I'm just an ornamental fish in the water.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Li frowned.

"Who was your family's ancestor?"

Deng Ming sighed, "She is my grandmother. After my grandfather passed away ten years ago, my grandmother was the eldest in the family. She is now over seventy years old, but she is in good spirits."

"This should have been a good thing, but a few days ago, Grandmother went out for a stroll and happened to run into the Goddess Wusheng preaching, and that's when..."

"Although we felt it was inappropriate, we couldn't go against our grandmother's wishes."

"However, my grandmother did not do anything taboo. She simply distributed some money and set aside a room in the house specifically to worship the Goddess Wusheng."

"We figured it wasn't a big deal, so we went with Grandma."

"But now..."

As the local tyrant of Wushan County, Deng Ming was certainly familiar with the so-called Goddess Wusheng.

Although I scoffed at that approach, I didn't bother to learn about it or interfere with it.

This was also the consistent style of behavior of the powerful families of this era.

Never do anything unnecessary; a cautious approach of planning before acting is fundamental.

But it's different now.

The two cultivators who came to him not only saved Deng Ming's wife and children, but also had some connection with the current emperor of the Great Wei Dynasty.

I won't do anything unnecessary, but I can't hesitate to take sides when it's time to do so.

That's why Deng Mingcai revealed all of his family's "scandals".

"Madam Deng, how long have you been worshipping the Goddess of Eternal Life?"

Jiang Li looked thoughtful and asked softly.

"About half a month."

"How much money was offered?"

"Some pearls and jade jewelry, and two or three hundred strings of cash."

Deng Ming answered quickly. He had been paying attention to these matters, but the amount was nothing to the Deng family. He just considered it a way to make his ancestor happy.

Jiang Li squinted at Deng Ming and said softly, "You should know what kind of crime it is to worship evil gods and licentious shrines."

"well……"

Deng Ming did not answer, but only sighed and stood up, saying, "I beg you two benefactors to have mercy and, considering my ancestor's advanced age and senility... let this matter rest..."

"Among the believers of the Goddess Wusheng in Wushan County, your esteemed matriarch should be among the highest-ranking."

Jiang Li also stood up and said, "Would you please lead us to pay our respects?"

Deng Ming understood the meaning behind Jiang Li's words.

Having a high position means knowing more things that others don't.

This is exactly what these two cultivators want to know.

Can he atone for his crime by performing good deeds?

Deng Ming thought to himself, then immediately nodded and said, "Please come with me."

After saying this, he gave the lady a reassuring look, and then led Jiang Li and Feng Mu out of the courtyard.

After navigating through the many turns of the Deng residence, Deng Ming led the two to a rather exquisite little courtyard.

The courtyard has only one square room, and you can faintly smell the sandalwood fragrance.

"This was originally a family temple in my village, where the City God and the Earth God of Wushan County were worshipped."

"However, she was asked to leave half a month ago, and now my grandmother lives here every day."

Deng Ming spoke softly, stepped forward, and gently knocked on the door.

"Grandmother, your grandson requests an audience."

A slightly hoarse, gentle voice came from inside the room: "Ming'er? What brings you here? Come in quietly, lest you disturb the immortals."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lixin said, "There's a deity standing right outside your door, more venerable than any other deity..."

"Yes."

Deng Ming glanced back at Jiang Li, and seeing him nod, he quietly pushed open the door.

With a creak, the door opened.

The room was not large, and there were no superfluous decorations. A large shrine occupied the most prominent space in the room.

Tallow candles were lit at the four corners and on the shrine, and a prayer cushion was placed in front of the shrine.

An elderly woman dressed in good clothes was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, facing the shrine, muttering incantations as if she were reciting scriptures.

Jiang Li's gaze fell upon the shrine.

A half-person-sized statue of a deity is enshrined on the shrine.

It was a woman.

She was dressed in white, her face veiled, her hands cupped around her lower abdomen, holding a book.

The book is inscribed with the five characters "Huang Tian Tai Ping Shu".

The appearance of the Goddess Wusheng.

Jiang Li was quite familiar with this, having witnessed it firsthand.

"Grandmother, we have a guest."

Deng Ming tiptoed forward and helped the old woman up.

"Guests? What are you bringing guests into this old woman's temple?"

Madam Deng stood up with some confusion, turned around and saw Jiang Li and Feng Mu, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh my, what a handsome young man and beautiful woman! Ming'er, whose child is this?"

"This is……"

Deng Mingzheng hesitated, unsure how to begin.

At this moment, Feng Mu stepped forward and said with a smile, "Madam, we have come to ask you about some things."

Deng Ming was taken aback.

Are you just going to ask that directly?

Grandmother would say?

That's a bit too direct.

Deng Ming couldn't help but look at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li simply smiled and shook her head.

"Alright, what would you like to ask, my lady?"

Madam Deng, however, was completely oblivious. Instead, she smiled and followed up on Feng Mu's words with a question.

For some reason, she felt an instant liking for this young woman after seeing her.

Feng Mu asked with a smile, "In Wushan County, is there a place where the Goddess Wusheng preaches in private?"

what?

So... I asked?

Deng Ming was dumbfounded.

He knew that the old ancestor had recently become quite obsessed with the Goddess Wusheng, and almost never left the house except to eat.

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing this, Madam Deng laughed heartily and said, "Yes, yes."

"After I became a disciple of the Goddess Wusheng, I offered sacrifices, and then a servant told me about a place."

"She instructed me that once the divine decree from the Goddess Wusheng is issued, I can go to that place to hear even more profound and wondrous teachings."

"It is said that after hearing this, one will feel refreshed and light-hearted, and may even be able to ascend to heaven in broad daylight."

"That is why I chant scriptures and pray here every day, for fear of missing the divine message from the Goddess Wusheng."

Old Madam Deng spoke slowly and deliberately, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

Ignoring Deng Ming's dumbfounded expression, Jiang Li stood to the side, lost in thought.

This wasn't Feng Mu using any magic on this old lady Deng; he was simply asking her a question.

The reason why Madam Deng answered so readily was simple and unpretentious.

It's about trust.

A trust that came out of nowhere, yet was absolutely certain.

This trust was not given to Feng Mu himself, but to the daughter of the human race's supreme ruler.

Feng Mu's identity is truly extraordinary.

She is the direct descendant of the first human ruler in the creation of the world, and a genuine princess of the human race.

Such a lineage and identity are enough to make all humans subtly trust her.

"Just as you predicted."

Feng Mu glanced at Jiang Li and said in a low voice.

Then he smiled and asked Madam Deng again.

"Madam, where is that place you're talking about?"

Madam Deng did not hesitate, but her words were surprising.

"At the Wushan City God Temple."