The world is like a prison, my body is holy

"Mom, hang in there, it'll be our turn soon..."

At Caishikou in Hangzhou, in the long line of people waiting to receive porridge, the emaciated Wang Er, leaning on a bamboo cane and carrying his thin, bony old mother on his back, slowly infiltrated the line.

The old man was too weak to speak from hunger. He kept stroking his son's face with his thin, rough hands, as if trying to etch his son's face firmly into his heart.

Wang Er forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace, and kept talking to his mother.

Soon it was the mother and son's turn. Wang Er hurriedly held out a ceramic bowl, forcing out what he thought was his most ingratiating smile: "Sir, please have mercy, please have mercy..."

The young soldier distributing the porridge didn't speak, but simply smiled and shook his head. He scooped a spoonful of thick porridge from the large wooden bucket, which was half a person's height. Seeing that Wang Er was trembling as he held the bowl, he reached out his other hand to gently support his hand and poured the porridge from the spoon into his bowl: "Hold it well, don't spill it."

Wang Er nodded hurriedly, "I won't spill it, I won't spill it..."

The young soldier glanced at the old man on his back, whose head was drooping and whose arms were as thin as bamboo poles, and asked, "Is there only one bowl?"

Wang Er paused, swallowed hard, and forced a smile, saying, "I'm not hungry, I'm not hungry. Let's come back after Mom finishes eating, come back again..."

The young soldier gestured for him not to leave, then bent down and pulled out an earthenware bowl from the side. After wiping the bottom of the bowl with his apron, he ladled out a full bowl of thick porridge and handed it to him: "Remember to give me back the bowl when you're done eating, okay?"

Wang Er instinctively gripped the bamboo cane, freeing his hand to receive the hot porridge offered. Suddenly, a sharp pang of emotion welled up in his nose, blurring his vision. He stammered, "Thank you so much, sir..."

A resilient heart can withstand hardship, but often succumbs to the concern of strangers...

The young soldier smiled and waved casually, saying, "Go take care of your mother, next!"

Wang Er nodded meekly, carrying two bowls of hot porridge and his mother on his back as he walked out of the crowd: "Mother, there's food! It's white rice porridge, it's fine grain, Mother..."

He walked to the side of the street, laboriously bent down and placed two bowls of hot porridge on a step. Then he untied the straps and carefully put his mother down, laying her flat at his feet. He bent down, supporting her with one hand, and picked up a bowl of hot porridge with the other, blowing on it as he fed her small sips.

Just then, an old scholar with white hair, wearing a faded gray long gown, walked past the ragged mother and son with a dissatisfied expression, carrying a half-full bowl of thin porridge. He slurped the porridge along the rim of the bowl. His eyes fell on Wang Er's bowl, which was full of thick porridge, and he snorted indignantly, "Feeding peasants with fine grains, what a sin!"

Wang Er heard his mutterings, but he just helped his mother move closer to the side of the street and tried to curl himself up into a ball.

The old scholar noticed his actions and felt increasingly contemptuous and resentful. His muttering grew louder: "What a load of rubbish, the Demon-Slaying General! He's utterly clueless, trying to win people's hearts by worshipping the wrong temple..."

Wang Er still didn't look up, but silently picked up his bamboo cane...

Just then, a figure flashed past him with a "whoosh" and kicked the grumbling old scholar, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Wang Er turned around in astonishment and saw a red-faced man cursing and punching the old scholar: "You old beast, I've put up with you for too long..."

"Beat that old bastard up!"

"You son of a bitch, what are you muttering about? Speak louder..."

"Did we eat your rice? If you think it's not enough, then don't come here..."

As soon as the red-faced man made his move, several more sallow-faced and emaciated figures put down their bowls and rushed out, circling and kicking the old scholar.

Wang Er put down his bamboo cane, turned back to continue feeding his mother porridge, and the bewilderment and hesitation between his brows suddenly dissipated considerably...

Not far away, Chen Shiquan, a demon-suppressing guard from the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, disguised and mingling in the crowd, watched the old scholar howling and rolling on the ground, and subtly pushed the hilt of the knife that had fallen into his palm back into his sleeve.

He turned around with a smile on his lips, his gaze continuing to scan the throng of people. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed two sleazy-looking men quietly following a thin, middle-aged figure carrying a bowl of porridge.

He smirked and slowly walked past Wang Erniang and her son, following them without making a sound. After passing several crowded streets, he turned into a secluded alley and heard a muffled "crack" sound ahead, like the sound of pottery breaking.

He turned around in a few quick steps and saw the two thugs talking in hushed tones with smiles on their faces. The skinny boy's legs were dragging limply on the ground, and one of them was holding him by the back of his neck like a chick. The porridge that had been brought from the market had spilled all over the ground... It seemed that he had fainted.

Chen Shiquan's eyes instantly turned as sharp and cold as knives.

The two thugs clicked their tongues in surprise and annoyance when they saw him dart out from around the corner.

The empty-handed thug stepped forward, lifted his jacket to reveal a short knife at his waist, and arrogantly shouted, "The Giant Whale Gang is doing this job. If you don't get lost, watch out for your eyes..."

"The Giant Whale Gang?"

Chen Shiquan raised an eyebrow, the coldness between his brows vanishing instantly, replaced by the ecstatic joy of a wage slave who had just bought a two-yuan lottery ticket and won a five-million-yuan jackpot: "You said it yourself, so don't go back on your word!"

The two thugs both looked puzzled: "Are you alright?"

Chen Shiquan had no intention of wasting any more words with them; his mind was filled with the huge exclamation mark of "This time we've struck it rich!"

He slightly bent his knees and leaped into the air. With a cross of his hands, the waist knife hidden in his loose, tattered sleeves was suddenly drawn with a clang. The bright blade flashed several times, and the two thugs who had been so arrogant just seconds before were now rolling on the ground, screaming in agony, blood gushing from their hands and feet.

However, they were not in any immediate danger; Chen Shiquan had only severed their tendons in their hands and feet.

No way! These two rascals are his stepping stones to promotion and wealth; he's not going to let them die so easily...

"Ding."

With a sharp, gleaming blade, Chen Shiquan caught the child who was about to fall.

It was only then that he realized the child was actually a girl...

"You two have a pretty ruthless trick up your sleeve."

Chen Shiquan, in high spirits, teased the two rascals on the ground: "They just had bad luck!"

He thought to himself, 'Mother, your eldest son is finally going to amount to something!'

……

"There are basically no problems..."

In the main hall of the General of the Demon-Slaying Army in Yangzhou, Wang Wen put down the work-for-relief plan and pondered before saying to Xu Wu below, "However, the specific implementation must be handled with utmost care. Every construction site must undergo professional topographical surveying before construction can begin. We cannot blindly waste manpower just because it is a work-for-relief program."

According to his general plan, this year's work-for-relief program in Huainan and Jiangnan will mainly focus on water conservancy and irrigation to ensure that even if next year is as dry as this year, some of the grain production can still be salvaged...

Xu Wu nodded solemnly: "I will personally oversee this matter!"

Wang Wen paused for a moment, then continued, "And the clerks for the work-for-relief program mentioned in the plan must not be selected from the local gentry and powerful families. If we really can't find enough suitable candidates, we can select from other districts and counties. We absolutely cannot let those gentry and powerful families use the name of my General's Mansion to oppress the people and act tyrannically."

"Our General's Office must also strengthen its oversight efforts. No matter who it is, anyone who dares to embezzle, extort, or abuse their power for personal gain in the work-for-relief program will be dealt with severely and swiftly once investigated. There will be absolutely no leniency!"

At this point, he suddenly looked at Xu Wu with piercing eyes: "Let me make this clear from the start, there's no room for leniency, even for you, Xu Wu. Anyone who dares to cross me will face my wrath, and don't blame me for being ruthless as the elder brother!"

Xu Wu nodded without changing his expression: "Brother, I understand!"

He truly understood that while his elder brother was referring to him, he was actually referring to the older brothers below.

Wang Wen nodded: "Well, I don't have any urgent matters at the moment. I've already ordered Zhao Dadan to recruit two thousand soldiers in Hangzhou to replace his two thousand militiamen back in Yangzhou. When they return, please reward them for me..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wu asked curiously, "Brother, how long will you be gone this time? How come you've arranged things so far away?"

Wang Wen shook his head slightly: "It's hard to say, it depends on luck. If you're on a winning streak, it can be done in three to five days, but if you're not, it might take a month or two..."

Xu Wu clasped his hands: "Then I wish you great success, brother, and may you dominate the battlefield!" "If I personally take action, I will naturally dominate the battlefield."

Wang Wen stood up: "Then I entrust all the important and minor matters in the yamen to you. If there is anything extremely urgent, you can send Ao Lian to find me. He knows where I am."

Xu Wu stared in astonishment as he came down: "So rushed?"

Wang Wen: "We need to do some preparatory work..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hei Erniu, saddled and ready, appeared outside the hall, wagging its tail and behaving like a dog.

Seeing this, Xu Wu said no more and calmly said, "Don't worry about things at home. I'll keep an eye on things, I'll even sleep with one eye open. You can focus on your own affairs."

Wang Wen smiled and said, "I trust you to handle things."

After saying that, he took a step forward and his figure flashed, appearing on the back of Black Two Ox.

He picked up the reins, nodded to Xu Wu, then turned the ox around and gently squeezed its belly with his legs.

Black Ox leaped into the air, its powerful figure slowly transforming from head to tail into a majestic and divine black unicorn amidst a burst of bright flames, rising from the ground...

Xu Wu chased after him and saw only a small light in the southwest.

"So this is what even a god is like?"

……

Wang Wen gently landed on the summit of Tiandu Peak in Huangshan, bathed in the fiery red setting sun.

He gazed intently at the Huangshan Temple on Bright Summit, where he saw many pilgrims coming and going, the abundant incense smoke condensing into a vast, thin cloud-like cloud above Bright Summit.

The next second, Chen Feng and Ji Liang emerged from the mountainside together, clasped their hands and bowed: "Welcome, Your Excellency!"

Wang Wen listened attentively to the heartfelt wishes of the pilgrims as they made their vows, and nodded: "Get up."

The two men stood up and stood respectfully to one side.

After a while, Wang Wencai withdrew his divine sense with satisfaction and nodded: "Not bad, you did a pretty good job!"

Chen Feng: "It's just my duty, and I don't deserve your praise."

Ji Liang: "It is all thanks to Your Excellency's skillful leadership; I dare not take credit for it."

Wang Wen couldn't help but laugh, "That guy did a pretty good job..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than an angry voice rang in his ear: "Wang Wen, you big bastard, you even lied to yourself, you're just a bunch of blabbermouths, I'm blabbermouth..."

Wang Wen pretended not to hear, and deliberately smiled at the two respectfully respectful people in front of the voice, saying, "Relax, I am the real person, not as pretentious as that guy..."

Upon hearing this, the voice in his ear became even more agitated: "You son of a bitch, you heartless bastard, do you know how I've spent the past year? Do you know?"

The two men standing in front of Wang Wen remained tense... Of course, they knew that the person in front of them was the real Wang Wen, since Hei Erniu was still frolicking in the mountains, but they tensed up as soon as they sensed Wang Wen's aura.

After several breaths, Chen Feng finally managed to say, "Big brother, let me catch my breath, I'm still a little confused."

Wang Wen chuckled: "Don't blame that guy for being irritable. Anyone who sits in his seat becomes irritable..."

Chen Feng and Ji Liang nodded quickly.

The voice beside Wang Wen was practically jumping up and down with excitement: "You big bastard, you know this position isn't easy to hold? You know that, yet you keep resetting me? You're really inhuman..."

Wang Wen suppressed a laugh and used a coaxing tone to transmit his thoughts to a child: "Alright, alright, don't be angry. You know I have no choice. I'm going to take the path of physical ascension to sainthood. How could I dare to touch that poison of incense? I promise I'll make you a real clone later. From now on, the position of God of Huangshan will be completely handed over to you, okay?"

The so-called "poison of incense" refers to the intense emotions and desires carried by the incense offerings of countless families. This is similar to a computer virus, which can subtly tamper with system data, not only severely slowing down the system's operation but also causing the entire system to crash completely.

Wang Wen was determined to pursue the path of physical immortality, so naturally he was unwilling to get involved in such things.

Incense power, which can purify the poison of incense offerings, is indeed a good thing. It is a high-level energy that is almost omnipotent. It can enhance the divine soul, nurture subordinate gods, and refine the divine palace domain. When the Heavenly Court and the Underworld ruled this world, incense was a hard currency in both the Heavenly Court and the Underworld.

Therefore, even if Wang Wen himself doesn't need it, he can't possibly waste such a huge amount of resources.

Thus, the spirit of Huangshan Mountain was divided into two parts, becoming a ruthless incense-collecting machine.

In order to prevent the poison of incense from contaminating his spirit, Wang Wen not only used the Huangshan God's avatar as a firewall to isolate it, but he also went so far as to reset the Huangshan God's avatar every once in a while, forcibly annihilating the part of his spirit that was contaminated by the poison of incense in a way that was almost self-destructive.

The problem is that the deity of Huangshan, having received so much worship from so many believers over a long period of time, has developed some spirituality...

It's like someone who gets hit on the head every now and then, wakes up to find that part of their memory is missing, and before they can even sort out their thoughts, another blow comes.

Anyone would be furious in that situation.

If Wang Wen weren't the real Wang Wen, the Huangshan God's clone would have already rolled up its sleeves and fought him to the death!
This is why Wang Wen said that he would have the God of Huangshan create a true clone in the future.

Firstly, the Huangshan God's avatar already has the potential to grow into a clone.

Secondly, the "Taiyi Jiuku Hushen Miaojing," which is suspected to be written by Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, is very good at doing this.

Thirdly, Wang Wenye did indeed need a stable and reliable avatar to manage the Huangshan God matter for him.

In fact, it was only after he had this idea that he suddenly understood why many powerful immortals had divine incarnations.

The Jade Emperor has eight incarnations; the Ziwei Emperor has an incarnation of the Northern Yin Fengdu Emperor; the Antarctic Longevity Emperor has incarnations such as the Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable; the Eastern Pole Azure Flower Emperor, also known as the Taiyi Salvation from Suffering Heavenly Venerable, has incarnations of the Ten Directions Salvation from Suffering Heavenly Venerable, and so on...

Now that I think about it carefully, that's right. The main body cultivates the path of immortality, and the incarnation walks the path of the god. Both must be grasped firmly and both must be strong. This is a traditional skill.

……

"Really?"

As soon as Wang Wen finished speaking, a majestic phantom figure, draped in civil and military robes and shimmering with golden light, appeared out of thin air in front of him, looking at him expectantly: "Swear it!"

Wang Wen stared at him, still feeling a sense of idiocy, like he was talking to himself.

However, he could no longer sense what the distracted person would say next.

Oh no, this time he really has a mental illness...

Wang Wen raised his hand and lightly flicked the illusory figure on the forehead, sending it flying back into the statue in the Huangshan Temple: "Can't you tell whether I'm serious or not?"

After dismissing the childlike spirit, he turned to the two people standing in front of him and waved his hand, saying, "You two go about your business. I'm going into seclusion here for two days. Don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary."

The two men clasped their hands in agreement and sank into the mountainside.

Wang Wen raised his hand and slowly swept it across the void in front of him. Instantly, endless clouds and mist surged in from all directions, condensing into solid white clouds that enveloped the summit of Tiandu Peak in an instant.

He sat down cross-legged on the spot, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment, and then summoned the Mountain God's Decree... (End of this chapter)