Calabash Fairy

After an incense stick has burned.

Lu Zhang personally handed the invitation to the mountain god of Qingfeng Mountain, and then boarded a small ink-wash boat to leave the territory of Qingfeng Mountain and return to Gudu City to report back.

Inside the mountain god temple, Fang Yan looked at the vermilion and gold-embossed invitation in his hand, and said thoughtfully:

"I have never met this Zhang Chenghuang before, so why did he send someone to travel all the way to these mountains to invite me to his birthday banquet...?"

The City God is not only the guardian deity of the city, but also specifically in charge of all underworld affairs, large and small, in this region.

Those who can sit in this position are mostly people who have accumulated enough merit, are honest and upright during their lifetime, are loved by the people, are intelligent and upright, or are famous for their loyalty and bravery.

Under his command are usually two judges, one civil and one military, who assist him and lead the many other underworld officials.

The fact that Zhang Chenghuang sent the judge in person to deliver the invitation shows how much he values ​​him.

Fang Yan turned around and looked at the burning red incense stick and the wispy smoke. The Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Chaos slowly appeared in his eyes.

This divination should be performed using incense offerings.

In an instant, Fang Yan's gaze seemed to pierce through layers of mist and arrive at a solemn and majestic hall.

At that moment, a majestic voice echoed throughout the hall.

"In recent years, my Luo Tianyi suddenly discovered that there is a divine aura in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and it is growing stronger and stronger."

"I wonder if the Kitchen God has heard of this suddenly appearing local deity?"

Inside the main hall, an aged yet kind voice responded with a smile:

"I know some of it."

"This one in the Ten Thousand Mountains is worshipped by all people and protects the region. He is the mountain god of Qingfeng Mountain, personally appointed by the Heavenly Dao, and is also a righteous god of merit."

"Oh? Directly bestowed by Heaven, could it be...?"

Fang Yan wanted to continue listening, but the sounds around him were getting farther and farther away, and his vision was being quickly pulled back to what was in front of him.

The incense sticks in the incense burner had already burned down to a point without anyone noticing...

"The Kitchen God...the one who oversees the food for every household?"

Fang Yan hadn't expected to hear this person's name, and it seemed that the Kitchen God was well aware of his existence.

The Kitchen God is no minor deity; according to legend, he was personally appointed to the human world by the Jade Emperor of Heaven.

Wherever there is a stove in the world, there is incense burning for the Kitchen God.

For over two hundred years, the tradition of offering a portion of the food to the stove after preparing it on the day of the Lunar New Year has been passed down through generations in Xiahe Village. Some villagers still have the custom of offering a portion of the food on the stove after preparing the meal on the day of the Lunar New Year, in order to ensure a worry-free food supply for the coming year.

In recent years, no other divine presence has been seen in the Qingfeng Mountain area, so why would he think of this Kitchen God?

"Six years from now, when I travel to the ancient ferry city, I wonder if I will be able to meet this person."

Fang Yan, with his hands behind his back and holding the invitation, slowly walked towards the mountain god statue, his figure gradually disappearing from sight.

Now that he has some ability to protect himself and his means are becoming more and more abundant, having accepted the invitation, he will naturally attend the banquet six years from now.

He was also quite looking forward to his trip to the ancient ferry city...

As for the present, there has been no movement within the Nebula Cluster since the fusion of the Chaos Seed and the Sirius Bone, indicating that it will take a considerable amount of time to nurture the new magic weapon.

These six years were enough for him to settle down and refine his cultivation, allowing him to make further progress.

As for birthday gifts, given his expertise in alchemy, that's the least of his worries.

.............................

Yang Sheng's home in Xiahe Village.

At this moment, Yang Sheng was writing something on the white paper on the table by the light of the bright candle.

As the judge named Lu Zhang was about to leave, he suddenly said he wanted to give him something, then pointed his finger at Lu Zhang's forehead and left.

It was around that time that his mind was filled with a great deal of knowledge.

Its name is: The Six Arts of Confucianism.

These Six Arts are not some very difficult subjects to understand, but rather six basic skills that Confucianism requires of its students: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics.

In layman's terms, it includes etiquette, music, archery, driving, calligraphy, and arithmetic.

Lu Zhangsheng was a renowned scholar in the ancient city of Gudu. He was not only highly learned but also proficient in all six arts of a gentleman. His passing on these arts to Yang Sheng clearly indicates that he discovered the tradition was incomplete.

The Six Arts of Confucianism, though seemingly refined, were actually deeply integrated into the daily lives of Confucian scholars and were extremely practical.

Lu Zhang has imparted all his knowledge of the Six Arts to Yang Sheng, who also intends to record them in a book as soon as possible to pass on to future generations.

In Xiahe Village today, apart from driving a car and archery, few people are willing to learn the other four skills, but... what about in the future?

Outside the study.

After the three Yang brothers started their own families, they have been busy with their own lives these past few years, so it is rare for them to get together today.

Yang Dongdong sighed softly:

"The last time Dad was this excited was when he first started writing 'The Mountain God of Qingfeng Mountain, Volume One.' Dad locked himself in his study and wrote for two days and nights without eating or drinking."

"This time, I wonder how long it will take..."

Yang Dongdong stared at the door for a long time, but no sound came from his ears. He couldn't help but feel that something was wrong... When he turned his head, he saw Yang Xiaochuan practicing horse stance not far away, exercising his physique.

Yang Xiaoshan sat listlessly on a stone bench in the courtyard, eating pastries made by his wife.

"I'm saying... Dad's getting old, and if this continues, his health will suffer. Aren't you two worried?"

Yang Xiaoshan looked at his older brother with a strange expression.

Yang Dongdong is now middle-aged. In recent years, he has spent his days either working in the fields or reading in his study. Now, after teaching at the academy for two years, he wears a scholar's robe and his demeanor has become increasingly refined, much like his father, Yang Sheng.

However, although his knowledge has increased, his elder brother's slow-witted nature hasn't changed at all...

Yang Xiaochuan, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer and shook his head, saying:

"Brother, you've been teaching at the academy for the past two years, but you haven't seen how our father is now, walking briskly and full of energy, better than the three of us. There's no need for us to worry about him."

Yang Dongdong frowned slightly.

Thanks to the protection of the mountain god, in recent years, the village has not only had an abundance of food, but the variety of grains has also become increasingly complete.

This region still has four distinct seasons, but in winter and summer, they no longer feel the unbearable heat or the biting cold that they did in earlier years.

The people who live here naturally become healthier.

Seeing that his older brother still didn't understand, Yang Xiaochuan simply walked over to his brother's side and whispered:

"Brother, the year before last, Dad worked in the fields all day, digging the soil, and he didn't even break a sweat."

"This year was even more remarkable. I saw it with my own eyes; he climbed a mound as tall as a person with just a light hop!"

Yang Dongdong stared wide-eyed at Yang Xiaochuan, giving him a look that seemed to say, "How dare you joke about your father like that?" Yang Xiaoshan stepped forward and said:

"Big brother, what second brother said is true."

"Don't you understand yet? When your father said that he was chosen by the mountain god and would become a temple keeper in the future, it was obviously the mountain god who blessed him, which led to this change."

"Instead of worrying about Dad, you should worry about whether Old Bai from the west of the village will cause you trouble."

"I saw it with my own eyes a few days ago: my eldest nephew, dragging the Bai family's daughter, secretly climbed over the wall and ran out of the academy."

"What did you say?!"