135: I want to move the capital

The next day, as soon as the fifth watch arrived, a winding queue had already formed in front of the temple.

The eastern sky had just begun to show the first hint of dawn, but the square in front of the temple was already as bright as day.

Dozens of red lanterns hung high, enveloping the entire temple in a warm glow.

Li Shun, dressed in a dark-colored long gown, stood at the edge of the crowd, gazing at the scene before him, lost in thought—

"Your Majesty, it's still early. Why don't you rest for a bit?" Li Dequan asked in a low voice.

"When we're out, just call me Young Master," Li Shun interrupted him, his gaze still fixed on the front of the temple. "Look at those offerings."

This was the first time Li Shun had seen such offerings; they couldn't compare at all to the royal sacrifices in the capital.

Yet, they were filled with a rare, down-to-earth vitality.

There was a roasted chicken, some unknown fruits, homemade rice wine from the villagers, a few dry steamed buns and pancakes... The pigs, cows, and sheep Li Shun placed among the offerings stood out particularly.

Some people even stared at the roasted pig and swallowed from time to time, which made Li Shun feel both amused and a little sad.

Just as Li Shun was lost in thought, the tea stall owner suddenly stepped forward to strike up a conversation, his branch-like finger proudly pointing to a corner of the offering table.

"Young Master, look! That's the speckled hen my family raised!"

"This is the fattest one my old lady raised. It's a shame it doesn't lay eggs. The old lady thinks this chicken might have been born specifically to be offered to Lord Chuping. Don't you think so?"

Li Shun followed his gaze and saw a plump hen nestled in a bamboo basket, with a faded red cloth strip tied around its neck.

It looked very appetizing at first glance.

Li Shun's throat moved slightly.

In the ancestral temple sacrifices in the capital, when had he ever seen such offerings with the warmth of a kitchen stove?

What was placed in those gilded vessels was always the "sacrificial jade and silk" required by the Rites, exquisite but cold.

This time, he followed local customs and presented ordinary three sacrificial animals, and of course, he didn't forget the sliced beef personally selected by the System.

These were nothing to him, but for ordinary farming families who rarely ate meat, it was a significant expense.

"Old man, you can bear to part with it?" Li Shun couldn't help but ask.

"Why wouldn't I!" The old man slapped his thigh. "If Lord Chuping hadn't manifested his Divine Ability, how could this old man be standing here talking to Young Master? The most important thing for a person is not to forget their roots..."

Li Shun nodded, just about to say something, when the sound of a gong suddenly rang out.

"Clang—"

The crowd knelt down like wheat waves swept by the wind, and Li Shun also knelt on the bluestone slab.

The moment his knees touched the cold ground, he suddenly heard a very soft "Oh?" as if someone was whispering in surprise by his ear.

"Inviting the Deity—"

The chief priest's aged voice echoed across the square.

In the lingering sound of the gong, Li Shun suddenly realized that all the surrounding sounds had disappeared.

The kneeling villagers seemed to have solidified into statues, falling leaves hung in mid-air, and even the flames in the lanterns had stopped flickering.

"Interesting."

A clear young voice came from behind him.

Li Shun suddenly turned his head and saw a graceful young man with an outstanding temperament walking towards him against the morning sun.

The young man was dressed in a moon-white long gown, his sleeves fluttering without wind.

As if by divine will, Li Shun almost immediately understood that the figure opposite him was the object of their worship—Lord Chuping.

"Mortal Great Yan Emperor Li Shun, greets Lord Chuping."

Just as Li Shun was about to bow, he suddenly found himself supported by a gentle breeze, unable to prostrate himself.

Li Shun staggered for a moment before steadying himself, and when he looked up, his gaze met Lin Chuping's calm eyes—this deity's eyes were a rare amber, shimmering with a fragmented golden luster in the morning light.

These gentle eyes suddenly gave him great courage.

"Revered Deity..." Li Shun's Adam's apple bobbed. "Why do you only protect Qing Province?"

Lin Chuping's fingers in his sleeve curled slightly.

Caught off guard.

It was too embarrassing. He had long expected someone to ask this one day, but he didn't expect it so soon.

Could he say that he was restricted by his jurisdiction and couldn't go outside? No!

Could he say that his power was limited, his authority insufficient, and he could only protect one area? Of course, he couldn't!

Lin Chuping looked at Li Shun's expectant eyes and suddenly sighed.

"Your Majesty, do you know that even Deities have their difficulties?"

He raised his hand and waved, and countless golden threads appeared in the frozen space, weaving into a huge net that enveloped Qing Province.

At the border of Qing Province, these threads abruptly broke, as if cut by something sharp.

"This is..."

"Power Of Will."

Lin Chuping lightly touched the broken threads. These threads, as if alive, quietly moved closer to Lin Chuping's fingers.

"The people of Qing Province believe in Me, and only then can I use their Power Of Will to perform Divine Ability. As for Yan Province..."

He turned his palm, and the scene changed to Yan Province—in the black mist, countless distorted figures wailed, and viscous black blood seeped from cracks in the ground.

"The people there have long despaired, without even the strength to pray."

Li Shun felt a chill throughout his body.

"Thank you, Lord Chuping, for clarifying. I know what to do now."

Lin Chuping: "..."

What do you know?

"Since you already understand the gravity of the situation, then leave. This Amulet and Medicinal Pill can help you at a critical moment."

After Lin Chuping finished speaking, he directly bestowed an Amulet and a Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill.

Just as Li Shun was about to ask about the Medicinal Pill's usage, he saw Lin Chuping's figure dissipate into specks of flowing light.

The surrounding frozen space suddenly resumed its flow. The kneeling villagers stood up and brushed their knees, and the falling leaves rustled to the ground, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

"Young Master? Why is your face so pale?" Li Dequan's worried voice came.

Li Shun gripped the Amulet in his hand. The fabric felt real, and the Medicinal Pill's porcelain bottle still carried residual warmth, which confirmed that it was not a dream.

"Young Master, the sacrifice is over. Shall we also get some offerings to share in the good fortune?"

"Hmm."

"Prepare the horses. We're changing course and returning to the capital," Li Shun suddenly said.

Li Dequan was stunned. "Yes, Young Master."

Li Shun carefully hid the Amulet close to his body, his gaze sweeping over the farmers bending over to transplant rice seedlings in the fields of Qing Province. The vibrant vitality in his eyes now held a different weight.

The purpose of this trip to Qing Province had been achieved; he had met Lord Chuping. He wanted to do his best to save more of the Great Yan's citizens.

So what if he could only protect Qing Province?

He decided: he would move the capital!