Chapter 0292: Each Step Rings, Each Step Blooms a Lotus, Heavenly Dragon’s Roar Unleashes Divine Might

With the precedents of the Zheng family and Luo Manor, more and more people came seeking fame.

The blessing plan proceeded in an orderly manner. Xie Chengze and Hu Lai, leveraging their “god’s perspective,” swindled the local gentry and merchants until their minds were addled, making them regard the duo as true immortals. In return, offerings of incense poured into Xian Ju by the crateful.

Xie Chengze would occasionally take his beautiful concubines on street tours to preach, basking in the sun to fully replenish calcium and vitamin D.

During this time, a socially adept commoner accumulated the qualification to pray and make a wish by referring two hundred people. He immediately knelt before the Virtuous Fish Immortal Master, exclaiming excitedly, “Cult Leader! This disciple wishes to become wealthy overnight! To never have to farm and support a family again in this lifetime!”

The Immortal Master waved his hand grandly, and several banknotes materialized in the air, fluttering down. The disciple picked them up and was astounded—they amounted to a full one thousand taels of silver!

Indeed, enough for him to spend his entire life!

“Long live the Virtuous Fish Cult Leader!”

He cheered and ran out the door. Upon hearing of this, the commoners abandoned even their tree-cutting tasks, rushing from village to county to swindle—ahem, recommend—others to join the Virtuous Fish Sect.

Some cleverer commoners even learned to “form groups,” aiming to gather two hundred people to join the sect and then split the one thousand taels in banknotes.

As more and more people were on the verge of accumulating enough qualifications to make wishes, the shrewd Xie Chengze packed his bags and banknotes, preparing to flee with his people after one last scheme.

On this day, a sinister wind howled, and dark clouds loomed over the city.

It was perfect weather for spreading ominous rumors and swindling the commoners into abandoning the city and fleeing.

Clad in an orange Daoist robe, Xie Chengze ascended the city’s rain-praying platform step by step. The sinister wind seemed to soften as it brushed against him, causing the white gauze beneath his noble golden veil hat to flutter like waves. The colorful palace tassels at his waist swayed with the wind, and large silver ornaments fastened to his robe jingled with clear, crisp bell chimes—each step rang, each step bloomed a lotus.

“Look quickly!”

A sharp-eyed commoner immediately pointed at the steps of the rain-praying platform. As Xie Chengze walked, he left behind crimson lotus imprints on the stone steps!

“Wow! What is this? Truly remarkable!”

“As expected of the Immortal Master!”

“Divine power reaches the heavens!”

Reaching the center of the platform, Xie Chengze grasped handbells made of copper and iron sheets. Amidst the heavy and solemn drumbeats, he began to dance in a bizarre, ghostly manner, chanting prayers to glimpse the secrets of heaven, occasionally letting out eerie wails and howls.

“The cosmos is bright, the sun and moon shine clearly! The stars are arrayed, their movements follow order!”

“Woo woo woo ang ang ang woo woo, woo woo ang ang ang woo woo woo!”

“The heavenly way manifests, creating divine mysteries! Penetrating the cosmos, glimpsing rise and fall!”

“Woo woo ang ang ang woo woo woo, woo woo woo ang ang ang woo woo!”

Many commoners had gathered to witness the spectacle and were stunned by the scene. Zhu Xiaobiao, standing at the edge of the crowd, watched the diligent Xie Chengze and couldn’t help but whisper to the guarding Wuhen Wuji, “Our lord, even when dancing casually, is as beautiful as an immortal.”

Since his ribs had not fully healed, Xie Chengze on the rain-praying platform only moved his sleeves and robe in small gestures. Yet, even so, his waist, supple as a water snake, and his tall, slender figure, paired with a face captivating enough to enchant all, made it seem as if an immortal had descended to earth, performing a wondrous dance.

He raised his arms to the sky and continued to chant loudly:

“Comply with the heavenly timing, assist the righteous path!”

Across the pitch-black sky, a dazzling purple lightning bolt suddenly streaked through, followed by rolling thunder surging within the clouds. Someone abruptly pointed toward the sky, “Look quickly! That dark cloud resembles a dragon!”

The crowd lifted their heads and saw the flashing cloud-filled sky truly resembling a majestic divine dragon. The purple lightning was like the dragon’s eyes radiating divine power, while the thunder echoed like an angry roar of a celestial dragon, instilling both fear and reverence in the common people.

“We humbly pray for sacred permission and offer reverence!”

As these words fell, a cold rain suddenly poured down!

Among the crowd, someone screamed, “The Immortal Master! The Immortal Master has turned red!”

The people snapped out of their fascination with the dragon-shaped clouds and trembled as they noticed that the Immortal Master, originally clad in orange-yellow robes, was now extensively stained with red, as though blood had blossomed all over his body—extremely eerie!

“The great calamity has arrived! The great calamity has arrived—!”

The Virtuous Fish Immortal Master, covered in “blood,” cried out with grief-stricken desperation, “The earth dragon turns over! All living beings face endless calamity—!”

Then, as if struck by some shock, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious!

Taoist Hu and the female attendants rushed toward the rain-praying platform, swiftly carried the Virtuous Fish Immortal Master onto a stretcher, and then loaded him into a pre-prepared carriage, fearing that prolonged exposure to the rain would cause him to catch a chill.

Witnessing this, the common people panicked.

The great calamity has arrived? The earth dragon turns over? Endless calamity for all living beings?

Could what the court said be true? Was Pingcheng really going to experience an earthquake?

The Virtuous Fish Immortal Master’s divine power had been witnessed by all. In an instant, those who heard the news were terrified. The city was seized with anxiety, and many local gentry and wealthy merchants flocked to Xian Ju, seeking to confirm whether the earth dragon would truly turn over, how long it would last, and how far its effects would reach.

To their dismay, they all received affirmative answers from Xian Ju.

“There must be an expert within the court,”

Taoist Hu stroked his beard and said pretentiously to these influential figures, “who actually predicted the earth dragon’s turning over before our Immortal Master. This is truly a blessing for Jian’an.”

“The Immortal Master will soon leave Pingcheng. It would be best for all of you to follow the court’s arrangements and relocate as quickly as possible.”

After saying this, he spoke no more and shooed out the anxious gentry and merchants who still wanted to ask more questions.

The gentry and merchants were frantic with worry. Being most attached to their lives, they were unwilling to die in an earthquake.

After a few days of restless anxiety, the merchants decided to relocate north as soon as possible, establishing themselves early to gain an advantage in receiving the migrating populace.

As for the gentry, they hesitated much more. They owned valuable farmlands and properties and relied on them for profit. Leaving would mean abandoning these assets—how could they not feel the pain?

However, they soon came to a realization.

After the earthquake, they would surely return.

It was only a temporary loss.

Once resolved, the gentry also prepared to leave the city, setting out along the migration route provided by the court.

When the ordinary people, reluctant to leave their fields and homes, saw this, their panic intensified.

The wealthy were fleeing!

That meant this was undoubtedly real!

The common folk had never received formal schooling, but they were not lacking in life experience. The fact that a local gentry had abandoned his long-held fields and properties to flee already spoke volumes about the severity of the situation. With so many shopkeepers collectively escaping, it further indicated that matters had reached an extremely critical point.

But the most, most, most, most, most important thing was—

The Virtuous Fish Cult Leader had also fled!

He claimed he would wait for them at the relocation site!

For a thousand taels, comrades, charge ahead—!