Feng Bingwen is only about eight years old and only half a person tall. At this moment, he followed the adults into the City God Temple and was submerged in the crowd of people who came to offer incense. Logically speaking, he was inconspicuous and could even be lost if one was not careful.

However, in the eyes of some beings, he was so dazzling that he was noticed the moment he entered the door.

Happy New Year!

The boy, half-grown, laughed and congratulated the Yaksha gods and bell and drum gods who stood on the altar looking at him.

It was still a county town after all, and the bustling City God Temple was completely different from the atmosphere of the small village with only a dozen or so households. However, Feng Bingwen now had the confidence to respond to this attention.

"..."

The two majestic and ferocious Yaksha gods exchanged a glance, unsure how to respond. They could only turn their heads away, pretending not to see anything, and continue to receive this unusually abundant offering of incense.

Feng Bingwen was not surprised to see this. He usually did not come to the City God Temple. If he bumped into the procession of gods on the street, he would just say hello, although the procession gods basically ignored him.

"What's wrong?"

As Feng Zichuan struggled through the crowd with Feng Bingwen, he heard his son say something and quickly turned around to ask with concern, worried that someone might accidentally step on him.

"fine."

Feng Bingwen smiled at his father.

Ordinary people cannot see the spirits and deities who receive incense offerings and prayers and respond to them from time to time; they only see the majestic painted sculptures of spirits and deities.

"Let's go and pay our respects to the City God."

In addition to the City God, the City God Temple also enshrines his eight Yaksha generals, civil and military judges, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the Bell and Drum God, and other subordinate gods. These gods receive a lot of incense offerings at this time of year, making it a very prosperous place.

Although people know that the City God is the most powerful, it is precisely because of his highest rank that it is difficult to get a response when praying to him. On the contrary, it is easier to get protection by worshipping those lower-ranking deities.

The process of worshipping the City God is very simple. After all, there are too many people, and it is impossible to stay in the City God Hall for too long. Lighting a few sticks of incense and burning some paper money is enough to complete the worship.

When worshipping the City God, apart from devout believers who kneel in prayer, most people simply hold incense and bow.

Feng Bingwen followed his father, holding unlit incense sticks, and waited in line inside the City God Temple. Temple keepers maintained order, and although there were many people, the place was well-organized.

After a short wait, it was soon Feng Bingwen's turn. Compared to the ordinary ghosts and gods outside the hall who were receiving incense offerings, the statue of the City God in the main position inside the City God Hall remained completely still.

Feng Bingwen glanced at it and could see that behind the City God's head, the vast incense smoke gathered into a golden wheel, making the clay and wooden statue of the god appear majestic and sacred.

"Is the City God not at home?"

Feng Bingwen muttered to himself, lit the three incense sticks he had received from the temple keeper, bowed three times with his father, and then stepped forward to place the incense sticks in the incense burner.

But then, a vast golden light burst forth before his eyes, as if it were the midday sun, so bright that Feng Bingwen subconsciously squinted. He looked up and was completely stunned.

The once majestic but stiff and wooden statue of the City God has transformed into a dignified deity. Even though He is just sitting there, He does not have the stiffness of a clay puppet.

"Happy New Year, City God!"

Feng Bingwen smiled and, with a proper posture, tiptoed to insert the three incense sticks into the incense burner.

Just then, he noticed a change. The aroma of the incense he had placed in the incense burner seemed different. Even among hundreds of incense sticks, it stood out because the smoke resembled dragons and snakes.

"I accept your offerings and fulfill your wish!"

Without the City God making any move, the incense, which resembled snakes and dragons, drifted into the divine wheel behind his head, making the divine wheel shine with golden light, becoming even more dazzling.

Do you have any wishes?

"Well!"

Feng Bingwen was taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to say no, but when he looked at his father and the old man beside him, he quickly put his hands together, bowed, and kowtowed.

"I hope the City God will bless my parents with good health and that everything goes smoothly."

"Can."

Golden rain fell and merged into the bodies of the unsuspecting Feng Zichuan and Feng Lingjun. They didn't find it strange that Feng Bingwen was bowing with his hands clasped in greeting, as did many others in the hall.

"Go home!"

Feng Lingjun, who took the initiative to suggest going to the City God Temple to offer incense, had a gentle expression. He had heard what his grandson had just said, and all his worries had vanished, leaving him with no more doubts.

"Okay, sure."

As the wind blew and the text responded, the City God statue returned to its original stiff and wooden state. At this time of year-end, when incense burning was at its peak, the County City God seemed too busy to respond to the believers.

The journey was uneventful, and the three—old, middle-aged, and young—returned home. After some conversation and dinner, they chatted about various things, with the old man particularly concerned about his son's imperial examination a year from now, earnestly asking him what his chances were of passing the exam and becoming a scholar.

Feng Zichuan's words were evasive, and he dared not respond, only saying that he was studying hard.

Recalling his father's guilty expression after dinner and his grandfather's downcast sigh, Feng Bingwen, who had already huddled under the covers, felt helpless.

His father seemed to have gone astray, focusing solely on how to make money. Despite going to school, he ended up amassing a fortune.

It's not that making money is bad, but it's that we can't control it. The old man is only a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination), and the old father is even worse, only a Tongsheng (a student who has passed the lowest level of the imperial examination). With such a low level of achievement, it would be strange if no one coveted it.

Perhaps his parents have some connections, but one must be strong oneself to succeed. No matter how good the connections are, they can't compare to one's own abilities. If he had the title of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) or even a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), what good would a vast fortune be? It would only be an asset, not a source of disaster.

"Reading is the right path!"

"Of all professions, only studying is noble." While the Great Qian Dynasty didn't have this saying, the common people held a similar view: for ordinary people, only studying was the right path. Merchants? The lowest of the low.

"We should think of a way to help Dad."

Feng Bingwen pondered. Although he was the son, he now hoped his father would become a dragon among men. His father was already a wealthy merchant, and if he could also achieve good academic results, then he could simply relax and not worry about anything else, he could focus on cultivation.

"Um?"

As Feng Bingwen pondered what he could do, his expression shifted, and he sensed something amiss.

"Yin energy!"

Without making a sound, Feng Bingwen left the bedroom and went outside. He flew to the roof and looked into the distance. He immediately saw an old man with a cane chasing after a strong, honest-looking man with a furious expression.