7: First hearing about monks

Lin Chuping scanned his personal panel.

Host: Lin Chuping

Level: Wild God

Jurisdiction: Chang Sheng Village

Divine Power: 40

Divine Arts: Enter Dream, Blessing

Incense Value: 1660 (Can be converted to Divine Power, used to purchase Divine Arts)

System Mall: lv1

The people of Nan Shu Village brought Lin Chuping 420 Incense Value, with each person contributing an average of 10 to 20 points.

Based on Lin Chuping's observations over the past few days, ordinary believers contribute 10 Incense Value at a time, while loyal believers contribute 20 Incense Value at a time.

Above that were Liu Chunsheng, Qian Shi, and Xu Tian, who each contributed 50 Incense Value at a time. Lin Chuping categorized these as devout believers.

It seems Nan Shu Village still has a lot of potential.

His jurisdiction remained only Chang Sheng Village. Lin Chuping didn't quite understand the rules for upgrading his jurisdiction.

However, if his true form couldn't leave his jurisdiction, how could he protect believers outside of it?

Tomorrow was the fifteenth, and it was time to select sacrifices for the Mountain God again. Now that many villagers in Nan Shu Village had also become his believers, he had to find a solution.

It still depended on whether tomorrow's System items would be useful.

As he thought this, an idea gradually formed in Lin Chuping's mind—to find a 'spokesperson' to handle miscellaneous tasks for him.

A deity's spokesperson is a Temple Official.

Oh, right, he didn't have a temple yet. After the fifteenth, he would still need to ask the villagers to help build a temple.

As a deity, how could he be a wanderer without a fixed abode?

Lin Chuping did not want his believers to be too close.

The reason deities are revered is precisely because of their inherent mystique.

Once this mystique is lost, a deity could fall from its pedestal at any time, or even be desecrated.

In his previous life, as a Mortal, Lin Chuping had a deep understanding of humanity's various flaws.

Greed, selfishness, cunning... these negative traits corroded human hearts like a plague.

When facing a high and mighty deity, people might initially feel awe, but over time, this reverence could easily be replaced by other emotions.

Thus, a 'I can do it too' mentality would quietly sprout, eventually driving them to harbor thoughts of deicide.

Drinking their blood, devouring their flesh, sucking their marrow, perhaps even grinding their bones into powder for medicine or wine.

He, Lin Chuping, was unwilling to test human nature.

*

At this moment in Nan Shu Village, a scrawny child was digging for wild vegetables on a small hill at the village entrance, surrounded by a group of old men and women with skin like old tree bark.

They occasionally glanced towards Chang Sheng Village, looking truly worried.

"Gouwa, did your father also go to Chang Sheng Village?"

An old woman spoke to the child.

Gouwa was Xu Tian's only younger cousin.

"Yes! My father told me to wait for him here."

"Sixth Aunt, the village chief took all the young men from our Chang Sheng Village to worship the deity, didn't he?"

Old Man Yang sighed heavily, his eyes, like a dry well, stared longingly at the empty path towards Chang Sheng Village, filled with both hope and fear.

"I wonder if they worshipped the deity, and if the deity will protect us."

The shriveled Old Man Sun next to him said slowly, his voice like a flickering candle in the wind.

Now that demons and monsters ran rampant and unbridled, if a village could receive a deity's protection, it would be so enviable that people's eyes would turn red!

"Chang Sheng Village is truly lucky!"

"Our luck isn't bad either."

"Yes, tomorrow is the fifteenth of this month again. I wonder if our village will still have to draw lots for death."

"My family only has me, an old man, left. I've lived enough and I'm not afraid of drawing a death lot, but I pity the children..."

Speaking of this, everyone felt a pang in their hearts. The young people were getting fewer and fewer, leaving only these old folks with one foot in the grave.

The entire village was like a ghost village, so quiet it was frightening.

"This hateful Mountain God, he wants sacrifices. We old folks are willing, but why... why..."

*

As everyone was sighing, a group of people suddenly appeared at the end of the path.

The sharp-eyed Gouwa immediately shouted, "It's my father and the village chief, they're back!"

Hearing this, everyone hurriedly got up and rushed forward to ask.

"Village Chief, how was it?"

"Does Chang Sheng Village really have a deity...?"

"Did the deity agree to protect us?"

"Village Chief, do we still need to select sacrifices tomorrow?"

...Everyone spoke at once, their eyes fixed on Fang Youjin, hoping to hear what they wanted to hear from him.

Looking at the eager eyes, Fang Youjin didn't know how to explain for a moment.

They had worshipped the deity today, but the deity had given them no response.

"Everyone, we have already worshipped the deity!"

Before anyone could rejoice, Fang Youjin continued, "But the deity gave no clear instructions."

"Let's continue to select sacrifices tomorrow, just in case."

If the deity did not protect their village, and they didn't select sacrifices tomorrow, the Mountain God might, in a fit of rage, slaughter the entire village.

A few years ago, a village in their town disappeared overnight just like that.

The sight of that village at the time scared everyone badly.

*

Like Nan Shu Village, Chang Sheng Village also decided to continue selecting sacrifices tomorrow.

However, this time, everyone's mood was not as heavy; instead, they were eager to try.

"Village Chief, let me be the sacrifice tomorrow night! I still want to see the deity manifest!"

Wang Houshi was known in the village for his bravery. In the past, his mother, Old Lady Wang, kept him in check, but this time, with the deity's protection, Old Lady Wang simply let him be.

The village chief looked at this reckless fellow and sighed.

"You child, don't be impulsive. Although San Wazi returned safely last time, who knows what will happen this time."

When Wang Houshi heard this, he was not afraid; instead, he became even more excited.

"Village Chief, I just want to see what a manifesting deity looks like."

Seeing this, others also felt a bit eager to try.

"Alright, tomorrow, you few will draw lots. Whoever draws it, goes as the sacrifice!"

"How times have changed! People are actually fighting to be sacrifices. How strange, how strange!"

"Village Chief, the people from Nan Shu Village all came today, but why didn't anyone from Da Li Village come?"

Everyone looked at each other, confused.

Suddenly, a small voice came from the crowd; it was Qian Shi.

"I heard it's because Da Li Village has connections with the Wang family in Prefecture City..."

"The Wang family of Prefecture City!?"

"Qian Dazhuang, do you know?"

"I don't know much, I just heard that there are Cultivators in Prefecture City!"

Cultivators, for ordinary people like them, were truly worlds apart, beings they could only look up to their entire lives.

"To be able to form connections with Cultivators, Da Li Village has truly prospered!"

"Our luck isn't bad either!"

"By the way, how did Da Li Village get connected with the Wang family in Prefecture City?"

The group looked at Qian Shi, making the teenage Qian Shi a bit shy, his words faltering.

"I heard it's... it's because the Da Li Village Chief's daughter became a concubine for the Wang family's steward."

"You child, what's there to be embarrassed about saying that?"

In these precarious times, people had no prejudice against concubines. For a child from a poor family to become a concubine for a wealthy family was a great Blessing.

Those capable could even help their maiden family, wouldn't Da Li Village then enjoy the prosperity too!

When everyone heard this reason, they all showed expressions of envy and longing.