Early in the morning, Chen Shi woke up. His grandfather was in the kitchen cooking, his back turned to Chen Shi, but his sleeves were stained with blood. It was unclear what kind of meat he was chopping on the cutting board.
Chen Shi glanced over and thought to himself, "As long as it's not human meat, I can eat anything."
Outside, there was a noise. The villagers of Yellow Slope Village were gathering in front of the ancient tree to offer incense.
Chen Shi stepped outside and saw people holding incense sticks and carrying fruits, chickens, and ducks to the ancient tree in the village.
The ancient tree was old and gnarled, with roots protruding from the ground like a coiled dragon, and branches twisted like giant snakes. It wasn't lush with leaves, but it was covered with red strings tied to wooden plaques, each inscribed with the villagers' wishes.
This ancient tree in Yellow Slope Village had been there for countless years and was considered the godmother of most villagers. Every first day of the month, villagers would come to worship and make wishes, calling it the Moon Festival.
The Moon Festival lasted three days, the first day for worshipping the godmother, and the second and third days for the market.
The ancient tree was said to be spiritual, especially the one worshipped in Yellow Slope Village. It was believed to ward off evil spirits at night and protect the villagers, which is why the houses in the village were built around it.
If offerings were made, one could make wishes to the tree for marriage, children, wealth, finding lost items, or safety, and they would come true.
Sitting on the tree was a young girl, around sixteen, with a beautiful and dignified appearance, wearing a light green moonlight dress and a black top embroidered with red coins, her hair adorned with a lotus flower hairpin.
The girl was very quiet and never spoke.
The villagers couldn't see her, but Chen Shi could see her every time he stepped outside.
Whether it was windy or rainy, the girl always sat on the tree.
Once, the girl gave Chen Shi a bright red fruit, but his grandfather found out and told him to throw it away, saying it was poisonous.
"She's not your godmother; she's someone else's godmother. To her, you're an outsider in this village. If you die, everyone in the village becomes her godchild," his grandfather said.
"Little Shi, it's time to eat," his grandfather called from the courtyard.
Chen Shi responded and went to the dining table. The porridge on the table had rice and meat, with a greenish color and a strange smell.
There were also three dishes made with medicinal herbs and unknown meat, along with finger-sized worms and other things. The smell wasn't pleasant, and some worms were still alive and wriggling.
Chen Shi cautiously asked, "Grandfather, is this food or medicine?"
Without turning around, his grandfather said, "It's both. You're sick, so you need to eat it all."
Chen Shi hesitated and said, "Grandfather, I'm already better."
"No, you're not."
His grandfather, still with his back to him, said coldly, "Didn't you have another episode last night? You need to keep taking your medicine."
Chen Shi was startled, "But grandfather went out last night, how did he know I had another episode?"
Ignoring the taste of the food, he just stuffed it into his mouth.
Although his grandfather had his back turned, there was an extra eye on his shoulder at some point, with nerves like thin legs, watching him, supervising him as he ate.
Chen Shi hurriedly finished his food, feeling a burning sensation in his stomach, getting hotter and hotter, as if a fierce fire was burning his heart.
Every time he ate, it was like this, but this time the medicine seemed particularly strong, making him feel like his heart's blood was about to boil!
He quietly activated the Three Lights True Qi Technique, trying to guide the medicinal power into his limbs and body, which made him feel a bit better.
Chen Shi thought, "The Three Lights True Qi Technique is said to guide the Three Lights True Qi to refine the Sacred Fetus body. I don't have a Divine Fetus and can't gather magical power, but if I refine my body into a Sacred Fetus without refining magical power, wouldn't that work?"
With this thought, he removed the parts of the Three Lights True Qi Technique that involved refining True Qi, leaving only the body refining methods, and practiced them. It worked smoothly and even improved his body faster.
After eating, Chen Shi helped his grandfather prepare the cart, loading it with various daily necessities and food, tying them securely with ropes.
The cart had wooden wheels, and the hubs were engraved with many talisman scripts, specifically the Armored Horse Talisman, which could make the cart run faster.
His grandfather wore a bamboo hat, making it hard to see his face, and carefully traced the talisman scripts on the wheels with cinnabar, making them clearer.
The cinnabar wasn't ground with water but with black dog blood, giving off a strong smell. Chen Shi glanced at Heiguo, the black dog, which looked weak and listless, probably drained of blood by his grandfather.
While helping trace the talisman scripts, Chen Shi muttered to himself, "The blood from the neck of a black dog is the most effective, with the strongest yang energy, and it doesn't fade easily. You should cut the neck."
He was still holding a grudge against the dog for adding firewood.
Heiguo shivered and looked at him with a resentful gaze.
After preparing everything, the grandfather and grandson got on the wooden cart. The Armored Horse Talismans on the four wheels gradually lit up, and the wheels moved on their own, carrying them out of the village.
Heiguo trotted behind the cart.
His grandfather held a bronze compass, the needle slightly shaking. Whenever the needle changed direction, the cart would follow.
When they reached outside the village, Chen Shi jumped off the cart, took incense and paper money, and ran up the hill to the old tree outside the village.
His grandfather didn't stop or wait.
Chen Shi burned paper and offered incense to the stone godmother, presented fruits, bowed a few times, then offered incense to the scholar ghost hanging on the tree, and ran back to catch up with the cart.
Every first day of the month, the grandfather and grandson would go out.
On the first day of each month, every village had a Moon Festival, which was not only for worshipping the godmother but also a lively market where various goods could be bought.
Chen Shi sat on the wooden cart, continuing to practice the Three Lights True Qi Technique, with starlight falling and merging into his body.
His grandfather glanced at him and said, "You can take more medicine now."
Chen Shi almost choked at his words and quickly focused on his practice.
Strangely enough, after eating his grandfather's "food," he felt his practice of the Three Lights True Qi Technique had mysteriously sped up, his body becoming stronger, and his limbs and bones filled with power!
"Even without consuming Spirit-Infused Meat, I can enter the True King’s Tomb again and go further!" he thought to himself.
But it was still not enough.
His goal was to obtain the complete Three Lights True Qi Technique!
The wooden cart traveled over ten miles, reaching the neighboring Mountain Sun Village.
This village was built around an ancient pagoda, thirteen stories high, about seven or eight zhang tall, with old and simple bricks and stones, carved with patterns from an unknown era.
Chen Shi looked up and saw a handsome young monk sitting on the second floor of the pagoda, receiving incense and slowly turning his head to watch the grandfather and grandson's cart pass by.
This young monk was the godmother of Mountain Sun Village.
A godmother wasn't necessarily a tree; anything with extraordinary power could be worshipped by people, protecting a place, and becoming a godmother.
The true godmother of Mountain Sun Village was actually the ancient pagoda, and the young monk was just a manifestation of the extraordinary power formed by the villagers' worship.
"This monk isn't a good person either," Chen Shi thought.
The first time he came here, he recklessly entered the pagoda and was almost eaten by the young monk as a sacrifice.
He still remembered the moment the young monk's kind face turned into a ferocious giant Buddha, sending shivers down his spine.
The wooden cart stopped, and Chen Shi got off to help his grandfather set up their stall, displaying various talismans.
The grandfather and grandson mainly made a living by selling talismans, including the Thousand Mile Communication Talisman for contacting relatives far away, the Peachwood Talisman for warding off evil, the Armored Horse Talisman for faster travel, the Water Control Talisman for sailing, and the Rainmaker Talisman for praying for rain.
To draw talismans, one needed to cultivate a Divine Fetus and possess divine power, but such people were usually scholars holding official positions in the city and wouldn't come out to sell talismans.
"Old Chen, out selling talismans again?" someone who recognized them greeted.
"Yes."
"I heard you died? People from your village said you sleep in your coffin at night!"
"That's nonsense, don't spread rumors."
His grandfather chatted with familiar customers, and the talisman stall did well, quickly selling many talismans.
At that moment, two young girls walked over, laughing and dressed in their best clothes, exposing their slender, fair legs and arms, with light makeup, looking bright and sunny.
"Two Peachwood Talismans," one of the bolder girls said, handing over two pieces of silver, giggling.
Her hand brushed against Chen Shi's, soft and smooth, making his heart flutter.
Chen Shi quickly took out the Peachwood Talismans and handed them to her. The two girls walked away, laughing, and the bolder girl glanced back at Chen Shi twice, smiling each time.
Chen Shi's heart raced, and he quietly slipped a Peachwood Talisman into his sleeve.
"Take it out," his grandfather said without looking up.
"Take out what?" Chen Shi feigned ignorance.
"The Peachwood Talisman."
Chen Shi grumbled in frustration and reluctantly took out the Peachwood Talisman, protesting, "Grandfather, I'm not a kid anymore, I can use a Peachwood Talisman!"
His grandfather shook his head, "You're still young. I saw during your medicinal bath, you need to grow for two more years."
Chen Shi blushed.
"And you're still sick," his grandfather added.
Chen Shi obediently went back to practicing the Three Lights True Qi Technique, hoping to recover from his illness soon, but he still had one question, "Grandfather, what exactly is my illness?"
His grandfather didn't answer.
By noon, the grandfather and grandson had sold all their talismans, packed up the stall, and got back on the wooden cart, leaving Mountain Sun Village.
The cart moved smoothly, and Chen Shi casually ate some dry food, while his grandfather ate nothing, instead lighting a few sticks of incense and inhaling the aroma.
Seeing this, Chen Shi remained silent for a long time before saying, "Grandfather, will you become the village's godmother after you die? Then I can see you every day."
His grandfather was silent for a moment, perhaps feeling a bit emotional, and shook his head, "No. After I die, I'll probably be pulled away by the forces of the underworld and fall into the underworld."
Another silence followed.
"Grandfather, can you not die?"
Chen Shi looked down at the road ahead, which was becoming blurry, "I don't want grandfather to die."
After a long pause, his grandfather reached out with his rough hand and patted his head.
"Silly child, how can people not die?" his grandfather said with a smile.
For the first time in ten days, Chen Shi felt the warmth of a close elder again.
The wooden cart rolled on, and ahead stood a giant tree, but it was dead, its branches like sharp claws reaching for the sky.
Around the giant tree were a hundred or so houses, also in a circular arrangement, but no one lived in this village anymore.
The godmother of this village had died.
The day the giant tree died, the village lost its protection, was invaded by outside evil, and many people died.
As the cart passed by, Chen Shi saw shadows moving in the village, about a hundred people, smiling, dressed in their best clothes, with children playing and laughing.
They were also celebrating the Moon Festival.
But they had been dead for a long time.
"Why hasn't the power of the underworld pulled them into the underworld?" Chen Shi wondered.
His grandfather couldn't answer either.
The cart arrived at the next village, called Fragrant Field Village, where the Jade Belt River looped like a rope, and the village was built on the river bend, surrounded by lush grass and birds, making it very beautiful.
The godmother of Fragrant Field Village was an ancient tree, probably an elm, very sturdy, also tied with many red strings and wish plaques. Chen Shi looked up at the tree and didn't see any extraordinary power forming a tree spirit, which puzzled him.
When they reached the tree, he found a small temple beneath it, with incense smoke curling up in front of the divine altar, and a girl about his age sitting there, wearing a pink dress with two long ponytails, eating offerings and checking the villagers' wishes.
"So that's where she is," Chen Shi thought.
Just as the grandfather and grandson set up their talisman stall, a commotion arose, and the bustling market suddenly thinned out.
Women hugged their children and hurried home, while men quickly grabbed handy tools like axes and knives, tucking them in their belts. Those who were eating ran off in a rush, leaving the shopkeepers in tears.
"The Six Doors are here!" someone shouted.
The Six Doors referred to the county office. The main entrance of the county office usually had six doors, so those working there were nicknamed the Six Doors.
Chen Shi craned his neck and saw dozens of officers coming in a line, smashing stalls and shops along the way.
"By the laws of Great Ming, those who owe taxes and don't pay will be punished with a hundred strokes! You are all citizens of Great Ming, don't make it hard for us officers!"
The leading officer glanced around, opened a ledger, and shouted, "Liu Zexi, Liu Zexi! You've paid your land tax, but not your household tax or business tax! Come out!"
A man from Fragrant Field Village bravely said, "Officer, Liu Zexi is dead."
The officer pulled over a bench, sat down grandly, and asked in surprise, "Dead? When did he die?"
"The day after the officer came to collect taxes and didn't receive them, he died."
The man cautiously said, "He was found hanging from the godmother's tree, already stiff."
The officer hummed, his gaze like lightning, looking at the ancient tree in the center of Fragrant Field Village, and sneered, "Are you saying he offered himself as a sacrifice to your village's godmother? Liu Zexi, you offered yourself as a sacrifice and made a wish to your godmother, so... what exactly was your wish?"
--- Happy Dragon Boat Festival to all readers!
Thanks to Lord Zhu of the Broken Heavenly Lord for the silver reward, and to the alliance leaders Piaoyao Colonel, Yu_Du_Chen, Shen Dynasty_Qing'er, and Shen Dynasty_Junxun for their rewards. Also, thanks to Snow Willow for supporting the new book and giving "Journey to the Abyss" an alliance leader reward. If two updates a day during the new book period aren't enough, then I must recommend "Journey to the Abyss" now!