After this, Xie Lian felt preoccupied the entire way. After a few more words, Hua Cheng's words gave him the feeling of, "That's all I have to say." So, Xie Lian didn't ask any more questions.
When we returned to Puqi Monastery, it was still dark.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw the pots and pans neatly packed away. Lang Ying, Gu Zi, and Qi Rong were all sleeping peacefully under their blankets. It seemed someone had been diligently taking care of the place since he left, and had quietly departed.
When Xie Lian returned this time, he was accompanied by a large number of wishes.
Puqi Temple had never received so many prayers before, and he didn't think it was all due to the rich businessman who had helped spread his good name - yes, the rich businessman who had lived in the town before finally fulfilled his promise and came.
Yet, despite his presence, he failed to notice the sign Xie Lian had prominently displayed, or perhaps he had deliberately ignored it. Nor had he made the promised donation. His primary purpose for this visit was to present a banner, which he enthusiastically handed to Xie Lian in front of the entire village of Puqi. Xie Lian, unsuspecting, opened it and immediately closed it. However, the four large characters on the banner remained etched deeply into his mind: "Miraculous Hands Return to the Body."
Xie Lian: “???”
After seeing the wealthy businessman off, he sighed, thinking to himself that he worried every day about when this house would collapse. He really didn't know when it would be repaired. Hua Cheng, who was leaning against the door, seemed to understand what he was sighing about and said, "There's something I've been wanting to say for a long time. If you don't feel at ease living in this house, why not move somewhere else?"
Xie Lian shook his head and said, "That's easy for you, Sanlang. Where can I change it?"
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "Why don't you just move to my place?"
Xie Lian knew that he was not just saying this, but ever since that "joke" that night, he had inexplicably felt a shadow in his heart. Whenever Hua Cheng said something in such a "joking" manner, he would not dare to respond casually, and would just smile and let it go.
As for the prayers he received, even though they were all about the old ox's leg being injured and unable to work in the fields, or his wife being pregnant and needing help in the fields, they were still prayers after all, and the prayers of believers should be treated equally. Two days later, Xie Lian answered the prayer and went to the village to help plant rice and plow the fields.
Since Huacheng lived there, he naturally went along to play. Initially, Xie Lian hadn't wanted him to work in the fields, as it was rough labor, but he couldn't persuade him. So, they both changed into coarse cloth clothes, rolled up their sleeves and trouser legs, and went to the rice fields.
From afar, there are many busy farmers scattered in the vast green paddy fields, among which two figures are particularly conspicuous.
Even Xie Lian's coarse clothes couldn't obscure Hua Cheng's elegance; rather, the tattered garments only accentuated his face and figure. Both men were fair-skinned, with beautiful arms and long, straight calves. They formed a dazzling spectacle among the dusty-faced peasants, causing the village girls, accustomed to rough men, to blush and peek incessantly. As they were planting, the rice seedlings they were working on bent into an arc, becoming the stuff of jokes.
Hua Cheng's skin was pale, almost bloodless. Xie Lian's skin was fair with a hint of redness, and due to his natural constitution, the more he sweated, the whiter his skin became. Under the scorching sun, he worked for a while, his entire body turning pale and hot. He kept wiping away the sweat that trickled down his neck, but thinking that ghosts were all gloomy and didn't like the sun, Hua Cheng must be even more unhappy, so he turned around to look. Sure enough, Hua Cheng had also slowly stood up, squinting his eyes, shielding his eyes with his hand, his eyes fixed on the shadow cast by his right hand between his eyebrows, staring intently at this side.
Xie Lian walked over, put the hat on his head, and said, "Put it on."
Hua Cheng was startled at first, then narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Okay."
Although Hua Cheng said that he went to the fields for fun, he worked much faster than Xie Lian, quickly and well, and very skillfully. Half an hour later, Xie Lian finished his section and his back ached. He stood up and rubbed his waist, and Hua Cheng came over to help him. Xie Lian took a look and saw that he had finished a large section silently and alone in a short while. The green rice plants were planted in the paddy field one by one, neatly and tidyly, which was very attractive. He sighed sincerely: "Sanlang, you really learn everything very quickly. Don't help me anymore, just sit there and rest, drink some water or something."
Hua Cheng went to the edge of the field to fetch water. The village chief watched from the side for a long time, then gave a thumbs-up and said, "Master, whose boy is this? He's so hardworking and capable! He's worth dozens of people! If any young lady is favored by him, she'll be blessed!"
Xie Lian burst out laughing. A moment later, a few people came up to him and asked, "Hey, Taoist Priest, where did this young man living in your temple come from? Is he married? He doesn't have a wife at home, does he?"
"Of course not, he's so young!"
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said vaguely, "Well...right? Since you're young, you shouldn't think about that right now."
Several people hurriedly said, "How can that be possible? It's because we're young that we need to settle down quickly."
"Master, you should give some advice. A man needs to settle down early so that he can grow up. He needs to have a family first before doing anything."
"Yes, young people! Full of passion! Can't stand loneliness!"
These people all had daughters and wanted to inquire about their situation. Xie Lian was just trying to get them to understand, but Hua Cheng came over with a bamboo tube and said, "Married. He already has a wife at home."
When the others heard this, they were greatly disappointed, but they still hadn't given up hope. They asked, "Whose family did he marry? Can this young man tell us?" "She's not lying to us, is she?" "She must be beautiful and virtuous, right?"
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Yes, that's right. She's beautiful and virtuous. She's a noble lady from a wealthy family. I've loved her since I was a child. I've loved her for many years and went through a lot of hardships to pursue her."
He spoke with a serious expression, not a hint of pretense. Feeling hopeless, the group dispersed with deep regret. Xie Lian was listening with a slightly lost consciousness when Hua Cheng handed him a towel and a bottle of water, saying, "Drink some water?"
Xie Lian took the towel and wiped his muddy hands. He then took the bamboo tube, drank a few sips, and handed it back. He unconsciously twisted the towel into a tangled mess, wiping it back and forth. After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but ask, "...really?"
Hua Cheng took the bamboo tube back and took a sip himself. His Adam's apple rolled up and down, and he lowered his head and said, "Hmm? What?"
Xie Lian raised his sleeve and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He wondered if the sun was too strong, burning his forehead and cheeks. Trying to smile nonchalantly, he asked, "He already has a wife at home. She's beautiful and virtuous, a noble lady from a wealthy family. I've loved her since childhood and went through untold hardships to win her over."
Hua Chengdao: "Oh, it's fake."
Xie Lian didn't even realize it, but he was relieved. This time, he actually laughed, imitating Hua Cheng's tone from before, saying, "You lied."
Hua Cheng smiled and added, "But it's not entirely false. I just haven't caught up yet."
Xie Lian was stunned when he heard this, but Hua Cheng had already turned around and continued to help with the work.
Xie Lian stayed there for a moment before bending down and slowly starting to work. For some reason, he felt a bit downcast. A moment later, he realized he'd accidentally inserted a small amount of thread crookedly, and quickly pulled himself back to his thoughts.
While working in the fields, Xie Lian secretly tried to communicate with the Wind Master. Although Hua Cheng had told him not to get close to the Wind Master's group, Xie Lian still couldn't do it. He had tried countless times in the past few days, but none of them succeeded. He silently recited the command several times, but there was no response from the other side, a dead silence. So, he turned around and found Ling Wen, asking, "Ling Wen, how is the Wind Master now?"
Lingwen's voice quickly connected, and Xie Lian's ear rang with a voice, saying, "Master Fengshi? Are you feeling better?"
Xie Lian had a hunch that she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't press the issue. He simply decided to go up and take a look later.
At this time, Ling Wen said, "By the way, the Admiral sent some gifts to you. They have arrived. Your Highness, please remember to take a look."
Xie Lian was stunned and said, "A gift? No need for that. No reward without merit."
Ling Wen said, "Don't be so modest. Master Wind Master was impulsive and just randomly asked for someone to accompany him. You stayed with him for so long, and you deserve it. Master Water Master said it was just a small token of your appreciation, so just accept it."
Xie Lian still felt it wasn't quite right, so he took note. After finishing his work, Hua Cheng went to help the village chief repair his plow, while Xie Lian returned to Puqi Monastery. After Hua Cheng's "three freeloaders" were moved to Puqi Monastery, he searched the house, wondering, "Where's the gift? Where is it?"
Worried about whether it might fall into the gap beneath the merit box, he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to move it. Unexpectedly, the box wouldn't budge. It felt incredibly heavy, as if rooted to the ground. Confused, Xie Lian pulled out his key and unlocked it. The moment he opened the lid, he was blinded by a dazzling golden light.
The merit box was actually filled with gold bars. A quick look showed that it could earn him at least tens of millions of merits!
Xie Lian slammed the lid shut, holding it down tightly with both hands, thinking, “Just a small token of my appreciation?”
Giving such a valuable gift for no reason, could it be hush money? He had originally considered whether it would be better to accept a small gift, like a magical jade pendant, since returning it directly might offend Master Wudu, who would be arrogant and not good. But now, well, he was worthy of being the God of Wealth. Such a large box of gold bars had to be returned.
It just so happened that he had been planning to go to Heaven right away to see Master Feng. Thinking that Hua Cheng might not come back so soon, he left a note, picked up the heavy merit box on his back and set off.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving in Xianjing, Xie Lian was met with chaos and turmoil. The otherwise peaceful Shenwu Street was now riddled with pits and craters. A host of junior priests bustled about, while Lingwen crouched beside a deep pit, pressing his solar plexus with a pounding headache. Xie Lian approached him and asked, "Master, what's going on?"
Ling Wen looked up and was startled by the huge merit box behind him. He said, "Your Highness, why are you carrying such a big merit box up here? What's going on? Oh, forget it. General Nanyang and General Xuanzhen are fighting and have smashed each other's immortal palaces."
Feng Xin and Mu Qing? Xie Lian asked curiously, "Why are they fighting again?"
Lingwen said, "It's all because of the last incident with the fetus spirit. Several Martial Gods gathered to discuss how to deal with the ghost mother and son. General Nanyang proposed to send the fetus spirit for refining, after all, that thing really killed countless people and caused great harm to people. Xuanzhen refused to allow it, and his tone was a bit unpleasant. Nanyang said, "How could you be so kind-hearted before, maybe you have something to hide?" Your Highness, you know how they are. After a few words, they went out to fight. Look, look, what a mess! I said before, this kind of atmosphere among you Martial Gods is really not good. The renovation expenses of Xianjing this year are terrible. I just calculated half of it and forgot everything. It's really..."
Seeing that she was truly troubled, Xie Lian said, “Then… take your time figuring it out. I’ll go see Master Feng first.”
Ling Wen looked up and said, "See Master Feng? Goodbye, Your Highness, Master Feng is not seeing guests right now."
Xie Lian asked, “Didn’t you say he’s feeling better?”
Ling Wen said, "That's what the Water Master said. But the Wind Master also said that he won't see guests. Right now, even I can't bear to see the Wind Master. I guess he needs to recuperate for a while. Your Highness, please don't go. By the way, isn't your merit box too..."
Xie Lian put the merit box down with a clang and said, "Then please help me return this to the water master. No reward without merit. Even if he doesn't give anything, Xie Lian won't say anything that shouldn't be said." He threw the box away with a relieved feeling and hurried away. Lingwen called out a few times from behind, but there was no response. So he gave up and continued to lower his head, looking at the deep pit at his feet with a headache.
However, Xie Lian left, but of course he would not return to the mortal world. Instead, he quietly went to the immortal residence of the Wind Master and the Water Master in Xianjing.
Although the inner and outer three floors of this immortal mansion were heavily guarded, this level of difficulty wasn't enough to faze Xie Lian. Shi Qingxuan had brought him in last time, and he had memorized the general location of the Wind Master's chamber. He scaled the wall, sometimes climbing high and sometimes sneaking, and soon arrived. His only concern was that the Wind Master had been taken somewhere else by his brother and wasn't even here.
Fortunately, this worry was not realized. He climbed onto the roof, found a blind spot that was invisible to outsiders, and hung upside down on the eaves, looking into the bedroom. This glimpse immediately shocked him.
Shi Qingxuan was bound and strapped to his own couch, still struggling. Meanwhile, Shi Wudu paced back and forth beside the couch, holding a bowl of black liquid. He paused for a moment, then suddenly walked over and forced something into Shi Qingxuan's mouth.
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