Chapter 254: Deification After Death

"Sir, sir, sir, you, you, you want me to help you buy some Confucian‑Daoist poetry books from the county town?"

Ni Qiu trembled as he spoke, his face full of shock; he wondered if he was hearing hallucinations.

Even though Wang Ping'an's voice had just echoed clearly in his mind!

Wang Ping'an had him do a task, which didn't surprise him—since the beginning, his dog‑like life existed only because Wang Ping'an needed him to lure villains over, to uphold justice?

What shocked him was that Wang Ping'an asked him to buy some Confucian poetry books from the county town and bring them back.

It's not that the county town lacks Confucian poetry books…

On the contrary.

In the county town, Confucian poetry books are everywhere; one could say there are bookstores on every corner.

Only.

He recalled that Wang Ping'an should be a cultivator, not supposed to study Confucian poetry books.

It's not that cultivators are more noble than scholars; rather, cultivators and scholars walk two separate paths, each a road to the heavens.

Don't think scholars live shorter than cultivators, but as long as they study well, they can serve as officials in the court while alive and even hold office in the Underworld after death.

Mountain God, Land God, City God…

Which of them is not a post held by a scholar?

In Hutou Gou there is a Land God temple; it is said the post is held by an old scholar who died long ago in their village, and they know this because a rumor spread in Hutou Gou shortly after the old scholar's death.

He appeared in his son's dream, telling him that the Underworld had assigned him to serve as the Land God of Hutou Gou.

This matter.

It was the old scholar's son who said it himself; he had been studying in the county town, planning to return after the old scholar's funeral to continue the imperial examinations, but after hearing this, he stayed in Hutou Gou.

He opened a school!

It wasn't anyone else but their current scholar, Guo Xuesong.

When the story first spread, even Guo Xuesong himself said it, and his wife also stepped forward to vouch that she had had the same dream.

They even met each other in the dream!

At first they thought it was just a dream, but when Guo Xuesong woke and mentioned it, she realized they had shared the same dream—not a dream, but a real event.

It was her father‑in‑law who appeared in both her and Guo Xuesong's dream!

However.

Even though Guo Xuesong's wife vouched for it, few Hutou Gou villagers believed, yet recalling Guo Xuesong's father's kindness to Hutou Gou, they agreed to rebuild the Land God temple.

The school Guo Xuesong runs now is actually the one his father founded, a case of son inheriting his father's business.

Until the harvest season, the fields yielded twenty to thirty percent more than neighboring villages; though it seems only a modest increase, that extra was all money…

No.

During famines, grain yields surpass money; they can be lifesaving.

A baffling bumper harvest!

At this point the Hutou Gou villagers recalled Guo Xuesong's words; perhaps his father truly became their Land God, which allowed this year's grain and other crops to surge by twenty to thirty percent.

All of a sudden, the Hutou Gou Land God temple's incense burned brightly; not only during festivals, but whenever they had time, they would light a incense stick there.

They prayed for favorable winds and rain next year, and abundant grain and crops.

When this story spread, it further solidified the Hutou Gou villagers' resolve to send their children to study; with a title they could enjoy state privileges, and after death become a Land God or other deity, protecting their family and even the whole village.

One could say scholars are not only not inferior to cultivators, but far superior.

"What? Is there a problem with me asking you to help buy some Confucian poetry books from the county town?" Wang Ping'an retorted.

He wanted to purchase Confucian poetry books to cultivate more righteous Qi, and from Shu Mu's earlier methods, to understand the scholar's extraordinary nature.

He possessed great skill, and he wasn't afraid of having more; the more the better, and his recent encounter with Hu Meiniang made him clearly aware of the world's profound mysteries.

One could say it's unfathomably deep!

Who knows if one might inadvertently encounter other monsters; if those monsters lack Hu Meiniang's compassion, that would be trouble.

More skill means more self‑preservation power!

Whether cultivator or scholar, as long as one can strengthen one's skill, he has no resistance; on the contrary, he believes the more the better.

His nominal father had a private study at home, but the collection was small and consisted of miscellaneous books, not any precious volumes, making it hard to help him cultivate righteous Qi.

That's why he spent silver to have Ni Qiu buy Confucian poetry books from the county town for him!

"No, no problem!"

Ni Qiu opened his mouth, wanting to say that Wang Ping'an was clearly a cultivator; borrowing Confucian poetry books would be idleness, wasting time and even hindering cultivation.

Although he was neither a cultivator nor a scholar, he knew from the myriad paths that some people practice cultivator skills while studying Confucian poetry books.

This novel you...

but all achievements are limited!

According to seasoned elders, cultivators and scholars walk two separate roads—one northward, one southward—and will never intersect in a lifetime.

Trying to learn both cultivator and scholar skills is like drawing water with a bamboo basket—fruitless.

He wanted to warn Wang Ping'an a word or two, but recalling his current situation—his life hanging on Wang Ping'an's whim—his priority was to flatter Wang Ping'an, not do anything to raise his eyebrows.

Moreover.

Who knows whether Wang Ping'an will know this; he buys Confucian poetry books not to study himself, but to give them away.

"Fine, go attend to your business!"

Wang Ping'an waved his hand and ordered.

Hei Mao Bu Tou had already been safely rescued, slayed a rogue cultivator, earned a thousand Merit, devoured the foe's soul, gaining an additional thirty‑six Merit, and now has an important task entrusted to Ni Qiu.

No need to keep this fellow here babbling!

He hasn't forgotten that he gained over ten thousand Merit points not long ago.

This is the pressing priority.

It is to, while his master is not paying attention, sneak into the house, covertly send the large amount of treasures he carries back to his original body, and then, with difficulty, decide which skill, technique, or innate talent… to raise from Cultivation to the next level.

After that.

Then study the method of drawing intermediate Talisman designs, study the method of arranging the Small Five Elements Sword Formation, the methods of forming formation diagrams and refining formation bases…

There are still many things waiting for him to attend to; how could he have time to chat here with Ni Qiu?

Hearing this, Ni Qiu's eyes flickered with a brief flash of surprise deep within, their heart racing with indescribable excitement, they forced themselves to hold back their impatience and vanished from Wang Ping'an's sight, then, with a trembling voice, promised:

"Sir, rest assured, whether it's the Confucian poetry and books you seek, or luring a villain who has committed every evil to act as a righteous avenger, I will spare no effort to accomplish it for you, and I guarantee I will not disappoint you!"

(End of chapter)