Chapter 823: The Earth God Temple
Chapter 823: The Earth God Temple
Several years later.
A carriage was traveling along the official road.
After the Dao Court unified the world, they renovated the original official roads and post stations. . . ensuring that there was a station every fifty li, where officials could rest and transmit official documents.
In front of the carriage, in the driver's seat, sat Gan Yu.
His eyes were lifeless as he stared blankly ahead, yet there was a hint of caution in his demeanor.
After all, inside the carriage sat an unparalleled Demon King!
His journey to the capital this time was entirely against his will; his entire family was held hostage by a great demon, leaving him no choice but to go.
Recalling these circumstances, Gan Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Not only did he ‘luckily’ survive the pursuit of the Death Sword Immortal, but he also rallied scattered soldiers and ambushed a rebel logistics team, earning a minor merit.
The subsequent few times, luck had been just right, allowing him to accumulate some military achievements.
Gan Yu naturally understood what was going on in his heart.
Furthermore, Fang Xi had taken out a large amount of gold and silver from the Dragon Palace, entrusting Gan Yu to handle the arrangements.
After a series of maneuvers, during the last military commendation for meritorious service, he was also deemed to have some minor achievements, was promoted by one rank and two levels, and recalled to the Ministry of War for reporting.
Thinking of the various envious and jealous expressions of his colleagues, Gan Yu could only offer a bitter smile.
He naturally knew that being recalled to the Ministry of War for reporting meant escaping the mire of Zhu Province; let alone a promotion, those colleagues would probably even be willing to take a demotion.
Now, seeing him escape a dead end, for them to merely be envious and jealous was already a great display of restraint.
‘It’s just. . . back then, I diligently served and pledged loyalty to the Dao Court, yet I was summoned by an imperial decree to my death. . . Now, secretly acting as a rebel, I’m actually getting promoted and rich, with an ever-smooth career path. . . ’
Gan Yu sighed.
“Young Gan, why the sigh? ”
The carriage curtain was pulled open, and a middle-aged man in black appeared, sneering.
“I merely lament that this Dao Court. . . has gradually become like the previous dynasty after all. ”
Gan Yu voiced his reflections.
Fang Xi, however, shook his head: “Even the previous dynasty ultimately perished, did it not? From this, it's clear that the Divine Dao’s rule over mortals always has its vulnerabilities. . . Young Gan, you’ve read many books, do you know why the previous dynasty fell? ”
This was actually a doubt in Fang Xi’s heart; after all, with the power of the Divine Dao, it seemed unlikely to ever fall to such a state.
Having become the Black Cloud Mountain God, he had indeed heard some rumors.
Although this matter was considered taboo by the Dao Court, there were always some unofficial rumors circulating among the higher echelons.
Bringing it up now was merely to test Gan Yu’s sentiments.
“This junior has heard. . . ”
A trace of bewildered doubt appeared on Gan Yu’s face: “It seems it suffered. . . a Heavenly Scourge? ”
“Heavenly Scourge? ”
Fang Xi chuckled: “How could that be? A Divine Dao dynasty takes it upon itself to protect its territory and people, so it wouldn’t reach such a state of heavenly wrath and popular resentment, and even if it did. . . it wouldn’t suffer a Heavenly Scourge. . . The will of Heaven has always been profound and difficult to question, so how could it deliberately manifest itself, let alone send down punishment? ”
“This junior also thought so, but it is said that the previous dynasty suffered a Heavenly Scourge at the height of its prosperity. . . Originally, according to the various Qi Observers who examined the imperial fortunes, they believed the previous dynasty could last at least another ten thousand years, but it suddenly collapsed. . . Aside from a Heavenly Scourge, there was no other possibility. ”
Gan Yu shook his head and said.
“The Heavenly Court governs the world, the Dao Court governs mortals. . . ”
Fang Xi stroked his chin: “It seems, then, that after eliminating many possibilities, the only impossible one turns out to be the reasonable explanation? ”
......
The Capital.
The city walls soared high, block after block of green bricks enduring through time, exuding a faint aura of incense.
At the four gates, eight bridges, and various docks, people and goods flowed like several long dragons, all converging towards the city.
“The capital is at the Son of Heaven’s feet, the foremost land of benevolence. . . Mules, horses, and other livestock are not allowed into the capital unless specially permitted; they are all arranged in the ‘Livestock Market’ outside the city. . . Within the market, there are also special deities patrolling, so basically, nothing goes wrong. ”
Outside the Livestock Market, a fresh scent of animal dung and urine assailed them.
Gan Yu’s face was somewhat awkward as he recounted his experiences from when he previously came to the capital to take the imperial examinations.
“In this Livestock Market, is the ‘Horse King God’ enshrined? ”
Fang Xi’s eyes flashed, and he smiled.
The Horse King God was a deity specially appointed by the Dao Court to manage large livestock; he could ensure livestock didn't get sick and that the six domestic animals flourished. Among mortals, his incense offerings were plentiful. Despite the seemingly lowly divine duties he oversaw, he still held a fourth-rank official position.
He had Gan Yu deposit the carriage and, with him, took a carriage from the ‘Zhao Family Carriage Service’, which had special permission to enter the capital.
As soon as he entered the ‘Heavenly Martial Gate’, Fang Xi felt a suppressing force lingering around him.
He instantly knew he had entered a powerful ‘Divine Realm’! His eyes flashed with brilliance, and he saw above the capital, golden-yellow fortune dense like clouds, converging towards the Imperial Palace along the central axis.
At the end of the Heavenly Street, he could faintly discern a golden-blue True Dragon, its purple eyes seemingly in a feigned slumber.
Fang Xi immediately closed his Spirit Eyes, refraining from provoking the Dao Court’s Imperial Fortune True Dragon.
“The Son of Heaven holds a Heavenly Peerage, equivalent to a Return to Void cultivator! ”
“Adding this Imperial Fortune True Dragon, that’s another Return to Void being. . . plus the geographical advantage of the Divine Realm. . . ”
“Even an ordinary late-stage Return to Void cultivator would likely be no match for the Son of Heaven within the capital. ”
A judgment formed in his mind, and then he sent Gan Yu to the Ministry of War.
He himself alighted from the carriage and began to tour the capital alone.
“Gan Yu is an imperial official; having been summoned by imperial decree to report back to the capital, he carries the aura of a royal command. . . this is key to bypassing the Divine Realm’s restrictions. ”
“Of course, no matter how clever the deception. . . there will always be a time when it’s exposed. ”
Fang Xi, in his black robe, strolled casually through the capital like an outsider.
This capital, as the center of the Dao Court, boasted an extremely bustling market and a ceaseless flow of people, which went without saying.
More importantly, it presented the peculiar sight of temples visible every few steps.
“The Capital City God Temple! ”
Fang Xi saw a City God Temple, and in its large plaza, a market had opened with many stalls, bustling with activity at that moment.
It was said that there was no curfew in the evening, but instead lantern performances, truly a unique sight in the capital.
He strolled leisurely, following a subtle intuition, and stopped before a temple.
This temple was not large, possessing only a few rooms front and back; it was immeasurably smaller than the Capital City God Temple, and its incense offerings were pitifully few.
The gilded plaque was already mottled, and the incense sticks in the earthen censer in front had long since burned out. . .
It looked like a desolate, pathetic, and dilapidated scene, as if swept by autumn winds.
“Earth God Temple? ”
Fang Xi looked up at the plaque, feeling speechless: “Three lives of misfortune, to be a county magistrate attached to the city; three lives of wickedness, to be attached to the provincial capital; full of evil, to be attached to the imperial capital. . . This Earth God truly has it rough! ”
Most Earth Gods could only govern a single village’s territory; in the capital, that meant just one street.
With the magnificent Capital City God Temple as a precedent, it was indeed difficult for a small Earth God Temple to attract many incense offerings or followers.
Though dilapidated, its survival to this day was already quite remarkable.
“The entanglement of karma. . . is right here? ”
Fang Xi glanced at the Earth God Temple but did not enter, instead departing with his usual steps.
His Divine Consciousness had already swept through this Earth God Temple. Inside the shrine, the Earth God was not depicted as a typical white-bearded old man, but rather as a handsome young boy.
Moreover, the statue seemed to have been renovated, and beside it was an empty shrine where the statue had been destroyed. Faintly, a corner of a skirt could be seen, suggesting that a goddess had originally been enshrined there.
However. . . other than that, there was nothing unusual.
......
Ministry of War.
Gan Yu entered, submitted his documents as per custom, and then prepared to return to the inn to await his summons.
Given the Ministry of War’s busyness, for him, a mere seventh-rank petty official, to receive a reply within half a month would be cause for immense gratitude.
But this time, it was somewhat different.
“Your name is Gan Yu? Hmm. . . the former Loyal and Brave Captain of Zhu Province? ”
Before he had even exited the Ministry of War’s main gate, a junior clerk hurried over.
“That would be this humble official! ”
Gan Yu’s attitude was excellent; after all, he was a clerk from the Ministry of War, not someone to offend lightly.
What's more. . . even though their official rank might seem low, their Daoist title could very well be sixth or seventh rank, and they might even be his senior from the imperial examinations! After all, the Dao Court had many redundant officials, and high-ranking titles with low-ranking positions were common.
Furthermore, many people would fight tooth and nail for a post in the Ministry of War, even if it was just as a clerk.
“Tsk tsk. . . ”
The clerk looked Gan Yu up and down, cupped his hands, and chuckled: “A Ministry of War director wishes to see you. . . ”
The Ministry of War had one Minister, two Vice-Ministers, and below them, four Directors.
Any one of them was a major figure who could determine Gan Yu’s future.
Gan Yu naturally dared not slight them and quickly said: “Please lead the way. ”
He followed the clerk through several long corridors. The surroundings suddenly became quiet.
“This is it. ”
The clerk brought Gan Yu before a large hall, cupped his hands, and took his leave.
Gan Yu hesitated for a moment, then entered the hall, bowing his head: “This humble official, Gan Yu, pays respects to the Director. . . Hmm? ”
A glance from the corner of his eye revealed no officials, startling him.
He raised his gaze, only to see that the main seat, draped with a white tiger pelt, was also empty.
Only on the background wall above the seat hung a scroll painting.
Within the painting, clearly depicted, was a martial official with a majestic countenance!
“Gan Yu! ”
The martial official roared, and Gan Yu felt his liver and guts rupture; a tremendous force surged from within his Daoist title, causing him to instantly collapse to the ground.
Subsequently, his mind became chaotic, unsure of where he was.
Within the mural, the martial official’s head stretched forward, actually passing directly through the paper and into the hall, revealing him to be a deity of the third rank or higher.
He gazed at Gan Yu for a moment, then surprisingly lunged towards him.
Gan Yu’s entire body convulsed, his brows furrowed with pain, seemingly resisting instinctively.
At that moment, a dragon’s roar echoed from the void.
An imperial decree faintly unfurled in mid-air.
The painful expression on Gan Yu’s face rapidly receded. He flipped over and stood up, first touching his body, then saying: “Excellent. . . The Ministry of War is a vital and confidential place of the Dao Court, with strict Daoist laws, and an imperial decree was issued beforehand to seal it, making it difficult for that Outer World Evil God to detect any anomaly. . . ”
“The Son of Heaven had long sensed the invasion of the Outer World Evil God, but found it difficult to restrain. . . ”
“Now that it has infiltrated the capital, it has sought its own demise. . . ”
“I must carry out this task well. ”
‘Gan Yu’ closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his demeanor and aura were identical to the previous Gan Yu.
He kowtowed towards the Imperial Palace, then stood up and left the Ministry of War without looking back. . .
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