A Dream Unaware

After hearing the full story from start to finish, Ji Yuan couldn't help but crack a joke amidst his lingering fear.

"So I'm the last unlucky fellow in Ju'an Pavilion."

The Old City God also laughed heartily.

"Hahahaha, Mister Ji jokes. Meeting you, sir, is the evil entity's misfortune!"

After saying this, the Old City God watched Ji Yuan chewing on a bean paste cake, hesitated for a moment, then still asked.

"I wonder where Mister Ji comes from and what brings you to Ning'an County?"

Here it comes, the philosophical interrogation of life!

Ji Yuan had anticipated this question, but he had no idea how to answer. He definitely couldn't talk about his past life, and as for this life's beggar situation, Ji Yuan himself wanted to know. As for why he came to Ning'an County, aside from here, he had nowhere else to go for now.

Ji Yuan smiled awkwardly, not knowing where to begin, and since this matter involved his biggest secret, it was better not to speak of it.

Seeing Ji Yuan just smile and fall silent at the question, the Old City God understood the other party didn't want to discuss it.

"No matter. If Mister Ji doesn't wish to speak, then don't. You are free-spirited, modest, and courteous, and you have shown kindness to Ning'an County. That alone is enough."

In Ji Yuan's view, the City God inviting him here was partly to thank him and partly a dispensable attempt to probe his background.

"By the way, does Mister Ji plan to settle in Ning'an County long-term?"

This question Ji Yuan could answer.

"Unless something unexpected happens, I'll be staying in Ning'an County for some time."

After thinking it over, Ji Yuan felt it was better to be honest. Though he thought the Old City God, as a deity, could probably see through him clearly, just in case, he added after finishing.

"To be honest, I am not some Daoist master. I merely happened to be in the right place at the right time and managed to wound that evil entity and fierce soul by luck. There are many things I wish to ask Lord City God for guidance on."

"Mister Ji, feel free to speak your mind."

The first half of Ji Yuan's words were directly ignored. The lack of visible Power Law Divine Light on the surface meant nothing, and happening to wound an evil entity by luck was no easy feat—that was an Earthly Sha-born creature, not some random wandering soul or vicious ghost.

"I wonder if Lord City God is familiar with the cultivation methods of this world? The kind of human cultivation!"

Ji Yuan asked nervously, then specifically added a clarification. After all, what attracted him most to this world? Wasn't it these wondrous and magnificent things? Wasn't it the longing to fly through the skies and achieve longevity and eternal sight?

The Old City God frowned and thought seriously.

"This Song is merely a minor county town god, cultivating the Path of Incense and Golden Body by borrowing the Power of Sentient Beings' Wishes. I have no 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 a few within the Underworld Bureau under my jurisdiction."

Ji Yuan was greatly disappointed—no techniques at all.

"However, while I lack the Mysteries of True Methods, I do know a little about the ordinary Methods of Guiding and Directing Qi. But such methods are rather crude and likely useless to Mister Ji, no?"

How could they be useless? Better than nothing!

"To be honest, I don't even have such crude methods. If it's convenient for Lord City God, could This Humble One borrow them for a look? And those mortal martial arts as well—I'd like to see them too!"

'I've done you a big favor; surely you won't refuse such a small request, old sir?'

Though Ji Yuan was blind, he stared fixedly at the Old City God, making the latter feel an inexplicably eerie gaze.

"Ah, if Mister Ji wishes to take a look, what difficulty is there? I will have someone prepare the books and deliver them to Ju'an Pavilion."

Ji Yuan was delighted.

"Excellent, excellent! Thank you, Lord City God!"

This Old City God was easy to talk to, and with a major worry partially resolved, Ji Yuan wanted to ask about other things—matters hard to learn about in the mortal world.

"Lord City God, as far as you know, what Immortal Mansions, Sects, Spiritual Mountains, and Great Marshes exist nowadays? And what qualifications or conditions do they require for taking in disciples?"

Ji Yuan asked humbly, but the Old City God found it strange—why did this Mister Ji keep asking such basic questions?

'Could this man really be what he claims, not some lofty master?'

But regardless of his true background, he had helped Ning'an County, so what did it matter if his questions were strange or basic!

The Old City God relaxed, stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and then answered slowly.

"Ning'an County is small, remote, and sparsely populated, with very few sources of outside information. As far as I know, within Desheng Prefecture, where Ning'an County lies, there is no Immortal Sect mansion. The leading power in all of Ji Prefecture is only Yuhuai Mountain. Rumor has it that Yuhuai Mountain even hides a Mountain Consecration Talisman Decree, capable of appointing a mountain deity—whether true or false, I cannot say. Of course, there are certainly some Minor Sects and Families and Heterodox Paths in Ji Prefecture, but how they take in disciples, This Song truly does not know. As for other prefectures and foreign lands, forgive This Song's ignorance. There are texts that speak of Cloud-Shrouded Immortal Mist Island and Peerless Sharpness Long Sword Mountain..."

Ji Yuan was still stunned by the earlier mention of Yuhuai Mountain. A Consecration Talisman Decree? Appointing a mountain god?

"And the Heavenly Court?"

This question slipped out almost before the Old City God had finished speaking.

"Heavenly Court? I wonder which Immortal Mansion Mister Ji refers to?"

The Old City God frowned, finding it sounded quite impressive—daring to use 'Heaven' as a prefix and 'Court' as a title.

Ji Yuan immediately realized—there was no Heavenly Court?

He had assumed that with City Gods and mountain deity consecrations, a Heavenly Court would exist, but apparently not. So the so-called immortals here were just mortals' idea of immortals?

He still had to brush off the Old City God's question.

"Oh, nothing. It's just a powerful Immortal Mansion I heard of before, one that could also consecrate mountain and water deities. Don't mind me, Old City God..."

"I see. It must be extraordinary indeed!"

Yeah, extraordinary indeed—if I told you, it'd scare you to death!

After brushing off the matter of the Heavenly Court, Ji Yuan asked many more questions about the Cultivation World, touching on things like Demons, Monsters, Ghosts, and Goblins, and also indirectly learned that aside from the various local City Gods and the Underworld Bureau, there was no unified Hell or similar structure—even their affiliations seemed vague and tenuous at best.

Overall, this information gave Ji Yuan a better understanding of the Cultivation World while raising even more questions, and the Old City God's knowledge was truly limited.

Ji Yuan frowned and pondered for a long time, his mind a bit jumbled, so he simply set these matters aside for now. Thinking about them now was like a bricklayer worrying about the Rivers and Mountains—better to first learn about other things.

Easing his mood, Ji Yuan spoke again.

"This Ji would like to ask a few foolish questions, and hopes Lord City God will not laugh."

"Speak freely, this Song will tell all he knows!"

After so many questions, the Old City God had grown somewhat accustomed to the oddities.

"This Ji wishes to inquire: in what country are we located, what dynasty and era is this, what is the state of other nations, and how many dynastic changes have occurred in history?"

This question...

The Old City God Was Stunned upon hearing it, then his expression turned inexplicably serious.

Not knowing about mountains, rivers, Anomalies, immortal mansions, or cultivation practices was one thing—but now he was even asking about mundane matters like dynasties and nations?

The former might indeed be inaccessible to ordinary people, but the latter—anyone with even a bit of learning or common sense would know something about it.

Was Ji Yuan lacking in learning or common sense? From their earlier interactions, the Old City God knew this Mister Ji was no man without ink in his chest—his speech was clear and logical, his demeanor polite and refined, and in casual conversation he offered many unique and incisive insights.

Such a man could not have been uneducated; it was just that his speaking habits were occasionally a bit odd.

Suddenly, the Old City God thought of a possibility, and his body trembled slightly.

When Song Shichang was alive, still a court official, he had once read A copy of Tales of Immortals and Monsters. Though it was a mortal's work of imagination, the stories were delightfully engaging, and they remained vivid in Song Shichang's memory.

One story began with this line: Laughing awake, off to play, as if unaware of A Thousand Years in a Dream!

"Lord City God? Lord City God?"

Ji Yuan called out twice. Why had the City God suddenly spaced out? Was his question really that foolish?

"Ah!? Oh, oh, Mister Ji, please allow me to explain!"

The Old City God didn't even notice he had unconsciously changed his tone of voice.