Chapter 244: Legends of the Deity
Starting Chapter 240 of "The Great Ming in the Box": The devout were overjoyed. When they received Third Ladyâs notice about witnessing the Deity manifesting,... See what happens next!
The devout were overjoyed. When they received Third Ladyâs notice about witnessing the Deity manifesting, they hadnât been entirely certain they would see anything. After all, having lived so long, none had truly witnessed a deity reveal itself.Who could have imagined that today, not only did they witness the Dao Xuan Deity manifesting, but they were also granted a gift? It was an unexpected delight.
âThis⌠this entire mound of flour balls⌠truly for us to take?â
âTake them!â Gao Yiye smiled. âThe Deity has spoken: take as much as you can carry, but do not be greedy. For greed is a major sin.â
The devotees hastily offered their thanks, bowing deeply before climbing up along the Deityâs enormous finger.
Standing upon that colossal golden palm filled them with awe and fear. Several individuals knelt and bowed after each step they took. Proceeding at a pace no faster than a snailâs crawl.
Li Daoxuan kept his hand inside the box, palm upturned and motionlessâa posture that was far from comfortable. Watching the miniature peopleâs sluggish movements, he couldnât help but say, âHey! Itâs getting dark! Quit dawdling! Move faster.â
Hearing this, the little people collectively startled: Ah! They were delaying the Old Deityâs important business!
They immediately quickened their pace, darting toward the mound of flour balls in a few strides.
They hadnât brought containers and werenât sure how to carry the flour. Fortunately, nearing winter, everyone wore thick clothing with multiple layers. Removing an outer garment, they scooped flour into it, bundling it tightly by tying the sleeves. Thus, each became a large flour-laden âclothing sack.â
Hoisting this sack onto their backs, they jumped down from the Deityâs âdivine hand.â Barely steadying themselves, they saw the enormous hand ascend back into the sky, retreating into the clouds until it vanished.
The devotees felt as though awakening from a grand dream. All they had witnessed seemed unrealâbut the tangible weight of the âflour sacksâ upon them testified otherwise.
âEnough, return home now.â Third Lady wore a solemn expression. âToday, the Deity bestowed you exceptional mercy, not only manifesting before your eyes but granting you sustenance as well. Need I remind you of your duty henceforth?â
Of course they understood: wholehearted loyalty to the Deity henceforth. Commanding east, no westward wandering; if ordered west, immediate about-face.
After all, this was a true deity!
Meanwhile, at the Waxi Archway, Fengxin County, Jiangxi.
The forty-one year old Song Yingxing sat upon a large stone before his house. He observed a group of craftsmen constructing buildings in the distance while fervently scribbling notes onto paper.
He was composing a book titled âHeavenly Mechanisms and Fabrics,â documenting all known agricultural and handicraft production techniques.
The current section concerned âtripartite mortarâ: one part river sand, two parts yellow earth, mixed with glutinous rice juice and Actinidia vine pulp⌠solidifies exceptionally upon building, never deteriorates⌠hence named Tripartite MortarâŚ
Precisely at this moment, he sensed someone standing before him.
Looking up, he saw a travel-worn middle-aged Taoist priest.
This Taoist was Ma Tianzheng. He beamed, greeting, âLong life and great blessings! Are you Song Yingxing, Sir?â
âI am Song Yingxing,â Song Yingxing replied. âHow may I assist you, Maestro?â
Without a word, Ma Tianzheng produced a spring coil.
Song Yingxingâs attention instantly locked onto the spring. What peculiar object was this? Iron wire? But coiled layer upon layer?
Just as this thought formed, Ma Tianzheng clasped his palms togetherâflattening the coil instantly.
Even as Song Yingxingâs brow furrowed in puzzlement, Ma Tianzheng spread his hands. The coil sprang back into shape with a distinct âbiu!â
âEh? Ah! Fascinating! Utterly fascinating!â Song Yingxing exclaimed. âWhat is this? How does such elasticity exist?â
Ma Tianzheng offered no explanationânor was he truly equipped to do so. Instead, he silently placed a small sack of cement and a sheet of paper detailing its usage method before Song Yingxing.
He deposited the spring, the cement, and the instructions into Song Yingxingâs hands, turned and strode away. As he walked, he tossed back, âThis humble Daoist lodges at the dilapidated temple a mile west. Seek me there if you wish to speak further.â
Utterly bewildered, Song Yingxing mused on the unusual Daoist⌠Yet his curiosity for the odd paled against his fascination with the objects now in his hands. Setting aside the eccentric priest, he examined the spring coilâunable to put the delightful puzzle down. Within moments, dozens of potential applications flooded his mind, thrilling him to restlessness.
Turning his scrutiny to the curious gray powder, he glanced at the instructions. âHmm?â He compared the cement instructions against his freshly penned âTripartite Mortar Recipe,â sensing an elusive similarity between them.
He urgently beckoned a servant: âQuick! Fetch me river sand! Hurry!â
In Chengcheng County, rumors concerning the Dao Xuan Deity multiplied day by day.
Street corners, lanes, teahouses, tavernsâeverywhere, conversations swirled around the deeds of the Dao Xuan Deity.
âHey, hear this? My neighbor Li Gudan saw the Dao Xuan Deity manifesting with his own eyes!â
âMy neighbor Wang Laoqi swears he saw the Deity personally!â
âPure hogwash! Iâve heard countless deity tales since infancy, never actually laid eyes on one manifesting.â
âSounds like boasting to me. Utterly unreliable.â
âYoung Erwa even claims he saw the Deityâs colossal hand! Bigger than the one drawn in Dao Xuan Deityâs Demon Elimination Tale!â
âBoasts, all boasts! Those devotees? Conned silly by Daoist priests! Spinning wild yarns about absent deities? Bah! If deities truly existed, why so much suffering?â
âThe Daoist would surely retort: your suffering stems from sins in past lives! Hahaha! Not because gods are absent! Hahaha!â
âEnough! Youâre wrong! I genuinely saw the Old Deity! He bestowed an enormous sack of flour upon me!â
âRight, right, we believe you⌠hahaha!â
âYou scoff? Hmph! Suit yourself! The unbelievers simply wonât get this flour.â
These discussions drifted to Li Daoxuan as he âpatrolledâ high above. He couldnât suppress a faint smile.
Good. Though doubters remained, believers steadily grew. This was precisely the âpopular supportâ he needed.
Once that foundation solidified⌠his actions would yield exceptional results.
His thoughts broke abruptly: a fast horse galloped into the county town. Its rider wore the servant garb of Liang Shixianâs household. Charging wildly through the streets, the rider bellowed: âUrgent military intelligence! Clear the road! URGENT MILITARY INTELLIGENCE!ââŚ