That afternoon, the shop finally enjoyed a rare spell of peace and quiet.
The Sparrow Spirit family had eaten and drunk their fill and flown off, saying they were taking the four little ones to practice flying in the Old Pagoda Tree behind the alley.
Big Yellow lay in the doorway, basking in the sun, looking utterly at peace with the world.
Lu Ming crouched beside the shelves, wiping bottles and humming some square-dancing hit he had picked up who knew where.
Wen Ning sat behind the counter with his legs crossed and a cup of tea in hand, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
Then his phone vibrated.
Wen Ning took it out and looked. Well, well—his godfather had messaged him.
Wen Zhong rarely contacted him first. Usually, something had to happen on Wen Ning's end before Wen Zhong would leisurely send a reply.
For him to initiate a conversation today was practically a miracle.
He opened the message. Wen Zhong's style was as concise as ever: no pleasantries, no reaction images, just straight to the point.
"Wen Ning, there's a Dragon King Temple to the southeast. Go investigate it. A monster has usurped the divine seat, appropriating mortal faith and impersonating the Dragon King to receive offerings. Handle this."
Wen Ning stared at the message. Were monsters really this bold nowadays? One actually dared impersonate the Dragon King? That was an option?
"Holy shit."
Wen Ning couldn't help swearing.
As a genuine deity certified by the Heavenly Court, he had spent over half a year as a commander without troops at its Mortal Realm Office. Never mind having a statue of his own.
And now he was being told that some impostor was receiving proper offerings?
What kind of magical realism was this?
The more Wen Ning thought