Chapter 5

Patriarch Bodhi answered with a smile, "A spiritual being was born in the Eastern Continent of Victory. It possessed innate qi, hence the strange phenomenon. But after consuming mortal food, its innate nature became acquired, and the golden light dispersed on its own."

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly, thinking to himself, The Handsome Monkey King must have entered the world.

As he pondered, he suddenly sensed something from the Mountain God Temple. Seeing the change in his expression, Patriarch Bodhi asked with concern, "Do you have urgent business, young friend?"

Zhuang Yan hurriedly rose and apologized. "Forgive me, Patriarch. A sign has come from my temple. It may be an incense wish petition or an edict from Heavenly Court. This minor god must return at once."

Patriarch Bodhi nodded with a smile. "Duty comes first. Go, young friend."

Zhuang Yan left his seat and bowed. "Congratulations on opening your residence, Patriarch. May your disciples produce countless talents, with worthy students spread across the land." As he spoke, he took out the Azure Sea Pearl and presented it. "This minor god is poor and possesses only this as a congratulatory gift. Though it cannot compare to a ten-thousand-year vermilion fruit, it carries this minor god's sincere heart."

Patriarch Bodhi's expression turned solemn as he accepted the pearl with both hands. "This gift weighs as heavily as mountains and rivers. I shall never forget this sentiment."

After Zhuang Yan departed on a cloud, Patriarch Bodhi personally saw him to the cave entrance and watched his figure vanish in the direction of Danchi Ridge.

Returning to his temple, Zhuang Yan saw immortal light flowing across the shrine. He quickly used his jade tablet to receive it. In an instant, a decree flew forth and unfolded—it was an edict from the Rain Department: On the eighth day of the sixth month, Spirit Platform Mountain and the area within a hundred li were to receive two feet, nine inches, and thirty-eight drops of rain.

It was actually a torrential downpour! Zhuang Yan calculated with his fingers, then immediately rode a cloud to inspect the entire region. Eight hours later, he returned and drew up a rainfall map, its surface densely marked.

There would likely be four flash floods, nine major collapses, twenty-four minor collapses, and six rampaging flood dragons. Checking the jade register, he found that more than three thousand people were threatened, but only one village had offered worship year-round.

Zhuang Yan took out the accumulated incense power stored within his jade tablet and performed a dream-sending technique.

A woodcutter crossed mountain ridges, his axe ringing sharp, his breath drawn long. He left at dawn and returned at dusk to sell firewood, all for a few coins to keep himself alive...

Among the towering peaks of Mount Fangcun, a clear mountain song echoed through the forest.

A young man in a green robe, his back soaked with sweat, leaned against a boulder and caught his breath. Hearing the song, he looked up and saw a woodcutter in a bamboo hat descending while singing, a bundle of firewood across his shoulders. Beneath his coarse short jacket, his bronze-colored chest was exposed.

When the woodcutter reached the young man, he smiled and asked, "Are you here to seek immortality too, little brother?"

The young man's spirits rose. He cupped his hands and said, "Please guide me, sir."

The woodcutter set down his load and wiped away sweat with a smile. "I'm only a firewood cutter. What would I know about the immortal path? Still, auspicious clouds have been gathering in these mountains lately. Everyone says a true immortal has revealed himself. I've already met quite a few young people seeking immortality, just like you."

"Is this mountain... still very high?" The young man looked toward the cloud-shrouded summit.

"You seek immortality, yet complain that the mountain is high?" Wisdom gleamed in the woodcutter's eyes. "Without a sincere heart, why would immortals favor you?"

The young man felt as if struck by lightning. He solemnly bowed deeply. "Thank you for your instruction!" Just as he turned to leave, the woodcutter handed him a water pouch. "Wet your throat before you go."

The young man gratefully refilled his water pouch. After repeatedly bowing in thanks, he continued climbing. As the mountain breeze drifted by, the woodcutter leaned against an ancient pine and rested.

In his haze, a figure shrouded in golden light appeared. "Wu the Woodcutter, I am the Mountain God. In consideration of your village's devotion, I shall reveal a heavenly secret: three days from now, torrential rain will bring disaster. Flash floods and rampaging flood dragons are coming. Quickly have the villagers flee from danger..."

A pinecone fell into his chest and startled the woodcutter awake, only for him to find that dusk had already deepened. As he lifted his firewood load, a faint voice drifted through the wind once more: "Remember..." When he turned back, he saw only surging pine waves and curling mountain mist.

Wu the Woodcutter shuddered violently, cold sweat seeping down his back. Could it truly have been the Mountain God revealing himself?

The Mountain God's warning from the dream still rang in his ears. Realizing the urgency, he immediately hoisted his firewood and hurried down the mountain, intending to warn the villagers.

Inside the Mountain God Temple, Zhuang Yan slowly opened his eyes.

Among the gods of Heavenly Court, only low-ranking deities such as Earth Gods and Kitchen Gods bore inescapable responsibility toward the mortal world. Though these minor immortal officials ranked only ninth, the burdens on their shoulders were no lighter than those of Fifth-Rank Immortal Officials.

The ranks of mountain gods and river lords varied greatly. Above were deities like the Emperors of the Five Sacred Mountains, while below were eighth-rank minor gods such as Zhuang Yan. Everything depended on the territory under their jurisdiction. As long as they obeyed the Heavenly Rules and governed their domains, whether they protected living beings depended entirely on their own hearts.

He had sent a dream to Wu the Woodcutter only because Wu Village had offered incense year-round, and even this temple had been built by its villagers. As for the other villages, since no one worshipped him, Zhuang Yan naturally paid them no heed. Still, the villages interacted closely, so word would spread on its own.

A sound came from outside the hall. Zhuang Yan looked over and saw two round little figures bustling about inside. He drifted into view and asked, "Hu Lailai, Hu Ququ, what are you doing?"

The two little Tiger Demons jumped in fright. Seeing that it was Zhuang Yan, they patted their chests and said, "We brought mountain fruit for Mountain God Grandpa!" They stood on tiptoe and placed fresh fruit upon the offering table. Zhuang Yan waved a hand. "Leave some for your parents."

But the little Tiger Demons insisted on placing every last fruit down. Wiping their sweat, they said, "Please enjoy them, Mountain God Grandpa!" Before they left, Zhuang Yan called them back. "Have you been fighting lately?"

Hu Ququ said aggrievedly, "Daddy pinned us down and gave us a beating." Zhuang Yan laughed, then solemnly instructed them, "Go back and tell the tiger king that a great rainstorm will come in three days. There may be flash floods and rampaging flood dragons. Tell him to warn the creatures of the mountain so they can prepare early."

After the little Tiger Demons left, Zhuang Yan turned and suddenly saw a Golden Armored Divine General standing before the offering table, gnawing on fruit as he sneered. "How can mere mortal fruit be worthy of an offering?" With that, he casually threw it to the ground.

Zhu Lie had just been appointed Marshal Tianpeng. Full of high spirits, he tossed the fruit onto the ground. Zhuang Yan frowned. "If you won't eat it, don't waste it."

"Had I known they were ordinary wild fruits, this Marshal would never have cared for them." Zhu Lie straightened his back proudly. "I am now Marshal Tianpeng of the Thunder Department, commanding the heavenly river's troops and holding the rank of Fifth-Rank Immortal Official."

Zhuang Yan picked up the fruit and tossed it outside. "Waste food, and in your next life, you will fall into the Animal Realm."

"What a joke!" Zhu Lie threw back his head and laughed. "This Marshal's immortal lifespan is boundless. What next life is there to speak of?"

Zhuang Yan glanced at him. "This temple is too small to accommodate such a great Buddha. Marshal, please leave."

"Oh?" Zhu Lie laughed rather than becoming angry. "A mere eighth-rank minor god, yet your temper is quite stubborn. Do you know why this Marshal came?"

"I don't."

Zhu Lie stepped forward and draped an arm over his shoulder. "You deserve some credit for slaying demons in Ghost Sound Ravine, but this Marshal urgently needed that merit, so I did not request a reward for you—yes, I stole your credit."

Zhuang Yan sneered. "At least you're honest about it."

"You've got some nerve too, talking back to your superior like that." Zhu Lie narrowed his eyes. "Still, this Marshal came today to give you money." With a sweep of his sleeve, fifty thousand Purple Coins piled up across the offering table. "Take them, and we'll be even. Refuse them, and you'll be looking down on this Marshal."

"Why wouldn't I take what I deserve?" Zhuang Yan swept the coins into his pouch with a flick of his sleeve. "In the future, Marshal, come to Spirit Platform Mountain less often. This small temple cannot afford to entertain such an honored guest."

"As if this Marshal cares?" Zhu Lie scoffed and turned away, just as the deputy general entered and reported, "The time has come. Marshal, please return to Heavenly Court and report."

He adjusted his attire and strode out of the hall, then suddenly turned back. "Kid, if you run into trouble, feel free to invoke the name of Marshal Tianpeng!" Amid hearty laughter, his heavenly horse soared into the sky, leading the heavenly soldiers away upon the clouds.

Zhuang Yan watched the dust settle and shook his head. This man was not entirely evil—he could tolerate unpleasant words—but neither was he good. Greedy for credit and arrogant, he would sooner or later bring disaster upon himself.

Returning to his meditation chamber, he refined all eighty thousand Purple Coins he had saved into Acquired Purple Qi and absorbed it into his Niwan Palace for focused cultivation.

Though he possessed an external aid, the higher his cultivation grew, the more Heavenly Dao Power he could draw upon to restore his own might.

Therefore, he had to raise his realm as quickly as possible. Ideally, he would soon attain the Dao Fruit of an Earth Immortal and enter the ranks of immortals.

After refining eighty thousand strands of Acquired Purple Qi, Zhuang Yan's cultivation surged, and he broke through three or four realms in succession.

He put away his hand seals, stepped out of the Mountain God Temple, raised his head to the sky, and used One Thought Capture.

A faint glimmer visible only to Zhuang Yan streaked across the heavens and vanished in an instant, yet he gained nothing.

"It seems Heavenly Dao Power must wait until next month to be collected. An eighth-rank immortal official can only draw two points each month. I wonder how much one can obtain at the realm of Spirit Refinement and Return to Void," he thought to himself.

Without warning, thunder exploded and lightning struck the summit of Spirit Platform Mountain. Dark clouds churned, fierce winds rose, and fine rain began to fall in a soft patter.

"I've actually been in seclusion for three days." Zhuang Yan turned back toward the temple and calculated with his fingers. It was the Hour of the Snake.

Heavenly Court had its own procedures for rainfall: clouds formed during the Hour of the Dragon, thunder sounded during the Hour of the Snake, rain fell at noon, and stopped during the Hour of the Goat. These were the Rain Department's rules for carrying out its edicts. Ordinary rainfall, however, was decided by the Dragon Gods themselves.

The drizzle continued until noon, then suddenly became a downpour. During the Hour of the Goat, cliffs collapsed and rocks split throughout the mountains, while torrents of mud surged toward the villages. Fortunately, the villagers had been warned early by Wu the Woodcutter and fled deep into the mountains.

Only the people of Wu Village remained safe. After the rain stopped, they returned to find their homes transformed into a flooded wasteland. As the people of the other villages fled into the forests, black clouds pressed down from above, blood-colored light flashed, and black smoke swept through the sky. Every villager vanished without a trace.

This matter was merely an ordinary divine duty to Zhuang Yan, until one day—

A short old man wearing a wealthy gentleman's hat and a ninth-rank official robe stumbled into the temple. Panting heavily, he shouted, "Is the Mountain God here?"

Zhuang Yan revealed himself. "Who are you?"

The old man hurriedly knelt. "This little old man is the Earth God of Xiaotian Village. I have come to pay respects to the Mountain Lord!"

"If you are an Earth God, why have you come here?"

"Disaster has struck!" the Earth God said in a trembling voice. "A great calamity has occurred at the foot of the mountain!"

The Earth God reported, "The day before yesterday, demons and monsters took advantage of the rain over Spirit Platform Mountain to abduct more than two thousand people who had sought refuge below the mountain. A town and three villages, including Xiaotian Village, have all suffered."

"Such a thing happened?" Zhuang Yan frowned deeply. "Why didn't you report it immediately?"

The Earth God answered shakily, "This minor god... truly dared not."

"You dared not? Are you afraid of retaliation from those demons and monsters?" Zhuang Yan pressed.

The Earth God lowered his head. "We Earth Gods possess little divine power and cannot contend with demons and monsters. After discussing it together, we came to beg the Mountain God for help."

Zhuang Yan sneered. "What a fine scheme. You fear offending demons and monsters, so you want me to be the one to stick my neck out?"

The Earth God smiled awkwardly. "Mountain God, you see clearly... that is indeed the case."

"Heh!" Zhuang Yan scoffed. "Your people have been taken. What does that have to do with me, the Mountain God of Spirit Platform Mountain?"

The Earth God looked troubled. "Mountain Lord, you do not understand. We Earth Gods are all poor and weak..."

Zhuang Yan cut him off. "And timid as mice, every last one of you."

The Earth God froze, then gave a bitter smile. "That is true. But we still possess one authority—we may report directly to Empress Houtu. If the Mountain Lord is willing to help, we will jointly petition for merit on your behalf afterward."

Zhuang Yan raised a brow. "If you possess such authority, why not report directly to Empress Houtu?"

"Mountain Lord, that is not quite right," the Earth God explained. "Empress Houtu is one of the Four Sovereigns. How could she be disturbed over mere demons and monsters? We can simply mention it during our regular quarterly reports."

Zhuang Yan pondered. "Shouldn't subduing demons and exterminating evils be Heavenly Court's responsibility?"

The Earth God shook his head. "Though Heavenly Court governs the Three Realms, mortal affairs should be handled by the Human Emperor and immortal sages. Unless necessary, Heavenly Court will not interfere."

"What are mortal immortal sages?" Zhuang Yan asked.