237: Chapter 237 Huang Jianyong's Godmother

Ten minutes later.

At the entrance of Dongpo Village.

Beneath a thick elm tree.

Han Jingyang looked up and down at the old elm tree in front of him, which was at least a hundred years old. After a moment, he turned to Zhou Jianjun and asked, "Is this the godmother Huang Jianyong acknowledged?"

Zhou Jianjun nodded. "Yes. I was young back then, just starting to form memories. I just felt that acknowledging a tree as a godmother was a very strange thing, and the memory left a deep impression. I once thought a woman lived inside this tree, to the point where I didn't dare to go near it alone. It was only after I grew up that I learned about such customs—acknowledging stones, large trees, or other things as god-relatives is quite common—and I felt relieved."

"Did Huang Jianyong visit his godmother often later?"

"No, at least we never saw or heard of it. If you hadn't specifically asked, I wouldn't have thought of this matter." Zhou Jianjun frowned. "That's right. Logically speaking, if one really acknowledges a godmother, it's only natural to send some gifts during festivals. Even when getting married or having children, one should hold a ceremony to inform the godmother. But Huang Jianyong never seemed to do any of these things. This…"

"Are there any other anomalies?"

"None. This is the biggest anomaly. By the way, Huang Jianyong was also the Yin-Yang master of Xipo Village. Do you think this tree might be bad for our village?"

Han Jingyang didn't know how to answer.

A tree—what could be bad about it?

However, it was actually a bit problematic.

Why?

Han Jingyang tilted his head slightly to gaze at the old lady on the tree trunk, a slight chill running through his heart.

She had a kind expression, a youthful face despite her white hair, and wore blue coarse cloth clothing. Her hair was styled into a small bun, held in place by an elm wood hairpin. She leaned on an elm wood cane. She looked like a living, breathing person in every way; even her eyes were so realistic and vivid.

Her appearance reminded Han Jingyang of the legendary Earth Grandmother or Earth Granny, a type of minor local deity.

However, this old lady certainly wasn't one. There was no incense, no spirit tablet, no temple title, and not even a name. No one in the village even knew of her existence, so she naturally couldn't be a proper deity—she was even less significant than Chaotian Temple.

Although Chaotian Temple didn't house good deities, it at least had statues, titles, and incense within its grounds.

If one were to speak of true deities, Chaotian Temple could at least be considered a righteous deity, while this old lady, lacking everything, could only be considered a lonely ghost of some age.

Of course, there were no deities.

Han Jingyang was certain that this old lady, like the ones at Chaotian Temple, was a pseudo-deity cultivated through some secret method. In essence, it was still a combination of qi and an energy field.

But what did Huang Jianyong want to achieve by cultivating so many deities?

Did he want to be Jiang Ziya?

Start another Investiture of the Gods?

That didn't seem right either.

When Huang Jianyong acknowledged his godmother, he was still young—Zhou Jianjun said he was only about ten years old.

A ten-year-old Huang Jianyong definitely didn't have such power.

Therefore, this old lady was either cultivated by Huang Jianyong later on, or she was created by his master or some other elder.

It was a pity that Huang Jianyong was already dead, and his autobiography-like notes contained no relevant records.

But this was also fine; with Huang Jianyong dead, his godmother had become a lonely old woman, and she could be dealt with however he pleased.

The problem was... how should he deal with her?

Subdue her?

Exterminate her?

Or simply cut down the tree and let nature take its course?

Han Jingyang was a bit conflicted.

Seeing that Han Jingyang remained silent, Zhou Jianjun felt very anxious. "Little Han, is there really a problem with this tree?"

Han Jingyang sighed. "That depends on how you look at it."

"What do you mean?"

"This tree does occupy a dragon vein. With over a hundred years of growth, its roots are deep and firm. Even if there hadn't been a dragon vein originally, it would have formed one by absorbing more earth qi over time, which will have a certain impact on your village."

"Ah? Then what should we do? Should we cut it down?"

"But there are also benefits."

"Benefits?"

"Yes. Although it absorbs a certain amount of earth qi, it also has the effect of gathering qi. As long as this tree is alive, this place is a small piece of auspicious feng shui land. It can help your Dongpo Village suppress the earth qi, which has many benefits."

"So there are both pros and cons?"

"Exactly."

"Are the pros or the cons greater?"

"They're about equal."

"This…" Zhou Jianjun gritted his teeth. "How about we cut it down? Better safe than sorry."

Han Jingyang shook his head. "I advise you not to."

"What do you mean?"

"This tree has developed spirituality."

"Ah?"

"If possible, you could develop this into a tourist attraction—a 'Grandmother Temple' would be best. If the villagers have any weddings, funerals, or minor ailments, they can come here to burn some incense. It might actually be quite effective."

Zhou Jianjun's expression changed instantly, and the hair on his arms stood up. He took two steps back. "You mean…"

Han Jingyang smiled. "It's good that you know; there's no need to say it out loud, and even less need to be afraid. In the countryside, where isn't there a place that's considered spiritual? Right?"

Zhou Jianjun swallowed nervously. "Will it really be very effective?"

"I'm not certain, but it's better than destroying it in a crude and violent manner, don't you think?"

"This, this…"

"Why not discuss it with the village elders?"

"How should I explain it to the young people?"

"Just say you're building a small scenic spot to sell incense, candles, yellow paper, and red ribbons to make some extra money—isn't that something your village has been doing? You can also connect it to the series of attractions over by the reservoir."

"I'll try, I'll give it a try."

Zhou Jianjun wiped his sweat as he spoke, looking quite disheveled with cold sweat covering his forehead.

It was only natural; ordinary people would instinctively feel fear upon hearing that such an entity existed in their village.

Han Jingyang said with a chuckle, "Don't be afraid. At your age, you've experienced the turbulent times of the past—how many mountain gates and temples were toppled? How many divine statues were smashed and burned? If you regret it one day, just find someone to cut the tree down. If you don't dare to cut it, call me, and I'll help you cut it. It's not exactly some overwhelmingly powerful thing."

Zhou Jianjun felt slightly relieved. "It's really not that powerful?"

"Mhm. This thing is like a pet raised by humans; it needs to rely on humans to survive and grow. Without humans, they have no meaning for existence. Basically, they are the ones who should fear humans, not the other way around."

"Are there really benefits?"

"If you're still worried, I can set up a layout here, which will also serve as a form of restraint for her."

Zhou Jianjun was overjoyed. "Good, that's good, that's very good! Is it expensive?"

Han Jingyang shook his head. "Building a small temple and finding someone to sculpt a statue won't cost much. Of course, if you want to make this place look more impressive, you could put some effort into the surrounding scenery—plant more trees, grow some flowers, introduce some water, and so on. That would definitely cost more money. But for me to set up a feng shui layout, it won't cost much, because there is already a dragon vein and earth qi here; it just requires some clever techniques to utilize them."

Zhou Jianjun was completely reassured. "Then it really won't cost much. I'll make the arrangements. As long as there's no harm, it's fine."

Having said this, he looked earnestly at Han Jingyang and asked one last time, "Little Brother, is there really no harm?"