Chapter Ninety-Nine: By the Shores of Dongting Lake
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Beside a small wharf on the shores of Dongting Lake, a modest market had gradually taken shape over the years, sustained by the constant flow of goods through the harbor. Standing outside it now was a young gentleman—the very same Wang Yuanfeng who had taken his leave of the two soldiers, one stout and one thin.
As long as I entrust everything to them, they will handle it properly. There is no need for me to keep watch over them, Wang Yuanfeng thought to himself.
Although he had come to deal with the affairs of Dongting Lake, it seemed that every course of action would inevitably bring him into conflict with the Dragon King of Dongting Lake. That made matters rather difficult. This place was the Dragon King’s sacred domain. Though the imperial court did not acknowledge him, the belief had taken root in the hearts of the people over the course of several centuries and had become deeply entrenched. Even Wang Yuanfeng was at a loss as to what to do.
He could, of course, fly across the lake, but this was the Dragon King’s territory. The Dragon King controlled the local dragon veins and possessed the momentum of great fortune; there was no guarantee that he would not notice. For the sake of safety, Wang Yuanfeng decided to enter by boat. Gazing at Dongting Lake, shrouded in dense mist, he walked into the wharf.
The wharf was not merely crude but dilapidated as well, clearly having stood there for many years. It had been built with stone slabs into a place where boats could dock, though only small vessels could be accommodated.
“Hm?”
Wang Yuanfeng happened to glance upward and was startled. He saw two kinds of fortune. One was filled with powerful divine force that permeated the entire region and was present everywhere throughout Dongting Lake. Without needing to think, he knew it belonged to the legendary Dragon King of Dongting Lake.
Yet mingled within it was another divine force of a similar nature, concentrated in the little harbor before him. It was astonishingly close in essence. Had Wang Yuanfeng not possessed a sword-heart of perfect clarity, he truly would not have noticed it.
“Brilliant. Truly brilliant. To establish another divine path within Dongting Lake and remain undetected…”
Wang Yuanfeng could not help sighing in admiration. An acquired divine path was, in essence, the faith of the people. As long as people held desires and offered prayers, such a divine path could come into being.
Likewise, once that desire vanished from their hearts, the divine path would disappear as well.
“What exists is valued for its benefit; what does not exist is valued for its function.” When something endured, it proved that it was useful. Once it ceased to serve any purpose, it meant that it had been cast aside.
Take prayers for favorable weather. In an age when people depended entirely upon the heavens for their livelihood, there would naturally be Dragon Kings. But if people learned to make rain themselves, the Dragon King would be out of a position.
Curious, Wang Yuanfeng straightened his clothes and entered the little market. There were relatively few people inside, and it was far from bustling. At the wharf not far away lay several boats of various sizes, all shallow-draft vessels, yet sufficient to provide the local fishermen with food and clothing.
Though there were few people, their complexions were ruddy, and few appeared gaunt from hunger. Even those dressed in rags were mostly idlers who refused to work. Those with bodily impairments, too, possessed some skill by which they could make a living. From this, it was clear that the people of the market lived reasonably well. They might not enjoy silken robes and exquisite food, but at least they had no fear of hunger or cold.
Wang Yuanfeng looked around. Everyone nearby was hurrying along, carrying incense, candles, and other offerings, all heading toward the same place. It seemed that something was about to happen.
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“Greetings, old sir. Where are you headed?”
Finding the scene strange, Wang Yuanfeng stopped an elderly man and asked him.
The old man saw that he was a young stranger and immediately realized that he was from elsewhere. With a sigh, he replied, “What else could it be? The Dragon King has grown angry. We are going to the Golden Carp Temple to make offerings and pray that the Golden Carp God will protect us and allow us to live in peace.”
Boom!
Wang Yuanfeng felt a tremor in his heart. He knew that the Huntian Instrument had reacted again. The moment the old man mentioned the Golden Carp God, he sensed that this deity might be the breakthrough he had been looking for.
He immediately asked, “If the Dragon King is angry, why do you not pray to him? Why worship this Golden Carp God instead?”
“Young sir, you do not understand. It is not that we refuse to pray to the Dragon King—it is simply useless. For the past forty years, the Dragon King has stirred up storms every year, making it difficult for the common people to survive. We prayed to him time and again in the past, but it never did any good. What was bound to happen still happened. That is why we began worshiping the Golden Carp God.”
From the old man’s words, Wang Yuanfeng knew that the Dragon King of Dongting Lake had gone too far. He had intended to strengthen his position, but had achieved the opposite and lost the people’s trust.
Most likely, he had begun gathering his power this time because he sensed that his position was unstable. Yet instead of reflecting upon his mistakes, he was forcing matters through sheer coercion. For a divine path, that was a grave taboo—a path leading straight to ruin.
Still, Wang Yuanfeng found this Golden Carp God rather strange. Since the deity also seemed connected to his Huntian Instrument, he asked curiously, “Old sir, what is the origin of this Golden Carp God you mentioned?”
At the mention of the Golden Carp God, the old man’s expression relaxed. “That Golden Carp God is truly remarkable. Though the deity only appeared in recent years, the responses to prayers have been astonishing. Every merchant who comes through here goes to the Golden Carp Temple to offer incense.”
As he spoke, he looked Wang Yuanfeng up and down before continuing, “Everyone who passes through this place goes to offer incense at the Golden Carp Temple. You have come to do the same, I presume?”
“No.” Wang Yuanfeng shook his head. “I am merely curious and wish to see this Golden Carp God for myself. I hope you will tell me more.”
“It is better for the young to possess a little reverence,” the old man said, shaking his head. “Now that I am old, all I hope for is a peaceful and uneventful life.”
He thought for a moment, then said to Wang Yuanfeng, “Come. We can talk as we walk.”
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“Thank you, old sir.”
Wang Yuanfeng bowed to the old man.
In truth, the reverence the old man spoke of was something he did not quite understand. To respect Heaven and Earth and honor the sun and moon were basic principles. But asking Wang Yuanfeng to offer incense to a newly arisen acquired deity was another matter entirely. Though the immortal path and the divine path both pursued the Great Dao and sought to comprehend its laws, they were similar only in broad outline. Ultimately, they were two different roads.
It was much like the China of his previous life, where every kind of doctrine existed in endless variety. This world seemed to share the same lineage as the China of his former life, which was why Wang Yuanfeng possessed some understanding of the divine path. Thus, he followed the old man toward the Golden Carp Temple.
The old man did not comment on the young man’s youthful disposition. Instead, he said, “This story begins with the Dragon King marrying off his daughters.”
“Forty-three years ago, the Dragon King began arranging marriages for his daughters. Countless young men answered the call, but each time a daughter was to be married, everyone except the invited young talents was forbidden from entering Dongting Lake. Anyone who entered without permission would vanish for no apparent reason and never return.
“Yet countless ordinary people struggled day after day merely to survive. If they could not enter Dongting Lake, their entire families would go hungry. Naturally, many still took the risk and went in.”
Wang Yuanfeng listened quietly. The old man seemed to have fallen into his memories, so he did not interrupt him. After they had walked for a while, the old man finally said, “Young sir, do you know how old I am?”
Wang Yuanfeng studied the old man. His aura of fortune was bright and vigorous, suggesting that he was long-lived. A second longevity mark had already formed, and it was on the verge of becoming complete; soon, a third would appear as well. He was probably eighty-nine years old. His blessings were deep and enduring, and his complexion was ruddy, so he would likely live to be at least a hundred. Clearly, he possessed considerable knowledge of preserving his health.
The marks of descendants, however, were faint and indistinct, suggesting that his family was not especially numerous. Even so, Wang Yuanfeng merely shook his head.
The old man then said, “I am already eighty-nine. Once I make it through this year, I will be over ninety.”