Heaven Official’s Blessing: No Paths Are Bound

It didn take more than two days before Xie Lian came to face a major crisis:

There was nothing to eat in the shrine.

If he was by himself, in a day, hed only need just a couple steamed buns with a small plate of pickled veggies. Maybe pick some cucumbers from the fields to munch, and hed take care of himself perfectly; the offerings of daily needs from the Puqi villagers were more than sufficient. Yet now, there were three more mouths to feed in the shrine. Two live humans and a half-dead ghost; it didn take long before they cleaned him out of his rations.

The two children were alright, at least. Qi Rong the half-dead ghost, possessing a full-grown man refusing to come out, cussed Xie Lian out on one hand for feeding him shitty food, but ate more than anyone else on the other. Xie Lian really wanted to stuff a blackened pan into his mouth.

After making sure the pan couldn be easily pulled out, Xie Lian decided to take the two little ones out to walk around the markets; see if they could collect some junk, then find them a good meal.

If it was said that Xie Lians luck was usually bad, then the Xie Lian today had especially bad luck. After walking around town, there was actually not a single scrap to be collected. Finally, he stood at a crowded intersection and made a decision: he would pick up his old line of work.

Thus, he settled the two kids aside before he stood in the middle of the intersection and called out in a loud and clear voice:

”DEAR FOLKS AND NEIGHBOURS! TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME THIS SERVANT HAS COME TO THIS TREASURED PLACE. I WILL PERFORM A FEW SHAMEFUL TRICKS. THEY ARE EMBARRASSING, BUT I HOPE EVERYONE WILL CUT ME SOME SLACK AND GIVE THIS POOR MAN A HAND, DONATE A BITE TO EAT, GRANT SOME COINS FOR THE ROAD… ”

Xie Lian had the air of a saint, the appearance of a cultivator; his sleeves clean and fluttering, his voice clear and sonorous, energetic and invigourating. Many on the streets who were idle soon came and surrounded him.

”What can you do? Show us something neat. ”

”How about plate spinning? ” Xie Lian said cheerfully.

The crowd waved their hands. ”Thats not hard at all, its childs play! What else can you do? ”

Xie Lian then said, ”Hows shattering boulders on my chest? ”

The crowd groused, ”Thats too old-school, too old! Anything else? ”

Only then did Xie Lian come to realize, even street performances needed to keep up with the times. All of his best tricks were now nothing more than yesterdays news, and there were none left whod appreciate his craft. The crowd was going to break up, and without any other choice, he brought out his ultimate technique; he took out from his sleeves a set of protection charms he made with his own hands, and called out again.

”Free protection charms for watching the performance! They
e handmade, don walk on by and miss out on this chance! ”

Hearing that there were freebies, the dispersed crowd soon came back.

”What kind of protection charms? Which temple blessed them? Is it the Heavenly Martial Emperor? ”

”Do you have any for wealth? Give me a wealth charm please, thanks! ”

”I want one from Ju Yang, please save one for me! ”

”No, no, ” Xie Lian explained. ”The one Im giving away is from the Crown Prince of Xianle, blessed by Puqi Shrine, for sure effective. ”

Of course itd be effective. Other heavenly officials had at least thousands of people praying to them daily; their ears rang with white noise, and with even just a little too much work, theyd pass it down to the junior officials under them. As for Xie Lian, at most hed only have a few praying to him at once, so who was more likely to actually hear prayers?

The crowd scoffed. ”What the hell, weve never heard of him before! ”

Xie Lian added, ”Its okay if youve never heard of him. Puqi Shrine is located just seven miles out at Puqi Village. Everyones welcome to pay a visit, and theres no need to bring offerings… ”

Before he even finished, the crowd had already broken up. Every single one of the spectators littered the charms away soon after, and Xie Lian trotted over to pick them up, patting them clean before stuffing them back into his sleeves, not looking the least bit bothered. As he picked, a pair of cloth shoes stopped before him. Xie Lian looked up and saw Lang Yings raven-black eyes peeking out from under the bandages, watching him intently.

”Whats wrong? ” Xie Lian asked gently. ”Go over there and sit with Guzi. Just wait for me for a bit. ”

Lang Ying was quiet. Just then, the two doors to a mansion at the end of the large street suddenly burst open, and a man was thrown out, angry shouts following behind him.

”QUACK DOCTOR! ”

The pedestrians on the streets immediately rushed over to watch the show. The thundering footsteps trampled by, and those protection charms that weren yet picked up were instantly crushed, dirtied, and ripped. Xie Lian watched speechlessly, and gave up on saving them. He made Lang Ying go back to watch over Guzi, then he himself went to check things out. As he approached the entrance to that mansion, a man looking to be a wealthy merchant was arguing with an old man who looked like a doctor.

That wealthy merchant raged, ”WHAT DID YOU TELL ME WHEN YOU CAME YESTERDAY? DIDNT YOU SAY THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT? HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN TODAY? MY WIFE DIDNT FALL OR EAT ANYTHING BAD, SO HOW DID THINGS BECOME LIKE THIS?! ”

That doctor, however, cried injustice: ”When I came to diagnose your wife yesterday, she was perfectly fine! I think in regards to this, you need to find a cultivator, not a doctor! ”

That wealthy merchant was outraged; he stood with a hand on his hip and the other pointing accusingly. ”MY SON ISNT LOST YET, SO WHY ARE YOU CURSING HIM, YOU FAKE DOCTOR?! WATCH YOURSELF, I JUST MIGHT SUE FOR ALL OF YOUR ASSETS! ”

The doctor picked up and held his medical case. ”Even if you sue me, theres nothing to be done. I really can read that pulse! Ive never seen anything like it before in my life!! ”

The crowd jeered: ”Find yourself a new doctor! ” ”Maybe go find a cultivator! ”

Xie Lian instinctively felt there was something off about this affair, and raised his hand in the sea of people.

”Please look here! Theres a cultivator here! Im a cultivator! ”

Everyone turned to look at him, puzzled. ”WERENT YOU A STREET PERFORMER??? ”

Xie Lian explained politely, ”That was only a side-gig. Thank you. ” He walked up to the merchant. ”Will you bring me to see the esteemed madame? ”

Within the mansion came shrill screaming, no doubt all the ladies -in-waiting were panicking. The new doctor called by the wealthy merchant wasn going to arrive just yet, and men in desperate plight will do anything, so he really dragged Xie Lian in the door to see his wife, and Xie Lian grabbed that doctor on the way in too.

When the men entered the bedchamber, there was blood all over the floor, and upon the large flower-curtained bed laid a young woman, her face white as a sheet from severe pain. Her agony was so acute shed likely be hugging her belly and rolling about, had the ladies-in-waiting not held her down. The moment Xie Lian walked through the door, he could feel all the hairs on his neck stand.

That chamber was heavy with the essence of evil, and that essence came from one place.

That womans belly!

Xie Lian immediately blocked everyone behind him and shouted, ”DONT MOVE! THERES SOMETHING IN HER BELLY THATS NOT RIGHT! ”