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

Chapter 198 A mere change of appearance, why not worship?
The cold wind swirled with snowflakes, pouring into He Qiqiang's half-open courtyard gate.

He Qiqiang rushed home, packed Wan Niang separately, and placed the food in a carrying box on the stove.

Then he hurriedly went to the bedroom and called out,

"Xiao Su, are you feeling better?"

A dead skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

Even though He Qiqiang was on the verge of desperation, he had not yet fallen to the point of sleeping on the streets and having no roof over his head to shelter him from the rain.

The house is a courtyard house, facing south, yet it is spacious and clean.

But the family had sold or pawned all the valuables they owned, leaving them practically destitute.

Lifting the curtain, one could see only a single oil lamp burning in the bedroom.

In the dim light, one could vaguely see a woman lying on the bed, her body as thin as a stick and her face deathly pale.

She was wrapped in a light blue quilt, making it almost impossible to see the rise and fall of her chest.

His legs have degenerated, and his whole body seems to weigh less than two ounces.

Although Xiao Su had been bedridden for many years, she had no foul odor, her hair was soft, her nails were clean, and even her quilt smelled faintly of soap.

Clearly, He Qiqiang has taken excellent care of his ailing wife over the years.

Hearing the sound, Xiao Su slowly raised her head higher, forcing a smile onto her pale face, revealing teeth still stained with blood, and said,

"Thanks to Sister Wang next door for taking care of me... He Lang, I'm much better now."

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet crisp and clear, like a blade of grass barely sprouting in the dead of winter.

He Qiqiang glanced at Xiao Su a few times and, seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, felt a little relieved. He then walked towards the extinguished small fire pot and rummaged through the dregs of medicine inside.

"Xiao Su, wait here. I'll brew you another dose of medicine. You'll feel better after you take it."

Xiao Su's leprosy requires her to take a potent medicine called "Sophora flavescens brewing formula" year-round.

You will need five catties of high-quality Sophora flavescens, five ounces of honeycomb, one hedgehog skin, and three catties of ginseng.

The other medicinal herbs are nothing special, but the best quality Sophora flavescens is a rare mountain product, which grows only in the western mountains near the capital.

Therefore, this prescription is quite expensive; an ordinary family might not even be able to afford a single dose with a month's worth of food.

However, Xiaosu's dosage of medicine has been increasing.

When a young person first develops the disease, two doses a month are sufficient.

Now, a dose is obtained every seven or eight days.

If we consider He Qiqiang's usual monthly allowance, along with the various kickbacks he received and the gifts from merchants, it would be more than enough to support Xiao Su's medical treatment.

But now, He Qiqiang is finding it hard to hold on.

He has decided that he will go to the Western Hills to collect ginseng and brew medicinal herbs himself, which will save him some money.

but……

This is a bottomless pit.

He Qiqiang is.

Xiao Su is the same.

He Qiqiang was busy, so he picked up a pair of scissors, stirred the dregs in the medicine jar, and then placed it on the stool.

"Don't worry, Xiao Su. In the Wuqing Sticky Pole Office, there is a precious pill called the 'Breakthrough Pill,' which is especially suitable for my current situation. Even if my meridians are disordered and I am suffering from qi deviation, I can forcefully break through my current realm with just one pill!"

He Qiqiang brought over the bowl of medicine, and after Du Xiaosu drank it, he continued to comfort her.

"My master has treated me well, giving me a great merit in advance. Once I take the Breakthrough Pill and become a True Intent Master, I will continue to help you heal..."

"Hmm... He Lang, go boil some hot water, I want to wipe myself down."

Xiao Su squeezed He Qiqiang's hand; his fingertips were icy cold.

"Good good..."

He Qiqiang immediately turned around and went out of the house. He went to the kitchen, put firewood on the stove and added water. After a flurry of activity, he carried the hot water back into the house.

I just lifted the curtain.

thump!
The wooden basin fell to the ground, hot water splashed up, and white steam instantly filled the air.

He Qiqiang stared blankly at the lifeless figure on the ground.

Xiao Su still retains the posture of tightly gripping the scissors with both hands, as if she were about to plunge them into her own throat.

The knuckles turned white from exertion.

Not much blood flowed from the wound.

On the ground, there was a piece of white paper with neat handwriting that clearly stated—

I, a slave, no longer wish to be a burden to He Lang. I hope we can meet again in the next life.

I do not know how long it has been,

He Qiqiang stumbled and fell, looking utterly dejected, onto the stone step in front of the door. He sat down on the ground, staring blankly at the bustling street.

He Qiqiang felt that he hadn't done anything wrong.

Although he lost both his parents at a young age and made a living by herding pigs.

But I don't steal, rob, gamble, or visit prostitutes.

He met a good man, worshipped a black pig, diligently practiced martial arts, studied under many masters, and entered the watery lair...

Even after achieving great success, he never forgot his childhood sweetheart, Xiao Su, and married her. They lived in harmony and mutual respect.

Even in the workplace, when he had conflicts with Lin Shouzhou and others, he was always straightforward and never slandered or plotted against others.

But if I did nothing wrong, why have I ended up in this situation?
The cold wind blew in, carrying snowflakes that landed on his face, but he was completely unaware.

"Haha, let's go, let's go have some drinks!"

"Have you heard? Zhang Xiangling from Tongzhou is such a prodigy. Today she came to our Wuqing County, and all the wealthy and powerful families are practically licking her boots... Shall we go and join in the fun?"

"Why are you still joining in the fun? You don't know, do you? That Zhang Tianjiao, on the top of the Zhuo Gate Tower, faced off against his opponent under the moon and defeated the twelve heroes of Wuqing in succession... That worthless Chief Transport Officer Zhu Tao and the young master of the Libao Commerce Bureau were all humiliated. But in the end, he still narrowly lost to that virtuous and upright scholar Jingzhai who chased after him from Tongzhou."

"Right now, the virtuous and upright official Jingzhai has booked Songhexuan for a month, specifically for Miss Zhang's stay. Now, all the powerful and wealthy people in Wuqing County, regardless of gender, are shamelessly shoving visiting cards into Songhexuan! Where did this beggar come from? Get out of the way!!"

On the street, several young men, riding tall horses and completely drunk, whipped beggars along the roadside before laughing and chatting as they rode by.

He Qiqiang sat on the moss-covered, chipped steps, staring blankly upwards. Through the layers of moonlight and lanterns, he could vaguely see Songhe Pavilion.

It truly is a nine-tiered palace, a heavenly gate of the phoenix palace.

The music was loud and clear, as bright as day.

Those who came and went were all nobles and wealthy families, and those who chatted and laughed were all princes and nobles.

Why are they able to remain high above others and never make a mistake, no matter what?

If I take one wrong step, I will face utter ruin.
He Qiqiang didn't understand.

"Don't you understand? You can go and ask them yourself."

Suddenly, a hoarse, sinister voice came from behind He Qiqiang.

He suddenly turned around and looked.

An elderly woman with bound feet, dressed entirely in black, with a pipe in her mouth, had somehow squatted down next to He Qiqiang.

The old woman had a red string tied around her wrist.

At the other end of the red rope was a chubby boy with red lips and white teeth.

The chubby boy looked aggrieved.

"Who are you?" He Qiqiang asked, confused.

"Silly boy, don't you recognize me?!"

The old lady smiled and tapped her pipe against the steps!
With a whoosh—

Suddenly, clouds and mist rose and swirled, like a strange wind that chilled to the bone, and the old woman's figure disappeared into the smoke.

The smoke seemed to be slowly stirred by an invisible hand, forming a deep vortex.

A pair of eyes that had been radiating a cold light suddenly lit up, leaving trails of afterimages in the smoke.

"You have worshipped me for many years, why do you not worship me today?"

The next instant, an enormous head emerged coldly from the center of the vortex.

With its tusks curved and mane flowing, it revealed the head of a black boar.

There were no roars, no panting.

Only a silent gaze can bring an extreme sense of oppression that freezes even the bones.

He Qiqiang froze on the spot, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared intently at the black pig in front of him.

The black pig he worshipped was actually real?
"Having absorbed the filth of the world and swallowed the suffering of humanity, today we are leading the true to our holy religion."

The black pig spoke in a human voice, which was as hoarse as an old woman's.

"The nine celestial bodies bestow life, the three luminaries gather spirit. In the vast emptiness, there lies true essence; what has withered will flourish again, what has perished will be reborn. Hasten, hasten, as the Great Black Mother commands!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark pigskin silently fell into the house behind He Qiqiang and rolled up the body of the dead Xiao Su.

The pigskin immediately covered Xiao Su's corpse, merging with the skin membrane. A flash of light appeared, and it actually pulled Xiao Su to take two steps on the ground.

At first, it was as clumsy as a machine, with legs straight, but gradually it became more flexible, like running and rushing. I don't know if it was really a resurrection from the dead, or if I was possessed by a pig demon.

"He Lang~"

The crisp sound rang out again.

He Qiqiang turned around abruptly, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes.

"Hahaha, now that you've joined the faith, come with me!"

The old woman let out two strange laughs, and black mist swirled around them, engulfing He Qiqiang and Xiao Su.

All that could be seen was a gloomy, misty atmosphere, with the faint roars of wild beasts. When the mist cleared, no human figure could be found.
People came and went on the street as if nothing was wrong, and even when they passed by the two of them and brushed past the black mist, they were completely unaware.

There seemed to be an invisible force that filled the world and subtly altered everyone's six senses.

In the corner not far away, a gaunt old beggar huddled in the shadows.

His tattered cotton-padded jacket was covered in patches, and a fresh whip mark on his left arm was still oozing blood.

The old beggar glanced at them indifferently.

"The Furang Holy Sect, a technique of changing skin and appearance?"

He muttered something to himself, then reached out and wiped his eye socket, removing one of his eyeballs.

This object is round, soft, and smooth, just like a living person's eyeball.

But the beggar simply squeezed it, and the object split into long, yellow roots that resembled purple ginseng, which the beggar then put into his pocket.

Within his dark eye sockets, a budding flesh began to wriggle, and a new eyeball actually grew out.

Zhang Wei glanced at the empty, broken bowl, then at the whip marks on his body, and shook his head helplessly.

The social atmosphere in Wuqing County was terrible. A beggar didn't earn a single copper coin all day and was even whipped by a spoiled brat.

"Fu Rang Holy Sect, the Canal Gang, Li Bao Commercial Bureau, Shuiwozi, the Four Great Mills... Wow, it's really lively."

Zhang Wei got up, preparing to head to the next place.

At that moment, Zhang Wei was jolted awake, as if struck by lightning, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

A wisp of black mist landed on him, and the ginseng roots in his arms, as if provoked, suddenly gathered together, transforming into an eyeball that flew out like a bolt of lightning and struck the black mist.

As the black mist dissipated, Zhang Wei's expression turned solemn.

Then, a sinister voice rang in the beggar's ear—

"I wondered who this junior was, daring to spy on the Great Black Heavenly Mother. It turns out you are the 'Mist Gauze Boy,' who has been granted permission to glimpse the immortal's face... Now I will punish you slightly to uphold the immortal's authority, and make the cultivator behind you come to Eight Families Village to apologize and see me!"

The Mist-Covered Sky: The sky is shrouded in mist, and the true dragon hides its scales. It is clear that Taiyi has descended to the mortal realm, and the immortals are right in front of us, but we meet as if shrouded in mist. We do not know, hear, or see... Our six senses are obscured, and our knowledge and vision become obstacles.

Even mortals, throughout their entire lives, are shrouded in this celestial order.

This is the most vast and boundless celestial force that stretches across the heavens and earth.

Only cultivators and those like Zhang Wei, who feign immortality, can glimpse this heavenly order.

If one does not see through it, one is no different from an ant.

Even when one looks up at the sky, that day is one that cultivators are willing to let mortals see.

(End of this chapter)