Inside the room, a large crowd was kneeling on the floor.
Yun Shu's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she held a green orchid. Her skirt remained perfectly still, and her plain silk veil draped down like smoke.
Watching this display of deep mortal affection, she knew the moment she had been waiting for had arrived.
Then, she decisively activated her Dream-Entering skill, unleashing the celestial phenomenon she had prepared in advance.
In the next second, the sky outside the window changed.
A thread of golden light slowly bled across the horizon, painting the originally gloomy sky bright, inch by inch.
Everyone was stunned by this miraculous sight. They raised their heads in unison to look at the sky, almost forgetting to breathe.
The Divine Lady seemed to sense something and walked toward the window.
Immediately after, the window frame swung open on its own before everyone's eyes.
【Cheng Ji Shock Value +100】
【Ye Qingqing Shock Value +100】
【Lin Xun Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 295,100】
After pushing open the window and helping Yun Shu put on another impressive show to earn a tidy sum, the system scurried back to her side.
Shen Yu was the first to snap out of it. “Divine Lady, are you performing a celestial spell?”
The Divine Lady remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “This phenomenon is not of my doing, but rather a response from the heavens.”
Her gaze swept across Cheng Ji, Shen Yu, Lin Xun, and then over the dozen or so red-eyed subordinate officials.
“Your selflessness and willingness to sacrifice your own merit to save another's life—this intent and thought has reached the ears of the heavens.”
Of course, she was just making this up.
This included the concepts of reincarnation, the virtuous soul of ten lifetimes, using merit to alter a fated death, and so on...
Yes, that was right—she had fabricated all of it.
Ever since transmigrating into this novel's world, everything she said to its inhabitants was three parts truth and seven parts fabrication.
If her lies were ever exposed, her credit rating would probably be so low that she wouldn't even be able to rent a shared bicycle in this world.
Oh, right, this was ancient times. There were no shared bicycles.
Then never mind.
Speaking of shared bicycles, she suddenly remembered the cement formula and steelmaking methods she had obtained from Luo Daoqing's memory.
Luo Daoqing had terrible character, but the STEM knowledge in his brain was incredibly solid, perfectly compensating for her complete lack of understanding in the field.
It could be considered putting everything to good use.
Once the plague in Yecheng was resolved and Cheng Ji submitted to her, she would naturally bring Yecheng into her territory.
When that time came, she would have to find a way to put the cement formula and steelmaking methods into practice.
Especially the cement.
Although she had never done grassroots poverty alleviation work, she still knew the widely circulated saying.
“If you want to get rich, build roads first.”
Yecheng was not prosperous to begin with, and after this major epidemic, the lives of the commoners in the city would only become harder.
Since every household in Xindu had surplus grain and cotton-padded jackets, she would definitely have to send people from Xindu to popularize spinning machines, sweet potatoes, and cotton among the people of Yecheng.
Building roads would greatly shorten the travel time.
“Divine Lady, is there still hope for my wife?”
Cheng Ji looked anxiously at the unreadable Divine Lady, his hands clenching and unclenching, terrified of having his hopes shattered once more.
The Divine Lady opened her lips, her voice flowing like a clear melody. “Since even the heavens have been moved by you, I shall grant your wish.”
She gently waved the celestial herb in her hand.
“To save a life with merit, one must have undivided focus. Otherwise, once the golden light of merit leaves the body, it will scatter aimlessly like a headless fly.”
Before anyone could react, specks of golden light flew out of their bodies.
This was presumably the golden light of merit the Divine Lady had spoken of.
Someone looked down at their empty palms.
Even though nothing had physically changed, he inexplicably felt as though something had gone missing from his body.
The golden specks of light hovered in mid-air, initially circling their respective owners reluctantly.
But in the next instant, as if pulled by an invisible force, these golden lights suddenly scattered in all directions.
Some fell upon Ye Qingqing and her maid, A'tao.
Others, like lost young beasts, crashed into the corridor pillars and soundlessly dissolved into halos of golden stardust.
Most of them, however, seemed to have a destination in mind, fluttering and drifting toward the outside of the Governor's estate.
On the bed, Ye Qingqing's breathing gradually stabilized, and a faint hint of color returned to her deathly pale face.
The same went for her maid, A'tao, who was on the footstool.
Cheng Ji practically scrambled to the bedside, grabbing Ye Qingqing's hand.
“Qingqing, do you feel better?”
He called out in a trembling voice, his other hand gently brushing away the sweat-drenched hair from her forehead.
The moment his fingertips touched her forehead, he could clearly feel her body heat.
It was still hot, but much better than before.
“Zhongming...” Ye Qingqing's voice was hoarse and weak. “Don't worry, I feel much better already...”
Before she could finish, she let out a soft cough.
The cough jarred her chest, dull and painful, causing her brow to furrow slightly.
Cheng Ji supported her and couldn't help but ask, “Divine Lady, why hasn't my wife fully recovered?”
Lin Xun went to check the maid A'tao's pulse. Looking at her pulse condition, it had indeed only alleviated her symptoms.
“Divine Lady, is it because our hearts were not sincere?”
The Divine Lady did not answer immediately but instead looked out the window.
At this moment, a bizarre scene was unfolding in Yecheng.
The old blacksmith with a persistent high fever in the blacksmith shop in the west of the city, the grandson of the old woman who sold tofu in the east of the city who kept coughing up blood, the school children in the southern academy who had mostly fallen ill...
Every citizen who was gravely ill and hanging on by a thread saw countless specks of golden light flying from the direction of the Governor's estate at the exact same moment. Like a silent golden rain, they quietly merged into their bodies.
Then, a miracle occurred.
These critically ill patients, who had been struggling on the brink of death, saw their conditions gradually improve.
Although not a single person was fully cured, everyone was out of immediate mortal danger.
The citizens in the city were disbelieving at first, but eventually, they knelt one after another toward the Governor's estate.
They kowtowed like pounding garlic, their weeping, laughter, and prayers to the gods and Buddhas mingling together.
【Cheng Ji Shock Value +100】
【Ye Qingqing Shock Value +100】
【Zhang Da Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 366,100】
The Divine Lady withdrew her gaze and turned to look at Cheng Ji and the others, her fingertips gently brushing a dewdrop on the celestial herb.
“You had stray thoughts just now.”
These words fell into the quiet room like a pebble dropped into still water, stirring up ripples.
Everyone exchanged glances.
Some looked down at their palms, some looked around in a daze, and others' faces turned pale and red by turns.
After a moment of silence, whispers welled up from all directions like a tide.
“What stray thoughts? I wasn't thinking of anything...”
“I... I thought of... my gravely ill mother at home...”
“Just now... just now... I did indeed think that it would be wonderful if this golden light could heal the city's commoners as well.”
The discussions grew louder and louder. Some were vexed, some self-reproachful, some uneasy...
Yun Shu was highly satisfied with their reactions.
One person might be able to achieve undivided focus, but how could a group of people ensure that every single one of them had no stray thoughts?
Now, she had another excuse to make things up.
Rate on N.U.
