Ascension Day

Xu Ying had long since stopped caring. A single kowtow to the Green-Robed Divine Spirit was all the worship he offered; incense and fruit were out of the question.

He barely had enough to feed himself, let alone make an offering to a Divine Spirit.

The other two villagers singled out by the Green-Robed Divine Spirit, however, turned deathly pale.

The villager Jiang Lu was in his forties but looked as if he were eighty, his face a mass of wrinkles and his body stooped. He trembled as he said, "Lord Divine Spirit, I can’t even afford a meal. Last night, all I had to eat was a bit of tree bark. The Officials came again to extort miscellaneous taxes, so where would I find anything to offer you...?"

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit shot him a glance and sneered, "So you have offerings for the Officials, but not for me? Do you think I rank lower than some mortal Official?"

Jiang Lu didn’t dare to say a word.

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit’s eyes darted about. "Don’t you still have a daughter?" he said. "Offer her to me. I’ll become your son-in-law and guarantee you a life of comfort and wealth!"

Jiang Lu’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees. "My Lord Divine Spirit, last night the Officials came to extort taxes. I couldn’t pay, so they took my daughter away, saying it would cancel my debt..."

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit snorted. A fist the size of a wine jug shot out as he roared, "Don’t you have two daughters? Were you trying to hide one from me?"

Jiang Lu was sent flying several yards by the punch, slamming into the opposite wall. The jagged ends of his broken ribs pierced through his chest, and blood gurgled from his mouth.

The many villagers in the ancestral hall trembled, daring neither to show their anger nor to speak a word.

Xu Ying clenched his fists, trying to act as if he hadn’t seen anything.

That was a Divine Spirit, an entity that possessed an awe-inspiring majesty. Ordinary people couldn’t even fathom the thought of resisting such a being. Even Xu Ying, who had cultivated the Taiyi Guiding Skill since he was a child, could do nothing but tremble before the Green-Robed Divine Spirit.

Besides, his godfather and grandfather had taught him since he was a boy: ’commoners don’t fight officials, and they don’t fight gods.’ A Snake Catcher risks his life catching venomous snakes for one reason: to survive. Fighting officials and gods was just another way of seeking death!

Jiang Lu tried to get up, but he couldn’t.

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit bellowed, "What about your other daughter? Hand her over! I’ll consummate our marriage today! Don’t refuse a kindness!"

Suddenly, Landlord Jiang of the Jiang Family Field spoke up with a smile. "My Lord Divine Spirit, you may not be aware, but I knew you’d taken a fancy to Jiang Lu’s daughter. So, I paid to acquire her, intending to present her to you today. Men, bring the bride over!"

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit was overjoyed. "See, Landlord Jiang knows how to handle things," he said with a laugh.

He then turned to the other villagers and sneered, "You don’t even have offerings, yet you expect my protection? Today, I decree that for those without offerings, your fields will receive but three fingers’ worth of rain for the entire year. For those without even incense, not a single drop! It’ll serve you right to die of thirst, you bastards! And you!"

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit pointed at Jiang Lu and roared, "I was originally going to make you my father-in-law and grant you some benefits! But now your daughter is an offering from Landlord Jiang and has nothing to do with you! You came empty-handed, with no offering for me. This year, your fields won’t see a single drop of rain!"

Jiang Lu sat slumped against the wall, dazed. His face was ashen, his expression gaunt and withered.

No rain in the fields meant no harvest.

’How am I supposed to live?’ All hope in him turned to ash.

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit roared with laughter. He wrapped his arm around the bride and chuckled, "There’s no time like the present. We’ll consummate our marriage now, no need to wait for tonight!"

Landlord Jiang quickly chimed in with a sycophantic smile, "Today is indeed an auspicious day!"

Xu Ying silently turned and followed the crowd out of the ancestral hall. He had never witnessed a Divine Spirit taking a bride before, but he had heard stories.

Other villages and towns also worshiped Divine Spirits. When villagers’ lives became unbearable, some would offer their daughters to the gods as brides. He’d heard that Uncle Shui of the Xiao River had taken over a hundred wives, all offered up by the surrounding villages.

Jiang Lu shakily pushed himself to his feet. Seeing this, Xu Ying walked over, intending to help him.

He and Jiang Lu were on decent terms. When Xu Ying was a child, his grandfather had rescued him from a fire and brought him to Jiang Family Field. Jiang Lu had once given him a cornbread bun, and his grandfather had told Xu Ying to call him Bo.

The memory was deeply ingrained in Xu Ying’s mind.

"Bo, let me walk you home..." Xu Ying began.

Suddenly, Jiang Lu lunged toward the wall.

THUD!

Fresh blood splattered across Xu Ying’s face.

Xu Ying’s vision blurred as a few drops of blood spattered into his eyes. Through the haze, he saw the old man slam his head violently against the wall. The blood instantly stained the white plaster, like a plum tree blossoming in a snow-covered field.

A buzzing roared in Xu Ying’s ears, and his mind went completely blank.

"Bo..."

He reached out a hand, only to see Jiang Lu’s shattered head against the wall. The body slowly slid down, the trail of blood it left on the white surface forming the strong trunk of the plum tree.

The old man’s corpse, like the body of the tree, knelt before the wall.

The ancestral hall erupted into chaos. People scattered, fleeing in every direction, their screams echoing through the hall.

The Green-Robed Divine Spirit, still holding the bride who was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, said with a laugh, "Landlord, clean up this body and replaster the wall. Don’t spoil my mood."

Landlord Jiang quickly agreed and hurried over to Xu Ying. He gave him a shove and snapped, "Ying, hurry up and move the body! The Lord Divine Spirit is about to consummate his marriage!"

The buzzing in Xu Ying’s head intensified. His body trembled as he clenched his fists with all his might.

Landlord Jiang shouted, "Are you trying to defy the Lord Divine Spirit—"

BAM!

Xu Ying’s fist flew out, smashing into Landlord Jiang’s face. The landlord’s face caved in, and the back of his skull exploded outward. His body swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

"Murder! Ying killed him!" Landlord Jiang’s servants scrambled to flee in a panic.

Xu Ying’s body was still trembling, his mind a complete void. He didn’t know why he had just punched Landlord Jiang’s head until it exploded, or why he had suddenly been unable to contain his rage.