Yin Zhaoxian was quite emotional at these words. When he had been appointed to Lishun Prefecture in Wan Province, and was about to return to Ning’an County in Ji Province before officially taking up his post, Prince Jin’s Royal Tutor, Li Mushu, had disguised himself and mysteriously visited him at the waystation.

At that time, the purpose of Li Mushu’s visit was not made clear. He merely wished to tell him that although his appointment to Wan Province was a gesture of support from the Emperor, many people were nervous. He asked Yin Zhaoxian to remain calm and stick to his heart when he went to Wan Province.

In any case, Li Mushu hadn’t explained the exact meaning behind his words at that time, but Yin Zhaoxian could still make out some of the unspoken meaning. It seemed that the tutor was worried about safety and whether he would be changed by his trip to Wan province; that kind of concern could not be faked.

So, on the eve of him taking office, Prince Jin sent a letter to Ning’an County, bluntly stating that he had secretly sent people to replace the originally assigned attendants and other staff. Yin Zhaoxian did not shirk on his responsibilities, so to this day there were still many skilled martial artists by his side.

However, regarding his governmental affairs, Yin Zhaoxian was simply complaining to Ji Yuan, and had no intention of going into detail. This was not the reason he had invited his good friend over.

“Okay, okay, I couldn’t help but start complaining when I saw Mr. Ji. Please, I hope you don’t blame me. This time, I’d like to invite you to attend our child’s banquet, but you might have to wait a while.”

Yin Zhaoxian was of course very happy that Ji Yuan had come to visit, but the child had not been born yet, so it was of course impossible to hold a celebration immediately.

“Well, when is the Madam due?”

Ji Yuan asked the question knowingly. Yin Zhaoxian answered with a cheerful smile.

“The doctor said that my wife is nurturing the fetus well, and the fetal Qi is stable. She will be full-term in about half a month.”

“Oh, not bad, not bad. I must congratulate Master Yin in advance!”

“Hahahaha…Thank you very much. I have already arranged Mr. Ji’s accommodation, you will be staying in the guest house at the back of our residence.”

Ji Yuan also smiled and bowed with cupped hands. There as no need to stand on ceremony with close friends.

The two men almost lost track of time as they chatted together. Although Yin Zhaoxian was just complaining about his suffering, half a day had passed before they knew it. After treating him to a home-cooked meal, he wanted to accompany Ji Yuan to the guest house in person, but he had official business to attend to, so he had his servants do it for him.

Ji Yuan was led by a servant, walking through the small back garden, bypassing a corridor, and arrived at the guest quarters of the mansion.

“Mr. Ji, please come in. It’s right ahead.”

The servant politely led Ji Yuan forward. After they had arrived at the guesthouse, he opened the door to show Ji Yuan the furnishings inside the house, then bid him farewell.

“Mr. Ji, please rest here. If you have any requests, just let me know. You can call me from the corridor. I will take my leave now!”

“Okay, thank you for your help!”

Ji Yuan bowed to express his thanks, and the servant hurriedly returned the salute.

“Hey…”

When the servant had walked quite a distance, he turned back to look at Ji Yuan, only to see that the latter had not gone into the house. He just stood at the door, gazing at the courtyard and the sky. He seemed neither arrogant nor restrained, and his demeanor was extraordinarily graceful.¹

Some servants in the mansion were actually a little curious about Ji Yuan’s arrival. Their master had never hosted anyone in his home, and never let anyone stay overnight. Those who came from far away to give gifts had all stayed in waystations and inns. But this Mr. Ji was so special; he ate and lived in the mansion. It seemed that he was indeed the master’s close friend.

Ji Yuan casually looked around his room. Apart from the basic bed, table, desk, and chair, there were also four treasures of the study² and a chess set. It was not luxurious, but it was comprehensive.

After looking around, Ji Yuan did not rest here, but instead took a step out the door. Phantom mist and smoke appeared under his feet, and he went straight out of the mansion.

The streets of Lishun Prefecture were still prosperous. Merchants from all over Dazhen and even the neighboring countries came here to buy silk fabrics. The whole city relied on the silk industry, and it was currently visibly prospering. There were inns, restaurants, and tea houses everywhere. There were even more brothels and gambling houses than in other cities.

This was just Lishun Prefecture; the provincial capital, Yunbo Prefecture, was probably even a step up.

Ji Yuan wandered through the streets and alleyways. By relying on a combination of keen hearing and his blurred vision, he was able to walk without hindrance, and listen to people’s discussions. By following certain voices and occasionally asking for directions, he made his way to the Temple Administration Lane.

From the time he first came to this world, Ji Yuan already knew that, although local gods such as City Gods protected a region, they could not take initiative to interfere with worldly affairs, particularly when it came to situations involving the general fate of humanity. The more one relied on the power of a certain place, the more true this restriction became.

This kind of fear arose from the impact the changes in humanity might have on the gods themselves, but also from the impact on their cultivation and state of mind. There were quite a few anecdotal lessons from history to learn from in this respect.

Gradually, it became an unwritten law that the Yin world of the underworld could not interfere in the affairs of the Yang world of the living, particularly with regards to some major events.

Even so, whenever a dynasty collapsed, some local gods like the city gods would also be destroyed, because they were too deeply connected to the fate of the dynasty. Therefore, the underworlds of various regions were secretive about such matters, and felt very conflicted.

Of course, Ji Yuan had gone to the Temple Administration Lane to visit the City God Temple. Although the city god himself could not interfere, it was impossible for the underworld to be unaware of the current happenings. He did not go there to investigage, but rather to see how Lishun Prefecture was dealing with the rise of evil spirits and resentment energy within its jurisdiction.

No matter which city it was, Temple Administration Lane was always one of the most bustling and prosperous locations in the city; Lishun Prefecture was no different.

As Ji Yuan passed through the streets around Temple Administration Lane, the sounds of hawking and haggling grew much more lively. There were tourists from all over. After all, the area near the City God Temple was a must-visit place for sightseeing, and it was also where the most delicious restaurants and food stands gathered.

“Hey, sir, come buy a few sticks of incense. You can dedicate them to the Lord City God, it will ensure you pass the imperial examination or make a lot of money!”

“Ah, sir, this incense is excellent. It’s a newly formed work of sandalwood, five coins a stick. I also have some excellent red candles!”³

Ji Yuan walked over and saw that several stall owners were selling sandalwood candles.

“No, I’m not here to burn incense.” … “No need, I don’t need any, really, I don’t need any…”

Some booths had two or three people minding them; the stall owners were so enthusiastic that they even walked out from behind the stalls to introduce their wares and sell incense and candles to passers-by. Ji Yuan refused repeatedly.

Moreover, this incense was too expensive. One stick of incense was equivalent to the price of an entire meal of noodles in other places. Plus, he was afraid that it wasn’t just the incense that was expensive.⁴

The entire City God Temple was crowded with tourists. There were almost no quiet places in any of the halls. Ji Yuan followed a group of pilgrims through the temple halls and corridors, passing by numerous well-dressed people praying to the gods.

Most of the things they sought were money and material benefits; there were very few ordinary people who came to worship the local gods.

An older temple steward stood next to Ji Yuan. Seeing that the latter was just walking around and not burning incense, he figured that the man was likely a tourist. Although his clothes were not extravagant, he had an extraordinary demeanor. The black jade hairpin on his head was crystal clear and shining under the light, obviously a priceless item.

Seeing that Ji Yuan had stopped walking and was standing to the side for a moment, the steward walked up to him and tentatively asked him a question.

“Would the gentleman like to burn some incense for the City God? If you donate some money, the City God will bless you, and everything will go smoothly.”

Ji Yuan glanced back at the old man, and then at the statue of the City God.

“Haha… Your Lord City God is quite popular. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t dare accept so much more incense.”

“Uh… what do you mean, Sir?”

Ji Yuan shook his head.

“There’s no deeper meaning, just take it literally.”

The City God did not dare accept the incense power and wishes from the people who gathered here to burn incense because most of them were motivated by profit and self-interest. This incense power was “toxic.” Even the divinations conducted in the temple would not respond to certain people — what they were doing was just a simple probability calculation.

“Sir, you are correct!”

A sigh and a voice came from the side. A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion, wearing a black robe and a black square cap, walked over and bowed to Ji Yuan with cupped hands.

Ji Yuan sincerely returned the greeting.

“How about we talk outside the temple?”

“It’s better to obey than be respectful!”

The man and Ji Yuan traded questions as they walked out of the main hall of the City God Temple one after another. The temple steward behind them scratched his head, feeling puzzled. It seemed he had encountered two strange people today.

The two did not walk through the main gate, but instead passed through a side gate where there were relatively few people, and walked leisurely to a small river right outside the City God Temple.

There were still people walking about and playing outside here, but it seemed more peaceful.

When they arrived outside, the man in the black robe bowed solemnly to Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji has ash-gray eyes that see all, and inky black jade hair. He is a man of deep inner wisdom, one who has returned to the natural origin. If what I have guessed is correct, you must be the legendary Mr. Ji, correct?”

Huh?

Ji Yuan was confused. The legendary… Mr. Ji?

‘My reputation has spread so far, it has even made its way to Wan Province. What does he mean by legendary?’

If he had mentioned his reputation in Ji Province, Ji Yuan would have thought it reliable, but this was Wan Province.

Ji Yuan could only smile politely while returning the bow.

“I don’t dare claim to be a legend, but my surname is Ji and my name is Yuan. I am the ‘Mr. Ji’ who meets the characteristics that City God Li described; it seems that is indeed me.”

“Sure enough, it was Mr. Ji. I was just making a tentative guess. I never expected to meet you in person.”

City God Li smiled.

“Dazhen is now facing a troubled time. It is a great blessing for our Dazhen to have Mr. Ji here to quell the turmoil everywhere.”

‘Wait, what are you talking about? ’

Ji Yuan was a little confused by the words of this City God Li. Could it be that the world had changed so much after he had slept for more than half a year?

“I wonder if the Lord City God might explain it clearly. I am unfortunately at a loss, sir!”

“I dare not receive the title Lord or Sir in front of Mr. Ji. Please don’t embarrass me…”

The City God gave a wry smile.

“We, the people of Dazhen, know that the fate of humanity is uncertain. The hearts of ones such as we city gods tremble like a candle flame in the wind. Before this…”

“ROOOOOOOAR!”

A dragon’s roar sounded in the distant sky. Ji Yuan and the City God’s expressions immediately changed, and they looked to the northern sky.

“ROOOO…ROOOO…ROOOOOAR…”

“Boom…”

The onslaught of roars from a dragon that was clearly in an abnormal state resounded across the sky. Many people in the city looked up to see a circle of rain clouds on the northern horizon. Strange sounds, like the roars of some giant beast, or the wailing of an old cow, echoed across the sky, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

Many people looked on from afar and noticed a cloud on the northern horizon that seemed as though it were falling from the sky. It looked more like a dragon than some giant snake.

“Boom…”

Amidst the thunder and lightning, dark clouds quickly covered the sky, and the daylight darkened.

A dragon’s cry and dragon’s call were actually two different things. The dragon’s call was long, distant, and majestic, while the dragon’s cry sounded like an old cow, mixed with chaos.⁵ It was obvious that this dragon was in a very bad state.

Ji Yuan’s first reaction was to worry about whether it was a Ying family member, but the sound of this dragon’s roar was obviously not familiar.

“Where is it?”

“To answer Mr. Ji, it should be in the direction of Guangdong Lake. It is less than a hundred li away from here, and also within the boundaries of Lishun Prefecture.”

The City God answered Ji Yuan’s question with a serious expression.

T/n: The LKQY manhua started updating again! And the translation is decently understandable!! Is this a miracle???

City God: the legendary Mr. Ji!

JY: What.

City God: You are famous.

JY: … say what.

*dragon falls out of the sky*

JY: …

City God: *stares*

JY: I swear I had nothing to do with it this time

1. T/n: at this rate the entire world is going to have platonic crushes on JY
2. Brush, paper, ink, inkstone
3. Red candles are used during birthdays or other celebrations
4. In case you forgot, he’s referencing here the fact that the last time he prayed with incense, he shared his “mysterious yellow energy” aka good karma with the gods, making a major impact. He’s afraid of that having unintended consequences.
5. A call is a more natural sound — like a bird call or cat’s meow — while a cry is a sound made out of pain or negative emotions — like a squawk, growl, or whimper

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read