Chapter 20 The Ups and Downs of a Turbulent World, The Play of Immortality 6 This world is still a fool's world...

Yun Chuan Ming Shan Fang was still bustling with people. Zhou Fubai walked through the corridor, took out the wooden plaques from the storeroom, and instructed the shop assistants to distribute them as needed. He then rolled up his sleeves and looked into the courtyard.

The plum tree was covered with wishing plaques. Two sisters ran hand in hand to the tree. The older sister picked up her younger sister and lifted her up. Together, they hung the wooden plaques high up. The younger sister bit her finger and asked, "When will Miss Ming come back?"

The older sister, acting like a little adult, put her younger sister down and patted her head seriously: "Miss Ming has gone to visit relatives. This is her first time, and she will be back soon."

The younger sister cheered up again, spinning around and reaching out to catch the falling petals. The older sister stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes intently following her movements.

Zhou Fubai smiled slightly and was about to turn around and go back into the house when he saw a female cultivator in red standing under the corridor, watching the two interact with an expressionless face.

Zhou Fubai was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he took the wooden sign and stepped forward to ask, "Miss Ming, did you come here today to make a wish?"

Mingyan glanced at him, then looked at the plum tree covered with wooden plaques, and coldly refused, "No need."

Zhou Fubai smiled and turned to look at the center, sighing, "Miss Ming's idea is quite good. Even though she's not in Yunchuan, so many people make wishes to her. But who can she make wishes to?"

Mingyan's heart skipped a beat, and she reached out her hand, saying, "Give me the wooden plaque."

Zhou Fubai handed over the wooden plaque, gave a slight bow, and turned to go back inside. Mingyan quickly finished writing. She walked to the tree and, instead of tying the plaque to a branch like the others, bent down and leaned it against the trunk.

As dusk fell, Zhou Fubai finished organizing the account books, rubbing his temples as he passed by the plum tree. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a wooden plaque lying on the ground, which must have been accidentally dropped by someone.

He stepped forward, picked it up, and intended to hang it back up, but his gaze swept over the words on the sign, and he paused slightly.

The wishing plaque reads: Goddess, may your wishes be fulfilled.

——

Mingying blinked, and heavenly fire rose before her eyes, finally landing in the hands of the Fengshui Immortal.

The Water Immortal appeared by the pond at some unknown time, wearing a mask that obscured his expression.

Mingying stood in the pool and stared at him. The dragon blood was chillingly cold. After standing in the ink pool for only a short while, her face turned ashen and her lips turned white.

Feng Shui Xianren looked at her quietly for a while, then said in his usual tone, "Manman, this farce should end now."

Mingying remained silent. The guards tied up all the troublemakers with ropes and threw them by the ink pool.

Chu Tianxiao sat up abruptly, cursing, "Why didn't they arrest that guy surnamed Xiao! He lied to me, saying this woman was a goddess prophesied by the Imperial Advisor, bah!"

Mingying lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "I'm sorry."

Lin Qin kept her eyes closed and didn't speak. Shen Zhiyi lay flat on the ground and turned to look at the motionless Ming Ying, comforting her, "It's okay, Manman. It's not okay even with so many people here."

Feng Shui Xianren sneered: "Those who don't follow the rules always live shorter lives here. But I know Manman has always been well-behaved. It seems these people are the problem. They've corrupted both of my sisters."

Mingying stiffly raised her head and waded towards the edge of the pool, her voice trembling slightly from the cold: "Why go through all this trouble... I don't consider you my cousin now, and immortals don't need to think about the intermittent sibling bond. I will take responsibility for my own actions."

Feng Shui Immortal narrowed his eyes, and the execution guard ran up to him and bowed: "Immortal, there is still one person we haven't found."

Chu Tianxiao smiled after hearing this, but his gaze suddenly stopped when he glanced at Ming Ying. He thought of the situation at the time, his eyes darkened, and he moved his wrists, which were tied behind his back. He turned and shot a golden needle toward her throat!

Lin Qin seemingly bumped his arm unintentionally, causing him to veer off course, and the golden needle grazed Ming Ying's hair before falling into the pool.

Chu Tianxiao gritted his teeth. This woman could be called a goddess, she must have practiced some kind of bewitching magic. This selfish old hag actually protects people!

Mingying glanced at him indifferently, then slowly climbed out of the ink pool. Dragon blood slid down her body without leaving a trace, but her face was pale and her cloak was stained with blood, so her condition was far from good.

She slowly walked up to the group, facing Fengshui Immortal, and said softly, "The cultivators here are hard to come by. If you lose one, you'll have to find another one from the ground, which will increase the risk of leaks. It's not a big deal, so why don't you just let them go, Immortal?"

Feng Shui Immortal looked at her gently: "Many ideas are good. You see, I usually give them three chances. It's just that this Chu Tianxiao is no longer alive."

He gracefully raised his wrist, and heavenly fire floated in his palm. Chu Tianxiao's eyes widened in horror, and he suddenly threw his head back and laughed three times: "I never thought that I, Chu Tianxiao, a peerless genius, would fall to such a state. You dark rat only dare to hide underground and show off your power! If you have the ability, fight me fair and square above!"

"Noisy".

Feng Shui Immortal smiled coldly, waiting to take his life with fire. In a flash, Ming Ying suddenly raised her hand, and a golden light flashed in her hand as she stabbed straight at his wrist!

Her actions were unexpected. Feng Shui Xianren turned to dodge, but another short blade shot from behind. The blade was stained with blood and fell to the ground. He covered his hand and looked down. Xiao Jingze had subdued the guards at some point and threw another short blade at him!

It's him again! Feng Shui Immortal's face was gloomy. He opened his palm, and the short blade burned in the air, leaving only a wisp of white smoke. He looked straight up: "I gave you a chance."

Without another word, he pointed in Xiao Jingze's direction, and flames fell wherever Xiao Jingze passed, burning fiercely before quickly extinguishing. Xiao Jingze calmly pushed aside the guards to avoid him. He had gambled correctly; this Fengshui Immortal could not fully control the Heavenly Fire. In his hands, the ancient divine artifact was no different from ordinary flames.

Seeing that he couldn't catch him for the time being, Feng Shui Xianren turned around and decided to find a hostage first. Chu Tianxiao beat the guard to the ground, then put the shackles on him and gave him a crooked middle finger.

Lin Qin quickly disappeared into the crowd. Ming Ying finally untied Shen Zhiyi's ropes, and when she saw him looking over, she pulled him back quickly.

Feng Shui Xianren chuckled softly, "Good... very good."

He glanced around, grabbed a cultivator who was standing there blankly, brought the Heavenly Fire close to his face, and smiled faintly: "Come here, Manman."

Shen Zhiyi was disgusted by his behavior. Seeing that Mingying was really about to step forward, she quickly grabbed her wrist: "Don't do anything stupid."

Mingying patted her hand: "Cousin, don't think too much. He won't kill me, but if I don't go, that person will definitely die."

Lin Qin stared at Feng Shui Immortal, a sarcastic smile spreading across her lips: "So what if he's dead? Lots of people have died here, one or two more won't make a difference."

Unable to catch anyone, the guards gathered at the center, each carrying someone in their arms. The individuals varied in age and appearance, but all had a short blade held to their necks.

Feng Shui Xianren's smile widened as he opened his arms: "Could it be that the chips I added weren't enough?"

Chu Tianxiao cursed under his breath, having already foreseen his fate. He realized that these were all incompetent teammates, and he was likely to die alongside them.

Feng Shui Immortal stretched out his hand, looking at Ming Ying who was walking towards him step by step, and said in a strange tone: "How pitiful, Manman. It's never easy to be a good person. Why don't you become one of my kind?"

Mingying pursed her lips and met his gaze calmly. Xiao Jingze descended from above to behind her, his tone relaxed: "This is easy to resolve. Go and snatch the Heavenly Fire from his hands."

Mingying clenched her fist and touched her own blood: "Why does Prince Xiao also start to have unnecessary expectations of me? You know best that I am no different from ordinary people."

Xiao Jingze pulled out a hairband from somewhere and slowly wrapped it around her hand, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Who here isn't just a mortal? Since the goddess has accepted my offering, shouldn't she grant my wish?"

Mingying paused, turning around in disbelief. Xiao Jingze turned her head back: "Miss Ming, I wish you could do anything."

Mingying walked forward stiffly. Ahead were the people she wanted to save, and behind her were also the people she wanted to save. She was in the middle, but there was only one path she could take.

She moved her fingers and touched the hair ribbon on her hand. She thought of when she was a child, she dressed up as a goddess, and everyone held her hand and prayed for her. At that time, she thought that she would be happy if she really was an omnipotent goddess.

Perhaps it was just youthful naiveté, but over time she truly believed herself to be a goddess who could grant people's wishes. Until she recovered from her serious illness, many people in Mingshanfang were gone, buried in dust, never to be seen again.

She knew she wasn't a goddess anymore; how could a deity be a weak and powerless mortal?

But now she doesn't understand why, why even Xiao Jingze thinks she's a goddess.

What is a goddess?

When Xiao Mingying put on the crown for the first time, she asked her father about it with curiosity.

The Ming family head smiled and said, "The goddess is like the moon in the sky, telling the world that there is light even in the night."

Xiao Mingying said "Oh," not understanding, and ran to ask her sister, "What is a goddess?"

Xiao Mingyan held the small wooden sword up and down, then poked her cheek, and answered maturely, "Because this year's harvest is not very good, you sitting on the float is telling everyone that the Ming family will definitely help them."

Xiao Mingying understood; she was just a mascot.

So when did she become a "goddess"?

As Mingying watched the heavenly fire draw ever closer, she couldn't quite remember when Mingshanfang had become what it was now. Perhaps it was when she began to respond to everyone's expectations and take on her responsibilities as a "goddess" that she became a goddess.

She held out her hand: "Come here."

Golden flames flew towards her like a dragon, quietly resting in her palm. The light illuminated her face. The goddess, holding fire, looked down at the abyss and glanced at her.

Feng Shui Immortal reached out to summon back the Heavenly Fire, only to find himself back to being a mortal. He shook his head and stepped back, his expression twisted beneath his mask: "You... this is impossible, how could it be you!"

She clearly failed before! The Ming family's incense offerings and prayers are far less powerful than his; where did the problem lie...?

As if struck by a sudden realization, Feng Shui Xianren's eyes widened, and she laughed self-deprecatingly. So that's how it is; she wasn't incapable, she just didn't want to.

Mingying looked at the Heavenly Fire in her palm and realized that the Heavenly Fire had the power to destroy the world. If it were to choose a master, it would need to have a strong conviction that could change the world.

She had it before, and she has it again now.

The world was silent. Everyone stared at her, motionless, with a variety of expressions. Some were envious, some were resentful, some were delighted, some were fearful, and some remained as indifferent and numb as before.

Mingying was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, surrounded by gazes from all directions, and her face betrayed no joy. She had originally been just a mortal, but now she had become the only person in the entire underground world with spiritual power.

Suddenly, someone shouted, breaking the silence: "Fairy, save me!"

"Help me! Help me!"

"Kill them! Kill the Immortal of Fengshui!"

...

Chu Tianxiao was shocked: What that guy surnamed Xiao said was true... My teammate got lucky, and I'm alive again?

Lin Qin looked at her with a complicated expression, feeling that she had really aged. This was the goddess worshipped by the Ming family. She originally thought that the Ming family was a bunch of fools, but now it seemed that fools were lucky in this world. She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Xiao Jingze chuckled softly. He crossed his arms and looked at the goddess standing in the center, casually suggesting, "It is said that heavenly fire can burn everything—Miss Ming, why don't you burn through this patch of sky above us?"

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Author's note: This chapter is a bit cringey (covers face).

Is it because I'm getting old? (scratching head)