The Imperial Palace is the residence of the Emperor, and the Dragon Vein resides here, how could there possibly be ghosts and demons?
However, during the New Year's Eve festivities, hosting a large-scale ghost exorcism ritual is customary, and immediately, Daoist practitioners from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Wudang Mountain, Shengliao Guan, Zhengyi Dao, Quanzhen Dao, along with numerous loose cultivators led by palace maids and eunuchs, swept through the Forbidden City in a cleansing march to expel evil spirits.
What ghost could survive such a display?
Inside the hall were only the civil and military officials and some experts, or those Daoists who were not qualified to perform exorcisms.
"Master Li."
Li Changzhou looked over, a handsome, bearded Daoist was smiling at him.
"I heard Master has the magic to ascend to the moon, why not demonstrate your ghost exorcism technique today?"
Exorcising ghosts wasn't difficult, the challenge was the absence of ghosts, just like dragon-slaying techniques, without a target, how could one prove the authenticity of their magic?
Li Changzhou surveyed the somewhat emptied hall, sparing more glances to the leaders of the various sects, such as Shao Yuanjie from Dragon and Tiger Mountain and his friend Tao Zhongwen;
Gu Kexue, the Sect Leader of the Longevity Sect, born on April 19, 1482, now New Year's Eve 1539, looked only about fifteen years old.
This was the man who said that the urine of young boys and girls could be used to concoct Lantian Jade, after Shao Yuanjie's death, he rose to become the Minister of Rites, prompting the rumor: "Thousands of urinations, for one Minister," and Gu was thus nicknamed "Urine-Minister."
Sheng Duanming, the sect leader of Yuhua Sect, was proficient in medicinal stones, purported to grant longevity if consumed, mastered the "Five Elements Theory," controlled the transformation of the Five Elements, and was also the top scholar of the imperial exams in the eleventh year of Hongzhi, becoming an official in the fifteenth year, now serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
And the disciples of Wang Yangming, Lan Daoheng, Lantian Jade; the head of Shengliao Guan, Li Xidao.
The one who asked Li Changzhou to perform an exorcism was none other than the head of Shengliao Guan, Li Xidao.
These people had heard about Li Changzhou's ability to perform magic near the Jiajing Emperor, but had not witnessed it themselves, and as for ordinary folks like Huang Jin and other eunuchs and palace maids, even if they had seen it, it wouldn't explain anything.
Wasn't the Jiajing Emperor himself duped by these practitioners?
Offering some aphrodisiacs, stimulants, and claiming they enhance longevity, grant immortality, even Brain Platinum wouldn't dare boast so.
Everyone looked towards Li Changzhou.
Inside the hall, the lights blazed bright, and the room was full of distinguished guests, but at this moment, sitting side by side were Li Changzhou and Turquoise Pool, who appeared to be the true immortals.
Some palace maids stared eagerly at Li Changzhou, almost wanting to lick his face, even the beautiful and slender Empress Fang, could not help but flicker her gaze when she looked at Li Changzhou.
The Jiajing Emperor favored hands, and the second Empress as well as the current Empress Fang before him, were beauties with exquisite hands; at a mere 23 years old this year, an age that in modern times would have just graduated from university, spending all day playing Honor of Kings and drinking bubble tea.
"Master, please perform your immortal magic," the Jiajing Emperor said to Li Changzhou with full confidence.
Even the moon was within reach, what were mere ghosts and demons? He was very eager to see the unique approach of Master Li, who believed neither in fasting rituals nor in Yin Yang balancing.
"Your Majesty," Li Changzhou spoke without bowing, his attitude casual, "It's not that I am unwilling, but the Forbidden City is a convergence of Dragon Veins, there is no evil spirit."
"Does it matter if there are any?" Sheng Duanming of Yuhua Sect laughed, "On New Year's Eve, people hang spring couplets and set off fireworks, are there really Nian monsters? It's just for good fortune."
Li Changzhou glanced at him, determined to master his "Five Elements Theory."
He smiled: "Very well."
Without getting up, he flung his purple robe with its large sleeves outward and reached out of the hall.
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"Look at me, look at me, my Tyrant Whip!"
"The Mole is the mightiest!"
"Step aside, let me show you guys my Fire Plough Blossom!"
A group of children holding oil lamps played with fireworks, with adults joining in the fun—some of those adults were only seventeen or eighteen years old.
The one holding the Fire Plough Blossom, now the center of everyone's attention, was handling fireworks worth three silver pieces!
The "Sir" holding the oil lamp stepped forward, surrounded by a crowd of children; mothers holding their children and fathers with kids riding on their heads, grandfathers and grandmothers with wrinkles, all watched in gleeful anticipation.
Carefully, the oil lamp was brought close to the fuse of the fireworks, children covered their ears, their heartbeats clear and loud.
The "Sir" also swallowed nervously.
"Whoo! Whoo!" The cold night wind blew, the flames flickered twice, then—
"Fire! Fire! The wind has blown the fire away!"
The tiny flame, the size of a bean, left the oil lamp and flew towards the sky like fireflies.
Children, adults, and the elderly, even roadside dogs, all looked upwards to see the pitch-black sky slowly filling with innumerable flames that gathered into a roaring inferno.
Yang Qinglan leapt onto the courtyard wall.
"What's happening, Qing Lan?" Li Qianxia and Bi followed flying over.
They saw, filling the sky, the fireworks and lights turning into a fire dragon thousands of meters long.
The world changed color, the Capital flickering bright and dark as if in a furnace, the Fire Dragon swirling overhead, silently roaring.
Everyone was dumbstruck, in disbelief.
"This must be Li Changzhou's doing, right?" Bi had witnessed the scene of Prague being burnt.
The Capital plunged into darkness, all the lights gathered to construct the Fire Dragon, which roamed about, sometimes soaring into the clouds like the sun hanging in the night, sometimes diving down, casting everyone's faces in a fiery glow.
Suddenly, the Fire Dragon exploded, transforming into text:
[In the era of Fire Virtue, Master is rising, all gods revere, Jiajing Yin State]
According to the theory of Five Elements, the Ming Dynasty was exactly in the era of Fire Virtue.
The entire city's populace was already kneeling, shouting long live.
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Inside Baohe Palace, watching the fiery red characters in the night sky, and with the faint sounds of cheering in their ears, all the real players, high officials, and scholars were at once amazed, fearful, and angry.