Shulong Daojun

Qingwu City.

Legend has it that a branch of a paulownia tree once flew from the sky to this place, took root, and suddenly transformed into lush greenery covering the entire mountain.

The ancient parasol tree is spiritually connected, with its branches and trunks verdant and capable of sensing the earth's veins, thus protecting the region.

Later, Zuwu was granted a divine gift, transformed into human form, and transcended the heavenly tribulation.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the project failed at the last minute.

Its spirit transformed into the mountains and rivers, while its physical body remained in the world to protect humanity.

The name Zuwu still exists, so the city was named "Qingwu".

On this day, the people of the city went about their business as usual.

Scholars listened to storytelling and watched plays in the marketplace, farmers were busy farming in the fields, craftsmen created things, and merchants traded goods; everyone had their own business, and the flow of people was endless.

Suddenly, a clear, sharp cry fell from the sky, echoing in all directions.

The sky suddenly darkened, a fierce wind arose, and a huge black shadow appeared on the ground, looming over them before rushing away into the distance.

Looking up, I saw a Taoist priest riding a dragon.

The Taoist priest stood atop the dragon's head, overlooking Qingwu City. With a slight raise of his hand, divine light soared into the sky, and he proclaimed in a loud voice:

"The righteous god of Qingwu City, with his divine favor and jade tablet, arrives at his post—"

As the voice faded, the Taoist and the Azure Dragon disappeared, and the city's flowers bloomed in time, filling the city with fragrance.

The people in the city were astonished and uncertain upon seeing the strange phenomenon. They then knelt down and chanted the names "Lin Shu" and "Qing Min".

Lin Shu did not linger. He noticed that Qing Min's body suddenly shrank, and his mind sharpened. He immediately instructed Qing Min to use the wind to slowly descend to a certain place.

It was the main temple of Qingwu City.

Upon arriving at the temple, before he could even dismount, he saw three righteous gods dressed in divine robes and wearing divine crowns standing below the steps, with a group of earth gods in blue robes behind them.

Lin Shu did not hesitate. He leaped down from the dragon's head, straightened his clothes, and stood up. Then he nodded slightly to the gods.

At this moment, Qingmin also shrank back to its original position and coiled around his shoulder.

The gods were terrified and immediately bowed in respect: "Welcome to the new righteous god of Qingwu City."

Lin Shu nodded and smiled, "Gods, no need for formalities. We will be working together in the future, so there's no need to be so reserved."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to the three leading gods, paused slightly, and his smile deepened.

At the Kunyuan Dharma Assembly, all the righteous gods had already reported their merits and demerits, and he was naturally well aware of the despicable acts of the three people in front of him.

However, the offenses were all minor and he had already been punished. His divine position remained, so there was no need to pursue the matter further.

However, it is still necessary to give them a warning.

Thinking of this, Lin Shu's heart stirred, and he slightly unleashed his divine power, enveloping the three of them, and said with a faint smile:

"I will not pursue the past any further."

"I hope that the three of you will each fulfill your duties in the future and work together with me to govern Qingwu City, lest you bring trouble upon yourselves."

The three gods were startled and quickly bowed, saying, "We will obey your decree and are willing to serve the righteous gods."

Upon seeing this, Lin Shu nodded slightly, withdrew his divine power, and then turned to examine the main temple in front of him.

Blue stone steps lead to a vermilion gate.

With a slight glance upwards, one can see a plaque hanging above the main hall, bearing the five characters "Xianyou Zhengshen Temple".

Inside the inner hall, in the center, stands a statue of a deity. The vegetation has been rendered in its likeness, though it is not his true appearance, it already bears a resemblance to him.

Lin Shu did not linger for long. He looked at the gods and said calmly, "Please come into the hall for a discussion."

With that, he flicked his sleeves and walked toward the back hall.

The three county gods exchanged a bitter look, sighed, and followed in unison.

The group of land deities in blue robes remained silent and followed closely behind.

Upon reaching the rear hall, Lin Shu saw a table in the center, with a pedestal in the shape of a paulownia tree and cloud patterns in front, and secondary seats on either side, clearly the place where people would sit during discussions.

Without hesitation, he walked straight to the throne and sat down, saying softly, "Please sit down, everyone."

The three county gods dared not be negligent and took their seats in the secondary seats according to their seniority, while the other local deities stood with their hands at their sides.

At this moment, Lin Shu glanced around and said calmly, "I have something to discuss with you."

My Dharma-connected Azure Dragon is an Eastern Wood-element Azure Dragon, who has entered the orthodox Taoist school and is protected by the Taiyi lineage.

I intend to recommend it as part of my territory. What do you all think?

Without waiting for the gods' reaction, he smiled gently and said, "If you have any objections, feel free to speak them. Don't say you weren't warned."

Having said that, Lin Shu gently lowered his finger, and the green jade slip swam down from his shoulder and landed on the desk.

It looked at the surrounding gods, a cunning glint in its dragon eyes, and its body suddenly flashed with azure light, growing to a size of ten feet, its imposing aura heavy.

It immediately lowered its dragon head and slowly descended towards a county god on the secondary seat.

The man had white hair, lowered his eyes and remained silent, appearing calm and composed.

But as soon as the dragon's head fell, his body trembled violently, and he raised his head and shouted: "This humble official, Qi Yannian, has no objection!"

The divine favor bestowed by the righteous god is extraordinary, capable of governing the land of my Qingwu City. This is an auspicious omen, a very auspicious omen!

"I have long resided in Qingwu, yet I have never seen this wondrous divine dragon. Today, I am fortunate to witness it thanks to the blessings of the righteous god. This is my good fortune, and also the good fortune of Qingwu."

At this point, tears welled up in Qi Yannian's eyes.

He raised his hand, wiped it away, took a deep breath, and sighed, "This humble official has no regrets."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shu looked surprised.

What a eloquent person! Every word is pleasing to the ear and comforting to the heart.

He is indeed a veteran who has served as a righteous god for decades, but... that's a bit of an exaggeration.

However, this suited his wishes perfectly.

Lin Shu immediately waved his hand and laughed loudly, "Qi Zheng Shen is too kind. It was just a coincidence."

"Qingwu obtained the righteous god..."

He paused briefly, looked up at the gods in the hall, and continued, "It is a great blessing that you all govern this place."

"I have come here merely to join you all in governing and to contribute some merit through offerings."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Shu cupped his hands slightly in a respectful gesture.

Qi Yannian and the two county gods beside him hurriedly stood up and bowed: "We respectfully obey the decree of the Manifest God of Righteousness."

The group of people dressed in blue robes bowed and responded in unison.

After speaking, Qi Yannian looked at Lin Shu with a complicated expression.

The disciples of this Dao Yi Tai Miao Zhen Men, though frivolous, are also shrewd and worldly-wise, possessing both qualities and being thorough in all aspects.

It's amazing that someone so young can do this.

However, given this ability, it is highly likely that he will contribute to the merit of offering incense.

Thinking of this, longing appeared in his eyes, and his gaze toward Lin Shu became more submissive.

Lin Shu sat upright on the divine throne, taking in the expressions of all the gods. He knew that the matter of recommending Qing Min as the local deity was settled.

There's no time like the present, so let's get this done today.

With a flick of his sleeve, he addressed Qi Yannian and the others, saying, "The auspicious day has arrived. I will immediately recommend my kinsman Qingmin as the local deity of Qingwu City. I ask you all to bear witness."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Shu casually picked up the memorial from the official desk, picked up his brush and ink, and wrote Qing Min's name.

He then strode to the altar of Heaven and Earth, burned incense, and offered prayers.

Seeing this, Qi Yannian and the others sighed inwardly: This man is truly decisive and efficient.

Not daring to fall behind, they all rose from their seats and followed Lin Shu.

The next instant.

Lin Shu read aloud the memorial, saying, "Lin Shu, the righteous god of Qingwu City, hereby recommends Qingmin, a disciple of the Dharma, as the local deity under his jurisdiction."

Its nature is pure and kind; it is an auspicious beast, worthy of this position.

May all the gods bear witness, and may Heaven and Earth, in their clear judgment, bestow upon him an imperial decree.

After the proclamation was completed, the letter was burned in the furnace, and a wisp of blue smoke rose straight up, passing through the roof of the palace and reaching the ears of the emperor.

In a moment, the sunlight descended and enveloped the blue jade—the position of the land was thus settled.

All the gods offered their congratulations.