Chapter 1: History Is Sick!? (Requesting Monthly Votes, Requesting Follows)

Jiangnan Province, Pan'an County.

The scorching sun hung high, baking the old street paved with black stones, preserved to maintain the ancient architecture.

Jiang Yan, who had just stepped off the ride-share car, stood one meter eighty tall; his hair, slightly disheveled from the journey, should have looked scruffy, but thanks to his near-perfect features, it added a touch of nonchalance.

His appearance was that of a ruggedly handsome man; paired with a clean, fresh black T-shirt and trousers, it drew the gaze of many passersby, who wondered if some big star had come to Pan'an County for a trip.

After all, this place was only a few dozen kilometers from the famous film city in Jiangnan Province, and stars often came here to relax.

The local residents were no longer surprised by this,

but while most stars looked quite different on TV versus in person, and while there were plenty with good looks offline, few could truly compare to Jiang Yan.

"Mr., may I take a moment of your time? I'd like to introduce you to the anchor of history, the beacon of the world, our humanity's great savior..."

Jiang Yan skillfully took his suitcase and backpack from the ride-share's trunk; just as he was about to set off, a woman with a graceful figure blocked his path.

Her black hair cascaded down to her waist; she wore a Quju from the Pre-Qin period, with black hemp as the outer layer and reddish-brown silk as the lining, the hem layered like heavy clouds.

She wore a Lingshan crown adorned with black bird feathers; seven jade silkworm-shaped buttons on the front placket were arranged according to the positions of the Big Dipper, while the leather belt at her waist, inlaid with turquoise and featuring Kui-ox patterns, had twelve strands of cinnabar-dyed hemp hanging down, resembling rice ears blown by the wind, bringing harvest.

Why could he describe it so clearly?

It was because recently he had kept seeing Hanfu beauty transformation videos, paired with ancient palaces and brilliant lighting, stirring his blood, as if he himself had become an emperor entrusted by Heaven, destined for eternal life, admiring three thousand beauties.

After all, there weren't so many beauties performing for you in the past.

But after seeing so many, he also got interested, specifically seeking out popular science on Han and Pre-Qin period clothing to expand his knowledge, making it easier to pontificate online later.

However... Jiang Yan looked at the woman before him and inwardly whistled in admiration.

For though the robe was loose, it could still not hide the manifestation of her "D" will; like layered mountains, one glance could easily cause every climber's gaze to get lost within.

However, given the dangerous incidents that had erupted in recent years, Jiang Yan glanced once and then averted his eyes, to avoid being posted online by someone.

For now, he would swallow his words and endure.

As for why this woman was described as having a beautiful figure, it was because she wore a beige God of Wealth mask, her smile innocent and endearing; eyes were additionally carved and painted, and together with the gilded pupils beneath the mask, she looked at Jiang Yan with a beaming smile.

Just looking at her figure and temperament, she was absolutely top-tier beauty level.

Moreover, judging by the fabric of her clothes, it was definitely not cheap online goods; it should be a high-end custom-made style.

'Contact lenses?'

A thought flashed through Jiang Yan's mind; he didn't dwell on it and asked curiously:

"Savior? Are you promoting God? Or is it the Great Cthulhu who got knocked over by a ship?"

The former needs no explanation; the latter comes from a foreign science fiction novel, also known as the Cthulhu Mythos, which tells of many indescribable gods, among whom the evil god Cthulhu is famous worldwide.

However, this great evil god, after descending to Earth, was knocked over by a ship; although considering it was a novel from over a hundred years ago and the author had limitations of the era, it still became a popular internet meme.

The Great Cthulhu has lost face again and again!

Speaking of the indescribable, Jiang Yan, as a lover of traditional folklore and monsters, knew that the images of immortals and gods in our own mythology were products of changes over long years following social development; if one traced the source...

It would be far more bizarre than those abroad.

But looking at it another way, isn't this also a kind of beauty?

It's just that mortals cannot understand it.

As Jiang Yan pondered, his peripheral vision observed the surroundings; he already regarded the woman before him as a content creator pulling a stunt, wondering if somewhere in a corner right now, a cameraman was holding a phone and secretly filming.

After he asked seriously, the other party might just quote some "anime bible," then upload his shocked reaction to the internet.

Jiang Yan didn't mind this at all; as long as they paid!

"Of course not."

The woman smiled and explained: "I am the Rice God, who governs rice and meat, the state and grain, bringing luck, abundance, wealth, and anchoring the years."

While speaking, her slender jade hand extended into the air, and she said:

"Mr., I see you possess innate spiritual energy; you are excellent talent to become the chief priest of the Rice God. Join us, bless the state, and let all beings no longer suffer from hunger."

"Rice God?"

Jiang Yan had heard of the Five Roads of Wealth, the Evil God of Wealth, the Buddhist Vaisravana, and so on; when he was young, he also stayed in Pan'an County for a while, but he had never heard of this deity being worshipped locally.

Moreover, the one who could make people no longer hungry was not the so-called immortals and gods, but that old man who improved rice varieties by his own efforts.

Immortals and gods have never bent down to lift up mortals.

Jiang Yan looked around, but still could not find anyone resembling a cameraman; judging by the other party's attitude, it seemed they were not pulling a stunt, but were serious?

Could it be... evil...

Jiang Yan frowned tightly, but faced with such a beautiful woman's sincere invitation, he couldn't suppress the impulse in his heart and said seriously:

"Then... does joining the sect give free eggs?"

As a citizen of the Tianxia Alliance, no matter what god you are, if joining the sect gives free eggs, then you are a good god.

No matter if you are the Xieshen Sect, I'll still milk the system; after taking it, I'll report it to the Hat Uncle and collect a reward.

"..."

The woman fell silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, reaching her hand into her robe; seeing this, Jiang Yan cautiously stepped back, just about to raise his hands to show his innocence, but saw the other side throw something over.

"What is this?"

He instinctively caught it in his hand, only to discover it was a doll about the size of a fist, dressed in God of Wealth clothes, entirely beige, holding a jade Jade Ruyi shaped like rice ears in its left hand, and raising something resembling pork belly in its right hand.

But the face was not human, but rather...

A rat?

Its body was wide, fat, and bulky, with long whiskers, smiling beamingly, its gaze compassionate, as if pitying the world, but paired with this outfit, it gave an extremely strong sense of incongruity.

Rats have no love for rice; they only steal the grain humans have worked hard to accumulate.

"This texture..."

Jiang Yan's fingers gently rubbed it, and it actually felt like touching rice, or like smooth skin; even when pinched, it had some elasticity.

"Not plastic, nor clay; the feel is a bit like rice. What material is this exactly? If you made figures and models out of it for evangelism, it would definitely go viral across the entire internet."

Jiang Yan kindly advised the person to turn over a new leaf, but when he looked up, he found the other party had already vanished, leaving only pedestrians on the street and a few girls shoving and playing with friends, trying to strike up a conversation.

"No harassment. Looks like the tactics of a Southern-style pyramid scheme."

Jiang Yan muttered, casually shoving the doll into his pants pocket, planning to ask Uncle Xu from the house across the door what church the Rice God was when he got home.

Hmm, Uncle Xu is a police officer at the Public Security Bureau.

As for why he didn't follow the other party and single-handedly destroy the Xieshen Sect cult?

He was just an ordinary person; such matters should be left to professionals. Individual heroism is not advisable.

If something went wrong, only family would grieve for you.

Jiang Yan was not a bad person, but he didn't want to be a good person either.

He would only do things within his capabilities.

Unless this so-called Rice God sect truly possessed a supernatural system, which might perhaps attract him.

But... how could that be possible?

"This small town is, after all, growing old."

Gazing at the ancient old street and buildings, Jiang Yan politely declined the advances of several young girls, pushed his suitcase, and strolled along the street.

His eyes scanned the moss-covered steps, the cracked bluestone slabs, the graffiti-scarred walls, the old wooden road signs... as if searching for traces of his own past visits.

This was his mother's maiden home; he had lived here for a while when he was a child.

This return was because, after long-term hard work, he was diagnosed with Early-stage Liver Cancer during a medical checkup. Although timely treatment had improved his condition, he refused the small company boss in Hangcheng's offer of a raise and retention, decisively resigning at age twenty-six from this 996, single-day-off, plus the "blessing" of being bombarded by messages from the boss and leaders whether commuting to or from work.

As a local of Jiangnan Province, his family was not wealthy, but they never starved, so he simply returned to his hometown to rest and recover for a while.

He would discuss the future only after his illness was cured.

After all, when the body began to fall ill, he finally understood why ancient kings, lords, and generals had so crazily pursued immortality.

The flow of life brought endless despair.

When one grows old, would it not truly be like the snake demon in Journey to the West, greedily craving young blood?

Even he, a folk custom and cultivation enthusiast, began preparing to slowly delve into the traditional culture of the ancestors, not seeking immortality, but striving to preserve health as much as possible.

"Life is like chipping stone to see the fire; how long can one truly dwell in this world?"

Jiang Yan whispered.

Yet he did not notice that behind him, the woman who had just vanished stood at the end of the street, gazing at Jiang Yan's departing back, and softly murmured:

"The ritual is just about to begin, yet a spiritual rice meat emitting such a strong fragrance has intruded. Interesting. Are we pursuing Him, or is He pursuing us in return?"

"But it makes no difference; it is simply time to let this world..."

"... feel the glory of My Lord!"

The moment the voice fell, the world darkened, shadows surged like waves, swallowing her figure and rushing into the boundless darkness.

Splash-splash!

"Where did that sound of water come from?"

Jiang Yan, walking on the street, suddenly heard the sound of surging waves. He turned to look, but the scene that came into view made his pupils shrink violently.

"What is this!?"

Because...

He saw a rust-red long river, seemingly flowing out from endless void, vast and mighty, infinite and endless, with billions of streams flowing past, covering the entire world.

Humanity... no, even civilization before Him was as insignificant as millet in the ocean, or an ant under the bright sun, utterly tiny.

His existence had already exceeded the limits of human imagination.

A single casual wave reflected countless brilliant civilizations, with thousands of heroic figures flashing by, magnificent and glorious.

However, before Jiang Yan could be shocked by this, he saw this majestic long river undergo a change. Its originally sacred posture vanished, replaced instead by black, filthy dust covering it, like pus and blood exposed on a corpse, utterly filthy.

At this moment,

human reason collapsed, and civilizations were annihilated.

They gathered together and became blocked at different nodes, gradually forming lumps resembling boils growing on a sick person's body. The deeper into the long river, the larger the boils became; even within some boils, vaguely visible indescribable eerie figures could be seen, blocking the sky and sun, twisting space and time.

Their mere existence had already affected all things.

Like the legendary immortals and gods.

"Ugh..."

Merely glancing at it made Jiang Yan feel as if the back of his head had been struck hard by an iron hammer, then pierced and churned by a red-hot iron rod, smashing his brain matter. The intense pain nearly tore his sanity apart. His body stumbled, as if he could smell the scent of the world rotting; a thick, foul stench rushed at him, causing bitter fluid to rise in his abdomen, making him unable to help but retch.

Buzz!

Besides that, a humming sound formed from countless whispers rang in his ears.

No...

This was not humming; it was more like...

Crying!

Then, who was crying?

Amidst this extreme pain, Jiang Yan instead maintained a portion of his clarity and was forcibly made to understand part of the information within.

If described in human words, it was...

The River of History is sick!

PS: A new author returns, seeking support. Thank you all!

Black-feathered Bird returns. Once the contract is signed, I ask for vote support; I will not disappoint everyone. By the way, I recommend my old book 【My Beast Taming Is Really Not a Evil God】 to new readers.

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(End of this chapter)