Cheng Ji listened to the soldier’s report, his brow furrowing slightly.
Having studied the books of the sages since childhood and served diligently as an official, he had never believed in tales of ghosts and gods.
To him, stories of a Divine Lady descending to earth or using celestial medicine to save people sounded like nothing more than superstitious folk rumors.
Yet, at this moment, he did not speak out to refute it, nor did he show any expression of contempt.
With the plague looming, others were fleeing as fast as they could, yet this Divine Lady of Xindu had come to Yecheng with her followers.
Based on that courage and benevolence alone, she deserved to be treated with respect, whether she was a true deity or a fraud.
“Come, to the city gates.” Cheng Ji raised his hand, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Open the gates and welcome her.”
“My Lord, your health...”
His attendants started to speak, then hesitated.
“It does not matter.”
Cheng Ji’s face was pale, but he straightened his back and led the city’s officials toward the gates at a quick pace.
The officials following behind him had complex expressions, filled with both fear of the plague and anticipation for the Divine Lady.
The city gates slowly groaned open.
The moment Cheng Ji stepped outside the gates, he froze.
In the distance, amidst the swirling dust of the official road, a group of about five hundred people was approaching in a grand procession.
Leading them was not a magnificent honor guard, but a group of healers dressed in plain long robes. Both men and women were among them, their clothes covered in the dust and mud of the road.
Some stumbled, while others supported each other, clearly exhausted from a hurried, non-stop journey.
Their faces were covered with cloth masks, and each carried a large medicine chest on their back. Some even carried large bundles of herbs, the ropes leaving deep marks on their shoulders.
It was a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.
Cheng Ji gradually regained his senses, his gaze falling upon these people whose faces he could not see clearly.
Exhaustion was written in the lines around their eyes, yet every pair of eyes shone with the same light.
Most of the followers were ordinary commoners. Seeing a group of people in official robes coming out to meet them, they were momentarily at a loss.
“Governor, I am Shen Yu.”
Shen Yu stepped forward, once again taking on the task of communicating with the Governor of Yecheng. “We are followers of the Divine Lady. We have come to Yecheng to deliver medicine and treat the plague.”
Cheng Ji cupped his hands and bowed deeply. “Your righteousness is great. On behalf of the people of Yecheng, I thank you all!”
The officials behind him followed suit, bowing in unison.
Shen Yu hurried forward to support Cheng Ji. “Please rise, My Lord. Such a grand gesture is not necessary. The Divine Lady is merciful and saves those in distress. As her followers, we could not stand by and watch while Yecheng suffers such a calamity.”
Just as Cheng Ji was about to ask why the Divine Lady was not present, he saw the followers move to the sides, clearing a path. They then looked toward the horizon as one.
The clouds in the sky began to churn, and a beam of golden light pierced through them, spilling brilliant rays across the land.
At the brightest point of the golden light, a carriage emerged.
One look was enough to tell that the carriage was no mortal object.
The animals pulling it were not mortal horses either, but two snow-white mythical beasts that resembled stallions. They trotted through the void, and with every step, faint ripples of light shimmered beneath their hooves.
The carriage descended slowly from the sky, moving with unhurried grace.
Everyone watched, spellbound.
Cheng Ji’s pupils constricted as he held his breath.
He had never believed in ghosts or gods in his life, but other than the divine, how else could he explain what was happening before his eyes?
The carriage stopped in mid-air, several dozen feet from the city gates.
A corner of the curtain was lifted.
A slender figure stepped out of the carriage.
The Divine Lady held a stalk of orchid and wore a wide-sleeved dress of white and green. Her silver-white hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her hem fluttered in the wind. A faint aura of light enveloped her entire being.
She stood in the void, with nothing beneath her feet, yet she walked calmly and steadily, as if descending an invisible staircase, each step giving rise to a blooming lotus.
The hundreds of people at the city gate were deathly silent.
The followers had already knelt on the ground, prostrating themselves and shouting for the Divine Lady, their eyes filled with fanaticism.
The officials stood frozen, their mouths agape.
Once they snapped out of it, their knees instinctively buckled, and they knelt beside the followers.
【Shock Value from Cheng Ji +100】
【Shock Value from Lin Xun +100】
【Shock Value from Lu Sui +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 245,500】
Yun Shu watched the Shock Value rise on the system panel. Although it wasn't a massive jump, her effort in mixing and matching different sets to create this grand entrance hadn't been in vain.
She would take every bit of Shock Value she could get; she wouldn't miss a single opportunity to harvest it.
She wanted to progress.
Sooner or later, she was going to forcibly take every outfit in the prize pool and put them in her wardrobe.
Cheng Ji knelt on the ground, his voice trembling. “I beg the Divine Lady to show mercy and save the people of Yecheng. I, Cheng Ji, am willing to build a temple and shrine for Your Ladyship, to offer sacrifices throughout the four seasons and never forget your grace.”
As he spoke these words, he felt a twinge of guilt.
Even if he took all the salary he had painstakingly saved since becoming an official, it would likely only be enough to build a small temple.
He certainly couldn't afford a golden statue.
He feared that by then, they would even have to skimp on the decorative paintings.
As for asking the people for money, he hadn't even considered it.
The imperial taxes grew heavier every year, and the people of Yecheng had already been squeezed until they were nothing but skin and bone.
Where would they find even a single copper coin?
The Divine Lady’s gaze swept over him indifferently. “I do not consume mortal offerings, nor will I interfere with the karma of the mortal world.”
“I have come to Yecheng only to see if my followers have the ability to overcome this plague.”
As her voice fell, a sudden silence descended over the city gates.
Cheng Ji opened his mouth.
He wanted to ask how she could treat human lives so lightly, but he was merely a mortal. What right did he have to question a deity?
Moreover, all of Yecheng’s hope now rested on this Divine Lady. He couldn't be so foolish as to offend her.
Lin Xun understood the meaning behind the Divine Lady’s words.
He stood up and took a bottle of pills from his sleeve.
“Governor Cheng, I am Lin Xun. I have been fortunate enough to be taught the medical arts from a celestial book by the Divine Lady. This bottle of medicine is something I developed over the past few days by following that book and searching for herbs.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on his hand.
Lin Xun spoke truthfully. “However, this medicine has never been tested. I cannot guarantee whether the effects will be good or bad.”
A moment of silence followed.
Cheng Ji suddenly reached out toward Lin Xun. “Doctor Lin, could you let me try this medicine?”
Lin Xun was slightly startled. “My Lord...”
“Yecheng has no path left to retreat.” Cheng Ji took the pill and said calmly, “If it is effective, it is the fortune of the people. If it is useless, I will simply be the first to go.”
He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill, his expression serene.
The faces of the surrounding officials turned pale. Some instinctively took a half-step forward but then froze in place.
A moment later.
A bit of color returned to Cheng Ji’s pale lips, and the cold sweat on his forehead was no longer icy.
Lin Xun stepped forward quickly to check Cheng Ji’s pulse.
“The pulse has stabilized significantly.” He then checked the rashes on Cheng Ji’s arm and said with a frown, “But the symptoms have not diminished. It seems this medicine can only alleviate the plague in Yecheng; it cannot provide a root cure.”
“I still need to study this further,” he muttered to himself.
“Lin...” Cheng Ji was about to speak when he was interrupted by an urgent voice. “My Lord, the Madam is in critical condition! She can no longer even swallow her medicine! Please, come and see her quickly!”
Rate on N.U.
