Xuanming Shanren sat in his meditation room scowling at the account ledger on the table. Every year’s Dragon God Sacrifice was the most costly occasion, and this year’s was on the grandest scale of any in history — sixty-three strings of cash had been spent in all, a serious blow to the finances. Longshen Temple had over a hundred mouths to feed, and by his calculations, there were already signs of a deficit creeping in.

To make matters worse, the secret vault’s stockpile had been destroyed in one fell swoop. Brewing fresh talisman water and soaking new embroidered goods all required time, and the carrier pigeons had already brought three urgent messages from outside demanding more goods. If supply continued to fall short and the Third Master blamed him, he feared he would not be getting off lightly.

At this thought, Xuanming Shanren’s temper flared, and he silently cursed out Yun Zhong Yue’s ancestors for the eighteenth time.

The only recourse available now was to pin his hopes on the tribute day ten days hence — squeeze Clan Qiu, Clan Zhu, and the neighborhood elders for a bit more pressure and force Cheng County’s impoverished residents to offer more in tribute. Just please, no more pickled vegetables and salted fish — Xuanming Shanren swallowed a mouthful of plain hot water — his tongue had broken out in salt blisters from eating so much of it.

“Elder Brother, Elder Brother, Elder Brother! Something terrible has happened! Someone has come to challenge our authority!” Taoist Xuanqing burst through the door, robes hiked up, running with a head full of sweat. “Ah — no — that’s not right — it’s a divine being who has come to challenge our authority!”

Xuanming Shanren said, “What?”

Qiu Hong came barging in right after. “Abbot — this is a disaster!”

Xuanming Shanren rose quickly to receive him. “Why has Clan Master Qiu come as well? What on earth has happened?”

Taoist Xuanqing wiped the sweat from his face. “A Flower God has suddenly appeared on Cheng Mountain. They say the divine power is extraordinary and boundless, and in just seven or eight days this Flower God has already won over half the city’s residents. Their influence is threatening to overtake our Longshen Temple!”

Xuanming Shanren flew into a fury. “Preposterous! In broad daylight, under the clear sun and sky — how could there possibly be any such thing as a divine being?! Someone is clearly playing at being a god to deceive the people.”

“The Abbot is absolutely right!” Qiu Hong said. “In my view, this so-called Flower God has come deliberately to target our Longshen Temple!”

Xuanming Shanren narrowed his eyes. “What does Clan Master Qiu mean to say — “

Qiu Hong replied, “If I am not mistaken, this must be the work of that escaped Fangke and his companions, stirring up trouble in secret!”

“That blasted Yun Zhong Yue — this is beyond all tolerance!” Xuanming Shanren swept his sleeves aside and strode out of the meditation room. “Junior Brother — pick a few with good fighting skills and bring them along. We are going together to confront this Flower God!”

Taoist Xuanqing’s eyelid twitched involuntarily. He bowed with respectful hands clasped. “Yes, Elder Brother.”

Xuanming Shanren had assumed this was Xuanqing overreacting and exaggerating — after all, the legend of the Dragon God had existed in Cheng County for decades, and on top of that, Longshen Temple had spent the past two years diligently cultivating and thoroughly establishing their influence. The Dragon God’s exalted position could not possibly be shaken by any number of small-time impostors, could it?

Yet he could never have anticipated what awaited them — a vast, surging procession of worshippers on the back slopes of the mountain. At a glance, there were several dozen people. This kind of scene could only be seen at Longshen Temple’s tribute days — yet now, not a single one of these worshippers was heading toward Longshen Temple. They had all bypassed it entirely and were heading straight into the back mountain forest.

The one difference: whenever people came to Longshen Temple, they brought offerings. Now, every one of them came empty-handed.

“They say the Flower God only manifests each day at dawn. When the divine being appears, flower petals fill the sky, the fragrance is intoxicating, and the divine countenance is transcendently beautiful — infinitely graceful, and utterly captivating.” Taoist Xuanqing provided some background.

Xuanming Shanren said, “From your description, the Flower God is a woman in disguise?”

Taoist Xuanqing said, “…Reportedly, it is a man…”

Qiu Hong’s face went a frightening shade of dark. He had spotted quite a few Qiu Clan members in the procession — such as the one leading the group, who appeared to be Qiu Thirty-Two — and mixed in with a deliberate air of trying not to be noticed was Qiu Bo, and beside Qiu Bo was Zhu’s mother — the chief registrar’s own mother! Trailing at the very end of the procession was a pair of mother and child, whom he vaguely remembered — Qiu Sanniang and A’Niu, once among the Dragon God’s most devoted worshippers. And even they had come to worship the Flower God?!

The situation was worse than they had imagined. They had come in a hurry, and Xuanqing had only brought six Taoist priests with him. The numbers on both sides were grossly mismatched, and Xuanming Shanren dared not act rashly. He signaled to everyone to keep a low profile and follow from a distance.

The worshipping residents walked deeper and deeper in. The mountain paths on both sides were enclosed by dense, overarching forest. The gnarled tree bark gleamed bright in the early morning sun, and the small pale-yellow wildflowers were everywhere one looked. White-powdered butterflies drifted silently here and there, stirring up wafts of flower fragrance with their wings.

Suddenly, Xuanming Shanren felt a pressure sweeping in at him from all four directions at once, and a chill ran down his spine.

Was that killing intent?

“It is divine authority,” Taoist Xuanqing murmured quietly. “They say this feeling appears before the Flower God manifests every time.”

Qiu Hong’s face was looking somewhat pale. Xuanming Shanren let out a derisive snort and signaled for everyone to crouch down and conceal themselves in the undergrowth, watching from a distance.

Qiu Thirty-Two led the crowd of residents to their knees in unison, eyes closed, hands pressed together, faces tilted slightly upward. The morning light, filtered through the leaves, lay clear and warm across their faces — a picture of utter sincerity and reverence.

The wind began, softly. White butterflies and yellow flower petals spiraled up from the ground into the sky. Light and flowers formed a gleaming, breathtaking column of brilliance, and the flower fragrance suddenly thickened and surged, overwhelming and intoxicating. From within the column of light, the Flower God in fluttering robes drifted gracefully down, hovering in the air at the height of one zhang above the ground, with a rainbow-like radiance blooming behind the divine form.

Never mind the crowd of residents who were struck senseless — even Xuanming Shanren and the others were left gaping. The Flower God’s face was turned against the light and could barely be made out through the golden outline, yet even so, it was apparent that the features were of a beauty that could overturn the world — a face utterly beyond the mortal realm, capable of enchanting the heart and entrancing the mind.

Only Taoist Xuanqing’s face, in a corner where no one could see, twitched violently.

Qiu Thirty-Two kowtowed repeatedly. “Great Flower God above — Qiu Thirty-Two has specially led the residents of Cheng County here to pay homage, and begs the Great Flower God to grant us blessings!”

The Flower God gazed quietly at the crowd. “Hardworking villagers — what kind of blessings do you seek?”

The residents looked at one another, everyone seemingly struggling to put words to it.

The Flower God said, “Honest villagers — be honest with your hearts.”

Qiu Thirty-Two took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs: “We are poor and want money!”

This one great roar had every face burning red with embarrassment. Standing before a divine being of such transcendent grace, and blurting out such a worldly, vulgar wish — it was truly mortifying.

Xuanming Shanren and his companions were even more thoroughly stupefied. What kind of nonsense was this?!

But to everyone’s astonishment, the Flower God was not at all offended — and in fact let out a laugh. “Honest villagers — your sincerity has moved this divine being. Since that is so — your wish shall be granted — “

A burst of countless golden lights rose into the air, showering down — all of them brilliantly gleaming golden leaves. The crowd broke into cries of astonishment. Almost simultaneously, everyone picked one up and put it in their mouths to bite. Eyes lit up, delight and joy overflowed, and they kowtowed one after another.

Qiu Thirty-Two was the first to shout: “The Flower God has manifested! Long live the Flower God!”

Everyone followed in unison: “The Flower God has manifested! Long live the Flower God!”

“Long live the Flower God! Long live the Flower God!”

Amid the earth-shaking cheers, Xuanming Shanren, Qiu Hong, and the six Taoist priests stood with their jaws on the ground. Taoist Xuanqing crawled to the edge of the crowd and retrieved one golden leaf, which Xuanming Shanren also bit into — the look on his face one of total disbelief.

Pure gold, full weight.

Qiu Hong swallowed repeatedly and tried to reason with himself: the Qiu Clan and Longshen Temple were grasshoppers on the same rope — they absolutely could not be swayed by some petty profit… Heavens, this was not petty profit — this was solid, full-carat gold!

Qiu Hong nearly switched sides on the spot.

“Clan Master Qiu must not forget — your Qiu Clan still relies on Longshen Temple’s talisman water to prolong your lives!”

Xuanming Shanren’s words hit like a bucket of cold water. Qiu Hong came to his senses immediately — the lives of the Qiu Clan were still in Xuanming Shanren’s hands. He absolutely must not overstep.

Xuanming Shanren tucked the golden leaf back into his sleeve, looked at the Flower God floating in the air, and let out a contemptuous laugh. “A credit to the name of the world’s greatest thief Yun Zhong Yue indeed — quite the lavish gesture. But she does not know the power of our Longshen Temple’s talisman water. Even if she were to spend her entire fortune, it would be of no use. There is no one in the world who can resist the pull of our talisman water’s taste — “

“Pfft — ” Zhu’s mother suddenly spat up a mouthful of blood from within the crowd and collapsed to the ground. The residents around her broke into a chorus of alarmed cries.

The expression on Xuanming Shanren’s face changed.

What was happening?! Had the talisman water triggered?! That was impossible! This was the Zhu Chief Registrar’s mother — he had been most meticulous in controlling the dosage of talisman water, without the slightest error.

“Aunt Zhu, what’s wrong?! Aunt Zhu!” Little Fish threw herself over Zhu’s mother and burst into tears, weeping freely. “Great Flower God — Aunt Zhu is not well. Can you save Aunt Zhu, please?!”

The Flower God’s voice was full of tenderness and compassion. “Is she ill?”

Zhu’s mother’s mouth was gurgling blood. She struggled to lift her head, weeping and coughing. “Great Flower God — this old ailment of mine can only be sustained with the Dragon God’s talisman water… but the talisman water from Longshen Temple is too costly. I truly can no longer afford it…”

Little Fish also wept. “That’s right — even if the Flower God gives us all the gold in the world, we might have the money, but not the life to spend it!”

At these words, everyone fell silent. Some sighed heavily, some wiped their eyes quietly. And especially the mother and son at the very end of the procession — Qiu Sanniang held A’Niu close and sobbed uncontrollably.

“The Dragon God?” The Flower God seemed to pause. “What is that?”

At these words, the faces of every resident in the crowd changed with a start. They glanced at one another, not daring to make a sound.

After a long silence, Qiu Thirty-Two finally asked in a trembling voice, “Does the Great Flower God not know of the Dragon God at Dragon God Lake?”

The Flower God did not answer this question directly — but gave a soft, light laugh. A sleeve was raised and swept through the air, and a crystalline, translucent glass vial descended and landed before Zhu’s mother. “This is this divine being’s Hundred Flower Dew. It can dispel the poison of evil spirits. Drink it, and your illness will cure itself.”

Zhu’s mother clutched the glass vial, her eyes brimming with tears. “Is — is that true?”

The Flower God gave a soft laugh without replying.

Little Fish said, “The Great Flower God would never deceive us. Aunt Zhu — try drinking it!”

Zhu’s mother closed her eyes, as though summoning up great courage, and pulled out the stopper and swallowed it in one go. After a moment of stillness, a shiver ran through her whole body. She slowly straightened up, her face filling with wonder. “I feel — much better! Everyone, I feel much better!”

The residents were overjoyed, and kowtowed en masse, calling out for medicine.

“Great Flower God, I have been bedridden with no strength in my whole body for a long time, unable to do any work — please grant me medicine!”

“Great Flower God, I can’t eat and can’t sleep, and my heart keeps pounding wildly all the time. Please grant me medicine!”

“Great Flower God, my whole body aches, and I’ve broken out in rashes all over, red and itching.”

“Great Flower God, my head is spinning and heavy, and the slightest breeze makes me cough.”

“Great Flower God!”

“Great Flower God!!”

“Gentle villagers — there is no need to panic. You have only suffered a minor poisoning by an evil spirit. This divine being’s Hundred Flower Dew can dispel all poisons.” In the Flower God’s gentle voice, dozens of vividly colored glass vials came floating down through the air, landing in each person’s hands — warm to the touch, still carrying the lingering warmth of sunlight.

Xuanming Shanren stared in stunned disbelief as those residents drank the “Hundred Flower Dew,” and one after another, their faces glowed with color and vitality, as though reborn.

“Impossible! Utterly impossible!” Xuanming Shanren cried out. “Our Longshen Temple’s talisman water is the finest in the world! There is nothing in existence more powerful than my talisman water! It is all false! It is fake!”

Qiu Hong glanced at the Hundred Flower Dew, then at Xuanming Shanren. The expression on his face had grown so dark it seemed about to drip ink.

Unless he had misheard just now — that Flower God had said “the poison of evil spirits.”

“Thank the Flower God for the gift of the Hundred Flower Dew!” Qiu Thirty-Two raised an arm and cheered. “Long live the Flower God!”

Zhu’s mother’s expression was still uncertain. “Great Flower God — what tribute must we offer for this Hundred Flower Dew of yours?”

A silence fell all around. The faces of everyone present changed.

According to Longshen Temple’s rules, one vial of talisman water cost a full string of cash. Medicine as miraculous as this Hundred Flower Dew must be astronomically expensive. They had already drunk it just like that — surely they were not about to be ruined.

The Flower God gave a gentle sigh. “Though a divine being is refined from the vital essence of all living things, a divine heart is born from the hearts of all people. For a divine being to bestow grace upon the world is the way of heaven — no tribute of mortal things is needed.”

The residents gaped and stared. They were all struck speechless.

The Flower God meant that this miraculous Hundred Flower Dew was free?

“Great Flower God — you — you truly do not require any tribute at all?” Qiu Sanniang asked with reddened eyes.

The Flower God in the golden light shook their head gently. “A divine being’s nature is selfless — no repayment is necessary. Should any demand excessive offerings — that is not a god, but a demon!”

“To blazes with that! Yun Zhong Yue — I will have your life!” Xuanming Shanren erupted in furious rage, leapt to his feet, and was about to charge forward — but at that very moment his body convulsed violently, and he spat up a mouthful of purplish-red blood. His eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.

Taoist Xuanqing caught Xuanming Shanren in his arms and urgently ordered the six young Taoist priests to carry him away. They ran off in a hurry, fanning the shadow air. “Elder Brother, you must hold on! The Dragon God will surely protect you and keep you safe and sound!”

Qiu Hong’s mind was a tangle of chaos, and he had no choice but to follow Xuanqing and hurry away.

In all the commotion, not a single person noticed the faint green light glowing in Taoist Xuanqing’s palm.

As for what had happened here, none of the residents were aware of any of it. They had all been stunned speechless by what the Flower God had said.

Qiu Thirty-Two: “Great Flower God — are you saying — the Dr — Dragon God is — is — “

Little Fish: “Is the Dragon God an evil spirit?!”

The Flower God let out a quiet, mournful sigh. “Honest villagers — ask your own hearts. Whether god or demon, you will find your answer within.”

The mountain wind passed through, petals scattered, the morning light was clear and serene, and there was no more trace of the divine presence.

The residents knelt in the wild grass and flowers, contemplating the Flower God’s final words, their bodies trembling involuntarily.

Longshen Temple had long had one hand over the sky. Even the local government did not dare defy it. On top of the imperial tax, the residents were required to hand over tributes to Longshen Temple every month, until people were worn to the bone. The tribute grew heavier month by month, their lives poorer day by day. And even having paid the tribute, if one wanted the talisman water, one still had to pay a further high price.

And as for that talisman water — in the early days, it had indeed had some healing and body-strengthening effects. But as time went on, the efficacy of the talisman water had steadily diminished. The residents of Cheng County grew weaker and weaker, ailments of all kinds broke out more and more frequently, and the number of stray dogs, cats, and rats dying in the town increased more and more…

At this moment, in every heart, a question arose that would have been unthinkable before:

Was the Dragon God — truly a god?

“Will they — believe, just from this?” Zhu Dachang asked, crouching behind a tree.

Lin Sui’an cradled Qian Jing in her arms, leaning against the tree trunk with a smile. “Since ancient times, the standard by which people have measured gods, demons, monsters, and spirits has only ever been one thing: usefulness. What is useful is a god. What is useless is a demon. What is useless and also harms people — that is naturally an evil spirit.”

Zhu Dachang: “…”

“What is more,” Lin Sui’an added, “what in this world is more convincing to people than real, solid gold?”

Zhu Dachang was genuinely in awe — prostrating himself in admiration, so to speak.

No wonder — he was the Fourth Young Master of the Hua Clan, the wealthiest family in the Tang Kingdom. Truly a man willing to spend lavishly…

For the sake of these poor and remote county residents…

The leaves rustled in the light, and layered gauze swirled down like peony petals in a flowing brilliance. Within it shone Hua Yitang’s dazzling, clear smile — and even having seen it many times, Zhu Dachang was still struck by it.

The Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master was truly a person as fragrant and overflowing as a flower. Perhaps even a real god of all flowers could not compare.

Lin Sui’an laughed watching Hua Yitang.

Hua Yitang’s waist and thighs were wound with strip after strip of silk — the material was Hua Clan’s specialty “Pure Water Gauze,” one hundred and fifty strings of cash per bolt, strong as wire yet light as a cicada’s wing, capable of refracting seven-color rainbow light in the sun — truly an ideal material for showing off and cutting a fine figure. It had now been cut and fashioned by Mu Xia into a wire harness — a tremendous waste of the material’s potential, if ever there was one.

Hua Yitang’s outfit was even more remarkable — it was called the “Drifting Frost Fills the Ground” robe, three hundred strings of cash per piece. White as autumn frost, soft as cloud mist, it was celebrated for its ethereal and gossamer quality, popular in the capital for years, and was the object of desire for court dancers everywhere. Used to impersonate a flower god, it possessed a rather fitting divine quality.

Hua Yitang at this moment was holding a gracefully affected pose, wearing a dreamlike smile on his face, his fan-like lashes blinking languorously — a figure of endless charm and captivation.

“Good-looking?” Hua Yitang asked.

Lin Sui’an suppressed a laugh. “Yes.”

“Beautiful?”

“Beautiful.”

Qiu Old Eight, Bingsi, and Bing Shisi, who had been responsible for operating the wire rig, walked over with the long lengths of Pure Water Gauze and stripped the harness from Hua Yitang with brusque, completely graceless efficiency, clicked their tongues, and walked off.

Zhu Dachang shook his head and also walked away.

Hua Yitang remained frozen in his pose, not moving.

Lin Sui’an stepped forward and poked Hua Yitang’s arm. Hua Yitang’s smile crumpled.

Lin Sui’an said, “Your leg has gone numb again?”

“My waist is numb, my hands are numb, my feet are numb, my backside is numb, my ribs are numb.”

“Should I carry you back?”

“No no no — carry me on your back!”

Lin Sui’an bent down and hoisted the stiff Hua Yitang onto her back, and slowly walked down the mountain. The forest was deep green all around, the sky vast and the clouds sparse, and a hawk soared freely on the rising wind.

Lin Sui’an watched the hawk’s broad wings grow distant and asked, “Xuanming Shanren came today — he is sure to not sit and wait for defeat. What mischief are you planning next?”

Hua Yitang laughed softly. “What do you think about having the Dragon God and the Flower God fight each other?”

Lin Sui’an also laughed. “Fighting is something I’m good at.”

Mini Theater

While Xuanming Shanren had fainted, Yun Zhong Yue seized the opportunity to steal back the golden leaf from his sleeve, wiped it clean on her lapel, and by reflex nearly put it in her mouth for a bite — then thought of the poison powder on her hands, and just barely pulled back from the brink.

The faint greenish powder remaining on her palm could, in an instant, trigger the talisman water poison already latent in Xuanming Shanren’s body — the principle was the exact opposite of the medicinal catalyst used in the antidote.

Something so bizarre and terrifying — and that wooden-faced coroner had produced it in a single night.

Yun Zhong Yue could not help but feel a touch of sympathy for Xuanming Shanren.

How utterly wretched — to have run into this pack of beings who were not quite human. One could only hope he would at least be left with a whole body when it was over.