On This Day, Ten Thousand Beasts Came to Pay Homage

The procession welcoming the gods was grand and far-reaching, circling the entire town, with shouts of prayer and supplication echoing wherever it went.

After touring the entire town, the group slowly headed out of town.

Just as they left the town and reached that open field, a strange change occurred.

Suddenly, a commotion arose in the last part of the crowd.

Someone turned around and looked over; their face instantly turned pale.

"What... what is that?!"

From the direction they came from, a dark mass of shadows surged in.

It is a beast.

Herds of wild animals emerged from the forest from all directions and were converging on the group.

Leading the pack was a deer that was entirely white.

It was exceptionally handsome, with clear, gentle eyes, and its unhurried pace made it seem like the leader of this pack of wild beasts.

Behind it, a long string of foxes, rabbits, roe deer, muntjacs, and other animals of all kinds, whose names I cannot recall, formed a magnificent line.

Occasionally, a few creatures with unusual auras, glossy fur, and lively eyes could be seen among them, clearly Spirit Beast.

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Wild animals in the mountains always avoid people.

The sudden appearance of such a large group startled everyone, causing them to scream and scatter to the sides.

"Run! The beasts have gone mad!"

The Divine Guard surrounding the sedan chair all changed their expressions.

Instead of panic, they quickly surrounded the sedan chair, spreading their arms to protect it, their bright eyes watching the approaching horde of beasts warily.

However, after a short period of being on high alert, they, along with the others, gradually realized that something was amiss.

Those wild animals had no intention of harming anyone.

They followed obediently at the very back of the procession, step by step, quietly following along, as if... they too had come to participate in this welcoming of the gods.

The White Deer led the way, its demeanor calm and composed, guiding the long line of creatures behind it at a leisurely pace.

The noisy crowd gradually quieted down.

The fear faded, replaced by an indescribable sense of awe.

Someone, their voice trembling, was the first to react.

"All things... all things come to pay homage..."

This sentence immediately drew everyone's attention to the large sedan chair draped with a light veil in the center of the procession.

Even the Spirit Beast from the deep mountains came to greet and see them off.

Such a scene has never been seen in all the years that the Three Towns have held their welcoming ceremonies for the gods.

Who exactly is that deity seated in the sedan chair?

Awe, like a tidal wave, engulfed the entire wilderness.

More people knelt down, their kowtows sounding even more devout than before.

The Welcoming Deity Festival was originally a grand event between the three towns, but on this day, people from villages large and small in the vicinity would also travel from afar to pray for good luck.

In the crowd, an old woman was pushing her way forward, looking utterly lost.

Her clothes were tattered, her hair was gray and disheveled, and her eyes were cloudy and lifeless, as if some kind of sorrow had hollowed her out.

Her son is sick, seriously ill.

They sought medical treatment and spent all their savings. With the patient's life hanging in the balance, their once happy family was on the verge of collapse and was almost completely destroyed.

Having nowhere else to turn, she came too.

They come to seek help from this elusive and intangible god.

In her heart, there was a complex feeling that even she couldn't explain.

There was a plea, a sense of resentment, and even a hint of bitterness.

If there truly is a God in this world.

If your god is truly effective.

Then why, why not save her son?

This thought consumed her, and she stumbled and plunged into the line.

The Divine Guard were about to stop her, but she had already lunged to the side of the sedan chair, grabbed the drooping ribbon, and refused to let go.

"Please... please save my son..."

She tilted her head back, tears streaming down her cloudy eyes, and only this one sentence kept repeating to herself.

"Please... he's so young... save him, please save him..."

The Divine Guard's expressions changed, and they quickly stepped forward, trying to persuade her while prying her hands apart to move her aside.

"Ma'am, no, please let go!"

Those withered hands, however, seemed rooted to the spot, gripping the ribbon tightly and refusing to let go.

After several tugs, she finally gave in and was dragged away from the sedan chair by the Divine Guard.

In that instant of letting go, I vaguely felt as if a hand pressed down on my palm, leaving something behind.

Dragged to the side of the road, the old woman finally came to her senses and slowly opened her hands.

A jujube lay in her palm.

It was a bright red, and round and plump.

"... a date?"

She stared at it for a long time, and a nameless anger suddenly welled up in her heart.

She almost threw the date hard onto the ground.

But the moment he looked up, his movements froze.

In the distance, the procession welcoming the gods was slowly moving away, followed by a large and mighty herd of gentle mountain and forest Spirit Beast.

All beasts came to pay homage.

What a sight that was!

The hand that was about to fall was slowly pulled back.

This date is a gift from the gods.

'Perhaps... perhaps it really works.'

Thinking this way, as if trying to convince herself, she carefully tucked the date into her bosom and covered it tightly.

This scene caused an uproar among onlookers.

"Did you see that? That old woman... that old woman actually received a reward from the gods!"

"God has appeared! God has truly manifested!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Those who were envious and covetous flocked towards the sedan chair, vying to kowtow and shout, all hoping to receive divine favor and be granted even the slightest blessing.

Thanks to the Divine Guard's staunch resistance, the surging crowd didn't disrupt the procession.

The old woman, clutching the date tightly to her chest, bowed deeply in the direction the procession had gone, then turned and headed home.

In front of the sedan chair.

Qin Zhaoer naturally saw that scene.

The jujube that Qin Wangchuan handed out was covered with Spiritual Power.

While I wouldn't say he could bring the dead back to life, he could definitely cure the illness.

She pursed her lips, somewhat dismissive.

They're just a bunch of unknown, lowly people; why bother with all this trouble?

On second thought, that makes sense.

Ninth Brother's nature has always been cold on the outside but soft on the inside. He may seem indifferent, but deep down he can't stand seeing people suffer.

Ultimately, it all comes down to a kind heart.

Thinking this, Qin Zhaoer turned her head to look at the person in the sedan chair.

Layers of light gauze hung down, obscuring the view through a hazy veil.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, lifting the corner of the gauze.

In that instant, that profile came into view.

A sudden, inexplicable pause crossed my mind.

On that face, there was neither the pity she expected nor the slightest reluctance.

Qin Wangchuan simply gazed calmly ahead.

He didn't utter a single word or even glance to the side from beginning to end.

In that instant, Qin Zhaoer became certain of one thing.

This person will definitely ascend to the position of Heavenly Emperor in the future.

That position, perched atop the heavens, where no one could rival it.