That slap came at just the right time.
Xia Chuhe opened his eyes and saw an anxious beauty and a timid little girl. In his ears were the chaotic shouts of people who had destroyed seedlings in winter.
"Stop yelling, I'm awake." Xia Chuhe first silenced Dong Huimiao, who had no other option but to shout.
Xia Chuhe lowered his eyes, not daring to look at the beauty: "What's wrong with me?"
“The head of the family has never believed in any gods. Calling the names of seven gods at once must be unbearable for him.” The beauty smiled gently and stroked Xia Chuhe’s nape. “Fortunately, my elder brother was by the head of the family’s side. My daughter and I heard him calling and rushed over.”
Xia Chuhe glanced at the timid little girl, recalling the call of "Auntie" he had just heard. So, she must be—
"Father, have some water." The girl picked up the water glass on the table and held it to Dong Huimiao's lips.
...
The four chatted briefly, and Xia Chuhe and Dong Huimiao pieced together the background of the Land of Rules from their conversation.
Dongxia and Xiaoxia are a brother and sister who originally lived in another village. Because that village had no divine protection and was frequently attacked by evil beasts, they moved to their current village.
Unfortunately, before they moved, the older brother, Dong Huimiao, was attacked by an evil beast. Although he survived, he became crippled. His wife also died unexpectedly, leaving behind a ten-year-old daughter.
Now, it is the younger sister, Xia Chuhe, who takes on the main responsibility of the family and has become the head of the household. The beautiful maid is her servant, and she has grown up with her since childhood.
After moving to the new village, the family used their savings to buy a piece of land, a house, some cattle and sheep and grain. Unfortunately, because they were still not protected by the gods, the land was very barren and the cattle and sheep were thin and weak.
As for the things in the house, most of them were the family's accumulated possessions, except for the statues of gods on the wall, which were left by the original owner of the house.
Only by offering sacrificial items to the gods and gaining their favor can a family truly survive in this place.
After dismissing the maid and daughter, Dong Huimiao said, "It seems we need to complete the ritual for that damned god before we can get the next clue."
In just half a day, very little useful information was obtained, so Xia Chuhe did not raise any objections.
Dong Huimiao continued, "You can't summon seven gods at once. Try summoning one first. If you fall into that state again, I can't save you. Let me try this time."
Xia Chuhe carried the winter-damaged seedlings to a chair and stood beside her, watching over her.
Dong Huimiao silently recited humility in her heart, and as her concentration increased, she saw a faceless stone statue.
The statue did not speak, but Dong Huimiao could sense its meaning.
Kneeling like a broken ear of wheat, lips branded in the dust, stripping away your scaly, crisp pride, and spreading your pure white spine as a carpet beneath my feet.
To put it another way, it means "Kneel down and kiss the ground beneath my feet."
Dong Huimiao was not a person who could bend or stretch. If she were not currently under someone's control and had to seek God's protection, she could immediately show the gods what it meant to be foul-mouthed.
The proud Winter Destroyer did not fulfill the gods' request, and the connection between the gods and her was severed when she expressed her refusal.
But the gods left a pebble in her palm.
Xia Chuhe picked up a pebble with small characters engraved on it. She read softly: "Having shed the cocoon, I grant you the right to molt like a cicada."
Dong Huimiao recounted her conversation with the deity, her tone aggrieved: "That thing made me kneel before it, and it even tried to step on me."
Thinking about the meaning on the stone, Xia Chuhe smiled and said, "I guess it also meant that if you are willing to take off your clothes, it will give you back the ability to control your body."
Winter-Destroyed Seedlings: "...Wait a moment."
Dong Huimiao silently humbly prayed in her heart, and thankfully God had enough virtue and patience to see her again.
In the realm of consciousness, Dong Huimiao knelt down without hesitation, her knees striking the ground with a dull thud. She prostrated herself deeply, her lips touching the soil, touching... the toes of a deity.
She willingly offered her pride and self-esteem to the gods.
The god accepted the offerings presented by the servants with satisfaction. The elaborate clothes were replaced with simple coarse linen garments, the armor hanging on the wall disappeared, and Dong Huimiao moved her fingers on the chair.
Dong Huimiao regained consciousness, jumped up from the chair, and exclaimed with joy, "I can move now!"
"Yes, but it not only took away your clothes, it also took away the clothes of everyone else in the house, as well as everything wearable, leaving them only with coarse linen clothes to cover their bodies."
Dong Huimiao didn't care at all: "These are just material possessions. I can buy them when I get out of here. I want to try again."
As he said this, Dong Huimiao silently murmured humility again, but unfortunately, the message from God was that "He has nothing more to give to the believers."
Undeterred by the destruction of seedlings in winter, the seedlings turned to compassion, and a similar stone statue appeared.
[Kneeling to offer the crown forged from thorns—where your blood burns like a torch, I will forge the ashes into a sword.]
This time, the translation of "冬毁苗" is not possible.
Xia Chuhe picked up the newly appeared pebble: "Abandon your nest, and I will grant you the ability to transfer your soul—abandon your dwelling place and I will give you the ability to transfer your soul."
The process of invoking the gods twice has been clearly defined.
First, the prerequisite must be met—kneeling and kissing the earth, kneeling and offering the crown of thorns.
Next, offerings were made—armor, clothing, and a house.
Then he regained his ability—to control the physical body and transfer the soul.
Seven gods, corresponding to seven prerequisites, seven types of offerings, and seven abilities.
Currently, the difficulty lies in fulfilling the prerequisites. The conditions for the God of Humility are clear, but the conditions for the God of Compassion require guessing.
"Thorns, blood, torches, ashes, and swords are the five items mentioned by the gods. Why don't we find them one by one and try them out?" Dong Huimiao suggested after conveying the gods' meaning.
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