From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

The sun shines high, and the green mountains are bright and clear.

At the foot of the mountain, mule carts carrying timber entered the forest farm.

The man driving the cart spoke up at the opportune moment:

"Young Master Jiang, wake up, wake up."

"Oh? Have we arrived?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang She groggily opened his eyes.

He traveled with the laborers arranged by He Dayong, and he didn't even need to drive the mule cart himself. So he sat comfortably, closed his eyes, and took a short nap.

Now, open your eyelids and look around.

The forest farm covered a vast area, with a wooden gate at the entrance. The gateposts were deeply driven into the ground, about ten feet high.

Upon entering, there is a rammed earth road.

Newly felled logs were piled up by the roadside, some as thick as a person could hug, of varying lengths, with bright yellow cross-sections and a fragrant pine resin scent.

"Roll, roll, roll..."

The wheel hubs creaked and groaned as they rolled over the grassy, ​​muddy road, leaving deep ruts.

They soon arrived at the warehouse.

Upon seeing the carriage arrive, an old accountant wearing a square scarf on his head and an indigo-blue straight-cut robe hurriedly came forward to greet it.

He squinted, bowed to everyone as a greeting, and after the mule cart came to a stop, several laborers immediately untied the ropes, carried the timber on their shoulders and in their hands, and moved it into the warehouse.

Jiang She wanted to help, but the laborers refused no matter what.

Left with no other choice, Jiang She had to become an idle person.

He stood by the warehouse door, hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

In the distance, verdant mountains rise and fall in layers, like a faint ink stroke outlined on the horizon.

The mountainside is covered with lush trees, and a corner of the eaves can be vaguely seen, hidden among the verdant foliage.

That is the legendary Jade Mountain God Temple.

Jiang She gazed at it leisurely.

"Young Master Jiang".

"Um?"

"Do you intend to go to that mountain god temple to burn incense?"

The laborer, nicknamed Old Black, was carrying two pine logs when he saw Jiang She gazing at the mountain scenery and grinned.

Jiang She blinked but didn't say anything.

The burly man unloaded the timber, dusted off the sawdust from his hands, and turned his head away with a smile:

"If you wish to go, sir, please do so. It will take quite some time to unload all this timber. By the time you return from your prayers, we should be almost done as well."

Upon hearing this, Jiang She bowed respectfully.

"Then I'll have to trouble you all."

The burly man waved his hand and smiled憨厚ly: "Young master, you are too kind. The mountain road is steep, please be careful."

Jiang She nodded in agreement and then turned and headed up the mountain.

After leaving the forest farm, we headed towards the mountain. After walking for about half a cup of tea's time, we came to see a blue stone mountain path.

This mountain path was spontaneously built by herb gatherers and woodcutters during the previous dynasty. It is paved with bluestone, the stone steps are mottled, and moss grows in the gaps, making it slippery to the touch.

Trees line both sides of the stone steps, their branches stretching out in a dark green expanse that extends up the steps. The lush leaves have remained untrimmed for years, and even sunlight can only penetrate with difficulty, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the stone steps.

Jiang She looked up and glanced at it.

He then lightly lifted his robe and climbed the steps.

The stone steps only extend halfway up the mountain before abruptly ending. Further up, there are no more stone steps, only a narrow, winding path trodden by human feet, disappearing into the deep forest and wild grass.

That road wasn't originally a road, but as more and more people walked on it, it was trampled into a mountain path.

"Rustling..."

The grass rustled softly at the edge of the shoe.

Jiang She adjusted his robes and stepped onto the narrow path.

After walking a few steps, the sky suddenly darkened.

A strong earthy smell filled the air, mixed with the damp scent of grass and roots being turned over.

It's going to rain.

Jiang She looked up at the sky, and before he could finish speaking, a drop of icy water splashed onto his forehead.

Then, one drop, two drops, three drops...

"Splash—!"

The rain came suddenly, without any warning.

In an instant, large raindrops, like a broken string of beads, pelted down, causing the branches and leaves in the forest to tremble and the grass to bend low.

Everywhere you look, water vapor rises, and everything is a vast expanse of white.

Jiang She walked quickly for a few steps and came to the foot of an old pine tree.

The pine tree had a canopy like a canopy, with layers upon layers of branches and leaves, so dense and overlapping that it blocked most of the rainwater, leaving only a few fine strands of water to trickle down from between the leaves.

Jiang She stood under the tree, waiting quietly for the rain to stop.

But the rain didn't stop; instead, it got heavier and heavier.

In a short while, the white rain fell to the ground and turned into mist.

"Tap tap tap—"

Footsteps sounded behind me, the steps were slightly heavy.

Jiang She seemed to have sensed this beforehand, and moved aside to let the woodcutter who was on his way pass first.

The woodcutter was an old man, carrying a heavy basket of firewood on his back, which bent his back and made his figure appear even more hunched. He wore a straw hat, and rain kept dripping from the brim of the hat.

Upon seeing a stranger, he walked ahead, his face covered by the rain, and asked:

"It's raining so hard, sir. If you don't mind, why don't you come with us to take shelter? There's a temple up ahead. If you keep getting soaked like this, even if you're young and strong, you'll catch a cold!"

Jiang She glanced at the straw raincoat on the woodcutter's back, beneath which was a back bent under the weight of bundles of firewood.

He raised his hand in a gesture of respect and said, "Very well."

The old woodcutter wiped the rain off his face and walked one after the other with the young man.

"Is the young master here to pray for blessings?"

"Oh? How did you know, sir?"

"Alas! Lately, many strangers have been heading into the mountains. Nine out of ten of them are going to the mountain god's temple to pray for blessings."

Jiang She asked curiously, "Is this mountain god temple effective for prayers?"

The old woodcutter shook his head: "How would I know about this old man? But... I do trust him."

"Oh?"

Jiang She became interested: "What do you mean by that?"

The old woodcutter's eyes flickered slightly, and a look of reminiscence appeared in them: "Young man, you don't know this, but a few months ago, on this same mountain path, I was returning home from gathering firewood when I was bitten by a five-step snake halfway there."

As he spoke, he pointed to his right leg:

"The snake's fangs were vicious. After one bite, the old man's calf immediately swelled up and turned a dark purple. The old man collapsed to the ground, thinking that he was about to die. He was terrified, but at that moment... the mountain god's messenger saved him!"

"From that time on, I believed it."

"I see."

Jiang She nodded slightly after hearing this.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly asked again:

"If that's the case, then old man... do you believe in the mountain god temple? Or the mountain god's messenger?"

"..."

The old woodcutter was taken aback upon hearing this.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time.

The wrinkled old face under the brim of the hat now showed a hint of bewilderment and embarrassment.

Yes.

What do I believe in... a person? Or a temple?

If you believe in temples, those temples have been dilapidated for many years, their incense has long since died out, and their clay statues are covered in dust. What kind of place could they possibly be efficacious?

But if you trust someone...

Could that person be impersonating a messenger of the mountain god?

"this......."

The old woodcutter opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and then stammered:

"This...this..."

"I, an old man, naturally believe in the messenger of the mountain god."

"After all... he saved my life, but I've seen the mountain god's messenger that's been circulating in the streets recently. His figure and demeanor are very different from the one who saved me. He really doesn't look like him."

Jiang She chuckled upon hearing this:

"Then what constitutes a similarity?"

"...One should always be like my husband."

The old woodcutter glanced at Jiang She.

The rain was misty and the air was thick with moisture.

The young man before him bore a striking resemblance to the mountain god's messenger who had rescued him that night.

But how could it be such a coincidence?

It can't be that much of a coincidence.

"well...."

The old woodcutter shook his head and sighed heavily: "Alas, how would we know about the affairs of the gods?"

"All we know is that there are many mountain products that can be picked up and sold for money in these mountains."

As the old woodcutter spoke, he took a few deep breaths; he had been walking too long on the mountain path in the rain and was feeling weak.

Upon seeing this, Jiang She slightly raised his hand.

"Let me lend you a hand."

As he spoke, he placed his hand on the old woodcutter's back.

"Alas!"

The old woodcutter was startled: "Young master, you look refined, but you are quite strong. With your help, I feel much lighter, as if I don't have any firewood on my back."

Jiang She smiled but didn't say anything.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The raindrops falling from the brim of the hat gradually shrank, as if someone were holding an umbrella behind them.

"Young master, you brought an umbrella, why didn't you use it earlier?" The old woodcutter was surprised. He had noticed that Jiang She didn't have any rain gear, so he came to ask him if he needed to take shelter from the rain together.

But since he's shielding himself from the rain, he's clearly brought rain gear.

It's strange that I brought rain gear but didn't use an umbrella.

The old woodcutter thought for a moment, then remained silent.

The two continued walking towards the mountain temple, one in front of the other.

But as the old woodcutter walked on, he suddenly felt something was strange.

Just how big is this young man's umbrella?

The wind, carrying rain, rushed towards his face from the front. He merely opened his umbrella slightly to shield himself from the rain, but somehow it seemed as if the umbrella was blocking his face, and no raindrops were falling.

"My lord, your umbrella..."

The old woodcutter felt something was amiss, and just as he was about to speak, he heard Jiang She laugh:

"We're here. Oh? The door's open, and there's someone inside."

Ok?

The old woodcutter was stunned.

This...this is it?

Just now we were clearly still in the forest. According to the usual pace, even on a sunny day, it would take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to walk there.

Why today...?

But it seemed like they had only walked a little over a hundred steps?

Could it be that the rain is so heavy that it has made this old man forget how far the journey is?

"Squeak—!"

The door hinges turned with a dry, rattling sound.

While the old woodcutter was still pondering, Jiang She had already gently pushed open the half-closed temple door.

Immediately, the scene inside the temple came into view.

The temple is small, with only one courtyard.

The main hall door was half open, revealing a slender figure standing gracefully.

It was none other than Qiao'er.

She was holding a slightly damp rag in her hand, with a wooden bucket and broom beside her, clearly sweeping inside the hall.

Upon seeing someone approaching, she hurriedly turned around, revealing a pretty and bright face.

"Young Master Jiang? What brings you to this mountain god temple? Could it be... that Miss has given you some task again?"

She tilted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Before Jiang She could answer, the old woodcutter beside him was stunned.

hiss....

This little girl... is so beautiful!

With her curved eyebrows, red lips and white teeth, and two shallow dimples on her cheeks when she smiled, what's even more remarkable is the fresh and charming aura she exudes, like a wildflower in the mountains covered in morning dew, delicate and tender.

He had lived most of his life in villages and mountains, and had never seen such a beautiful and noble woman.

This beautiful woman was actually just a maid!

The old woodcutter could hardly imagine just how stunningly beautiful the woman served by this maid must be.

Qiao'er also noticed the old woodcutter, her gaze shifting to the bundle of firewood he was carrying:

"Who is this...?"

"Oh, we met by chance on the road and came to the temple together to take shelter from the rain." Jiang She spoke the truth without any intention of hiding anything.

As for the reason why Qiao'er appeared here, Jiang She was also well aware of it.

Several months ago, he spoke kindly to Xu Qingyue, who was deeply grateful for the mountain god's rescue. After returning to the capital, she ordered her servants to come every day to clean the old temple, and to provide fresh fruit and incense.

Seeing that the two had come to seek shelter from the rain, Qiao'er didn't say much, but simply stepped aside to make way for them.

"It's raining heavily and cold; let's quickly go inside the palace to take shelter."

Jiang She nodded slightly and stepped into the hall first.

The old woodcutter hesitated for a moment, then followed him in, carrying his bundle of firewood.

The interior of the hall appeared even more dilapidated than the exterior.

The clay sculpture of the mountain god is broken and cracked, with its head on its neck shaped crookedly, revealing the yellow clay inside.

The table was kept spotless.

In the center was a plate of fresh fruit, still glistening with dewdrops, its red and green hues vibrant and bright. Beside the fruit plate was a white porcelain vase, inside which were a few half-open wild camellia buds, their petals glistening with rain and exuding a subtle fragrance. There was also a small bronze incense burner, its interior filled with freshly burned incense ash, and a faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air.

Clearly, Qiao'er had just arranged all of this.

"Girl...you are so kind-hearted."

The old woodcutter looked at the neat and tidy scene and felt a sense of emotion.

Qiao'er was wiping the window frame with a rag when she heard this, she turned around and smiled:

"You flatter me, sir. It is my young lady who is kind."

My young lady often says, "A drop of water in need should be repaid with a spring of water; one should always remember the kindness received."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the bundle of firewood on the old woodcutter's back:

"Old man, why don't you unload this firewood and rest for a while? If you get cold from the rain, you can also light a fire."

The old woodcutter thanked him repeatedly and carefully piled the bundle of firewood aside. But he was absolutely reluctant to burn the firewood that he relied on for his livelihood to keep warm.

Qiao'er saw that he was huddled up, his lips were trembling from the cold, but he was still guarding the bundle of firewood without moving, and she immediately understood.

She smiled, took a few loose silver coins from her purse, held them in her palm, and offered them to the old woodcutter.

"Old man, don't be sad about the firewood. Consider this money as my payment."

"Quickly light a fire and warm yourself."

Upon hearing this, the old woodcutter slightly opened his cloudy old eyes and waved his hands repeatedly:

"No! No!"

"I appreciate your kindness, young lady, but I absolutely cannot accept this money."

Qiao'er insisted on putting the silver into the old man's palm:

"Please don't refuse, sir."

"Look at this rain, it's unlikely to stop anytime soon. If you catch a cold, wouldn't that be a case of losing more than you gain? Consider this firewood as a way for my young lady to accumulate good fortune, so please accept it."

The old woodcutter held the few pieces of silver, still warm from the girl's body, in his palm, his fingertips trembling slightly.

In all his years, he had never seen such a kind-hearted and generous woman.

In his heart, perhaps only the mountain god messenger who saved him could compare to him.

"Well... then the old man will shamelessly accept it."

The old woodcutter's throat bobbed, and his voice became somewhat choked.

Having said that, he no longer hesitated and turned to untie the ropes binding the bundle of firewood.

"Clatter".

The knot is untied.

The old woodcutter bent down and pulled out a few short pine branches from the bottom of the bundle of firewood.

Those few branches, because they were at the bottom of the bundle of firewood and were covered by a raincoat, only had a slight dampness on them and were not wet by the rain.

He brought the stick close to his nose, sniffed it, and rubbed the bark between his rough fingers to make sure it could still be lit. Only then did he feel relieved and took out the tinderbox to light the firewood.

"Sizzle, sizzle..."

The firewood crackled and sparked.

Before long, flames began to rise, leaping out in orange-red light.

The old woodcutter added a few more thicker pieces of firewood, and the flames grew stronger, dispelling the surrounding chill and dampness.

The three sat around the fire.

The firelight illuminated people's faces, and warmth seeped into their skin, making them feel relaxed and comfortable.

"It's finally warmer..."

The old woodcutter rubbed his hands together, let out a long sigh, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out a bit in the firelight.

Qiao'er also reached out her hand and approached the flame, her fingertips glowing red in the light.

She turned her head to look at Jiang She and smiled:

"Young Master Jiang, the weather in these mountains is so unpredictable. Just a moment ago it was pouring rain, but now... it seems it's going to stop."

Jiang She raised his eyes and looked outside the hall.

Sure enough, the deafening sound of the rain gradually weakened, turning from a torrential downpour into a gentle drizzle.

After a while, even the light rain stopped.

Sunlight began to filter through the clouds again, and although it was not very bright, it had dispelled the previous gloom.

The light inside the hall also brightened up.

Seeing this, the old woodcutter got up, walked to the door, and peered out.

The mountains were shrouded in mist, the forests were washed clean, and glistening water droplets clung to the leaves, shimmering like stars in the dim light. The air was fresh and moist, carrying the unique fragrance of grass and trees after the rain.

"The rain has stopped."

He smiled, put down the firewood he had picked up, took a tinderbox from his bag, and placed three sticks of incense on the altar to thank the mountain god for sheltering him for a while.

"I'll offer incense as well."

Jiang She admitted that he borrowed three sticks of incense from Qiao'er.

He then bowed with his hands clasped in respect to the broken and crooked mountain god statue with its head pinched crookedly on its neck.

The old woodcutter was preparing to hand over the signal.

But then a red light appeared on the tip of the incense stick, and wisps of smoke drifted along the cracked statue, into its mouth and nose.

After offering incense, Jiang She bid farewell to the others.

Outside the mountain temple, the clouds parted and the sun shone through the gaps in the clouds, casting beams of light through the forest. The grass and trees at your feet drooped low, covered with water droplets, and birds perched in the woods, pecking at their rain-soaked feathers with their beaks.

After Jiang She left, the old woodcutter began to gather the bundles of firewood on the ground.

He rummaged through the bundles of firewood, intending to sort out the firewood inside so that he could dry it and sell it again later.

But when he reached out to touch it, his fingertips suddenly stopped.

But there were neatly stacked and tightly packed pine branches and cedar firewood, with clear grain and bright color on the surface of the wood. Not only was there no water stain or wetness, but there wasn't even a trace of raindrops!

It was as if the torrential rain that had just fallen on it had never touched it at all...

"Thump!"

With a muffled thud, the bundle of firewood hit the ground.

The old woodcutter was stunned.

Qiao'er went to see what was going on when she heard the news.

After they learned the details, they were all speechless with astonishment.

The two men stared at each other, bewildered by the tattered bundle of firewood.

But no one noticed that the incense sticks on the altar suddenly burned very quickly, and the cracks on the mountain god statue were rapidly sewn up as the incense sticks burned shorter.