bookrandom Chapter 454
Chapter 454
The key point is not the shrine itself, but the blood oath written in front of it. This thing can easily trigger a chain reaction, which is called "the dynasty is overjoyed".
It's normal for the emperor to be happy when the common people praise your officials for doing a good job. When the emperor is happy, he is more likely to remember the name.
Whether or not a reward is given, at least his career prospects are guaranteed.
Afterwards, the old village chief had his servants present the four with exquisite delicacies, and in front of Zhong Ming was a large plate of Yunshan Yan Tongue Tips.
The tip of your tongue is covered with pearls.
The bowl used for serving was made of gold.
The food was served on a tray made of Miaoyunyu.
The more inconspicuous something is, the more valuable it is. This Miaoyun Jade Plate is 2.6 feet long and 1.8 feet wide, and about three fingers thick. If it is not priceless, it is certainly a rare treasure.
Seeing that the old village chief was so understanding, Zhong Ming stopped pursuing the matter. He toasted the village chief with a cup of wine, tasted the food on his plate, and saw that the Poison Stone dentures had no effect. So he called Xuan Jing and the others with peace of mind.
They actually only ate the meal for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and once they were full, they set off for their next destination.
The liveliness in Yunshan Village will last for several weeks.
For them, this was an undeserved disaster; the village gained nothing and spent so much money for nothing.
But what does it matter to the village chief? That's all the money the villagers worked so hard to save. If it's given to the immortal master, who would dare to object? On the contrary, the image stone left by Zhong Ming, which recorded the posture of the dead dragon, contrasted with a villager next to it, highlighting its power.
The four immortal masters stood around the giant dragon, some with disdain, others with indifference, creating a truly awe-inspiring sight.
This photo stone can effectively silence any villagers who complain about these expenditures.
Look, the immortal master has rid us of such a great scourge. What's wrong with inviting him to a meal and building a shrine for him? If he doesn't come to deal with it, would you? You're scared to death just by looking at an image of a dead dragon, and you still dare to go?
In this way, Yunshan Village quickly reached a consensus and invested a lot of money in building the ancestral hall. They were very enthusiastic and the construction was progressing at a fast pace.
As for how much money the old village chief's family embezzled in this massive project, that remains a mystery to be solved to the grave.
The ancestral hall was built not far from the entrance to the valley where the four fought. After a hundred years of development, Yunshan Village had various powerful families occupying the mountaintops. The ruthless ones even moved the graves to the mountaintops, threatening to raze any family that dared to take them, and the entire family would fight them to the death. The old village chief's choice of location was quite good; it provided a place for people to rest in what was originally a desolate and sparsely populated area.
Inside the shrine, the statues of the four figures are lifelike. Since no one saw how they killed the dragon, the sculptors could only imagine it. The east, west, and north sides form a complete work of art, with the dragon fighting with the four statues in relief.
Yue Kaishan, a burly man, used his shield to block the dragon's claws. Xuan Jing, wearing steel armor, was considered by the villagers to be the main force in the fight and was engaged in a fierce battle with the dragon. Zhong Ming, with a sword at his waist and a hook-and-sickle spear in hand, was waiting for an opportunity to strike, while Chen Dahai was providing support with crossbow bolts.
In the corner, there was a small statue of the local Earth God. People were still a little afraid, after all, in their belief, the dragon was majestic and inviolable.
On the day the temple where the Four Immortals fought the evil dragon was completed, this usually quiet and remote area was packed with people.
The old village chief smiled sincerely and chatted familiarly with the heads of various families. This sincerity was genuine, indicating that the amount embezzled was quite substantial.
"Village chief, the immortals were paid to do the work, and now that they're gone, do we really need to make such a big fuss?"
A middle-aged man asked through gritted teeth. Behind him stood elderly people from different families, who all chose to ignore him and continue their own conversations.
The old village chief could tell at a glance that these families thought they were spending too much money, so they sent a scapegoat to take the fall.
"What are you talking about? The immortals have done immeasurable good deeds, and you still have a problem with letting us worship? You think the mountain road is too far? You think it's too cold here? If the immortals come back and see your attitude, will they still come to help Yunshan Village next time something happens? You think it's a transaction? Fine, then let's treat it as a transaction. If they don't make money from this, what will you do? Die here?"
The old village chief launched into a tirade, his momentum undiminished. The other clan leaders couldn't stop him, and those who had expressed their dissatisfaction couldn't do anything about it. It was already built; they couldn't just tear it down. At worst, they would just stop maintaining it.
This idea ultimately failed, and eight people volunteered to take turns maintaining the place.
The auspicious hour had arrived, and the old village chief conducted a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by offerings of the highest quality and leading the way in kneeling.
A whole group of villagers knelt down behind them. These villagers each had their own thoughts, but only the two who discovered the dragon's tracks and the six who witnessed the dragon's death were truly devout.
"Yunshan Village, follow me to express our gratitude to the Immortal Master for his great kindness." The old village chief solemnly shouted, and kowtowed deeply to the ground.
Although the eight people were quite far away, they still kowtowed devoutly.
Just then, a mysterious divine intent rippled through the heavens and earth, mysteriously descending upon Zhong Ming.
Of course, this happened a month later, and at that time, the four of them were still struggling to keep up their journey.
"We'll split into two groups," Yue Kaishan said, pointing to the map. "Dahai and I will go one group, and you two will go the other. Your route is very simple; just go straight."
Zhong Ming looked at the map. It was straight, but it was all towering mountains. He figured he would have to fly.
"Where shall we meet?"
“Here,” Yue Kaishan said, pointing to a small town. “Hong Town. After you’ve dealt with five missions along the way, try to get here within three days. The shop owners here say it’s haunted, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
Zhong Ming patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me, it'll be fine."
With my "Spirit Retirement Home" in hand, I can utterly destroy any evil spirits or vengeful ghosts.
"Once you arrive, just find a place to rest at the town's exit. I'll take care of everything."
"Then it depends on your speed." Yue Kaishan's lips curled up. "We only have four tasks, but the route is a bit roundabout. So, including the ghost story, you have six tasks and we have four. Let's see who finishes first."
"Let's bet the price of a drink."
"no problem."
Xuan Jing and Chen Dahai watched speechlessly as these two penniless bastards patted their chests with great bravado. Goodness, you two only came out because you didn't have any money.
A problem with finding a partner... and the debt from the robotic arm that hasn't been paid off yet...
"Alright, let's part ways here. Old Chen, let's go."
The two waved goodbye, and Xuanjing and Zhongming exchanged a glance before silently taking out two lightness talismans from their pockets.
"Just these two, use them sparingly. I'm out here to make money, not to do anything that loses money."
The mother and child swords rose, and the two of them squeezed onto a single longsword, wobbling as they took off.