Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 477 The Lake-Stabilizing Pearl
"What? Lu Zheng and Wang Tong have come to the city... They went to see the God of Water?"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the city god of the prefecture showed a look of surprise and doubt.

"How did Wang Tong get involved with him? There's something fishy going on here..."

The city god narrowed his eyes slightly and stroked his beard as he pondered.

He knew Wang Tong quite well; he had a very strange temper, yet now he was calling Lu Zheng his brother.
The city god thought he should go and see if the two of them went to the water god's place because of the drought.

As the city god of this prefecture, he naturally couldn't ignore the situation.

……

Outside a temple in the city of the prefecture.

Wang Tong stood in front of the temple, hesitant.

Lu Zheng glanced at Wang Tong. Now that they were here, how could they possibly leave?

Ignoring Wang Tong's hesitation, Lu Zheng headed straight for the temple.

Wang Tong quickly followed and said, "Leave the matter to me, I'll talk to her."

At this moment, Wang Tong felt that he still had to show some skills so that Lu Zheng wouldn't look down on him.

The two walked toward the main hall of the temple. On the way, a priest recognized them and allowed them to enter the main hall without any problems.

In the spacious hall, at the very center, is enshrined a tall statue of a goddess, the chief deity of the water department of this prefecture, named Jingxi.

The tall statue of the deity shone brightly, and several water gods were enshrined on its left and right.

Wang Tong took a deep breath, bowed respectfully to the statue, and said, "There is a severe drought, and the local people are suffering greatly. I have come here to ask the Water God for help..."

Wang Tong spoke for a while, but none of the statues reacted.

Wang Tong's lips twitched, and he patiently recounted the story again.

In the main hall, only Wang Tong's voice echoed, and the gods did not respond.

Lu Zheng glanced at the statues of gods, then at Wang Tong.

He clearly sensed the presence of deities, but simply ignored Wang Tong.

Wang Tong noticed Lu Zheng's gaze and immediately felt a little embarrassed.

He glared at the statue before him, displeased, and said, "Hey, gods can't be petty! I only said a few words to you before, and you still hold a grudge! Now the drought is severe, and you, as the gods in charge of water, are not doing your job. This is dereliction of duty! I'm going to report this..."

The statue suddenly lit up, and a golden light appeared, striking directly at Wang Tong.

Wang Tong reacted swiftly, raising his hand to unleash a spiritual seal to block the divine light's attack.

A woman dressed in gorgeous clothes appeared on the altar, raised her fair hand, and an even more powerful force pressed down on Wang Tong.

Wang Tong's expression changed slightly, and he quickly dodged, enveloping his entire body in spiritual energy. "You woman, that's enough. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by others!"

Lu Zheng stood aside, unaffected by the conflict, watching calmly.

The goddess slowly withdrew her hand, and said in a cold tone, "Why aren't you cultivating your path to immortality on the mountain? Why are you concerned about the drought?"

"That's a very..."

Wang Tong's expression turned serious. He waved his hand to brush off imaginary dust from his clothes and said quietly, "Under natural disasters, the people suffer unspeakably. Unlike you, I, Wang, am not doing anything for the people. What's wrong with that? I think the Great Chu would be better off without you officials like yourself..."

Jing Xi was not annoyed by this and said calmly, "It's none of your business, Wang Tong, how Great Chu is. If you really think that way, go to Yingdu and talk to them."

Wang Tong scoffed inwardly. He wasn't stupid enough to go to Yingdu and say such things.

If I really told him, he might be locked up for a hundred or two hundred years.

Wang Tong then said, "Let's not talk about that. Disaster relief is the most important thing. You gods are useless. Lend me your Lake-Stabilizing Pearl, and I'll go to Yunmeng Marsh to fetch some water and ask some people to come over."

Wang Tong reached out to borrow the magical artifact from Jing Xi.

Jing Xi said calmly, "Yunmengze, what kind of people can you possibly invite there? You might as well go back to Yingdu and have your mother invite some great masters to help you."

Only those great gods could truly solve the drought in this area.

But those experts might not necessarily step in, since there's no benefit in doing such a thing.

The drought here isn't severe enough to shake the very foundations of the Great Chu Kingdom, and it's not enough to warrant sufficient attention from Yingdu.

The main way to combat the drought was through local deities and officials.

The fact that the Wind God and Rain Master had sent rain earlier was considered an extra help.

Upon hearing this, Wang Tong said, "I'm not going back! Don't worry about who I'm looking for, just tell me if you're willing to lend it to me or not?"

"I'm doing this to help you. If the people everywhere die of drought, where will you get offerings? You'll have to go find demons and ghosts, right? Heh, that's true, it's not like you haven't done it before..."

"Tsk, look, she gets upset again as soon as I tell the truth..."

Lu Zheng looked at Wang Tong and thought to himself that Wang Tong's mother must have been of a very high status to have been able to stay alive and kicking for so long.

Seeing Wang Tong's reaction, Jing Xi raised her hand and took out a semi-transparent golden bead.

The fist-sized pearl faintly exuded a divine aura and pure water-based spiritual energy.

When Wang Tong saw Jing Xi take out the Lake-Stabilizing Pearl, he smiled and said, "That's more like it. I'll just borrow it for a bit, and I'll return it once the drought is over..."

Wang Tong made a move as if he wanted to use his spiritual power to retrieve the Dinghu Pearl.

With a thought, Jing Xi placed the bead into Lu Zheng's hand.

Lu Zheng held the gleaming Dinghu Pearl, feeling a warm sensation. There was a vast space inside, but he wondered what kind of water it could hold.

"Uh……"

Wang Tong froze, glanced at the Lake-Stabilizing Pearl in Lu Zheng's hand, and couldn't help but say, "Don't you trust me?"

He thought Jing Xi would lend him the artifact, but she gave it directly to Lu Zheng.

Jingxi was too lazy to deal with Wang Tong, so lending the Dinghu Pearl to Lu Zheng was definitely more reliable.

She turned to Lu Zhengdao and said, "It's not that we, the Water Gods, haven't done anything, but the drought is too severe and our efforts have been minimal... If Young Master Lu could go to Yunmengze and invite a master, that would be the best outcome."

"I am the Water God of this prefecture, and it is inconvenient for me to leave. This Lake-Stabilizing Pearl is simple to use; you only need to..."

Jing Xi flicked her finger and transmitted a magic incantation to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng wrote it down and then put the Dinghu Pearl away.

Lu Zhengdao said, "I don't know what kind of people I can invite, but I'll do my best. I hope everyone will cooperate when the time comes."

"Definitely." Jing Xi smiled slightly.

Jing Xi paused for a moment, then continued, "Jing Wei is a relative of mine. I heard you helped her in Yunmengze, so I'd like to thank you on her behalf. If you have time in the future, Young Master Lu, you're welcome to visit the Jing family in Yingdu..."

Jing Xi bowed respectfully. Lu Zheng returned the bow politely.

Lu Zheng was not surprised at all. He had guessed that Jing Xi and Jing Wei were related by some means when he saw Jing Xi's memorial tablet.

Lu Zhengdao said, "I will definitely go when I have the chance. We will take our leave now so as not to disturb you."

Jing Xi nodded slightly and said softly, "I wish you a safe journey."

As he spoke, Lu Zheng felt a special power empowering him. Was this a blessing from the gods?

Lu Zheng and Wang Tong left the main hall and waited outside, where they saw the City God of the State waiting there.

When the city god saw the two men come out, he greeted them with a smile, "Young Master Wang, Young Master Lu, oh my, Young Master Wang, it's been a long time! I almost didn't recognize you at first glance!"

The city god had just heard from his subordinates that Wang Tong was like a completely different person, and now that he had seen him in person, he was shocked.

The fact that Wang Tong, who used to be crazy and unrestrained, had become so normal made him think that Wang Tong was very abnormal.

The City God of Yongzhou looked at Lu Zheng warmly, "Young Master Lu, seeing is believing. You are indeed a man of great talent. When I was distracted reporting for duty in Yingdu, the City God of Yongzhou mentioned you to me..."

The city god of the prefecture had a kind face and was not at all arrogant as the city god of a prefecture.

When he learned that the two were going to Yunmengze to find someone to alleviate the local drought, he was naturally happy to oblige.

If we can't get the top experts, it would be good to get others.

Why not take it easy and worry less about it?
The city god smiled and said, "You two go ahead, I will definitely get the local deities to cooperate..."

"This journey will likely be quite arduous, so please accept these spiritual items as travel expenses..."

The city god took out two storage bags and stuffed them into the arms of the two men.

"Alright, I won't delay your business any longer. I also have official duties to attend to, so I'll wait here for good news."

The city god bid farewell and quickly left with his officials.

Wang Tong looked at the storage bag and clicked his tongue, "Heh, it's rare for this person to be so generous. It feels like they're just benefiting from your generosity. It seems they're really afraid of you..."

Wang Tong thought it made sense. At most, he could only talk back to those gods, but Lu Zheng was truly willing to kill a god.

Wang Tong shook his head and said, "Let's go, let's go to Yunmeng Marsh. We'll take my spirit shuttle there; it won't take long..."

Wang Tong was in high spirits. He took Lu Zheng out of the city and then rode the Spirit Shuttle straight towards Yunmengze.

Upon learning that the two had left, the City God, recalling the scene just now, stroked his chin and said, "What's going on with this Wang Tong? Is he really hanging out with Lu Zheng? Investigate him, see if anyone..."

The city god's eyes flickered, and he ordered his subordinates to investigate thoroughly.

……

Wang Tong piloted the nimble shuttle, speeding across mountains and rivers.

Lu Zheng, sitting to the side, asked, "Do you know a lot about the gods of the Great Chu?"

Wang Tong raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and said, "Of course, I basically know all the Rank 1 True Gods!"

"They're almost all related by marriage; everyone knows each other. However, there are still conflicts of interest among the various divine priests..."

"Some would love for the other gods to die so they can give up their positions."

Wang Tong shook his head and said leisurely, "What gods? They're just a bunch of scheming, self-serving creatures."

Wang Tong paused, then said, "Speaking of which, you shouldn't have gotten involved in this. They actually want you to stab the other gods in the back... Don't be fooled by their seemingly friendly demeanor; it's all an act!"

"Be careful, or you'll be used as a tool. If you offend too many people, you might not even be able to leave the State of Chu."

Wang Tong said, "I didn't mean to ruin your reputation, I was just telling the truth."

Lu Zheng remained calm and said, "I know what I'm doing. So what if I'm being used as a weapon? I'll do what they can't do, and I'll kill the gods they can't offend. Why shouldn't I do anything that benefits the world and its people?"

Wang Tong clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "Speaking of which, if you really slaughtered some of the gods of Chu and made the other officials more serious and responsible, and Chu became stronger, wouldn't that be good for Anguo?"

"The people of the world should not be confined to one country," Lu Zheng said calmly. "Besides, how much can my little influence change the state of Chu?"

Wang Tong pondered, "That's right. This Great Chu is rotten to the core... This little bit of influence is not enough to affect your An Kingdom."

Wang Tong shook his head and sighed, feeling that the world was beyond saving.

Lu Zheng then asked, "Tell me about the various deities of Chu, I'm bored anyway."

Wang Tong said excitedly, "I know a lot, I could talk about it for three days and three nights and still not finish..."

The two rode in the spirit shuttle, chatting idly along the way, and time passed by unnoticed.

In the distance, a lake came into view on the horizon.

Wang Tong took a sip of spiritual tea to moisten his throat and looked into the distance. "We're almost at Yunmeng Marsh. Surprisingly, the drought hasn't affected this area."

"Looking back, it's been many years since I've been here. I once went to look for the Yunmeng Sect, and I searched for three whole years without finding its gate. Do you know how I spent those three years?"

Lu Zhengdao: "You've never been to the Yunmeng Sect?"

Wang Tong shook his head and said, "No, I've only met cultivators from the Yunmeng Sect. When I tried to inquire about the location of the Immortal Sect, they wouldn't tell me. Have you been there?"

Lu Zheng nodded. "I'll stay for a while."

Upon hearing this, Wang Tong exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Tell me! You're not planning to go to the Yunmeng Sect to ask for help, are you? Take me with you!"

Wang Tong was quite curious about what the Yunmeng Sect was like and felt this was an opportunity.

Lu Zhengdao: "I'm afraid that won't work. I don't have a direct way to go there. I don't have that kind of influence to let the Yunmeng Sect go whenever they want. Besides, it's not easy to ask someone for help..."

He still needs to find his way to the Yunmeng Sect, and he has to pass through many restrictions. He may not be able to enter the Yunmeng Sect again, and it will not be easy to ask someone for help.

He didn't want to waste too much time. His plan was to go to Star Bay to ask the aquatic tribe for help. If he didn't have enough help, he would then go to the Cloud Dream Sect.

Seeing Lu Zheng say this, Wang Tong couldn't help but say, "Yunmeng Sect is a top-tier immortal sect. It's really difficult to get the experts there to help... It's said that back then, when the Great Chu wanted to seize part of the dragon vein of the previous dynasty, it asked the immortals of Yunmeng Sect to help, and at that time they offered a lot of precious treasures as a reward."

Lu Zheng had not heard of this matter and asked curiously, "The Yunmeng Sect would help people seize the world?"

Wang Tong said, "It's not exactly helping others seize the world. It's just that when the benefits were right, we took advantage of the situation to help intercept the dragon vein. Even without them, Great Chu could have done it, it would just have taken a little more effort."

"Although they are called a secluded immortal sect, the various immortal cultivation forces in the world inevitably have contact with the major dynasties under heaven..."

"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain."

"Nothing is absolute. Let me tell you, back in the day, there was a great figure in the State of Chu who betrayed us..."

Wang Tong spoke mysteriously, revealing secrets that were difficult for outsiders to know.

It was rare to meet someone so easy to get along with, Wang Tongcai said, mentioning these secrets.

As Lu Zheng listened to Wang Tong's account, the picture of the situation and power of the Chu state became clearer and clearer in his mind.

(End of this chapter)