Eternal Life: I Can Sell Everything

The Iron Wood Puppet stopped outside the main hall, quietly bending over to peek at the scene inside.

The first thing that caught its eye was the gilded and painted statue of a god in the center of the grand hall!

The statue wore a Crimson Official Robe, with a Purple Profound Gold Belt around its waist and a Cloud-shaped Ruyi in its hand. It had sword-like brows, a long beard, and sharp, phoenix-like eyes that held a menacing glint. Though merely a statue sculpted by artisans, it possessed a distinct and awe-inspiring divinity, leaving no doubt in the observer’s mind that the City God himself was looking down from behind its eyes.

As he looked upon the Mortal World, he exuded both widespread benevolence and magnificent, awe-inspiring power.

Song Ciwan had visited the Su Yang City God Temple back when she was in Su Yang City and had worshipped the Su Yang City God. However, that City God’s majesty was utterly incomparable to this one’s.

Just by looking through the Iron Wood Puppet, for a fleeting moment, Song Ciwan felt a sense of profound intimidation!

Song Ciwan immediately had the Iron Wood Puppet cup its hands and bow, paying respects to the statue in the hall.

Curiously, after this gesture of respect, when the Iron Wood Puppet stood up straight again and looked at the statue, the overwhelming sense of majesty immediately diminished a great deal.

The majesty was still there, but it was no longer unsettling.

Song Ciwan stood outside the City God Temple, her expression shifting slightly as she was lost in thought.

She stood respectfully with her hands at her sides, perfectly still. She didn’t look around, but instead drove the Iron Wood Puppet to focus its gaze on Niu the Sixth and his two daughters.

Niu the Sixth was kneeling on the floor, and the Snake Maidens were prostrated beside him.

After entering the City God’s main hall, the Night Wanderer’s ten-foot-tall body had shrunk to the height of an ordinary person. Holding an Iron Ruyi, he was recounting the ordeal of Niu the Sixth and his daughters to the City God statue in a booming voice.

After he finished, the Night Wanderer pleaded, "My Lord, if we have any suitable positions, please spare one for these Snake Maidens. In their condition, how could they possibly survive out there without your protection?"

The statue did not answer. It was both a god and a sculpture.

The Night Wanderer quickly pulled at Niu the Sixth, urging him to piously offer incense.

"Quick, offer incense to My Lord! Beg for My Lord’s mercy!"

Niu the Sixth frantically wiped his hands on his clothes again and again before taking the Incense Stick from the Night Wanderer.

He shuffled forward on his knees, kowtowing as he went. His already red forehead was now scraped and bloodied from the repeated prostrations.

With each kowtow, he cried out, "I beg for My Lord’s mercy! I beg for My Lord’s mercy!"

He continued shuffling on his knees all the way to the altar table, inserted the Incense Stick into the censer, and then prostrated himself deeply, saying no more.

The Snake Maidens moved beside him. When he kowtowed, they too bowed their bodies. When he prostrated himself in silence, they too remained silent in prostration.

Of course, the Snake Maidens had already lost their ability to speak, so their silence was normal.

Wisps of formless, slightly weary-looking energy drifted from the heads of the father and daughters, flowing directly into the body of the enthroned statue.

Through the Iron Wood Puppet’s eyes, Song Ciwan could see that the energy above the Snake Maidens’ heads seemed to have lost its previous radiance.

’It isn’t as bright. This doesn’t mean the Snake Maidens are any less pious, but it’s most likely because—’

’Spring Dew is an exceptionally special, high-level Wish Power, and the Snake Maidens will only offer it to me, Song Ciwan.’

’After all, the one who saved them from the depths of suffering and humiliation was neither the Night Wanderer nor the City God.’

’When faced with other gods, the Snake Maidens can’t muster that kind of extreme emotion.’

’Without that extreme emotion, there is no Spring Dew...’

Song Ciwan stood in a secluded corner, gazing at the night sky, and let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh in her heart.

An unknown amount of time passed. In the main hall, the incense had burned down. The ash from one particular stick, which had remained perfectly intact, suddenly gave way and fell with a soft drop.

The Night Wanderer exclaimed joyfully, "The incense has nodded! My Lord has agreed! Quick! Thank My Lord!"

Though dazed and confused, Niu the Sixth immediately began to kowtow with joy, and the Snake Maidens followed suit.

Before long, the statue of a Child to the side of the hall suddenly opened its eyes. An identical-looking Child then walked out from the statue. The Child held a Duster and swept it over the Snake Maidens and Niu the Sixth.

A faint light shimmered, and all the shallow wounds on the Snake Maidens and Niu the Sixth instantly healed.

The Child lifted its chin slightly and announced, "My Lord has taken pity on your suffering and permits you to enter the side hall to serve as an Incense Offering Minor God. Follow me. From this day forward, you are now in the service of my City God Temple."

The Child waved its hand, and a Token shot out, transforming into a streak of white light that flew toward the two Snake Maidens.

Both maidens reached out at the same time. In an instant, the white light split in two and landed in each of their hands.

Looking closely, the Tokens were clearly made of wood. They were small, each about the size of a palm, and were in fact two Wooden Ruyis!

The Snake Maidens had truly entered the service of the City God Temple. Even Niu the Sixth was given arrangements in the rear hall, tasked with sweeping and other miscellaneous chores alongside the temple’s handymen.

In other words, after praying to the gods, this unfortunate father and his daughters had, in the blink of an eye, landed themselves a post backed by the Court!

Such were the wondrous ways of the world.

Meanwhile, through the eyes of the Iron Wood Puppet by the main hall’s entrance, Song Ciwan clearly saw the eyes of the City God statue, high upon its throne, suddenly move ever so slightly!

The City God’s eyes fell upon the Iron Wood Puppet. Then, the gilded statue gave a slight nod.

It looked as if the City God was acknowledging Song Ciwan!

The Wooden Puppet cupped its hands in return and quickly and quietly departed.

Song Ciwan recalled the Iron Wood Puppet and swiftly left the vicinity of the City God Temple.

But even though she had left, the shock in her heart did not subside for a long time.

’The City God took in Niu the Sixth and his daughters. It was an act of mercy, but it also seemed like... was he actually using this to form a favorable bond with me?’

’I’m not surprised the City God was able to sense my presence. Even though I am in the Otherworld, the City God of Pinglan City is at least at the Earth Immortal Level.’

’If an Earth Immortal Level City God couldn’t even see through a mere Qi Cultivation junior like me on his own home turf, what kind of Earth Immortal would he be?’

’Even though I am in the Otherworld, I’m afraid it would be difficult to remain completely hidden.’

’What truly shocked me was, why would the high and mighty City God try to form a favorable bond with a mere Qi Cultivation junior like me?’

’Did that really just happen? It wasn’t just my imagination, was it?’

What Song Ciwan didn’t know was that not long after she left, the Child asked the City God the very same question.

Deep within the layers of temple halls, the ethereal form of the City God sat upon a massive, shining mirror. After settling Niu the Sixth and his daughters, the Child knocked and entered, reporting the details of the arrangement to the City God.

Afterward, he voiced his own question.

The City God’s voice seemed to drift from the distant void as he answered, "In this era of great Transformation, she could be a future Celestial Pride. What harm is there in forming a favorable bond with her?"

The Child was stunned. "My Lord, the person behind that father and his daughters... is a Celestial Pride?"

The City God chuckled. "Not a Celestial Pride today. But in the future, if she doesn’t perish, there is at least an eighty percent chance she will ascend to the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List."

The Child said, "But so what if she makes the list? With My Lord’s revered status, did you not also make the list in your younger days?"