Chapter 476: Treating Everyone Equally Is the Greatest Injustice!

Zhang Chengze turned his head toward Zhu Lancui and asked, "Lancui, shall I escort you back?"

His father's ascension ceremony is very important; it allows the villagers of Zhang Family Village and the villagers of nearby villages around Shizi Ling who attend the ceremony to recognize his father as the Lion Ridge Mountain God.

They contribute incense offerings for his father so that his father can maintain lasting peace in the position of Lion Ridge Mountain God.

Many divine arts require the power of incense offerings to be manifested.

Otherwise.

Given his father's temperament, it is unlikely he would hold a grand, flamboyant ascension ceremony.

As the eldest son, he must attend his father's ascension ceremony no matter what; the Mountain God Temple will continue to need his labor, so leaving the ceremony abruptly would be improper, but he believes his father can understand.

He knows better than anyone that his father longs to hold a grandson; if his father learned that his family's Lancui was pregnant, he would not mind at all that he escorted Lancui home, even if it delayed attending the ceremony.

Even if he does not come, he believes his father would have no objection to him or his family's Lancui.

Conversely.

If his family's Lancui were to suffer any mishap or disturb the fetal qi during this ascension ceremony, his father would be the first not to forgive him.

Zhu Lancui shook her head and refused, "Chengze, I'm perfectly healthy; no need to go back!"

"Not fearing ten thousand, only fearing the one‑in‑a‑million…"

Zhang Chengze was about to continue persuading, but before he finished, Li Ping cut him off, "Chengze, no, this time your father's ascension grand ceremony, Lancui cannot leave under any circumstances!"

"Mother…"

Zhang Chengze wanted to say something, but seeing Li Ping's expression, the words at his mouth were swallowed, and he changed his tone, "Could there be something I don't know about here?"

Li Ping replied, "Your father told me that this ascension grand ceremony will bring a divine rain; the divine rain has many miraculous properties—those who are ill can be healed, those who are healthy can live a long life. Since Lancui is pregnant, she needs this divine rain for baptism!"

"Is there such a good thing?"

Zhang Chengze had not yet reacted when Zhang Yongde exclaimed, his face full of delight; he is already of advanced age, and people of his age are gradually passing away, and he does not know how long he has left.

He often worries that he might never wake up from a sleep, not because there are many pleasures in the mortal world, but because he does not wish to leave.

He is just an ordinary farmer; although he is the Village Chief of Zhang Family Village, the village is a remote, impoverished mountain area.

Not to say he never used his authority for personal gain; even if he did, he could not embezzle much, and his living conditions are no better than those of other villagers in Zhang Family Village.

He does not wish to leave the mortal world because he wants to see his own descendants grow up, marry, have children, continue the lineage, and spread the family branches.

Only that.

He knows clearly that destiny cannot be defied.

As the saying goes: "The King of Hell will have you die at the third watch; he will not let you live until the fifth watch."

No matter how unwilling he is, he knows clearly he has only a few good years left; however reluctant he may be, he must accept it.

He never imagined that Zhang Deben's ascension grand ceremony would bring a divine rain, and anyone who receives its baptism would become disease‑free, disaster‑free, and live a hundred years—a prospect he could not even conceive.

"Village Chief, this is what De Ben told me; I don't know if it's true or false, but I believe De Ben would not deceive me on such matters!"

Li Ping calmly analyzed it once; the moment she finished speaking, she saw Zhang Yongde turn, about to walk out of the Mountain God Temple interior toward the outside, and she laughed, saying:

"Village Chief, what's there to rush about? When our De Ben's ascension ceremony begins, everyone in our Mountain God Temple will follow De Ben's statue out and can receive the divine rain's baptism!"

Zhang Yongde explained, "Li Ping, you misunderstood; I'm not rushing to receive the divine rain's baptism. I'm preparing to call my wife out!"

"I see!"

Li Ping instantly realized; she knew Zhang Yongde's daughter‑in‑law was in poor health, bedridden for years. According to everyone's consensus, she had only a few days left; though she still lies in bed, she is merely stubbornly holding on, and no one knows when she will go, but it is bound to happen sooner or later, and she said:

"Village Chief, there is still some time before our De Ben's ascension ceremony begins; why don't you inform everyone so that the people of Zhang Family Village can all come to attend my family's De Ben's ascension ceremony!"

Zhang Deben becoming the Lion Ridge Mountain God is a tremendous boon for the entire Zhang Family Village.

Today's Zhang Deben ascension ceremony will be attended by all Zhang Family Village people, though inevitably there will be elders like Zhang Yongde's wife, who have been bedridden for years and lack the strength to get up.

You have reached this novel.

Even those who wish to attend Zhang Deben's ascension ceremony have no way; they can only lie in bed, accept fate, and wait for death.

"Li Ping, you're right; this matter must be explained clearly to all the people of our Zhang Family Village!"

Zhang Yongde's eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't wait to say, "This is a tremendous blessing; who knows how many lives it will extend!"

Zhang Chengze, watching Zhang Yongde's disappearing back, couldn't help but whisper, "Mother, why are you only now mentioning this kind of blessing?"

"What, I'm only saying it now—any problem? Are you worried that the villagers of other villages around Shizi Ling will be dissatisfied?"

Li Ping snorted.

It's not that she's dissatisfied with the surrounding villages of Shizi Ling; ever since Zhang Deben became the Lion Ridge Mountain God, she has had no opinion about the nearby villages.

Because Zhang Deben often told her about the Lion Ridge Mountain God's situation, she clearly knows the Mountain God's duties and how to obtain benefits.

Zhang Chengze forced a smile, "Mother, from what you say, my father is now the Lion Ridge Mountain God; he can't only look after our Zhang Family Village—he must broaden his view and include the other villages near Shizi Ling!"

"Treat everyone equally?"

Li Ping smiled, as if hearing a colossal joke, and said, "Treating everyone equally is the greatest unfairness; you kid must remember, your father belongs to Zhang Family Village, and Zhang Family Village is our family's foundation!"

"Mother…"

Zhang Chengze still wanted to persuade further, but before he could finish, Li Ping interrupted, "You kid, think about it: if your father treats everyone equally and gives everyone the same benefit, who would still care about your father, the Lion Ridge Mountain God?"

He must use our Zhang Family Village as a live target, so that others see the benefits of believing in your father, the Lion Ridge Mountain God, and only then will the nearby villagers of Shizi Ling believe in your father!

"Exactly, exactly!"

Zhang Chengyong, enjoying the scene and not minding the fuss, echoed, "Brother, mother is right; if we don't treat people differently, how can we show the difference between those who believe in our father and those who don't?"

(End of Chapter)