City God Temple

Nan Zhi's plan to seek out the grey rat spirit for information had yet to be carried out.

This was simply because Dingyuan County was located in Shouzhou, right at the crossroads between the Northwest Circuit and the Western Huainan Circuit, bordering Huainan to the north and Haozhou to the east.

Benefiting from its geographic advantage, Dingyuan was bustling compared to the four neighboring counties. The town was a melting pot of dragons and snakes, filled with people from every walk of life.

Never mind a grey rat spirit adept at concealment—even tracking down a living human hiding here would pose a considerable challenge.

Using paying respects to the gods as an excuse, Nan Zhi badgered Chen Jingui into taking her for a visit to Dingyuan County's City God Temple.

—She wanted to try her luck to see if she could trigger a new quest, and at the same time, take a look at the “Godfather Mud Ghost” the grey rat spirit had mentioned.

“I was just thinking the same thing. Now that you're fully recovered, Eldest Daughter, it's high time to go pay your respects at the temple and pray for the gods' blessings.”

Chen Jingui agreed wholeheartedly:

“In the past, our Dingyuan County's Lord City God was exceptionally efficacious. On the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, the incense never ceased.

Only, for some reason, after the temple underwent renovations, it stopped being as efficacious. After that, visitors gradually dwindled to almost none.”

Beside her, Nan Ye, who was carrying wine and dishes, nodded in agreement:

“Eldest Sister, do you remember how much you loved playing at this City God Temple when you were little?

Once, I got separated from you, and Father and Mother searched everywhere nearby without finding you. They thought a human trafficker had kidnapped you.

They searched all night, but in the end, it was the temple keeper who found you sleeping under the offering table.”

She pursed her lips into a smile. “Back then, you were still clutching a sweet pastry in your hand and wouldn't give it to anyone who asked!”

This question was a bit beyond Nan Zhi's syllabus.

She shook her head and replied, “I really don't remember. Perhaps the City God truly was showing his presence and let me sleep a night in the temple.”

This City God Temple was not large. Compared to Buddhist monasteries and Taoist temples where incense burned constantly, the pilgrims here were few and far between, giving it an exceptionally desolate air.

The temple had three courtyards in total from front to back. The foremost was where pilgrims worshipped, while the second was the main hall housing the golden body of the City God.

The rearmost courtyard was naturally the living quarters for the temple keeper and those cultivating in seclusion.

According to legend, this City God Temple had existed since the reign of the Great Zhou Emperor.

Later, as time flowed on and years flew by, Dingyuan County endured countless hardships, and the statues within the temple shifted with the changing eras.

Even the City God statue went from a gilded golden body to its current painted wooden form.

The statue possessed a divine presence. The long-bearded, long-haired City God sat upright on the divine seat, though large patches of paint had flaked off, exposing the wood grain beneath.

Beneath the altar, various ferocious Rakshasas assumed distinct postures, flanked by tall, mighty statues of armored Day and Night Wandering Gods guarding both sides, naturally inspiring a sense of unfathomable divine majesty.

There was only an old temple keeper in the temple, who had brought a stool to sit at the entrance of the main hall, stamping paper money.

His method of stamping paper money was quite peculiar: he first took a stack of yellow paper, then placed a copper coin on top.

Striking the coin with a small wooden mallet until round imprints formed on the yellow paper, he circled his palm in one direction and gave it a gentle twist—

The stack of yellow paper spread into a fan shape, every sheet bearing identical coin imprints.

And that was done.

Then he repeated the process.

The temple keeper seemed well advanced in age, his eyesight failing, so he kept his eyes squinted, yet his hands moved without the slightest mistake.

Seeing visitors arriving to offer incense, the old temple keeper pointed to the hall entrance and then to the large bundle of yellow paper before him, gesturing for the mother and daughters to help themselves.

In front of the hall entrance stood a lot-interpreting table holding an old black wooden cylinder filled with wooden lots indicating fortunes of every kind.

Nan Zhi stared at the 【Daily Fortune】 floating in midair for a good while before drawing a lot from the cylinder:

【Daily Fortune: Above Average. 'Dispersing clouds to see the sun; meeting an eminent benefactor brings good fortune.' Upon encountering a benefactor, the cultivator's wishes are bound to be fulfilled.】

【Luck +2 (Limited Time), Constitution +5 (Limited Time)】

【Congratulations, cultivator, on completing the daily divination. Achievement unlocked: “Divination to Question Fortune (I)”: Cultivation is fraught with hardships; foretelling fortune and misfortune is a daily necessity!】

【Obtained: Heavenly Treasure Tree Lottery Ticket ×2】

Drawing lots can actually increase stats?

Even if it was temporary, it was still extremely useful!

Nan Zhi's heart stirred. Holding up the lot's inscription, she asked the old temple keeper, “Elder, could you interpret this lot?”

Hearing someone address him, the old temple keeper sluggishly lifted his head:

“Little lady, lot interpretation is five wen a time. Whatever you draw is what you get. If you're not satisfied with the inscription—”

He waved a hand toward the dark cylinder. “Just draw another, though the copper coins are nonrefundable.”

That works too?

Nan Zhi was caught between laughter and tears. She tried to shake the cylinder again, but a crimson warning popped up in her vision:

【You have already drawn a lot today. Please come back tomorrow!】

She had no choice but to set down the cylinder with some regret and look around elsewhere.

“Wait a moment.”

The old temple keeper stared at her for a moment, then called out to stop the mother and daughters:

“There is a well in the temple with quite a history. Even in times of severe drought, that well has never run dry.

If the three of you have time, go take a look by the well. The weather is dry and hot today, like fire in one's throat; it would do you well to draw some water to drink.”

“There's still water in that well? Ah, right, right! That well water...”

Chen Jingui knew of the well and was somewhat surprised. But recalling something, she mysteriously took her two daughters by the hand to head to the back courtyard for a look.

Nan Zhi turned back to look at the old temple keeper, only to find he had lowered his head again to stamp paper money, as if he had merely spoken in passing.

...

The temple keeper hadn't lied. There really was a well in the back courtyard. The mouth of the well was swept spotless, and a red cloth ribbon was tied to the drawing bucket.

Together, the mother and daughters hauled up a bucket of water. The well water was clear, sweet, and crisp, emitting wisps of chill despite the sweltering heat.

Nan Zhi took a sip and found no stat bonuses on her character panel, unable to hide a hint of disappointment.

She had overthought it. The old temple keeper probably just noticed they looked thirsty and gave a helpful pointer, nothing more.

“This well water used to be quite famous!”

Seeing both her daughters drink the well water, Chen Jingui said with enthusiasm:

“Back when this City God Temple was still efficacious, many wealthy households would fetch water from here to drink at home.

They say young maidens who drink this water receive the blessings of Yuelao—not only growing prettier and prettier, but also having their marriages proceed without a hitch!”

With that, she sighed, “A pity we didn't bring a bucket. From now on, I should have both of you wash your faces with this water every day.”

Only now did Nan Zhi understand why Chen Jingui had been so excited earlier. She couldn't help interrupting:

“Mother, even though Old Man Under the Moon presides over all marriages under heaven, this well belongs to the City God Temple. The two have nothing to do with each other. At most, it's just cooler and tastier than water elsewhere; it has no magical effect.”

“May the gods forgive us, may the gods forgive us! Our Eldest Daughter knows no better, please take no offense!”

Chen Jingui wouldn't hear a word of it. Clasping her hands, she bowed in all four directions, then scolded Nan Zhi with a glare:

“You child, how could you talk about the gods behind their backs? Watch out, or the gods might get angry and marry you off to an ugly, impoverished night-soil collector!”

Having said that, she recalled something else and lowered her voice:

“You've learned mystical skills and can afford not to marry, but what about your sister? Even if she can't marry some highborn nobleman, marrying into a well-off family later on means she won't have to suffer.

No, I must go ask the temple keeper to borrow a bucket. At worst, we'll just return it another day.”

With that, she pulled her two daughters to head back, but Nan Zhi took a step back:

“Marriage is a matter of destiny; only when the time is right does true fate arrive. If one looks solely at family status, who knows how much hardship she might suffer?

There's no rush for Second Sister's marriage. Mother, I still need to pay respects to the Lord City God, so why don't you and Second Sister go together?”