Chapter 64

"Stay right there!" the black-armored deputy general warned Ye Qing, and the carriage began to gallop, weaving through the dark soil of the underworld amidst golden flames.

Ye Qing swept his gaze over the scene. The underworld was deep and dark, and before his eyes, a misty, gloomy path appeared, with some layers teeming with active sins and others inhabited by ghostly creatures.

However, upon a closer look, he saw lights. These were not just flickering flames but entire areas.

Some parts of the underworld had been purified and opened by great powers or influenced by the mortal world, creating sanctuaries within the chaotic darkness. These sanctuaries formed the lights.

Especially the Taoist temples and shrines, which carried hope and light, were different from other places.

"We have arrived!" The carriage suddenly jolted, and with a burst of golden flames, it came to a stop. A palace appeared before Ye Qing's eyes.

The entire palace was enveloped in a golden and pale green aura. Ye Qing recalled the last time, noting that it had been repaired and that the power of this deity had recovered significantly.

"Follow me." The deputy general led the way, and Ye Qing closely followed.

They turned a few corners and entered a grand hall. The hall was spacious and enormous, with weapons and armor displayed around the perimeter. The armory was even more impressive than the palace itself, but on the long table at the top, there was a pot of wine and a wine cup.

"You have come. I am grateful for your efforts in repairing my shrine, but I have nothing to offer in return!" The general on the platform spoke slowly, his figure bathed in golden light, with occasional strands of green silk flowing through it.

Ye Qing felt a chill. From the situation, it seemed that the power of this deity had indeed grown.

"Repairing the shrine for the great general is not done for any reward," Ye Qing bowed in response. At this moment, a red aura was emanating from him, indicating his status as a scholar.

This time was different from the last; his identity had changed.

"Though you say so, there must still be some form of reciprocation. Otherwise, who would do work for me in the future?" The deity continued, his gaze falling upon Ye Qing. "Enough talk. Today, I will reveal some opportunities and give you some advice. Listen carefully."

"Yes! I humbly request the great general's guidance. I am all ears," Ye Qing responded, knowing the deity's character well and not hesitating to accept.

Seeing Ye Qing's immediate acceptance without hesitation, the deity was somewhat satisfied and nodded. "Do you know that your efforts in the imperial examinations are ultimately useless, merely wasting your destiny?"

"Hmm? Why does the great general say that?" Ye Qing was taken aback. In this world, there was no concept of illusions and dreams as in Buddhism. The imperial examinations were directly linked to one's Daoist cultivation. How could they be ultimately useless?

Unless it was related to a great calamity that would shatter the order, making the imperial titles gradually useless.

He had thought that only he knew about this great calamity, but it seemed he was wrong. Perhaps these deities had already sensed it.

This deity must have sensed it and was warning him.

"Listen to me!" The deity shook his head, interrupting Ye Qing. "I see that you have a connection with the Dragon Lord, which is no small matter. Your destiny is still strong. If you follow the path of the divine, your achievements will be significant, and I can assist you!"

Ye Qing was startled, recalling his past life in a flash. He bowed deeply. "I humbly request the great general to elaborate on this matter!"

However, the deity did not respond further. His eyes glowed with a pale green flame, and his gaze was profound.

Feeling the deity's gaze, Ye Qing was stunned. It seemed that the deity had sensed the impending calamity. Regardless, the deity's intention was good, and it was already a great help to give him a hint.

While the path of the divine could protect him, it was only a way to avoid danger and could not surpass the great calamity. Avoiding it for a while was not the same as avoiding it forever.

His goal was not just to avoid danger!

After a moment of weighing the pros and cons, Ye Qing made a decision and bowed deeply to the deity on the platform. "Thank you, great general, but I still have unfulfilled wishes and do not wish to tread the path of the divine."

"Really? What wishes?" The deity became interested and asked.

"Titles and immortality!" Ye Qing straightened his clothes and spoke solemnly, each word clear and bright.

"Hmm..." The deity pondered for a moment and then said, "Everyone has their own aspirations. I will not force you. Your current wish will bear fruit in the future. Take care of yourself."

"Thank you, great general, for your guidance." Ye Qing bowed.

"To achieve the title of a provincial candidate, your destiny is still insufficient, let alone that of a metropolitan candidate. Since you have repaired my shrine, I will lend you a portion of my destiny. The rest depends on your own efforts!" The deity smiled and suddenly flicked his finger, sending a beam of golden light directly into Ye Qing's body.

A stream of destiny, like a river, suddenly branched off and flowed into Ye Qing's life force.

After doing so, the deity gradually faded and disappeared.

The scenery before Ye Qing's eyes receded, and he found himself back at the place where he had entered the dream. The surroundings were white and misty, making it impossible to see clearly.

This feeling was uncomfortable, and he struggled a bit, waking up on the wooden bed.

Ye Qing got up and, without rushing to check, slowly walked, gazing at the night, his mood heavy. The aura of the great calamity was even sensed by the deities. What about the Daoist court?

The more he thought about it, the more mysterious it became. The waters were too deep to fathom!

After a moment, he touched his chest and took out the golden cup. It was now more than half full, with one-fifth of it pale green and the rest golden. The golden destiny was particularly well-suited to the golden cup.

After staring at it for a long time, he went to the grand hall. The statue was majestic and solemn, holding a sword to guard the area, with a faint glow, no longer the dilapidated state it had been in before.

Ye Qing sighed and bowed deeply before leaving.

At dawn, he saw five or six people climbing up.

They were all dressed in rough clothes, led by Old Yu, followed by a man with a limp, around thirty years old, tall and strong, and a woman, who was clearly his wife, along with two boys and a girl.

Seeing them enter, Ye Qing watched as Old Yu stepped forward and said cautiously, "Young master, we have arrived. This is my third son's family..."

Ye Qing glanced at everyone and waved his hand. "No need for formalities. Follow me."

They entered, and Ye Qing pointed to the grand hall. "Burn incense morning and evening, and clean the shrine. Do not be negligent. Can you do it?"

The man with the limp smiled apologetically. "Though I have a limp, I still work in the fields. These tasks are very light, and I will not slack off. Besides, this is a matter of respect for the gods. How could I dare to be negligent?"

Ye Qing was satisfied and led them to the side rooms. The three temporary side rooms were small but well-arranged, with blue cloth partitions.

Inside, there were simple wooden beds, quilts, and tables. Ye Qing said, "This is your living quarters."

He then led them to the partitioned area, where there were bags of rice and a stove. The white rice was packed in bags, and there were five bags, probably about three hundred pounds.

"These are for you, along with some salt. You will have to provide the rest yourselves!"

Old Yu quickly led his family to bow. "Thank you, young master!"

The family was overjoyed. Although they had received two hundred taels of silver the previous day, it was a salary for thirty to forty men, so each person only got a few taels.

These provisions were more than just that.

"Get up!" Ye Qing smiled and raised his hand. "I can also give you some advice. This path is the route for hunting and gathering in the area. It is a resting place. You can plant vegetables and supply rice to earn a good income."

"However, there is a rule. To rest here, one must burn an incense stick."

"Of course, how can one enter a shrine without burning incense? Even staying in the village for a night requires some form of respect!" Old Yu said with a smile.

Ye Qing, satisfied, took out two documents. "One is the deed to the nearby hillside fields, and the other is an exemption from taxes for the shrine. Keep them well."

Seeing their gratitude, Ye Qing left without further ado, turning and descending the mountain.

The place was not far from the Ye family estate. Ye Qing had been there at night last year, so this time he knew the way well. He returned to the Ye family estate at noon.

From a distance, he saw a small courtyard being built, surrounded by fields, with a water channel running through it. Over twenty farmers were working in the fields, and someone was bringing food to them. Seeing Ye Qing approach, they called out, "Young master has arrived!"

They came to the fields, put down their bowls and chopsticks, and greeted him with a bow.

Ye Qing, now a person of high status, had risen rapidly, almost like a meteor. He had first passed the child examination and then the scholar examination. If he passed the provincial examination, the entire Ye family would benefit.

Ye Qing quickly waved for them to rise. However, his sharp eyes caught sight of someone coming out of the small courtyard under construction—it was Ye Fan.

Ye Qing did not dare to be negligent. Ye Fan was his uncle and also a scholar, so he could not be disrespectful. He hurriedly went to greet him.

"Rise, Qing. You have been away for half a month, and you look even more impressive. Congratulations." Ye Fan saw Ye Qing from a distance and felt that his demeanor had deepened even more in just half a month, which filled him with emotion.

"Uncle, you flatter me. You are busy inspecting the fields and handling clan affairs. That is truly hard work." Ye Qing spoke sincerely and then asked, "Is there anything I should know?"

"Nothing significant, everything is normal. Trivial matters are not worth mentioning." Ye Fan explained that with a thousand people in the clan, there were many miscellaneous affairs, but nothing truly important.

"However, the person you found, Lu Shangjing, is a talent!" Ye Fan suddenly remembered something and continued, "He seemed like a scholar at first, and we kept our distance, but in just half a month, he has become very familiar with everything. I heard he is still a child candidate, which is quite rare for you to find!"

"Hmm? Where is Mr. Lu now?" Ye Qing's heart stirred, and he immediately asked.

"He is supervising the construction of the house, saying he wants to move out as soon as possible. He adheres to the principle of not looking at what is improper, which is reasonable." Ye Fan praised.

Hearing this, Ye Qing bowed to Ye Fan. "Uncle, I will go to see Mr. Lu. I will visit you another time."

"Go ahead." Ye Fan was surprised and quickly said.

As Ye Qing walked away, Ye Fan stood there, watching him enter the courtyard.