This year marks the twenty-fifth year of Ming Xuanhuang's reign, early summer. A severe drought has plagued the land.
It has been over a year without rain in Kyoto. The dignitaries residing in the capital are not concerned about water scarcity, but the drought has devastated thousands of villages on the outskirts of Kyoto. The lack of water and food has brought these villages to the brink of ruin. The people are displaced and starving, and the situation is dire.1Rumors began to spread. It was said that during severe droughts, evildoers would rise and cause trouble. The masters of demon slaying kept their eyes on Tianxing Mountain, ready to apprehend and punish any evildoers who dared to descend. However, while demons could be dealt with, the drought persisted. If the drought was not alleviated and the land remained barren, the people would continue to die of thirst and starvation.
Many people turned to the Earth Temple to pray for rain. The Earth Temple, located in the center of the suburbs, was dedicated to the God of Earth, a righteous deity of Xiansi. Although he was the lowest-ranking righteous god, he was far more powerful than ordinary ghosts and spirits. He possessed the ability to consume his own incense to produce rain.
At this time, the Earth Temple was overcrowded with people offering chicken, duck, and fish as sacrifices, praying for rain. In a corner of the temple, a puff of blue smoke rose from the ground, and a white-haired old man appeared. The old man, holding a cane and wearing a long robe and black hat, had kind eyebrows and looked like a benevolent grandfather. However, this grandfather was only two feet tall. He was the local land god.1
"Don't beg, don't beg. It's not that the old man refuses to bring rain, but he doesn't dare," the land god muttered to himself with a sad face.1
The canonized ghosts and gods in Gongxiansi, such as the city god, water god, and land god, had the ability to use incense to produce rain. However, without an order from the imperial court's yellow book, any god who produced rain without permission was committing a great rebellion. Those suspected of gathering incense for personal gain would be destroyed, and their temples demolished.1
Decades ago, a county in a certain state experienced severe drought for several years. The local land god, sympathizing with the people, produced unauthorized rainfall and secretly diverted underground rivers to irrigate farmland. The imperial court was furious, and Emperor Xuan of the Ming Dynasty scolded the Xiansi City God. Within days, the imperial court sent people to suppress the land god. The god's soul was scattered, and the Earth Temple was destroyed.1
No matter how long the drought lasted, the current imperial court had not issued a yellow book, and the gods of all walks of life dared not produce rain without permission. Emperor Xuan of the Ming Dynasty had reasserted his authority, and no one dared to disobey him.1
In the local temples, even as they lost believers and the incense dwindled, the gods could only wait anxiously. "Why hasn't the imperial court issued a yellow book for rain? The people in the suburbs are also people," the land god muttered, anxious like ants on a hot pot, but there was nothing he could do.1
"No, I'm going to the capital to meet the City God. I can't just wait," he decided.1
The land god disappeared like a ghost. The next moment, he appeared in the capital, where every inch of land was precious. Another puff of green smoke appeared in the Town God's Temple built by Gong Xiansi in Nancheng.1
At this time, the Temple of the Town God was full of incense, and there were many believers. They worshiped every day, offering endless fruits, vegetables, three animals, and five birds, all praying for rain.1Inside the main hall of the Town God's Temple, the common people knelt on the ground. However, there was also an underground Town God's Temple, inaccessible to ordinary people, mirroring the temple above. It was dark and windy, with ghosts crying and gods howling, yet it exuded a special kind of majesty and righteousness.1
The City God sat at the main seat, flanked by the four major civil and military judges and the chief judges of the twenty-four divisions. The head of the City God was the head of the Gongxian Division, a first-class righteous god who had commanded the Kyoto Yin Division for hundreds of years. Even the most powerful ghost king outside was just a minor spirit before the City God.1Whoosh! The God of Land appeared and knelt before the City God. "Master Xianchang, why hasn't the imperial court issued an order for rain?"1
With a clear will, these gods would do their duty. The people would have water, and everyone would be content. The court would not suffer any loss. Why not? The land god couldn't understand.1
The City God glanced at the land god and sighed. "The imperial court has its own intentions. You don't need to think too much, just wait and see."1
"How long will it take? The common people can wait, but the crops in the fields cannot."1"Do you think this god doesn't understand? But if the court doesn't issue an order for rain, this god, even as a city god, can do nothing."1
A civil judge snorted coldly. "I think the problem lies not with the imperial court, but with the Demon Slayer Division."1
"Their division has failed to meet its quota of capturing monsters in recent months. Fearing punishment from Emperor Xuan, they devised a fishing method."1
The demons were hiding deep in the Tianxing Mountains, and even with all their strength, the Demon Slayer Division couldn't reach them. By creating chaos, they hoped to lure the evildoers down the mountain, catching them in the act.1"Damn demon slayers, they know how to catch demons, but don't they realize that people in the suburbs have no water? Many will die. Once people die of thirst or starvation, they will generate resentment and turn into ghosts."1
"They're not afraid. No matter how many ghosts there are, it has nothing to do with the demon slayers. If ghosts run rampant, the court will only blame us, the immortals."1In the main hall, the gods began to discuss angrily. After a few words, the God of Land understood the situation, blowing his beard and glaring. The purpose of catching monsters was to protect the common people, but if it led to widespread starvation, wasn't it putting the cart before the horse?1"Damn Wei Shouzun, he really isn't the Son of Man."1
Yes, not the Son of Man...!1
The gods reunited one after another. Who was Wei Shouzun? He was the current head of the Monster Slayer Division, a position equivalent to one of the top three officials. It was said that he was not human but a divine beast, which allowed him to oversee and slay demons, keeping the world's monsters in check.