Pre-Qin Mythology: Starting with the River God

Among the states east of the Han River, Sui was the largest. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, Sui was the largest vassal state surrounding Jingchu. Chu bowed down to it. In fact, many of Chu's systems and cultures were learned from Sui. Sui was the founder of the vassal order between the Han River and the Yangtze River.

Even though the country's power has weakened somewhat at this time, it can still be called a major power in the region.

It was equivalent to the Nan Shen Kingdom in the Han River Basin.

It is much stronger than Yongguo.

The State of Zheng also dared not underestimate them.

The State of Sui was located to the north of the State of Chu, separated only by the Han River. If the State of Chu were to expand northward, whether it entered the Han River Basin from the northwest or entered smaller states like the State of Qian from the northeast, it would be impossible to avoid them, and a life-or-death battle with Chu was inevitable!

—Planning ahead and laying hidden traps—

After some thought, Quan Ming began to use the spiritual power he had gained from the sacrifice, just as he would when his willpower was being expended, to mobilize the authority of his ancestral god and use the [Vessel Returning to the Eldest Brother] to bless Zi Shu.

In his eyes, there were signs of the passing years.

Those are the various destinies that Zishu might encounter when she goes to the State of Sui, depending on her choices.

Born!

dead!

兴！

decline!

Quan Ming could only see one side of the story, so he tried his best to avoid a dead end.

Boom!

The peek into destiny has ended...

With a soft sound, the blessing descended.

Quan Ming made careful arrangements, this blessing would only benefit Zi Shu's body for the time being... Zi Shu is only fifteen years old at the moment, not yet the right time to get pregnant, and the Crown Prince of Sui is still just a Crown Prince, and the Song Kingdom's princess is probably jealous, so getting pregnant at this time would not be beneficial to Zi Shu... So it would be better to benefit Zi Shu herself first.

As for the remaining blessings, they will be temporarily sealed away and used to resolve calamities when they occur.

—The lingering influence of merchants, carried by a black bird—

Boom!

Despite being worlds apart, Quan Ming, through the divine position of the Song Kingdom, performed a sacrifice using the "Guicang" ritual, borrowing the power of heaven and earth to obtain the omen of destiny. At this moment, he descended again, carried by a black bird, to bestow Nuo masks upon future generations as a blessing!

This is the most orthodox merchant ritual...

A white fox-faced Nuo mask was attached to Zishu's face. This Nuo mask carried the blessings of this sacrificial ceremony and was connected with the fortune of the Wu clan. It could protect Zishu on her journey to the Sui Kingdom.

As long as it is not suppressed by the luck of others, this Nuo mask can protect Zishu, and even if there is a disaster, she will be safe and sound!

"Nuomian?"

The Wu clan chief was stunned, but soon overjoyed.

Their clan rarely receives blessings like the Nuo mask anymore, so they never expected Quan Ming to be so generous. This must have consumed a lot of spiritual energy!

Of course, the clan leader was unaware that this was due to the amplification effect of the Cloud Register.

Quan Ming did not explain, but simply issued an imperial decree.

The tortoise shell used for divination in the fire pit crackled, reminding the Wu clan chief to continue the sacrifice.

The clan chief of Wu also came to his senses, and he hurriedly bowed, saying, "We beg our ancestral spirits to bestow a name upon our daughter for her coming-of-age ceremony!"

A man reaches adulthood at twenty!

He could serve in an official position...

A girl reaches the age of fifteen when she comes of age to wear a hairpin!

Marriageable...

Quan Ming gazed at Zi Shu's beautiful face. He initially wanted to choose the character "Wen" as her given name, but upon seeing her resolute brows, he paused slightly and changed it to "Zhao." He offered this woman from the Wu clan some blessings, hoping that even if she could not compare to Wu Zetian of later generations and become the ruler of a country, she would still have enough confidence to survive in the Sui Kingdom.

……

……

With the matter of the Wu clan of Song temporarily settled, Quan Ming also received a divine decree regarding the spiritual object, the branch, that had resonated with him. He instructed Zi Shu to take it to the Sui state and, when he had further instructions, to have her servants throw it into the Han River so that he could retrieve it.

There were no further instructions.

We're just waiting for the wedding date.

……

His divine sense returned to the Zhaoshui Corpse Domain. The black snake egg in front of Quan Ming was showing signs of breaking open and regenerating. Seeing this, he exhaled lightly, and the surrounding black mist and golden patterns surged in to assist him. Soon, it broke open, and a pair of bull horns emerged, followed by a child's face that was both youthful and sinister. The child's eyes were as black as ink, and the corners of his mouth curled into a wicked smile... Soon after, a jet-black snake tail stretched out, supporting the naked, thin body...

"Greetings, Lord."

The child, in a hoarse voice, respectfully bowed and paid his respects to Quan Ming.

They dared not show the slightest disrespect.

Quan Ming surveyed the body he had created using the power of the [Immortal Edict] and [Enlightening Subordinates]. It had only just been born, yet it already possessed a hundred Daoist auras… He nodded in satisfaction.

His efforts in creating this were not in vain.

This body of a subordinate is sufficient to guard the Corpse Domain, and as he cultivates within it, his Daoist aura improves like that of a spirit. Given the opportunity, with his help, it might truly be possible to overthrow the Earth Lord.

The little guy was still bowing respectfully.

Quan Mingdao said, "I bestow upon you a new name: Mo Shou."

"After this, you will guard the Corpse Domain on my behalf to prevent it from affecting shipping downstream of the Zhao River... Rest assured, when it comes time to reward your merits, I will not forget you."

Quan Ming raised his hand and bestowed upon another thousand wills of Chu.

Mo Shou was pleasantly surprised and greedily inhaled the will of Chu, his gloomy expression turning into one of comfortable enjoyment.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time.

"Thank you, my lord."

Upon hearing this, Quan Ming smiled and said, "A thousand strands of Chu's will are but a small favor to you, the previous Quan Immortal. You helped me seize Luo Shui, and ten thousand strands of will are barely a reward... However, I have limited resources at the moment and cannot bestow them arbitrarily... Therefore, I will compensate you with the position of [Sacrificial Attendant]. In the future, if any people in the world offer sacrifices to me, you can serve as a sacrificial attendant... You will gain something by benefiting humanity. As for how much Chu's will you can obtain from Dao Tian, ​​that depends on yourself."

Upon hearing this, the respect in Mo Shou's eyes turned earnest.

He could barely be considered a spirit at this moment.

When spirits and monsters become sacrifices to immortals and gods, they have a direct channel to obtain the will of the Chu land and the heavens.

Of course, as a sacrificial attendant, everything he does must be based on Quan Ming's will, and he cannot act on his own. Otherwise, not only will the will of Chu be destroyed, but his soul will also be reduced to ashes.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Your subordinates will act in accordance with Your Majesty's divine power and prestige, and will not dare to betray Your Majesty's trust."

Mo Shou was very pragmatic.

Based on all that had happened before, Mo Shou, in his capacity as the soul of a giant python, possessed Luo Shui Shui Xian and then handed over power to Quan Ming without any resistance. Furthermore, Quan Ren Dao Tian controlled Mo Shou's vital point, so Quan Ming had already accepted him and could trust him.

At this moment, Mo Shou was accompanying him in the sacrifice, which meant he was considered one of his ministers.

Quan Ming said, "I have confidence in you. Therefore, you shall remain in the Corpse Domain and quietly guard it."

"promise!"

Quan Ming summoned the bronze canopy carriage.

Mo Shou was very perceptive and immediately dragged the snake's tail forward, using his lotus-root forearms to help Quan Ming into the car. Quan Ming chuckled, but didn't find it strange.

He patted Mo Shou's head and got into his car and left.

Along the way, the Zhao River flows gently, its surface shimmering with spring colors. Thousands of birds dance among the lush reeds, while willows sway gently, casting dappled sunlight against the ever-approaching green hills and rocks...

The covered wagon traveled amidst the clouds and mist on the water.

His form was invisible to the outside world.

But Quan Ming could see women and girls in small boats picking water celery on the riverbank.

Quan Ming was satisfied with the result.

Since Quanren resisted Yongjun at Quanshui Pass, the King of Chu had tacitly approved the strategy of using Quanming to control Quanren. As a result, the people of Zhaoxian were less wary of Quanren. At least, they would not deploy 5,000 Chu soldiers in Zhaoxian to guard it closely. Quanren's behavior was under surveillance, and he could not even leave the city.

Nowadays, most of the Chu soldiers in Zhao County are the personal guards of the county magistrate, responsible for managing some key locations.

As for the people of Quanren, they truly regarded them as citizens of Zhaodi and no longer guarded against them.

They didn't need to report to leave the city; they only needed to abide by the curfew in Zhao County... That's why these women could be seen going out to enjoy spring.

……

"Lord Zhaoyang!"

As they approached the Water Palace, they suddenly heard familiar voices.

Quan Ming looked over and saw that it was General Dou Lian... Why was there a group of armored soldiers escorting the carriages and supplies behind him?