"Cough, cough, cough. Boss, here's the money for the meal. Old Zhang's had his fill. God Chen's Eight-Armed Four-Faced God statue still hasn't been gilded. If I'm late and delay the High God's business, that would be an unforgivable sin."
"Goodness, I haven't even burned today's first incense yet, and that's worth a whole meal! I'm off, I'm off..."
"Great River Sect is buying Blood Vine Flowers in unlimited quantities, one silver tael per flower! Anyone want to head into the mountains and try their luck at striking it rich?"
Before long, the customers in the eatery had trickled out in droves. Only then did the tense atmosphere stirred by that man's words ease a little. Even so, few of those who remained said anything more. They lowered their heads, ate, paid, and left.
Huang Huai sat in a corner, chewing his flatbread bit by bit until it was gone. He looked no different from the other diners, but a storm was rising in his heart as one phrase after another flashed through his mind.
"The whole village wiped out, cultivation through flesh and souls, a High God out of control, evil spirits, Demons, Great River Sect, Blood Vine Flowers..."
Watching people come and go along the street, Huang Huai couldn't help but feel bewildered and curious. Was the world he now inhabited really the ordinary ancient world he'd imagined?
As he sat lost in thought, a sudden commotion rose from the street. Huang Huai followed the noise with his gaze and saw a crowd of people excitedly sprinting in one direction.
Now and then, someone in the crowd shouted to the passersby, "Hurry, everyone! Today, the Seventh Elder of Great River Sect pities the common folk and will invite the Three-Eyed White Lotus God, whom he Attends, to bestow blessings and relieve everyone's aches and pains..."
"Heavens! A Great River Sect elder is inviting a god to bestow blessings! That's a rare stroke of fortune, something you might see only once a year. They say the Seventh Elder is a powerful cultivator who's built two divine palaces, and Attends a Golden Armored Demon-Subduing God and a Three-Eyed White Lotus God. Never mind the Golden Armored Demon-Subduing God—the divine light of the Three-Eyed White Lotus God can cure every illness. Even if you're healthy, it can strengthen your body and boost your vitality. If you miss this, you'll regret it for years!"
To Huang Huai's astonishment, the eatery's owners, who had still been working moments ago, began briskly closing up shop. The proprietor called out to Huang Huai, who was still standing there in a daze, watching the few remaining customers dash out and join the crowd. "Why are you still standing there, sir? This is a High God's blessing, a rare stroke of fortune that comes once a year! Hurry!"
As he spoke, the proprietor seemed either to think Huang Huai was holding him up or to have some other reason. He grabbed Huang Huai and charged into the street like a gust of wind, plunging into the crowd. At the same time, he shouted back to his wife:
"Woman, close up and catch up!"
The proprietor had pulled Huang Huai to his feet. Still dumbfounded, Huang Huai blurted, "Boss, I haven't paid for my meal yet..."
The proprietor's voice rang out: "What's a meal compared to a High God's blessing?"
Wind roared in Huang Huai's face. He felt like a kite with a string pulling him along. He pumped his legs as hard as he could, barely managing to keep up with the proprietor's pace. Even then, he only ran so fast because the man was dragging him along.
"Wh-what the hell? Are these people even human? They're all faster than the world's sprinting champions!"
Huang Huai stared as several white-haired old men and women charged past him, their legs pumping, and his eyes widened.
"This kid's a lost cause! He runs so slowly!"
An old man glanced at Huang Huai and grinned at his companion, revealing the few remaining teeth in his mouth.
"Such a handsome young man, wasted on someone who's all looks and no use..."
An old woman kept pace with the crowd effortlessly, yet still found time to give Huang Huai a pitying look and sigh.
Huang Huai felt their eyes on him and heard their verdict. He was so furious he nearly passed out.
It was true that he'd been frail from birth because he was premature. That was precisely why his father had sent him to Xunzhen Temple. But after years of exercise and recuperation amid its beautiful mountains and clear waters, Huang Huai had thought his physical fitness was at least average among his peers. Now, a bunch of old men and women who looked ready to drop dead were treating him like a useless weakling.
The humiliation was hard to describe. Yet men and women, old and young alike, ran like wild horses set free. Even Usain Bolt would have been on his knees here. Compared to them, Huang Huai felt like a weakling himself.
Just as Huang Huai felt his lungs were about to give out and burst, the proprietor's voice sounded beside him. "We're here!"
The words were like heavenly music. Huang Huai doubled over, panting hard, his legs aching, his thighs trembling. It was no less exhausting than, as Eighth Senior Brother Chen Wei had put it, going seven rounds in one night.
That thought inexplicably surfaced in Huang Huai's mind. He glanced to the side and saw several old men and women looking at him again with sympathy and pity.
"Young man, you're so weak. Don't tell me those seductive Demons who specialize in sucking the vitality out of virile men have drained you dry!"
The proprietor gave Huang Huai, who was glaring angrily with his eyes wide open, a strange look. He seemed to realize that those old folks had gotten under his skin, so he patted Huang Huai on the shoulder. "You really are a bit too frail, young man. But you're in luck. This time, you can soak in the divine radiance during the High God's blessing. It'll replenish your vitality and make you sturdier."
Still panting heavily, Huang Huai had no mind to bother with those sharp-tongued old men and women. After all, he was a strapping twenty-year-old, yet next to them he was a weakling.
Now, Huang Huai's gaze had fallen on the raised platform surrounded by a dense crowd up ahead.
It looked like a temporary, nine-tiered altar, standing four or five stories tall. Pitch-black from top to bottom, it seemed to be one solid piece, rising at the end of the long street.
Huang Huai could tell at a glance that the altar had been built on the spot. It was clearly out of place amid the surrounding buildings and, more importantly, Huang Huai recognized all the shops around it.
After looking carefully, Huang Huai was sure he'd passed through here just one or two hours ago. Back then, there hadn't been an altar several stories tall.
In other words, the altar had been built in a very short time. The key was, even in the modern world, with heavy machinery to help, it would be hard to build something this fast.
As Huang Huai's thoughts ran wild, a voice like a great bell suddenly boomed, drowning out the noise of thousands upon thousands of people. What amazed Huang Huai even more was that the voice carried clearly to everyone's ears.
"The High God has arrived! Everyone, welcome him!"
The noisy crowd fell silent at once. An invisible force seemed to push the tightly packed people aside, opening a path.
Huang Huai took a few steps back and looked toward the far end of the human wall. Several figures were striding toward them.
As they drew closer, Huang Huai got a clear look. There were three of them. The man at the head wore a dark blue robe and a belt around his waist. His hair was tied up high, with a jade hairpin stuck casually at an angle. He had a square face and a mustache, and with two disciples attending him, he cut a rather imposing figure.
"Ah, it really is the Seventh Elder of Great River Sect! A powerful cultivator who built two divine palaces in his dantian's qi sea and Attends two Gods and Devils statues. We're truly blessed this time..."
Someone couldn't contain their excitement and spoke in a trembling voice.
Huang Huai heard every word. As the Seventh Elder approached, his heart began to pound. Part of it was nerves, but more than anything, it was anticipation. It seemed he would soon be able to glimpse the true face of this world.
Before you continue