Prayer Power Rises

This is a very ordinary day, not a festival, and has no special significance. At most, according to the Chinese almanac, it is considered an average day.

But what should have been an ordinary day turned into something extraordinary for many people.

Anqing City, a long procession, stretching as far as the eye could see, marched in.

Such a display, if seen by someone unaware of the situation, would likely lead them to believe that a local rebellion had broken out and that a mutinous army had attacked.

However, once you see the scene of more than ten people dressed as yamen runners clearing the way for them at the very front, you can give up that idea.

At the back of the line, the composition of the crowd became more complex.

There were wealthy families dressed in silk and satin, and poor beggars in tattered clothes. Men, women, young and old, there was no shortage of them.

The two groups of people, who should have been clearly separated, were now strangely brought together.

They formed a vast and mighty crowd.

A quick glance revealed that the crowd stretched for miles and numbered at least tens of thousands.

Following the yamen runners who cleared the way, and ahead of the rest of the group, was a procession of shrine maidens.

Led by a young woman, more than ten girls followed closely behind.

These women, without exception, all wore a strange outfit with a red and white color scheme.

The young woman had a solemn expression, placed her hands on her chest, and chanted a prayer to the gods.

The girls following closely behind were all dressed with Jade Purification Vase in their left hands and Glazed Branch in their right.

Accompanied by a strange and graceful dance, clear water spilled from the Jade Purification Vase, and pieces of Fox Biscuit fell from the Glazed Branch.

Whether they were splashed with water or hit by Fox Biscuit, everyone's faces were full of joy.

What truly caught the eye was the magnificent sedan chair carried by eight beautiful young women who looked like heiresses from wealthy families.

This is an exquisite sedan chair, mainly made of red wood, with many intricate carvings and gold-lacquered patterns.

Upon closer inspection, one can discern dragons and phoenixes, auspicious clouds, mountains and rivers, and so on.

At the top of the sedan chair was a canopy resembling a miniature temple.

The gilded eaves resemble a divine crown, with golden bells hanging from the four corners that hum softly in the breeze.

Each sound sent a refreshing coolness through the air, radiating comfort and coolness from the shrine maidens carrying the palanquin.

There were no wooden walls built around the sedan chair; it was only separated by four red silk curtains.

Light red curtains hung from all four sides, embroidered with various gold patterns.

As the sun shines, a ray of golden light occasionally flashes out, adding a touch of divinity to the owner of this sedan chair.

The passenger riding in this sedan chair was not a living person, or even a human being.

Through the thin red curtain, one could vaguely make out a hazy, indistinct figure.

As a gentle breeze blows, a corner is playfully pulled open, allowing one to glimpse the details inside.

Standing atop the sedan chair was a green-eyed girl with two fluffy white fox ears on her head and nine large, white tails cascading down her back. In her left hand she held a Mutton-Fat Jade Purification Vase, and in her right hand she held a Jeweled Tree Glazed Branch.

At first glance, the nine-tailed girl looked so lifelike, as if she were really alive.

Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that this is not a living person, but a lifelike statue of a deity.

If this had happened a few months ago, probably very few people would have recognized who this green-eyed girl with fox ears and nine tails was.

But even today, within this Anqing Prefecture...

You may not know the prefect or magistrate, you may not know any other god, but how could you not know this Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens?

And because the sedan chair carries the statue of Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens, it is no ordinary sedan chair.

In a more formal sense, this should be called a sacred palanquin.

This procession, however, was the palanquin carrying the statue of the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens Goddess.

"The Goddess Yuanjun has arrived!"

"Your Majesty, have mercy!"

"Your Majesty, we beg you to relieve this drought!"

As the divine palanquin of the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens gradually approached Anqing City, a dense crowd had already gathered several miles outside the Anqing City.

When the priestess's procession carrying the palanquin passed by, no one dared to stop them.

Everyone knelt and kowtowed as the divine palanquin passed by, disregarding the dust on the ground, praying to the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens to end the drought.

After the palanquin had passed, these people stood up and followed the procession, becoming part of the crowd.

Although, strictly speaking, only half of the prefecture was truly affected by the disaster.

But how could the other half of the prefecture, which was not affected by the disaster, not be impacted?

Putting aside other issues, if the imperial court doesn't reduce or exempt taxes, then the tax revenue that has been suppressed will be lost.

If the disaster-stricken half of the prefecture cannot recover the losses, then the unaffected half will have to bear the burden.

Not to mention, the movement of people caused by fleeing will bring countless hidden dangers.

Now, everyone in Anqing Prefecture knows.

If it weren't for Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens's compassion for the world, using her Divine Ability to conjure countless Fox Rice to save the people from suffering,

I'm afraid Anqing Prefecture has long been a living hell, teeming with bandits and devastated by countless lives.

Now that they know that the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens will take over Anqing City and use her great Divine Ability to resolve the drought, how could these people not be overjoyed and line the streets to welcome her!

Amidst the kneeling welcome of the people along the way, the palanquin carried by the shamans slowly finally arrived before Anqing City.

At the Anqing City, a group of officials, led by the prefect of Anqing Prefecture, stood eagerly awaiting the arrival of the divine chariot of the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens.

To everyone's surprise, Prefect Liu Zhengyuan did not utter a single word upon seeing this somewhat overstepping group.

Instead, he strode up to the front of the group, standing at the very front to lead the way for Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens.

He said nothing, but this most direct action best demonstrated Liu Zhengyuan's attitude.

Since even the prefect was like this, the onlookers' faith in Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens grew even stronger.

For the prefect to be so attentive, this Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens must be Divine Ability and Orthodox God.

As the atmosphere within the city grew increasingly heated, a table made of ice and snow appeared in the air, unseen by the crowd, in a way that defied common sense.

An elderly man dressed in official robes was sitting at one corner of the round table made of ice and snow, on one of the long benches made of ice and snow.

Enjoying the delicacies and fine wine infused with incense offerings, the old man glanced at the vast crowd below, then focused his gaze on the person opposite him, and said softly, "County Princess of Qingping, what a grand display you make! I have never before received such hospitality from the common people!"

If anyone could see this scene, they would be astonished to discover that sitting in front of the old man was none other than the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens from the divine palanquin.

However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that this elderly man in official robes is none other than the Prefectural City God of Anqing Prefecture City God!

"It's just that the people have shown their favor unjustly." Pouring a cup of incense wine, Yin Yunze handed it to the Prefectural City God before him with both hands. "I must thank Your Majesty for not holding my rudeness against me, allowing me to build a temple and erect a statue here."

Although Yin Yunze's entry into Anqing City can be said to be the will of the people, an inevitable trend that even the Prefectural City God could hardly stop.

But it wouldn't be difficult to do something underhanded to Yin Yunze and cause some minor problems during his divine tour.

Therefore, in this respect, Yin Yunze really has to thank the Prefectural City God.

Furthermore, even if we take a step back, the two of them will be neighbors in the future, so naturally their relationship shouldn't become too strained.

Therefore, before the procession of the divine palanquin arrived, Yin Yunze first hosted a banquet for the Prefectural City God.

"Just a misplaced affection?"

The Prefectural City God accepted the cup of wine and took a small sip.

His gaze fell once more, but this time, the Prefectural City God's eyes were not merely fixed on the crowd below.

His gaze suddenly deepened, and with that single glance, the Prefectural City God Anqing Prefecture took in the entire prefecture.

Meanwhile, throughout Anqing Prefecture, wherever people gathered, the Incense and Fire Prayer Power and prayers for Yin Yunze were rising.

The Incense Divine Dao and religious practices is determined by two factors: seniority and popular support.

In terms of seniority, Yin Yunze is only a half-year-old Innate Holy Spirit, naturally far inferior to the Prefectural City God who has accumulated thousands of years of experience.

But if we're talking about public sentiment, at this moment in Anqing Prefecture...

This soaring power of will, almost transforming into a dragon, was an astonishing scene that even the Prefectural City God had rarely witnessed.

His gaze fell on Yin Yunze, Prefectural City God sighed, "It would have been nothing more than misplaced affection, not the way things are now."

"Perhaps it wasn't just misplaced affection! The common people, after all, know how to be grateful."

Slightly raising his eyes to look at the Prefectural City God, Yin Yunze changed his tone, saying softly, "Apart from a few bad people, most of the people are good. I've done some things for them, and they remember my kindness—"

Actually, upon closer examination, Yin Yunze felt that he hadn't done much.

It merely provided the people with the food they needed to survive, cleared away the evil spirits and demons that harmed people in Anqing Prefecture, and ensured the safety of the people when they traveled.

In addition, some junior witches were sent around to spread Yin Yunze's fame while providing some assistance within their capabilities.

In short, it all boils down to one sentence: serving the people.

Yin Yunze did not truly place herself in the position of a god; she treated her relationship with believers more as a business transaction.

Yin Yunze provides believers with what they need, and believers repay Yin Yunze with Incense of Faith.

However, compared to other Orthodox God, Yin Yunze provides better service.

And the Prefectural City God could actually do something similar.

However, the Prefectural City God never actually did it—or rather, he never even considered it.

After all, it is almost a consensus among the gods in this world that the people should serve the gods like cattle and horses.

Seeing that the Prefectural City God seemed to be moved, a glint flashed in Yin Yunze's eyes.

The thought resurfaced, and Yin Yunze tried one last time to say to the Prefectural City God, "Moreover, most of these things, Your Excellency, are actually capable of doing as well. For example, there's one right now—"

"No need!"

Before Yin Yunze could finish speaking, the Prefectural City God interrupted him without hesitation, saying, "Little fox, if you bring that matter up again, don't blame me for turning against you!"

"Tsk----"

Yin Yunze clicked his tongue softly, but didn't press the matter.

Yin Yunze wasn't annoyed that the Prefectural City God called him a little fox.

Compared to the distant County Princess, the nickname "Little Fox" shows the Prefectural City God's affection.

After all, most of the time, how one addresses someone does depend on their status and position.

After thinking for a moment, Yin Yunze changed the subject and said, "If Your Majesty doesn't want me to mention that matter, then I won't. If Your Majesty would like to experience something similar, I can have my servants designate today as—"

"Hmm, festivals like the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens's Parade Day. Next year, I can have someone build a palanquin for Your Excellency as well—then I can invite Your Excellency to travel with me—"

Since this Prefectural City God wasn't too bad, and was a local bully who treated him fairly well.

Yin Yunze, of course, also wanted to establish a connection with the Prefectural City God.

"Your mind works really fast!"

Looking at Yin Yunze, the Prefectural City God shook his head and said, "Forget it, I won't try to take advantage of you. If we really go on the trip, people might say I'm your subordinate! You can't possibly have me as your leader on that Qingxiao Xunyou Day, can you?"

Yin Yunze gave an awkward smile in response.

Giving the Prefectural City God a ride is one thing, but if it really comes down to him being the main figure, Yin Yunze definitely won't agree!

"Little girl, you are quite special among the Innate Holy Spirit. I have seen several Innate Holy Spirit, but none of them are as agile as you. If it were her—"

His gaze fell on Yin Yunze, Prefectural City God said softly, then shook his head and said, "Never mind, never mind—"

"My lord, you seem to have a story to tell?"

Upon hearing the Prefectural City God's words, Yin Yunze's fox ears immediately stood up.

The tail behind it unconsciously increased the frequency of its wagging. "I'm a very good listener!"

"You?" The Prefectural City God chuckled and shook his head at Yin Yunze's words. Then, his smile vanished, and he said seriously, "Little fox, take my advice and stop now! That's not something you can do right now—"

"My lord, I can't stop!"

Looking at the Prefectural City God, Yin Yunze shook his head helplessly. "You should have realized it by now, right? I have no way out!"

Initially, Yin Yunze was simply using the same methods he had always employed to build momentum for himself.

However, after this action initially showed some success, it slipped out of Yin Yunze's control.

The image of Yin Yunze transforming into a dragon, signifying the rise of his willpower, certainly indicates that he has reached the pinnacle of success, with favorable timing, location, and human relationships.

Even the current Prefectural City God has to temporarily avoid Yin Yunze's limelight.

But this also means that Yin Yunze must accomplish what the people want.

If Yin Yunze's failure to resolve the drought was simply due to his inability to solidify the Authority of the Agriculture God, then...

But as things have developed to this point, Yin Yunze has been manipulated by the power of will and has become a pawn, forced to move forward.

If Yin Yunze dared to say anything to the people of Anqing Prefecture today, claiming that alleviating the drought was a joke.

The excuses included that the drought was unsolvable, that at most a few snowfalls would provide temporary relief, and that the people would suffer even more.

So tomorrow, this wish-driven dragon might turn into a dragon of resentment.

At that time, Yin Yunze will probably die a more tragic death than the old City God.