The afternoon sunlight spilled into the small courtyard.
Yun Shu lay on a bamboo rocking chair, her eyes half-closed, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
She wore a set of black martial arts attire, her silken black hair tied high with a red cord, looking like an ordinary female wanderer.
If there was anything different about her, it was the laziness and detachment that emanated from her very bones.
On the small table beside the rocking chair sat a plate of osmanthus cakes, freshly bought from the street this morning.
Seeing that Yun Shu seemed to be napping, the little fox stealthily extended a wicked paw toward the plate of osmanthus cakes.
“System.” Without even opening her eyes, Yun Shu precisely pinched the system’s little paw. “If I remember correctly, you finished your plate this morning. This one is mine.”
The little fox laughed awkwardly and said, “Host, I just wanted to help you test if these osmanthus cakes had expired.”
“How is the task I gave you coming along?”
Yun Shu slowly opened her eyes, her finger tapping rhythmically on the armrest of the rocking chair as if she were deep in thought.
The little fox jumped into Yun Shu’s arms. “Host, I’ve already installed surveillance in Yecheng as you instructed. We can see every single movement in Yecheng with perfect clarity.”
Yun Shu had given it a lot of Shock Value. Originally, it wanted to buy a few beautiful skins, but somehow, it ended up spending it all on upgrading its own system functions.
It could feel that Yun Shu was always very tired, having to maintain high mental tension every day to act and deal with so many people, so it wanted to help her more and make things easier for her.
Thinking of this, it added another detail.
“By the way, Host.”
“I’ve also placed Luo Daoqing under heavy surveillance. He’s likely suffered too much of a shock and has shut himself away. He’s afraid whenever he sees people now, and his overall state is very poor. He might even commit suicide.”
Yun Shu lowered her eyes and thought for a moment before saying, “Watch him. Don’t let him die, but don’t let him come out and cause trouble either.”
In three days, a plague would break out in Yecheng, and not a single citizen would be spared. If it wasn’t properly controlled, Xindu City and the surrounding prefectures would also be affected.
If she wanted to maximize her gains, she should wait until the plague in Yecheng fully erupted before appearing to save the world.
But she could not do that.
If she didn’t know about it, she would be powerless. But since she knew in advance, she only wanted to save as many people as possible within her ability.
For now, she had to seize the time to take Yecheng and then find a way to reduce the harm of this plague.
Therefore, she simply had no time to worry about Luo Daoqing.
The little fox raised its head proudly. “Host, I’ve already implanted a chip into Luo Daoqing’s brainwaves. If he starts talking nonsense, I can mute him immediately.”
Upgrading the system functions cost quite a bit of Shock Value, but as its host said, you get what you pay for.
“Well done. Your reward is a plate of osmanthus cakes.” Yun Shu handed the cloyingly sweet plate of cakes to the little fox.
Originally, she had been thinking.
If Luo Daoqing became uncontrollable, she would have to painfully discard his brain and send him to his next reincarnation early.
“Host, these osmanthus cakes are so delicious, yet you didn’t eat a single bite yourself and gave them all to me.”
The system’s eyes grew watery. “You’re too good to me.”
Yun Shu didn’t tell the system that the reason she didn’t eat them was actually because she found them too sweet. “Alright, open the monitor. Let me see if Shen Yu and the others have reached a decision.”
Right now, she was essentially racing against time. Every day delayed meant more danger for the people of Yecheng.
However, a deity’s entry into the mortal world could not be handled carelessly; otherwise, it could easily trigger a chain reaction with unthinkable consequences.
Sigh.
The system panel slowly unfurled before Yun Shu’s eyes, and the image soon settled on the main hall of the Governor’s mansion.
At this moment.
The main hall was as noisy as a marketplace.
More than a dozen people sat around a round table, all familiar faces. Besides the Shen brothers, there were also Pei Du, Lu Sui, Pei Wanning, Zhang Qiaoniang, Su Aheng, Feng Chunya, and others.
Even the young Cui He was present.
Countless papers covered in writing were spread across the table. The tea in the cups grew cold and was refilled, then grew cold again, as no one had the time to drink it.
“Propriety must come first.” Pei Du set the tea bowl in his hand onto the table, the porcelain base making a crisp clack. “The Divine Lady saved the people from fire and water, granting life-saving grain and clothes to ward off the cold. If we want to keep Her in the mortal realm this time, we must let Her see our utmost sincerity. There must be no negligence.”
“Zirang, the Divine Lady does not consume the offerings of the mortal realm, nor does She need a temple or a golden statue. What kind of propriety should we use to let the Divine Lady see our sincerity?”
Shen Jue’s question hit the nail on the head.
Everyone turned their gaze toward Pei Du.
Despite being watched by everyone, Pei Du remained calm.
He spoke in a measured tone. “General Shen, propriety does not necessarily mean building golden statues and temples or offering incense.”
“In my opinion, it would be better to follow A’Ning’s method. We should select the best sweet potato seeds and present the newly made high-quality cotton-padded jackets, cotton cloth, and other textiles to the Divine Lady with the most grand ceremony. Let the Divine Lady know that we, Her believers, have never failed Her mercy.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall erupted. Everyone began to speak at once, each holding their own opinion, and the sound of debate rose and fell.
“Uncle, you are being too conservative. Simply presenting gifts to the Divine Lady will likely not move Her.” Pei Wanning met Pei Du’s gaze without any fear. “If presenting gifts were enough, the Divine Lady would have agreed to stay in the mortal realm yesterday.”
“In my view, it would be better to ask Lord Spirit Fox for instructions and invite the Divine Lady to travel to Xindu City.”
“Let the Divine Lady see with Her own eyes how the sweet potatoes She granted have ensured that every household has surplus grain, and how the cotton She granted has been turned into clothes to ward off the cold by the hands of the people.”
“That is the most persuasive form of sincerity!”
“A’Ning, no. This method is too radical.” Pei Du couldn’t help but frown. “Have you considered what would happen if such a grand disturbance offends the Divine Lady and produces the opposite effect?”
The debate in the hall grew more intense.
Some agreed with the conservative strategy proposed by Pei Du, believing that sincere gifts were the only way to show respect. Others strongly supported Pei Wanning’s bold plan, feeling that seeing is believing.
Both sides held their ground, refusing to yield.
In particular, the uncle and niece, Pei Du and Pei Wanning, even forgot each other’s status as they argued until they were red in the face.
In the end, no one dared to make the final call and settle on a decision.
There was only one chance.
No one could afford the price of failure.
Seeing this, Yun Shu turned off the system panel, stood up, and went to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat.
Just as she was about to go out for a casual stroll, she opened the courtyard gate and saw Shen Jue standing there like a pillar.
She was startled for a moment, then leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her voice full of undisguised mockery. “Oh, it’s you, pretty boy. Haven’t you had enough of a beating last time?”
Thinking about how the system said the male lead’s Favorability had risen a bit, she couldn’t help but consider whether she should beat him again.
Shen Jue’s face was as dark as water as he said in a deep voice, “Where did you learn the techniques you used last time?”
That night, after losing to the woman before him, he had pondered for a long time but could not figure out what techniques she had used.
It wasn’t until yesterday, while slaying the foul energy inside the demon dragon, that he noticed a clue. The techniques this woman used were clearly identical to the celestial martial arts the Divine Lady had bestowed upon them!
Rate on N.U.
