Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 1 Chen Shunan Does Not Believe in God
There is no God in this world.

At least as a time traveler, Chen Shunan, who was forty-nine years old and had married five wives in his lifetime, had never encountered such a situation.

When he married his first wife, he was a young man of fifteen or sixteen. At that time, Longnan was flooded, and Chen Shunan fled here. He bought her from the flood of refugees with moldy water god offerings.

Six months later, the woman gave birth prematurely, and both she and her child died.

The second wife starved to death on the way back after receiving the government's disaster relief grain, carrying a pot of porridge.

The thin porridge mixed with sand was very fragrant and salty.

The third wife died of tuberculosis. That year, Chen Shunan refined saltpeter and used sand and charcoal to filter sewage, making his first fortune. Although the method was seized by the officials in charge of water management, he still managed to accumulate a small fortune.

Unfortunately, she didn't even have time to enjoy life before she became as thin as a withered corn stalk. Only her dark eyes remained frighteningly bright, staring straight at Chen Shunan until her death.

She still had her favorite ginger candy in her mouth.

No god appeared.

The floods were resolved by dredging river channels and excavating the Yanshan Mountains.

After three wives died in succession, locals spread rumors that Chen Shun'an was cursed by a malevolent star, a centipede-like creature that could not only spin a wheel but also had long, cunning barbs with deadly poison.

They would hook out a woman's intestines, heart, and liver, fill them with poison, and then stuff them back in, so she would definitely die suddenly within two years.

The local men feared Chen Shunan like the plague, terrified that he would seduce their wives.

The local women viewed Chen Shunan as a monstrous threat, fearing that they might accidentally be hooked and lose their lives.

As a result, Chen Shunan could no longer make a living in the area and could not get married.

He wanted to go to the capital, make a name for himself under the emperor's nose, and use his time-traveling mind and knowledge beyond this era to achieve great things!
The fourth wife was the daughter of a retired river worker who was being whipped by soldiers, whom he rescued on the way to Beijing.

Chen Shunan, who is approaching fifty, can no longer clearly remember what she looked like. He only remembers that her skin was as smooth and tender as water, but her hands were covered with thick calluses, which would scratch Chen Shunan's back painfully every time.

She was on her way home from work when she was accidentally killed by two passing martial arts masters from Tianjin.

Chen Shunan only found some fragments congealed with blackened bloodstains, which he put in a thin coffin and hastily buried.

The two chivalrous men, feeling guilty, left ten taels of silver and then departed, covering their faces.

The river worker's father-in-law was so anxious that he fell seriously ill. Before he died, in order to avoid burdening Chen Shunan with the heavy funeral arrangements, he took the initiative to jump into the river and commit suicide, saving the cost of a coffin.

after that,

Upon entering Kyoto, one passes through the forty-nine city gates.

Chen Shunan had worked as a broker and had been extorted by tax collectors. He wanted to learn martial arts to strengthen his body, but was kicked out of the house because he was too old.

I've been beaten, and I've also beaten others. I've even traded my worthless conscience for a meager meal.

After much searching, he finally spent ten taels of silver to buy a vacancy for a water carrier in Wuqing County, Tongzhou, on the outskirts of Beijing.

Water well workers were those who used well pulleys to draw water from wells and then used water carts to deliver the water to each household.

The capital city is situated on high ground, with a large population and a great need for water, but the source of water is quite limited.

Although five rivers, including the Juma, Wuding, and Dayun, flow through the capital, they are extremely far from the homes of ordinary people, so they all have to buy water to make a living.

Along with the dung tyrant, the mortar tyrant, and the cart tyrant, they were known as the Four Tyrants of the Capital.

The well's profits include dozens of watermen running around delivering water, two shops working together to twist ropes, a manager keeping accounts and distributing profits, and a monthly tribute to the landlord.

Chen Shunan's fifth wife was a descendant of the Zhang family, a prominent clan in Tongzhou, and came from an official family.

Unfortunately, in her lineage, because no one was born within three degrees of kinship and no one wore the official hat and peacock feather within six degrees of kinship, she was expelled from the family and even had her surname changed to 'Zhang'.

Chen Shunan himself had to admit that he initially approached Zhang because he was attracted by her background and wanted to take a shortcut by marrying a rich young woman.

Thanks to this connection, Chen Shunan was able to secure the position of water carrier after only two years of waiting.

But perhaps it was because Chen Shunan was truly toxic, Zhang Shi only lived a peaceful and harmonious life with him for three or four years before she went mad, appearing delirious all day long, saying that she saw her four older sisters.

The sisters were in different miserable states, and they didn't say a word, all staring at her coldly with sidelong glances.

Lady Zhang then became bedridden and died within two years.

Therefore, Chen Shunan understood a principle.

No one can be relied upon as a human being, not even gods or immortals.

Only on your own.

……

The Changbai Holy Dynasty was established in 959.

It was early summer, and the sand on the horizon was bright.

On the Tongzhou Grand Canal, thousands of boats and ships gathered in droves.

In Chaodou Hutong, Wuqing County, Tongzhou, there is a house with a clear ridge and willow trees planted at the entrance.

"Why are you having these old dreams again now that you're getting old?"

As dawn broke, Chen Shunan, who had only slept for less than two hours, suddenly woke up with a start.

He dreamed of his five wives.

Suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Chen Shunan slowly sat up, glancing at his obedient and unresponsive in-laws.

His brother hadn't nodded for several months, and Chen Shunan worried that it was a side effect of his years of recklessly consuming potent drugs in pursuit of martial arts.

At only forty-nine years old, Chen Shunan felt a pang of sadness.

Then, as if feeling a bit cold, he quickly reached out his already wrinkled hands and grabbed the plain-colored long robe and mandarin jacket on the crossbar.

Despite some skincare efforts, Chen Shunan's skin began to develop spots, and his face was covered with a brownish tinge.

On his bare back, old knife and arrow wounds had formed scabs that resembled centipedes, giving him a sense of vicissitude and impending decline.

The jacket had already been washed by a specialist and exuded a warm scent after being exposed to the sun.

While getting dressed, Chen Shunan coughed occasionally, his face pale as if he were recovering from a serious illness.

The marks of time and the hideous scabs seemed to be quickly concealed by the long robe, as if afraid of the light.

Chen Shunan stood up.

He wore a faded blue cotton short jacket underneath, trousers, and a long robe with horseshoe cuffs and centipede buttons.

Even after all these years, Chen Shunan still wasn't used to this outfit. It felt oppressive and suffocating, making it hard to breathe. Plus, it had no crotch or underwear, and he always felt unsupported as he walked.

In summer, it's even more difficult to clean up when it's sweaty, and after a day, it will have a sour smell.

Every time Wan Niang washed Chen Shun'an's clothes, he would complain. She would just smile. Wan Niang was Chen Shun'an's cousin, a distant relative of Zhang Shi, the fifth wife of his.

Wan Niang's family background was even worse than Zhang's; her parents died early, leaving behind three daughters and two sons.

Wan Niang was the third child in her family and had long been married. Unfortunately, she had a gambling husband, a school-aged child, and a brother she needed to support...

I have to work several jobs.

Wan Niang came every day to cook breakfast and dinner for Chen Anshun, and also cleaned the courtyard and washed his clothes, for a monthly fee of half a string of cash.

The rest of the time, he would work as a helper at a two-meat shop that sold both tea and wine. When he had free time, he would go home and spin yarn to sell cloth.

Fortunately, her husband was driven to his death by loan sharks last year. Out of respect for Chen Shunan, the lender only charged 8% interest plus the principal.

Wan Niang and her mother were lucky to escape with their lives.

Chen Shunan stepped out of the bedroom and was greeted by a courtyard that was six steps deep, but it was not regular; it was a deformed trapezoidal shape, narrow on the outside and wide on the inside.

There are still traces of mud and sand on the courtyard wall after it collapsed due to heavy rain last year, which were then repaired.

Even though the Cold Dew solar term had passed, Chen Shunan still felt a bit cold.

He subconsciously tugged at his collar and strode quickly into the east room's kitchen.

The house was crammed full of grain, coal, and firewood, and the wall near the stove was covered with black grime from long-term smoke and fire.

The embers of the firewood in the stove had not yet died down, and the remaining fire was simmering the lotus leaf porridge, whose lid had already been removed.

There were also two sesame seed cakes and a white egg next to the pot.

"Phew... Wan Niang's lotus leaf porridge is truly authentic, with fresh and fragrant lotus leaves and thick and smooth rice."

Chen Shunan exclaimed in admiration and then stood by the stove eating his breakfast.

The warmth and sustenance provided by the food eased the pallor on Chen Shunan's face.

He even developed a body fuzz, which dispelled much of the coldness in his body.

About half a month ago, one night, after delivering water, Chen Shunan returned the water truck to the well and, as usual, inspected the 'gravel well'.

Although the 'gravel well' that Chen Shunan was on duty at was just a muddy water well, it could not be used for drinking directly and could only be used for washing clothes and irrigating crops.

But the money flowing in was money, which supported a large group of their brothers.

Chen Shunan naturally dared not slack off.

The well platform of the gravel well is covered with a shed, and there are people who guard it all night to prevent it from being poisoned or damaged by bad guys.

But that night, for some reason, while standing on the edge of the well, Chen Shunan felt a strange, eerie wind blowing from behind, making him feel dizzy and lightheaded, and he fell into the well with a sudden jolt.

The person guarding the well was clearly outside the shed, but he was completely unaware of it. No matter how much Chen Shunan called for help, he didn't hear a sound at all.

Fortunately, Chen Shunan was not destined to die. Relying on his swimming skills, he persevered.

When Wan Niang noticed that Chen Shun'an had not returned home for a long time, she became suspicious. She quickly found several of Chen Shun'an's colleagues, and together they rushed to Shalijing and rescued Chen Shun'an.

But the well was cold and damp, penetrating to the bone, and it nearly killed the elderly Chen Shunan.

I stayed home for a full two weeks.

Fortunately, after his misstep, Chen Shunan also turned misfortune into blessing, seemingly unlocking something extraordinary.

It was a scroll called the "True Spirit Treasure Proclamation of the Three Primordial Water Officials," which floated in and out of his mind, yet remained obscure and unclear, seemingly lacking some necessary activation condition.

Having lived two lives, Chen Shunan knew some Taoist terminology.

The Precious Proclamation, also called the Proclamation, is the decree of the immortals and a parallel prose praising the saints.

If paired with the preceding 'Three Primal Water Officials' True Spirit', it seems to be a kind of precious edict specifically for various water officials, and it records the names and divine authority of each water official.

Unfortunately, to this day, Chen Shunan still does not know how to activate this precious edict.

After recuperating for several days, Chen Shunan felt that his spirits had improved and his arms and legs had regained some strength, so he prepared to go out and deliver water from the well.

'boom! '

Put down your bowl and chopsticks.

Chen Shunan left the bowls and chopsticks in the washbasin, waiting for Wan Niang to wash them in the afternoon.

He walked back to the living room of the north room, grabbed a handful of ginger candy from the melon-shaped candy jar on the cabinet, and stuffed it into his pocket.

He then filled the leather water bladder with herbal tea and slung it along with the short-stemmed pipe at his waist.

Chen Shunan then quickly walked towards the door.

Chen Shunan knew with a grain of salt that if he missed half a month of duty, there would be plenty of gossip going around behind his back.

There's no need to worry about our own brothers; the main concern is other sections (water delivery areas), like that old ghost Tang.

Tang Laogui and Chen Shunan had a long-standing feud, which initially stemmed from a dispute over a business belonging to a resident in an alleyway.

This then gradually extends to sectarianism and regional disputes.

Tang Laogui was a native of Tongzhou and looked down on people like Chen Shunan who climbed the social ladder and settled in Tongzhou.

Unfair discrimination, making things difficult for every out-of-towner.

Chen Shunan had fought with him two years ago and cracked Tang Laogui's skull open.

The feud was thus permanently formed.

Chen Shunan suspected that his accidental fall into the water was the work of this old ghost Tang.

Just as I stepped out of the courtyard gate, a middle-aged man with a hurried expression rushed into the alley.

"Brother Chen, something's happened!!"

A powerful voice boomed in Chen Shunan's ears.

The man was dressed in short clothes, shirtless, and wearing straw sandals. He was lean and muscular, and his movements gave him a clever air. He was also a boatman.

"San Dezi, what happened?"

Chen Shunan looked at the man and frowned.

San Dezi, with a stern face, said...
"Brother, Tang Laogui is dead!"

"He drowned and stayed in that well for over ten days before finally floating up this morning!"

(End of this chapter)