Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 134 The Supreme God's Decree
The attic was quiet and secluded, bathed in moonlight like a ribbon.

Chen Shunan sat cross-legged on the futon, his expression calm, and slowly opened the sandalwood box in front of him.

Five green dragon galls lay quietly in the box, their bodies dark green, shaped like water chestnuts, and covered with five white stripes.

Under the moonlight, the white lines resembled flowing water, with a hidden luster. Each white line represented ten years of the medicine's age.

Without hesitation, Chen Shunan picked one and swallowed it whole.

Logically, it's best to decoct gentian with gentian and coptis in water and swallow it for easier absorption.

But this applies to ordinary martial artists.

Having already eliminated the four traitors, Chen Shunan's internal organs were now highly active, capable of crushing and digesting even iron or stones that entered his stomach.

Therefore, there is no need to be so particular about something as simple as Gentiana macrophylla.

The green gentian has a sweet taste and a satisfying crunch when chewed, making it quite delicious.

If it weren't so expensive, Chen Shunan would have liked to use it as a snack after quitting smoking.

Chen Shunan closed his mouth and hid his tongue, licking the roof of his mouth. In an instant, he felt his saliva gushing out. His tongue was extremely sensitive, even able to capture the subtle scents in the air like a snake.

In a sense, gentian can also be considered a powerful and dangerous medicine.

It significantly increases the effects of breaking up blood stasis and promoting saliva production in a short period of time, indirectly affecting the tongue and expelling phlegm, like a great wave washing away sand.

Chen Shunan focused his mind on the "Precious Essence Embracing Liquid True Skill Diagram," and his expression gradually became dazed.

Before my eyes, the world was in a state of chaos, with the bright moon and golden crow shining above and the gentle breeze and towering mountains below. I was like a grain of sand in the vast ocean, tossing and turning within it.

He subconsciously looked down and saw that he had no limbs or body, and seemed to have become a drop of water, or rather, a mouthful of saliva.

First, it is battered by rain from the east and blown by wind from the west, flowing through narrow ditches and paths, and then gradually gathering and growing stronger.

Seeing the grass, trees, cattle, sheep, green pines, and mist on both banks, it eventually flows into the great rivers and then eastwards, becoming part of the vast ocean.

In a fleeting moment, the herbal talisman in his mind trembled and hummed, emitting a mysterious light, and Chen Shunan awoke as if from a dream.

It turns out there was no such thing as a bright moon and golden crow, a clear breeze and high mountains; those were merely his eyes, his breath, and the jade tree.

And he himself was a thief of words!
His thoughts had actually turned to the tongue thief!

"cut!"

The Heavenly Blade materialized, and Chen Shunan slashed at himself!

"call……"

After a long while, Chen Shunan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

A hint of weariness flashed across his eyes.

Although he has successfully cut off the tongue thief's tongue, he has officially entered the stage of cutting off the tongue thief.

But he was also secretly alarmed by the difficulty of killing this thief.

It was like a drop of water, an illusion that merged into the cycle of heaven and earth, so real yet so tiny that it was impossible for people to extricate themselves from it and to notice it.

Even if they were to discover it, finding the thief in that vast ocean would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

And they're all going in the wrong direction!

The thief of the tongue is not found outside, but inside; one is the thief of the tongue oneself!
How are the other martial artists supposed to compete?
No wonder, the Tongue Thief and the Mind Thief are considered the two most difficult thieves to kill in the True Mind Realm, with only one or two out of ten people able to succeed.

If even the tongue can be so cunning, how much more difficult must it be for the mind to be cunning?

Thinking of this, Chen Shunan's gaze narrowed slightly.

Lu Jing's strength is probably far more unfathomable than it appears on the surface.

……

Chen Shunan, dressed in a neat black outfit, parked the water cart outside the Li residence. With steady steps, he had just stepped onto the steps carrying water when he heard Li Shicheng's hearty laughter.

"Brother Chen, you're always so timely in bringing water. Hurry up, have a quick lunch here today, some fresh river and sea delicacies, paired with Shaoxing wine from Beiyuan."

If Brother Chen would like to drink Lotus White wine, that's fine too. I still have several jars of thirty-year-old vintage wine in my cellar..."

Li Shicheng personally came to the door to greet him. If Chen Shunan hadn't repeatedly insisted that he should deliver the two buckets of water himself, he would have even snatched the carrying pole from him.

Several days later, Li Shicheng, who was still on the verge of death, had bright eyes and a healthy complexion. Although he was not yet fully recovered and vigorous, he had regained some of his peak condition.

He's completely different from how he was a few days ago!

The entire household was filled with joy, feeling as if they were blessed by the gods.

The old man actually broke free and started a second spring in his life!

However, after Li Shicheng gradually returned to his peak and regained his first-class strength, the first thing he did was to expel some of his rebellious sons and grandsons from the family and sever ties with them, which made him appear extremely cold and ruthless.

Only two of their sons, who were considered virtuous and filial, were left to continue the family line.

"Mr. Li, you're too kind..."

"Don't call me Master Li. If Brother Chen doesn't mind, just call me Brother Shicheng!"

Li Shicheng feigned anger and pulled Chen Shunan into the courtyard.

The two gatekeepers, Ah Da and Ah Er, had complicated expressions, their eyes still fixed on Chen Shunan's back.

I still remember the first time I met Chen Shunan. He was just recovering from a serious illness and was only a third-rate cultivator.

How did he transform into a rising star in martial arts in Wuqing County in just a few months?

Moreover, he even addressed his own master as a brother.

However... the two of them also vaguely knew some of the inside story.

I guessed that Mr. Li's recovery was inseparable from Chen Shunan.

Therefore, they felt immense gratitude towards Chen Shunan.

"Xiao Zhao, quick, brew a pot of Sparrow Tongue water for rinsing. Brother Chen, you've been delivering water for years, you've probably never tasted this before."

"Yes, sir!" Butler Zhao replied with a smile and left.

The people of Baishan in the Holy Dynasty have really taken eating, drinking, and having fun to an extreme.

Even the water used to brew tea is carefully selected. For example, the emperor drinks spring water from Yuquan Mountain in western Beijing. The water is said to be like a silver curtain rolled up by white rocks, and only a few kilograms are produced each day. It is not only clear and sweet, but it is also said that drinking it can make one ascend to heaven in broad daylight and bring people back to life.

Of course, this water was not something that ordinary people could enjoy, and even royalty and nobility were not entitled to indulge in.

The sparrow tongue tea that Li Shicheng mentioned was brewed with a sweet spring that had been flowing for over a hundred years in Miyun Mountain.

The water was delivered to the mansion by skilled martial artists who traveled hundreds of miles without stopping.

First, put it in a porcelain bottle, seal it with pine wax, and then put it in an ice cellar to chill. Open it whenever you want to drink it. You can't use any kind of stove or furnace to cook it; you have to use a small stove and a fruitwood charcoal fire to heat it!
Thanks to Li Shicheng, Chen Shunan had tried this Sparrow Tongue tea, but he didn't taste much of it; it wasn't as refreshing as his Gao Sui.

What nonsense!
Isn't that a waste of money?

After adding water.

The aroma of tea gradually rises in the courtyard.

Chen Shunan spat out two mouthfuls of tea leaves stuck between his teeth and said,

"I won't trouble you with the meal, Brother Shicheng. I've come here today to discuss something with you."

Upon hearing this, Li Shicheng's expression hardened. He immediately dismissed Steward Zhao and the maids on either side and led Chen Shunan into the study.

He personally closed the carved wooden window, shut the door tightly, and then took out a piece of sandalwood incense and lit it.

Wisps of smoke rose and filled the room, making his face appear even more solemn.

He straightened his clothes, bowed solemnly in a certain unspeakable direction, and then lowered his voice to say...

"But has a decree been issued by the Supreme God?"

Chen Shunan, with a similarly serious expression, bowed and nodded, saying...

"I have received a divine decree to send you to Rongyuan Orphanage to find a kindred spirit, to adopt and teach them skills and knowledge."

Li Shicheng nodded and said, "As you command."

He did not ask any further questions, nor did he have any doubts.

Since it was a decree from the Supreme God, all he had to do was comply.

His life was a gift from the gods, and the faint connection he had with them made him feel as if he were looking at the vast and mysterious heavens, which filled him with awe and made him dare not have any disloyal thoughts.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the aroma of sandalwood filling the air.

The sunlight seeped in through the cracks in the window, making it dim and unclear.

At that moment, the two of them resembled cult members making an underground rendezvous.

Since Chen Shunan used Ran Yi An Shen Shui to regulate Li Shicheng's soul chamber and calm his mind to help him sleep that day.

Chen Shunan then claimed to be a healer under the tutelage of the 'Shangyuan Shuiyuan', and that he had also been enlightened by the gods and learned a method of using talismanic water to exorcise evil spirits and cure diseases.

Therefore, everything made sense to Li Shicheng!

It turned out that the supreme deity had been watching him all along.

Only then did he bring Chen Zhuyou to him.

"However, Brother Chen, how do we determine if we are 'destined' for each other?"

"It's simple. Those whose birth charts favor fire and earth are destined to be taught martial arts. However, the other children in the orphanage can also be taught basic martial arts and literacy... but we must not make it public. We should concentrate our efforts and first cultivate a group of those who are destined."

"Understood! Since the High God does not wish to make a fuss... then I will use the pretext of the Li family's establishment of a guard unit, and Brother Chen, you will take the lead in recruiting people from the Rongyuan Orphanage!"

Li Shicheng understood the implied meaning in Chen Shunan's words after hearing just one sentence.

Although he vaguely felt that this 'Shangyuan Shuiyuan' was not some serious deity, he had never even heard of such a divine name before.

But whatever evil gods or lewd worship, if they can save my life and help me cultivate, then they are heavenly gods and immortals, ten thousand times better than those clay and straw sculptures in temples!
This is the vast and simple reason why the people of the Holy Dynasty worship the gods.

If you do me a favor, I will respect you, provide for you, and treat you well.

You are harmful and useless to me, only knowing how to sit high above and enjoy the offerings of incense. Then I will overturn the world and lift you up again, puncture the sky and mend it, drag you out of the temple and expose you to the sun!

“Brother Shicheng is absolutely right… By the way, if we need a teacher, we might as well look for Scholar Ma on Yinding Street. He is reasonably priced, has excellent knowledge, and is worth employing.”

“No problem, I’ll take care of it! But since we’re going to hire tutors, hiring just one might arouse suspicion. We can hire one tutor for each of the fields of law, calligraphy, mathematics, and literature.”

Working with smart people is so comfortable.

Chen Shunan would often only need to throw out a topic, and Li Shicheng would be able to draw inferences from it, fill in the gaps, and help Chen Shunan improve and supplement it.

Soon, the private plot of land that Chen Shunan envisioned for his family's religious practice began to take shape.

The children of the orphanage whom he had trained could be his confidants, and could be converted into a group of devout believers whenever needed.

Moreover, when they grow and spread out in the future, these sparks will reach the highest levels of government and the farthest corners of the world, echoing Chen Shunan from afar and relying on each other.

We need to broaden our horizons.

Chen Shunan has already begun planning for years, or even decades, ahead.

"But Brother Chen, learning martial arts and literature are both very expensive. A few people are fine, but if there are more... even if my Li family sells everything we own, I'm afraid it will be difficult to sustain."

Li Shicheng then frowned and said with some difficulty.

Fist is power.

When Li Shicheng recovered his strength and returned to the first-class realm, many old friends and forces came to him to curry favor, and even returned the shops and warehouses that he had 'temporarily borrowed' in previous years to their rightful owners.

Even so, the Li family alone can only support a dozen or so martial artists and scholars at most; any more than that would be an unbearable burden.

Chen Shunan, however, remained calm, as if he had anticipated this, and said,

"I'll figure out the money first. As for basic necessities... we don't need to worry about that."

"Oh?" Li Shicheng was taken aback, a puzzled look on his face. "Why is that?"

"Someone helped us pay it out."

"Who?"

Chen Shunan's lips curled slightly as he spoke slowly.
"Wanlong Mill".

(End of this chapter)