“You mean… you’re planning a roundabout way to save the situation, by worshipping other water-system deities to get around the Dragon King’s rain control?”
“Exactly. The ones who can make it rain in the heavens aren’t just the Dragon King. On the lower end, there’s the Rain Master. On the higher end, there are the River Earls and Water Gods. As long as they can relieve the drought in Dragon-Tiger County, problem solved, right?”
Sun Yourong heard this and burst out laughing. “And here I thought you had some brilliant plan. This is it? Lu Chen, don’t tell me you think an S-rank mission is that simple? Let’s not even mention that this method has been tried to death by others already. Surely you don’t think ‘praying for rain’ is just a one-time thing, do you? Dragon-Tiger County might not dare hope for seasonal rains like other places, but they can’t just have one rainfall and be done with it, right?”
She laughed, her eyes curving into crescents, and shook her head repeatedly. “Let me put it this way: over the past few years, no less than eight hundred to a thousand Spiritualists have gone to Dragon-Tiger County to pray for rain, every single one of them worshipping the Rain Master. And what was the result? Every last one came back with nothing. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“First, deities like the Rain Master and the River Earls, even though they belong to the same Water Department as the Dragon King, share the same rank but have vastly different fates. They’re just functionaries in the Heavenly Court’s departments, while the Dragon King is a regional viceroy, firmly governing his own territory. Even if they wanted to make it rain, out of respect for the Dragon King, they wouldn’t dare make a move.”
She paused, and a slightly mocking tone crept into her voice.
“Those Spiritualists who worshipped the Rain Master failed repeatedly for one simple reason they couldn’t grasp: the Heavenly Court also runs on social politics and favors.”
“As for the second point, it’s also the most crucial one.”
“The East Sea Dragon King set up a ‘Dragon King Array’ over Dragon-Tiger County. Unless you have dragon clan bloodline, you are not allowed to make clouds or summon rain here.”
“So, if you don’t worship the Dragon King, it’s useless no matter who you worship.”
“The Dragon King plays that dirty?” Lu Chen’s heart sank.
“Now you see how difficult it is, don’t you?” Sun Yourong chuckled lightly.
“But don’t worry about it too much. Every road starts with its first step, and nothing goes smoothly from the beginning. Although this mission is almost unsolvable, at least it’s not life-threatening. At worst, you’ll just lose some money.” She glanced at Lu Chen. “Not that you’re short on cash anyway.”
Actually, from the moment she learned Lu Chen had taken this mission, Sun Yourong was sure he wouldn’t complete it.
The only reason she came along for this trip was that she didn’t want to see him bumping around blindly in Dragon-Tiger County, getting discouraged and taking hits.
A trip to face reality would at least let him go and come back the same day.
It would save wasting time.
“Wait a minute, Elder Sister Sun,” Lu Chen suddenly realized something. “How do you know all these details so clearly? Didn’t you say earlier that even many people in the official departments are unclear about the inside story? I feel like… you know way too much.”
“Don’t underestimate us. Regarding this matter, the information our Four Great Families has is definitely more than what the authorities have.”
With that, Sun Yourong changed the subject. “Do you know what Dragon-Tiger County is most famous for?”
“No, just tell me straight.”
“What Dragon-Tiger County is best at is making divine statues. Legend has it they have the bloodline of ancient shaman-priests, granting them a natural talent for communicating with and inviting deities. It’s a pity no flower blooms for a hundred days – they haven’t produced any remarkable talent in nearly a century, which is why they’ve gradually declined. But a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. The divine statues they make are simply much more effective for prayers and offerings than those from anywhere else.”
She paused, then continued, “Our Four Great Families are considered big customers of theirs. Once, my father came to order some divine statues and drank with the local clan leader. After a few rounds of drinks, the clan leader revealed the true situation in Dragon-Tiger County. That’s how I found out.”
“I see… I didn’t expect Dragon-Tiger County to have such skills!”
“Don’t underestimate it. Before the disaster struck, this single county’s GDP could match half of the entire Jiangdu City’s. That gives you an idea of how wealthy it was back then. But now…” Sun Yourong sighed. “Without water, their production of ‘Tengyun Wood,’ the special material they use for making divine statues, has plummeted. Last year, their GDP hit rock bottom in the entire city.”
“To be honest, from our standpoint, we also hope the drought in Dragon-Tiger County gets resolved soon. Otherwise, where are we supposed to buy such effective divine statues? The statues in our family temples are replaced every ten years. Once you’ve used the good ones, switching to inferior ones is no different from smashing your own reputation.”
After hearing this, Lu Chen’s heart suddenly felt heavy.
His future goal was to rise as a new noble and establish his own temple!
To establish a temple, he had to make divine statues.
According to Sun Yourong, he would inevitably have to deal with Dragon-Tiger County sooner or later.
And now, before he could even build his temple, the manufacturer was going under…
This was a fine mess. How did taking on this mission turn into a “basic necessity” for his future plans?
Lu Chen felt stumped for a moment.
“Whatever, I’ll figure it out when we get there. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I refuse to believe there’s no turning point at all!”
Sun Yourong glanced at him and nodded slightly. “Alright, we’ll figure it out when we get there.”
The rest of the drive was silent.
Except for the sound of snoring.
When Lu Chen woke up, Sun Yourong had already parked the car, pulled the handbrake, and was staring at him with a resentful look.
“Sleep well, did you?”
Lu Chen rubbed his eyes, smiling sheepishly. “Not bad, not bad.”
“Hmph, and you said you didn’t need me to come? If I hadn’t, would you have been able to sleep so comfortably?” Sun Yourong shot him a playful glare. “I don’t care, you’re driving on the way back. Don’t tell me you don’t know how. I know you have a license.”
Lu Chen: “…”
Sun Yourong stretched lazily and pushed the door open to get out.
Lu Chen followed.
As soon as he stepped out of the car, a wave of scorching heat hit his face. The air was so dry it felt like it could catch fire.
“This really is a place that hasn’t seen rain in three years…”
He looked up. They were already at the county office of Dragon-Tiger County. The signboard on the office building was sun-bleached, its paint peeling off.
“Going straight to the county office to coordinate?”
“Yeah, just follow me.”
Sun Yourong beckoned.
Soon, thanks to the effects of Miss Sun’s social influence, a middle-aged man hurried into the hall, reaching out his hand as he walked.
“Miss Sun! I never expected you to grace us with your presence!”
“Director Tian, long time no see.” Sun Yourong only nodded slightly, not shaking his hand, projecting a cool and distant demeanor.
Director Tian didn’t seem surprised by this.
“Miss Sun, what brings you here today…?”
Sun Yourong looked at Lu Chen. “Take out your mission document.”
Lu Chen handed over the document.
“So, you’re a bounty Spiritualist too?” Director Tian looked Lu Chen up and down. “Young man, how old are you? You look younger than my own son, and you’re taking on an S-rank mission?”
“Director Tian, doing a mission shouldn’t have anything to do with age, right?” Lu Chen smiled.
“In principle, that’s true. So then… which Water Department deity do you worship?” Director Tian asked again.
Lu Chen was about to speak when the other interrupted him.
“Never mind, you both might as well come along. As it happens, another pair of bounty Spiritualists have arrived at the office. Secretary Wang and Clan Leader Chen are receiving them in the meeting room. Come on, let’s go over.”
“Director Tian, what kind of people are important enough for both Secretary Wang and Clan Leader Chen to meet them together?” Sun Yourong was slightly surprised.
“Two out-of-towners. Their alias is ‘Spirit Water Ascendant.’ They’re said to be highly skilled in rain-praying and claim to have a way to bypass the Water Department deities and summon rain independently.”
“Something like that exists?”
Sun Yourong and Lu Chen exchanged a glance and followed.
County Office, Meeting Room.
As the door opened, Lu Chen saw four people chatting animatedly inside.
“Oh, if it isn’t my dear Niece Sun!”
Two of them immediately stood up, beaming.
“Uncle Chen, Uncle Wang.” Sun Yourong greeted them.
It was clear she was indeed very familiar with the county office.
“And this young man is…?”
“He’s a friend of mine. He’s also taken on your Dragon-Tiger County mission.”
“You’re here to pray for rain too?” The middle-aged man addressed as Secretary Wang showed the same surprised expression as Director Tian.
Lu Chen cupped his fist in return. “Yes, I’ve been sent here on a mission.”
“Kid, at your age you dare take on an S-rank mission? Which deity do you worship?”
At this point, an unpleasant voice rang out.
It came from the bounty Spiritualist who called himself “Spirit Water Ascendant.”
Lu Chen was startled to see that the man was a dwarf. A golden ring hung around his neck, and his face had no eyebrows, giving him an overall sinister and fierce look.
The person next to him, perhaps his wife, had rather delicate features, but a horrifying red birthmark covered nearly half her face.
She was also looking at him warily.
Were these two even legitimate?
From the moment Lu Chen laid eyes on this pair, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
As for their tone of voice…
He could understand it. After all, he had appeared out of nowhere.
As rivals, a little hostility was normal.
Without even glancing directly at this strange pair, Lu Chen cupped his fist towards Secretary Wang and said,
“The deity I worship is Lord Wealth Deity!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the meeting room fell silent for a beat.
Then, harsh laughter erupted.
“Hahaha, this is insane! Even a Wealth Deity worshipper has come to pray for rain! In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like this!”
Spirit Water Ascendant was laughing so hard he was rocking back and forth.
Secretary Wang and Clan Leader Chen were also stunned by this unexpected answer. They looked at each other in bewilderment.
Clan Leader Chen asked hesitantly, “Niece Sun, did your friend… perhaps come to the wrong place? We’re not seeking wealth in Dragon-Tiger County.”
Sun Yourong didn’t quite know how to explain.
But Lu Chen stepped in first, speaking with a smile, “Honored sirs, as the old saying goes: wealth is like water. Since I can attract wealth, of course I can attract water too.”
Oh ho!
Sun Yourong’s eyes lit up. That was a clever thing to say!
But just as he finished, Lu Chen turned to look at Spirit Water Ascendant and beckoned him kindly.
“Hey, here, boy, here boy! Yeah, I’m talking to you.”
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Spirit Water Ascendant’s expression froze. He looked at Lu Chen in disbelief.
Lu Chen didn’t avoid his gaze at all. His smile grew even warmer.
“You were laughing pretty loud there. What the hell are you laughing at, jackass?”
