Ger, So Proud

Chapter 111: Miracle

“Bestowing noble titles and appointing prime ministers…” Zhou Wen’s eyebrows twitched incessantly. Undeniably, He Ze had painted a grand picture for him, tempting him greatly and difficult to refuse.

For ten years, he had studied hard, excelling at a young age. Yet due to humble origins and lack of backing, coupled with his straightforwardness, he had been deeply marginalized. From one remote place to another, until he arrived in Qiongchuan, it had already been over a decade. Despite his outstanding performance during this time, he had never received that coveted transfer order. Was he truly willing to spend his entire life as a mere seventh-rank county magistrate?

Moreover, now he actually had no other choice. Once he fell from power, Li Deming, fearing future troubles, would surely make a move against the Luo family. Stepping back, he might even be swallowed whole, bones and all.

Zhou Wen took a deep breath, feeling conflicted. “Can I really trust you?”

Just because of the few words from this inexperienced youngster before him, was he really going to engage in this earth-shattering gamble with him? Winning would bring joy to all, but if he lost… no, he truly couldn’t afford to lose.

“Do you realize that once this deception is exposed, it’s a crime of deceiving the emperor? By then…”

“Lord Zhou jests. If it’s a true auspicious sign, how could it be manipulated? Such miraculous occurrences are unrelated to me or to you, and are surely due to His Majesty’s virtue and martial prowess. Lord Zhou, reporting this in accordance with the law is simply fulfilling your duty. How could it be considered deceiving the emperor?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but this matter is of great significance. I…” With the road ahead blocked and the path behind a precarious cliff, Zhou Wen conflicted with himself, unable to make a firm decision.

“Given the current situation, Lord Zhou has no choice but to trust me. Moreover, this case arose because of me. If Li Deming’s plot succeeds, he will certainly not spare me or my family. So, our situations are the same. If you don’t trust me, trust that I don’t want to die and wouldn’t joke with my own life.”

That was indeed true. Zhou Wen’s heart eased slightly.

“In fact, Lord Zhou need not worry so much. Let me out for one night. Wait until the auspicious sign appears, then make your decision, how about it? Surely with Lord Zhou’s abilities, you can ensure no one suspects a thing.”

“And Lord Zhou need not worry about me escaping. My parents and wife and children are all in town. Even if a monk runs away, he can’t escape the temple.”

“This…” Zhou Wen stopped his hesitant steps, closed his eyes deeply, and when he opened them again, they showed a determined look. “So be it. Since you’ve laid it all out, I’ll see what you’re capable of! But let me make it clear upfront, if this matter is exposed…”

“Lord Zhou, just pretend you knew nothing about it.”

“Good!” Zhou Wen clapped his hands, calling for Liu Yangji, and gave him a jailer’s clothes. “At dawn tomorrow, I’ll arrange for Yangji to meet you at the prison gate.”

Finally having convinced Zhou Wen, halfway past the hour of the pig, He Ze put on the clothes and successfully walked out of the prison cell.

In fact, escaping from the prison cell wasn’t difficult for him, and he could have proceeded with the auspicious sign matter alone. However, his ultimate goal was to clear his own name. For this reason, Zhou Wen’s involvement couldn’t be bypassed in the subsequent events. Rather than hastily planning later on, it was better to prepare early.

The first step: Intercept Li Deming’s letter!

According to Zhou Wen’s information, Li Deming’s subordinate had left the city around noon. If he rode fast, he might already be a hundred miles away from the city by now. Zhou Wen hadn’t sent anyone to chase him precisely because it was impossible to catch up!

However, that was relative to ordinary people. He Ze, on the other hand, had his ways. The night was dark and windy, perfect for his Wood Escape.

Wood Escape was a type of wood-element supernatural ability. He Ze had narrowly escaped death multiple times during the apocalypse, and this Wood Escape was an invaluable life-saving technique. It was said that ninth-rank wood-element supernaturals could travel thousands of miles in an instant, which He Ze couldn’t achieve now. But pursuing a horse was more than enough.

After asking about the general characteristics of the subordinate, He Ze leaped through the forest alongside the official road, eventually finding the person at the post station ninety li away from the county town. In extraordinary times, one needed extraordinary methods. Along the way, He Ze deliberately gave him a few enhanced versions of the “Mystery Leaf,” the primary ingredient of sleeping pills. Just a whiff would induce three days and three nights of sleep.

To prevent accidents, He Ze also retrieved a letter from his belongings. Its contents were exactly as he had expected, embellishing facts and twisting the truth. Li Deming had indeed spared no effort in lobbying for this acting county magistrate position.

With this matter settled, it was time for a proper meal. Before that, He Ze hurried back home to make a few quick arrangements, then headed towards Xiangyang Mountain.

This was the place He Ze chose for the auspicious sign. Originally, he had thought about choosing Xiu Mountain closest to the bustling county town, but considering that once the auspicious sign appeared, it might immediately become a renowned scenic spot in the vicinity. If he could also bring some benefits to the He Family Village along the way, it would be a good thing.

Xiangyang Mountain had five peaks, enveloping He Family Village in a favorable formation. Among them, the eastern peak was the highest and visible from the county town. He Ze didn’t hesitate. In a few breaths, he arrived at the summit.

His current supernatural ability was barely at the fourth rank, and coupled with the recent expenditure, extracting seventy to eighty percent of the vitality from this peak was indeed a challenging task.

But it didn’t matter. As long as the spectacle was grand enough, it wouldn’t affect the overall situation.

“I apologize to everyone. By next spring, I will surely repay doubly.”

He Ze found a secluded tree peak to hide in, and dots of green fluorescent light rose from the flowers, grass, and trees around him, slowly enveloping the entire eastern peak. In just a moment, the mountain peak resembled a huge green cocoon, with its brilliance soaring into the sky, exceptionally mystical.

Unfortunately, green light wasn’t golden light, and He Ze felt somewhat regretful. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a big deal.

The cramped houses of the county town were the first to witness this extraordinary sight, with villagers nearby waking up one after another, awakening their families and friends, and heading towards Xiangyang Mountain.

About half an hour later, when the night watchman in the county town finally noticed this unusual situation, the news reached Zhou Wen’s ears as he struggled to sleep in his study.

“So soon!” It had just passed the hour of the Ox.

“My lord, there’s a brilliant light on the mountain, and the people think it’s a miracle. Many in the city are rushing towards the mountain.”

The commotion was so great that Zhou Wen’s heart relaxed halfway. So, it was He Ze who came up with this idea. If he didn’t report such a big disturbance, that would truly be deceiving the emperor!

“Someone, bring my clothes! Also, gather all the bailiffs and constables in the yamen, and come with me to see what’s going on.”

“Yes, sir!”

The crowd heading towards Xiangyang Mountain was vast and packed with vehicles and horses, causing a chaotic congestion. This was the first time this little road had been so lively. Normally, it would take an hour’s journey by ox cart, but Zhou Wen and his subordinates on horseback took less than a hour due to two constables clearing the way ahead. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to get through.

By now, the foot of Xiangyang Mountain was surrounded by people. Since the He family’s village was at the foot of the mountain, most of the He family members crowded at the front. Bold groups of three to five people had already ventured into the dense forest.

The He family had originally rested in the town, but He Ze had informed Lin Yu before going home, so they were among the first to arrive almost in town. At this moment, they were crowded at the front. He An was eager, “Father, do you think there really are immortals? What are these lights…? Shouldn’t we go in and see?”

He An didn’t know that his eldest brother had caused these things because of the family matters that had been bothering him for a while, and he was excited for once.

He Yocai didn’t answer. He had lived for 34 years and had never seen such a thing. Could there really be… immortals? And would they really appear next to their village?

Lin Yu stood aside and smiled without saying a word. He naturally knew what was going on. The sparse green light at the foot of the mountain, Lin Yu took a few steps forward until the green fluorescence enveloped his whole body. Dad Li saw him and hurriedly pulled him back. “Yu-ge, come back quickly. I dare not go in. What if this is something dirty? You’re now two people; your body is not the same as before.”

“I know, Dad, don’t worry. It’s just that I feel much better when these lights fall on me, and I feel more energetic.” Lin Yu picked up a bunch of fluorescence and whispered, “Why don’t you give it a try?”

During this period, he had been pregnant and worried about He Ze, so every time he went to the prison to deliver food, he often asked him to bring some flowers and plants, which He Ze used his abilities to help nourish his body with significant effects.

“Really?” Dad Li was skeptical and cautiously reached out. The fluorescence disappeared from his palm.

This effort didn’t seem to feel anything, and Lin Yu pulled him forward a few more steps. Seeing this, Old He and He An hurriedly followed them. Among the crowd were many curious people who didn’t dare to enter but were interested in this green light, crowding the foot of the mountain. There were even scholars who had drunk ink for years and composed spontaneous poems to commemorate this rare and strange phenomenon that had occurred once in a hundred years.
—

Zhou Wen managed to squeeze through the crowd with his bailiffs, and by now, his head was also spinning. If he didn’t know that this was He Ze’s doing, he might have even thought it was the work of a deity!

No, even knowing it was He Ze, doubts still lingered in his heart!

The scene before him was completely different from historical “auspicious signs” that had occurred—whether strange inscriptions on rocks or rare animals, there were always traces to follow. But what about now? What exactly was this green light? It wasn’t warm to the touch, clearly unrelated to fire. He had heard of night pearls that could glow at night, but how big would a night pearl have to be to illuminate a mountain peak? Obviously, that was impossible!

Or perhaps, that young man he had seen just a few hours ago was truly an extraordinary person among immortals? Even if not, he was certainly someone who had attained a high level of Dao! Zhou Wen suddenly remembered the wild grass that He Ze had demonstrated to him in the prison cell, growing instantaneously!

He blamed himself for thinking it was just a trick of the eye, not trusting a superior!

At this moment, Zhou Wen had full confidence and anticipation in He Ze’s “auspicious sign” plan.

“Go, immediately summon the city defense battalion. The rest of you, keep an eye on the crowd. No loud noise or fighting allowed.”

“Sir, should we surround the foot of the mountain? Otherwise, if everyone runs into the forest, the auspicious sign might be scared away.” Liu Yangji suppressed his astonishment and regained his composure.

“Not for now. The handful of bailiffs we have won’t be enough. We’ll wait until reinforcements from the city defense battalion arrive. Moreover, if people who want to enter here are stopped, it could easily stir up public resentment.”

With Xiangyang Mountain being so vast, this was just a downhill road on the east peak. What use was there in surrounding this place? At this moment, thousands of people had already gathered here, and there were many other entrances. He called for reinforcements from the city defense battalion mainly to prevent any accidents and also to guard the exits for when people came out of the forest.

He had carefully observed earlier that the green light at the foot of the mountain was sparse, and most of it was converging towards the mountaintop. The higher up, the denser the green light became, with the peak’s brightness competing directly with the moonlight. Regardless of whether this green light was good or bad, those who entered the forest would more easily notice something unusual.

But thinking that this miracle was caused by He Ze, Zhou Wen waved his hand decisively, “Let’s go, Yangji, come with me to take a look.”