I changed the world.

Page 277

The journey into the mountains was not easy, especially with the old Celestial Master being carried. The procession did not move quickly because the Celestial Master had a wide following in the Danding Mountain area. In order to avoid gatherings of believers, the procession even consciously avoided passing pedestrians. Even so, there were still incidents where people recognized the old Celestial Master. The procession stopped several times, and only after responding to their requests to be comforted and blessed did they continue on their way.

At 14 p.m., the group finally arrived at the dilapidated earth god temple at the foot of Zhebi Peak.

“Master, this is the place I was referring to. Why don’t we rest here for a while longer? We’ll be climbing the mountain soon.” Guan Zeping, who was walking ahead, turned around when he saw the Earth God Temple and came to Zhang Sicheng’s chair, speaking respectfully.

Along the way, especially with the constant shifts in carrying Zhang Sicheng, most of the accompanying disciples were already sweating profusely. Besides Zhang Sicheng, the highest-ranking member of the group was his eldest disciple, Fan Zeqing. Although he was well-preserved, he was still over sixty years old. Hearing Guan Zeping's words, he chimed in, "Master, shall we rest here for a while?"

Although Zhang Sicheng had not walked the entire way, he had been sitting in a chair and rocking back and forth, which was not an easy thing for an old man. His face was pale at this moment. When he heard the two disciples' suggestion, he immediately nodded and said, "Then let's rest here, take a break, and have some food and water."

A short while later, the group stopped in front of the Earth God Temple. Fan Zeqing and Guan Zeping helped the old Celestial Master down from the chair and helped him sit down on a rock covered with blue cloth outside the temple gate. They served him tea and let him rest for a while. The old Celestial Master waved away the disciples who wanted to help him and walked straight to the Earth God Temple.

This earth god temple is clearly abandoned; there is no temple door, and the offering table inside is empty, with a clay statue of indistinct color sitting on it.

Zhang Sicheng looked around the temple, squinted at the statue on the altar, nodded slightly, and then turned and walked out.

Strangely enough, as we walked this far, the weather was kind to us. It had been a bright and sunny day, but suddenly a thick fog rolled in, and in the blink of an eye, the surroundings were filled with mist...

Chapter 535 The Celestial Master Goes Up the Mountain (Part 2)

But then, from within the mist, an old man with white hair, dressed in an earth-yellow robe and leaning on a gnarled wooden staff, appeared out of nowhere. He seemed to walk unsteadily, but his steps were actually swift. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived at the temple gate.

The old man was not tall, a head shorter than Zhang Sicheng, and at first glance, he looked like an old farmer commonly seen in the countryside. Before Zhang Sicheng and the other disciples could recover, the old man had already come to Zhang Sicheng's side. He stood still, solemnly cupped his hands and bowed deeply. His wooden cane, which had no support at the moment, did not fall down, but stood upright beside him.

"This humble deity greets the contemporary Celestial Master Zhang. The Celestial Master's presence at my humble temple is truly an honor." As the old man spoke, the chipped lamp hanging on the wall next to the gloomy and dilapidated earth god temple suddenly ignited without any wind. Strangely, the lamp was already out of oil.

Zhang Sicheng's mind was naturally not on the lamp. Although he was old, he wasn't hard of hearing and clearly heard the old man before him refer to himself as "a minor deity." Coupled with the old man's truly eerie appearance, he gasped in shock. Not daring to be presumptuous, he returned the greeting with a bow, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. He smiled and said, "Greetings, sir! Could it be that you are from this temple...?"

Zhang Sicheng deliberately spoke vaguely, and sure enough, the old man immediately replied with a smile, "This old man is the local earth god, and I usually work under the tutelage of that great master on the mountain. I am truly delighted to see the Celestial Master here today, so I have taken the liberty of coming out to meet you. I hope the Celestial Master will not take offense." As he spoke, the old man bowed again, his posture extremely humble.

With Zhang Sicheng's shrewdness, he could roughly tell that the old man probably wanted to befriend him. Given his status, he often encountered such people, but this time was different—this was a "deity"!

Don't underestimate the power of the land!

In Dazhao, the current emperor holds an annual sacrificial ceremony to the land of the four directions, which is the official national ceremony!

Furthermore, upon hearing the Earth God address the reclusive master on the mountain as "Master," his perception of that person immediately rose to a higher level.

Thinking this to himself, but showing no sign on his face, Zhang Sicheng immediately smiled and said, "What are you saying, Earth God? We are both in the Dan Ding Mountain area. In fact, you should have come to visit me long ago."

"Master, you flatter me too much..." The old man seemed quite flattered and enthusiastically gestured towards the temple: "It is rare for you to come here, Master. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of warm tea? Let me do my duty as a host."

Zhang Sicheng's heart stirred, and he immediately smiled and said, "Since the local earth god has extended such a warm invitation, then I shall follow the host's lead! Please..."

Upon hearing Zhang Sicheng's words, the local earth god beamed with joy and gestured for them to enter the temple. Zhang Sicheng followed beside him and turned around as well. As he turned, Zhang Sicheng subtly gestured to his eldest disciple Fan Zeqing and the others, signaling them to stand guard outside the door.

"Speaking of this temple, it has been more than three hundred years since then. Back then, it was a wealthy family from the nearby Huangjia Village who funded its reconstruction. I live here to ensure that they have good weather and are protected from disasters and evil spirits..." The local earth god entered the temple and pointed to the walls and windows, rambling on and on, introducing to Zhang Sicheng who donated some of the items and who renovated them. It was clear that he had a deep affection for this small temple.

Although Zhang Sicheng didn't actually feel anything about it, he still pretended to be very interested. He asked a few questions from time to time, but didn't mention the dilapidated state of the temple at all. The atmosphere was harmonious.

After rambling on for a while, the local earth god seemed to belatedly realize something and slapped his forehead, apologizing, "Master, you're still standing here, there's not even a place to sit. This is not how you treat a guest."