Techniques and Dao

Chapter 199 The Land God
Seeing the porcelain bowl in front of him, the stray dog ​​whimpered and began to drink the water eagerly.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun then bought a piece of instant bread, tore a slit in the plastic bag, and placed it in front of the stray dog, lining it with wrapping paper. After drinking its water, the stray dog ​​quickly began to wolf down the bread.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun chanted an incantation again and patted the wild dog's head. New flesh grew on the festering sores on the wild dog's body, and its bald patches gradually healed. Xiao Jun fanned the wild dog with her palm, blowing away all the dirt clinging to its body, making it look as if it had just taken a bath.
At this moment, Tai Shang Xiao Jun realized that he had been so busy that he had almost forgotten to drink water, and his mouth was dry.

He stood in front of the vending machine and bought himself a bottle of herbal tea. After a few gurgling sounds, the vending machine dispensed the bottle of herbal tea.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun bent down, his back aching slightly, and took out the bottle. He saw four characters written on the bottle: "Ban Sha Herbal Tea".

He twisted open the bottle cap and took a sip, immediately finding it extremely bitter.

"Ah! This herbal tea is a perfect reflection of my mood..." Tai Shang Xiao Jun thought to himself and smiled bitterly.

The thought of going back like this was truly unbearable, so he sat on the ground next to the stray dog, leaning against the vending machine, drinking the unbearably bitter herbal tea.

Suddenly, the soft voice of an old man drifted in from somewhere.

"Immortal, Immortal!"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun thought he was just tired and confused, so he listened carefully again and it seemed to be coming from behind the vending machine.

"Immortal, Immortal! It's this old man!"

Only then did Tai Shang Xiao Jun realize that someone was indeed calling her. She quickly stood up and went behind the vending machine to take a look. To her surprise, standing in the gap between the vending machine and the old stone wall was a little old man with white hair and a youthful face!

Calling him a "little" old man wouldn't be an exaggeration; he was only the height of a six or seven-year-old child. If it weren't for his full head of white hair and long beard, Taishang Xiaojun would definitely mistake him for a child.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun thought he was a vending machine repairman, so he said, "Old man, are you stuck in there and can't get out? You're so old, why work so hard? It would be so much better to retire and enjoy your retirement."

The old man waved to the Supreme Lord Xiaojun.

"Immortal! I am not some repairman, I am the local earth god!"

Upon hearing that the old man was the local earth god, Taishang Xiaojun immediately perked up.

"So it's the Earth God! What are you doing hiding behind this stuffy, hot machine?"

The Earth God slowly replied, "Immortal! There are surveillance cameras everywhere outside. I can't let anyone find me. It's not easy to talk when there are too many people outside. Please come closer, Immortal."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun stepped forward and then saw that the old man was simply dressed, wearing a worn-out robe of a low-ranking celestial official. Xiao Jun then cupped his hands and said, "Earth God, I am Tai Shang Xiao Jun!"

Upon hearing this, the Earth God immediately said respectfully, "Your Excellency is clearly from a prestigious family in the celestial realm. I never imagined you were a descendant of Laozi. I apologize for not welcoming you properly!"

Taishang Xiaojun immediately waved his hand and said, "Earth God, there's no need to be so polite. You are my elder."

"You're too modest, Immortal. You're a city deity, while I'm just a country deity. Our house here—no, my place—can't compare to yours."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun stamped his foot and said, "Land God, how can you be so self-deprecating! Housing prices are not under your jurisdiction! Look at those high-rise buildings standing there, don't think they are mountains of gold and silver, they are all illusions. It's just that everyone is brainwashed into believing in these prices now. The day people stop believing, they will find that they are just a pile of bricks and cement. The price should be what it is."

"Oh dear! Immortal, don't be so shrewd! First of all, the value of everything is determined by the Heavenly Court, and I, a mere local deity, am at most a gatekeeper. Secondly, isn't the reason we come to this world to believe? You may not believe, Immortal, but those ordinary people don't have your conditions... no, your level of understanding."

"Alright, alright! The Heavenly Court doesn't determine the rank of officials based on the housing prices in the areas they govern! You are an elder, so there's no need to be so polite with me."

The Earth God bowed deeply and said, "As expected of a celestial being from the city, your manners are truly exceptional!"

Seeing that this was not the time to discuss this topic, Taishang Xiaojun quickly brought up the serious matter: "Earth God, you've come at the right time. I'm looking for Mazu, but why isn't she here?"

The Earth God immediately replied, "Immortal, you are unaware of this! Goddess Mazu is currently on vacation and recuperating, so it is only natural that we cannot meet her."

"Recuperation? How long will it take?"

"Immortal, why don't you come again next year?"

Upon hearing this, Taishang Xiaojun became anxious and hurriedly said, "No way, how unlucky! Forget about next year, I can't wait until tomorrow! I need to find Mazu right now, right now!" The Earth God shook his head and said, "I, this humble Earth God, don't know where Mazu is. But if it's official business for you, Immortal, there is a way."

"how do I say this?"

“When Mazu is on leave, she entrusts all official matters to her younger brother, whose name is Fuguang Tiansheng. So if you have official business, you can contact him.”

"Then why can't we find it either?"

"Because Tian Sheng doesn't work here either."

Taishang Xiaojun sighed: "Earth God, I really have urgent business to attend to. Is this Fuguang Tiansheng not far away?"

"It's not far, just over a thousand miles away," the Earth God nodded.

"You can arrive in a short while! I've staked countless lives on this today; whether I win this gamble depends on what's right now. May I ask where this Fu Guang Tian Sheng is?"

The Earth God thought for a moment and replied, "Haojiang."

What kind of place is Haojiang?

"By the way! It's now called Macau."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun smiled wryly and said, "When I said this matter requires a gamble, I didn't mean actually going to a casino in Macau to gamble!"

The Earth God laughed and said, "Forgive me, forgive me! How could I, a lowly Earth God, dare to deceive the Immortal? This Fu Guang Tian Sheng is actually based in Macau!"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun jumped up, clutching his head: "Looks like I have no choice but to fight! Please, Earth God, give me a detailed address, and I'll head over there to find Fu Guang Tian Sheng right now!"

Night has fallen, and a bright moon hangs high in the sky, casting a silvery glow upon all things.

From the air, below is a grove of pittosporum and palm trees, a species unique to the south.

The sea breeze was still warm, retaining the lingering warmth of the day. With the ebb and flow of the tide, the wind caressed the earth patiently and gently, like a lover's hand.

If it weren't for his haste, Taishang Xiaojun could have enjoyed this tranquility and peace here.

But he was flying so fast that the damp sea breeze brushed against his face, and the rapid friction of the air made his skin sting.

This lingering pain reminded him of the burn scar on Jin Fanyin's face.

Those must be the scars left by the scorching sun. If Jin Fan hadn't sacrificed himself with "BRAVE" and a death wish, the world would be a completely different place now.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun thought to himself that Jin Fan would never truly stand idly by regarding the matter of the dragon vein; he simply couldn't get over this mental hurdle.

If we had given Taishang Xiaojun more time to comfort him, or given Jin Fanyin more time to heal his inner wounds, this matter might have passed.

Unfortunately, many failures in this world are due to a lack of time.

Time is the most crucial factor in success or failure.

Moreover, time even trumps it; it can bring not only failure but also take away success.

The only thing all life can do is to stir up a seemingly insignificant little ripple in this short yet long river of time.

"All this rushing around, will it all end up being for nothing...?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun muttered and sped up a bit more.

He only had thirty minutes left.

(End of this chapter)