The establishment of the Celestial Dynasty began with the bestowal of the title upon the River God.

"This humble old man, Li Shuan, as the village head of Li Family Village, pays his respects to the Immortal!"

Li Shuan? The bolt of a door bolt?

Li Yi muttered to himself, then quickly helped the village head up, saying, "I'm just getting old, I'm nothing but a beginner, just call me Brother Yi."

Li Shuan nodded repeatedly, his tone still respectful:

"I heard from Da Shan that Yi-ge'er is talented. If he returns to the army, he'll at least become a general..."

Li Yi, unwilling to discuss such matters, quickly said, "Uncle Shuan, it's not easy for you all to come all this way, let's talk about the shrine first?"

"Yes, yes! Let's get down to business first!"

Li Shuan turned around and selected four people from outside the courtyard to enter. They were all prominent figures in the village, including Li Quan.

Excluding Li Yi's family, Li Shuan, Li Quan, and three others sat down in the courtyard and tentatively asked:

"Does the River God have any objections?"

Li Yi pretended to recall for a moment, "He only said to erect a shrine and altar, and only emphasized one point about the River God..."

Before Li Yi could finish speaking, the village head's expression tightened, and he said repeatedly:

"Da Shan has already spoken to Xiao Lao Er, but..."

Li Shuan looked worried and glanced at Li Quan, who then continued:

"Brother Yi, let's be frank. The villagers rely on human brokers to continue their lineage. If it's all cut off now, no one can accept it. This matter needs to be discussed carefully."

Even the name of the River God isn't enough?

Are the people of Lijia Village really that stubborn?

Li Yi was truly taken aback. He remained outwardly calm, but secretly considered his options, and said with a smile:

"I, Li Yi, am new here and have to return to my military post before the start of winter. I am not qualified to participate in important village affairs. This time, it is only because the River God is respected and trustworthy that he asked me to pass on a message."

The message has been conveyed; the specifics of how to proceed are up to the elders.

Li Yi dodged the question, but the village headman got anxious.

Li Family Village has finally produced a prodigy who can cultivate, how can we let him drift further and further away from the village?

To oversee the construction of the shrine for the River God, not only must Yi Ge'er not be removed, but the power must also be handed over!

Li Shuan quickly smiled apologetically: "Brother Yi, what are you saying? You are also an important member of the village and a person trusted by the River God."

"Therefore, the matter of establishing the shrine and altar will be entirely entrusted to Yi-ge'er. Whatever he needs, everyone here will do their utmost to gather it for him!"

Several elderly people present echoed this sentiment, but Li Quan remained silent, pursing his lips.

Li Yi sneered inwardly, as the man had been tasked with setting up the shrine, yet he hadn't mentioned a word about the purchase of young women.

The credit for building the shrine will belong to everyone, but the sin of preventing the sale of women will belong to Li Yi alone.

They want to gain every advantage and suffer every loss; they are truly insatiable.

Li Yi was indignant, and after thinking for a moment, he realized that the situation was quite troublesome.

If the shrine isn't erected quickly, Xiaoqing will really blame him and Zhang Junyi.

Just as he was fretting, a faint humming sound came from the vegetable jar. Li Yi turned his head and saw Zhang Junyi stepping out and casually putting the lid on the jar.

She slowly walked behind Li Yi, who understood and quickly sent out his wooden energy to communicate with him through thought.

A short while later, Li Yi raised an eyebrow and said:

"I have heard that there is an office in the Wu Dynasty that is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, but whose authority and responsibility can reach the ears of the emperor directly. It is called the 'Investiture of the Gods Office'."

The people here are skilled at finding deities. Once they have a suspicion, they will send people to investigate. Once they confirm the target's divine position, they will do their best to win them over and incorporate them into the Wu Dynasty's divine official system.

At that time, an official from the Fengshen Division might come to the village. If those people discover that we have neglected the River God…”

Li Yi's words were pointed, and Li Shuan and the others' expressions changed, leaving them speechless for a moment.

Li Yi, being an outsider, couldn't understand the villagers' stubbornness. The fact that Mount Dahan nurtured gods was a golden signboard for Li Family Village. Why would they be afraid of not being able to find wives?

They couldn't reach an agreement that day. Even though Li Yi brought up the River God and the Conferred God Bureau, Li Shuan and the others still had reservations. They only said to build the shrine first, and nothing else... There was no conclusion. They just said that "the timing wasn't right."

As for when, Li Yi sneered, "The opportunity will never come until the villagers have suffered enough."

They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin!

After Li Dashan saw off the village head, Li Quan, and others, Li Yi began to hurl insults.

The adoptive parents, watching from the sidelines with embarrassed expressions, couldn't help but offer some advice:

"The villagers rely on this to continue their family line. To make them sever their ties with human traffickers is like telling them, 'May you have no descendants.' How could they readily agree?"

Li Yi could only sigh, "A bunch of short-sighted scoundrels, I'm ashamed to be associated with them!"

Li Dashan patted his adopted son on the shoulder, "Your father kept Junyi's identity a secret. The village head and the others thought you had also married and that you should take care of each other. In their eyes, it's Yi-ge who's abnormal."

Li Yi was speechless.

Zhang Junyi was destined to leave the village and go down the mountain, which her adoptive parents considered dishonorable.

They seem open-minded, but that's only because they're close to me, Li Yi. Their ideas are ultimately influenced by the village.

In the end, it's still that despicable village.

If there are immortals and gods in this world, are there no wronged spirits causing trouble?

Li Yi was speechless and silently returned to the west room.

Zhang Junyi quietly followed him in and invited him to communicate using telepathy:

"Li Zheng is just as easily fooled as any other mountain boy; he's trying to make you happy."

Li Yi sneered, "It backfired."

Zhang Junyi nodded and said, "Yi-ge, go down the mountain as soon as possible and stay far away from this Great Cold Mountain. Don't let the villagers influence you."

Li Yi, his face still bearing the lingering anger, transmitted his voice:

"I only meant well, but things have come to this point, and I, Li Yi, am determined to get it done!"

Zhang Junyi looked at him with a smile and said gently, "Yi-ge'er, always keep a calm mind. If you don't harm your liver and kidneys, you won't be angry or afraid, and it will be easier to succeed."

Li Yi scratched his head. "Got it."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Li Quan strode home with an indifferent expression, and not a single boy on the way dared to approach him to speak.

The Li family's courtyard was quite large, a standard single-courtyard house, unlike Li Dashan's three-room house.

As the only one in the village with a noble title, he also had more servants than other families.

His parents greeted him with smiles, but Li Quan only nodded slightly before slamming the door shut and entering the house with a menacing air.

A young woman sat on a couch, her body covered in red marks.

Upon seeing Li Quan, she immediately burst into tears, clung to his leg, and sobbed:

"Brother Quan, please have mercy and let Qiao'er go down the mountain!"

Li Quan swung his leg, throwing the woman to the ground. He then weighed the teapot in his hand and sneered:

"Serve the tea."

Qiao'er got up from the ground, pinched the handle of the teapot, and poured a cup shakily, saying in a tearful voice:

"I overheard the village head talking to Li Xue's father from inside the house; a deity appeared on Dahan Mountain and ordered the village to send back the young women. Quan Ge'er, you cannot disobey the deity—"

"Snapped!"

Li Quan could no longer listen, and slapped Qiao'er across the face, leaving a fresh red mark.

Qiao'er stared at him stubbornly. She had heard what the village head had said when he took Li Dashan to the neighbor's house to find Li Xue's father that morning.

"The Great Cold Mountain gave birth to gods. As a member of the village, what kind of woman couldn't you find? Why must you imprison me?"

Qiao'er, receiving no response, softened her tone, "It's been a year, and I haven't been able to bring your family a son or daughter. If you don't want your lineage to end, why not find another one?"

Li Quan grabbed the teacup, swung his arm, and smashed it to pieces, roaring:

"You bitch, did you eat something behind my back?!"

Qiao'er looked distressed. "Qiao'er is truly infertile. My belly isn't growing. What can I do? Brother Quan, I miss my parents. Please let me go."

Li Quan stared at her and slowly uttered two words: "Dream on."

"If you truly can't have children, I'll find another. If that doesn't work either, I'll find a third. But you're not leaving, not in this lifetime!"

Qiao'er's gaze was blank, all traces of her former fragility gone. She forced a smile and said sadly:

"You really do love me. Let me tell you, I had a baby six months ago."

Quan Ge suddenly stood up, staring intently at Qiao'er, and then heard her say calmly:

"I suspected something was wrong, so I secretly went into the mountains, got firewood, and beat the child."

Li Quan suddenly remembered that Qiao'er seemed to have been listless for a period of time half a year ago. He was furious and pointed at her, unable to speak.

A surge of rage nearly consumed Li Quan's reason; he gripped Qiao'er's neck like a madman and roared:

"You deserve to die, you deserve to die!"

Qiao'er struggled slightly, but soon calmed down.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Quan finally regained some of his senses. He released his grip in surprise and checked Qiao'er's breathing.

"Dead, dead? Dead..."

Li Quan stared blankly at Qiao'er, at her face filled with relief, and then burst into tears.