Chapter 340: Praying to Dao Xuan Tian Zun for Rain
Just as Padi Tu and Zheng Gouzi escorted grain into Heyang County...
Ma Tianzheng, clad in a fresh Daoist robe and with a gleaming Qingfeng Sword strapped to his back, stood in the center of Yang Village.
To the west of Yang Village lay rolling hills, stretching all the way to Zheng Family Village in Chengcheng County. East of Yang Village, however, stretched a vast, flat expanse.
This rare, fertile mountain plain was the primary grain-producing region for the entire Heyang County.
Yet, after four years of relentless drought, this plain had become nothing more than....
Heyang County Magistrate Feng Jun, accompanied by his county assistant and registrar, stood beside Ma Tianzheng, explaining, "The most vital grain-producing area in our Heyang County is this mountain plain before us. It stretches approximately thirty *li* from north to south, from Heyang County city to Xiniu Village, and fifteen *li* from west to east, from Yang Village to Mengzhuang Fortress Village... If only this plain receives rain, all the common folk in Heyang County would have enough to eat."
As Feng Jun spoke, Li Daoxuan was making his own calculations.
After a recent "Field of View Expansion," his diorama box now encompassed a 1000x600 meter area. To bring rain to this entire vital grain region of Heyang County, it would require at least thirty separate applications.
A bit of a hassle!
He had anticipated such developments when the box was expanded, so he had long prepared extra medical nebulizers. This time, he decided to deploy four of them.
The first would be fitted with a blue nozzle, the second a red, the third a yellow, and the fourth a green....
Ma Tianzheng saw a low cloud drifting overhead and knew that the Heavenly Lord was watching. His heart felt utterly secure; there wasn't a hint of panic. He'd managed to bluff people even when unsure if immortals existed, let alone now that their presence was confirmed.
He flicked the whisk in his hand, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes, assuming a pose of "communing with unseen forces." After a long moment, he lowered his head, opened his eyes, and declared with a leisurely air, "This humble Daoist has just sensed the spiritual energy of this land, and I find this a place blessed with remarkable spirits and exceptional people, truly an excellent spot. Moreover, with great wickedness now purged, the heavens and earth are clear. This very moment is the perfect time to pray for rain."
The officials didn't believe a word of it, but their yamen runners and the curious onlookers who had gathered rejoiced at Ma Tianzheng's words, exclaiming, "Truly?
Ma Tianzheng asserted, "Truly! What benefit would this humble Daoist gain from deceiving you?"
He feigned a calculation with his fingers. "Previously, wicked individuals like Fan Shan Yao caused heavenly wrath and human resentment in Heyang County. Since the 'heavens were angered,' it naturally wouldn't rain. Now that Fan Shan Yao is dead and no more villains lurk here, this humble Daoist will perform a ritual, informing the Heavenly Lord that the evil has been expunged from this land. Then, the Heavenly Lord will invite the Dragon King to send down rain."
The officials still didn't believe a single word, but the common folk below rejoiced once more, crying, "Then please, Daoist priest, quickly begin your ritual!"
Feng Jun watched the common folk, easily swayed and eager, and thought to himself, *This Daoist may not be able to summon rain, but he's certainly good at placating these people. Once he's said all this, who would dare emulate Fan Shan Yao and rebel again? Heh heh! Not bad, not bad! Inviting this Daoist was the right move.*
Ma Tianzheng chose the village's threshing ground, set up a table in the center, then opened the parcel he carried. From it, he reverently produced a small statue, several dozen centimeters tall, placing it in the middle of the table.
That statue was, of course, Li Daoxuan's own image—unchangingly 32% more handsome and 3200% more imposing than his actual self.
The moment he set the statue down, the onlookers were baffled. "Who's this?" they whispered.
"Not the Grand Pure One or the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning."
"Nor the True Person Cihang!"
"Never seen an immortal like this before."
Ma Tianzheng boomed, "Hush! This is Dao Xuan Tian Zun! You mortals, unfamiliar with true immortals, must not be disrespectful."
Hushed by his reprimand, the onlookers dared not chatter further. They thought, *The Daoist priest said this is Dao Xuan Tian Zun, and he surely knows more immortals than we do. We should just listen quietly.*
Ma Tianzheng carefully arranged the statue, then respectfully performed several bows. The men dispatched by Feng Jun immediately brought forth the offerings.
In a year of great calamity, finding suitable offerings was no easy feat. It was Squire Zhang from Xiazhuang who had provided a large rooster.
Squire Zhang, the local militia instructor from Xiazhuang, now stood squeezed in the crowd, observing the spectacle with a cool detachment. He, too, doubted a Daoist could summon rain, but his principle was clear: "One might not believe in gods and Buddhas, but one must never disrespect them."
*I don't believe a word this charlatan says,* he mused, *but I can still provide an offering. A single chicken isn't beyond my means.*
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ma Tianzheng produced a yellow talisman paper, scribbling and sketching upon it. In moments, he had created a talisman that was utterly unfamiliar to the onlookers, to Ma Tianzheng himself, and even to Dao Xuan Tian Zun....
Picking it up with the tip of his sword, he set it ablaze.
With a "whoosh," the talisman paper instantly vanished in flames, burning away with startling speed.
Li Daoxuan could tell at a glance that Ma Tianzheng had coated the paper with special chemicals to make it burn so rapidly, but the common folk were oblivious. Immediately, shouts arose: "Wonderful!
"The Daoist priest truly has magical power!"
Ma Tianzheng began to dance with his sword, a three-foot Qingfeng blade swirling like a blossoming flower. Chanting incantations, he suddenly thrust his sword, piercing another talisman paper. "This talisman," he declared loudly, "contains the sins of Fan Shan Yao!"
He took out a gourd, took a swig of "wine," and sprayed it onto the talisman paper.
Suddenly, a "little red figure" materialized on the talisman.
The onlookers gasped in astonishment. "Oh! It's true, there's a little red figure on the paper!"
"Is that Fan Shan Yao's ghost?"
"He's been trapped in the talisman!"
Ma Tianzheng swung his sword, severing the talisman paper in two, and the little red figure on it was also cut in half.
The onlookers roared, "Excellent!
"He's slain Fan Shan Yao's ghost!"
"May that villain never find peace in the afterlife!"
"Hey, brother, 'rebirth' sounds more like a Buddhist thing, but this is a Daoist priest."
"Fool, Daoism also has the 'Rebirth Mantra,' so they can grant rebirth too!"
After dispatching "Fan Shan Yao's ghost," Ma Tianzheng raised his head and loudly recited an official proclamation to the sky. The decree was long and tedious, but after listening for a while, the crowd finally grasped its gist: "This humble Daoist has eliminated the villain Fan Shan Yao. Heyang County is now free of evil-doers; all who remain are virtuous citizens. We implore Dao Xuan Tian Zun to grant your divine grace and protect these good people."
Ma Tianzheng fell to his knees with a thud, holding an incense stick in both hands, and pressed his forehead to the ground. "I pray to Dao Xuan Tian Zun for the gift of rain!"
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