Incense and Fire

Huang Huai, prostrate before the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan, had watched the entire scene unfold. Especially after the statue absorbed the incense smoke formed from that bead, its appearance had changed so dramatically that the difference was almost visible to the naked eye. It was as if a glimmer of spiritual light had suddenly awakened within it.

Rising slowly, Huang Huai looked at the dark green bead that had vanished without a trace, then at the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan. He couldn't help marveling, "What a treasure! I wonder what it was, to benefit the statue so much!"

Unfortunately, there had only been the one bead, and he had already offered it up for Holy Lord Emperor Guan to enjoy. But Huang Huai didn't regret it. What were treasures for, if not to be used? Since it benefited the statue, offering it to Holy Lord Emperor Guan had been the best choice.

A cool breeze swept through, and sleepiness washed over Huang Huai. Glancing at the pitch-black night beyond the room, he thought for a moment, then fetched his bedding, spread it out before the altar, and lay down.

He had originally planned to return to the present world for the night. For one thing, he hadn't yet put this place in order; for another, he hadn't felt at ease. He had worried that spending the night in this world might lead to some mishap.

The chances of encountering Gods, Demons, and Malevolent Spirits might have been slim, but he hadn't invited a Guardian Spirit to protect his home. If he had bad luck and some evil spirit broke in, he could lose his life in his sleep.

Huang Huai hadn't expected to be so lucky. No evil spirit had appeared, but He Yuan, a great fiend, had—and Holy Lord Emperor Guan had manifested. Not only had He Yuan been slain, but Huang Huai had also obtained a method of cultivation. It made him feel as if Holy Lord Emperor Guan were one of those minor characters in the novels he read, always showing up to hand people treasures.

With Holy Lord Emperor Guan's protection, what need was there for a Guardian Deity to protect the house, or a Guardian Spirit to protect the household? With Holy Lord Emperor Guan standing guard, what bull demons and snake spirits would dare come? Even if they did, they'd likely be no match for Lord Guan Er when he opened his eyes. They'd be reduced to ash, and that would be that.

Now that he no longer had to worry about the dangers of spending the night in this world, Huang Huai wasn't in a hurry to return to the present one. He also wasn't sure whether the commotion he had caused would alert the High Gods in Great River City.

Opening that mysterious portal too often was unwise. He had opened it twice in a row just that day. Walk the night road often enough, and sooner or later you'd meet a ghost. Huang Huai decided it was better to be cautious.

After a day of extraordinary, dreamlike experiences, Huang Huai's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed. He fell fast asleep in an instant and slipped into a dream.

Holy Lord Emperor Guan's manifestation had indeed alarmed quite a few people, but those who practiced cultivation had, at most, turned their attention toward Shun'an Ward. As for the commotion caused by He Yuan's death, to be honest, it hadn't alarmed anyone. Lord Guan Er had simply acted too swiftly and cleanly.

Most importantly, anyone who wanted to come over would have needed the courage to do so. Anyone with a shred of sense would have known what to do after seeing the boundless killing intent contained in the moment Holy Lord Emperor Guan manifested and opened his eyes. Who would be foolish enough to come running over and get themselves killed?

Did they really think "when the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer" was just a saying? To a being of that stature, swatting them dead would be no harder than crushing an ant.

The night passed without incident. Morning sunlight streamed through the damaged doors and windows into the side room, where Huang Huai lay before the altar. He slowly opened his eyes.

He stretched and felt soreness all over. Clearly, it was from sleeping on the ground; both the bedding and the quilt were rather poor.

Rising slowly, he folded up the bedding. Feeling how rough and thin it was, Huang Huai had already made up his mind: when he returned to the present world, he would bring back a comfortable set the next time he came.

After tidying up a little, Huang Huai prepared to wash. He took the hemp rope and wooden bucket he had bought the day before and went to the little pavilion to draw water. But when he looked down into the well, he immediately lost interest.

He wasn't the only one who would balk at it. Anyone living here would surely clear away the dead leaves and broken twigs floating on the water before drawing from it.

Fortunately, Huang Huai remembered there was another well not far from the alley entrance, so he took the bucket and headed out.

A few residents from the surrounding area had already gathered around the well at the alley entrance, drawing water and chatting about this and that.

When they saw Huang Huai emerge from the alley, some looked surprised, quietly guessing at his identity.

From their expressions alone, Huang Huai could guess what they were thinking. He smiled and greeted them. "I'm Huang Huai. I bought the house in the alley yesterday and will be living here from now on. If anything comes up, I hope you'll all look out for me."

When they heard that Huang Huai was a new neighbor, everyone proved friendly and greeted him warmly.

After drawing water and returning to the courtyard, Huang Huai washed up. Then he went into the side room and, as usual, reverently offered incense and paid his respects to Holy Lord Emperor Guan.

He hid the bundle he had brought with him, then went out. As for the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan, he wasn't worried that anyone would set their sights on it.

There were all kinds of thieves in this world, but few people would dare profane Gods and Devils, let alone steal their statues. After all, statues could be imbued with spirits. Stealing other things might be harmless, but stealing a statue could cost you your life.

Du Family Eatery

As an eatery, it was no surprise that the morning business was brisk. When Huang Huai arrived, nearly every seat was occupied by customers who had come for a meal.

Du Wu was busy when he spotted Huang Huai and recognized him at once. With a warm smile, he asked, "Haven't eaten yet, young man? What would you like?"

Huang Huai smiled as he entered the eatery. He found an empty seat and sat down. "The same as before—flatbread and thin porridge."

In the present world, Huang Huai could enjoy rich dishes as easily as plain fare. Though the flatbread and thin porridge in this world were a little bland, he treated them like the vegetarian meals he'd shared with his senior brothers at Xunzhen Temple.

After eating and paying, he turned to Du Wu, who had a moment to spare. "Brother Du, I found a place to stay, but it's been in disrepair for years. I'd like to find someone to fix it up. Do you know anyone you'd recommend?"

He didn't know anyone else in this world, but Du Wu had given him incense earlier, which showed that he was a decent man. Asking him for information seemed perfectly fine.

Du Wu thought it over for a moment. "If you want to have a house repaired, the best craftsman around here is Master Ma Xing from Majiadong Alley. You can go to him. His work is excellent and his prices are fair."

Huang Huai nodded, thanked Du Wu, and left.

While eating, Huang Huai had already considered what to do next.

The courtyard he'd chosen as his base needed repairs before he could properly move in. In the meantime, he could return to the present world and take care of some matters there.

Most importantly, after Holy Lord Emperor Guan's statue had manifested the night before, the changes to it had left Huang Huai worried about how much incense and fire prayer power remained—and whether there was enough for it to manifest again.

Even though the statue had clearly become extraordinary after absorbing that unknown bead, and there seemed little reason to worry that it lacked the incense needed to manifest, Huang Huai still thought it best to replenish its incense and fire prayer power. The more of that power, the better.

Perhaps if the statue accumulated enough incense and fire prayer power, Holy Lord Emperor Guan would display even more terrifying and astonishing might when he manifested.

Huang Huai didn't think it wise to try to obtain incense and fire prayer power from this world before he had fully figured out its workings.

Since incense and fire prayer power was linked to a statue's manifestation, he couldn't believe that the lofty High Gods would simply let people obtain it without interference.

So Huang Huai thought the right course was to take the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan back to the present world and gather as much incense and fire prayer power as possible. When the statue manifested with a plentiful reserve, the sight would surely be spectacular.

Huang Huai was also extremely curious about whether the mutated statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan would still possess supernatural abilities in the present world—and what sort of reaction it would have.