Pre-Qin Mythology: Starting with the River God

The water, shrouded in mist, supported the bamboo-awning wooden boat, which remained calm amidst the clamor of sacrificial music, seemingly isolated from the world, like the only peaceful place in a chaotic world.

Only faintly could one see Quan Ming's figure on the boat.

And the spirits and clay figurines carried by the waves.

...As Qu Wan finished reciting his blessing, the soldiers carried an exquisite bronze chariot, about the size of a palm, to the water's edge. Qu Wan placed the royal decree into the bronze chariot and then threw it into the water.

Along with it, there is also an exquisite terracotta figurine and two bronze horse-shaped sculptures.

And numerous officials stepped forward, continuously scattering herbs and flowers into the water…

These are the offerings for this ritual!

boom!

Above the Dao Heaven, as the offerings were poured into the water, a golden light struck down, hitting the bronze chariot. As it was cleansed by the Dao Heaven, the chariot expanded continuously, and the bronze horse statue transformed into the blue horses pulling the chariot. The terracotta figurine also transformed into a young man, serving as a servant and driving the chariot...

call!

Vanilla and flowers fluttered in the air, adorning the covered wagon.

In an instant, the wheels of the covered wagons, laden with herbs and flowers, rolled up from the water, carried by the wind, and came to the bamboo-awning boats.

All that's left is for Quan Ming to board the covered wagon, inspect the waters, and then complete the sacrificial ceremony.

……

"Welcome, Immortal Quan!"

Qu Wan bowed first, inviting Quan Ming to attend.

General Dou Lian led the Chu soldiers, who, wielding long spears, roared and greeted Quan Ming.

The Chu officials and ritual officers dared not be negligent...

Among them, the loudest shouts always came from those in power. At this moment, the people in power seemed to have become members of the Chu region. They were no longer reserved when participating in the Chu region's sacrifices, and their eyes were fixed on Quan Ming, hoping for his attendance.

Quan Ming's gaze swept over each of the sounds.

His gaze paused slightly on the sincere faces of the powerful, a hint of satisfaction and pity flashing in his eyes. His voice was soft, barely audible to the spirits and clay figurines beside him.

"All nations are large, but the nations of this world are the nations of nobles."

"Therefore, the small family is their great nation. Who would want war if they could live a peaceful life?"

Having said that, Quan Ming leaped from the bamboo-covered boat, stepped on the water, and flew into the covered wagon. Sitting in the spacious wagon, he ordered, "Inspect the Zhishui River. Today, I will pacify the Zhishui Corpse Domain and restore peace to the Chu region."

"hiss!"

The blue horse neighed and, led by its servants, flew into the air, soaring above the water.

hum!

Beneath the Zhi River, in that realm of corpses where black mist and golden light intertwined, Quan Ming's remains suddenly rose. He had received his own command and began to continuously absorb the black mist and golden light that brought unease and waves to the Zhi River and hindered shipping...

The black aura is the corpse aura of powerful men and soldiers!

The golden light is the legacy of the Quan Kingdom!

These two things were untouchable by the immortals and gods of Chu, but they posed no threat to Quan Ming, who was born into a powerful family. Moreover, Quan Ming used his own corpse as the vessel for suppression. At this moment, the black energy and golden light were extremely obedient and visibly merged into the corpse.

On the corpse...

The black mist transformed into jet-black armor, granting it an indestructible power.

Golden light transforms into dazzling patterns, chronicling the history of the people to this day.

Upon seeing this, Quan Ming did not hesitate. He threw out the green halberd he had obtained from the bronze mural in the forbidden area of ​​the Quan people. This sacrificial weapon from the Quan people now fell into the hands of the headless corpse wearing black mist and gold patterned armor, just like the ancient war god Xing Tian... obeying his command and guarding Zhishui!

hum...

The once turbulent Zhishui River has calmed down at this moment.

"call."

On the altar, Qu Wan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, because Zhishui was extremely important. For the State of Chu, it could do without Quanshui, but it absolutely could not do without Zhishui.

The Zhishui River has two upstreams, one of which is the Quanshui River, which we will not discuss for now.

Another point is the Zhang River. The Zhang River has always been the border between the State of Chu and the State of Quan, and it is controlled by the State of Chu. At the same time, the end of the Zhang River is the eastern part of the Jing Mountains, and not far away is Jingmen. Jingmen is the gateway to the State of Chu, with a large number of armored soldiers stationed there, and the amount of supplies needed is astronomical...

Apart from land routes, most of the transportation of goods relies on waterways.

Among the waterways, the Zhishui-Zhangshui route is the main one. Therefore, the Zhishui is important because it is the key to connecting the waterways of Jingmen. Whether it is transportation, reinforcement, or troop deployment, it is indispensable.

If it weren't for the corpse energy and the fortune of the Quan Kingdom, which the immortals and gods of Chu couldn't suppress, there would have been no way Quan Ming could have taken control.

Of course, if Quan Ming harbors rebellious intentions...

Qu Wan did not continue thinking about it.

He stepped forward, ready to greet Quan Ming as he disembarked from the car after the parade, so they could discuss the autumn harvest together.

However, Quan Ming showed no intention of getting out of the car.

Instead, it flew towards the direction of Quan.

Then he shouted loudly—

"I am the Water Immortal of Quandi in the State of Chu. Today, I have been bestowed by the Heaven of Chu and feel a sense of responsibility as a deity. Therefore, I have placed the name of the ancestors of the Quandi people in the city gates, river channels, mountains, forests, and lakes, using the earth as a mold and the fortune of the Quandi people as a medium."

"Those who have the power to kowtow and offer sacrifices will receive blessings from the people of Chu!"

"May the land prosper, its inhabitants live in peace and stability, and be free from calamity!"

hum...

Will of Chudi-6400

Sixty-four clay sculptures descended upon the enclosed land in all directions, amidst mountains, forests, lakes, and marshes, following Quan Ming's will. Some were as tall as three zhang (approximately 10 meters), while others were as small as a square inch. Each sculpture was centered around one hundred strands of Chu land will, condensing a wisp of Daoist rhyme. This wisp of Daoist rhyme carried Quan Ming's intentions.

This is a common method used by the gods and immortals of Chu – to erect statues to subdue the will of Chu from the hearts of the Chu people who worship them!

Therefore, the gods and immortals have long derived the will of the Chu region from the needs of the people, flowing continuously like a stream.

However, Quan Ming set a rule that none of the immortals and gods of Chu had.

—Those who kowtow and offer sacrifices will receive blessings—

It's hard to imagine how much of the Chu people's will this cause Quan Ming to lose over time.

Can……

Quan Ming isn't here to live a carefree life like an immortal.

Moreover, in the chaotic Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there was no such thing as true leisure.

Looking at later generations, let alone sacrifices, how many people still remember the immortals and gods of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, can name them, or know their divine roles? Is it even necessary to have them?

—Gods and immortals endure because they depend on the needs of humankind—

—Gods and immortals perished because they were no longer needed by the world—

Quan Ming understood that at this moment, he absolutely could not only look at the immediate benefits and compromise his principles.

Only by cherishing this moment can we look forward to a brighter future.

Ultimately, it's because Quan Ming doesn't think much of it... He hasn't even realized his political ambitions yet, so why would he care about such petty gains?

Of course, what he considered a pittance was astonishing to the world!

It wasn't that no spirits or monsters were present at this sacrificial ceremony.

As spirits, they understood best the value of the will of Chu.

It can be said that they longed for it but could not obtain it... Otherwise, if Quan Ming had used the will of Chu as his salary, these spirits would not have all come.

This is the will of the Chu region, numbering six thousand four hundred!

Based on the salary Quan Ming had given them, and the cost of one Chu land will every five days, these spirits would have to work for over 1200 years. If they didn't devour humans and relied solely on condensing their power, it would take an unknown amount of time...

Although they were envious, no one dared to cause trouble at this time.

The immortals and gods have absolute power to suppress the local spirits and monsters, and they certainly don't want to die and perish at this moment!

……

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