The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 25 is something to be thankful for.

Repairing bridges and roads is a virtuous act. Although Lin Xianzong was executed along with his entire clan, this matter had nothing to do with the villagers.

The imperial court did not intend to pursue the matter, but Li Shoutian still led a few men to knock down and smash the road sign at the entrance of the village.

People from all around used to laugh at Lin Qiaoxi marrying Zhang Sanchun.

Some were envious, some were jealous.

But now, everyone thinks the couple just got incredibly lucky.

It is despicable to sever ties with someone, yet somehow several lives have been saved by accident.

If Lin Qiaoxi hadn't defied her father's orders and married into the prefect's family, she would now be facing confiscation of her property and execution.

That night.

The candlelight was still burning in the Zhang family's house. The child was already asleep, but Lin Qiaoxi felt no sleepiness at all.

She sat in the bedroom, looking at the dark, unremarkable stone placed on the bedside table.

This was the star that Zhang Sanchun plucked for her, and it was also the moment that made her determined not to obey her father's orders.

It has been placed by the bedside since we got married.

Every time I see it, I feel a sweet feeling in my heart.

But looking at it now, I always feel a deep sadness in my heart.

Zhang Sanchun came in and closed the door. Seeing her still sitting there, he said in a low voice, "Still thinking about things at home?"

Lin Qiaoxi didn't deny it, but looked at her honest husband and asked, "Do you think...they really won't blame me?"

Zhang Sanchun, unusually, did not hesitate and said, "They will be glad that you severed ties with the Lin family early on, saving your life and leaving behind a lineage. This unexpected disaster is a stroke of luck."

Lin Qiaoxi stared at him blankly, her heart stirred.

Zhang Sanchun scratched his head, thinking he had said something wrong, and said, "A-Xun taught me this. She said to answer like this if you ask. I've been memorizing it for a long time. Did I say something wrong?"

He was as honest as a child, his head bowed as if he had done something wrong.

However, it was this sincerity that, like a ray of light in the gloom, dispelled the heaviness in Lin Qiaoxi's heart.

"You're right, you memorized it very well," Lin Qiaoxi said.

She paused, then added, "Having a brother like Ah Xun is a great blessing for our family."

Ultimately, it was Chu Xun who told Zhang Sanchun that by following the trajectory of the falling meteor, they might be able to find the stars.

That black stone gave Zhang Sanchun the courage to speak up and gave Lin Qiaoxi the courage to leave the Lin family.

Everyone says that Zhang Sanchun and Lin Qiaoxi met by chance, defying all societal norms.

But no one knew that there was another source behind it.

"If only An Xiuzhen could marry Chu Xun," Lin Qiaoxi thought.

------

A month later.

Along the banks of the Songliu River, the flood peak has passed, and the river has returned to its usual calm.

Although it is still somewhat murky, it is gradually becoming clearer.

A lightly armored man stood on the shore with a sword at his side, accompanied by a young man dressed in the robes of a seventh-rank official.

Behind him were several officials dressed in black robes specially made by the Ministry of Justice, each with a resolute face and imposing presence.

A handsome young man in an official robe pointed to the opposite bank and said, "That is the Songliu Water God Temple. Some say it is two large snakes, while others say it is a thousand-year-old tortoise. However, the statue was eventually sculpted into a blurry human figure, with snakes and a tortoise on either side."

"Since you have returned to the capital to report on your mission, it is unknown when you will return. Why not take a look around?"

The lightly armored man gazed at the opposite bank and said indifferently, "I'd better never come here again, or you might be in trouble."

If he comes to Zhangnan County, hundreds of members of the Lin family will be executed, so it's better if he doesn't come.

But the young official laughed and said, "Times have changed. This time you're here to kill someone, but next time you might not. Zhangnan County will surely prosper in the future, far surpassing its past!"

"You seem quite confident. Do you perhaps believe that the Pine and Willow Water God will protect you?" the lightly armored man asked.

"Gods and immortals are not to be profaned, and it would be best if they could provide protection. But I believe that in the past, the Lin clan in Zhangnan County was the only powerful family, blocking the way forward."

"Now everything has been swept away; as the saying goes, 'no destruction, no construction.' If we can seize the opportunity, it might not be a bad thing," the young man said.

The lightly armored man, somewhat curious, turned to look at him: "This place is utterly destitute. All that's left for you are those refugees fleeing from war. Where do you get your confidence?"

These days, the number of migrants passing through Zhangnan County has indeed been increasing.

The recent floods destroyed many farmlands and caused houses to collapse.

Countless people were displaced and fled to escape the disaster.

Ordinary officials, when encountering vagrants, would be eager to drive them away as quickly as possible to avoid any trouble.

Neither a mountain of corpses leading to a plague, nor hunger driving people to riots, is a good thing.

However, the young official smiled and said, "It was these refugees who gave me confidence. Without them, we might not have succeeded."

The man in light armor looked at him, and after a moment, a rare smile appeared on his face.

"With your enthusiasm, it's no wonder those petty bigwigs in the Ministry of Personnel brought you here as the second-place scholar. You'll have to show them what you've accomplished."

The young official chuckled, "The officials in the Ministry of Personnel aren't necessarily petty; they just want to train their subordinates."

"You people are all so tight-lipped, you can't stand a single bad word about others, it's really boring." The lightly armored man shook his head.

The young man smiled without saying a word, and the man in light armor seemed to know that he wouldn't say anything more.

He then looked again at the temple on the opposite bank, which was almost completed: "If there really is a water god here, it would be a blessing for the people. I hope that if I ever return here in the future, the temple will be prosperous and will not fall into disrepair."

If the temple is dilapidated, it means that the young man's mission has failed; otherwise, why would there be no incense offerings?

The more prosperous a place is, the more popular its incense offerings become.

"Those who needed to be arrested have been arrested, and those who needed to be seen have been seen. This matter is settled, and I am returning to the capital to report. There is no need for you to see me off."

After saying this, the man in light armor turned and left.

Those who knew the officials in the Ministry of Justice were known to be very meticulous and their word was law.

The young man indeed did not see them off further; he simply watched the group leave.

Then he turned around and looked at the water god temple on the opposite bank, which, although unfinished, already had people bringing incense to worship.

He bowed slightly and cupped his hands: "If there truly is a Water God of Pine and Willow, please protect the people here and help me accomplish this great task! If I achieve great success in the future, I will surely come to gild the Water God's body to fulfill my vow."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the sedan chair that had been waiting in the woods for a long time.

Before getting into the sedan chair, he paused and ordered, "Summon all the village chiefs and local dignitaries in this county to see me. Tell them that I have just taken office and I want to treat them to a good meal."

Standing beside the sedan chair, a middle-aged clerk who had been transferred from hundreds of miles away quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and summon them immediately."

After a pause, the tall, thin, middle-aged clerk hesitated before asking, "Should I pre-order the food for the banquet?"

"No need for such trouble, the dishes have already been decided." The young man got into the sedan chair, the curtain was lowered, and his voice was deep and powerful: "I will personally cook, and I will make sure they are well-fed and watered."