People Are the Gods' Masters; People Before Gods

This was a dilapidated old house, the air thick with the smell of mildew.

The furnishings inside were simple—

A plain desk, a chair, and bookshelves lining all four walls.

The bookshelves looked rather crude, each one packed with book after book.

"Someone has entered this room, but none of the furnishings have been moved."

Though the room was pitch-black, Qiu Yan's Life Cultivation had achieved modest success. His flesh and blood were taut, Hidden Force arose within him, and his six senses were far keener than before. By the moonlight spilling in through the door, he entered and immediately noticed several footprints on the floor.

There was a layer of dust on the table, the bookshelves, and the floor alike. Yet within the dust on the floor, several distinct footprints could be seen.

"Judging by these prints, they were left within the last few days. Perhaps someone heard the news from the southern villages and thought the Qiu Family had been wiped out, so they came in. They looked around the room and then left. That is hardly surprising. The family was so poor that even a rat would have to leave in tears—what was there for anyone to steal?"

As he pondered this, Qiu Yan swept his gaze across the bookshelves again and sighed.

"Fortunately, that person did not cause any wanton damage, nor did they set their sights on the books. Otherwise, recovering them would have taken no small effort and wasted precious time."

This courtyard had been the home of Qiu Yan's former self and his father. Apart from a few books bought from the bookshop, all the rest had been copied out stroke by stroke by father and son.

The Qiu Family had been poor. Even ordinary books were beyond their means. To pursue their studies, father and son borrowed books and copied them down. Only through years of accumulation had they slowly filled these bookshelves.

But paper and ink cost money as well. After his mother died, Qiu Yan's father, Qiu Zonglin, mortgaged the few mu of farmland they owned for this very purpose. Naturally, the land was later taken from them. Had Qiu Zonglin not possessed the status of a xiucai, allowing him to collect a meager monthly stipend of money and grain from the authorities, the Qiu father and son would likely have starved to death long ago.

Even so, they could not escape becoming a laughingstock, held up by neighbors as a negative example when teaching their own children.

Not long ago, Qiu Yan had failed the Dao Examination. His father had taken him to the southern villages, hoping he would get away from the clamor of the world and study in peace. He had taken quite a few books from the room with him.

"This study is the spiritual anchor of the Qiu Family. It cannot be allowed to suffer any loss! Even though I have gradually merged with this body, that cannot change. If I succeed in the Imperial Examinations someday and pass down poetry and books through the family, then the books in this room will hold extraordinary meaning. If a historian writes a biography of Qiu Yan in the future, this room will be an important matter indeed."

Having taken over this body, Qiu Yan had to fulfill three great Karmas. The Karma of his ambitions lay in the Imperial Examinations. Even if he could not become a general or minister, he had to at least earn the title of juren. Otherwise, his Karma could not be completed. Once he gained juren status, his standing in the county seat would become quite different. Even the local gazetteer would reserve a separate page to record Qiu Yan's life.

By then, the tale of the impoverished Qiu father and son never forgetting to copy books and pursue learning would no longer be regarded as a joke. It would become something akin to boring through a wall to borrow a neighbor's light, or hanging one's hair from a beam and stabbing one's thigh with an awl—perhaps it might even be passed down for ages.

The difference between achieving success in learning and failing to do so was so vast that ordinary people could scarcely imagine it.

"In this world, it still comes down to reputation, accomplishment, and results."

With a sigh, Qiu Yan rolled up his sleeves and began taking inventory of the books.

The Qiu Family had not arranged them haphazardly. They had been sorted by category into Classics, Histories, Masters, and Anthologies, along with miscellaneous studies. Qiu Yan and his father loved books as dearly as life itself, and most of these volumes had been copied out stroke by stroke, so although there were many books in the room, they remembered every single one clearly.

Half an hour later, Qiu Yan finished checking them and nodded. Not a single book was missing.

"I must also find time to go to Zuoqu Village and bring back the books stored there. And this body's father was buried in that village as well. Now that I have temporarily escaped danger, I cannot simply leave matters be. The way of human relations is no small matter—I must fulfill filial piety for this body."

With that thought, Qiu Yan withdrew from the study and returned to the courtyard.

The courtyard was small and overgrown with weeds. There were only three rooms, each dilapidated beyond measure. All three Room Gates had originally been locked, but now every lock had been smashed open.

"This thief really knew how to pick his targets." Qiu Yan shook his head with a bitter smile, then pushed open the main hall's door and entered.

The room was full of dust, but he did not mind. Sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes and calmed his breathing. He intended to focus his mind and cultivate his soul. To achieve anything, one had to labor diligently; not a single day could be spent in slackness.

The Room Gate stood wide open. Moonlight streamed into the room and fell upon Qiu Yan, tranquil and peaceful, as his heart gradually sank into a profound realm.

At that moment, faint People's Wishes drifted in from outside and gathered toward Qiu Yan.

"Hm? What is this?"

Qiu Yan raised an eyebrow without opening his eyes, but surprise arose in his heart. He sensed strands of faint People's Wishes winding around him, filled with emotions and desires such as gratitude, fear, and expectation. They swiftly seeped inward, rapidly approaching the Living Soul immersed within his body.

"These are the wish-powers of those disaster victims and starving people!"

The Living Soul was sensitive. Upon touching those wish-powers, it immediately discerned their origin.

"No wonder the sages said, 'People are the gods' masters; people come before gods.' I merely handed out a few flatbreads and did something insignificant, yet the starving people felt gratitude and generated wish-power. Though it is faint, if there were more people, and it accumulated in the soul day after day, then once the incarnation perished and the soul left the body, it could immediately ascend to godhood upon the People's Wishes! Such a god is raised by the people themselves! Hm?"

Qiu Yan was reflecting on this and using the opportunity to comprehend the Divine Path when his thoughts suddenly stirred. He discovered something strange: the People's Wishes seeped inward, gradually nearing the Black Hole at the center of the Living Soul before vanishing into it.

"What is happening? These People's Wishes entered the Black Hole and were transmitted to the god's true body! They were absorbed by the Core Talisman!"

The shock he felt was no small matter. But once his state of mind was disturbed, the profound realm vanished. His perception wavered, and his connection to the People's Wishes was severed.

Qiu Yan did not find this regrettable. Instead, joy rose within him.

"My heart is unsettled today, so it is not suitable to investigate further. I should let things take their course for now. In a few days, once I am fully prepared, I will investigate it properly!"

With that thought, he sank back into stillness.

Early the next morning, Qiu Yan opened his eyes and rose to his feet. His entire essence, energy, and spirit had been renewed.

"I never expected Divine Power to soothe soul damage so quickly. In just one night, it has nearly replenished the Living Soul's losses. At most, in another two days, once the Living Soul has fully recovered, I can try opening that scroll painting."

After straightening his clothes, Qiu Yan walked out of the main hall. He first fetched a bucket of water and took a ladleful, then returned to the room and took out brush, ink, and paper from the shelves. He mixed the ink with water and ground it, then picked up his brush and began writing. Before long, he had filled two sheets of paper.

"This will do. There is no need to write too thoroughly, or the traces will be too obvious."

Setting down the brush, Qiu Yan brushed a hand over the papers. Green light flickered around his hand, and the sheets immediately became yellowed and worn, their ink faint, as though they had been left for decades.

This feat could only be accomplished through Divine Power. He had removed certain substances from the paper and ink, making them appear ancient.

Once that was done, Qiu Yan inserted the two sheets into a book on the shelf. Without pausing, he left his courtyard and did not return until after noon, followed by a carpenter and a locksmith.

"I'll have to trouble you gentlemen."

After giving a few instructions, the craftsmen began repairing the courtyard gate, Room Gates, and locks. The commotion alerted the surrounding neighbors. They emerged from their homes, and upon seeing Qiu Yan, immediately began whispering among themselves.

"Didn't they say the Qiu father and son were both dead? How is little Qiu..."

"This bookworm must have escaped disaster by the skin of his teeth."

"He is making quite a stir. It will definitely reach old Master Chen's household."

"Yes. Old Master Chen had been planning to seize this ownerless courtyard. Now that the little bookworm has returned, his Ruyi Abacus will not be clicking after all."

"Will old Master Chen accept that? Now there will be a good show to watch."

"What good show could there be? Can this bookworm possibly contend with the master of the Chen Household? In the end, he may even have to sell himself into slavery, with his descendants forever unable to rise again!"

Though their voices were low, Qiu Yan's ears were sharp, and he heard every word.

"Someone wants to seize this courtyard? Chen Qichang from the eastern part of town? I had long heard that this man enjoyed seizing things through trickery and force. Since he has set his mind on it, I cannot indulge him. I must crush that notion in advance, lest he come knocking later and create endless trouble. Speaking of which, now that I am settled, the matter of the Pan Household must also be put on the agenda. Though the Pan Household enjoys the protection of Dragon Court Fortune, they have formed a grudge with me. If I seek revenge, it is only natural and right. Not even gods can say otherwise."

As Qiu Yan was thinking, a greeting suddenly came from behind him.

"Brother Qiu, your place was not easy to find." Yan Yongjie had arrived.

He was tall and powerfully built, with a large saber on his back. He looked fierce and imposing, and the surrounding neighbors could not help feeling uneasy. They quickly dispersed.

"Brother Yan, you came at just the right time. Come in with me."

P.S. My thanks to brother Blue Requiem for the reward once again!