yasinovel Chapter 34: Giving Nourishment and Protection
Chapter 34: Giving Nourishment and Protection
Dusk fell.
A few lonely stars hung in the sky.
The massive canopy of the old locust tree rustled in the evening breeze, casting a deep, inky shadow that swallowed several figures beneath it, almost blending into the darkness.
Liu Laosi leaned against the rough, cracked bark of a tree.
Yang Hu squatted down next to him.
Lu Cheng squatted on the other side, unconsciously tugging at the withered grass on the ground.
"Fourth Uncle!"
Yang Hu swallowed hard, his voice dry.
"The Lü family's eyes are suspicious. Today, when I passed by the village entrance, Lü Liang's distant nephew, Lü Ping, stared straight at me with a murderous look!"
"I found half a muddy footprint on the top of my wall yesterday."
"Not a child's."
Lu Cheng said in a muffled voice.
"They're targeting us!"
Yang Hu gritted his teeth.
Liu Laosi remained silent until the wind rustled the locust leaves. Then he slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but strangely louder than the wind and the faint barking of dogs in the distance.
"What we did was considered heretical by the villagers."
"But we all know the truth in our hearts."
"The rain that night saved more than just a few rows of vegetables. It saved a hope that was about to be extinguished."
"Worship doesn't necessarily require incense, candles, and paper money, or making a fuss. Having a stick of incense in your heart is better than anything else."
"From now on, each family should close their doors, a bowl of water and a sincere heart are enough. Do not gather. Do not argue. Do not debate."
Liu Laosi spoke each word slowly and heavily, his gaze sweeping over several blurry faces in the darkness before turning his head to look southeast, towards the direction of Bibo Pool in Shixi Village. The night was pitch black, and nothing could be seen, but the pebble in his arms was slightly warm, pressed tightly against his heart.
"What if they resort to force?"
"Breaking in! Smashing things!"
Yang Hu couldn't help but press on, his voice trembling.
"Then you'll have to accept it."
"As long as people are still alive, the seedlings in the field can still live, and the water in the jar can still be drunk, it's not a dead end."
"The one we believe in doesn't care about appearances, he looks here."
Liu Laosi remained silent for a moment before speaking, his tone calm to the point of cruelty. In the darkness, his face was sculpted from stone, rugged and even somewhat angular. He gently pressed his rough palm against his chest.
These words, though lacking in grand pronouncements, were like a heavy ballast stone.
Yang Hu and Lu Cheng's wavering hearts gradually calmed down.
Yes, isn't that clearly defined spiritual rain proof of that?
That being can see the suffering in the fields and hear the prayers in the dark night.
What's there to worry about? What's there to be afraid of?
Every morning, before fetching water for cooking, I would face the water vat and silently pray for peace and tranquility.
When your heart is in it, things will naturally be different.
Liu Laosi suddenly remembered that he had noticed the water in the water tank was different when he was fetching water that morning, and immediately spoke up to remind him.
Yang Hu and Lu Cheng exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. The instructions sounded a bit mysterious, but having experienced the Lingyu incident, they knew it was definitely not simple, and they solemnly kept it in mind.
Liu Laosi, Yang Hu, and Lu Cheng exchanged a few words in hushed tones about the village's happenings, then quietly dispersed, each heading home along different paths.
Shixi Village.
The blue pool reflects the starry sky.
Deep and tranquil.
Side hall of the Jiaoshen Temple.
Lin Shi stood by the window, his gaze seemingly piercing through the darkness and the river, landing on Shanghe Village. Under the reach of his senses, Liu Laosi and his men's cautious steadfastness, and Lü Liang's sinister schemes, were like undercurrents and whirlpools on the surface of the water, leaving no room for escape.
"When a sprout breaks through the soil, it has to push through the rubble, and it will definitely suffer and even get hurt."
Lin Shi smiled.
I will not personally get involved or directly interfere in such matters.
This isn't about being worried about being exposed!
The reason is that doing so would distort the natural growth trajectory of faith and affect the steadfastness and purity of faith.
But this is the spark of my own expanding confidence, and I cannot let others extinguish it. I must give these tender new shoots trembling in the cold wind a little bit of silent nourishment and protection.
May it bestow upon Liu Laosi and others a touch of the refreshing and preservative essence of their water tanks?
This is a small matter!
It's something I can't do myself, but for the clone dragon, it's no more strenuous than breathing!
Lin Shi's thoughts stirred slightly, penetrating straight to the bottom of the pool.
In the dark water.
The dragon's undulating body trembled slightly, and the chains emitted a deep, long friction sound. Its vertical pupils, like those forged in molten gold, opened in the darkness, gazing indifferently towards Shanghe Village. Following those slender yet resilient tendrils, a few wisps of water-elemental energy, thin as mist yet containing the meanings of "purity," "peace," and "tranquility," were silently delivered.
Lin Shi turned and walked back to the quiet room in the side hall. He sat down cross-legged, and his senses surged forth like water, filling Shangxi Village, crossing the Qing River, and heading towards Shanghe Village.
Shanghe Village.
In Liu Laosi, Yang Hu, and Lu Cheng's home, there were subtle yet noticeable changes.
Inside the large water vat, the surface was calm and still, clearly reflecting a sliver of starlight filtering through the torn window paper.
The river water, which had been slightly murky during the day, was now crystal clear, and even the finest patterns on the bottom of the container were clearly visible. As soon as I put my hand into the water, I immediately felt a refreshing coolness that penetrated to my fingertips, carrying a sweet, refreshing scent like a mountain spring after rain. The anxiety of the past few days seemed to be somewhat washed away by this coolness.
Even more remarkably, several days later, the water in the vat remained as clear as ever, without a trace of sediment or foam.
This phenomenon wasn't limited to the homes of Liu Laosi, Yang Hu, and Lu Cheng. Including the widow Wang who stuffed the egg into Lu Cheng's hand, the water in the homes of anyone with a seed of faith planted in their heart, or even just a slight tremor as if trying to break through its shell, became exceptionally sweet, tranquil, and resistant to spoilage on this night.
Lin Shi smiled.
This was exactly what he had just done through his clone, the dragon.
This change is so subtle that it would be almost ignored unless one consciously pays attention to it.
But for those struggling between fear and expectation, the unusual refreshing sensation on their fingertips when they scoop water in the morning, and the different sweetness on their tongues, will surely make them realize something is different.
What's the use of it?
This is to tell Liu Laosi, Yang Hu, Lu Cheng, and even Widow Wang that your sincerity has been felt, so there's no need to worry. If anything happens, you will be protected.
This is a support that transcends language, resonating silently in the heart, cultivating a faith that is unwavering and pure.
the next day.
It was just dawn.
Liu Laosi stood in front of the water vat in the kitchen, his tired but calm face reflected in the water. He reached out and scooped water to cook porridge. The old gourd ladle parted the water, creating ripples. The sound of water being poured into the pot was particularly clear in the silence.
The stove fire was lit, the orange flames licking the bottom of the pot, and the smoke went through the chimney and disappeared into the slowly whitening sky.
On the surface, everything in Shanghe Village seemed normal.
The rooster crows and the dog barks; the door hinges creak and the carrying pole groan.
But those with a keen eye noticed the increasingly tense tension beneath the calm surface.
Whispers became more cautious, eye contact more rapid, and even the rustling of the wind through the fields seemed to carry a sense of impending storm.