The blacksmith was physically weak, and Xia Chuhe's robust physique was yet to be acquired; the two of them couldn't stay up past midnight. As dawn approached, the maid and Levin took turns guarding the winter-damaged seedlings, which allowed the night to pass peacefully.
The fifth day.
Levin, carrying a stack of papers and parchment scrolls, quietly spread the fame of the Gluttonous God throughout the village.
The women in the village outwardly appeared devout to the gods, but inwardly they harbored deep hatred for them. Upon hearing Levin preach about some god, they immediately grabbed whatever was at hand and prepared to throw him out.
Levin quickly explained, "It's okay if you don't believe me. Come and visit the Xia family's main residence. There are free meals available."
"Is there any meat?" The woman didn't strike with the stick.
"Yes!" Levin patted his chest to assure him.
The woman tossed the stick aside: "Let me see that flyer of yours."
...
Although the villagers' homes have everything and lack nothing, those things belong to the gods, and ordinary villagers have no chance to enjoy them at all.
The things the gods allowed them to use were merely the most basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter; they had no chance of getting anything better to eat.
A bountiful wheat field and plump cattle and sheep may look good, but they are grown and raised for others; they are all fake. Only what you eat is real.
...
It's a bit difficult to persuade women to attend, but coaxing children is too easy.
Levin had a candy jar hidden in his arms. Whenever he encountered children playing near his house, he would sneak them out, give them a piece of candy, and tell them that if they wanted some, they could go to so-and-so's house in the afternoon to get some.
A group of children couldn't wait to go to Xia Chuhe's house and line up.
...
Besides Levin, everyone else was also busy.
The maidservant guarded the seedlings in winter, the blacksmith took a nap, and the summer farmer dressed up his niece and sent her to heaven.
At the gates of Heaven, only divine messengers stand guard.
Xia Chuhe sent his niece there, ostensibly to the God of Diligence so that she could work hard and get some exercise, but in reality, he wanted to take the opportunity to observe the internal structure of Heaven.
However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that heaven was shrouded in mist, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Xia Chuhe then made another excuse, saying he was worried that his niece was not living well in heaven and wanted to make sure she was settled before leaving.
The messenger's face fell: "Heaven is the best place in the world, and your niece will be better off here than at home."
When the divine messenger was expressionless, his face conveyed a kind of compassion that had seen many hardships. But now, when he made a displeased expression, Xia Chuhe felt a chilling sense of malice about him.
Even with a strong physique, Xia Chuhe wasn't confident she could directly confront the gods and their messengers. She patted her niece on the shoulder, gave her a few words of advice, and left reluctantly.
After walking some distance, Xia Chuhe turned back. The thick fog in the heavenly realm had actually dissipated somewhat. A person with a sorrowful face was leaning against the second-floor window, vaguely resembling yesterday's bride.
With things to do, time flew by, and the family busied themselves until the afternoon.
While the maid and the blacksmith were guarding the winter crops, they were not idle. One of them was washing rice, and the other was washing vegetables. The two of them made a big pot of braised pork rice.
The livestock had already been offered to the gods in the sacrifice, and there was no fresh meat available at home. Fortunately, the stored grain contained a lot of cured meat and sausages.
The rice was just cooked, and a group of children had already gathered at the door, peering longingly into the yard. In the distance, several women could be seen sneaking in furtively.
Levin was uncertain: "Can we do it? Can we persuade them?"
"Was the braised rice you had for lunch delicious?" Xia Chuhe's reply was completely irrelevant.
Levin instinctively exclaimed, "Delicious!"
Xia Chuhe smiled and said, "They'll think it tastes good too."
Although Xia Chuhe had no practical experience in developing followers, based on the process of establishing Taotie City and the cults he had heard of in modern times, the general process of recruiting followers involves only a few steps—
The first step is crisis infiltration, manipulating through disasters and prophecies. For example, Zhang Jiao's Taiping Dao at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty claimed that talismanic water could cure diseases during plagues and famines, and gathered 100,000 followers in two years.
The second step is identity stripping and reconstruction. This can involve addressing each other by religious names or controlling believers through geographical segregation.
The gods have already done these two steps for the villagers; Xia Chuhe only needs to follow those steps.
The third step is to exploit mainstream religious symbols. For example, Hong Xiuquan of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom proclaimed himself the second son of God.
The local deity is trying to emulate the god of the Seven Virtues. The more this deity emphasizes humility, kindness, and diligence... the more one thinks about it, the more one discovers its inherent arrogance, greed, and laziness.
Xia Chuhe uses the symbol Taotie, which, although not mainstream, has a source and makes people lower their guard.
The fourth step is to establish a community of shared interests and lure them with benefits.
This was the worst move the local deity made, and also the breakthrough point for Xia Chuhe to win over believers. As long as he offered enough benefits and a bright future, he wasn't worried that the villagers wouldn't be moved.
The biggest drawback of using incentives is that benefits must be offered first. Xia Chuhe doesn't have much inventory to support him. Fortunately, this is a place governed by rules. As long as he persists for a few days and forces out the true nature of the deity, he can stop the consumption.
Thinking of the inventory support, Xia Chuhe glanced at Dong Huimiao, who was hidden behind the bamboo curtain. Dong Huimiao had accepted the sacrifice to the god of temperance. If she completed the sacrifice, she might be able to obtain Xia Chuhe's farm, and then she wouldn't have to worry about supplies.
pity……
The two are not on the same wavelength.
If only I could find a way to gain Dong Huimiao's trust and turn her into a tool in my hands.
The woman and child outside the door didn't give Xia Chuhe much time to think.
Once a large enough crowd had gathered, they were no longer afraid of being scammed. The women whispered among themselves, encouraging each other, and agreed to fight back and run away together if anything seemed amiss. They then boldly entered the Xia family's house.
The maids brought out bowls, chopsticks and plates that had been prepared in advance to serve rice to everyone. There were quite a few people, but not many tableware in the house, so those who hadn't been served yet stood obediently in line at the back.
Some women who received their meals saw their children huddled among other children and beckoned them out to share the rice with them.
...
Amidst the aroma of food, Xia Chuhe slowly recounted the story of Taotie, depicting its greatness and selflessness. She promised that Taotie would not ask believers for any wealth, only for their intangible trust.
During the narration, Levin was responsible for wholeheartedly invoking Taotie, causing Taotie's golden light to manifest, thus demonstrating God's power.
The women and children were skeptical and unmoved.
Xia Chuhe pulled out his trump card, promising the Taotie followers that they could come to his house for meals every day, with guaranteed delicious food.
As soon as the words were spoken, the Taotie's golden light intensified...
It seemed that several people were simultaneously and devoutly calling out the name of Taotie.
Winter Destroyer, bound behind the bamboo curtain, watched helplessly as the golden light shimmered, filled with regret.
She thought, "I made a mistake."
Lord Xia is right.
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