She became a god

On the tall altar, the prefect looked at the two men kneeling in disarray with great satisfaction.

"Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, you have disrespected the gods and angered Lady Zhaoji. Qinghe County has not seen rain for half a year. Quickly kowtow and confess your sins, begging for the gods' forgiveness!"

Kneeling and confessing?

Lin Jingchuan and Yuantong both knew that this was just the beginning; the next step would probably be to tie the two of them to a wooden frame and burn them.

Lin Jingchuan was unwilling to accept this!

Who knows if dying here means your soul dies too?

Seeing that they did not move, the prefect ordered the soldiers on both sides to hit their backs with sticks, forcing them to fall headfirst and smear blood all over the ground.

"Your Highness, on behalf of the entire Qinghe County, I humbly beseech the gods for mercy and a timely rain. The Zhou couple, who blasphemed the gods, have been apprehended. I hope Your Highness will give them some instructions."

Ah! Where are the gods in this world?

Which cultivator is playing tricks here?

Just as Lin Jingchuan was pouring out his grievances, a sudden gust of wind blew and thunder rumbled, indicating that it was about to rain.

The crowd gathered around the altar spontaneously knelt down, their withered faces beaming with eagerness and joy.

A female voice echoed from the sky, "These two are still somewhat useful. We'll decide what to do after they bring back the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng."

Lin Jingchuan was overjoyed, but Yuantong was somewhat disappointed.

The prefect was a good official, and suppressing his anxiety, he asked, "May Your Highness grant rain to Qinghe County?"

"can."

As soon as he finished speaking, raindrops fell to the ground, and the surrounding area was filled with wind and rain. Some people cheered and sang in the wind and rain, while others looked at the rice seedlings in the fields and shed tears of joy.

"This heavy rain will last for three days, bringing life to Qinghe County. But if the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng is not seen within a month, Qinghe County will become a place despised by the gods."

*

"It seems that our most urgent task is to obtain the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng."

"I didn't expect there really was a Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng?"

"What insights do fellow Daoist Yuantong have?" Lin Jingchuan asked humbly.

"According to records, the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng is a spiritual herb formed from the essence of heaven and earth, possessing abundant spiritual power. From the day it is born, it can transform into various animals or insects, can move on its own, and is very adept at burrowing into the soil and wood, and enjoys the droppings of the Musk Orchid Beast. However..."

Yuan Tong changed his tone and said again.

"The Musk Orchid Beast is extinct; the last recorded mention of it was 10,000 years ago."

Seeing Lin Jingchuan's curiosity, Yuantong explained.

"The Musk Orchid Beast has strange, fiery red horns on its head and emits a peculiar fragrance that has a remarkable effect on calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit."

All cultivators place great importance on nourishing their souls. The Musk Orchid Beast's unique abilities naturally attracted the covetous eyes of countless cultivators, leading to its widespread hunting and eventual extinction.

Lin Jingchuan was still puzzled. "Didn't we have beast tamers ten thousand years ago? Musk Orchid Beasts are so valuable. If we could raise and tame them, they would definitely bring us a lot of spirit stones and other resources."

"Yes, there were beast tamers ten thousand years ago, but the Musk Orchid Beasts are free by nature and cannot accept any contractual constraints. They often self-destruct before they realize the danger of death and never leave behind anything useful."

Lin Jingchuan couldn't help but sigh, "This beast has a rather fierce temperament."

Then he said to Yuantong, "I have long heard that Leiyin Temple has a vast collection of books. Today, after listening to your detailed account of the Musk Orchid Beast from ten thousand years ago, I can confirm that its reputation is well-deserved."

Yuan Tong showed no joy whatsoever. "For a race like the Musk Orchid Beast, which possesses extraordinary treasures, remembering them is nothing to be happy about; it will only attract more covetousness."

For some reason, Lin Jingchuan felt that Yuantong was using the Musk Orchid Beast to mock something.

Before he could figure it out, he was hit with a stick again.

"Zhou Changsheng, what are you dawdling with the Shui family for? Hurry up and get on your horse, and head to Yuntai Mountain to find medicine."

That was Chen Pi, a constable specially dispatched by the prefect, ostensibly to assist in seeking medicine, but in reality to monitor the situation.

His rebuke brought them new information.

Lin Jingchuan, ignoring the pain, hurriedly asked what was wrong.

"Is the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng in Yuntai Mountain?"

"Seven days ago, someone saw a group of musk orchids migrating towards Yuntai Mountain, and the great poet Li Min even wrote a poem about it."

Chen Pi smirked and said, "It's normal that you don't know, after all, they're a pair of unscrupulous businessmen who're obsessed with money."

After saying that, he spat out a mouthful of phlegm. If the two hadn't dodged quickly, they would have been hit by a mouthful of phlegm.

With a clue, I felt more confident.

The three rode swift horses and hurried towards Yuntai Mountain under the starlight.

Ten days later, at the foot of Yuntai Mountain, looking at the pass guarded by layers of soldiers, everyone was at a loss.

After some investigation, it was discovered that His Highness Prince Jin had chosen Yuntai Mountain as the location for the autumn hunt, and only those with an invitation from the Prince Jin's residence were allowed to enter.

"Does the Prefect have any connection with His Highness Prince Jin?"

Lin Jingchuan tentatively asked a question, only to be met with a glare from Chen Pi.

"How would I, a mere constable, know about the private relationships of these important figures?"

"With the strength of the three of us, we simply cannot enter Yuntai Mountain."

Yuan Tong smiled bitterly. It was already miserable enough that he couldn't use his spiritual power after entering the secret realm, but when he woke up, he was in a woman's body and his strength was only that of the original body.

He had secretly asked Lin Jingchuan long ago, and he also only had the original body's abilities.

What should I do?

Seeing the two men's worried expressions, Chen Pi smiled.

"So even unscrupulous merchants have worries?"

He took out an object from his bosom, and upon closer inspection, it was a token with the words "Qinghe" engraved on it. There seemed to be a line of smaller characters in the lower right corner of the token. Before the two could see it clearly, Chen Pi urged them on.

"Hurry up and follow me. The prefect has given us a token, but it might not be useful. While I'm dealing with the guards, you two slip in quickly."

"What about you?"

Over the course of their time together, although Chen Pi was always sarcastic and sarcastic, Lin Jingchuan knew that it was directed at Zhou Changsheng and his wife, and not really aimed at them.

Chen Pi is highly skilled in martial arts and has endured hardships and lived a life of unwavering courage throughout the journey. He is a true man. If the timing hadn't been wrong, Lin Jingchuan would have really wanted to befriend him.

If they were to sneak in now, Chen Pi would likely be detained and held accountable, which would make him very worried.

"Don't look at me like that."

Chen Pi curled his lips and said, "I'm a constable who eats the emperor's salary. Qinghe County isn't the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin. He won't do anything to me."

Upon hearing this, the two were somewhat relieved.

Chen Pi went and talked to the guard for a while. During the scuffle, he accidentally spilled several packets of heroin.

The wind was strong in the mountain pass, and for a moment, it was as if a thick fog had risen.

Lin Jingchuan and Yuantong dared not delay and ran as fast as they could, faintly hearing the sounds of fighting coming from behind.

They were unlucky; as soon as they entered the outer perimeter, they encountered a fight between tigers and bears.

Fortunately, the forests of Yuntai Mountain were dense. The two climbed a large tree and followed the outer ring of trees where the beasts were fighting, leaping between the trees and traversing the path in a winding manner.

Finally, they saw the meadow and the two were about to climb down from the tree.

A breeze came, carrying with it the distinct scent of orchids and musk.

The two were overjoyed, but then they heard someone laughing.

"The Musk Orchid Beast is mine!"