Chapter 212
“All... all of it?”
Xiao Qing stared blankly at the offering table, hesitating to reach out.
Zheng Fa didn’t respond.
In the past couple of days, he had reflected on his attitude towards the Tian Bei realm—it felt to him like a modern online game.
The items on the Feng Shen Ce (Book of Gods) resembled daily quests in a game...
He viewed the people of the Tian Bei realm more as NPCs (non-player characters).
He didn’t want to harm them, but he didn’t feel any connection to them either.
There was a certain divine indifference about him.
He had no particular thoughts about Ban Shan City, and his feelings towards the people of the Tian Bei realm were merely tinged with sympathy—
Their worship didn’t bring him any sense of honor.
He didn’t even require any incense offerings.
Talking to Xiao Qing was, on one hand, a way to pass the time while he restored his spiritual energy, and on the other, a reflection of his miserly nature—he couldn’t bear to see the items on the offering table go to waste.
He remained silent, but Xiao Qing suddenly spoke up again: “Can I... take these to give to people?”
“Hmm?”
“Ban Shan City... there are so many people who are hungry.”
Zheng Fa looked at Xiao Qing, pausing for a moment.
“Sure.”
Xiao Qing cradled the food and skipped out happily.
After a while, he heard a crowd of footsteps at the temple entrance.
These people were likely the poorest in Ban Shan City, their shadows on the ground resembling a row of bamboo poles.
They held the food Xiao Qing had taken out, bowing reverently on the ground.
Zheng Fa had done nothing at all.
Yet the light in their eyes was even more dazzling than that of the disciples of the Pīlì Jiào (Thunderbolt Sect) from a few days ago.
...
A month later, Yan Wushuang walked out of the Tian Bei with Chu Tianque.
He felt dejected, unable to muster any joy.
“Yan Shixiong, you must have gained great insights from the heavenly tribulation, right? You actually earned thirty days of merit this time!” Chu Tianque said in a congratulatory tone.
“Hmm.”
Yan Wushuang replied, his interest clearly lacking.
“Then you must be close to gathering enough merit for the hundred-year Yun Guo in the Baibao Dian (Treasure Hall), right?”
Chu Tianque changed the subject.
“Hmm.”
“…”
Seeing him like this, Chu Tianque opened his mouth, glancing at the Taishang Dao’s true disciple, Xue Shimei, and both were at a loss for words.
They both understood why Yan Wushuang was acting this way, and they were careful not to mention that person’s name, but Yan Wushuang’s expression...
“Ling Ye Xianzi (Fairy Ling Ye) is out!”
Yan Wushuang jolted, snapping back to attention: “Where?”
“…”
Chu Tianque and the others looked at him.
It took Yan Wushuang a moment to realize they were teasing him. His shoulders slumped, and his expression grew even more bitter.
“Yan Shixiong, is it really necessary to be so affected by a mere Xiao Xianzi?”
Chu Tianque couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated with him.
“I don’t want to!” Yan Wushuang replied bitterly. “But do you understand? If I were simply outmatched, that would be one thing. I, Yan Wushuang, consider myself broad-minded... but I can’t even figure out how this Ling Ye Xianzi…”
“…”
“This kind of thing... it’s infuriating.” Yan Wushuang recalled: “There are some things I haven’t told you before. That Xiao Xianzi, perhaps due to her extraordinary fortune, is so accustomed to it that when she obtained treasures in the Han Hai Desert, she even asked us a question…”
“What question?”
“She asked…” Yan Wushuang’s expression twisted slightly: “What we were there for…”
“…”
Chu Tianque imagined that scene and finally understood why Yan Wushuang looked as if he had encountered a heart demon upon seeing Ling Ye Xianzi—this would likely become Yan Shixiong’s heart demon!
“To be honest, ever since Ling Ye Xianzi arrived, I’ve wanted to leave the Tian Bei…” Yan Wushuang continued. “I can bear not obtaining the Tian Bei, but this Ling Ye Xianzi... I can’t stand it.”
“Wait…” Chu Tianque frowned. “How can someone like Xiao Xianzi be so... unharmed?”
“Years ago, I went back and told my father…” Yan Wushuang said.
“…”
“My father listened to my grievances and gave me a beating.” Yan Wushuang’s expression was hard to describe.
“This person... has a powerful background?”
“Yes, she has long been valued by a hidden master and taken under their wing. Most importantly…” Yan Wushuang thought for a moment: “My father said that someone with such fortune must have great luck... and advised me to be more respectful in the future.”
“…”
Chu Tianque thought about it and felt that Yan Wushuang was indeed unfortunate.
It was one thing to be mocked and then go to one’s parents, but it was worse to hit a true iron wall.
“From that moment on, I began to travel…”
Chu Tianque finally understood why Yan Wushuang cared so much about this Xiao Xianzi—this had changed Yan Shixiong’s life.
“Sorry for making you two laugh at me.”
“Actually, it’s not just you, Yan Shixiong. Ever since Ling Ye Xianzi arrived, those outside who were betting on our rankings have all placed their bets on her…” Chu Tianque tried to comfort him. “This fairy’s reputation is well-known; those people have certainly heard of her.”
...
As they reached the base of the Tian Bei, Yan Wushuang hung his head and said, “No need to look anymore, let’s go.”
But Chu Tianque was particularly resolute, still trying to reassure him: “Ling Ye Xianzi is new here; it’s natural she might not grasp the situation…”
Yan Wushuang felt grateful in his heart, appreciating Chu Shidi’s trust in him, but he was even more convinced of Ling Ye Xianzi’s strangeness and was reluctant to look up at the rankings on the stele.
After a long while, he hadn’t heard Chu Tianque speak, and he couldn’t help but feel more dejected: “I’m ranked second now, right?”
“No.” Chu Tianque’s tone was as if he were dreaming.
“Hmm?” Yan Wushuang suddenly looked up: “I’m still first?”
“Third…”
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang looked up at the top of the Tian Bei—he was indeed in third place, but the name at the top wasn’t Xiao Yuying, but a name he hadn’t expected:
Zheng Fa.
“Zheng Xiong?” He stared blankly at the two characters, then suddenly burst into laughter: “I knew I wasn’t wrong about Zheng Xiong!”
Beside him, Xue Shimei couldn’t help but ask: “Zheng Fa is first, and you’re not even second... why are you so happy?”
“You don’t understand, my father didn’t avenge me, but Zheng Xiong did!”
“…” Xue Shimei twitched her lips, feeling that the beating from the leader of the Tian He Sect should have been lighter. Turning back, she saw Chu Tianque’s face frozen in disbelief.
“Chu Shidi?” Xue Zhenchuan was puzzled; one was overjoyed, while the other looked like he might cry.
“I... I bet all my spirit stones on Xiao Xianzi.”
“…” Yan Wushuang fell silent for a moment, glanced at Zheng Fa’s name, then at Chu Tianque, and sighed: “Now I know who my true brothers are.”
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 204: They’re All Good People!
As Zheng Fa was about to leave the Tian Bei realm, Ban Shan City had changed somewhat.
Most of the core members of the Pīlì Jiào had turned to ashes.
In the city, it wasn’t that people didn’t pick up lost items or leave their doors unlocked at night; even the wrongdoers were likely trembling in fear.
The rest of the people, when measured against the Feng Shen Ce, were mostly guilty but not deserving of death—though Zheng Fa would still unleash heavenly tribulation upon them, the severity varied.
The more severe punishments could leave people gravely injured, while the lighter ones might just be a few rumbling thunderclaps:
Essentially a reminder that there are deities watching just above their heads.
Zheng Fa didn’t do anything excessive; he simply harvested merit at designated times each day.
Yet the offerings in the temple grew more abundant by the day.
Xiao Qing would occasionally take the surplus offerings to help the elderly and weak.
Not that there were many elderly.
Most people in Ban Shan City had short lifespans; anyone over thirty-five could be considered an elder, and forty was even regarded as advanced age.
Someone like Xiao Qing could be called a young adult—poverty in Ban Shan City was the kind that drained the marrow from one’s bones.
On this day, groups of people from the city were again making their way to the temple, carrying baskets filled with dried mushrooms, smoked fish and shrimp, bolts of coarse cloth, and some exquisite trinkets.
These items, not to mention in modern times, wouldn’t even be worth much in the mundane world of the Xuan Wei realm.
But here, in Ban Shan City...
It seemed these townsfolk understood that the Lord of Thunder didn’t like to be disturbed, so they placed down a dozen or so baskets, bowed a few times to the statue, and left.
“Lord of Thunder! Do you know whose things are in these baskets?”
After some time chatting, Xiao Qing seemed to understand that Zheng Fa wasn’t a harsh person, and she spoke more freely.
“I do.”
Zheng Fa generally didn’t concern himself with the affairs of Ban Shan City, but he couldn’t help but hear the thoughts of these people in the temple.
These items were, of course, the property of the Pīlì Jiào’s leader.
Only he could have scavenged such “great wealth” in Ban Shan City.
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