ATEG Chapter 79.2

When Li Chi emerged from the bamboo forest, an evening breeze swept past, making the leaves rustle, coolness like water.

He didn’t use magic to easily cross ten thousand li as he had when arriving, but walked out step by step like an ordinary person.

Traces of the strange great calamity from the past few months still remained in Shuigu Town, but the town still stood, people could still live. Only the clothes on their bodies had changed to thick ones, and the tea soup stalls had been replaced with roasted sweet potato stands. Believers just emerging from the Earth God Temple carried protective talismans, their anxious expressions replaced with relief. Where they couldn’t see, deities walked through the air, their gazes watching over the small town.

Incense formed from votive power rose in wisps, connecting people and deities into one body, together forming this Shuigu Town.

Li Chi raised his hand and pinched at the void—much incense and faith wound around his fingertips. Among this incense were also some prayers directed at him. After the matter of the Dream-Eating Tapir, he had gained believers in Shuigu Town. Much like how they worshipped the Great Celestial Venerable—respectful and sincere enough, yet without deep devotion.

Just as, compared to thanking the sun in the sky, people would still feel that someone beside them who lit a warm stove was more intimate.

Li Chi smiled as he twisted those devotions between his fingers. Besides those from Shuigu Town, there were also those from Liquan Village and other nearby villages. They had either heard his name from Shuigu Town, or were villages that benefited after the silverfish cleared the waterways following the three-day bitter rain. There were also some from wild beasts in the Daqing Mountain range whose spiritual awareness had just awakened, and… from Ding Family Village and other villages along the Jiuqu River?

He hadn’t left his name there. Li Chi was about to look into the karmic causes when he suddenly stopped and looked toward the roadside under a tree.

A woman was waiting there. She wore a black dress and looked almost identical to the Medicine Divine Lady of the Yun Family Medicine Shop. But even without the black clothing, anyone with any familiarity with Wangyue would find it hard to mistake them.

“Shuoyue,” Li Chi said. The last time he’d seen Shuoyue, she hadn’t yet been able to take human form and was being held in Wangyue’s arms.

Shuoyue seemed somewhat nervous—the kind of nervousness that comes when one has just made up their mind to do something. Wangyue was often nervous too, but her nervousness always carried shyness, that kind of shyness from fearing she might do something poorly or not knowing what to do. But Shuoyue was different. She knew very clearly what she wanted to do; she was only nervous about the uncertain consequences.

She showed no hesitation, appearing resolute instead.

“High God.” Shuoyue let out a small breath. “I once obtained a dream of a Dream-Eating Tapir, hidden in the depths of a Taiwu County survivor’s dream, which only a dream realm beast could trigger.”

She opened her hand, a small illusory dream resting in her palm. “This is a multi-layered dream. At that time I was controlled by Feiying and feared he would discover it, so I only looked at the first layer. After returning, I hesitated for a long time and didn’t dare to look at the remaining layers.”

Shuoyue’s mentality was easy to understand. When ability was insufficient, not knowing certain things was safest. She had been tormented under Feiying’s hand for six hundred years, her cultivation delayed until now when she could finally take human form. Though Wangyue had already achieved the status of demon god, she only specialized in medicine. The Dream-Eating Tapir’s dream, in their hands, couldn’t accomplish anything and instead became a hot potato. But in the proper hands, it would be different.

In that period just after escaping from Feiying’s methods, she hadn’t yet been able to truly trust Li Chi, so she had said nothing. But over the past few months, she had observed much. She was a divine dao cultivator with dreams as her divine office, most skilled in dream arts, and in dreams, it was very difficult to lie. Though she couldn’t enter the dreams of those in Li Manor, she could learn much from other mortals.

What truly made Shuoyue decide was Ding Qin. A divine messenger shared prosperity and decline with their deity. What the divine messenger did must align with the deity’s will—otherwise, if they received the deity’s displeasure, the divine messenger’s cultivation would be more or less ruined.

Shuoyue had seen how Ding Qin conducted herself. She was willing to believe that a deity who had taught such a divine messenger wouldn’t misuse the Dream-Eating Tapir’s dream.

She extended her hand, passing this heavy dream to Li Chi.

“I understand,” Li Chi said, looking at Shuoyue. He said nothing more, but Shuoyue felt reassured by that gaze, no longer nervous, as if she had finally laid down a heavy burden.

So she smiled with relief and brought out a basket. “High God has helped Wangyue and me greatly, yet we have nothing with which to repay you. Feeling grateful for so long, we have only this small token of our hearts. Please do not refuse.”

After Li Chi accepted the basket, Shuoyue bowed once and her figure disappeared.

Li Chi carried the basket as he slowly walked out of Shuigu Town, half his divine consciousness observing his surroundings, the other half looking into those threads of faith from along the Jiuqu River.

“…This is a very powerful deity, compassionate and mighty. You should worship him from now on—no need to worship me anymore.” A large red-crowned crane with a slender form said to the villagers.

“But… but…”

“But what?” The large red-crowned crane impatiently waved a wing. “Do you still remember that little girl who helped you set up formations to guide and purify the water? She’s capable, right? She solved everything, didn’t she? She’s that deity’s divine messenger! You should all worship that deity from now on, don’t worship me anymore!”

“But you…”

“Me what?” The red-crowned crane stared with bright eyes, her voice clear. “I don’t need your incense. Come bother me again and I’ll hang you in a tree!”

The village elder didn’t dare speak anymore. Though he was quite old now, compared to the Crane God, what did that amount to? They had all grown up under the Crane God’s watch. When they were mischievous as children, the Crane God really had hung them in trees. Now at this advanced age, if the Crane God really hung him in a tree again…

He cautiously raised his eyes to look at the Crane God, his appearance pitiful…

Li Chi couldn’t help but laugh.

The Crane God Bai Hong—though she walked the divine dao, she cultivated as an ancient dao demon and didn’t need incense. Having proven the Dao of Wind, she most loved traveling everywhere and took no pleasure in being confined to one place. Who would have thought that out of momentary compassion, she’d been trapped by the Jiuqu River since over a thousand years ago? Now she’d set her sights on him.

Li Chi’s gaze shifted to see Bai Hong in the present. She was in another village persuading them to worship Li Chi. It seemed she’d been doing this for quite some time, though judging from the incense Li Chi had received, the results were clearly minimal.

Mortals… though often heartless, they were also often nostalgic.

Bai Hong was frustrated enough, but she didn’t really hang all those elderly villagers in trees. She was arguing with several of them.

“Daren, even setting aside everything else, what if the deity you mentioned is unwilling to protect us? What should we do?”

“Isn’t there Ding Qin? She’s from Ding Family Village—she definitely won’t abandon you.” Bai Hong said.

“But divine messengers must also listen to deities. What if that deity forbids it?” another village elder said.

“I’ll go talk with him. He’s definitely more suitable than me to protect you! Look at the previous disasters—my methods were very limited, but Ding Qin could do so much.” Bai Hong said. “But you have to worship him first! Worship him properly, with sincere devotion and full incense offerings. Only then can I negotiate with him!”

“But…” The speaking village elder’s eyes showed reluctance.

They naturally knew what the Crane God said made sense, but apart from their worry that the deity might not accept them, they truly felt reluctance toward the Crane God.

They had all grown up under the Crane God’s watch.

“Looking like this, how can I negotiate with him? I…” Bai Hong felt her head aching.

Before she could finish, a voice suddenly appeared from behind her.

“What do you wish to discuss with me?”

Bai Hong jumped in fright. Though she hadn’t yet met Li Chi, she had already sensed Li Chi’s aura from Ding Qin. She stiffly turned her head. “Li, Li, Li Li Li…”

Li Chi smiled warmly at those village elders. “You all may leave. I’ll talk with her.”

The village elders exchanged glances and obediently withdrew.

Bai Hong’s crane feathers all stood on end. She didn’t think she’d done anything bad. Though great deities like this probably didn’t need incense, having incense wouldn’t hurt them either. Protecting one region was something they could do with a wave of their hand—they wouldn’t be trapped in one place like her. Just like the Great Celestial Venerable of the Divine Court and the Flame Lord of the North—both were unfathomably deep heavenly deities who also didn’t need incense, but which of them didn’t have their own believers?

Though using too much incense or relying on it too heavily had drawbacks, eating too much salt could also kill you from the saltiness. As long as one was careful when refining incense, there wouldn’t be any problems. For great deities like this, it wasn’t an issue at all.

The Great Celestial Venerable was too lofty and unreachable. As for heavenly deities dwelling in the mortal realm like the Flame Lord, it was common for entire families or clans to migrate into the heavenly deity’s domain, worshipping devoutly to seek protection. Generally they could stay—there were none who worshipped sincerely yet were driven out.

But this kind of thing—sending believers to someone else—scheming about it behind the scenes was one thing, but being caught face-to-face by the person in question was quite awkward.

Bai Hong was currently in this state of guilty conscience, her voice softening by more than one level. “Why did you suddenly come here?”

Li Chi laughed once. “As long as you can answer one question for me, I will protect the villages along the Jiuqu River.”

Bai Hong’s eyes brightened. “Please ask!”

“When wind doesn’t move, what is it?”

Bai Hong was stunned. “When wind doesn’t move, it disperses!”

Li Chi shook his head. “You cultivate the Dao of Wind. When you don’t move, does your dao disperse?”

Bai Hong froze.

Only when it moves is wind truly wind. Still air isn’t called wind. But when wind doesn’t move, what is her dao?

Li Chi smiled. He looked at the sky and said, “Think about it slowly. Come with me to Li Manor today.”

With a sweep of his sleeve robe, he brought Bai Hong before Li Manor’s gates.

The sun slanted west, the forest layers growing warm.

To the side of the main gate, a small pine stood lightly swaying in a fractured boulder. Old Turtle sat on half of the split boulder slowly teaching cultivation methods. Many wild beasts with half-awakened spiritual awareness gathered around, listening intently. Even Jin Yan stood on the wall.

Old Turtle was already three thousand five hundred and thirty-one years old—the longest-cultivating of all living beings here. He wasn’t naturally gifted. His current cultivation has been achieved step by step. He had waded through all the simplest doubts and the roughest obstacles. Though his teaching was plain and simple, it was most suitable for these small demons in the mountains and wilderness who had no foundation.

Li Chi appeared silently. Old Turtle stopped speaking and rose to bow. “High God…”

“This is very good,” Li Chi said.

Old Turtle relaxed slightly. When he’d seen these mountain and wild demon beasts arriving with fruit, he’d curiously asked a question and learned they were waiting for the deity to teach the Law. Though the deity didn’t teach every day, they were willing to come daily.

Old Turtle had also cultivated from such times. Moved by feeling, he’d answered a few bold little beasts who came to seek teaching on cultivation doubts. Gradually it had turned into him teaching here.

Though it was outside Li Manor, Old Turtle wasn’t certain whether this would displease that deity.

Li Chi glanced at the stone Old Turtle sat upon, the smile in his eyes deepening. “You teach very well. You may continue doing so in the future—just sit on that stone.”

Old Turtle agreed, though he was somewhat puzzled. He looked at that stone—there was nothing special about it…

Above Li Manor, cooking smoke rose in wisps. The main gate creaked open with a sound. Hou Li emerged with a smiling face and bowed. “High God.”

By the pool came the splash of water—several small monkeys were washing fruit clean with spring water under an old monkey’s direction.

In the back courtyard came the happy chirping and squeaking of a small mouse. Wen Qianzi was lying on top of a large green ox’s head, directing him to plow again through a field that had just been harvested.

Upon seeing the white-robed figure outside the courtyard gate, the large green ox instantly transformed into Great King Yishan Jin Liushan’s appearance, at a loss. “High God, I…”

Before he could finish, Wen Qianzi, who was sliding down from his head, let out a startled shriek. Jin Liushan caught him with one hand.

Ding Qin emerged from the kitchen, carrying the air of cooking fires, holding a plate of food, calling out joyfully, “High God! Crane God!”

Seeing Li Chi’s gaze move to the plate in her hands, she blushed with some embarrassment, her eyes shining with anticipation. “I… the spirit vegetables I planted ripened. Hearing from Turtle Grandpa that you’d returned, I wanted to cook them.”

“Then let’s taste them,” Li Chi said with a smile.

Ding Qin responded with an “Ai!” and placed the plate on the table in Li Chi’s courtyard before turning to dive back into the kitchen.

Li Chi looked again at Jin Liushan. This robust, stalwart man’s face was full of embarrassment. “I… I’ll leave now.”

“You may stay today,” Li Chi said.

Not looking at Jin Liushan’s delighted face, Li Chi returned to the courtyard. On the table were already arranged Ding Qin’s dishes, Jin Yan’s pine nuts, and fruit the monkeys had washed. Li Chi also placed the basket Shuoyue had given him on top.

A white-cheeked little monkey earnestly brought over a bamboo tube of monkey wine, his eyes occasionally glancing at Bai Hong beside them. He’d never seen such a large bird before and very much wanted to get close, yet because of the old monkey’s warnings didn’t quite dare to be reckless.

Bai Hong caught the wine’s fragrance and grew very curious. “Little monkey, share a tube of this wine with me and I’ll take you flying up in the sky—how about that?”

The little monkey looked at the old monkey, then at Li Chi, and scooted one step toward Bai Hong, then another step.

Li Chi poured wine for himself, not bothering with their play.

By the time Ding Qin brought out the last dish, Bai Hong had already taken the little monkey flying several circles in the sky. The little loach was soaking in the spirit pool making a ruckus with the silverfish and little otter. Old Turtle was pulling the old monkey along, methodically teaching while simultaneously hooking the old monkey’s interest while preventing him from being anxious about the white-cheeked little monkey playing in the sky. Jin Liushan good-naturedly allowed Wen Qianzi to play on his body…

Ding Qin couldn’t help but smile. She went to fetch a small tube of monkey wine and put it in a food box. The food box also contained other dishes and fruit, all protected by divine arts. Ding Qin placed the food box under the tree.

“What’s that?” Jin Yan asked curiously.

“I’m keeping it to bring to Mutou,” Ding Qin said.

“He can already leave Poison Mountain for periods of time now.” Li Chi raised his hand and drew a circle in the air.

Inside the vast mountain belly, Mutou was leaning against ancient vines, looking up in a daze at the flying fireflies. Today, the people who had come down the mountain to find him had all returned very early, as if they all had something to do tonight. Mutou found it even more boring staying at the mountain’s base by himself, so he’d simply returned to the mountain belly.

The poison pool was silent, fireflies flickering. The ancient vines behind him were equally quiet, yet had accompanied him through countless millennia and centuries.

Mutou sat quietly. Suddenly his ear grew noisy. He turned his head and saw a passage had opened beside him. Jin Yan stood at the passage entrance looking this way. Upon spotting him, he called out noisily, “Hurry over, hurry over! If you don’t come, the food will get cold!”

Mutou hesitantly looked at the other side—many he didn’t recognize… but there was also Jin Yan, Wen Qianzi, Ding Qin, and that High God who had awakened him. Half-dazed, he was pulled over by Jin Yan. That High God drank and poured for himself while looking up at the sky, casually grabbing something from the basket to pass over.

After Mutou accepted it, he slowly realized what it was.

A mooncake—jujube paste and Chinese yam.

He took a bite.

Sweet. Soft and glutinous.

Mutou looked up at the sky. The sky had already completely darkened. The twinkling stars were a bit like the flying fireflies in the mountain belly, but that was far more vast than the mountain belly.

And moreover, there was a full moon in the sky.

Today…it seemed to be the Mid-Autumn Festival.