He thus arrived early at Tongwen House.
Tongwen House had opened early.
When Chen Ku reached Tongwen House, Jiang Shaoyou ca out to et him. Upon seeing Chen Ku, he exclaid in surprise and relief, "Junior Brother Chen, you had worried. You didn’t show up at the ferry on New Year’s Eve, and I feared sothing had happened to you. I even visited your ho on the first day of the New Year. Your family told you had been sleeping soundly at ho. I was so concerned, but now seeing you so vigorous, your eyes even more spirited than before..."
Mid-sentence, he took a closer look at Chen Ku’s eyes and suddenly exclaid in shock, "Junior Brother, your gaze is so bright! This looks like the sign of having broken through the First Layer of the Mystic Barrier!"
Chen Ku didn’t hide the truth and took this opportunity to brush over the many events of New Year’s Eve, saying, "I am ashad to say that these past few days, I indeed had the good fortune of making a breakthrough to the Mystic Barrier. It was because of this that I missed our appointnt."
Upon hearing Chen Ku’s admission of entering the Mystic Barrier, Jiang Shaoyou’s face showed his astonishnt.
"You really broke through the Mystic Barrier."
The next mont, his eyes filled with extre envy, he said, "Junior Brother, you are too extraordinary, what an anomaly! I rember your birthday is in the sumr, and this... to reach the Mystic Barrier at seventeen! With your Qualifications and Root Bone, you are truly in the ranks of the Outstanding."
"I hope you won’t take offense for missing our appointnt," Chen Ku continued to apologize.
"What are you talking about? Your breakthrough is of utmost importance," Jiang Shaoyou said. "However, it is a pity you weren’t there on New Year’s Eve. My family servants and I actually caught a Second Realm Year Beast. It’s too bad you couldn’t join. You could have had a share of the Demon at. Aside from being valued at over a thousand taels, it would have greatly benefited your Cultivation."
"That’s too bad indeed," Chen Ku expressed regret.
With Jiang Shaoyou’s ntion, he couldn’t help but think of his Third Realm Demon at. Selling it would certainly bring in a good sum of money, but... it would be better to wait for the Flower Fox Mink to return and feed it to the mink to further its Cultivation.
A Flower Fox Mink of the Second Realm eating the at of a Third Realm Year Beast, he estimated, should allow it to progress greatly...
While Chen Ku and Jiang Shaoyou were chatting, suddenly, a succession of gongs, drums, and firecrackers were heard on this street of antiques and calligraphy shops. Before long, the sounds of firecrackers and drums had stopped right outside Tongwen House.
Then, from outside ca the shouting, "The City God is on parade, inspecting the realm! May there be favorable winds and rain, and peace and prosperity for the state and the people!"
"Ah, it’s the City God Lord on parade. Junior Brother, co with to have a look," Jiang Shaoyou said, suddenly becoming excited upon hearing the announcent.
Moved by curiosity, Chen Ku followed him outside.
Upon reaching the storefront, they saw that on the street outside, the citizens had already lined up on both sides. After a bout of firecrackers, a procession started to approach.
The one leading the way was an old man carrying a "Guide Incense," his face painted with colored grease, his waist wrapped in a red belt, banging gongs to clear the way.
Behind him, there were even signs being held up that said "Avoid" and "Quiet."
Following the signs was a large sedan chair carried by eight people, with a Shrine inside. In front of the Shrine, soone was holding up a divine position plaque that read:
"Daji Imperial Conferral: Baojiao County Man Duan Mingbi, City God."
Chen Ku had heard about the City God of Baojiao County before; on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month last year, which was also the City God Festival, it seed that it was this City God Duan’s birthday.
He watched the bustling City God Parade Team pass through the street.
Then, out of the blue, he heard Jiang Shaoyou say to soone inside the shop, "Prepare One Hundred Taels of silver; it’ll have to be given out soon."
Chen Ku was a bit surprised and said, "We have to give money, too?"
Jiang Shaoyou whispered, "It’s an unspoken rule now. Every year, on the fifth day of the lunar new year and the City God Festival, it’s the ’day for the renovation of the City God Temple.’ The county offices won’t say every household. However, at least families with so property should conscientiously ’donate’ so Incense money to the City God Temple. They call it ’Incense money,’ but it’s essentially a donation tax."
Chen Ku frowned and said in disbelief, "Isn’t taxation a matter for the Imperial Court? The City God Temple collects taxes too?"
Jiang Shaoyou shook his head and explained, "Junior Brother, you are unaware. Although our Daji Dynasty has abolished the Hundred Schools, Odd Techniques, Spell and Cult, to avoid disturbing the faith in people’s hearts, the Imperial Court has established state-sanctioned deities for worship, such as the ’City God’ and ’Land God,’ who are True Gods sealed by the Imperial Court. Generally, they are posthumously granted noble titles to individuals who have made ritorious contributions to the Imperial Court, or local individuals with high moral standing and reputation, who are posthumously conferred as the City God after death."
"Conferred titles? The City God has a title?" Chen Ku heard of such a thing for the first ti.
Jiang Shaoyou explained, "Of course. Our Daji Dynasty’s noble titles consist of nine ranks, which are, in order from highest to lowest: King, Commandery Prince, Duke of the State, Duke, County Duke, County Marquis, County Earl, County Son, and County Man."
"There are two types of imperial conferrals.
One type is for the living, who are bestowed nobility. Generally, these are imperial relatives and founding heroes. Even the lowest ninth rank, the County Man, could make ninety-nine percent of the Officials in the dynasty bow and pay respects. They would also enjoy ’feudal fiefs,’ aning tax revenue. For example, the smallest County Man rank could take control of a town like Snake Fish Town’s tax revenue, effectively handing the taxes over to this noble lord.
The second type is for certain posthumously conferred titles. This kind of title brings only renown, without feudal fiefs. Take our Baojiao County’s City God Lord, for instance. In life, he was a General who had died in battle. After his death, he was posthumously conferred the title ’County Man’ and beca the City God of Baojiao County. The ninth day of the ninth month is his birthday."
"Despite being posthumously ennobled, he still has a title and is the City God of a county. His descendants naturally beca the Chief Temple Priests of the City God Temple. Although they don’t have the tax revenue from feudal fiefs to support their lineage, relying on the ninth-ranked City God title conferred by the Imperial Court, they are, after all, ennobled by the state. When they annually ask for ’Donation Deeds’ to ’renovate’ the temple, who would dare refuse? That would be disrespectful to the City God, disrespectful to the nobility. If the City God Temple submitted a letter to the county governnt office, a re thirty strikes with a stick would be considered light. Worse still is...
Even though the Imperial Court-conferred City Gods are deceased, they still receive incense offerings and can be sowhat efficacious, making it all the more daunting not to offer contributions."
"Efficacious?"
Chen Ku couldn’t help asking in surprise, "Does that an the City God Lord is aware? Doesn’t the Daji Dynasty forbid the existence of Evil Gods and Evil God Spells?"
"Those are Evil Path Spells that have been eliminated. The City God is not an Evil Skill, but a True God ant to protect the city, linked to the nation’s destiny, an Imperial Court’s conferral, different from the Evil Gods worshiped by Demon People who reject the Imperial Court’s authority. The True Gods of the Imperial Court are confined to their conferred duty; they are born to it and die to it. The Imperial Court’s conferral, linked to the nation’s destiny, is the very root of their existence. Should the day co to revoke their nobility and their divine status, it would be just a decree away," said Jiang Shaoyou.
That makes sense. Whether sothing is an Evil Skill or not depends on its usefulness to Daji. If it is wholly obedient to the state, bred and sealed by the state, with its life and death at their fingertips, not only does it pacify the populace and guide their faith, but it also allows them to control a group of ’True Gods’ that can be used to counteract Heterodox Demon Art; indeed, it’s a bargain.
It was at this mont, while he mused over these thoughts, that suddenly:
[City God Duan Mingbi: The Diagram Master warns that he will inflict three days of misfortune upon you. This is detrintal and has generated Evil Qi. Kill him to obtain the Evil Qi.]
Chen Ku was startled.
What the hell?
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