Chapter 555: Jiwang Arrives
Shi Jian had temporarily settled into Qin Changqing's guest room.
The night was deep, and a profound stillness had fallen, broken only by the soft patter of raindrops against the ground.
Suddenly, Shi Jian shot upright from his bed.
He threw on his clothes, slipped out the door, scaled the perimeter wall, and dropped silently from Qin Changqing's official residence.
Crouching low, he jogged swiftly to Jiwang Temple. By now, the temple was deserted; all the common folk had returned home to rest, and even the temple's Daoist priests were asleep.
Jiwang Temple was hardly a military stronghold, so no one patrolled it at night. Only a single, ever-burning oil lamp flickered before Jiwang's statue.
Using the faint glow of the oil lamp, Shi Jian retrieved a thin, yellow silk cloth from his sleeve. He had secretly arranged for his subordinates to procure it earlier in the day, and words were already inscribed upon it.
He hung this silk cloth from the roof beam directly in front of Jiwang's statue, letting it unfurl downwards.
There, a long line of characters declared: "The Magistrate of Jiangzhou, cruel in office, ruthless in tax collection, an affront to heaven and earth."
The very next morning, as Shi Jian awoke, he sensed an unusual buzz in Jiangzhou. A lively commotion filled the air outside.
He headed into the streets, straining his ears to listen, and heard people everywhere discussing: “Have you heard? A strange silk cloth appeared in Jiwang Temple, with the words 'The Magistrate of Jiangzhou, cruel in office, ruthless in tax collection, an affront to heaven and earth' written on it.”
“Of course, I’ve heard! Tsk tsk! I wonder which brave hero did such a good deed.”
“A hero is brave, but it's dangerous! That Qin Changqing is a ruthless man; last time, he publicly had several people who refused to pay taxes beaten to death with a staff... This time, I fear...”
“Hmph! I doubt he’d dare to act this time,” a commoner whispered. “Those words appeared in Jiwang Temple, not just any ordinary place.”
“What’s so special about appearing in Jiwang Temple?”
“That silk cloth is hanging right in front of Jiwang’s statue, you see,” the commoner murmured. “In our Jiangzhou, which audacious soul would dare to cause trouble in Jiwang Temple? Hanging a message there without permission is an act of sacrilege. Do you have that kind of nerve?”
“That... that, I certainly would not dare.”
“Exactly! Since no one would dare to hang a message there, where did that silk cloth come from?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a divine decree bestowed by Jiwang himself!”
“Only Jiwang, the Venerable Elder, would dare to hang a message within his own sacred domain.”
As the commoners spread this, things became quite interesting.
Rumors among the people always grew more fantastical with each telling. After circulating through the streets twice, the story had already transformed.
“Last night, in the dead of night, Jiwang, the Venerable Elder, came to life and personally hung that message!”
“It’s true! Daoist Zheng got up to relieve himself in the middle of the night and personally witnessed Jiwang’s divine manifestation, writing and hanging the message!”
“Jiwang has long been displeased with this corrupt official. Look, it’s been raining for days—that’s Jiwang preparing to deal with Qin Changqing.”
Hearing these discussions, Shi Jian couldn’t help but secretly chuckle.
The Heavenly Lord, observing through the small avatar Shi Jian wore, chuckled wryly. "The knack for gossip among my people hasn’t changed in millennia," he mused. "After one round, it’s fine; after two, it’s distorted; and after three, it’s completely detached from the truth."
However, Qin Changqing wouldn't have time for this rumor to spread a third round.
Soon after, Qin Changqing, accompanied by a large group of yamen runners, stormed out of his office and marched to Jiwang Temple, where he stood before the silk cloth.
“Tear that thing down for this official!” Qin Changqing roared, incensed.
The yamen runner beside him was clearly nervous. “Magistrate, this... this is Jiwang Temple, after all. This humble one dare not act recklessly here.”
Qin Changqing bristled. “What about Jiwang Temple? Does being in Jiwang Temple mean you can commit insubordination against your superior?”
Ming Dynasty officials were rotated every three years, so local magistrates were often appointed from other regions. Qin Changqing, being an outsider, felt no reverence for Jiwang whatsoever.
But the yamen runners were locals, raised from childhood in the pervasive faith of Jiwang. How could they possibly dare to desecrate the message hanging before Jiwang’s statue?
The yamen runner trembled. “Magistrate, perhaps we should investigate first before...”
Furious, Qin Changqing kicked the yamen runner aside and, acting himself, grabbed the silk cloth and ripped it with all his might.
Riiiiip!
The silk cloth was torn to shreds.
The Heavenly Lord, observing through the small avatar Shi Jian wore, chuckled wryly. “Alright, I’m about to make my move. Shi Jian, look after the common folk.”
Shi Jian didn't yet understand what the Heavenly Lord intended to do, but no matter what it was, he had only one reply: “As you command!”
The Heavenly Lord’s presence instantly receded into silence...
Meanwhile, Qin Changqing was still fuming. With a kick, he overturned a sacrificial table in the temple; with another, he sent a prayer mat flying, ranting furiously: “Which scoundrel dared to hang that thing in Jiwang Temple? If this official catches you, I’ll chop off your dog’s head!”
He shredded the silk cloth in his hands into strips and then strode out of Jiwang Temple.
It was at this exact moment...
A commoner suddenly pointed a trembling finger at the sky and gasped, “Look, look! Oh... oh my gods... Jiwang has arrived! Jiwang himself has descended!”
That single exclamation sent a jolt of terror through everyone present.
Most didn’t quite believe it, yet they couldn't help but crane their necks to gaze up at the sky.
A light rain drifted down from the heavens, and looking up, raindrops kissed their faces.
The crowd beheld a colossal, towering divine figure slowly descending from the sky. Every local recognized the face of this immense deity at a glance: it was... Jiwang!
“Jiwang!”
“Jiwang has come!”
“Wow, he’s enormous! Jiwang is so massive!”
The gigantic Jiwang descended from the heavens and, with a thunderous impact, stood directly before Qin Changqing.
Qin Changqing was utterly paralyzed. He craned his neck to look up, seeing the eight-meter-tall Jiwang towering over him, making him feel incredibly insignificant.
Qin Changqing: “!!!”
The colossal Jiwang moved. In a swift, sweeping motion, its eyes locked onto Qin Changqing.
Qin Changqing: “Aaaah!”
He stumbled back several steps, then fell backward onto his backside, scrambling away with hands and feet, his face etched with pure terror. “What is happening? What in the world is this?!”
He was scared witless, but the local commoners were entirely unafraid; they cheered in unison: “Jiwang! Jiwang! Jiwang!”
Many people dropped to their knees, one after another. In an instant, the entire city fell so silent that a pin drop could be heard.
Jiwang spoke: “Qin Changqing, do you confess your sins?”
This particular 'Divine Avatar,' perhaps due to its immense size within the diorama box, spoke with a heavy, reverberating echo, its words drawn out slowly and majestically—truly embodying the presence of a colossal deity.
Qin Changqing stammered, “This official... this... I... I... no... I haven’t...”
Jiwang scoffed angrily, “Silence. I have no patience for your excuses.”
With that, his colossal hand swept down and seized Qin Changqing, lifting him, crushed within its grasp, high into the air.
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