Chapter 515
The man looked toward the best spot in the small shack, where a little table stood with a statue of Yue Fuguang on it.
He gently nudged the son in his arms. "Shanzai, come, it's time to offer incense to the Divine Maiden."
His family had only one able-bodied worker, and there wasn't much they could carry up the mountain. Besides food, the most precious things were the statue of the Divine Maiden and the incense and candles used to worship her.
"Dad, this time Shanzai will pray hard to the Divine Maiden, so the rain outside will stop soon, and sister's illness will get better!"
The man looked at his son's innocent face and patted his head. "Good child! Dad believes the Divine Maiden will hear you."
At this moment, among those caught in the heavy rain, there were many, many people like the man and his family, devoutly offering incense and praying to Yue Fuguang, making wishes.
Because she was close by, she didn't even need to focus to hear the faint prayers of her believers.
[Host, has your power grown stronger again?] The system was green with envy.
They were both borrowing shells, so why could its host grow without limit, while it was bound hand and foot by those damn rules?
"As you can see, I have indeed grown a little stronger lately." Yue Fuguang stepped out of the flying carriage, and lotuses bloomed beneath her feet. She walked leisurely through the raging storm, the lotuses underfoot shining like lamps in the dark night.
This light was quickly spotted by the common folk on the ground, who kept glancing at the sky.
No one knew who shouted first, "Look, the Divine Maiden has come! The Divine Maiden has come to save us!" The last words came out as a cracked shriek.
"Divine Maiden, it really is the Divine Maiden!"
"Father, mother, come out quickly and see the Divine Maiden!"
"We beg the Divine Maiden to save us!"
"We beg the Divine Maiden to save us!"
Many people rushed out of their hiding places in caves and shacks, heedless of the violent rain.
Yue Fuguang lifted her hand gently, and the sky, which had been howling with wind and pouring with rain, suddenly grew still. The sky was still dark, and the black clouds overhead had not dispersed, but the rain had indeed stopped, and the wind that had been bending trees had vanished without a trace.
"We bow in gratitude to the Divine Maiden!"
"We bow in gratitude to the Divine Maiden!"
The people of Feng City had originally thought they would have to plead with the Divine Maiden for a long time before she might take pity on them and let the deadly wind and rain stop.
They never expected that the moment the Divine Maiden appeared, the wind stopped and the rain ceased!
"Rise, all of you!" Yue Fuguang stood on the lotus platform, only a few hundred meters above the ground. The divine manifestation behind her filled nearly half the sky, visible to people within a hundred miles.
"Since you are now subjects of Dayan, I will naturally look after you."
The people who had been kowtowing ceaselessly were stunned for a moment, then responded with a chorus of agreement. "The Divine Maiden speaks truly! We are Dayan subjects, believers of the Divine Maiden!"
"Yes, yes, we are all Dayan subjects now, believers of the Divine Maiden!"
"Father, mother, are we now citizens of the same nation as the Divine Maiden?"
An innocent little girl tugged at her parents' sleeves, her eyes curving into crescents with joy. Though her face was sallow, thin, and frail, her smile at that moment was bright and full of life.
Her mother nodded. "That's right, little one. Our family is also citizens of the same nation as the noble Divine Maiden now!"
Her father smiled too. "From now on, we can serve the Divine Maiden without having to do it in secret anymore!"
Such conversations were unfolding in many places. Yue Fuguang, standing on the lotus, heard them all clearly — not only from Feng City, but also from Wei City.
Her true body was in Feng City, but that didn't stop her divine manifestation from appearing in Wei City, two hundred miles away.
The people of Wei City saw the divine manifestation, saw the wind and rain cease the moment it appeared, and also heard the Divine Maiden officially confirm that they too were now citizens of Dayan.
Looking at the sea of kneeling citizens of Wei City, the Dayan officers on the city walls felt the stones in their hearts finally drop back into place.
"Sir, now that the Junior Preceptor has appeared, we no longer need to worry about the people of Wei City and the surrounding areas rebelling because of the floods!"
A man in his forties, wearing a blue robe, Cai Xin, the new prefect of Wei City, stroked his beard and smiled. "General Qin is right. With the Junior Preceptor's single statement, the people of Wei City now identify themselves as Dayan subjects — that's more effective than my month of appeasement efforts!"
If the Junior Preceptor hadn't appeared in time, and they had delayed any longer, the people of Wei City might have stormed the prefectural office.
He had received intelligence reports that someone was spreading rumors among the people, stirring up conflict between the citizens and the government.
"Where are the prefect and all the officials?"
Just as Cai Xin and Wei City's garrison commander Qin Guangyuan were speaking, Yue Fuguang's voice came again from the sky — this time summoning the Dayan officials.
Qin Guangyuan, Cai Xin, and all the other officials stepped forward the moment her words fell, bowing deeply toward the manifestation in the sky. "Wei City Prefect Cai Xin greets the Junior Preceptor!"
"Wei City Garrison Commander Qin Guangyuan greets the Junior Preceptor!"
"Wei City..."
"Feng City..."
The common folk called Yue Fuguang the Divine Maiden, but the Dayan officials habitually addressed her as the Junior Preceptor, because it seemed more intimate, marking their relationship as something special.
Yue Fuguang nodded. "The court's disaster relief grain is already on its way and should arrive in two or three days.
You must ensure that this life-saving grain is used for the people!"
Hearing that relief grain was coming, the people within the range of both cities wept with joy, prostrating themselves on the ground. They truly had hope now!
It was good to be Dayan subjects — drought brought the Divine Maiden, torrential rain brought the Divine Maiden, and now food shortages were also on the court's mind!
They were finally being treated as human beings, not ignored like weeds.
Her brows lowered slightly, her expression appearing deeply compassionate. "If any wrongdoing occurs, regardless of who is involved, you should keep a bodhisattva's heart but act with thunderous measures."
The crowd was startled for a moment, then shouted in unison, "Yes! We will follow your orders, act with integrity, and faithfully protect the people of this land!"
Among the people, some eyes flickered nervously, while others shouted praise with excitement. At this moment, their hearts truly settled.
Yue Fuguang's gaze swept over the gaunt, sallow-faced people, passed over the forests, and finally landed on the flood-damaged river embankment in the distance. There, torrents of floodwater raged, and all kinds of debris floated to the surface.
"The flood has submerged fertile fields and drowned countless livestock and wild animals. After a great disaster, one must guard against a great epidemic! You must clean up all corpses as soon as possible.
Strictly follow the Dayan epidemic prevention guidelines in everything, and make sure to educate the people thoroughly!"
Hearing about disease, both officials and civilians felt a chill of dread. All their joy in that moment turned into fear and worry about epidemics.
Yue Fuguang waved her wide sleeve, and countless petal-sized flowers drifted down from the sky. "Mother, look, how beautiful!"
"The Divine Maiden sent me flowers!"
"A rain of petals?"
The young girls who reached out to catch the petals quickly discovered that what lay in their palms was not petals at all, but drops of clear water — droplets rolling in their hands, tinged with a faint green hue.
"This is Spring Water. It strengthens the body and improves health, and will help you get through this calamity."