gongsun Ce took out a jade bottle containing Tongtian Pills from his arms and threw a Tongtian Pill to Han Fei. "Take it, and your illness should be gone."

"Thank you..." Han Fei was about to thank him, but found that Gongsun Ce had disappeared.

Xi was standing outside the city of Xinzheng, his face full of helplessness and frustration.

She knew that she could not escape Gongsun Ce's pursuit, nor could she get rid of his control.

She didn't understand what price her sister paid to make Gongsun Ce capture her, and even agree to her unreasonable request of racing.

But she knew that if she continued to run away, she would only make herself more exhausted and desperate, and it would be of no use at all.

So Xi stopped and when she turned around, she saw Gongsun Ce.

She looked at his calm and deep face, took a deep breath, and said viciously: "You are so cruel! I admit defeat."

Then Xi's expression suddenly eased a little, and she asked Gongsun Ce: "What did my sister promise you? If possible, I will pay for it."

"Yes, like a peeled lychee." Gongsun Ce pinched Xi's face, "This year your sister belongs to me, and next year you belong to me. Neither of you can run away."

"Sister... Anyway, no, if you really want to do something, I will bear it!"

Gongsun Ce leaned close to Xi's ear and whispered a few words, and Xi's face immediately turned red.

"You really have bad intentions. I've really been deceived by you." Xi pointed at Gongsun Ce angrily, "Asshole..."

Gongsun Ce smiled and carried Xi on his back, activating his Wu Ju magical power and returning to the outside of Tongming Academy.

"Xi, I will purify the dirty air for you right now, just bear with it." Nian walked towards Xi, stood on tiptoe and put his hand on Xi's forehead, ready to purify the dirty air.

"Sister." Xi tried to turn her head away from Nian's hand. "This man has bad intentions. He wants to..."

"I know." Nian nodded, "Xi, don't forget, there is Yinyu in the filthy air, so I understand everything."

"Okay." Gongsun Ce held Nian's hand, "Let me give it a try."

He gently held Xi's hand and felt the heavy and dirty air in her body.

This breath was mixed with death, bad luck, foul air, and turbid air... They were like dark shadows, corroding Xi's body.

Gongsun Ce slowly injected his own pure energy into Xi's body.

Then, the pure energy began to fight against the dirty energy in Xi's body.

As the pure air continued to flow in, the dirty air began to feel threatened.

They began to become restless and tried to counterattack this external force.

Suddenly, Xi's body seemed to have become a battlefield.

The pure air and the dirty air started a fierce battle in her body.

The force of this struggle caused Xi's body to begin to tremble, and her face turned pale in an instant.

Gongsun Ce held Xi's hand tightly and continuously channeled his pure energy to her.

As time went on, the pure atmosphere gradually prevailed.

They are like brave warriors, constantly eliminating the dirty air.

Xi's complexion began to slowly regain its rosy color, and her body no longer trembled so violently.

However, at this moment, the foul air suddenly launched a fierce attack.

They gathered into a powerful force, trying to defeat the pure energy in one fell swoop.

Xi's body began to tremble violently again, and her face turned dark.

With Gongsun Ce's full support, the pure air finally resisted the fierce attack of the dirty air.

They began to fight back against the foul air with a more fierce attack.

In this fierce battle, Xi's body became a battlefield between pure air and impure air.

"what!"

Finally, with Xi's deafening roar, the foul air in Xi's body was completely cleared out.

Her body returned to calm and her face became as rosy as before.

Xi slowly opened her eyes and looked at Gongsun Ce's face, the blush on her face becoming more and more intense.

"Thank you..." Xi said reluctantly, "But I will never give my sister to you no matter what!"

"Snapped!"

Nian jumped up and slapped Xi behind her. She said with some dissatisfaction: "Xi, don't make decisions for me!"

At this moment, Nian tried her best to put on a dignified expression, but considering her small face and height, it was hard to tell whether she looked intimidating or not.

Gongsun Ce put Xi down, and Xi picked up Nian and rubbed her face. She said reluctantly, "Sister, we will be separated again after the midnight."

"We will meet again next year, Xi. I will look forward to that day, even though we will only be together for one day." Nian patted Xi's back gently and comforted her.

Time passed quickly, the sky gradually darkened, and then it was the hour of Hai.

That is, between ten o'clock and twelve o'clock. After twelve o'clock, it is the hour of Zi, which represents the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year.

As the New Year approaches, the air is filled with joy and anticipation.

On New Year’s Eve, when night falls, every house is brightly lit.

People sit together, enjoying the warmth and joy of reunion.

And at this happy moment, Xi's figure began to gradually become blurred.

Her little red jacket was no longer as bright as before, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

But she did not show any sadness or reluctance. On the contrary, her face was filled with a calm and peaceful smile.

She knew that her mission was about to be completed. As a messenger of the old year, she should disappear.

As time gradually approached midnight, Xi's figure became fainter and fainter, as if she would disappear at any time.

In the backyard of the Taiwei Mansion, Gongsun Ce and the girls watched Xi and Nian bidding farewell to each other reluctantly.

"Take good care of my sister." Xi looked at Gongsun Ce and said his final goodbye.

Then Xi's figure completely disappeared. Nian stood there in silence for a moment and walked towards Gongsun Ce.

When she stood in front of Gongsun Ce, she smiled and said, "Hello, I am Xi. This New Year's Eve, please help us complete our mission."

Gongsun Ce rubbed the head of the former Nian, now Xi, and gave her his pure temperament.

“With the blessing of this pure energy, you should keep a positive mind and use it to eliminate the polluted air in the world.” Gongsun Ce said with a serious face.

"It should be so. Xi, I will obey the order." Xi half-knelt down and handed her hand to Gongsun Ce. Gongsun Ce held her hand and completed the final process of breathing.

The pure energy flowed through Xi's body, and then a bluish-white mark formed between her eyebrows.

After the New Year, Xi prepared to start her journey to clear away the dirty air.

Before she was ready to leave, Gongsun Ce had also prepared everything for her departure.

Gongsun Ce planned to follow Xi around Jiuzhou and help Xi remove some of the dirty air.

According to the secret Qin Shi Tiandao, the Locust God is about to wake up. After hiding for so many years, the Locust God will inevitably set off an unprecedented locust plague.

What Gongsun Ce needs to do is to plan ahead and then kill the locust god easily.

The laws of nature are unpredictable. After the death of the Locust God, he simply returned to heaven and earth and was reborn again. As long as the locust plague continues, he cannot be completely eliminated.

But Gongsun Ce could destroy him again and again, making it impossible for him to accumulate enough strength.

If you want to stop the locust god from wreaking havoc, the best way is to clean up the locust eggs in advance.

The snow in winter will freeze the locust eggs to death, and the rain after the snow melts will drown the locust eggs.

This is what it means when auspicious snow indicates a good harvest.

The high temperature and smoke generated by burning straw will burn and suffocate locust eggs.

It can be said that the farmers' unintentional success has resulted in a favorable outcome. After all, the ashes produced by burning straw are mainly used to enhance soil fertility.

So before Gongsun Ce and Xi left Xianyang, an order was passed down by Ying Zheng to all places - to burn fires in the fields.

There was no snow in winter and no rain in spring this year. There is no other solution except artificial disaster relief.

With the financial support of Gongsun Ce, Tiannu Haotian began to arrange sacrificial ceremonies and use divine magic to weaken the power of the Locust God a second time.

For Gongsun Ce, if he doesn't win the game, it can't be considered a fair fight.

Gongsun Ce and Xi soon arrived at Daliang of Wei State. The battlefield outside Daliang was filled with flames and smoke.

On the battlefield, there was a murderous aura rising to the sky. Resentment, foul air, and deathly air were intertwined together, forming a turbid fog.

It was difficult for others to detect, but it could not be hidden from Gongsun Ce and Xi. When Gongsun Ce waved his hand, a stream of pure air surged out from his palm, spreading rapidly like a clear stream, wiping out the dirty air on the battlefield one by one.

As the pure air covered the battlefield, the evil spirit, murderous intent, and resentment gradually dissipated, leaving only tranquility and peace.

Gongsun Ce knew very well that the foul air on the battlefield was not just the external evil and murderous aura, but also the resentment and hatred deep in people's hearts.

Therefore, only by unifying the world can war be completely eliminated.

After looking at the battlefield, Gongsun Ce continued to move forward with Xi.

With Gongsun Ce handling the dirty air, Xi's work became a lot easier.

As the two moved forward, they came to a village deep in the mountains of Wei State that had just experienced a plague.

After the plague, the village was filled with deathly silence.

The smell of pestilence, epidemic and disease lingered in the air, as if to shroud the entire village in gloom.

Gongsun Ce and Xi came to the village, only to see that the sparse villagers were all pale and thin, their eyes full of fear and despair.

More villagers were lying dead in their homes. These villagers had indeed survived the plague, but their bodies were broken and they could not do farm work.

In this era, the inability of civilians to do farm work and heavy work meant losing income and food.

Seeing this, Gongsun Ce shook his head helplessly. He waved his hand again and released a pure air.

This pure air was like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling the plague, epidemic and disease in the village one by one.

As the foul air dissipated, the air in the village gradually became fresher.

Some of the villagers who were lying dead recovered a little. They opened the door of their home and saw the long-lost sun.

As they continued walking, they arrived outside the Chu State's Yingdu. From outside the city, one could see that this city was one of prosperity and greed.

Greed, bad luck, foul air, and flattery are endless, as if they are going to swallow up the entire city.

Gongsun Ce and Xi walked into the city and saw people coming and going on the streets, but everyone's face was filled with fatigue and anxiety.

They knew that the foul air in this city had penetrated deeply into their bones, and it would be very difficult to completely eliminate it.

Gongsun Ce took a deep breath and forced an even stronger stream of pure energy out of his body.

This pure energy surged out like a torrent, instantly defeating the greed, bad luck, foul air, and flattery in the city one by one.

As the foul air dissipated, the whole city became more lively.

It was a kind of comfort to the local people before the Qin State conquered this place.

After solving the foul air in Yingdu, Gongsun Ce and Xi came to a seaside village in Chu State that had experienced a tsunami.

The place is in a mess, with disaster, evil and disease constantly growing, as if the entire land is being dyed with despair.

Gongsun Ce and Xi arrived at this seaside village, only to see that the villagers were all in tattered clothes and the houses were dilapidated.

He waved his hand again and sent out a pure energy. This pure energy surged like a wave, instantly dispelling the disaster energy, evil energy, and disease energy in the village one by one.

As the foul air dissipated, the seaside village seemed to have regained some color and was no longer gray.

But their homes have been lost, their loved ones have passed away, and even if the foul air has gone, it will still take them a long time to resume their previous lives.

As Gongsun Ce and Xi walked, Xi's expression was normal. After all, her job was to clear away the dirty air, and she had seen too many such scenes.

But Gongsun Ce was touched. All in all, there was only one word: difficult! It was difficult for the people, it was difficult for survival... It was difficult, all kinds of difficult.

Soon it was mid-February, and according to usual practice, this was the time to start offering sacrifices to the land god, also known as the community god, in order to pray for a good harvest.

The so-called country and state, the country naturally refers to the territory ruled by the king.

Sheji refers to the god of land - Sheshen and the god of grain - Jishen.

Before the Qin Dynasty, sacrifices were mainly offered to the gods of the community. During the Han Dynasty, sacrifices were offered to the gods of millet all over the country.

But this year, the Qin State has changed because of the emergence of the Confucian god represented by Gongsun Ce.

Therefore, Ying Zheng decided to merge the Confucian rituals of worshiping the emperor and the gods of the community and worship them together.

Gongsun Ce wanted to go back to Xianyang at this time to experience the feeling of being sacrificed up close, and he also wanted to arrange a ceremony to sacrifice to Confucian scholars.

Simply put, Gongsun Ce wanted to arrange some small activities to allow the people of Qin to relax. The specific model was based on modern temple fairs.

It allowed money to start circulating among the people and gave the people a break from the war.

The Qin people have been in a state of fighting since the founding of the Qin Dynasty, but years of war have finally made them tired.

Therefore, it is necessary to carry out the ceremony of worshiping Confucian scholars. Some entertainment methods that are more in line with the times, such as throwing pots, kicking sandbags, magic tricks, guessing riddles, etc., will be incorporated into the process of the ceremony of worshiping Confucian scholars.

Gongsun Ce brought Xi back to the Taiwei Mansion quickly. After Gongsun Ce returned to the Taiwei Mansion, Ying Zheng received the message from Gongsun Ce.

Thus, the ceremony of worshipping the community god and the ceremony of worshipping the imperial Confucian scholar officially began.

As the ceremony of worshiping the community god and Gongsun Ce officially began, the solemn city of Xianyang seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere of joy.

On the streets, amid the bustling crowds, various entertainment activities are in full swing.

The pot-tossing competition attracted many young people to watch. They stared at the mouth of the pot intently, trying to throw the arrows in their hands accurately into it.

The game of kicking sandbags made the children laugh continuously. They ran happily and released the energy of childhood.

The magic show and riddle guessing activities attracted many citizens to stop and watch. Everyone guessed the answers and enjoyed this rare leisure time.

At the same time, other cities under the Qin State also started similar entertainment activities.

People came out of their homes and participated in these festive activities, and the entire Qin State seemed to have turned into a sea of ​​joy.

At the grand ceremony of worshipping the community god and Gongsun Ce, the voice of the sacrificial text was solemn and dignified.

"On this day of this month and this year, King Zheng of Qin respectfully sent the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, Guannei Hou, to offer a sacrifice of three animals and report it to the Imperial Confucian Scholar Tongming.

King Zheng of Qin received the Mandate of Heaven and became the ruler of the Qin State, and has held royal power for sixteen years.

All the imperial scholars who brought glory to the Great Qin were the ones who led their followers to run around and show their sincerity, and personally performed the sacrifices in the temple.

Now that everything is ready, we are offering sacrifices to the Emperor. The time is auspicious, all the people are present, the sacrifice is complete, and the three animals are ready. We should pray for peace.

God, please show us your wisdom! Good.”

As the sacrificial text was recited, Gongsun Ce felt a force similar to the power of legend surging in his body. This was the power of faith.

However, Gongsun Ce did not intend to accept all of the power of faith, but to use most of the power of faith for the next action.

Therefore, Gongsun Ce decisively demonstrated his status as an imperial Confucian scholar.

He wore a golden crown with tassels and a golden and red robe, and his whole body seemed to be shrouded in a layer of sacred light.

His Dharma image slowly rose and gradually covered the entire territory of Qin.

In the Dharma image, Gongsun Ce slowly opened his mouth and uttered twelve words: "Good weather, peace and prosperity, and immunity from all evil."

These twelve words seemed to possess magical power, and as soon as they were spoken, they turned into endless mighty sword energy.

These sword energies intertwined in the air to form a magnificent picture, and finally converged into a dazzling ray of divine light from the sky.

The divine light of Haotian spread from Gongsun Ce's Dharma image, like sunshine shining on the earth, covering the entire territory of Qin.

Under the illumination of this divine light, all the farmlands within the Qin territory seemed to be nourished.

Most of the eggs of the pests that once wreaked havoc were killed by the attack of this divine light.

Especially those locusts that harm farmland, they had nowhere to hide under Gongsun Ce's Dharma image and were completely killed.

Gongsun Ce's Dharma image stood in the air and did not disappear after performing the miracle.

As time passed, the ceremony ended and Gongsun Ce's image gradually dissipated into the air.

But that divine light still echoed within the Qin territory, cleansing the entire Qin state.

This power comes from the fortune of the entire Qin State and the belief in Gongsun Ce. Therefore, even after the ceremony of worshiping Confucian scholars is over, the divine light of Haotian simulated by Gongsun Ce with the Haoran sword energy will continue for a while.

Gongsun Ce injected the remaining power of faith into the statue of the imperial Confucian inside the Confucian palace that was under construction.

In an instant, the statue of Huangru shone brightly, as if a true god had descended to the earth.

When Gongsun Ce displayed his Dharma image before, he had already looked at the water usage situation within the Qin territory. Without winter snow and spring rain, it would be difficult to ensure that the crops would survive even if they were sown.

Therefore, Gongsun Ce expected another heavy rain to come.

The first blood burst, the second blood burst, the third blood burst.

In an instant, Gongsun Ce completed three blood bursts, and then Gongsun Ce transformed into a green dragon, soared into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

Above the clouds, a dazzling light suddenly burst out, and then a mighty green dragon broke out of the clouds, its dragon scales flashing with green light and its eyes sparkling with spirit. It was the green dragon transformed by Gongsun Ce.

He soared in the endless sky, his dragon tail swaying gently, causing the surrounding clouds to surge.

The green dragon transformed by Gongsun Ce circled in the air for several times and locked onto the distant East China Sea, where the waves were sparkling and the water and sky were one color.

His dragon body shook, and he rushed towards the East China Sea.

When Gongsun Ce arrived at the East China Sea, he took a deep breath, feeling the salty and humid smell brought by the sea breeze.

Word Spirit: Black Sun

The black sun rose into the sky, hanging above the East China Sea, emitting a scorching breath.

Gongsun Ce controlled the black sun, causing it to continuously release high temperatures and evaporate the seawater without absorbing it.

Seeing that the black sun was evaporating the sea water a little slowly, Gongsun Ce continued to use the Word Spirit·Fire to assist.

The green dragon that Gongsun Ce transformed into opened his mouth and spit out a ball of dragon breath that landed on the surface of the East China Sea.

I saw white mist rising above the sea, and large amounts of water vapor rising up, gradually gathering into thick clouds.

Gongsun Ce carefully observed the changes in the clouds.

When Gongsun Ce was sure that the moisture was enough to turn into rain and cover the Qin territory, he left the East China Sea on the clouds and flew towards Xianyang City.

Above Xianyang City, the figure of Qinglong appeared again.

He raised his head to the sky and howled, his voice shaking everyone: "I am Qinglong Mengzhang, I belong to the East. Today, I am grateful for the coming of the wise master, so I send down the sweet rain to relieve the drought."

After saying this, he once again used the Spirit of Words: Eye of the Wind King.

Suddenly, the wind blew violently, making people's clothes flutter.

Under the blowing of the strong wind, the clouds quickly gathered into a huge dark cloud, with lightning and thunder in the clouds, as if the gods were angry.

(End of this chapter)