Chapter 343: Chapter 339: Divine Gourd Bestowed by Heaven_1
The Temple Head moved quickly, personally directing his disciples to pry off the two large iron pots from the dining hall first, setting up two simple earthen stoves on the open ground outside the temple.
Yingbao then drew a circle, asking the Temple Head to enclose the area around the large iron pots with mats and create a ritual site. She explained that her master would perform a ritual to summon the immortals, which ordinary people were not allowed to witness.
The Temple Head complied with her request. He quickly enclosed the area and even had a sacrificial altar brought in.
Yingbao was the first to enter the ritual site, and in an instant, she took out a huge gourd from her cavern.
The interior of the gourd had been hollowed out, so it wasn’t heavy. A nine and a half year old like her could lift it with no problem.
When Master and Jiang Sanlang’s group stepped into the ritual site enclosed by mats, there was a brief mont of stillness.
They saw Yingbao holding aloft a gigantic gourd in her hands, pouring water into the large pot while she was chanting:
“Heaven and earth natural, foul light scattered.
Mighty gods from all directions, support naturally.
The chars of the spiritual treasure, declare to the nine heavens;
Destroy the evil, kill the ghosts by the thousands.
Follow the Five Sacred Mountains, the Eight Seas are known;
The Demon King is restrained, foul evil scattered…”
Jiang Sanlang and Zhou Wuchang were fine, but Zhou Hao and the Temple Head were dumbfounded.
Once she filled the two large pots with water, Yingbao turned to her master and said, “Master, this is a magic gourd bestowed by a heavenly god. The water inside it can cure diseases. The heavenly god told to give the gourd to you, saying you are a divine envoy sent from heaven.”
Zhou Wuchang walked over expressionlessly and took the gourd.
The gourd wasn’t heavy, it seed as if there was nothing inside it.
The Temple Head’s eyes sparkled, and he quickly ran over to feel the gourd. His mouth split open into a wide laugh: “Three Pure Ones, Zhou and his disciple are indeed extraordinary.”
He turned to Yingbao and asked, “Little Divine Doctor, which heavenly god sent this?” He also wanted to respectfully worship, being favored by a heavenly god ant his ascension to immortality was just around the corner.
“The heavenly god didn’t tell his na.” Yingbao took a risk to bring out the gourd, but she was nervous deep down.
She had no choice. If she wanted to elevate her master to the.status of a deity, she had to take a risk.
Performing a ritual in a Taoist temple was the most suitable place.
And since the head of Qinglong Taoist Temple was her master’s friend, even if she perford a miracle, he probably wouldn’t harm her and her master.
Jiang Sanlang looked worriedly at his daughter.
Afterwards, Yingbao added dicinal herbs to the pot and instructed the junior Taoist to light the fire and decoct the dicine.
When decocting reduced the water in one pot by more than half, Yingbao imdiately called a halt. She instructed the Taoist to remove the firewood underneath the pot and begin dispensing the dicine.
The decoction from the two large pots of soup was quickly distributed, with half of the people still not receiving any.
Those who didn’t get the decoction started crying and shouting, so even insulted the junior Taoist who was dispensing the dicine, and in the end, they cursed the Taoist temple itself.
The Temple Head beca furious when he heard this and imdiately ordered his disciples to drive those people down the mountain.
Yingbao needed to continue decocting more dicine.
She asked her master to lift the gourd, with the mouth of the gourd facing downwards, while she helped him by holding the rim of the gourd’s mouth.
A clear stream of water flowed out and quickly filled the large pot.
Zhou Wuchang felt a jump in his heart.
Although he was a martial general in his past, his hearing was quite good. However, clearly there was no water inside the gourd, yet water could flow from the mouth of the gourd. He couldn’t understand where the water was coming from.
Zhou Wuchang watched Yingbao’s hand over and over again, but he couldn’t figure out anything.
Could it really be as the rural rumors said, that she was a reincarnated Fairy Child?
Yet, were there really ghosts and immortals in this world? He beca a Taoist and learned Yin and Yang Techniques just to make his travels outside more convenient.
The Imperial Teacher Xiaoshivered thinking about himself, even the Emperor was afraid he would lead a revolt with his troops.
He had been investigating the mysterious deaths of his parents and family mbers, which led him to retreat for Taoist cultivation.
“It’s full, it’s full!” Yingbao held the mouth of the gourd, filled another large iron pot, then pushed the mouth of the gourd away and added dicine to the pot by himself.
So young Taoists were amazed to see Master Zhou and his disciples easily lift the huge gourd and pour so much water into the large pot. The total volu exceeded the capacity of the gourd. And so, they respected them more.
Whatever Yingbao asked them to do, they happily did it without any dissatisfaction.
Soon, the two large pots of dicinal water were ready. After the young Taoists gave them to the patients, they each partook of what was left over without telegraphing their intentions to others.
After drinking, they felt refreshed throughout their bodies, all their fatigue swept away.
Indeed, it’s good stuff!
A few young Taoists secretly glanced at the large gourd beside Zhou Wuchang, doubting in their hearts.
Their Temple Head also had a gourd, but it was incomparable to this one.
It was said that the Temple Head got his gourd from the Jiang family’s specialty shop, but after much scrutiny, he chose one that wasn’t too big nor too small; one he could hang on his belt without feeling burdened. Who would have thought that Master Zhou’s gourd would outdo his today?
By now, the night had set in. Yingbao, his father, his master, and elder martial brother all stayed at the Taoist temple.
Yingbao stayed in his room alone as usual, receiving the als brought by the junior Taoists, but not eating them in favor of stowing them in his cave. He only left the empty bowls and plates on the table.
The next day, the people lying on the side of the mountain track gradually improved and could move enough to go to the porridge shed at the Taoist temple for thin porridge.
Yingbao brewed the dicinal juice for them again, and then went ho with his master.
In the group, Zhou Wuchang walked in front, his enormous gourd strapped on his back. It was quite noticeable.
“Master, please save us.” One of them recognized Zhou Wuchang as the Onmyoji of the county health departnt’s Yin Yang departnt and imdiately approached for help, “My family has fallen ill. The health departnt is out of dicine. I appeal to the master to save my family.”
Zhou Wuchang ignored the man, looking at Yingbao instead, “Yingbao, do we have more dicine?”
He had used up all his dicinal herbs earlier and had nothing left now.
Yingbao responded, “We have a little honeysuckle left, but that’s it.” She didn’t want to use what little she had left of her ground thistle for outsiders.
“Honeysuckle it is then. Brew it into a dicinal drink for them,” Zhou Wuchang told her.
“Okay.” Yingbao took a small packet of honeysuckle from her dicine box and asked the man, “Bring your family’s jar. I’m going to boil so dicine for you to drink.”
The man was overjoyed and imdiately led Yingbao and her companions to his ho.
After the objects had been prepared, Yingbao let her master pour water in the jar. She held the mouth of the gourd. When the water filled the jar, she let the man boil and drink the honeysuckle tea.
Just as Zhou Wuchang’s group were preparing to leave, they saw his neighbors on both sides co over incessantly pleading.
Yingbao asked in surprise, “Is the plague really that bad?”
The neighbors were weeping and begging, “People in our family are sick, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and the pharmacy has run out of dicine.”
Yingbao was at a loss, “But I’m out of dicine.”
One of the neighbors pointed at the gourd in Zhou Wuchang’s hand, “Just give us so water from that gourd.”
With a gourd that large, almost as tall as a person, it must be extraordinary. Perhaps the water inside it could be life-saving.
Zhou Wuchang glanced at his apprentice, as if inquiring silently.
Yingbao turned her head towards him, “Master, why don’t you give them so water.” She wasn’t sure if her Pupil Spring would cure the epidemic, but it would certainly be favorable to drink.
Zhou Wuchang twitched at the corner of his eye, then nodded.
Then, Yingbao asked each of them to fetch vessels from their hos to collect water. She could only provide a basin’s worth for each household.
Zhou Wuchang lifted the large gourd and poured a basin of water into each basin, forming a long queue of people waiting for water before he realized it.
It seed that the entire neighborhood had turned out to ask for water.
Jiang Sanlang sensed that sothing was off and quickly snatched the mouth of the gourd from his daughter’s hand. He told the crowd, “There’s no more water.”
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