I inherited my grandfather's Tang Dynasty assets.

Chapter 35 The Ascension Ceremony is Held

As a result, even the noise from the audience became much quieter.

Although most people came just to watch the spectacle and didn't pay, it doesn't mean they lacked respect for the event; they were simply short of money.

Fan Tao and Liu Boyan also found a place and waited anxiously.

Among the crowd was a woman with a slightly hunched posture and a crooked mouth, who looked quite ugly. She stood at the very front, calmly observing everything in front of her.

"The time has come, begin the ritual!"

Just as the hour of Wei (1-3 PM) arrived, a loud voice rang out from the stage. It was seen that Master Yuming took the peach wood sword from the boy's hand, held it upright in front of his chest, and muttered some incantations, the meaning of which was unclear.

Suddenly, he pointed his sword at the bronze furnace in front of him.

With a loud "boom," the bronze furnace burst into flames, eliciting gasps of surprise.

Master Yuming remained in this position, shouting loudly.

"Form the Ascension Array!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ten young Taoist priests on both sides immediately placed one palm against their chests and began to circle around the bronze furnace with him, following the steps of the ritual. This was a step that was performed every year at the Ascension Ceremony.

Even though they had already seen it, they still felt a strange sense of awe. After circling around three times, the ten people stopped and sat down on the ground.

Master Yuming brandished his peach wood sword and shouted loudly again with a serious expression.

"Supreme Edict - Mysterious Rebirth Instructions"

"Consecration of the altar; talisman to guide the soul home"

The mirror of karma reflects one's image; the fire of karma burns away the dust.

Dongyue was registered; Beiyin was removed from the register.

The soul returns to the Three Realms; the spirit ascends to the celestial cave.

The stars bear witness to the Dao; Heaven and Earth are our witnesses.

Returning to one's true nature; the compassionate voyage of Taiyi…

Upon seeing this, many people in the audience joined in the chanting, their expressions devout, as they prayed for the souls of their deceased relatives and friends.

This included the woman with the crooked mouth, who didn't notice that Ma Feng had already come to her side.

"The mute girl."

Upon hearing the name, she subconsciously opened her eyes and looked over, meeting Ma Feng's gaze. A strange look appeared in her eyes, but she ignored it and continued reciting the scriptures.

Fan Tao had already instructed that once the mute girl was found, she should be taken into custody immediately, regardless of any ascension ceremony. Therefore, Ma Feng didn't waste any time and grabbed the woman's shoulders.

"Let go of me! What are you doing?"

The woman's arms were locked by Ma Feng, rendering her unable to move, and she screamed angrily.

This stood out starkly in the context, immediately drawing the attention of many people who were chanting sutras.

Ma Feng took out his identity token and shouted loudly.

"I am Ma Feng, the county magistrate of Wannian County, ordered to apprehend the thieves!"

Upon hearing that it was someone from the government office, chaos immediately erupted around them. Master Yuming on the platform also noticed this scene. When he saw the woman with the crooked mouth, he was first stunned, and then his eyes filled with shock, anger, and undisguised panic.

"Who is disrupting the Ascension Ceremony? Do you intend to prevent the souls of the dead from ascending to immortality?"

Master Yuming roared, and his words acted as a fuse, causing the surrounding people to start discussing among themselves.

"So what if they're government officials? We're here to perform a ritual for our deceased family members. If we delay things, can they take responsibility?"

Not many people said this; most remained rational. Even though the Tang Dynasty was inclusive and open, ordinary people still held the officials of the government in awe.

"Master Yuming, it's best to postpone your ascension ceremony for now. Come with me to the county government office; there are some matters that require your cooperation in an investigation."

Fan Tao's indifferent voice slowly rang out as he and Liu Boyan strode towards the Ascension Platform. Some of the people recognized him as their county magistrate and made way for him.

At the same time, dozens of officials dressed in their robes rushed over and surrounded the Ascension Platform.

"Your Excellency, I am holding an ascension ceremony here to pray for the souls of the dead. What is wrong with that? Even if you are government officials, you should not slander me without cause."

"Although I am not a government official, I hope you will explain today's matter clearly on the spot, why I was summoned to the government office."

Master Yuming stopped casting his spell and met Fan Tao's gaze. He had put in a lot of effort for this Ascension Ceremony and would not allow anyone to disrupt it.

Moreover, if he were to actually go to the government office with him, he would be completely finished. This is his territory, and with so many people present, he has enough leverage to deal with him.

"Dumb girl! Did you poison Wenbo and Wenyuan to death?"

Hu Shanren, as the biggest client of this Ascension Ceremony, was naturally also here, but not offstage but in the Yuming Tower. If nothing unexpected happened, after the sutras for salvation were finished, the Yuming True Man would use magic to bring the Blood Child here, and he would personally set fire to him until his soul was scattered.

But ever since she learned that the mute girl had killed her son, she wanted nothing more than to tear her to pieces with her own hands. She didn't care about anything else and rushed out immediately.

"Hu the Great Philanthropist? What did he mean by that just now? Wasn't his son being claimed by the Blood Child?"

Hu Shanren had always had a good reputation, and the people were all deeply saddened by what happened to his family.

Everything was in chaos, and the people were confused. But one thing was certain: even the people of the Tang Dynasty enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

Although no one knew what had happened, their intuition told them that there was going to be some excitement.

Fan Tao had already reached the Ascension Platform. He turned around to look at the people below, stretched out his hands and pressed them down, then said loudly.

"Please be patient, everyone. Since Master Yuming is unwilling to go to the government office with me, I will hear this case here today. I hope you will all be my witnesses."

Fan Tao possessed an extraordinary demeanor, and his face was full of confidence as he spoke, quickly gaining the approval of the people.

"Your Honor, what case are you to hear?"

One of the common people asked.

As soon as Fan Tao opened his mouth, everyone quickly fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a few dozen days ago, a heartbreaking case occurred in our county. Hu Shanren, a great philanthropist in our county, passed away the day after his sixtieth birthday."

The eldest son, Hu Wenbo, and the second son, Hu Wenyuan, suddenly died at home. After the coroner examined their bodies, it was confirmed that they died from shock. As a result, some people spread the rumor that this was the work of a blood spirit seeking revenge.

This has made the surrounding people live in fear, afraid that they will become the next target. But what this county wants to say is that there is no such thing as a blood child. It is just that the murderer is trying to cover up his crime in order to escape punishment.

County Magistrate Ma, take this woman with you!

"yes!"

Ma Feng shouted and immediately brought the mute girl to the Ascension Platform. She seemed to have understood something and did not resist at all, her face expressionless.

"Dumb girl! Why did you do this? Three years ago, I saved you and even took you in to live in my manor, providing you with food and drink. Not only do you not repay my kindness, but why did you kill my two sons? Tell me, who ordered you to do this?"

Upon seeing the mute girl, the haggard Hu Shanren suddenly felt a surge of strength. He rushed forward without hesitation, grabbed her collar, and tearfully questioned her, before slapping her across the face.

"Lord Hu, please restrain yourself. Today, this county will publicly hear this case and will surely give you and the Wenbo brothers an explanation."

Fan Tao had someone pull Hu Shanren away, and this scene made many people understand what was going on, and they immediately started discussing it.

This ugly woman was actually the murderer of the Hu brothers, and judging from the old benefactor's words, she was also one of his servants.

"Your Honor, if you wish to conduct a trial, please do so in the government office. Why are you disrupting the Ascension Ceremony here? What are your true intentions?"