Crown Princess, she can catch ghosts

Chapter 279
On the first day of the previous year, drums were played to drive away the ghosts of the plague, which was called expelling, also known as Nuo.

In Longbi Mansion, the morning light is faint.

A heavy and powerful drum sounded, dispelling the last trace of darkness and ushering in the bright morning glow.

It hasn't snowed today, and the sides of the street have been swept very clean without a trace of silvery white snow.

The clouds in the sky are brilliant, and the morning sun is gradually rising, and the golden light is soft and warm, spreading on the street.

The extremely lively parade started from the gate of the city, passed through the busiest streets in Longbi Prefecture, surrounded the entire prefecture, and held a grand blessing ceremony.

Countless people stood in front of the street, waiting for the procession to pass by, reaping the blessings and welcoming the New Year.

Some are unwilling to stand still and wait, just chasing the place where the drums are loud.

It was only when we got closer that we could see the appearance of the team clearly.

The four leading people wore red scarves on their heads, black clothes with narrow sleeves, small drums hanging around their waists, and fiery red streamers tied on the drumsticks. As they beat the drums, the streamers rose high, bright and eye-catching.

Then came two burly men holding high silver banners.

The silver flag was about three people high, and the two big men held it reverently, not daring to let go.

Various runes and patterns are drawn on the silver streamers, which are ancient and mysterious, with strange colors.

A gust of wind blew from nowhere, and the silver flag fluttered in the wind, and the long streamers at the tail fluttered, and various colors intertwined and scattered, rendering the lively atmosphere more intense.

Then came a group of people holding silver bells and singing strange and obscure songs.

They wear robes woven with colorful threads, with golden pheasant crests on their heads, and their faces are smeared with intensely colored powder, making it almost impossible to see their original appearance.

These people held a string of silver bells in each hand, danced strange and sacred dance steps, and sang incomprehensible ballads. With their movements, the sound of the silver bells spread out and composed an elegant tune.

Among these people was a wooden cart pulled by four black horses.

The wooden cart is decorated with horns and ivory, and a huge red drum is placed in the center.

The deafening drum sound just now was exactly the sound of this giant drum being struck.

The drum needs to be surrounded by two people, knee-high, with a circle of gold patterns around it. With the red clothes on the float and the masked man hitting the drum, the dull drum sound and the bell sound, quite rhythmic , coupled with the low singing of those people, it seemed that they were reciting some kind of prayer.

Shizi and Diansu also joined in the fun on the street.

This is the custom of Longbi Mansion.

When the team passed by, the sorceress with the basket behind the float would sprinkle a handful of soybeans towards the crowd watching on both sides of the street.

It is said that throwing soybeans on the body can drive away evil spirits and protect peace. If they are planted in the ground, the beans that grow in the next year will be picked and eaten, and they will be free from all diseases.

Shizi and Diansu found this interesting, so they also stood along the street early in the morning, waiting to see such a grand scene.

Hearing that people not far away were talking about picking up a few more beans later, Shizi couldn't help being curious.

Can't help but use the concentric bell to ask Su Dao: "These people are so respectful of this matter, is it really effective?"

Dian Su looked at the slowly approaching team not far away, carefully sizing up the runes on the silver banner.

After a while, Dian Su said: "The people who draw the runes are quite capable. They are all the oldest and most powerful spirit-gathering talismans. The more spiritual energy gathers, the better the health of people in this area will naturally be."

After finishing speaking, Dian Su listened carefully to the silver bells and drums for a while, "Those bells and drums are indeed praying in a certain way, praying for God to bless the weather, but it's a pity that the score is not complete, and its effect is almost as good as Nothing, perhaps it has been passed down for too long, and after all, it has become somewhat biased."

"As for the beans..."

Dian Su paused, "It does have a little spiritual power. After eating it, some minor illnesses and calamities can be eliminated, but if there are only one or two, the impact will not be great."

I think there must be a person with extremely high cultivation behind this sacrifice, and that person's magic power is by no means lower than that of Old Master Sang.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to let those ordinary beans contain spiritual power, and then distribute them to these ordinary people without money.

Hearing Su's words, Shizi was a little surprised, "So it really has such a magical effect."

In the past, he thought that these so-called sacrifices and parades were all just a cover, nothing more than a kind of belief, so that the people had something to rely on and hope for.

Dian Su smiled lightly: "Most of these ancient rituals were passed down a long time ago. Some are due to habit, and some are because of their real effect. In short, it is because of them that they can survive to this day."

The custom in Dingshan Town a few years ago was not beating drums to exorcise evil spirits, but "whipping spring cattle".

Every year, the villagers would ask the most powerful carpenter in the village to make a lifelike cow. On this day, they would put red silk and red flowers on the wooden cow, and set off from the ancestral hall of the village, with flags flying along the way. Beating gongs and drums, they paraded to the fields lively.

After that, everyone will put the "spring cow" on the altar, and after worshiping the god of spring, they will whip the spring cow with willow sticks in their hands.

Not only that, but everyone will also sing a ballad together: "Welcome to the God of Mang, whip the spring cattle, the first dozen will bring good weather, the second will make the country prosperous and the people safe, the third will be good for the grain and harvest, the fourth will be prosperous and the six animals will prosper, the fifth will be good for everything, and the sixth will make the world peaceful."

Diansu also liked to play this game when she was a child. She once played spring cattle with the children in the village and found it very fun.

While the two were talking, the parade team had already arrived.

Although there were guards guarding them, they couldn't stop the enthusiasm of the common people, and they made noise regardless.

The two only felt deafening cheers ringing in their ears one after another, and they were pushed and shoved from time to time.

Shizi carefully protected Diansu, for fear that she would bump into her accidentally.

The silver bells and drums and that mysterious croon came nearer.

When the wooden cart came to the front, the drummer just hit it.

Dian Su raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at the extremely fine golden ripples of spiritual power that the big drum swayed.

No wonder this ceremony will continue to be respected in Longbi Mansion and other places. It turns out that these people are really capable.

The sound of the drum with spiritual power can really refresh people and get rid of disasters, but it is a pity that it takes a lot of time and energy to attach spiritual power to the drum every time.

Presumably a parade will be held, and it will take a long time to prepare.

As the team continued to move forward, the bean-scattering witch passed by, and a few beans fell on them.

Dian Su raised his hand to catch one, moved his fingertips slightly, and a dark red spiritual force wrapped the bean.

She smiled and handed the bean to Shizi, jokingly said: "Take this bean back and plant it, and it will grow better next year."

The prince didn't see Diansu's movements, he shook his head helplessly, but still took it.

The spiritual power cultivated by a cultivator cannot be easily transferred to mortals. Once too much is accidentally transferred, mortals will die because of the abundance of spiritual power in their bodies and their meridians will be broken.

In the beginning, Dian Su contained the soul of the priest of the underworld in his mortal body, and he died because of the abundant spiritual power in his body.

For some people with weak constitutions, if they eat these soybeans directly, it will even be affected.

That's why they let the common people take them back, plant the soybeans in the soil, and eat them after they grow out next year.

However, a bean with a little Su has a lot of spiritual power, not to mention eating the beans that will be planted next year, even if it is planted for two or three years, the spiritual power attached to it is still strong, and ordinary people may feel uncomfortable for several days after eating it .

The ceremony ended, but the bustling crowd on the street did not disperse.

On such a lively and festive day, this kind of activity brought everyone together, and the atmosphere became even hotter, like a flame that lasted for a long time.

(End of this chapter)