Chapter 554

What if we meet the Door God or the Stove God?

You’re foolish! How many Door Gods are there in the world? The two from before, plus the two this dynasty’s emperor inexplicably appointed, make only four! And how many doors are there in the world? How many Stove Gods? How many stoves need their protection? Even if they wanted to guard, they’d go to the mansions of the wealthy—how much incense and offerings do ordinary households provide?

That makes sense…

Hey? Why haven’t we ever seen this household before?

A group of spirits halted before an ordinary courtyard.

I feel the same! It’s as if it wasn’t here before!

Who lives here? I don’t recall!

I remember! This household was always here—just never opened its doors or lit its lamps!

So that’s it,” said one spirit. “I see lights inside but no one home—they must’ve gone out to watch the festivities. This family hasn’t been back in a long time; now that they’ve returned, they’ll have a feast of wine and meat. Let’s steal it before they come back, find a quiet spot, and celebrate New Year’s Eve ourselves!”

The spirits all clapped in delight!

Some spirits instantly turned into shadowy forms and passed through the door; others became wisps of blue smoke, seeping in through the gap beneath the door; some, agile, leapt cleanly over the courtyard gate with a slight push; others twisted their bodies thin as paper and slipped through the crack between the door panels.

Several demons displayed their unique abilities—strange and wondrous—and thus entered the courtyard with its pear tree.

The two spirits who passed through walls and turned to smoke moved fastest and had already reached the inner room.

The two outside whispered:

Is anyone inside?

No one.

Another spirit, perhaps a fox-like minor demon who had leapt over the wall, asked: Is there a dog in the house?

None either.

“Perfect!” the spirit clapped. “Then what food and drink do they have?”

“Trouble! There’s nothing left to eat! This family ate before leaving—no leftover meat from the first or second day!” said the spirit inside. “What a pity! The leftover dishes in the slop bucket smelled delicious—oily, full of spices. If it weren’t New Year’s Eve, we’d have devoured them for sure!”

“There’s still one dish left! I don’t know what it is!” said another spirit in the inner room. “It looks like half a moon—dough on the outside, and inside, it seems stuffed with meat and vegetables. Kind of like the dumplings now popular in the northern capital, but each one’s as big as a palm!”

Let’s come in and take a look!

Come in quickly! Don’t think your elder brother’s rude—I didn’t start eating before you. Now you can join me and taste what this is!

In the silent alley of common houses, nighttime sounds were faint even in the breeze—most people couldn’t hear them; those who did would find them strange.

Soon, all four spirits had entered the house.

Suddenly, a creaking sound.

The courtyard gate outside had been pushed open.

Instantly, the movement inside ceased, and the lantern light flickered.

A faint, whispering voice came from within.

Someone’s come back…

What do we do?

Don’t fear! They should be afraid of us! Here’s the plan: we two go out first to scare them; you two grab the food and escape through the chimney!

Alright…

CRASH! The door flew open!

Outside was pitch-black night, utterly silent.

The two spirits had barely rushed out when a blinding five-colored divine light suddenly burst forth in the courtyard, forcing them back—and the spirits about to snatch the food froze in terror.

Yüan… Yüan Jun Niangniang…

Of all beings, none knew the temple deities better than these minor demons and spirits—unless it was the most devout believers or the deities themselves. The Daoist Jiang had transformed into an ordinary priest, and they might not have recognized him. But now, clad in divine robes amid five-colored radiance, they were instantly terrified.

Some spirits, quick-witted, still tried to puzzle out why Yüan Jun was here; others lost all thought, dropped to their knees, and begged for mercy—hard to say who was clever and who was foolish.

Where are the Heavenly Soldiers?

Here!

Four Heavenly Soldiers appeared out of thin air, clad in silver helmets and armor, majestic and formidable.

Seize them. Await judgment and punishment.

Yes!

The Heavenly Soldiers immediately advanced, seized the four spirits, then transformed into divine light and vanished into the night sky.

At that moment, a group of Daoists entered from behind.

“Yüan Jun Niangniang is truly majestic,” Lin Jue said, then smiled and asked, “What will happen to those spirits?”

“This isn’t the north. Even demons and spirits are judged by law after interrogation. Though they broke in to steal and intended to frighten, their crime doesn’t warrant death. I have dedicated judges under me to interrogate them,” said Master Jiang, now back in ordinary priestly robes. “But since the Purple Emperor now rules the Nine Heavens, the Heavenly Laws are changing. Sentences today are stricter than in the former dynasty. They may be whipped, imprisoned for years, or sentenced to serve as servants in a deity’s sacred grounds or labor in an orchard—this is reform through discipline. If lucky, they may even gain cultivation.”

That’s humane.

What do you mean by “humane”? Master Jiang frowned.

It means benevolence.

So “humane” is the benevolent ren.

Roughly.

Meanwhile, the senior and second disciples had entered the room and glanced at the basin of dumplings the students had made for midnight snack.

They haven’t touched much—still edible.

Only two were touched,” said the senior disciple. He picked up one dumpling that had fallen on the table, then another from the basin’s edge, placed them both in a bowl beside him, and said, “I’ll eat these two.”

More disciples gathered around, placing snacks bought at the lantern fair on the table: roasted goose, roast duck, pastries, rice wine, biluo, persimmon cakes.

They had indeed eaten before going out—but wandering the lantern fair all night, walking through streets and alleys, perhaps half the city, solving riddles and puzzles, they’d surely grow hungry. Tonight, they’d enjoy this midnight snack with fireworks and a sip of rice wine.

“Yüan Jun Niangniang, please sit,” the youngest disciple imitated her senior. “Taste some human food with us.”

Everyone sat around the table, divided into two groups.

Master Jiang, calm and composed, ignored the wine, meat, and pastries bought at the fair, and directly picked up a palm-sized dumpling.

Why isn’t anyone setting off fireworks here?

No sooner had he spoken than a sharp “chiiii” rang out—as if in response—a firework shot into the night sky and exploded right above the roof, visible through the open door, dazzlingly brilliant.

Everyone watched the fireworks and ate their midnight snack.

Lin Jue couldn’t help but gaze outside.

The pear tree stood quietly in the courtyard.

Lin Jue was reluctant to leave it—and reluctant to leave this place.

Living here was quiet and peaceful. Every year, the pears were eaten to fullness—serene and comfortable.

If possible, Lin Jue would gladly live here three more years.

But tomorrow, they must leave.

Lin Jue tasted a few bites of food, then quickly tore off a goose leg and handed it to the fox beside him, saying:

Tomorrow we leave. Ease the concealment spell a little—

let the spiritual aura from Second Brother’s alchemy drift out.

Mmm…

The fox ate while turning its head, inhaling deeply.

A faint wisp of smoke entered its mouth.

Until now, it had relied on these nearly invisible wisps to mask the alchemical activity here. Though sometimes celestial phenomena couldn’t be fully concealed, the medicinal fragrance, spiritual light, and qi could be mostly hidden. Besides, this wasn’t the capital, nor was it Lin Zhen’s residence—no one had ever seen Lin Zhen alchemize here. Even if people occasionally witnessed strange celestial signs, they’d attribute them to natural phenomena or divine omens, never suspecting Lin Zhen had come to alchemize here.

Now, with one wisp of smoke gone, the subtle spiritual essence of alchemy and the divine aura of immortality leaked out slightly.

Just a little.

Too much would frighten evil spirits.

But even this little was a powerful magnet to certain demons and spirits.

The honest ones would guess it belonged to someone and at least come to investigate; seeing people inside, they’d hesitate. The dishonest ones would scheme to discover the source of this spiritual essence and steal the immortal pill.

And here sat four immortals, one seven-tailed fox, and a Yüan Jun of the Southern Divine System—watching fireworks, eating midnight snacks.

Thunder rumbled…

A faint, distant rumble.

A cloud capable of discerning good and evil quietly spread, covering the entire Yangzhoucheng. It gave no lightning, no thunder serpents—only hovered silently above, overlooking the city.

Until deep night, when fireworks ceased.

BOOM!

A thick, brilliant bolt of lightning struck down, tinged purple-red, instantly piercing heaven and earth.

Then several more followed, crisscrossing like a net.

One might think it wasn’t winter but high summer, that this wasn’t land but a storm-tossed sea.

Removing the old year, purging the impurities.

This was Lin Jue’s New Year gift to Yun Chan Master—and also a gift to Master Jiang and the Southern Deities.