Xiaoliu filled the wine, and the jug of Autumn Moon Brew on the table was also emptied.
In the short ti they spent drinking, Chen Changsheng and Old Man Zhang chatted about many things, mostly old stories.
Old Man Zhang spoke of their first eting, how Mr. Chen teased him back then. He was only eighteen or nineteen at the ti. Then he ntioned when he was around forty, how he gradually grew afraid because Chen Changsheng hadn’t aged. He seed to have never run out of things to say…
Xiaoliu found it strange, muttering to himself: “So weird, the manager never used to talk this much before.”
Chen Changsheng stood up and took the Wine Gourd in hand.
He rose to his feet. His steps were a bit unsteady as he said, “I’ll see you off, sir.”
“You’d better stay sitting.”
Chen Changsheng said, “If your legs are bad, move less.”
Old Man Zhang grinned, saying, “If I don’t move, that ans I’m dead.”
Chen Changsheng just looked at him and smiled. Holding the Wine Gourd, he said, “I’m leaving.”
Old Man Zhang walked him to the door and said, “Take care, Mr. Chen.”
Xiaoliu stood beside Old Man Zhang, also watching the gentleman stepping out.
To be honest, he’d never seen anyone with such an aura before. Neither the highest officials (“Masters”) nor famous scholars felt as comfortable to look at as this gentleman.
Old Man Zhang paused, then called out, “Will you co again, sir?”
Chen Changsheng stopped at these words and turned around.
“Yes!”
Old Man Zhang smiled again.
Chen Changsheng returned the smile and walked away with the Wine Gourd.
As he walked, he felt a little happy inside.
Over all these years, he had hardly any friends. And Old Man Zhang, who used to fear him, now considered him a friend.
That was a good thing. A very, very good thing.
Xiaoliu asked, “Manager, this gentleman seems really different.”
Old Man Zhang watched Chen Changsheng’s receding back and said, “If he were the sa, he wouldn’t be Mr. Chen.”
Xiaoliu kind of understood, kind of didn’t. “The sa as what? Different from what? Manager, I don’t quite get it.”
Old Man Zhang said, “You’ll understand soday.”
Chen Changsheng’s figure vanished along the street.
Old Man Zhang slowly snapped out of it. He thought for a mont, then said to Xiaoliu beside him, “Co inside with .”
Xiaoliu nodded and obediently followed behind Old Man Zhang.
He had no idea what he was about to face.
But after that day,
Xiaoliu beca Zhang Xiaoliu.
…
Chen Changsheng had just left the tavern. He originally planned to visit Flowing Cloud Temple, wondering if Xuan Huang was still on the mountain.
But before he even left the market area, he was stopped by several patrolling figures.
Two Day Patrol officers wearing Faceless Masks approached Chen Changsheng and bowed respectfully.
“Might we ask if this is Mr. Chen?”
Chen Changsheng looked at the patrollers before him and quickly returned the bow. “That’s .”
Seeing Chen Changsheng so polite, the two patrol officers instantly lowered their hands and heads further. “The City God ordered us to invite Mr. Chen to a feast.”
“Well…”
Seeing them so reverent made Chen Changsheng feel a bit uncomfortable.
Since the City God had sent n personally, he couldn’t refuse the goodwill. But Flowing Cloud Temple would have to wait for another ti.
“Then I’ll trouble you two officers to lead the way.”
“This way, sir.”
Chen Changsheng thus followed the two patrol officers towards the City God Temple of Autumn Moon Market.
The patrol officer spoke up along the way: “If any Governnt Officers block our way on the road, sir, just say ‘I’ve co today to attend the feast.’ The officers will let you pass.”
Chen Changsheng nodded. “Alright.”
Autumn Moon Market wasn’t actually very big, totaling just over a hundred households. After crossing a stone bridge, the City God Temple ca into view.
But as they neared the temple, Chen Changsheng was stopped by several Governnt Officers.
“Halt!”
The officers, swords at their waists, had grim expressions. “By order of the Yan, no one is allowed near the City God Temple!”
Chen Changsheng glanced at the two patrol officers beside him.
Though the patrol officers stood flanking Chen Changsheng, the Governnt Officers could only see Chen Changsheng alone.
Chen Changsheng answered as the patrol officer had instructed: “I, Chen, have co today to attend the feast.”
The officers exchanged glances and started to discuss.
“Is it him?”
“It must be. That’s what the County Magistrate said before.”
“Shall we let him through?”
Chen Changsheng looked at them. “May I pass?”
The officers looked left and right, then stepped aside to make way.
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng said, “Thank you.”
With that, he walked past the group of officers.
The patrolling officers, anwhile, passed right through the officers’ bodies and kept pace with Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng asked, “Why are there officers blocking the way?”
The patrol officer answered, “Sir, you may not know, but the temple always has worshippers. Knowing you were coming, the City God inford the County Magistrate in advance to seal off the area around the temple.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “Inford him? How do ghosts and deities appear before mortals?”
“Of course we cannot appear physically,” the patrol officer replied. “The City God personally dictated a dream.”
The patrol officer said it calmly, as if it were nothing unusual. But Chen Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing it.
Dictating a dream…
That was the power of ghosts and deities.
Today, the City God Temple’s main gate was tightly shut, and worshippers were not allowed inside.
By the ti Chen Changsheng arrived, the City God of Autumn Moon Market was already waiting at the temple entrance to welco him.
The City God of Autumn Moon Market had a white beard and wore yellow and blue robes. His face was stern and imposing. But when he saw Chen Changsheng, that imposing air vanished completely.
Chen Changsheng brushed his sleeves and bowed. “Chen Changsheng pays his respects to the City God.”
The City God was startled and rushed forward to support Chen Changsheng. “I wouldn’t dare! It should be I, your humble deity, paying respects to you, sir.”
“I…”
Seeing the City God’s deference, Chen Changsheng felt perplexed.
Had sothing gone wrong sowhere?
Even if he was mistaken for so enlightened master, why was a City God showing him this much courtesy?
The City God then invited him, “The City God of Autumn Moon Market, Mao Gongjiu, begs sir to take the seat of honor at the feast!”
Chen Changsheng sighed inwardly, thinking the misunderstanding was huge. But he steeled himself and continued the charade. “City God first, please.”
“No, no,” the City God insisted. “You first, sir.”
Faced with this situation, Chen Changsheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Yin Attendants pushed open the temple doors. Chen Changsheng had no choice but to step forward first, entering the temple.
The Governnt Officers who had let him pass earlier never once glanced back.
The County Magistrate had given a strict order: no one was allowed to look back. Therefore, they saw nothing.
On a distant bridge, however, a boy dressed in sacking rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.
“The door… opened by itself?” The boy was stunned. He hurried back ho.
He was a bit scared.
Entering the City God Temple, Chen Changsheng saw a table laden with fine wine and dishes already set up.
The City God dismissed the Yin Attendants. In an instant, the courtyard held only Chen Changsheng and the City God.
After sitting down, Chen Changsheng felt sowhat uneasy.
As a re Mortal, facing a City God still brought so pressure.
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Once seated, the City God smiled. “Sir gracing us with your presence today is a blessing for the Autumn Moon Market City God Temple.”
“City God overpraises .”
Chen Changsheng gave a helpless smile. “I, Chen, don’t have such great abilities.” Thɪs chapter is updated by novel_fіre
The City God rely took it as Chen Changsheng’s habitual modesty, paying it no mind.
Then the City God poured wine for Chen Changsheng.
Only then did Chen Changsheng notice that the City God had solid hands, unlike the Yin Attendants and Patrolling Wanderers. He also had real legs.
He felt confused.
When they had entered earlier, he hadn’t seen any legs.
How odd.
Do ghosts and deities also have physical forms?
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