Gentle Breeze, Fierce Wind

Deer King Temple.

Lu Touqiu and his granddaughter each sat in a corner, silently weaving grass leaves, staying up all night.

The old man became the clan leader because he was the only one in his generation who had mastered the essence of grass weaving.

The most important thing about this kind of magic is a calm mind. You need to be able to feel the texture of the grass blades the moment you touch them, and adjust them as they intertwine and fold. The woven items will become more and more durable and less likely to fall apart.

However, in terms of calmness of mind alone, he is still not as good as his granddaughter.

Lu Touqiu's tranquility is largely attributed to the training he received while learning from his master.

His granddaughter Lu Yuling, was born with this gift.

This girl could even lower her body temperature and hold her breath and heartbeat within a few breaths.

This is precisely the physique described in our ancestors' records as being very suitable for practicing the "Howling Art".

Unfortunately, the Howling Art of the People of Deer Wilderness has long been lost, and the slight effects that have been passed down to this day are merely people's instincts.

Due to her physical constitution, the art of Lu Yuling's training, so she was far from catching up with her grandfather's level of skill.

She used a wooden hairpin to pick up the grass stems and leaves; her nimble fingers moved quickly, but she could only weave individual parts such as the soles of the feet, knees, shoulder blades, and the top of the head.

The girl couldn't unravel the structure of the straw doll, nor could she make its energy flow freely.

But these seemingly independent parts, once in Lu Touqiu's hands, were quickly joined together like ropes and woven like a net, relying on the remaining grass strands at the edges.

The ashes rising from the incense burner vaguely resembled a pair of eyes.

Helai gazed at the grandfather and granddaughter, his eyes lingering on the girl for a long time, full of admiration.

This little girl, if she could practice the "Millennial Song" by Shen Yuntai, the deputy minister of the Macau, she would definitely improve very quickly.

The resources that the Spirit Realm should value are not only a good growing environment, but also these talented people.

However, everything depends on how well Chu Tianshu handles things.

Ash-like eyes looked towards the doorway.

The curtain was lifted, and Chu Tianshu walked in carrying a huge package on his back.

The package, once placed on the ground, resembled a large, reclining water buffalo.

It's not just about size, but also about weight.

Lu Yuling looked over in surprise, and Lu Touqiu even stood up.

Chu Tianshu only glanced at them before stepping forward and patting the incense burner.

This means they're not going to hide it from the grandmother and grandson.

The Helai to understand, and ashes rose, transforming into the complete outline of Xianhe.

"How?"

"There really is a Ghost God behind those wizards."

Chu Tianshu briefly explained the situation, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional at the end.

"These guys actually talked for so long at the scene of the corpse. They had one conversation, and not satisfied, they brought in a monkey for a second one..."

The Divided Spirit Blood Curse has a time limit.

Chu Tianshu wasn't sure how much intelligence he could obtain with this move.

The results were actually quite fruitful.

All I can say is, thank you to the wizards for their cooperation.

The Xianhe laughed and said, "Heichi's death will ignite their conflict of interest."

"That place, to them, was no longer a murder scene, but the freshest scene of dividing the spoils. Such tearing apart naturally revealed a lot."

"When I led peacekeeping missions to Nanyang Asia before, I wiped out many local religious groups. Those seemingly cunning core members were no more civilized than these sorcerers when they started tearing each other apart."

Civilization, in many cases, exists to ensure that a group can continue to exist for a longer period of time.

Simply respecting the deceased and giving those eager to seize the inheritance a cooling-off period can prevent many potential problems.

"It's a bit of a shame that the situation there has been stabilized and no real fighting has broken out."

"However, uncovering the hidden figure of Ma Lingbai and learning that the God of Vengeance was plotting something was an unexpected bonus."

Chu Tianshu reached out and untied the bundle. "Of course, there were also the expected gains."

There were no bottles or jars in the package.

Everything was basically stored by binding it with cloth or leather.

Aconitum, cinnamon, platycodon, and wolfsbane are four medicinal spices that are considered medicinal herbs that can be consumed by humans.

Offerings of honey candles and incense specifically for non-human beings.

There was even a lily incense used to suppress evil spirits.

The Heichi wizard practices evil magic, but precisely because of this, he must be wary of being harmed by evil spirits, and must keep some spices to suppress them on hand.

In addition, there were more than a dozen kinds of fragrant pills and powders that Chu Tianshu did not recognize.

"Great! The profit is indeed substantial."

The Xianhe was overjoyed. "With these things, I can immediately begin sending the person down. When he attaches himself to the straw man, his power will be even more complete."

Chu Tianshu picked up a packet of unfamiliar black roots and asked, "Senior, do you recognize these things?"

"Yes, most of them will be useful."

The Xianhe laughed and said, "Whether a wizard makes offerings to evil spirits or worships Ghost God, in essence, it is all about communicating with non-human beings."

"This crane is sending people down here to communicate with the Spirit Realm, this non-human entity, and to form a medium between us. Please put all these things into the incense burner."

"Oh, keep those kinds of food for living people for yourself."

"In this battle, you are the main fighting force, so you need to get yourself into the best possible condition."

Chu Tianshu certainly wouldn't refuse.

Although he has been mainly Water-Refined Solomon's Seal these past few days, the village's reserves of Water-Refined Solomon's Seal are not very large.

Secondly, the effects of the same elixir will decrease significantly if it is taken too many times.

The various types of wolfsbane were all ones he had never eaten before.

Later, I will eat one type and refine it, then eat a new one, making the most of my initial experience with these spiritual herbs.

Having heard all this, Lu Touqiu was now completely certain of his guess.

This divine child truly came from the Immortal Homeland, and is even able to maintain contact with Immortal Homeland.

This time, by making a move, they're prepared to provoke the subordinates of the two Ghost God...

No, you can't describe Ghost God as having only two heads; there must be at least two, or two individuals.

Lu Touqiu's mind was in turmoil, his chaotic thoughts swirling like a tide, leaving him at a loss.

Just think about it, how many people died when Fanliang Land changed its worship of the river god back then, and yet this divine son in front of them helped them kill the Horse-Faced who wanted to break into the village.

For Deer Wilderness Village, which path offers a better chance of survival?

Lu Touqiu's throat was dry, and he unexpectedly recalled that scene again.

Tonight, I went up the hillside and saw the deity standing in front of the temple gate.

"Immortal Master!"

Lu Touqiu, having gone all out, gritted his teeth and said, "Although I've only made four straw figures here, I actually have seven more hidden at home. With some modifications, they might still be usable."

Of those seven straw figures, four were his means of protecting his home. During festivals, he would offer incense and prayers to them, which would help alleviate the illnesses of his family members and keep his relatives healthy.

There are three more, which are substitutes he prepared for himself.

Because each of these seven straw figures required a great deal of effort and dedication to weave.

When Lu Touqiu was in his prime, he only dared to weave one kimono a year. As he got older, he dared not try that weaving method anymore.

"If it works, wouldn't that mean we already have eleven straw men today?"

The Xianhe's voice was resonant, "Chief Deer, please bring it here for a look!"

Seeing Lu Touqiu Touqiu's rather haggard appearance, Chu Tianshu knew that weaving the straw figure had taken a lot of energy.

"I'll take the chieftain with me."

Chu Tianshu reached out and touched Lu Touqiu's elbow, transmitting a surge of internal energy.

Lu Touqiu felt his body floating, his feet almost leaving the ground, and the wind suddenly rushed to his ears.

His gaze shifted from facing the Deer King statue to facing the hillside, and then quickly descended the hillside.

The entire landscape of Deer Wilderness Village magnified before him.

Those familiar houses had already reached both sides.

This year's drought was already a foregone conclusion, making it difficult to have a proper New Year celebration, not to mention that the Horse-Faced Jufu Fu killed dozens of villagers.

From the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month, a time that should be a rare period of relaxation and celebration, the entire village is now deathly still.

Some families hung white cloths to show their grief, and the sound of sobbing could be heard in the darkness.

Upon seeing such a village, Lu Touqiu couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

However, in his current state, he is floating at a rapid speed.

Those feelings of sorrow and hopelessness seemed unable to continue being so heavy.

So, it turns out that the wind can indeed wash away sorrow?

Lu Touqiu entered his house and skillfully found the seven straw figures he had hidden. Throughout the process, he still felt a lingering sense of disorientation.

Chu Tianshu tied the seven straw figures together with a rope, while still holding up the Lu Touqiu with his other hand.

It was downhill before, now it's uphill.

The view from Lu Touqiu rose higher and higher until we entered the temple.

Chu Tianshu released his elbow and led the seven straw figures to the front of the incense burner, where they stood in a row.

These straw figures are not like the common scarecrows, which are simply tied together and stick bamboo poles on top to make them look like people.

Every blade of grass is meticulously woven, brownish-yellow yet tight and tough, somewhat resembling a human-shaped vine armor, with a broad back, narrow waist, long arms and long legs.

However, the facial features of the four newly created straw figures were simplified and exaggerated.

These seven old straw figures all have very delicate facial features, clearly resembling the appearance of Lu Touqiu.

The Xianhe surveyed the seven straw figures, then with a single flap of its wing, faint ashes drifted onto them.

"The quality is quite good; only minor modifications to the facial features are needed."

The Xianhe asked happily, "Chief Deer, how long will it take you to complete the transformation?"

Lu Touqiu took a few steps forward, his steps still a little unsteady. "If it's just changing the facial features, it'll take at most half a day."

"Long time!"

The Xianhe spread its wings. "Then this crane will go back now to make preparations."

Lu Touqiu saw that as soon as the Xianhe finished speaking, it collapsed and turned into ashes, which drifted into the incense burner.

The incense burner was filled with the fragrant pills and powders that Chu Tianshu had brought back.

These things are all heating up now, and seem like they could burst into flames at any moment.

However, the faint fragrance disappeared into thin air after rising about three feet above the incense burner, without spreading further.

Lu Yuling quietly moved closer, looking at the seven straw figures, then at her grandfather.

"Wait a minute, I can't calm down right now."

Lu Touqiu slapped his forehead helplessly and looked at Chu Tianshu with mixed feelings.

Chu Tianshu stretched and sat comfortably on the futon, grabbing a medicinal herb and munching on it.

Noticing Lu Touqiu's gaze, Chu Tianshu turned his head and asked, "Oh, are you eating too?"

He grabbed two pieces of the medicinal herb and tossed them to the grandfather and grandson.

Lu Touqiu could tell at a glance that the medicinal power of this herb was not something he could digest by eating it raw; it would at least need to be boiled into a soup.

"Lord Son of God."

Lu Touqiu hesitated, then said, "I'm a little unsure how to put it, but you and the Immortal Master are doing things so... quickly? Isn't it a bit hasty?"

He really racked his brains trying to think of the right words.

To put it bluntly, he felt that the two guys in front of him had a problem with their attitude.

The previous divine child was clearly calm and composed, like a gentle breeze and a bright moon.

The immortal master is even more elusive, remaining hidden and mysterious.

Just a short while ago, the divine son openly declared his intention to oppose the two followers of the Ghost God, and the immortal master made a clear appearance.

All plans are no longer hidden.

Hearing from Lu Touqiu that there were seven straw figures at home, he immediately took them over, glanced at them, and prepared to use them.

"Where was it done carelessly?"

Chu Tianshu chewed on the elixir, somewhat puzzled. "The hasty approach should have been to kill one wizard, stay at the scene, and try to kill all the remaining wizards. If I couldn't kill them all, I should have run away."

"But the current approach is very cautious."

"First, conceal your identity, gather resources, and probe their strength."

Chu Tianshu spoke calmly.

Upon arrival, one must distinguish the enemy and determine which opposing positions are irreconcilable.

"Therefore, before they can complete their further schemes, we should quickly assemble our forces and wipe them out."

"The fastest action and the most cautious attitude are not contradictory."

Lu Touqiu still only vaguely understood what he was hearing.

He was, after all, just a village chief.

However, he seemed to sense that the dramatic change in the deity's and immortal master's styles was something they had planned with complete confidence.

"Perhaps because we've become more open and honest, you're receiving too much information and are having a bit of a hard time processing it all."

Chu Tianshu pinpointed the crux of the problem and took another bite of the elixir.

He abandoned his long-standing control over his digestive and absorptive abilities, fully absorbing the elixirs, feeling a surge of heat throughout his body and a sense of comfort.

But we are doing good deeds.

"Planning should be done in secrecy, but success should be achieved openly!"

Lu Touqiu seemed to sense something.

When the Divine Child first arrived, he was like a gentle breeze, easy to approach and conducive to quiet exploration, but some twists and turns were inevitable.

But to break through the gloom, it must be as fast as the gale just now!

(End of this chapter)