65. The City God appeared in a dream
Seeing that King He Wu was quite satisfied, the City God was also very happy. Having King He Wu in charge, and being able to communicate with them on equal footing, was a great honor. He was also straightforward and kind.
I imagine that once the security in this area improves, my family's incense offerings will also increase. Unlike before, when only members of my own Yang family could regularly come to worship, others could only attend to their own families. Except for the Lunar New Year, there were no offerings at all.
Now, especially in the last few days, things are much better than before. It seems things will get even better later. So the man and the City God chatted for a while longer. "My lord," the City God said, "due to insufficient incense offerings, we are currently confined to the county town. If our strength increases in the future, we can also patrol the areas under our jurisdiction at night."
However, this doesn't apply to areas outside Huangtu County. Entering such a place would be considered trespassing, and the imperial aura would not offer protection; in fact, it would bring condemnation.
He then explained, "Some evil cultivators use underworld paths to guide passing ghostly soldiers into cities or among travelers, or to release demons and evil spirits into certain places."
Yang Chenghuang explained a lot. It was rare for someone to be able to see him, especially King Wu.
Those who could see him probably wouldn't bother with a minor city god. The listeners were completely engrossed.
"Thank you for your explanation, City God Yang. A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study!" He then clasped his hands in thanks.
It was still dark. I had originally planned to explore Black Wind Stronghold tonight and meet their leader, Mighty Vajra. It seems that's not going to happen.
So he rose to take his leave. "Thank you for your clarification, City God. If there's anything I still don't understand, I'll consult City God Yang again. If City God Yang needs any help, he can send someone to let me know. I'm sure my residence is aware of this."
Yang Chenghuang clasped his hands in sincere gratitude, saying, "I know, I know, thank you very much, sir. You are welcome to come anytime. With your words, Huangtu County will only get better and better. It is a blessing for our Huangtu County!"
They escorted him all the way to the City God's gate, and after He Chen had walked a distance, Bai Wuchang still said with some heartache, "My lord, that was something you painstakingly accumulated over the years. This golden incense has many effects, such as bringing peace, warding off evil, calming the mind, and eliminating distracting thoughts. It's extremely rare, my lord..."
Yang Chenghuang waved his hand dismissively, saying, "With King Wu here, Huangtu County is truly blessed. It's our fortune if even a small offering of incense can bring good health and well-being to King Wu's family!"
In his heart, he thought, 'It is our greatest blessing to be able to forge a good relationship with such a young King Wu!'
Then he said no more. Bai Wuchang thought for a moment and said...
"Sir, this tea was brought by your descendants yesterday."
"Descendants, alas! So many generations have passed! That they still remember is a testament to their sincerity. But I, the City God, cannot interfere in the mortal realm; otherwise, under heavenly lightning, the very fabric of the imperial court would be reduced to ashes!"
'But you are also its ancestor!' Bai Wuchang said in a low voice.
Then, silence fell, and they quietly retreated to the side. The City God saw that dawn was approaching! So he no longer hesitated!
Soon we arrived at a gate. It was an ordinary courtyard, but very clean. Inside the main hall were ancestral tablets. On the table sat an old-fashioned incense burner, and three trays of offerings.
At the very top of the hall was a plaque bearing the two characters 'Yang Mansion,' written in a strong and vigorous style. Although its color was faded, it was still made of fine Phoebe zhennan wood. What he saw before him made the City God no longer hesitate.
Then he appeared in the dream of his descendants. The two looked at each other, and upon closer inspection, it was Yang Dexing!
Yang Dexing searched for his accomplices and other outsiders last night. He searched very late and only fell asleep quickly after returning home. In his dream, he suddenly saw a person whose face looked exactly like the City God. His ancestors all said that the City God of Huangtu County was their ancestor and that they should worship him in the market. But in recent years, everyone's situation has deteriorated, and he himself has not made any progress.
Besides myself, only my third uncle regularly performs the ancestral rites!
Yang Chenghuang looked at his descendants, who seemed to span countless generations. He quickly said, "I have received your kindness. From now on, there's no need for such expenditure. Follow closely..." He was about to speak of King Wu.
But at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to utter the words "King Wu." The City God instantly realized this couldn't be revealed. He quickly changed his words, saying, "Follow your master faithfully, and don't be half-hearted!"
After saying this, he glanced at the person behind him for a second, then instantly left, returning to the City God Temple. Only then did the sense of danger he had just felt disappear.
"This must never be repeated. My descendants, I have given you this guidance; I hope you will heed it."
Yang Dexing had just drifted off to sleep when he saw the City God and heard his message, instantly waking him. He sat up, gasping for breath, goosebumps rising all over his body. He struggled to recall, 'My intentions, City God, I followed you, my lord, without any loyalty!'
His wife, standing beside him, was not young; the wrinkles around her eyes were prominent, and her hands were calloused. "My husband, you must have had a nightmare. I heard about the assassination attempt on the street yesterday; it was a horrific sight. Are you tired, my husband?"
"It's alright, my dear, don't worry, go back to sleep." He then embraced his wife and soon heard her breathing heavily as she slept soundly again. Meanwhile, he noticed that dawn was approaching. He quietly got out of bed.
He Chen had originally planned to go to Black Wind Village at night, but now it was almost dawn.
"I'm not going anymore, I'll go home and be with my family first." So he quickly returned. The others were still fast asleep. A slight smile played on his lips.
Then, at the coldest time of the fifth watch, the fragrance enveloped me! It was as warm as spring! A disturbance began to stir. An hour later, all was quiet.
A joyful smile graced his lips as he drifted into a blissful sleep, as if he had attained enlightenment!
No wonder everyone loves painting and listening to music! It truly brings a sense of immersion in nature and a feeling of peace and tranquility. A complete forgetting of self and surroundings!
After leaving the house, Yang Dexing quietly closed the doors and windows. He quickly filled a basin with water from a large water vat, four feet high and four feet in diameter, and washed himself. Then he went out and hurried towards his third uncle's house.
By the time we arrived at my third uncle's house, which wasn't far away, it was already dawn. His house, a tiled roof, looked quite old. A well-maintained old jujube tree stood in front of the door; it was my favorite childhood snack, something very rare. It was also one of the adults' cherished possessions. Every autumn when I was little, I would secretly enjoy it before the jujubes even ripened.
"Uncle Yang, please come in quickly." The young nephew, who was already quite tall, got up early. Seeing Uncle Yang arrive, he quickly greeted him.
Then he went in and called out, "Grandpa, Uncle Yang is here." "Okay, please come in and sit down."
"Yang Tong, it's nothing, you go about your business. I need to talk to your third uncle about something." He patted Yang Tong's head and said with a smile.
The paulownia tree was tall, with thick branches and large leaves. "Okay, poplar, please have some water!"
At this moment, my third uncle came out of the hall. "So early, come in and talk."
My third uncle's hair is starting to turn white, but he's in much better spirits than before. His hands are covered in calluses, and he's an excellent carpenter. There are also many pieces of wood and finished chairs and stools in the yard.
There's also a huge bed that looks like it's just been started. It's probably about ten feet long and wide. What a huge bed!
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