127: Belated fatigue

"You're practically forcing honest people to make mistakes!"

Lin Chuping currently has fewer than 3,000 followers, including both humans and demons, and earns less than 20,000 Incense Value daily on average.

Worshiping deities is not a necessity for ordinary Mortals.

Just like Li Fu, the blacksmith at the village entrance, who always comes to offer incense on the first and fifteenth of each month, but is busy forging iron and supporting his family on other days;

Or Proprietor Wang of the steamed bun shop, who only thinks of praying to the gods when his business is not going well.

Even among the more devout followers, like Li Fu and Xu Tian, who come to offer incense daily, there aren't fifty such people in the entire Qingzhou.

Therefore, Lin Chuping's Incense Value income is not very stable.

On good days, it's fifty or sixty thousand; on bad days, it's less than ten thousand.

At this moment, Lin Chuping wished he could become an Incarnation of a juicer, squeezing every last drop of Incense Value from everyone, yet the System was still fanning the flames.

"Host, calm down, calm down."

Lin Chuping glared at the System interface, gritting his teeth, wishing he could stare a hole through the cold, glowing screen.

This guy really talks tough without feeling the pain.

"If only I could, like the Immortals written about in storybooks, occasionally manifest a miracle..."

Lin Chuping muttered to himself, then his eyes lit up, "That's right! I can..."

"Host, stop that thought."

The System's mechanical voice suddenly became incredibly serious, even carrying a hint of warning.

Lin Chuping was startled, then pouted: "Why? I haven't even said what I'm thinking."

"You were just thinking, 'Should I introduce a few low-level demons to create some panic, forcing believers to pray to gods and Buddhas every day, so that the Incense Value can skyrocket' — weren't you?"

The System directly projected the scene in Lin Chuping's mind: several mountain imps wreaking havoc in the village, villagers fleeing in terror, rushing to the temple... Lin Chuping: "..."

Damn, this broken System can even monitor his internal mini-dramas?

He cleared his throat, attempting to argue.

"This is what I call 'crisis motivation,' appropriate pressure can promote the devoutness of believers... Look at those merchant caravans, they don't burn incense normally, but when they encounter mountain bandits, they know to pray to gods and Buddhas."

"Tong Ge, you know, there's a famous saying in modern times, 'No pressure, no motivation'..."

Moreover, this method wasn't his own invention; many ancient generals and ministers did the same to prevent the emperor from abandoning them once their usefulness was over.

Just think, if all the enemies were completely wiped out, wouldn't the emperor turn to deal with the meritorious officials?

So those clever people would always leave a few insignificant "small thieves" to cause a stir from time to time, just to let the emperor know — this empire cannot do without them!

It's all about the Dao of balance.

"Besides,"

The more Lin Chuping spoke, the more he felt he was making sense.

"Umbrella sellers wish it would rain every day; medicine sellers wish everyone would get sick. I still have a bottom line!"

"Host, you are playing with fire."

The System's mechanical voice suddenly rose an octave, "Once the Host is detected violating the rules, Incense Value will be deducted!"

"Wait! I was joking!"

Anything else was fine, but deducting Incense Value was absolutely not allowed.

Lin Chuping quickly waved his hands, "Tong Ge, calm down!"

Lin Chuping reluctantly withdrew those dangerous thoughts, deciding to honestly oversee his own development.

Forget it, I'd better check my jurisdiction first.

Maybe I can find business opportunities somewhere!

Thinking this, Lin Chuping transformed into a wisp of clear breeze, drifting over the villages and fields of Qingzhou.

At this time, most of the villagers were busy in the fields. Between the furrows, the villagers bent their backs, their rough palms gently stroking the green seedlings, their fingertips stained with fresh mud.

They squinted, removing weeds as carefully as if tidying a child's clothes, their sweat falling into the soil, splashing up tiny hopes.

As the sun climbed overhead, the entire field shimmered with stooped yet gentle figures, every crop silently growing and sprouting under their warm gaze.

The village scholar was teaching children to read, and the little ones were studying diligently, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

Doctor Sun was providing free medical care to the poor, muttering about "the benevolence of a healer" rather than "the blessings of the gods"... Lin Chuping stood on the ridge, the night wind rustling through the wheat waves.

He gazed at the scattered lights in the distant village and suddenly felt that his thoughts were somewhat fanatical.

"Tong Ge, you say... are we too impatient?"

"Host, you are too impatient, not this System."

After the System spoke, vivid scenes unfolded before Lin Chuping.

During the spring rain, an old farmer knelt on the field path, not to pray for rain, but to carefully calculate the optimal sowing time;

Cooling off on a summer night, a child pointed at the starry sky and asked his father, "Where do Immortals live?" The father smiled and said, "Immortals live in your heart";

During the autumn harvest, villagers placed the first bundle of rice ears before the local earth temple, their faces filled with heartfelt gratitude;

In the bitter cold of winter, a wanderer returned home, bowing deeply before the temple, tears welling in his eyes... "The four seasons Reincarnate, all things have their time."

The System finally spoke, its voice softer than usual, "Divine Power is like the spring breeze and nourishing rain, silently moistening all things."

Lin Chuping nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand."

He said softly, "A god should not deprive Mortals of their own chance to grow. It's like..."

He pointed to a family in the distance, where a mother was teaching her child to walk, "We can lend a hand when the child is about to fall, but we cannot take every step for him."

"Correct."

"You humans have a good saying: 'As the heavens maintain vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement.'"

Lin Chuping turned to look at his own earth temple.

Under the moonlight, the temple appeared exceptionally serene.

For some reason, Lin Chuping felt a belated weariness.

He suddenly just wanted to be quiet, to do nothing at all.

Lin Chuping returned to the earth temple, where moonlight cast dappled shadows on the floor through the window lattice. He slumped onto the divine seat, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted.

This fatigue wasn't the feeling of Divine Power depletion, but a weariness that rose from the depths of his Soul.

"Strange..."

He rubbed his temples, "How can I still be tired when I've become an Immortal?"

"The Host's mental fatigue has nothing to do with divine duties."

The System's voice suddenly became gentle, "Before your Transmigration, you were doing experiments and preparing for various exams until two in the morning; after your Transmigration, you've been an Earth God constantly monitoring Incense Value — when have you truly rested?"

"Host, after your Transmigration, have you truly rested?"

This question hit Lin Chuping like a hammer to the heart.

He remembered that in his previous life, from the time he could remember, it was a ceaseless struggle: for studies, for career, for life, for marriage and relationships, for appearance.

And now... he looked down at the Jade Slip where he recorded Incense Value; the dense numbers made his eyes swim.

"I... I just got used to it..."

"Is being accustomed to it always correct?"

Yes, is being accustomed to it always correct? If the struggle was right, then why were there so many children jumping from buildings in his previous life, why was there so much social resentment?

Why was no one happy?

"Fine, I'll rest for a day."