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

Chapter 95 Rumors
After a while.

More than twenty children of different heights and disabilities lined up quietly, their faces still flushed, their bright eyes fixed on Chen Shunan.

There is both reverence and filial piety.

They know who brought them this good life.

Before Chen Shunan arrived, the maternity and infant clinic was full of 'monsters' who could barely get out of bed, were on the verge of death, and were physically and mentally exhausted.

They're no longer considered human.

After Chen Shunan arrived, more people were able to carry water to cook porridge and clean the pond, and they were also able to line up to receive breakfast.

He went from being a 'monster' to a 'weirdo'.

That counts as a person.

It's nothing more than the effect of the sweet water from the chicken head pearl.

Chicken head soup was of little use to Chen Shun'an, but it was very beneficial to ordinary people.

The man standing to maintain order couldn't help but wipe away his tears upon seeing this.

"That's all I'm good for. I can only feed the children white flour buns and bran and vegetables every day. When will this ever end?"

Some children looked confused upon hearing this.

The white steamed buns are so soft and sweet, how could anyone get tired of them? He just wanted to eat white steamed buns for the rest of his life.

Eat while lying down, eat while sleeping, eat even in your dreams.

Some of the bolder children lined up and bowed deeply before passing Chen Shunan, then cautiously asked,
"Mr. Chen, why are you so good to us?"

Chen Shunan paused for a moment, then said,
"Because I believe in God."

The children, upon hearing this, seemed to understand something, though they appeared somewhat bewildered.

Chen Shunan said, "Perhaps my being able to come here is also due to the guidance of some deity in the dark."

And so, a special color appeared in those clear eyes.

The blind child also felt that his ears, which heard these words, had gained some inexplicable power.

Tiny seeds of piety and devotion to the gods took root in the hearts of these innocent children.

As Chen Shunan listened, countless wishes came to him.

[Wish +2]

[Wish +2]

[Wish +3]

...

【Grass Scroll (50/100)】

[Wish: 492]

Once the herbal talisman is halfway complete, invest 5 points of divine power to choose the next deity.

……

A moment later, Chen Shunan retrieved the chicken-head pearl from the water vat, put it in his pouch, and turned to leave.

He ignored some children on the street who wanted to be hugged or touched, which made him seem somewhat indifferent and authoritative.

Reverence and humility are the best ways to ensure that faith is offered from the bottom up.

Crack!

Suddenly, the sound of firecrackers went off outside the door.

The woman seemed to understand something, hurriedly put down the broken iron spoon, and walked behind the cabinet on one side of the door.

She opened the small wooden door and then took a baby girl out of the cupboard.

Still in swaddling clothes, with rosy lips and white teeth, she giggled whenever she saw someone.

A note was left in the swaddling clothes—

It is said that his parents were originally descendants of loyal and virtuous people, but were mistakenly deceived by the gang and became addicted to "Xiangmiao Xinqing Ointment".

When cooking, one is full of energy and can stay awake for several days; after quitting, one feels listless, has a splitting headache, and tosses and turns, unable to sleep.

In the end, not only did they squander their family fortune, but they also could not bear the torment of sleep deprivation. As if they were being haunted by demons, they all committed suicide by drowning themselves in a lake.

Seeing the pitiful state of the baby girl, the neighbors had no choice but to abandon her in the cupboard of the orphanage and set off firecrackers as a warning to avoid the embarrassment of seeing her in person.

Seeing those familiar yet unfamiliar bright eyes in the swaddling clothes, Chen Shunan paused for a moment, then smiled wryly.

"Well! I didn't check the almanac before I went out today, what bad luck! I just happened to run into this!"

Chen Shunan didn't say much. He emptied his pockets of the few taels of silver he had on him, as well as the copper coins he used to sell water, and even threw away all the ginger candy he carried with him.

That's when they fled in panic.

When killing someone, one must see the body; when saving someone, one must save them completely.

Some people mocked Chen Shunan, saying that he could only protect the children in the orphanage for a while, but not forever.

Indeed, there are gods living in the world.

These children may also be the helmsmen, or even the shipbreakers, of the Holy Dynasty, this rotten giant ship.

……

After leaving Rongyuan Orphanage, they arrived at the bustling main street. Seeing people carrying loads and pushing carts, Chen Shunan moved more nimbly and pushed the cart back to Weiheng Street.

Perhaps the biggest change for Chen Shunan in the past two months is the development of Rongyuan Infant Home, a 'welfare home'.

The orphanage was originally an official charity, perhaps intended to solve the problem of abandoned infants, and was jointly funded by the government and the private sector.

However, it has changed over time.

The backgrounds of these orphans are all tragic, and need no further explanation.

The future of these orphans has become a business. Girls with decent looks are bought to be maids or prostitutes, while those who are quick on their feet are exploited as laborers. Even the disabled ones are not excluded; they can be taught a few lines of folk ballads and then go out to beg.

The four major gangs and some minor gangs all liked to buy supplies from the orphanage.

Occasionally, some people with good martial arts aptitude can be found, and they are trained to become suicide warriors.

Harvesting and mutilating animals, using them to practice evil martial arts, or as sacrifices to scout out and identify poisons...

The Rongyuan Orphanage where Chen Shunan is now is considered quite good; the couple in charge have some conscience.

The men were skilled in martial arts, and the women knew a few people in charge, so they wouldn't exploit the kids too much.

With Chen Shunan's current martial prowess, he is now qualified to be a 'good person'.

The four major gangs, the idle gangs, and the petty thugs were all amazed that Chen Shunan was so merciful, even giving up a lot of money to protect Rongyuan Orphanage.

So they stopped thinking about the orphanage.

There are plenty of abandoned children without parents, there's no need to offend Chen Shunan for the sake of Rongyuan Orphanage!
Not worth it!

Instead of taking the main street of Wusheng Street, Chen Shunan slowly pushed his cart around a small alley.

After all, Wusheng Street was already under the jurisdiction of the brothers, and it was already somewhat offensive for a waterman from another well to push his cart here.

The fact that his other brothers ignored him was already a sign of respect for Chen Shunan.

"It's this guy who spread rumors about drinking water, making us all panic!"

"Grab him and hand him over to the authorities!"

"Why bother reporting to the authorities? Send him to the water pit first, then just kill him... Hey, isn't that Old Chen?"

He hadn't gone far when he saw a group of people wielding guns and sticks, dressed in tight-fitting clothes and short jackets, who seemed to be guards of some wealthy family, shoving and punching each other in a circle.

Painful screams could be heard from the ground from time to time.

Someone called out to Chen Shunan, and Chen Shunan went closer to take a look.

A weasel-faced man was rolling on the ground. His sparse yellow hair was plastered to his scalp, making him look extremely shabby.

At this point, the man with the deer-like head was covered in bumps and clung to his head, running away and begging for mercy.

It turns out that this man with the deer-like head had been spreading rumors, both openly and secretly, a few days ago.

They were saying things like, "The two forks of the river have been breached, the water veins are flowing backward, and the wells in the county and town will eventually dry up so badly that we won't even be able to draw two buckets of water," "Wuqing County will have no water to drink!" and "The waterhole is hiding the news, preparing to sell itself for a higher price..."

Such are the kinds of pessimistic and inciting sentiments.

Many people didn't believe it at first, but then they found out that Mihunwan, which was not far from Liangchahe, was bombed.

It was as if a thunderbolt had struck, leveling the land.

What if the sea eye really falls?

Many people started to panic.

Wealthy households should quickly reserve well water.

Even though Shuiwozi explained and persuaded everyone in every way to calm down,

Useless!

It would be better not to offer any advice, as offering advice may only confirm the suspicions.

You bunch of swindlers who won't get up early for nothing, how could you possibly refuse this money that's been handed to you? There's definitely something fishy going on!

You have to sell this water, whether you like it or not!
Two months later, all the wells in the county were overflowing with water, as clear as mirrors, showing no signs of shortage.
Everyone was dumbfounded.

They turned around and began to settle scores with those who spread rumors.

"Don't worry, brothers!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan was immediately filled with righteous indignation. He squinted, his muscular arms pressed together, and patted his chest to assure him.

"This scoundrel has ruined the reputation of my Watery Village and deceived all the brothers. I'll take him to the water dungeon outside the county to show him the consequences of spreading rumors!"

Upon hearing the words "water dungeon," everyone seemed to recall something, and a chill ran down their spines.

The water dungeon in Shuiwozi was even more terrifying than the standing cages and dungeons in the county government office. Those who went in never came out. There were all sorts of torture instruments, and many people died.

It was eerily cold; even ghosts would be terrified if they went there.

Then, satisfied smiles appeared on everyone's faces, and they said...

"Old Chen, then I'll have to trouble you!"

"Brother Chen, let's go to the pleasure boat for drinks sometime!"

"Next time I ask you to have a cricket fight, you're not allowed to postpone it again! No matter how precious your crickets are, they won't be as fierce if you don't bring them out to fight!"

Chen Shunan greeted him with a hearty bow and cracked a few jokes.

He then asked someone to push his waterwheel to the well, and with his hands like iron clamps, he gripped the deer-headed man's shoulders tightly. With a light touch of his legs, he floated out like a willow catkin.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Shunan had disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Old Chen's lightness skill is truly superb. No wonder even the Flying Rat couldn't catch him and instead lost his life."

"Heh, after all, he's the son-in-law of the Zhang family, and he's skilled in superior lightness techniques. Who knows how many treasures Old Madam Zhang has given him? Just be envious..."

"Hey, have you heard about the Zhang family? They recently revised their family genealogy and investigated collateral branches, and it seems something has happened."

"I've heard a little about it. Why bother with all this? It won't affect the brothers earning an extra tael of silver or losing a single copper coin."

After exchanging a few words among themselves, the group was quite satisfied to have caught another person spreading rumors.

He immediately found a tavern, ordered some dishes and a pot of wine, and prepared to rest for a while before launching another powerful attack!

……

thump!
A few miles away from Sakanozu Ferry, in a deserted forest that few people visit.

Chen Shunan casually tossed the man with the deer-like head to the ground and said,
"Don't go back to Wuqing County for the next two years. Go south and find a place to hide. I will take care of your wife and daughters in Shuiwozi. Don't worry about them."

(End of this chapter)