Longevity Candle

Chapter 18 Beast
Liu Sanzhu visited the noble young man but failed to get an answer.

That noble young man told him not to mention it to anyone; it must have been a passing martial arts hero who helped him.

Remembering the life-saving grace, the young master repeatedly warned him not to be a good Samaritan again.

After expressing his gratitude, Liu Sanzhu returned home and gradually distanced himself from those with ill intentions.

Gradually, his reputation deteriorated.

Many people have made fun of him, saying that he has become rich but lost his conscience, and is no longer the Liu Sanzhu he once was, but a despicable Third Master.

And the number of people selling fish has also decreased.

Liu Sanzhu realized that his family's life was already good enough, and living a peaceful life was better than anything else.

Why bother seeking so much wealth?
He only takes what he can to supply the wealthy young men and help some families in need to sell. He doesn't take any more fish than that.

Seeing his business decline, those who were envious felt a sense of satisfaction, but they stopped paying attention to him and just secretly mocked him.

Liu Hao was also growing up, and the old fisherman and his wife ultimately failed.

They died, and occasionally kind-hearted people would bring Liu Hao some food.

But he looked down on the bland and tasteless food, and instead of thanking the other party, he cursed them.

He even ran to Sanzhuzi's house and shouted loudly, "Godfather!"

Sanzhuzi, having lost his patience with all the fuss, had no choice but to report it to the authorities.

The officials didn't care about age; since Sanzhuzi had a powerful young master backing him, they naturally gave him a severe beating.

He no longer dared to provoke Sanzhuzi, and in order to live a better life, he started stealing chickens and dogs.

He also spread rumors that his grandparents were killed by Liu Sanzhu, and cursed him every day.

Liu Sanzhu wouldn't argue with a child, but Liu Lang couldn't stand it and beat Liu Hao up.

Time never stops, amidst grudges and entanglements.

Liu Lang became a fisherman, fishing in the river every day and listening to the old fishermen tell the ancient story of the God of Qingjiang.

Legend has it that the god of the Qingjiang River protects the fishermen of the Qingjiang River.

Fishermen who light three sticks of incense when they go into the river are believed to receive the blessing of the God of the Qingjiang River, ensuring a bountiful harvest and a safe return.

Today, only a few fishing families still worship the God of Qingjiang.

He longed for the legend of the God of Qingjiang and desired to receive the blessing of Qingjiang.

He asked his father if the story of the God of Qingjiang was true.

"The god of Qingjiang is very ancient; it was already a legend in the time of our ancestors."

Liu Sanzhu chuckled and said, "However, whether it's true or false, you should still have reverence for it. The 'Jianglang Yin' that I taught you is said to have been bestowed by the God of Qingjiang. You should cultivate it well."

"Jiang Lang Yin, was it bestowed by the God of Qingjiang? After cultivating, will I be able to see the God of Qingjiang?" Young Liu Lang was full of anticipation.

Liu Sanzhu initially wanted to deny it, but seeing the expectation in his son's eyes, he couldn't bear to extinguish it: "Perhaps it's possible."

In his youth, he also had expectations, so he worked hard in his cultivation and eventually achieved something, which enabled him to save the noble young man in the river.

Perhaps the god of Qingjiang exists; otherwise, how could I have such good fortune?

He suddenly remembered that the reminder from back then might not have been from a chivalrous knight-errant, but rather a blessing from the god of Qingjiang.
As time passed, Liu Lang became a well-known fisherman in Liu Family Town, even catching a large fish in the river, and becoming good friends with the son of that nobleman.

Liu Hao, however, became infamous and a despised thug.

He was jealous of Liu Lang, feeling that all of this should have been his.

He also resented his grandparents, hating their incompetence for not making him Liu Sanzhu's godson.

Looking at his destitute home, he got completely drunk and loathed it all.

He smashed the lamp aside, and the candlelight set the wooden house ablaze. In his panic, he poured wine onto the flames in an attempt to extinguish them.

The flames raged and engulfed the poor little house. Liu Hao fled in panic, and neighbors on the street rushed to put out the fire, but the flames were too great, and they could only watch helplessly as everything turned to ashes.

Afterwards, the neighbors found two skeletons inside the house; they were those of the old fisherman and the old woman from that time.

Liu Hao harbored resentment towards them and never buried them.

When everyone tried to hold him accountable, Liu Hao had disappeared.

Looking at the ruins all around, Liu Sanzhu felt a pang of sadness, but also a deep sense of relief that he had escaped back then.

He found the green lamp in the ruins, and after washing it with water, it was as good as new.

The fire left not a trace on the lamp.

As if possessed, he brought the green lamp home.

Perhaps out of guilt for taking the lamp, or perhaps because he remembered the words from years ago, he paid for the burial of the two remains.

When a person dies, the debt is settled, and the grudges in one's heart also dissipate with the wind.

Liu Sanzhu felt that the green lamp was extraordinary, impervious to water and fire. Although he did not see any divine phenomena, he dared not offend it and enshrined it in his home.

Even if I guess wrong, it's only a matter of a few incense sticks burning.

Before he knew it, Liu Lang was already twenty-five years old. His "Jiang Lang Yin" had been completed, and he caught a thirty-pound fish in the midst of the giant waves, earning the envy of countless people.

He planned to give the big fish to the son of that nobleman, who was also his good friend.

Fall asleep with a smile.

At midnight, the blinding flames startled the entire town, and the sounds of fighting could be heard.

The fishermen in the town were so frightened by the shout of "Chief of Qingjiang Village" that they dared not go out.

The bandits came ashore and began burning, killing, and looting.

Liu Sanzhu was too frightened to go out and closed the door. Although "Jianglang Yin" was a martial art, it was only a water-based skill, good for strengthening the body, but no match for the water bandits.

Driven by his passion, Liu Lang invoked his status as a noble young master, only to be met with disdainful laughter from the bandits.

A raging fire broke out, and Liu Lang was pinned to the wall by an arrow that pierced his arm.

In the firelight, he saw Liu Hao, who was grinning maliciously: "All of this should be mine, you all deserve to die!"

He was like a demon from hell, becoming one of the bandits.

Helpless, Liu Sanzhu knelt before the green lamp, repeatedly calling upon the God of Qingjiang: "Eternal God of Qingjiang, please bless me one more time, save my family, save Liujia Town."

"The eternal god of Qingjiang..."

He kowtowed violently, blood seeping from his forehead, praying in despair that the god of the Qingjiang River would lower his gaze.

Liu Hao laughed loudly: "A broken lamp can protect you? Don't worry, after you die, I will throw you into the Qingjiang River. If there is a god in the Qingjiang River, you will see him."

He kicked Liu Sanzhu to the ground, the long knife piercing through his arm. He wanted to torture this man who refused to take him in, bit by bit.

Liu Lang roared in anguish, but he was unable to get past the bandits.

"Worship this broken lamp instead of me." Liu Hao grinned maliciously. "I won't kill you, but I'll cripple your limbs and watch your son wail in pain at my feet. I'll repay you for all the hatred I've accumulated over the years."

The candlelight flickered, casting golden and silver glitter. Jiang Zhu slowly awoke, looked at the scene before him, and frowned slightly.

He pointed his finger, and an invisible force spread out, freezing everyone in place.

Liu Hao's fist, which he was waving, froze in place, unable to move forward an inch.

Looking at the solidified body of Jiang Zhu, Liu Sanzhu was overjoyed: "Eternal God of Qingjiang, I am your devout believer."

"The God of Qingjiang?" Jiang Zhu looked at him in surprise and said, "I know you. I reminded you to leave back then. Why are you still entangled with him?"

"He, he's a beast! He colluded with river bandits, burning, killing, and looting in our Liu Family Town..."

(End of this chapter)