The City God Temple was outside the county town, six li to the east.
Xu Qi’an and his companions hurried on horseback, arriving at their destination in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
A small temple with black tiles and white walls stood not far from the official road. The temple was surrounded by a white wall, and a winding path linked it to the main road.
The City God Temple was quite lively, with a constant stream of plainly dressed commoners and brightly dressed wealthy folk coming and going along the path, entering and leaving the temple.
There were even several carriages parked outside.
“Whoa!”
Xu Qi’an reined in his horse at the temple gates, dismounted, helped Mu Nanzhi down, and, together with Li Lingsu and Miao Youfang, tied up the horses at wooden posts by the roadside.
He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. Disappointment immediately washed over him, there was no trace of Dragon Qi in the vicinity.
Two burly men stood at the temple entrance. They stretched out their arms to block the way, raised their heads, and said,
“If you want to burn incense in the temple, pay twenty cash first.”
So even in this era there’s an entrance fee. Although temple gods have nothing to do with the Dragon Qi, since we’re already here, we might as well go in for a look… Xu Qi’an glanced at Li Lingsu. The latter curled his lips, took out twenty cash, and handed them over.
The man on the left took the money, eyed Xu Qi’an’s fine robes, and sneered,
“twenty cash each…”
Mu Nanzhi frowned. It was obvious this fellow had seen Xu Qi’an’s fine clothes and was taking the opportunity to demand more money.
“Why don’t they have to pay?” she said, pointing at a young couple going in.
“They’re regular visitors, so they don’t need to,” the guard replied, having a ready excuse. He seemed entirely unafraid of trouble, and said impatiently,
“If you want to burn incense, pay up quickly. If you don’t have any money, get lost.”
Xu Qi’an looked up, placating Mu Nanzhi, and said, “Give it to him.”
After paying, the four of them stepped through the gate. Xu Qi’an’s gaze swept over the place, the courtyard was split in two by a paved stone path leading to the temple. On the left stood an earthen merit tower with yellow paper burning at its base.
On the right were two rows of waist-high candlesticks, each holding burning red candles, the wax running down in streams.
Both sides were crowded with worshippers, some burning yellow paper, others lighting candles.
The four crossed the yard and entered the City God Temple, and at once the object of worship inside seized their attention.
It was an ugly little ghost, bare-chested, with a large pot-belly. It raised its hands high, supporting a stone mirror, this mirror seemed to be damaged, with only half of it remaining.
It was not that the statue was damaged, but that the mirror itself was broken.
In front of the sculpture, over a dozen worshippers were bowing in reverence. To the right of the altar stood an elderly woman with greying hair, a gaunt face, and a broad forehead, somewhat rodent-like in appearance.
Sharp and shrewd.
There’s no fluctuation of Qi, no wronged spirits, no aura of Yaoguai… Xu Qi’an circulated his spiritual power, swept the area, and confirmed this was an ordinary City God Temple.
Whether it was truly a City God Temple remained to be seen.
A normal City God Temple clearly wouldn’t enshrine a little ghost.
Li Lingsu also used the Daoist Rank Eight “Open and Close” technique to examine the temple. He subtly shook his head at Xu Qi’an, signalling that nothing was amiss.
Had the innkeeper exaggerated? Xu Qi’an felt a bit disappointed. Rather than believing the thing at the back was so skilful that it escaped his notice, it was clearly more likely that the innkeeper was lying.
A tiny county town couldn’t possibly, like the Heaven Sect, harbour a crouching dragon and fledgling phoenix, and fool a seasoned Silver Gong Xu.
Xu Qi’an pondered, then stepped up to the soothsayer and said,
“We’re from out of town, and heard your City God Temple was especially effective, so we came to burn incense. You are the soothsayer, right? May I ask, which deity is worshipped here?”
The old woman glanced at him, saw the fine quality of Xu Qi’an’s robes, her eyes lit up, and she coughed before replying solemnly,
“Young man, you’ve come to the right place.
“This temple is dedicated to the Huntian God, an omnipotent deity. The treasure mirror in its hands is called the Huntian Divine Mirror, and through it, the Huntian God can see all things in the world.
“I see a dark air lingering over your brow. You are facing ill fortune soon. The fact that you have come to burn incense here is proof that the Huntian God is guiding you, having already seen your coming misfortune.”
Xu Qi’an obligingly looked “shocked” and said,
“What do you mean? My journey so far has been nothing but smooth.”
The old woman said flatly,
“The time just hasn’t come yet. If you wish to avert disaster, I can show you a clear path.”
Once Xu Qi’an nodded, she inspected his clothing and said,
“The temple god loves wealth. Offer two hundred taels of silver and worship for seven days, and your misfortune will be dispelled.”
Two hundred taels, a hefty appetite… Xu Qi’an noted down the names Huntian God and Huntian Divine Mirror, planning to ask the members of the Heaven and Earth Society about them via the Earth Book fragments later.
Although he was fairly certain this old soothsayer lady was a charlatan.
Just then, a middle-aged man in thin, shabby clothes approached. Underneath he wore a vest, with a tattered cotton robe on top, the holes revealing straw stuffed inside as padding.
The marks of a hard life were written deeply on his face, and years of toil had left him dull and taciturn. He spoke dully,
“Soothsayer, my wife is dying. Why isn’t she getting better?
“You said if we offered worship to the temple god for seven days, her illness would be cured, but today she can’t even keep down any food.”
The soothsayer frowned and said,
“That means you’re still not sincere enough. You need to continue offering dedication for another three days.”
At her words, the weathered face of the man twisted with bitterness.
“But… but I have no more silver left. All my savings have gone to the temple.”
The soothsayer replied impatiently,
“That’s your business. If you have no silver, you can sell your fields, or borrow from someone.
“The temple god is just, and will not show favour just because your family is poor. Are the other worshippers not making offerings? Are their families not suffering poverty as well?”
Her logic silenced the man. His lips quivered.
“But my wife can’t eat anymore… she can’t eat at all…”
To ordinary folk, being unable to walk or eat was tantamount to a death sentence.
The soothsayer let out a snort, the threat in her voice unmistakable:
“The temple god will protect us, but should anyone offend it, there will be retribution.”
The middle-aged man seemed to recall something and a look of utter terror came over him. He hunched his back and dared not speak again.
Off to the side, Miao Youfang, overhearing, bristled with anger.
…
Elsewhere, Li Lingsu was cleverly sounding out information from the worshippers. His target was a young man.
“Brother, you’re still so young, what brings you to the temple?”
Li Lingsu was stunningly handsome and debonair, hard to ignore. The young man, however, hedged,
“Nothing, nothing much.”
Li Lingsu smiled and said, “We’re all here to burn incense. Why not share your purpose?”
Secretly, he used his spiritual power to add a persuasive, approachable charm to his tone. The young man, unable to resist, let his guard down and forced a bitter smile:
“I’m here to pray for a child.”
“Oh,” said Li Lingsu, “also for seven days?”
The young man nodded.
“You must have spent quite a bit,” Li Lingsu said, glancing at the middle-aged man.
“The silver is not… that bad…”
The young man’s demeanour changed. He seemed about to continue, but hesitated. Just then, the curtain leading to the inner hall was lifted, and a delicate woman hurried out.
Her cheeks were flushed, her hair dishevelled. Seeing the crowd’s gaze, she immediately dropped her head and walked briskly back to her husband’s side.
Moments later, the curtain lifted again and a burly man emerged. He glanced at the delicate woman and licked his lips with undisguised satisfaction.
“Mother, I’ve already acted as the temple god’s agent to bless them with a child. It’s time to accept the payment. The young lady was very pleased.”
He beamed as he spoke.
The old woman turned to the young couple and said cheerfully,
“Young Lady Zhang, Young Master Zhang, were you satisfied?”
The young woman’s blush faded, replaced by pallor, while the young man’s eyes flashed with humiliation and anger. Forcing a smile, he said,
“Satisfied, satisfied…”
With that, he feigned a grin, removed his purse, and handed it over.
The man reached out to take it, weighed it in his hand, and his gaze lingered on the delicate young woman. Grinning, he said,
“Four days from now, remember to come on time, or else the temple god will be angered.”
Fear appeared in the eyes of the young couple at the same time, and they nodded repeatedly.
“Why not report it to the authorities?”
A sigh sounded in the ears of the young man surnamed Zhang. He turned his head and saw it was that handsome and dignified man.
Once again, affected by the voice, he inexplicably gathered his courage, and with a hint of fear in his tone, he said,
“All those who reported it to the authorities died, and those who were disrespectful to the temple god also died.
“As long as we make proper offerings to the temple god, the god will protect us…”
Li Lingsu got straight to the point and asked,
“If you know that those disrespectful to the temple god have all died, why have you come here to burn incense?”
This young couple were locals, so they ought to know the trouble that came with getting involved with the temple god, and they could have chosen not to come at all.
The young man surnamed Zhang gritted his teeth and said,
“It wasn’t our choice, it was him. He took a fancy to my wife, came to our door, and made us go to the City God Temple to pray for a child. Otherwise, the temple god would punish us.”
Li Lingsu understood. It was the same as the way the sons of the powerful bullied men and women, only the difference lay in whether they relied on their power or on the temple god.
He could not help but look at Xu Qi’an. He saw the latter’s face was sombre and silent, as if he was pondering something.
“Mother, where did these fools come from?”
The man listened confidently and was entirely unfazed, even faintly disdainful.
The soothsayer, her face gloomy, pointed at Xu Qi’an and Miao Youfang, and said, “These few are outsiders.”
She then gave a cold, hoarse laugh, looking at the young couple:
“Master Zhang, Lady Zhang, your disrespect for the temple god has not gone unnoticed by him.”
The young woman’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and she spoke tearfully, “Forgive me, temple god. Forgive me, soothsayer.”
After intimidating the young couple, the soothsayer snorted coldly, looked at Xu Qi’an and the others, and announced:
“You have shown disrespect to the temple god and incurred his wrath. Death is upon you now. If you wish to appease the temple god’s anger, hand over three hundred taels of silver, or even I won’t be able to save you.”
Her son played along and clapped his hands, and three men waiting outside the temple immediately walked in, surrounding Xu Qi’an and his group.
The surrounding worshippers pointed and gossiped among themselves.
“These outsiders are truly bold.”
“Yes, they’d best hand over the silver, or they’ll die without knowing how.”
By this point, Master Zhang had come to his senses, was no longer influenced by Li Lingsu, and, realising what he had just said, his legs nearly gave way with fright.
In a trembling voice, he said, “Forgive us, temple god, forgive us…”
The soothsayer’s son paid him no heed, glaring with vicious eyes as he threatened Xu Qi’an and his companions, “Hand over the silver, and do it quickly.”
The onlookers hastily interceded,
“Outsiders, beg the temple god for forgiveness at once.”
“Why court death?”
“Indeed, hand over the silver quickly, don’t implicate Master Zhang.”
The middle-aged man opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to join in persuading them, but his eyes flashed with resentment and he clenched his fists in silence.
“Silver? Like hell I will. Go and ask the King of Hell for it.”
Miao Youfang cursed, strode forward, clenched his fist, and swung his right arm back.
Bang!
Before anyone could react, he punched the soothsayer’s son in the head.
His skull burst like a watermelon. Blood, flesh, and bone fragments splattered across the floor, the walls, and over the statue of the temple god behind them.
For a few seconds there was silence in the temple. Then suddenly screams erupted. The worshippers, panic-stricken, scrambled to escape.
The three men who watched over the City God Temple fled with the worshippers to the courtyard.
“Son!”
The soothsayer let out a piercing shriek, threw herself over the headless corpse, and wailed in despair.
Miao Youfang took out a long sabre from the storage artifact Xu Qi’an had given him, smashed about madly, kicked over the sacrificial table, sent the incense burner flying, and finally sliced the statue of the temple god in half with one stroke.
“You…”
The soothsayer glared at the four of them with hatred and screamed shrilly, “The temple god will not spare you. All of you will die!”
“Kill her.”
Xu Qi’an said calmly.
He still had doubts and questions about the temple god, but that did not matter. He would have Li Lingsu summon spirits later so that he could interrogate the soul of the soothsayer himself.
Miao Youfang at once swung his sabre and cut off the soothsayer’s head, then kicked her head, exploding it instantly.
Having underlings really makes a difference, no need for me to act personally… Xu Qi’an nodded in satisfaction. His gaze rested on the Zhang couple and the middle-aged man, all of whom were rooted to the spot. He could not help but sigh inwardly.
She’s… she’s dead… The young couple stood dumbstruck, their hearts pounding violently, unable to tell whether what they now felt was excitement or fear.
The middle-aged man was stunned as well.
So were the worshippers in the courtyard.
Xu Qi’an knew that these people needed to be reassured. He strode out of the temple, looked at the worshippers lingering in the courtyard, and said,
“This official a constable from the capital. These people are my colleagues.
“A complaint was submitted in the capital, accusing Shengyi County of illicit worship and sacrifice, bringing harm to the people.
“I have covertly investigated for days and uncovered the truth. That soothsayer had learned a few demonic arts to harm people in secret, and used the temple god as a pretext to intimidate the people.
“Now she has been put to death. You no longer need to come here to make offerings.”
As soon as they heard that this young man was from the government, the worshippers felt much reassured.
Heaven and earth were vast, but nothing outweighed the authority of the court. That was why the intervention of the authorities gave them such a sense of security.
“But… but the temple god really did answer prayers,” one of the worshippers said.
If it were only intimidation, that would not be enough to make them offer incense so willingly.
“The owner of the rouge shop on Guanghua Street was murdered by the soothsayer. This official has already looked into this matter.” Xu Qi’an said.
Only then did the worshippers feel relieved.
Xu Qi’an turned and went back into the temple, took an official silver ingot from his robe, and handed it to the middle-aged man, saying,
“You need to see a doctor if you’re ill.”
After asking the middle-aged man for his address, he turned to Li Lingsu and said, “Go and take a look later.”
He was worried that the middle-aged man’s wife was already beyond help, for ordinary doctors would be of no avail.
Li Lingsu nodded.
With trembling limbs, the middle-aged man fell to his knees. “Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.”
At this point, Miao Youfang picked up the purse lying by the side of the soothsayer’s son and tossed it to Master Zhang, saying,
“Forget what happened here, and don’t let it make you look down on your wife.”
The young man surnamed Zhang glanced at the corpses of the soothsayer and her son, spat on the ground, and silently kowtowed three times to the group, before leading his wife away.
Miao Youfang turned to spit on the corpse as well, as though it were entirely routine.
“I have travelled the jianghu for years and have slain more such scoundrels than I can count.”
“That’s not a good thing!” Xu Qi’an said.
It showed that the court’s control and governance in the provinces had grown extremely weak. As order was gradually shaken, chaos would become frequent.
In time, someone would surely step forward to establish a new order. When the day came, it would either be a change of dynasty, or the present one would suffer a grievous blow and barely eke out its survival.
Xu Qi’an glanced outside, and, confirming that all the worshippers had been driven out, closed the temple doors and ordered,
“Li Lingsu, summon their spirits!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Miao Youfang suddenly clutched his chest, his face turned livid, and he slowly collapsed to the ground.
His complexion took on a dark, suffocated hue, his eyes rolled back, and his life force quickly ebbed away.
A martial artist at the peak of Refining Spirit was on the verge of death for no apparent reason?
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