Chapter 527: Incense Offerings Are Not Given for Free
“I understand that this is the natural course of the world, an inevitable shift of nature,” Song You remained respectful and courteous. “However, as the deity overseeing wind and rain in this region, you naturally possess the ability to regulate the weather. If you are willing to intervene, while you may not be able to defy the grand forces of nature, you could still alleviate the suffering of the people, sparing countless lives.”
“This...”
The Great Immortal Hu Mu did not dare to outright refuse, yet he was also reluctant to agree too easily. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said, “It is not that I am unwilling, but rather that I am old and feeble. It has been many years since I received an adequate supply of incense offerings, and my divine power has significantly diminished. The lands of Shazhou and Longzhou are vast, with a population exceeding ten million. Even if I wished to help, I lack the strength to do so...”
“Then over the past year, have you had your fill of incense offerings?”
“...”
On the high platform suspended halfway up the mountain, the night wind blew gently. The deity, bathed in divine radiance, met the Daoist’s gaze.
Both of them understood exactly what the other meant.
In the past, when the northwest enjoyed stable weather and abundant water sources, the people had largely neglected this deity who governed wind and rain. As a result, his divine power waned, and even his divine form became unstable—something that naturally left him displeased. But now that the northwest was suffering from a severe drought, people wanted to summon him again and ask for his aid. Naturally, he was not eager to comply so readily.
This was quite normal.
However, this also indirectly proved that during those years of good weather, despite his resentment, the deity had never deliberately used his powers to make things worse just to gather more incense offerings.
Otherwise, with his authority over rainfall, he could have easily made things difficult for the people—even in years of abundant rain. He could have diverted the rain away from populated areas or caused excessive downpours in concentrated regions, forcing the people to seek his help out of desperation. If he had done so, his incense offerings wouldn’t have dwindled for years.