"Candied hawthorns! Two coins a skewer..."
"Come take a look! See how fine my wood carvings are..."
Vendors called out along the street, and every face wore a smile that came from the heart.
After Shi Yongheng and the Willow Deity opened a teahouse below Mount Hua, she took charge of running it while he went wandering again.
At Guanjiang Estuary, Shi Yongheng walked down the busy street in a blue-green Daoist robe. Some people sold firewood, others sold food. The place bustled with life. Its residents had rosy complexions and sturdy builds, clear signs that they ate well.
All of this was thanks to Erlang Shen. Within his domain, whether it came to rain or thunder, harvests or disease, what deity would dare refuse him?
The Illustrious True Lord Erlang was renowned throughout the Three Realms. A mighty Golden Immortal, he commanded respect everywhere. Only someone certain they would never need a favor would dare slight him.
Where the waterways of Guanjiang Estuary met, an enormous residence came into view. Its plaque read: "True Lord Residence."
A close look at those three characters gave the impression of a heroic man swinging a Three-Pointed Double-Edged Saber straight at you.
He truly had done things beyond the reach of ordinary people for the sake of all living beings, his nephew, and his sister.
What was more, as the Heavenly Court's Illustrious True Lord, he held a lofty office and was the Jade Emperor's own nephew.
At that moment, Yang Jian sat in the study of the True Lord Residence, staring at a sheet of calligraphy on his desk with a troubled expression.
On closer inspection, the words read: "As ever, bear humiliation and shoulder the burden."
Suddenly, he sensed something and stepped out of the study.
Before long, Yang Jian reached