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Chapter 239: Do You Know the Deeds of the Heavenly Lord?

Two days later, the small track connecting Gao Family Village to Bai Family Fortress was finally completed. This miniature railway, if placed in the modern world, would stretch for a hundred meters—a considerable length indeed.

Li Daoxuan spent a significant amount of time constructing it. Along the way, many sections of the ground had to be leveled with metal scrapers, smoothing the path to minimize sharp turns and steep inclines on the track.

Passing through two deserted villages, Li Daoxuan deliberately set up two way-station train stops. Though currently uninhabited, those villages would eventually be settled. Then, experts would undoubtedly exclaim in amazement that people in this world were taking trains back to their home villages to farm, a leap even beyond driving cars back to the countryside.

The moment the small track reached Bai Family Fortress, Bai Yuan immediately rushed out, ecstatic. "The Heavenly Lord has bestowed a train upon Bai Family Fortress too? Excellent, ha ha ha! This time, the train driver must surely be me, right?"

As soon as the small train was placed on the track, Bai Yuan eagerly leaped onto the locomotive.

He alone drove the "test run" train, chugging from Bai Family Fortress to Gao Family Village and then whistling back again.

The forty-li journey, including stops at stations and travel time, took a full half-hour. After completing the test run, Bai Yuan realized he didn't have enough time to drive this small train every day.

He couldn't devote all his time to "Charioteering," one of the Six Arts; five other arts awaited his attention. With a sigh of resignation, he gave up, personally teaching two villagers from Bai Family Fortress how to operate the small train, and then relinquishing the driver's seat.

While Bai Family Fortress rejoiced at the arrival of the small train...

Mrs. San was solemnly lecturing her devotees on Daoist scriptures when a figure suddenly slipped through the side hall entrance—her husband, San Shier.

"Oh?"

Mrs. San gave a faint exclamation but otherwise showed no reaction, continuing her lecture with an unperturbed expression, though she did slightly pick up her pace.

Before long, the devotees finished listening to the scriptures and were sent on their way.

Only then did she quickly walk up to San Shier, asking joyfully, "Husband, what brings you to the county town?"

They hadn't seen each other in a while and shared a fondness for one another. San Shier held his wife's hand, chuckling softly. "I'm here by the Heavenly Lord's command to deliver a batch of books to the county, so I thought I'd come see my wife. Heh heh, after being apart for so long, shouldn't we have a reunion that's 'like a new wedding night'?"

Mrs. San scoffed, her gaze dropping to sweep over San Shier's crotch. "Are you... capable now?"

At that question, San Shier's face became awkward. "Well... *cough*... not yet..."

Mrs. San declared, "I figured! If you're not capable, then no amount of time apart will ever feel like a new wedding night."

San Shier flopped to the ground with a thud, unable to get back up.

Li Daoxuan, "observing" from the sky, couldn't help but feel utterly awkward upon hearing this. So that was it! No wonder, when the "Dao Xuan Tian Zun Cave" was first completed, San Shier had rushed to make such a wish. No wonder Mrs. San had been residing in the county town for so long, never returning to Gao Family Village to see her husband...

It all made sense!

So many details he had previously overlooked.

The poor fellow had long since ceased to be a man; he was a eunuch.

Tragic!

As a fellow man, Li Daoxuan felt a wave of profound sympathy.

Mrs. San said with a serious expression, "Stop wallowing. Haven't we long since moved past this? Let's discuss proper business. What are the Heavenly Lord's instructions?"

San Shier sprang up from the ground, his expression returning to normal. Right, he had indeed come to terms with this long ago. When chatting with his wife, he would even occasionally refer to himself as "Eunuch Thirty-Two," embracing self-deprecating humor and a magnanimous spirit.

He pulled a comic book from his sleeve and handed it to Mrs. San. "Take a look at this book," he said. "The Heavenly Lord instructed me to bring you three hundred copies. They're piled up outside, awaiting your arrangements."

Mrs. San took the book and glanced at it. It was titled "The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon-Slaying Saga," with a sacred image of the Heavenly Lord depicted on the side. She first performed a profound bow, then slowly opened the book to read.

After reading a bit, she was instantly overjoyed. "This... this... this is an excellent book!"

San Shier whispered, "The Heavenly Lord has given you over three hundred copies to arrange as you see fit. Additionally, another two thousand copies will be printed and delivered in a few days to the Chengcheng Bookstore. As you know, the Chengcheng Bookstore was actually acquired by Gao Family Village some time ago and is currently registered under Mr. Wang's name. Those two thousand copies will be sold there."

Mrs. San frowned. "Will they sell? It's a year of great calamity; the common people can barely feed themselves. You expect them to buy books?"

San Shier chuckled. "How could the Heavenly Lord not have thought of this? He already gave instructions: 'Buy one book, get two taels of flour free.'"

Mrs. San was speechless.

At this, Mrs. San finally understood completely.

"Since the Heavenly Lord has arranged this, it means he intends to extend his divine grace throughout the county town." Mrs. San's mind worked quickly. "The Heavenly Lord is benevolent; he doesn't wish to manifest directly and frighten the common people. Therefore, he first wants us to spread his deeds and proclaim his name. Once the county residents know his divine title, he will then display his miraculous powers without alarming anyone."

San Shier nodded. "Precisely, I thought the same."

Mrs. San said, "I understand. Where are those three hundred books? I'll begin arrangements immediately."

San Shier led her out, into the adjacent reception room. Three hundred books lay piled high on the floor. Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu stood beside the stacks, grinning bashfully at Mrs. San.

Mrs. San gestured to the two men, and they moved all the comic books into the room where she was staying.

Half an hour later.

A ragged pauper arrived, kneeling before Mrs. San, sobbing as he recounted how his son had been suffering from a high fever for two days with no improvement, begging for "immortal medicine" and such.

As was her custom, Mrs. San bestowed the immortal medicine, then suddenly asked, "Do you know which deity granted you this immortal medicine?"

The pauper quickly kowtowed. "I know, humble one knows. It is Dao Xuan Tian Zun."

Mrs. San pressed on, "Then do you know what demons the venerable Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan has subdued, or what monsters he has vanquished?"

The pauper's face was blank; he truly didn't know.

If asked about the Grand Pure One, the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, or the True Person Puxian, he could speak a bit, but Dao Xuan Tian Zun was... *cough*... truly obscure. Far too obscure.

Mrs. San huffed, "Your heart is not sincere. Even if you take this immortal medicine back, it won't cure your son's illness."

The pauper was so frightened by her words that he nearly lost half his soul. He urgently stammered, "My heart is sincere, truly sincere! It's just that I am ignorant and unaware of the Heavenly Lord's deeds. It is my fault, and I will diligently study the scriptures and commit the Heavenly Lord's affairs to memory!" Seeing that the groundwork was laid, Mrs. San swiftly pulled a book from her sleeve and handed it to the pauper. "This is 'The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon-Slaying Saga.' Take it home and study it carefully, and you will learn of the Heavenly Lord's deeds."