Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 618 Grandpa Huohua? We worship the Jade Emperor!

“It smells so good~”

Protected by a group of congregants wearing headscarves, Hong Xiuquan and his cousin Feng Yunshan passed by the drill ground where rows of large cauldrons were set up.

"Hey bro~"

Compared to Hong Xiuquan, who was still holding back, Feng Yunshan was clearly able to let go.

He asked the unfamiliar members of the congregation, "What are these pots for?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd looked over as if they were looking at a sand sculpture.

"Of course it's for cooking and eating, what else can it be used for?"

"Eat?" Feng Yunshan was greatly puzzled. "What are you going to eat in the middle of the day?"

People in the modern world are already used to having three meals a day plus late-night snacks and treats.

But the poor people in Manqing only eat two meals a day in good years.

Sweet potato and wild vegetables, or wild vegetables and sweet potato.

Only during the busy farming season can we eat mixed grain rice, and sometimes we even have to eat stale rice!
During the busiest days, if you happen to meet a landlord with a conscience, he might even give you a piece of salted fish to eat.

I've never seen a peasant eat a meal in the middle of the day.

"This is~"

Seeing the cooks putting chickens one by one into the big pot, Feng Yunshan could hardly believe his eyes. "Chickens?!"

He came from a landlord family and had eaten chicken before.

But I've never seen anything like this before, with boxes of chickens being thrown into a pot to cook, and people taking notes with pen and paper.

At a glance, there were at least a hundred large pots of boiling water on the drill ground.

The boiled eggs would be placed in special baskets and delivered to various posts by the women of the old camp.

Feng Yunshan even overheard the clerks recording the events instructing the women transporting boiled eggs, saying, "The number of receipts in your hands is equal to the number of eggs in your baskets."

"After delivery to the destination, hand it over to the person in charge for inspection."

"After the inspection is completed, he will give you a receipt."

"Come back to me with the receipt, and you can collect today's meal."

“If any eggs are missing on the way, no matter how many are missing, you will have to pay double the amount. If the number of missing eggs reaches three times, your whole family will be kicked out of the camp.”

"Can you understand me?"

The women all nodded repeatedly, indicating that they understood.

Later, some of the women asked, "What if someone robs us? We can't afford to pay for it!"

The clerk pointed to several armed members of the congregation beside him and said, "They are your guards."

"If anyone comes to rob us, they'll be responsible for killing them."

"If they try to steal it themselves, then kill them!"

Feng Yunshan was dumbfounded by what he saw.

"What's wrong?" Hong Xiuquan stepped forward, puzzled. "Although there are many chickens, they were probably collected from inside and outside the city for rewards. There's no need to worry about them."

Feng Yunshan looked away, glanced at him, and said nothing more.

He wasn't shocked by the number of chickens!

These people possess formidable execution skills and meticulous processes.

Strict adherence to orders and clear distinctions between rewards and punishments are the core means of maintaining morale and fighting spirit.

This God Worshipping Society is different from the one I established when I came here before.

With his mind preoccupied, Feng Yunshan finally followed and arrived outside the main tent.

A strange tent I've never seen before.

It's colorful and looks like a forest or shrubland from a distance.

Unlike the tents I've seen before, it's square and looks like a big box.

There was a lot of white powder scattered around the tent. I sniffed it and found that the lime powder was mixed with other things.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Yunshan stepped into the main tent with Hong Xiuquan.

There were no braziers or candles inside the tent; the only source of light was some strange, long tubes on the ceiling.

Long and white, it illuminated the tent brightly.

The tent was large and there were many people inside.

Many familiar faces were among them, including Shi Dakai, Xiao Chaogui, and Wei Changhui.

All eyes turned to them, and everyone's gaze was very strange.

After calming himself down, Feng Yunshan looked at the person sitting in the main seat and was about to speak.

"Bah!!!"

Hong Xiuquan, who was standing beside him, suddenly roared.

"Heavenly Father is here, why are you all kneeling down at once?!"

The tent fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

"Listen up, all of you!"

Hong Xiuquan put on a stern and solemn face and roared, "I am the Heavenly Father! Today I have descended to earth and entrusted my son Xiuquan to deliver the imperial edict."

"You have killed the Qing demons and raised the banner of righteousness, and the Heavenly Father is very pleased."

"Now that my second son, Xiuquan, has arrived, you should all serve him as your master, eliminate the Qing demons, and rebuild the world!"

"If anyone dares to harbor any disloyal thoughts, I will use my supreme divine powers to ensure they never escape reincarnation!"

With his arms outstretched, Hong Xiuquan did indeed exude a touch of majesty.

However, the people inside the tent did not bow down as he expected. Instead, they remained in place with complicated expressions, silently watching him.

Feng Yunshan, standing to the side, inwardly cursed.

Those in positions of power, judging from their past, were not exactly good people.

With his bright eyes and extraordinary demeanor, how could such a person be fooled by a mere possession by the Heavenly Father!

He was about to step forward and explain a few things to smooth things over.

They also secretly planned to hint to Hong Xiuquan to pretend to faint and deny everything after waking up.

But at this moment, Lin Dao, who was in the main seat, burst out laughing.

"God Father, right?"

Lin Dao smiled and raised his hand, pointing at Hong Xiuquan, "Which Heavenly Father are you?"

Hong Xiuquan, who had failed the imperial examination and was now a mere scholar, was also feeling apprehensive.

What do Shi Dakai and Xiao Chaogui mean by standing there motionless?

But they'd already gone this far; they couldn't just stop there. He took a breath and continued playing the role of the Heavenly Father, "I am Lord Huohua~"

His original name was Hong Huoxiu, but he changed it to Hong Xiuquan in order to avoid using the name of the Heavenly Father.

This was actually a mistake caused by poor translation at the time. The correct translation was "Jehovah," but it was translated as "Yehovah Fire Flower."

The main reason is that it originates from transliteration, and accents vary greatly from place to place.

“Oh, it’s Jehovah.” Lin Dao said calmly. “Then, Father, do you know who we are? Do you know which God we worship?”

"Uh~"

Hong Xiuquan first looked at Lin Dao warily, then looked at the crowd blankly.

He didn't really understand what that meant.

He was in his hometown in Guangdong when Feng Yunshan came to find him, saying that news had come from Guangxi that the God Worshipping Society had launched a large-scale uprising.

The two then rushed over with their relatives, family members, and disciples.

On the way, he complained that the brothers in Guangxi were too eager to start an uprising before he, the second son of God, could even arrive, which was disrespectful.

When we were almost in Guangxi, we received news that the God Worshipping Society and the Heaven and Earth Society had captured Wuzhou City together.

In a state of great shock and joy, they even temporarily abandoned their families and rushed over in an attempt to seize leadership.

Most of the old friends were there, but the young man in the main seat was someone I didn't recognize.

Hong Xiuquan wasn't stupid; he knew this person was the variable.

So a scene of God the Father possessing someone was staged, with the intention of the old brothers working together to overpower others and reclaim their rightful leadership.

But the result was unexpected.

The old men remained motionless, their gazes even carrying a hint of pity.

As for the young man, he asked with a smile which Heavenly Father.

There can be no other Heavenly Father, there is only one Heavenly Father!

"You members of the God-Worshipping Society worship God the Father, the Fire God~"

'Pfft~~~'

Wei Changhui, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

With his laughter, the members of the God Worshipping Society, as well as those who had previously belonged to the Heaven and Earth Society but had now switched sides, all burst into laughter.

Hong Xiuquan was completely bewildered, not knowing what had happened or what was so funny.

Feng Yunshan, standing to the side, felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew something was wrong; during his time away from Guangxi, something unprecedented must have happened there!

Although he is resolute and intelligent.

However, with so few sources of intelligence and no knowledge whatsoever, even the most quick-witted person would be powerless to cope.

After everyone had laughed for a while, Lin Dao raised his hand and pressed it down.

The laughter quickly subsided.

Upon witnessing this scene, both Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan were alarmed.

This person's control over the God Worshippers was incredibly strong!
"You... um... Grandpa Huohua?" Lin Dao nodded slightly, picked up the instant coffee next to him and took a sip. "You've probably misunderstood something."

"We, the God Worshipping Society, don't worship you, Mr. Huohua!"

"We worship the Supreme God of Heaven."

"We worship different gods."

“You can’t bring foreign gods and expect us to worship them.”

The Supreme God of Heaven is the highest deity and the ruler of the universe.

Also known as the Supreme Emperor of Heaven, the Heavenly Emperor, the Old Man of Heaven, etc.

As early as the Zhou Dynasty, the title of Haotian Shangdi (昊天上帝) had already been established, and it is also recorded in oracle bone inscriptions.

Since the Tang Dynasty, the Supreme God of Heaven has been the sole deity worshipped by the Heavenly Emperor. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, his title was changed to the Supreme God of Heaven.

This is a different deity from the Jade Emperor in the Taoist system.

The Jade Emperor is the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanqiong High God, one of the Four Emperors of Taoism, and not even one of the Five Gods of the Directions.

The Supreme God of Heaven was the supreme deity worshipped in ancient times, while the Jade Emperor was a Taoist deity.

The two are fundamentally different in origin and attributes.

The common people might get confused, but the imperial court, which held the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, would not.

Throughout history, the emperors and dynastics offered sacrifices to Heaven, specifically to the Supreme God of Heaven, also known as the God of Heaven.

Upon hearing this, Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan were dumbfounded.

what is this?
This completely undermines the foundation!

We worship the Supreme God of Heaven, while your grandfather, Huohua, is a foreign deity. We're not even from the same lineage; we're from completely different families.

Feng Yunshan sighed inwardly; now he understood.

During the time I was away from Guangxi, the God Worshipping Society was completely eradicated!

His mind raced as he considered possible solutions.

Unexpectedly, Hong Xiuquan, who was beside him, suddenly screamed.

"How dare you! Disrespect God the Father!"

Lin Dao, his brows furrowed, picked up the Taser on the table and pulled the trigger at Hong Xiuquan, who was about to continue his performance.

Two darts with trailing wires flew out with a whoosh and struck Hong Xiuquan squarely in the chest.

'Zzzzz~'

"Woo woo woo~"

'Shake shake shake~'

Hong Xiuquan, trembling all over, rolled his eyes, his hands like chicken claws, unable to control his spitting fire, and fell sideways to the ground.

Lin Dao gestured for Shi Dakai to step forward and help him up.

"Well, has your Heavenly Father departed?"

Having finally recovered, Hong Xiuquan was like a reincarnation.

His body trembled, and his eyes were empty and lifeless.

"Who am I?"

Where am I?

"What's wrong with me?"

(End of this chapter)