Chapter 48: Unorthodox Cults and City Gods

The child led the way ahead, one hand still tightly clutching half a white-flour steamed bun. He had not the heart to finish eating it, intending to bring it back home. He kept a firm grip on it the entire journey, turning his head back from time to time to look at the few people behind him, terrified that they might fall behind, and equally afraid that the immortal might run away.

This was an immortal, after all! In all his years, this was the very first time he had ever laid eyes on such a formidable figure—even the Grandfather City God of the county had to bow and pay his respects to this immortal.

He had seen the immortal wave his hand, and all the belongings they were carrying—several large horses, a carriage, and various jars, pots, and chests—had simply vanished into thin air. He had no idea where they had been put.

The village child’s heart pounded wildly all the way.

After walking along the mountain path for over an hour and turning several corners, they arrived at the Fourth Young Lord Temple.

The Fourth Young Lord Temple was remarkably grand. It was hard to imagine that a temple of such magnificence could exist in a tiny mountain ravine in Ruzhou; one could only wonder how much effort the temple keeper had poured into it. The pillars inside the temple were tall and straight, and the magnificent hall was solemn and dignified. Painted entirely in black and crimson, it differed greatly from contemporary Buddhist temples and Taoist shrines. The floor was paved entirely with stone bricks, adorned throughout with flame-like patterns.

Jiang She noticed that every place where flames were painted was brushed with gold powder, featuring intricate and exquisite designs.

This fellow…

Is certainly doing quite well for himself.

As the group stepped across the threshold, they saw that the incense burner in front of the temple was fully packed with burning incense, wisps of blue smoke curling lazily upwards. The ethereal blue smoke reflected against the emerald green of the surrounding mountains.

The child leading the way lowered his voice considerably, filled with deep awe and reverence.

He spoke in a tiny, whisper-thin voice, completely forgetting that the immortal was right beside him, terrified of being discovered. He lowered his head and murmured, "This is the Fourth Young Lord Temple."

Miao'er also sniffed the air. With the most sensitive nose, her whiskers trembled and her little nose twitched. She scrambled up Jiang She’s robes, climbing straight to his shoulder, somewhat displeased by the heavy scent of incense.

Jiang She picked up the cat and asked, "Since it is such a grand temple, why is it hidden deep in the mountains of Ruzhou?"

The child looked at the pretty little cat, scratching his head. How could a village child know such things? All he knew was that one day, quite suddenly, a temple appeared in this unassuming place, and many villagers secretly came to worship here because prayers were answered with miraculous precision.

He also knew that people from other prefectures specially traveled here just to worship at their temple.

Afterwards, they had to pay a great deal of money, even gold. For the child's family, even sparing five copper coins was difficult, so he had never been able to visit.

After thinking for a moment, the child said, "When people want to get rich, distance doesn't matter."

"No matter how far it is, they are willing to walk here, even tens of miles... My father is like that."

Jiang She smiled. "That is quite a profound observation."

The child tilted his head, not quite understanding how his words were profound. He looked at the cat, which was entirely black with exceptionally fine fur, curled into a tiny ball—truly a very, very small cat. He desperately wanted to stroke it, but worried he might dirty the little kitten. His heart itched with curiosity.

Gathering his courage, the child asked, "How old is it?"

"About two months."

"Does the cat eat a lot?"

"Compared to a human, I suppose not."

"Then I can eat a little less and share my food with it," the child said, gazing at the curled-up ball of fur. "As long as it's half as pretty as this cat."

Jiang She did not answer immediately.

After looking around for a while, the child remembered the white-flour bun these people had given him. True to his word, he led them winding their way into the hall. Though he had never been here himself, fortunately, neither had the immortal, and nothing had been discovered.

Jiang She and his companions wandered around the Fourth Young Lord Temple a few times before finally walking into the main hall.

Neither Jiang She, nor the Old Mountain God of Lu, nor Li Bai, nor Yuan Danqiu exposed this little deception. They tacitly followed behind him, and even when the main hall was clearly visible not far ahead, they followed the child's aimless wandering, stumbling about like headless flies.

"We're here!"

The child breathed a sigh of relief. As if having accomplished a great feat, he turned back to look at the group.

"This is the main hall."

Hesitating for a moment, he glanced left and right. Seeing that no one was paying attention to this side, he whispered very softly,

"If this is a good temple, could the immortals please not punish them?"

Deep down, the child vaguely sensed that the immortals seemed rather displeased with this temple and had even lodged a complaint with Grandfather City God. Yet all the villagers loved coming to this Fourth Young Lord Temple. The country folk didn't know what a wild, unorthodox temple was; they only knew that this temple was very grand, required a lot of money, and was very efficacious.

Jiang She softened his tone as much as possible. Matching the child's earlier phrasing, he said in a gentle voice, "If it is a good temple that does good deeds, no one will trouble them."

"Naturally, they will not be punished."

With these words, Jiang She stepped into the main hall.

Inside the main hall, several people dressed in fine silks and satins took no notice of the newcomers entering. They clutched strings of gold and silver coins, muttering under their breath.

Jiang She listened closely, and what he heard in his heart was:

"Fourth Young Lord protect me, this humble person is willing to offer ten taels of gold. I pray that my eldest brother encounters a water disaster and perishes, so that the family property will fall entirely to me, and I shall graciously raise my own nephew..."

"Fourth Young Lord protect me, God of Wealth protect me! May I surely hit the jackpot on my next trip to the gambling house and recoup the capital I previously threw in... If I can make a bit more on top of that, it would be even better. If this succeeds, this pious believer is willing to offer a thirty percent share of the profits to nourish the immortals and true ones..."

"Fourth Young Lord protect me, this humble person wishes to request another two catties of incense ash. The batch I used last time to make protective talismans worked exceptionally well, and many people struck it rich, urging me to make some more... Haha, the Fourth Young Lord is truly miraculous; even those orthodox deities in the City God Temple fall short."

"I pray to win the favor of a fair maiden. The Senior Official of Ruzhou has a granddaughter whose beauty rivals flowers..."

The seven emotions and six desires, a hundred kinds of worldly entreaties—all were contained within these walls.

After listening for a short while, Jiang She gazed up at the golden statue above.

The divine statue lowered its gaze, its wide sleeves fluttering as it stood upon a stage of flames and gold, carved with auspicious patterns of celestial longevity and health. The deep black and crimson hues intertwined intricately with the patterns of fire.

After studying it for a moment, Jiang She spoke.

"Having listened for so long, won't Your Excellency step out and show yourself?"

...

...

Upon returning to his domain, the City God was still gripped by lingering fear and immediately summoned the civil and martial judges, as well as the Day-Wandering and Night-Wandering Gods.

The Civil Judge looked solemn and scholarly, dressed in a cyan official robe, with a long beard and a fair complexion. He held a writing brush and cradled a stack of records. The Martial Judge was fierce and majestic, holding an iron brush and heavy chains; he had red hair and a blue face, looking as ferocious as a yaksha and striking terror into the hearts of all who beheld him. The Day and Night Wandering Gods followed closely behind the two judges, exuding a mysterious and ethereal aura as they clutched thin volumes recording the good and evil deeds of the mortal realm.

Upon seeing the City God, they all bowed in unison, signaling their submission and deep respect.

During his mortal life, the City God had been an official in Ruzhou. After his death, because of the good deeds he performed in life, he was beloved by the people and bestowed with a heavenly mandate to become a local deity, imbuing him with great majesty.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he asked, "Have any of you ever heard of the Fourth Young Lord Temple?"

The red-haired, blue-faced Martial Judge lowered his ferocious head, his eyes shifting slightly.

The civil and martial judges, along with the Day and Night Wandering Gods, all replied:

"Is it an unorthodox wild shrine here in Ruzhou? This subordinate has never investigated it."

"Nor is there any record on my side."

"Whereabouts in Ruzhou is it?" the Day-Wandering God asked respectfully. "This subordinate will go and investigate right away."

The City God stared closely at them and slowly said, "Today, I encountered an immortal who commanded the vital breath of heaven and earth as easily as a man stretches his limbs. His mastery of the Dao was profound and unfathomable. I know not from which realm this immortal hails."

"The immortal spoke to me of the Fourth Young Lord Temple. I am giving you one chance—speak again."

The Civil Judge was utterly shocked.

"An immortal truly exists?"

The Day and Night Wandering Gods were also shaken to the core.

"There are still immortals left in heaven and earth?"

Recalling what he had witnessed earlier, the City God let out a long sigh and told them, "Immortals truly still exist in this world. Their mastery of the Dao is so supreme that all the brush and ink, the poetry written by mortals, and the legendary figures like Guangchengzi and Red Pine from antiquity cannot compare to them."

"Had the immortal not summoned me over, I would likely have mistaken him for an ordinary person and failed to recognize an immortal even when facing him."

The Civil Judge's figure suddenly glided past the desk, unable to restrain himself from leaning forward.

"Could it really be so?"

The City God sighed softly before returning to the immortal's instructions. Scrutinizing them all closely, he sternly demanded:

"Do you truly know nothing of this?"

"If you dare to conceal the truth any further, prepare yourselves to face the wrath of the celestial being!"

*Clang!*

The iron brush in the Martial Judge's hand slipped and crashed onto the floor.