You Worship the Sea Dragon King! I Worship the Well Dragon King!

Just think about it.

With Lord God of Wealth's status, he was equivalent to the financial manager of a company.

The key was that this financial manager position was only nominal.

The real authority lay in Zhao Gongming's hands.

Star Lord of Water Virtue was equivalent to a department manager.

The Dragon King was like the top salesperson under him.

Now, someone had snatched away the top salesperson's major deal.

And you wanted a nominal financial manager to tell the department manager not to let his top salesperson fuss over it—that a lost sale was just a lost sale.

While also asking that top salesperson to contribute some business to his rival by making it rain.

Wasn't that asking far too much?

Not to mention whether a nominal financial manager even had that much clout.

What if Star Lord of Water Virtue and the Dragon King were birds of a feather?

Even if they were not.

Making a Dragon King burdened by the hatred of his son's murder send rain to Dragon-Tiger County again...

By all rights and sentiments, it was hard to justify.

Even if they brought in another Rain Master.

Who would be willing to offend the East Sea Dragon King over such a little incense offering?

Sun Yourong had already made this point very clear in the car. Over the past few years, there had been no fewer than eight hundred, perhaps even a thousand, spirit users who had worshipped other Rain Masters.

All of them had returned empty-handed.

Clearly, if it was not a Dragon King, this rain-summoning job truly could not be done.

They could not possibly ask Star Lord of Water Virtue to come personally, could they?

That idea seemed even less realistic.

"No, I can't let my brother go around owing favors like this!"

Thoughts raced through Lu Chen's mind.

"Even if my brother forced Star Lord of Water Virtue to agree for my sake, he would likely have to pay a terribly steep price! It's not worth it!"

"At most, I can have my brother sound out Star Lord of Water Virtue and offer him some benefits, asking him to restrain the East Sea Dragon King and keep him from interfering with our rain request. That alone would already be a tremendous help.

"If we truly want rain, I'll still have to rely on myself!"

Lu Chen pondered silently and nodded to himself.

"Sun Yourong said the Dragon King Formation can only be broken by the dragon race. As for gathering clouds and spreading rain, those are innate talents of the dragon race. Any old dragon with enough seniority should possess that ability."

Lu Chen stared intently at the dried-up Great Dragon Pool and murmured, "Dragon-Tiger County, Great Dragon Pool... With so many dragons in the names, there should have been quite a few dragons living here in the past."

"Could they all have been slaughtered by that East Sea Dragon King, who then let his son take over the magpie's nest?"

"Looks like I need to find someone and ask whether there are any dragons here that slipped through the net!"

At that thought, anger surged in Lu Chen's chest. He turned, ready to return to the county yamen and demand answers from Wang Zhongmin.

But the earth beneath his feet was loose. He stumbled and failed to steady himself, falling flat on the ground with a smack.

"Pfft..."

At that moment, a faint chuckle seemed to drift over.

Lu Chen's heart tightened, and he suddenly shouted, "Who?!"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Lu Chen swept his gaze around, but found no one. "Did I see a ghost in broad daylight? Or did I hear wrong? Impossible! There's no way I heard wrong!"

Lu Chen shouted again, "What kind of ghostly thing are you? Get the hell out here!"

But the laughter vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, with no response at all.

Other than distant horns and the occasional sound of wind, there was no other movement to be heard.

Then, from the corner of his eye, Lu Chen suddenly noticed a dilapidated shrine near the edge of the pool, almost entirely buried beneath mud and sand.

If one did not look carefully, one truly would not spot it.

Upon approaching, he saw three words written prominently on the shrine: [Land God].

Lu Chen's pupils contracted. He slapped his thigh. "Why am I looking for Wang Zhongmin? Isn't there a living county chronicle right in front of me?"

Overjoyed, he immediately ran back to the car, took out a stick of incense from his backpack, then hurried back to the shrine.

He lit the incense and began reciting the spell.

"I respectfully invite all Land Gods to descend in spirit, rising to Heaven and reaching Earth as you roam the realms, guarding wind and clouds in the four directions... Three bows before this altar, I invite you forth; Land God, swiftly reveal your divine presence!"

It was the [Land God Summoning Spell], used specifically to summon Land Gods!

Bang!

White smoke suddenly rose before the shrine.

When the smoke dispersed, an old man holding a jujube-wood cane was seen spinning in circles on the spot.

He was the local Land God.

The old man looked exactly like an elderly farmer. He wore a patched gray cloth jacket with a front opening, his face darkened by the sun, his cheekbones high, and messy stubble covering his chin.

Rough as he looked, he nevertheless gave off a sense of warmth and familiarity.

Unlike Celestial Immortals, Earthly Immortals could manifest themselves directly.

"Land God, greetings."

Lu Chen gave a shallow respectful salute.

With his current divine office in the Underworld, he was fully entitled to refer to himself as "this lord."

After all, the Land God's position was roughly on par with Black and White Impermanence.

"You brat, where did you learn such a secret art? You actually dared summon me directly? Tell the truth at once!"

The Land God was still rather bewildered.

He had merely seen someone fall flat on his face and found it funny, so bored out of his wits that he had laughed twice.

He had never imagined that the other party would summon him straight up.

Lu Chen smiled faintly, utterly composed. "I am Lu Chen, sworn younger brother of Lord God of Wealth, an Orthodox God of the Heavenly Court's Wealth Department; sworn son of King Yama, the current Yama King of the Underworld; and holder of the office of Underworld Martial and Virtuous General."

In one breath, Lu Chen recited every title he had.

When one traveled abroad, titles were status!

As for being King Yama's sworn son?

Those little details were unimportant.

It was bound to happen sooner or later anyway, so he might as well use it first.

As he spoke, he turned the back of his hand outward. Yama's Command Token appeared in crimson, radiating a chilling pressure.

Sure enough, the Land God's expression changed drastically the moment he saw Yama's Command Token. He set down his jujube-wood cane and dropped to his knees with a thud.

"This old man did not know of Your Excellency's arrival and failed to welcome you from afar. I beg Your Excellency's forgiveness."

"Rise."

Lu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, steady as an old hound, though his heart was actually pounding wildly.

Xiao Qing and Xiao Ru had been respectful toward him before.

But he had not felt much about it then.

Only now, as the Land God knelt before him, did Lu Chen belatedly realize that his current status was actually rather impressive!

"Please calm your anger, Your Excellency. This old man absolutely did not mean to mock you just now. I beg you not to take it to heart."

Lu Chen waved a hand. "No matter. If you had not laughed aloud, I would not have noticed the Land God shrine here. As it happens, I have an important task at hand and wish to ask you, the local Land God, a few things."

"Please speak, Your Excellency. This old man will tell you everything he knows and hold nothing back!"

The old man's attitude was quite good.

He had the familiar flavor of a Land God from Lu Chen's memories.

Lu Chen walked ahead, while the Land God followed behind, leaning on his jujube-wood cane.

"I came today because of the matter of seeking rain for Dragon-Tiger County..."

Before he could finish, the Land God excitedly darted to his side, bracing himself on his cane as he cupped his fists. "So Your Excellency has come for this matter! Wonderful! Dragon-Tiger County is finally saved!"

Lu Chen raised a hand in a calming gesture, his tone even. "Don't celebrate yet. Although I hold office in the Underworld, in the mortal world I am merely a spirit user. Besides, I already know the reason behind Dragon-Tiger County's three-year drought. This matter... is truly rather thorny!"

"Your Excellency's divine might is unrivaled! No matter how thorny the matter, I'm sure you can cut through it like a knife through butter!"

Seeing that the old man had treated him as a savior and was frantically flattering him, Lu Chen gave a dismissive chuckle, though inwardly he found it rather pleasing.

"Enough. Let's talk business. Tell me, since Dragon-Tiger County bears the name Dragon-Tiger, it must have been a place where dragons and tigers gathered in its early years. There should have been many dragons here, shouldn't there? Could they all have been killed by the East Sea Dragon King, who trespassed into forbidden territory?"

"Yes, Your Excellency!" A trace of grief immediately appeared on the Land God's face. "Dragon-Tiger County once had a great river called the Xu River. Within the Xu River lived the Xu River Dragon King, who protected this land and kept the winds favorable and rains timely. His Dragon Palace residence lay at the bottom of this Great Dragon Pool."

The Land God pointed toward the dried-up basin, then sighed. "But later, the East Sea Dragon King trespassed into the Xu River. The Xu River Dragon King was proud and refused to bow his head, so the East Sea Dragon King wiped out his entire aquatic clan, destroying his palace and smashing his residence until not even a trace remained."

Lu Chen snorted coldly. "The Four Seas Dragon Kings truly are overbearing in their conduct."

The Land God snorted as well. "Isn't it because they rely on the strength of the sea clans and the powerful troops under their command?"

Seeing that the old man had some spirit to him, Lu Chen guessed he must once have been close to the Xu River Dragon King. After a pause, he continued, "I heard that the East Sea Dragon King established a Dragon King Formation here, and that none but the dragon race can gather clouds and spread rain. Tell me, apart from the Xu River aquatic clan that was already exterminated, are there any other dragons in this area?"

To his surprise, the moment he finished asking—

The Land God suddenly stamped his cane against the ground, cupped his fists again, and solemnly said, "There really is one!"

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. "Where?"

The Land God raised his hand and pointed into the distance. "In a deep well on a barren mountain about fifty li from here."

Lu Chen froze. "You mean... the Well Dragon King?"

The Land God nodded gravely. "Precisely! If Your Excellency wishes to go, this old man is willing to lead the way! We can arrive in no time!"