After hearing the entire course of events, Ji Yuan could not help making a joke amid his lingering fear.
"I suppose I'm the last unlucky fellow of Ju'an Pavilion."
The Old City God laughed as well.
"Hahaha, Mister Ji, you jest. It was that evil entity that was unlucky to run into you!"
After saying this, the Old City God looked at Ji Yuan, who was chewing on a bean paste cake. He hesitated for a moment before finally asking.
"May I ask where Mister Ji came from, and what brought you to Ning'an County?"
Here it came—the philosophical interrogation of life!
Ji Yuan had expected this question, but he had no idea how to answer it. He certainly could not speak of his previous life. As for what this beggar's circumstances had been in this life, Ji Yuan himself wanted to know. And as for why he had come to Ning'an County, other than here, it seemed he had nowhere else to go for the time being.
Ji Yuan smiled awkwardly, not knowing where to begin. Besides, this concerned his greatest secret, so it was better left unsaid.
Seeing that Ji Yuan merely smiled at the question without speaking, the Old City God understood that he likely did not wish to discuss it.
"No matter. If Mister Ji does not wish to speak of it, then let it be. You are free and easy by nature, modest and courteous, and you have done Ning'an County a service. That alone is enough."
In Ji Yuan's view, the City God had invited him here partly to thank him and partly to sound him out, though that part was optional.
"By the way, Mister Ji, do you plan to settle in Ning'an County for a long time?"
This was a question Ji Yuan could answer.
"If nothing unexpected happens, I expect to stay in Ning'an County for a while."
After thinking it over, Ji Yuan felt it was better to be a little frank. Though he believed a ghost deity like the Old City God should be able to see things clearly, he added after a moment, just in case.
"To tell the truth, I am not some daoist master. I merely happened to be in the right place at the right time and was lucky enough to injure that evil entity's fierce soul. There are many things I would also like to ask Lord City God about."
"Please, Mister Ji, speak freely."
The first half of Ji Yuan's words was simply ignored. The lack of any visible Power Law Divine Light proved nothing at all, and injuring an evil entity by chance was no easy feat. That thing had been bred from Earthly Sha, not some ordinary wandering soul or vicious ghost.
"May I ask whether Lord City God knows anything about the cultivation methods of this world? The kind meant for human cultivation!"
Ji Yuan asked nervously, then deliberately added that last sentence. At the root of it all, what attracted him most about this world? Was it not precisely these wondrous and magnificent things? Was it not the yearning to fly through the heavens, burrow through the earth, and attain longevity and eternal sight?
The Old City God furrowed his brow and thought seriously for a moment.
"This Song is merely the City God of a small county. The Path of Incense and Golden Body that I cultivate also borrows the Power of Sentient Beings' Wishes. I have little need for ordinary Methods of Qi Cultivation and True Cultivation, so naturally I possess no precious True Cultivation Techniques. As for mortal martial arts, there are some within the Underworld Bureau under my jurisdiction."
Ji Yuan was immediately disappointed. No cultivation formulas, then.
"However, while I know nothing of the Mysteries of True Methods, I do know a little about ordinary Methods of Guiding and Directing Qi. Yet such formulas are rather crude. I fear they would be of no use to Mister Ji?"
How could they be useless? Better than nothing!
"To be frank, I do not even possess such crude formulas. If it is convenient for Lord City God, could Ji borrow them for reading? Mm, and those mortal martial arts as well. I would like to take a look at them too!"
I helped you with such a huge problem. Surely you, sir, won't refuse such a tiny request?
Though Ji Yuan was blind, he stared motionlessly at the Old City God, making the latter feel an inexplicable and eerie gaze.
"Er... ahem. If Mister Ji wishes to have a look, what difficulty is there? I shall have someone prepare the books and deliver them to Ju'an Pavilion."
Ji Yuan was delighted now.
"Good, good, good! Many thanks, Lord City God!"
This Old City God was quite easy to talk to, and with his greatest concern partly resolved, Ji Yuan wanted to ask about other matters—things the mortal world made difficult to learn.
"Lord City God, according to what you know, what Immortal Mansions and Sects, spiritual mountains, and great marshes exist in this day and age? Er, and what qualifications do they require when accepting disciples?"
Ji Yuan asked with great humility, but the Old City God found it rather strange. Why did Mister Ji keep asking such common-sense questions?
Could this man truly be no master, as he himself claimed?
But regardless of his exact background, the fact remained that he had helped Ning'an County. So what if his questions were strange, or even basic?
The Old City God relaxed as well. Stroking his beard, he pondered for a while before answering slowly.
"Ning'an County is small, sparsely populated, and tucked away in a remote corner. We receive very little news from the outside. As far as I know, there are no immortal sect residences within Desheng Prefecture, where Ning'an County lies. Throughout all Ji Prefecture, the one that calls the shots is Yuhuai Mountain. It is said that Yuhuai Mountain even hides a Mountain Consecration Talisman Decree, capable of determining a mountain's divine position, though I do not know whether that is true. Of course, there must also be some minor sects and families and practitioners of heterodox paths in Ji Prefecture. As for how they accept disciples, This Song truly does not know. Regarding other provinces and countries, forgive This Song's limited knowledge. There is a saying passed down in writing: Cloud-Shrouded Immortal Mist Island, Peerless Sharpness Long Sword Mountain..."
Ji Yuan was still stunned by what he had just heard about Yuhuai Mountain. An Imperial Conferment Talisman? Confer a Mountain God?
"What about the Heavenly Court?"
Ji Yuan nearly spurted it out the instant the Old City God paused.
"The Heavenly Court? May I ask which immortal mansion Mister Ji is referring to?"
The Old City God frowned. It sounded as though it had quite an impressive origin, daring to use Heaven as its backdrop and Court as its crown.
Ji Yuan immediately realized it. There was no Heavenly Court here?
He had originally heard of City Gods and then Mountain God conferments, so he had assumed there would be a Heavenly Court. Now it seemed there was not. Did that mean the so-called immortals here were merely what mortals considered immortals?
Still, he had to brush aside the Old City God's question.
"Oh, nothing. It was an extraordinary immortal mansion I heard of in the past. It could also confer mountain and water deities. Old City God, please do not take offense..."
"So that is it. It must surely be remarkable!"
Yes, remarkable indeed. It would scare you to death if he told you!
After fobbing off the matter of the Heavenly Court, Ji Yuan asked many more questions about the Cultivation World. These involved matters such as demons, monsters, ghosts, and goblins. By probing indirectly, he also learned that apart from the City God Underworld Bureaus in various places, there was no unified Hell or anything of that sort. Even their affiliations seemed vague and extremely weak.
Overall, this information gave Ji Yuan a better understanding of the Cultivation World, yet also left him with even more questions. Moreover, the Old City God truly knew only so much.
Ji Yuan frowned and pondered for a long time, his thoughts somewhat tangled. He simply set these matters aside for now. Thinking about them at this moment was like a brick-carrier worrying over rivers and mountains. Better to understand some other things first.
After calming his emotions, Ji Yuan spoke again.
"Ji has some foolish questions to ask as well. I hope Lord City God will not laugh at me."
"Speak freely. This Song will answer all I know without holding anything back!"
After so many questions, the Old City God had grown somewhat accustomed to them.
"Ji wishes to ask: what country are we in, what dynasty and era is it, and what are the circumstances in the other countries? How many changes of dynasty have there been in history?"
This question...
The Old City God was stunned upon hearing it, then his expression turned inexplicably solemn.
It was one thing not to understand matters such as mountains, rivers, anomalies, immortal mansions, and cultivation. But now he did not even know about mundane matters like nations and dynasties?
Ordinary people truly had no access to the former, but anyone with even a little education—or simply a bit of common sense—would know something of the latter.
Did Ji Yuan lack education? Did he lack common sense? From their earlier interactions, the Old City God knew that Mister Ji was by no means a man with no learning in his chest. His speech was organized, his conduct refined and courteous, and in casual conversation, he had displayed unique and incisive insights into many matters.
Such a person could not possibly have never read books. At most, some of his speech habits were slightly strange.
All at once, the Old City God thought of a possibility, and his body could not help trembling faintly.
Before Song Shichang died, when he had still been a court official, he had once read a copy of Tales of Immortals and Monsters. Though it had been written by a mortal through imagination, its stories had been wonderfully fascinating, and Song Shichang still remembered them vividly.
One story began with these words: Laughing loudly, he awoke and went off to play, unaware that a single dream had spanned a thousand years!
"Lord City God? Lord City God?"
Ji Yuan called out twice. Why had this City God suddenly fallen into a daze? Had his question been too foolish?
"Ah!? Oh, oh! Mister Ji, please listen as I explain!"
The Old City God did not even notice that he had unconsciously changed his manner of speaking.