Chapter 579: The Capricious Myna |
Publish Time: 2026-06-15 18:26:27
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Ground Rabbit had been acting arrogantly just moments before, but upon noticing the Deity’s presence, he toned it down a bit. He lowered his voice, “Oh dear, the Deity saw me blindly showing off just now.”
Zheng Gouzi chuckled, “It’s not the first time the Deity has seen you pulling that nonsense, yet the great Deity hasn’t punished you. Otherwise, that rabbit head of yours would have been pickled for wine already.”
Ground Rabbit pondered it—that certainly was true!
The Deity truly was remarkably tolerant toward a mischievous fellow like him.
Zheng Gouzi whispered, “Have you noticed that this statue of the Deity accompanying us seems different from the usual ones? This is… that special statue of the Deity, isn’t it?”
Zheng Gouzi: “Is it called Test-1?”
Ground Rabbit: “What does ‘Test’ mean?”
Zheng Gouzi: “I don’t know either. The Deity named the model.”
The two had not been mistaken; the body Li Daoxuan was using this time was unlike any before.
It represented the pinnacle of Gaojia Village’s craftsmanship, its full name being “Steel-Boned Silicone Deity Test-01.” Inside was a steel skeleton—sturdy, rigid, with flexible, rotating joints and hands capable of grasping.
After the skeleton was complete, engineers enveloped it with silicone material to form the body. Every part of the body was meticulously sculpted by artisans to resemble a real human as closely as possible.
The only regret was the smooth, flat structure below the abdomen. Ahem, it lacked that feature. The sculptor truly didn’t dare carve it—carving it too small would disrespect the Deity; carving it too big would also disrespect the Deity. It was best left untouched.
The clothes this time weren’t carved onto the body either; they required separate dressing. Thus, Li Daoxuan, the flashy Deity, naturally intended to dress to impress.
He clothed Test-01 in the splendid attire reminiscent of young masters from wealthy families in ancient royal court dramas, creating quite a looker. In the right hand was a folding fan; the left hand carried a birdcage, inside which was a myna raised by Thirty-Two.
Li Daoxuan wanted to play the role of a young master from a wealthy family and had borrowed the myna for the part.
By now, the gates of Xi’an were in sight. Shi Kefa stood at the gates to welcome them. Naturally, the city guards didn’t inspect their group, simply opening the gates for their passage.
Dozens of carts loaded with fertilizer slowly entered Xi’an city.
At a distant street corner, someone affiliated with Qin King Mansion peeked from behind a building. Giving a meaningful glance to two idlers beside him, the two melted into the crowd and edged closer.
Shi Kefa had originally come to welcome Ground Rabbit and the others, but instead, he welcomed a young master from a wealthy family. He looked left and right, finding the figure oddly familiar.
He had seen the silicone version of Dao Xuan Deity by the Yellow River and had also met the Deity during his visit to Gaojia Village, but hadn’t seen much of him since. Moreover, this Deity wasn’t clad in Taoist robes but in the clothes of a young master, making recognition even harder.
He couldn’t help but be slightly stunned, “Who might this be?”
Li Daoxuan snickered, “I am the current head of the Li family, Li Daoxuan. By pure coincidence, I share the name with an ancestor from the Tang Dynasty, hehehe.”
At these words, Shi Kefa was genuinely startled. The entire Gaojia Village belonged to the man before him. He truly was an unbelievably wealthy, immensely powerful super magnate.
Shi Kefa clasped his fists in salute, “I never imagined the head of the Li family would be so young.”
Li Daoxuan: “Isn’t my wife very young? It’s hardly surprising I’m young too, is it?”
Shi Kefa thought carefully—indeed she was! Gao Yiye was barely over twenty. She wasn’t a concubine, but the principal wife, who typically wouldn’t be that much younger than her husband—only concubines might be decades younger. Thus, a young head of the Li family was indeed not strange.
Shi Kefa: “Master Li, are you visiting Xi’an this time to perhaps…”
“Of course, to lend you my strength,” Li Daoxuan laughed. “The fertilizer matter concerns people’s livelihoods, concerning the well-being of all commoners in Shaanxi. We can’t let Qin King Mansion act recklessly. I’m here to lend some presence.”
Shi Kefa thought privately: The Li family attaches so much importance they’ve sent their patriarch himself? This man is incredibly powerful, influential in both open and underground circles. He undoubtedly has Dao Xuan Deity backing him too. It seems Administrator Wu and I have gained strong reinforcements this time.
He lowered his voice, “As for that heir of Qin King…”
Before he could finish, the myna in the birdcage Li Daoxuan carried chirped, “Can’t get it up!”
Shi Kefa: “!!!”
Li Daoxuan: “Ah, apologies, apologies! This myna’s owner isn’t exactly proper; it’s picked up some rather improper phrases.”
Shi KeFa wasn’t in the mood to criticize a myna and brushed the matter aside. “Originally, the Qin heir wasn’t aware of this situation—it was only the subordinates acting out of turn. But after Lord Wu and I impeached him, he has now learned of it. He has already declared he will cover up for his subordinates and confront us to the bitter end.”
Li Daoxuan: “Oh? So audacious?”
Shi Kefa sighed, “He holds a grudge against us civil officials.”
Li Daoxuan was puzzled: “Why?”
Shi Kefa: “After the previous Qin King passed, a new Qin King should have been officially enfeoffed immediately. But everyone knew that once a new Qin King was enfeoffed, the Emperor would seize the chance to grant Qin King Mansion a large amount of possessions, including farmland. Most farmland surrounding Xi’an Prefecture already belongs to Qin King Mansion. If Qin King Mansion were granted even more land, how could it be sustainable? Therefore, all civil officials submitted memorials opposing it, locking horns with the Emperor, repeatedly delaying Qin King’s official enfeoffment.”
Li Daoxuan merely scoffed, disinclined to comment.
Shi Kefa: “So the Qin heir remained merely the Qin heir, his enfeoffment stalled indefinitely. He feels the court owes him his title and his land grant. Therefore, taking a little fertilizer is only natural. The fertilizer increasing his current farmland’s yield is equivalent to gaining more enfeoffed land, making more…”
The myna chimed in, “What’s the point of earning so much money? Can’t get it up! Not even able to touch women!”
Shi Kefa’s sweat streamed down in droplets. “Master Li, this myna of yours…”
Li Daoxuan: “Quite adorable, isn’t it?” He lowered his head, smiling at the myna, “Good bird, quite the talker. Extra meat for you tonight.”
Shi Kefa thought: It doesn’t even eat meat! Ah, wait! It eats bugs, which is sort of meat. Wait again! What exactly am I thinking? This myna has completely derailed my thoughts. Aaaargh!
The two walked through the streets and alleyways, finally arriving before the government-run fertilizer store.
The storefront, having been vandalized and ransacked by Qin King Mansion personnel days prior, looked rather pitiable now. Door panels lay askew to the side; inside, tables and chairs were completely smashed.
Shi Kefa said, “Master Li, shall I hand over this place to you?”
Li Daoxuan smiled, “No problem. I’ll zhao it now.” (Zhao: watch over, handle; slang implying control/management, often shaded by underworld/improper connotations).
Shi Kefa pondered internally: A word like “zhao” slipping from his mouth? I knew you weren’t on the straight and narrow!
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