Halfway through the game of chess, Fang Ming took a sip of tea and asked, "I wonder how much you know about White Cloud Temple, Mr. He?" He Yuqing smiled and made another move before replying, "The refinements of chess have clearly improved Your Divine Excellency's patience. How delightful! In the past, you'd ask your questions as soon as the game began!"
"Alas... I truly had no time to spare before. Now that I have some free time, haven't I been coming here to seek your guidance?"
"I see Your Divine Excellency is no longer young. You've already come of age, so why not take a wife to look after you? Even if there's no suitable match, you could first take a few concubines and enjoy the pleasures of the bedchamber. That way, you wouldn't have to keep coming to sit with an old fossil like me, and I wouldn't feel so uneasy!" He Yuqing had known the deity for a long time and understood that he had no scruples on this matter. He was easygoing, too, so he teased him.
As soon as he finished, he blinked and added, "If Your Divine Excellency has no one in mind, I could introduce a few young ladies from good families. They're all refined and graceful, and well suited to bearing children. I guarantee you won't regret it!"
In this world, men came of age at fifteen, which meant they could marry, have children, and continue their clans.
"Heh... Please don't tease me, sir. Though my foundation isn't on the verge of collapse, it could still be swept away by wind and rain at any time. How could I spare the thought for such things?" Fang Ming replied with a wry smile. At the mention of serious matters, He Yuqing's expression turned solemn. "Is this about White Cloud Temple?"
Fang Ming nodded. "What's coming will come. If I want to develop in Wu Prefecture, I can't get past White Cloud Temple."
"White Cloud Temple is the Daoist sect of Wu Prefecture, and it has also received an imperial charter. There are two True Persons at the temple, and its branch temples are spread far and wide. Most of the Ghost-Banishing Offices in the prefectures and counties of Wu Prefecture are staffed by White Cloud Temple disciples." He Yuqing pondered for a moment before answering.
"I've mentioned some of this before, but that was only what's on the surface. According to the He Family's secret inquiries, White Cloud Temple ranks its formal disciples by the four characters Qing, Yu, Ling, and Zheng. There are around two hundred of them. It also has outer disciples who don't belong to those ranks, but are taught some methods. Most live among the common folk and manage the temple's worldly businesses. Add in servants, warriors, and the like, and White Cloud Temple has around a thousand people in total."
"Mm." Fang Ming nodded. White Cloud Temple's numbers weren't all that great—less than he'd expected. He asked, "Sir, do you know about treasures of Fortune?"
"Oh? It seems Your Divine Excellency already knows something of them!" He Yuqing's expression changed, but after a moment he composed himself and said, "I've heard that treasures of Fortune are formed from spiritual veins between heaven and earth, or manifest out of nothing when great Fortune gathers. They can stabilize one's Fortune. In the hands of a commoner, they can bring the prospect of high office; in the hands of an Aristocratic Clan, they can ensure blessings endure for generations." "But such treasures have always been the lifeblood of the Daoist Sect, used to stabilize its Fortune and preserve its lineage. They're also exceedingly rare. My family once spent a fortune offering a reward, but found nothing. I've heard that even the imperial family has only a few."
Fang Ming took a sip of tea. "The White Cloud Sword of White Cloud Temple should count as a treasure of Fortune, shouldn't it? Do you know how many they have?"
He Yuqing shook his head. "How often does one see a treasure like that? Even an ordinary great sect has only one, which serves as the foundation of its establishment. They keep it hidden away and never use it unless their very survival is at stake. As far as I know, White Cloud Temple has only the White Cloud Sword. That alone is enough to maintain its position as the hegemon of Wu Prefecture."
"So, within Wu Prefecture, only White Cloud Temple can decide matters involving ghosts and spirits. They wouldn't let a Daoist sect from another prefecture interfere unless it was an extremely urgent matter!" Fang Ming's eyes flashed as he caught onto something in He Yuqing's words.
"Precisely. Each sect has its own territory. In ordinary times, when disciples travel to gain experience, they can't meddle in the affairs of another prefecture either. Otherwise, they'll be punished under their sect rules. In theory, as long as White Cloud Temple hasn't been wiped out, it has authority over all ghostly matters in Wu Prefecture. Other Daoist sects can't interfere; doing so would be treated as a declaration of war." He Yuqing thought for a moment before answering.
"Haha... Excellent. That gives me a few more chances of success!" Fang Ming was overjoyed. He asked no more questions and instead focused on the game.
He Yuqing wanted to ask what Fang Ming was planning, but he wasn't one of Fang Ming's subordinates yet, so he had to be mindful of boundaries. Besides, even a subordinate couldn't casually inquire into their lord's plans. He could only smile wryly and keep drinking tea and playing chess with Fang Ming.
This time, Fang Ming had already settled on a plan. He played without hesitation, placing his pieces rapidly, and soon the game was over. Smiling, he rose and said, "Mr. He, your chess is masterful and admirable. I'll have to come seek your guidance again another day!" Then he took his leave.
He Yuqing walked him to the door and sighed inwardly. From the way he played, this young man has already made up his mind. He doesn't shy away from killing; his resolve is set, and no outsider can talk him out of it... Something major is afoot. What am I to do now?
Fang Ming had no idea that He Yuqing had gleaned something from the chess game. He had learned White Cloud Temple's situation from He Yuqing, and now it was time to put that knowledge to use. He returned to his study to revise his plans. Pearl brought him tea and some pastries, then withdrew.
By the next afternoon, the time had come.
Fang Ming returned to Anchang County this time using his Divine Ability to send a fragment of his consciousness into someone else—Li Qing, the shrine keeper of Qingshan Village.
After paying the fee, he entered through the city gate. The guards saw a flash of red at the corner of their eyes. They blinked, saw nothing, and assumed it had been a trick of the light. They paid it no mind and never noticed the red glow flash past inside Fang Ming's bundle.
Once inside, Fang Ming didn't linger. He headed straight for the north of the city.
The north side could be called a poor district. The farther north Fang Ming went, the fewer pedestrians he saw. Most had dry, brittle hair and sallow faces. There's inequality everywhere, he thought. He didn't look around for long, and after searching carefully, he spotted an inn on a street corner.
The faded, battered signboard still showed the words "Old Zhao's Inn," though most of the gold paint had peeled away. The place looked terribly shabby.
Fang Ming went inside. The innkeeper was dozing, half awake, when Fang Ming cleared his throat and startled him into alertness. Seeing his guest, the innkeeper immediately put on a smile and asked, "Are you here for a meal or a room?"
"A room. A private one. And have a few dishes sent up."
The innkeeper's eyes narrowed with delight. "Of course, of course! This way, sir!" He personally led Fang Ming along. It seemed he couldn't even afford to hire a waiter.
The private room was shabby, but clean enough and free of dust. Fang Ming nodded in approval.
The innkeeper eagerly brought hot water for Fang Ming to wash his feet, then chatted with him and asked where he came from. Fang Ming smiled and said he was from Qingxi Township, here on business and staying overnight.
Before long, the innkeeper's wife brought up food and wine, their aromas filling the room. Fang Ming said with satisfaction, "These dishes look good. They smell wonderful!"
The innkeeper smiled proudly. "My wife was a fine cook in her day. She even worked as head chef at the Welcoming Guest House. She's still the star attraction of this little inn!"
Fang Ming smiled, took out five large coins, and said, "Leave the dishes here and clear them away tomorrow. You can go now. Don't come to wait on me tonight; I want to sleep in peace."
The innkeeper was overjoyed. He slipped the five coins into his pocket, earning a glare from the woman beside him, but didn't care. Still smiling, he said, "All right, all right. We'll be off now. We won't disturb you tonight!"
He and his wife went out together. Their argument could be heard along the way; it seemed to be about the money he'd just pocketed.
Fang Ming smiled, closed the doors and windows, and ate and drank a little. Then he set the dishes aside and opened his bundle, revealing a wooden carving: the statue of the Land God.
Fang Ming brushed a hand over the statue. Red and white light flickered, and Divine Power surged out from within it.
After checking that everything was in order, he let out a long breath.
He was only a fragment of consciousness possessing someone else's body and had no Divine Power of his own. But with this statue, he could store Divine Power inside it and bring it into the city. Then he could use that power to perform Divine Abilities.
Of course, he couldn't carry much Divine Power, so his Divine Abilities wouldn't be very strong. And these methods would be of little use against county officials or wealthy households.
But this was the north side of the city, where poor folk and craftsmen mostly lived. Fang Ming had seen during the day that most residents had little Fortune and frail bodies. The laws were weakest in the north, and its Fortune was thinnest, making it suitable for using Divine Abilities. With those two sides working together, he could accomplish quite a lot.
Night fell. The bright moon hung high, its clear light spilling down as the county seat gradually sank into silence.
Most of the residents in the north side of town had also fallen asleep.
The innkeeper and his wife had only just fallen asleep when their bodies seemed to take flight. They arrived in a great hall, lavishly decorated in gold and jade. A banquet had been laid out below, with roast chicken and duck, and fine wine beside them, all filling the air with mouthwatering aromas. Even though the innkeeper owned an inn, business was poor; it wasn't as though he could eat such food every day. He couldn't help swallowing.
He looked around. There were a few other people there, all in worn-out clothes. Several looked vaguely familiar, like residents of the north side he'd seen around.
At last, someone couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed forward, grabbed a roast chicken, and began to devour it. "I don't care anymore! Even if I die, I'll die with a full belly!"
The innkeeper saw that the man was dressed in rags. He was a beggar. The beggar lunged forward, took a bite, and froze for a moment before wolfing it down.
The others couldn't hold back either and went forward to eat and drink. The innkeeper rubbed his eyes and said, "Could this be a dream? What a strange thing! Wife, pinch me!"
At his words, his wife pinched him hard. It hurt so much that the innkeeper yelped, but he was even more bewildered. Then he went over, picked up a cup of wine, and took a sip. It was rich and fragrant, far better than the watered-down stuff he sold. It stirred his thirst for wine, and he forgot how strange everything was, calling his wife over to eat and drink with him.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they were sighing over what a fine dream it was when golden light flickered above the hall. A young official appeared, wearing the robes of a Principal Eighth Rank official, his presence stern and imposing. Everyone promptly bowed.
Fang Ming appeared in his original form. The innkeeper had only ever seen Li Qing, so he didn't recognize him. He only felt that the young man was impressive and imposing. Then he heard him say, "I am the Land God. I can keep people safe, bring forth bountiful harvests, and grant children to those who seek them. If you silently recite my name and pray with sincerity each day, you can have this dream every night and enjoy a carefree life!" The voice rang out three times, sinking deep into everyone's hearts.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared before them. The innkeeper jolted awake and found himself lying in his own bed, with his wife beside him. But the events of the previous night remained vivid in his mind; he could even remember the taste of the wine. He couldn't help exclaiming, "What a wonderful dream!"
His wife woke too and said, "I had a dream last night. You and I were with a lot of people in a great hall, eating and drinking and having a wonderful time!"
The innkeeper was shocked. He compared the details with his wife, and they matched exactly. They stared at each other in astonishment.
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