In ancient times, they secretly became gods in the deep mountains.

Chapter 63 Wu Family Cloth Shop, Young Master
At the top of Qihuang Mountain, golden light and nine-colored divine light shone brightly, and the villagers who were busy with farming stopped what they were doing and quickly knelt down to kowtow.

Dog-left's mother exclaimed with delight, "It's been more than half a year, and the Golden Saintess has finally emerged from seclusion!"

Gu Yuexi looked at the scene in the water mirror, which was fixed on Peach Blossom Village. The villagers stopped their busy farming activities, put their hands together and knelt down to worship. Not far away, on the flat ground, stood a stone statue that looked like her.

"It doesn't look like it was made by an ordinary person." She could tell that the statue was cut perfectly, without a single flaw.

Although there are skilled craftsmen among ordinary people, it is not easy to achieve such a feat.

The system told her: "[The magistrate of Xiping County asked Huowa to do this. They said they would build an altar for you after you leave the pass. At that time, people from the surrounding area will probably come to participate in the sacrificial ceremony, and your faith will be strengthened.]"

How much faith do I have now?

[Host has accumulated 20030 Faith Points]

"More than twenty thousand?"

She opened the system resource library.

She now possesses the fire-based magic "Blazing Flame Scripture," the water-based cultivation technique "Netherwater Treasure Book," and the wood-based cultivation technique "Wood Spirit Scripture."

The cultivation of the "Blazing Flame Scripture" is nearing completion, just one step away from perfection. It seems that it won't be long before it reaches the perfect state.

Both the "Netherwater Manual" and the "Wood Spirit Scripture" have reached the fourth level. With the cultivation experience from their previous lives, they won't be long before reaching the ninth level.

Therefore, she needs cultivation techniques with other attributes.

She chose an ice-type cultivation technique called "Ice Refining Technique" and a wind-type cultivation technique called "Wind Moves Heaven and Earth." Both were low-grade Yellow-rank techniques, the most basic techniques in the ice and wind categories, respectively.

[Host has accumulated 30 Faith Points]

"It seems I still need a lot of faith power."

After sighing, Gu Yuexi sat cross-legged with the two cultivation manuals she had exchanged and began to cultivate.

The villagers at the foot of the mountain were lifted up by an invisible force. They knew it was the goddess who had helped them up, and their faces were filled with reverence.

"I wonder when Master Luo will come to the village. If he knows that the goddess has come out of seclusion, he should let us build the altar in advance."

"The county magistrate and Master Luo said that the construction of the altar for worshiping the gods will begin after the busy farming season. This way, we can hold a grand ceremony for worshiping the gods next year. At that time, we will have plenty to eat and drink, and we can also offer some good offerings to the goddess."

He Jinzong, who is being talked about by the villagers, is currently having a headache over a recent case.

Yesterday, a man named Zhang San filed a lawsuit against Wu Minmin, the young owner of Wu Family Cloth Shop, claiming that maggots had infested the clothes in the shop and that the Wu family was deceiving the public by selling inferior goods.

The evidence was overwhelming, but many questions remained unanswered. In order to avoid escalating the conflict, He Jinzong had no choice but to order the Wu family to compensate the people for their losses and temporarily detain Wu Minmin, the young master of the Wu family, intending to investigate the situation before taking further action.

However, he has yet to make any progress on the case.

Wu Family Cloth Shop has been open for decades and is a well-known cloth shop in the county.

The fabrics and clothes from the Wu family were not only beautifully patterned but also stylish, often attracting the attention of the ladies and young women in the county. Even his daughter was a regular customer of the Wu family's cloth shop.

After three years of drought, the Wu family fled south to escape the disaster.

The cloth shop has not opened for three years.

After the drought ended, the family returned to Xiping County to open their business. Relying on the previous reputation of Wu Family Cloth Shop, it became the top choice for people to buy new clothes. Who would have thought that maggots would grow in the cloth and clothing produced by Wu Family Cloth Shop?

He suspected that perhaps a rival was jealous of the Wu family's good business and was trying to frame them, but he couldn't find any evidence. What was most troubling was that many people came to sue the Wu family today, saying that the maggots on their bodies couldn't be washed off and that the maggots still parasitized them even after they changed into other clothes.

Thinking back to the scene of maggots falling all over the ground yesterday, He Jinzong did not doubt that the people were lying; he even wondered if they had contracted a strange disease.

A strange disease that allows insects to parasitize the human body.

He had no evidence for this idea either. He asked the constables beside him, "Have you been to the Wu family? Did you find anything?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, I have investigated and found that Wu Shaodong's family did not lie. The cloth was indeed transported from the south to Xiping County by her father. It was well preserved during the journey and did not get infested with insects. We also inspected the rest of the cloth, and they were all intact and looked brand new."

"Have you had a doctor examine the cloth or clothing? Is it possible that it has been infected with some strange disease?" He Jinzong asked.

Although there is no drought in the south, I have heard that there are frequent floods. After the floods, there may be epidemics. It is possible that the reason why the cloth is infested with insects is because it has been infected with epidemics in the south.

The constable replied, "Sir, that's impossible. We consulted several doctors, and after examining the fabric or clothing, they found no trace of the strange disease."

"Moreover, none of the doctors had any health problems after they went back."

"This is really strange. Brand new cloth and clothes, perfectly intact before being sold, how could they be infested with maggots after being sold? And how could maggots parasitize people?" He Jinzong was completely baffled.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! A group of people have gathered outside the yamen. They say they are infested with maggots that they can't wash off. They are blocking the yamen and making a scene, wanting you to give them justice."

An urgent report came from outside the door.

He Jinzong suddenly looked up: "I'll go take a look."

He strode to the main gate of the yamen.

A dense crowd of people jostled and pushed each other.

"Calm down, everyone, calm down. I am right here. If you have any grievances, tell me, and I will definitely seek justice for you. Please do not crowd." He Jinzong spread his hands to appease the people.

His face showed anxiety.

"Sir! Help!"

A thin, tall woman pushed her way to the front of the crowd, crying out in heart-wrenching sobs.

"Sir, the cloth and clothes from Wu Family Cloth Shop are definitely not clean. We went back, washed ourselves, changed into old clothes, and threw away the clothes we bought from Wu Family Cloth Shop. We thought that would be fine, but in less than half an hour, our bodies were crawling with disgusting maggots again!"

“These maggots… must have crawled into our flesh and blood. Otherwise, how could we still be parasitized after we washed our bodies and changed our clothes!” The woman collapsed in panic, disheveled her hair, and frantically clung to He Jinzong.

The constables around He Jinzong pulled the woman away.

The crowds became even more densely packed.

"Calm down, everyone, don't be afraid. Let's think of a solution together. I will find a doctor to treat you for free. I believe the maggots on your bodies will disappear in a few days." He Jinzong wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Lord He, you must do us justice! It's alright if these insects are disgusting, but please don't let them carry any dirty things, or people will die!"

"We've endured three years of drought and finally gained a new lease on life. Are we really going to let these disgusting maggots take our lives?"

"Please trust me, everyone. Go home now. I will interrogate Wu Shaodong's family and find out the cause as soon as possible so we can get rid of this suffering," He Jinzong shouted in a drawn-out voice.

He ordered the constables to block the people at the door and leave the crowd. He Jinzong went straight to the study: "Bring Wu Minmin here."

The constables behind him obediently left.

Wu Minmin was pacing anxiously back and forth in the cell.

She was locked up in the cell for a night and had no idea what was happening outside. She racked her brains but couldn't understand how maggots could grow on the fabrics that her family had carefully selected.
But the scene of maggots falling to the ground yesterday was still vivid in her mind, leaving her no choice but to believe it.

"Clap!"

The chains fell to the ground with a chilling sound.

"Young Master Wu, come with us. The master wants to interrogate you personally."

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(End of this chapter)