Chapter 9

As the moon sank in the west, the Beimang Mountains lay silent under the night sky.

In the mountain temple before the ancient Wei battlefield, the characters on the dilapidated walls were hidden in the shadows, yet their literary aura illuminated the four walls.

The divine horse-drawn carriage appeared again at the temple gate, and the golden-armored divine being entered his domain in the mortal world, standing before the wall poem, lost in thought.

Upon entering the temple, the golden-armored divine being immediately felt as if he were enveloped in a thin, almost imperceptible membrane, isolating him from all external discomfort.

The temple was the abode of the divine in the mortal world, offering excellent protection, though this protection had now diminished greatly.

The golden-armored divine being paid no attention to this, focusing instead on the characters on the wall.

The sacrificial text was nothing special, merely red in color, but the sacrificial poem had a faint green light accumulating and operating within it, almost imperceptibly.

Only widely spread poems could quickly gather the aura of destiny, and this poem was only very slowly recovering.

However, for the divine, this was not a problem. The underworld had no shortage of time, but what it lacked were such works that perfectly captured the essence of divinity.

After pondering for a moment, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart.

At this time, it was raining outside, the sound of raindrops seeping through the door. After an unknown period, the golden-armored divine being slowly exhaled and said, "Ye Qing... hahaha!"

"I had a premonition that I would awaken from my long slumber three years later, but it has come three years early, and with such a good starting point!"

"Since that's the case, why be stingy with a little help?" The golden-armored divine being smiled, furrowed his brows in thought, and then, after a moment, took a green brush and casually added a signature to the right of the poem: Ye Qing!

These two characters were identical to the others, yet they exuded an indescribable charm, immediately drawing attention.

"Your wish for a third of the aura of destiny is all contained in this signature, to help you through this minor difficulty." The golden-armored divine being took a step forward, the wind blew through the curtain, and his figure instantly disappeared from the temple in the mortal world.

The next day, on the mountain path

At this time, sparse autumn rain was falling in the cold wind, creating a bleak and desolate autumn scene.

A cart pulled by an ox, escorted by eight bailiffs, was patrolling from west to east. Not far from the Jiaomen village, the bailiff leader, Yin Bandou, and his men, whose clothes were slightly wet, were feeling disgruntled but dared not show it. Seeing someone coming to greet them from a distance, they felt relieved.

"Who would have thought that the Deputy County Magistrate would suddenly decide to inspect the county in such weather? We've been exposed to the rain and wind, but fortunately, we're almost there."

At the village entrance, more than ten people were already standing on the flat ground, all neatly dressed, led by a middle-aged man, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the cart. Upon seeing the cart, they immediately came forward to welcome it.

"Kneeling to the Deputy County Magistrate!" The group knelt on the grass in the rain.

With a "creak," the cart stopped, the curtain was lifted, and the Deputy County Magistrate stepped out. He was about thirty years old, wearing a tall hat, with a fair complexion and a neatly trimmed black beard, exuding a dignified air.

He glanced around and waved his hand, "Why should I trouble all of you to come out and greet me? Gao Lichang, this is not right!"

"Your Excellency, since you took office, you have been a fair and upright official, and we have all benefited greatly. This inspection of the nine villages in the county is a testament to your hard work for the people, and we all want to see your noble face..." Gao Lichang said respectfully, and the other village elders echoed his words.

The Deputy County Magistrate, seeing this, knew exactly what was going on. Seeing that everyone was still bowing, he extended his hand to help two of the older village elders up and led them inside.

This was the third village on the inspection route, and he hoped to see some improvements.

At noon, the Deputy County Magistrate accepted the villagers' invitation to stay for a meal. As they entered, they arrived at a local gentry's house, a three-courtyard residence. Two chefs were busy setting the dishes on the table, and everything was almost ready.

The Deputy County Magistrate saw that his own table was set with a bowl and a cup of wine, and there were seven or eight dishes, including stir-fried pork, chicken, and duck, as well as several vegetable dishes. Although the presentation was not the best, the aroma was inviting.

The bailiffs' tables were similar, but four people shared each table. Seeing that the banquet was ready, Gao Lichang smiled and invited everyone to take their seats, "Please start with the chicken soup. Although the village is poor, these chickens are well-fed and delicious. Please enjoy!"

The Deputy County Magistrate glanced around, saw that everything was within the proper limits, and sat down, taking a bite. He praised, "Very good!"

Seeing the Deputy County Magistrate eating, the atmosphere became lively. The bailiffs, after a bowl of yellow wine and a bowl of chicken soup, quickly dispelled the cold from their bodies, feeling warm and invigorated. They began to drink and eat heartily.

Seeing everyone enjoying the meal, the Deputy County Magistrate ate a little and then fell into thought, "The biggest problem in this village is the lack of good farmland, followed by the poor road conditions. Even with mountain goods, it's difficult to transport them out. Additionally, there are flood prevention issues during the summer and autumn seasons. Fortunately, it's a peaceful time; otherwise, with the local people's fierce nature, it wouldn't be surprising if bandits emerged."

"However, the construction of roads is not within my authority. It requires the approval and implementation by the County Magistrate." After a slight sigh, he beckoned a servant, "Afterward, give a few taels of silver as a reward."

"Yes, sir!"

After the banquet, the bailiffs dispersed to rest, and a few local scholars accompanied the Deputy County Magistrate. These scholars spoke of Daoist principles and the Way, but the Deputy County Magistrate sighed inwardly.

The Three Classics and Five Canons lead to the Great Dao, but these scholars had read the books to the point of being dead to their meaning, or merely for the sake of becoming officials. No matter how much they read, they lacked wisdom, and what was the point?

One of the scholars, surnamed Zhao, said, "Our gathering should not be without a tour. The rain has cleared, why don't we go out together?"

He was trying to appear refined, and the Deputy County Magistrate smiled inwardly. At this moment, a servant girl looked anxious and was about to stop him, but the Deputy County Magistrate waved her off.

She was a servant girl sent by his family to attend to him. She was generally good, but she was overly concerned with his schedule, especially his midday rest.

Entering the official world was like diving into a deep sea; without substance, how could one rise in the world? Moreover, these local gentry, though they pretended to be refined, were actually powerful figures in the village. It was unnecessary to be distant with them over trivial matters.

He instructed, "Mr. Zhao, you are right. A tour in the autumn is a refined activity. Qing'er, you come with us."

The servant girl, Qing'er, was taken aback but had to comply. For a large family, these household servants were more reliable in critical moments than the bailiffs.

The rain had cleared, and the sun shone on the mountain ridge, making the autumn air crisp and refreshing.

"Your Excellency, there are no scenic spots in the mountains, but there is an ancient site. Down the slope, not far away, there is an abandoned temple. According to the elders, it was a shrine for a great general from a previous dynasty, who once showed his divine power..." Gao Lichang led the way, and the group unknowingly approached the valley.

"An ancient site?" A breeze blew, and the Deputy County Magistrate, who had never heard of this site, became interested. "Let's go and see!"

"Yes, sir!" Two men with knives cut through the dead branches, and they were about to climb the last section of the mountain path.

"Wait!" The Deputy County Magistrate looked at the valley, felt a sense of unease, and frowned. "This valley is not a good place. The yin energy is harmful to the people. Why hasn't the village sealed off the entrance or put up warning signs?"

Hearing the Deputy County Magistrate's question, Gao Lichang broke into a sweat and bowed, smiling nervously. "This is a necessary path for the villagers to gather herbs. It's difficult to seal off. As long as they enter the mountain at noon and leave before sunset, there will be no problems."

"The village has repeatedly warned the people not to enter the valley at night, but this is their livelihood, and it cannot be forcibly stopped. In recent years, there have been no incidents."

The Deputy County Magistrate was taken aback and became suspicious. In this world, Daoist magic was revered, and the imperial examinations were based on Daoist scriptures, partly for the benefit of the state and partly for the pursuit of immortality.

Of course, immortality was difficult and mostly a dream, but even passing the imperial exams and becoming a scholar or official involved practicing Daoist magic to some extent. The Deputy County Magistrate looked around and saw the cold wind and desolate landscape.

He frowned, thinking, "This place is filled with yin energy and is a place of great harm. The malevolent energy seeps from the ground, making it a place of extreme malevolence. It should be breeding many demons and ghosts. Even if the villagers leave before sunset, they should not be able to resist. Why have there been no incidents?"

He did not show his concern but nodded and sighed, "Life is hard for the people."

They continued up the path, and soon the ancient temple came into view, with a stone turtle carrying a stele, the characters carved like swords.

The Deputy County Magistrate looked and thought, "A temple? Could the secret be here?"

He did not rush into the temple but approached the stele carefully. Despite the weathering, the characters were still faintly legible. As a Deputy County Magistrate, he was not ordinary and quickly recalled the history.

"Ancient Wei battlefield... let me think, this is where General Zhang fell in battle!" The Deputy County Magistrate was surprised. "General Zhang was loyal and valiant, almost undefeated in fourteen years of warfare. He died here and was later enshrined by the Da Lu Dynasty for his loyalty, becoming a local deity."

"His spirit remains, suppressing this place and preventing the malevolent energy from taking form!" The Deputy County Magistrate understood and his frown eased. "This deity has done much for the local people and the land."

Thinking about this, he looked at the temple. The sun was shining brightly, and he could see clearly that the temple door had collapsed due to disrepair, and the walls were covered in moss. Inside, the two-meter-tall clay statues were worn and faded.

"This temple has been neglected for a long time!" The Deputy County Magistrate sighed inwardly at the dilapidated state of the temple.

After the Daoist rule of the world, the worship of deities still existed and was even prosperous, but like the deities in Buddhism, they were not eternal. Only immortals (arhats, bodhisattvas, and buddhas) could last forever.

For millions of years, the Daoist lords and the immortals of the Heavenly Court ruled the world, while the deities and humans below had changed countless times.

Knowing that this was a necessary part of the Great Dao, and that the deities were subject to renewal, the Deputy County Magistrate still felt a sense of sorrow at the decline of this temple.

After all, immortality was a privilege of the few, and most officials aspired to be enshrined by the court after death, becoming a local deity. Seeing this, he felt a sense of empathy.

But because this was a fundamental issue, everything in the rise and fall of deities had to be handled with caution, and it was not something a mere Deputy County Magistrate could change.

With a sigh, the Deputy County Magistrate collected his thoughts and stepped forward. He could not do much, but at least he could offer a stick of incense.