Chapter 42: The First Evangelists

“Who wants to sign up to spread the Dragon God’s teachings?”

“I do! I do! I do!”

In an instant, all the villagers of Qingshui Village raised their hands.

Qing Qishan, in particular, raised his hand exceptionally high.

“Good. Everyone, no need to be in a hurry,” Xi Yu said with a smile, finding that having everyone proactively take on this task indeed yielded better results.

“Although spreading the teachings of the Lord Dragon is important, the agricultural work of your households is even more important, and the Lord Dragon won’t delay the village’s agricultural work for His own affairs.”

“So, I would like the Village Head to help me compile a list later: any household with two adult laborers should keep one behind to tend to the fields first, and those with surplus hands can head out.”

“Of course, whether you stay in the village or head out, as long as your faith in the Lord Dragon is devout enough and your believer level is high enough, you can receive the Lord Dragon’s blessing.”

“Let’s finalize the personnel list first, and in three days, the Qingshui Dragon God will bestow a collective blessing upon all believers.”

Vroom—

Once his words fell, all the villagers were deeply shaken.

Upon hearing Xi Yu say the dragon wouldn’t delay their agricultural work, they couldn’t help but be filled with shock.

To them, agricultural work was of paramount importance, and the Qingshui Dragon God being so considerate of them filled them with immense gratitude.

Of course, what excited them even more now was that they could all receive the Lord Dragon’s blessing, and in an instant, all the villagers’ blood boiled.

Each of them wished they could receive the Lord Dragon’s blessing immediately.

“Fellow villagers, please return home first,” Xi Yu said. “The Lord Dragon prefers peace and quiet, and you don’t need to visit the temple daily to pay respects unless there are other matters.”

“Yesterday was the day the Qingshui Dragon God Temple was born, and from now on, we will celebrate on this day every year, and everyone can gather to pay respects to the Lord Dragon then.”

These words made the villagers look at each other, but the temple priest was the spokesperson of the Dragon God, and since he said so, it had to be the Lord Dragon’s intention.

Thus, the villagers agreed one after another.

Subsequently, after paying respects to the dragon statue once more, the villagers began to depart from the temple in an orderly manner.

Once the crowd left, the temple quickly became quiet.

Xi Yu looked at the empty hall and let out a sigh; he was left alone again.

Straightaway, he walked toward the inner section of the hall.

Aside from the main hall, the temple also possessed several side halls, which he had specifically constructed yesterday for his own quarters.

The side hall was very spacious, containing nothing except for windows and doors.

Fortunately, Xi Yu was prepared, pulling out stones from his space and piecing them together to form a stone bed.

Then, he produced several stone stools, and the room was barely complete.

Xi Yu pulled out blankets from his space and spread them on the stone bed, and his sleeping quarters were settled.

He possessed all daily necessities.

He lacked nothing currently, as Zhang Qingyuan and the others had prepared everything for him before he left the Star-Dream Farm.

Even Ding Ren had prepared a large quantity of clothing for him, as if they had figured out long ago that he might not return for a while.

There was still plenty of food in his space, with enough cooked food to last him for two months.

Other resources were even more abundant; he still had several tens of thousands of mutated chickens, and no less than a hundred thousand pounds of seafood.

And grain—his remaining grain was indeed not a little, around fifty to sixty tons.

Of course, the most numerous were still the carcasses of various beasts and ghosts, which was his harvest from his travels, with tens of thousands of low-level ghosts alone.

Although most of these things were inedible, they served other purposes. Currently, they could still provide him with a portion of Dragon Source, more than enough to elevate him to S-class.

However, if he wanted to cultivate in the future, unless he returned soon, he would have to see if this world possessed other resources besides his hard training.

After setting up his bed, Xi Yu ate some cooked food, and then connected with Cheng Liang and the little green snake.

Since the [Believer] ability had been enhanced, they could currently communicate normally.

The situations on both sides were currently quite good; although he had vanished for a period, no chaos had erupted on Kun Star, and the Middle Continent was doing well.

At the very least, during the period of Xi Yu’s disappearance, Sha Ren and the other A-class ghost hadn’t shown any abnormalities, and the other B-classes were even more well-behaved.

Cheng Liang was currently beside Chu Luan, so if anything happened, he could notify Xi Yu immediately, which left Xi Yu at ease.

He also had Chu Luan convey to Sha Ren and the other that he would return slightly late, at least to keep them stable first.

As for the little green snake, its situation was also very safe.

The world it was in was filled with terrifying giant beasts, and the little green snake currently hid and didn’t dare venture out, so it hadn’t encountered any danger. Aside from the difficulty of finding food, everything else was fine.

***

Once the connection severed, Xi Yu began to ponder.

He was currently expanding the white dragon’s influence, thereby acquiring believers.

With the villagers’ help, he could achieve this.

In truth, he didn’t need too many people currently; having only a dozen people scattered would yield higher efficiency and minimize trouble.

Recently, he had gained insights from browsing the [Faith Scriptures], realizing that a moderate distance was necessary to acquire believers, and this made it even easier to attract them.

Otherwise, if the white dragon flew around daily on his own, the dragon’s presence would appear far too cheap.

As for how long it would take to acquire one hundred thousand believers, he had no idea, but in any case, he had prepared to stay in this world for several years.

He didn’t want to cause a massive commotion in this world, and his current goal was merely to return to the Middle Continent. Thus, he hoped these next few years would be quiet and free of trouble.

The terrifying entities in this world were by no means few, and he didn’t want to provoke them.

However, it was necessary for him to understand this world, and he planned to use the opportunity of the villagers heading out to gather as much information as possible.

While Xi Yu was pondering here, within a deep mountain about two or three days’ journey from Qingshui Village, a group of people was currently holding a meeting.

The leaders of the Lihu Mountain Bandit Stronghold were discussing an impending massive raid.

The drought had persisted for nearly a year, and even the bandits could no longer endure it.

Currently, at least a third of the territory of the Great Sheng Dynasty was suffering from severe drought.

This was an unprecedented natural disaster, and although the full severity of the crisis had yet to explode, the stronghold’s strategist, Guan Luo, had already foreseen that an unprecedented disaster was about to erupt.

And when that time arrived, all the people in this region would become refugees, with no food to eat, resorting to cannibalism, and heaven knows what else would occur.

Guan Luo didn’t care about the future; what did it have to do with him?

But he knew very well that this matter would inevitably affect the stronghold.

At that time, if everyone lacked food, who would they rob?

Furthermore, they might be robbed by the refugees instead. Facing the tide of refugees, a stronghold of bandits like them would be like a mantis trying to stop a carriage.

Therefore, they had to prepare in advance, seizing the grain while the local farmers still had some, so they wouldn’t lack food when the time came.

And if they could drive away the local farmers in advance, their future pressure would also be significantly less. As long as they found a secluded spot in the mountains to hide, they wouldn’t be affected by the drought.

Once the drought ended, the local refugees would likely be mostly dead, leaving behind a vast amount of ownerless farmland, at which point they might even be able to transform into law-abiding citizens.

This plan of his received immense praise from the stronghold’s grand leader, and they quickly agreed on the decision, currently discussing how to execute this massive raid.

“Grand Leader, I think we should raid from the furthest to the nearest,” Guan Luo spoke eloquently.

“We will circle all the surrounding areas like wrapping a dumpling, so even if the villagers receive word, they won’t be able to run far, and we can capture them at any time. This way, we can harvest the most grain.”

“Furthermore, we must spend some money to feed those officials in the government. After all, it is still a peaceful era on the surface, and if we make too much of a commotion, we might face a government campaign. We must find a way to get them on the same boat as us, which will ensure those mud-legged peasants can’t cause much of a stir.”

“Feeding those fat pigs? Will they agree?”

Yan Xiongsha, the Grand Leader of the Lihu Stronghold, was covered in solid muscle, looking tall and fierce. He possessed some internal martial arts skills, which was how he had carved out this estate in the mountains.

He held no good feelings toward the government that always caused him trouble, but he also knew that if this plan truly worked, the benefit to the stronghold would be endless. But he knew the government’s greed was infinitely greater than that of bandits like them.

Yan Xiongsha frowned at Guan Luo, unhappy with his proposal to deal with the government.

Guan Luo wasn’t nervous at all; having risen from a destitute scholar to the stronghold’s strategist, he had built up his courage over the years.

“Grand Leader, rest assured,” Guan Luo said with a smile. “In normal times, this plan wouldn’t work, but this impending natural disaster is not only a crisis for us, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them.”

“As long as we can drive away those mud-legged peasants, their future pressure will also be significantly less. Furthermore, with the grain we present to them, they can distribute porridge to the refugees, earning a reputation for loving the people.”

“At a time when disasters are everywhere, what they do would be a massive achievement, easily securing them promotions and wealth. As long as we lay out the pros and cons, they likely won’t refuse this plan of ours.”

“Hahaha, excellent! Strategist Guan truly is the most important brain of our stronghold; as you say, this plan is simply flawless.”

Yan Xiongsha felt a slight chill in his heart; this plan was far too venomous, and even he felt uncomfortable.

But once the drought erupted, the stronghold indeed wouldn’t be able to hold out, so they had to execute this plan. However, he had already decided that once the plan succeeded, this strategist could not be kept.

“Since that’s the case, where does the strategist think we should begin our raid?” the Grand Leader asked quickly.

“The Grand Leader is too polite,” Guan Luo waved his hand, but a coldness rose in his heart.

Having stayed in the stronghold for so long, he knew Yan Xiongsha was the type who could share hardships but not wealth; the man would likely kill him once the task was done.

Thus, he might as well present a tribute to the government.

A campaign victory combined with a reputation for loving the people would allow those officials to rise, and he could seize the opportunity to escape the stronghold and perhaps even participate in the imperial examinations again!

“Let’s start here,” with these thoughts, Guan Luo pointed his finger without hesitation at a village closest to the county town on his map.

“This Hongtian Village has the flattest and most open terrain, making it the easiest place for those mud-legged peasants to flee. As long as we block this place, they won’t be able to escape, at most leaving behind a few escapees, which won’t cause much chaos. Subsequently, we can start from the nearby Qingshui Village and sweep through one village after another.”

“Alright, let’s start with Hongtian Village,” Yan Xiongsha decided.

“Grand Leader, Hongtian Village’s location is of paramount importance and must not be lost; when the time comes, not a single person should be left alive,” Guan Luo said with malice. To ensure the plan went off without a hitch, not a single person could be spared. As for escapees, there would be none, though the Grand Leader needn’t worry about those.

“Hahaha, rest assured, we know what to do,” the other leaders roared.

“Brothers, prepare yourselves. We set out in two days; whether we can survive the coming disaster and turn our lives around depends on this!” the Grand Leader bellowed.

“Yes!” A sky-shattering roar echoed through the valley.

***

At the same time, Qingshui Village was exceptionally lively, with everyone gathered around Qing Li and Qing Qishan.

At this moment, Qing Qishan held a stone in his hand, and before the eyes of all the villagers, crushed it into powder with a crack.

“Again! Again!” the villagers shouted with excitement.

To them, this was simply the most wonderful performance in the world.

“Alright, then I’ll do it again,” Qing Qishan found himself unable to stop.

The sensation of possessing such powerful strength was truly magical, and he felt as if he had endless strength in his body, unable to resist showing off.

Furthermore, he really wanted to know how powerful he actually was.

Thud.

This time, two villagers moved a stone about the size of two adult human heads over.

Qing Qishan paused, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish.

“Qishan, quickly!”

The villagers urged loudly one after another.

Qing Qishan took a breath, then punched the stone.

Thump.

A dull sound echoed, and Qing Qishan felt a sharp pain in his fist.

“It didn’t shatter?” the villagers were slightly disappointed.

Qing Qishan also looked at the stone, finding only a few cracks on it.

Crack.

The next moment, the stone finally split open, though this massive stone didn’t shatter as completely as the previous one.

Even so, the villagers still shrieked with excitement.

“If Qishan punched a man’s head like this, wouldn’t he turn it into pulp?” the villagers swallowed hard, terrified.

Qing Qishan himself was incoherent with excitement, feeling his hand didn’t even hurt anymore.

Encouraged by this, he suddenly felt as if something was about to erupt from his body.

Suddenly, Qing Qishan let let out a long howl, then bolted.

Everyone watched as Qing Qishan leaped three feet into the air, as if he were about to fly. The next moment, he leaped gently onto a large tree in the village.

The tree was about the height of more than ten men, but Qing Qishan climbed up like a monkey. This wasn’t all; he reached out and snapped an arm-thick branch.

Then, rubbing his hands together, a wooden staff appeared in his grip. With a weird cry, he leaped directly off the tree, rolling on the ground once without suffering any harm, and then began to swing the staff wildly.

Qing Qishan’s staff movements had no pattern, but as he swung it, the surrounding dust swirled into the air, as if he were practicing magic.

The villagers stared blankly.

This was too powerful; they didn’t dare approach Qing Qishan currently, believing that if they accidentally drew near, they might be smashed into pieces by his staff.

Finally, after a moment, Qing Qishan slammed the staff into the ground, looking at everyone with pride.

BOOM!

The villagers went wild, launching into passionate discussions; each of them was impatient to receive the Lord Dragon’s blessing.

In the distance, Qing Li’s hands also grew restless; watching Qing Qishan show off, he wanted to test his own strength.

‘No, hold back.’

‘He was the village head, after all, and he couldn’t afford to lose face.’

***

Early the next morning, Qing Li woke up and began to handle the matters the priest had instructed him to.

He strolled through the village, and the villagers greeted him one after another.

Qing Li’s face was filled with smiles; his spirit was exceptionally good today. His legs didn’t ache, his waist didn’t hurt, his vision wasn’t blurry, and everything felt great; the Lord Dragon’s blessing was truly extraordinary.

When he woke up in the morning, he had feared yesterday’s events were his dream, but feeling the strength in his body now, he felt he could shatter a mountain with a single punch.

Everything was real.

Along the way, Qing Li was filled with emotion; he also discovered that the villagers’ proactiveness was exceptionally high today, with hope shining on every face, something they had never experienced before.

The Lord Dragon’s arrival had completely transformed the spiritual outlook of everyone in Qingshui Village.

He could perceive that everyone was filled with hope for the future, and in truth, he was the same, looking forward to the next day every single day.

Before long, Qing Li had finished compiling the village’s population.

In truth, he knew the number of members in each family clearly, but he needed to determine how many were willing to help the Lord Dragon spread His teachings. And the result didn’t exceed his expectations; almost every household volunteered.

The village had 107 households, with a total population of 536.

Over two hundred people had signed up, and the remaining were basically children or the elderly.

Some households even had everyone volunteer; they could simply have their neighbors help tend to their fields.

With a strength like Qing Qishan’s, wouldn’t farming be incredibly simple?

Qing Li was troubled, quickly bringing the matter to Xi Yu.

Xi Yu was very pleased by the villagers’ enthusiasm, but at this stage, he indeed didn’t need so many people. Handling this matter was also simple; he had the villagers who wanted to head out come to the Dragon Temple to participate in training.

‘Training?’

Upon hearing this unfamiliar word, the villagers’ minds were filled with confusion, but they moved quickly, and before long, the Dragon Temple was once again packed with villagers, and even those who hadn’t signed up couldn’t help but run over.

“Everyone is helping the Lord Dragon, and if you fail to be selected after the training, do not be dejected; living your lives well now is the greatest help to the Lord Dragon,” Xi Yu gave all the villagers a warning in advance; he would be weeding out many people this time.

His purpose in having the villagers head out was essentially to gather believers for himself, so their task was actually very simple. If they saw someone in need, they would stand out and invoke the Dragon God, and once the white dragon resolved the issue, they would step forward to introduce the Qingshui Dragon God’s teachings.

Although it was simple, doing it well wasn’t so easy either.

He explained it once, and then had everyone come over to repeat it to him individually, with Xi Yu observing their responses and reactions.

As it turned out, this single action weeded out over a hundred and seventy people, leaving only thirty-odd people. They were barely considered bold and possessed quick minds.

Xi Yu wanted those who were bold and possessed some quick-wittedness.

Before long, a large group of people left with disappointment, but fortunately, Xi Yu’s earlier words had worked, and they didn’t appear too upset.

Xi Yu began to train the remaining thirty-odd people bit by bit.

Aside from maintaining proper bearing, the most important thing was to react instantly in times of danger and invoke the Dragon God.

Xi Yu’s requirements for them grew increasingly strict; in one morning, he weeded out another seven people. By the afternoon, he weeded out another eight, leaving only sixteen people in the end.

Thus, the personnel list was finalized.

He could basically guarantee that these people at least wouldn’t be paralyzed by fear when encountering danger.

The training concluded on the second day, and Xi Yu had them return the next day.

Once Qing Qishan and the others returned, the villagers surrounded them.

Qing Qishan had been lucky enough to be selected among the sixteen.

“Qishan, what on earth did the priest train you in today?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

Qing Qishan didn’t hide anything either, explaining it to them one by one. This was also Xi Yu’s intention, letting them understand in advance so they could pick it up easily in the future.

Upon listening, the villagers were all filled with deep respect.

It sounded exceptionally impressive.

Early the next morning, Qing Qishan and the others arrived at the Dragon Temple once more.

Today, the priest would teach them when they could invoke the Dragon God, and how to invoke Him.

Naturally, they couldn’t invoke the Dragon God for every minor matter; they had to resolve simple matters themselves. But regardless of when or what they invoked Him for, the Dragon God wouldn’t blame them; their safety was of paramount importance to Him.

These words made Qing Qishan and the others’ eyes turn red, their hearts deeply touched.

As for the prayers to invoke the Dragon God, they were very simple, and they memorized them after repeating them in their minds a few times.

Furthermore, once they headed out, they also had to ensure they could earn money so they wouldn’t starve.

This was a critical matter, and also a necessary skill before their departure.

Xi Yu had also offered suggestions on how to earn money—serving as guards, or clearing out low-level threats; these were all viable options.

Xi Yu wanted them to open their minds, and not restrict themselves because they represented the Dragon God.

His philosophy to them was: aside from being believers of the Dragon God, their own survival was paramount.

This allowed them to act freely.

Xi Yu didn’t possess the currency of this world, and they couldn’t carry much food with them, so mastering the skills to earn money was very important once they departed.

Qing Qishan and the others nodded in turn; currently, they didn’t feel their status as the dragon’s believers was particularly special. They didn’t think of asking the priest for travel expenses, knowing they would have to earn money themselves once they departed.

***

At lunchtime, several small heads appeared at the temple gates.

Xi Yu waved at them, and Qing Shuishi and his small companions entered sheepishly.

Being caught by Xi Yu filled their hearts with some fear.

“Temple Priest,” Qing Shuishi called out softly; since being beaten by his father last time, he seemed to have understood many things.

“Hello, everyone,” Xi Yu smiled. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

A rich aroma drifted to Qing Shuishi and the others, and the children didn’t know how to lie, though Qing Shuishi was now slightly more mature, knowing he shouldn’t answer that they had eaten.

“It doesn’t matter if you have eaten; I’ve prepared too much food here, and I can’t finish it, so why don’t you help me eat some?” Xi Yu smiled, ruffling their hair.

The children’s eyes widened.

They had never expected the divine dragon to be so thoughtful and care for them in this way; they finally had the confidence to become strong now.

The first batch of brick houses had also been constructed.

Currently, they had only built single-story flat houses, which weren’t large, but were sufficient for a family; those with families like Man Wenhuai moved directly into the new houses.

His son and daughter were very happy; the farm was massive, and they could run around freely.

Although the new house wasn’t beautiful, it belonged to them completely, and they finally didn’t have to hear their neighbors’ conversations anymore.

Upon returning, Man Wenhuai began organizing the slaughter of the first batch of mutated roosters.

The ones responsible for the slaughter were Isaac and his B-class partners, while their work was to boil water, pluck feathers, and process the entrails. Over a hundred people divided the tasks, and they could process ten thousand to twelve thousand mutated chickens a day.

The efficiency of the B-classes was far too high, and they worked even harder than Man Wenhuai’s team.

Thus, the first batch of mutated roosters, which had been scheduled to take ten days, was completely processed in less than five. Even so, they had processed the chicken blood and entrails cleanly, not wanting to waste any food.

Furthermore, chicken blood and entrails were absolute delicacies when prepared well.

***

On the third day, a new day arrived.

Early this morning, all the villagers came to the Dragon Temple of their own accord, first paying respects to the dragon under Xi Yu’s lead.

Subsequently, Xi Yu’s consciousness entered his inner world, observing the points of light connected to his fate. The vast majority of the villagers had already connected with his fate, but there were still dozens who hadn’t.

Aside from the small children who lacked independent awareness, there were seven or eight adults.

As for why they hadn’t connected, Xi Yu didn’t dwell on it; since they lacked a connection, he naturally had no way to increase their strength.

He stopped thinking about it now.

His consciousness returned to his body, and he bowed respectfully to the white dragon statue. “I pray for the Dragon God’s descent to bestow His blessing upon the believers of Qingshui Village.”

Thud.

Clouds began to gather on the plaza, and then the familiar scene appeared once more as the white dragon materialized in the center of the plaza.

“We pay respects to the Qingshui Dragon God,” the villagers bowed respectfully.

“Good.” The white dragon nodded.

BOOM!

The next moment, a boundless white light engulfed everyone.

Entering his inner world, Xi Yu watched this scene calmly.

Although the number of people was greater this time, the speed of the upgrade was actually faster, and raising their strength didn’t require much effort from the white dragon.

Xi Yu was also highly practiced by now.

Soon, once the white light vanished, the upgrade concluded completely.

At this moment, the white dragon’s figure had vanished from the plaza, replaced by over five hundred F-class equivalent super-strong warriors.

Aside from the adults, even the children possessed immense physical strength.

Qing Shuishi felt the robust strength within his body currently, looking at his father’s backside with a slightly restless fist.

Xi Yu was also highly pleased; he didn’t know what a village of F-class warriors signified in this world, but it should be decent.

***

In the afternoon, Qing Qishan and the others set out.

They no longer had any worries, as the village had so many “experts” currently, and using them solely for farming actually felt like a waste.

Upon leaving the village, the crowd instantly split into a dozen directions and departed.

Their priority currently was to head to neighboring villages to see if they could spread the Dragon God’s teachings. Of course, they might have to camp in the mountains at night, but they were currently bold and weren’t particularly afraid; in any case, they had the Qingshui Dragon God behind them.

Qing Qishan chose to head toward Hongtian Village.

This was the necessary path from the mountains to the county town, and compared to the others, his purpose was more defined; he wanted to head to the city to spread the dragon’s existence.

The mountains here were numerous, and though the villages seemed close occasionally, traveling between them required a lot of time.

Previously, traveling to Hongtian Village would have required at least three hours, but currently, he reached it in less than half an hour.

He glided along the path as if on flat ground.

Qing Qishan was extremely excited; this was something he wouldn’t have even dared dream of previously, yet currently, he felt he hadn’t even exerted much strength.

***

Qing Qishan’s arrival surprised the people of Hongtian Village.

There were indeed people in Hongtian Village who recognized him.

The two villages were close, and there was occasional interaction. Usually, people from Qingshui Village would set out before dawn to reach Hongtian Village, and then head to the county town together.

But it was already afternoon; why had Qing Qishan come to their village? At this hour, they wouldn’t have time to reach the county town.

Could Qingshui Village have suffered an accident?

At this thought, they also felt a bit of concern; they hadn’t seen anyone from Qingshui Village head to the county town for a long time.

Several villagers who knew Qing Qishan ran over to ask, and as they drew near, they noticed the abnormality on his body.

Qing Qishan’s state looked too good, his face flushed with health, and though they hadn’t met for only a month, he actually seemed a bit taller, his physique far more robust.

“Brother Qishan, is there something wrong for you to come over so late?” a villager from Hongtian Village asked.

“It’s nothing; I just came to visit,” Qing Qishan said with a smile.

He was familiar with the people here, and the village head’s youngest daughter had actually married into this village. Thus, regarding how to spread the dragon’s teachings to Hongtian Village, he had his own plan; as the priest said, this was called “adapting to local conditions.”

The villagers of Hongtian Village were baffled; visiting at this hour, close to nightfall?

They felt his body was filled with strange points.

They knew Qing Qishan’s background well; his family’s condition was poor, and he had always worn a frown.

But now, his expression was highly abnormal; could he have lost his mind?

“Brothers, how are the crops on your end?” Qing Qishan asked, raising a painful subject.

At this, the villagers of Hongtian Village wore bitter expressions; their fields were on slightly flatter terrain, so their water source was better than Qingshui Village’s.

Had some water not flowed down from upstream previously, their crops would have died long ago, but seeing the water in the fields was about to dry up again, and it still hadn’t rained. They could only carry water from the well daily now, but they couldn’t hold out for long.

“Don’t mention it; the seedlings in the fields are about to die. How is your end?” they asked.

The people of Qingshui Village basically lived on the mountain, so they should be even more short of water.

“Our crops are growing exceptionally well,” Qing Qishan smiled. “Under the Lord Dragon’s protection, Qingshui Village was granted rain recently, and we aren’t short of water. Since you are downstream, I don’t know if the rain water flowed down to your end.”

At his words, their eyes widened; the river near their village had indeed been filled with water inexplicably half a month ago.

But Qing Qishan had to have lost his mind; even if a dragon truly existed, it was absolutely impossible for it to descend in the small Qingshui Village.

But they truly couldn’t explain the water from last time.

Qing Qishan didn’t say much to them; the more he said, the less they might believe. Speaking only half of the truth would make them want to find out the rest.

“Brothers of Qingshui Village, we’ll talk later. I’ll go to Wumei’s house first; the village head wanted me to deliver some things to her.” Qing Qishan specifically gestured to the bag in his hand.

Inside was actually the cooked food the priest had given them, and Qing Li had indeed asked him to deliver some items to his youngest daughter.

Watching Qing Qishan walk away, the villagers of Hongtian Village were dumbfounded.

One of them couldn’t help but twitch his nose. “There is the aroma of meat; could Qing Qishan be carrying meat in that bag?”

They looked at each other; had Qing Qishan’s life truly turned around?

Just as Qing Qishan arrived at Hongtian Village, the bandits from the Lihu Stronghold also arrived at the outskirts of the village.

Seeing Hongtian Village before his eyes, Yan Xiongsha roared, “Brothers, charge! We’ll kill them all and plunder everything today!”

“Charge!” Instantly, the bandits’ spirits jolted, and they charged toward Hongtian Village with roars.

***

Qing Qishan’s arrival delighted Qing Hongxiu, Qing Li’s youngest daughter.

Although the villages were close, she hadn’t seen her family for several months, and she had heard no news of Qingshui Village over this past month, which left her highly worried.

“Rest assured, the Village Head and the others are doing well; you might not believe it, but under the Lord Dragon’s blessing, your parents look ten years younger,” Qing Qishan shared the meat and unleavened flatbread the priest had given him with Qing Hongxiu’s family generously.

“Lord Dragon? Brother Qishan, do not tease me,” Qing Hongxiu couldn’t believe it, and her parents turning ten years younger was even more of a fantasy.

Her children’s eyes were fixed on the chicken meat; she let out a sigh and gave them some. Although her husband’s family was decent, eating meat once or twice a month was already considered good, and this year had been even more difficult.

“Regarding the Lord Dragon, would I joke about that? The Lord Dragon’s temple is right in our village; you’ll know once you visit,” Qing Qishan said seriously.

Straightaway, he described the dragon’s appearance, which left Qing Hongxiu’s family dazed. Until Qing Qishan found a stone and crushed it before their eyes, they were completely stunned.

This strength was too terrifying; an ordinary person couldn’t achieve it.

Could the divine dragon truly have descended in Qingshui Village?

Since they were close, Qing Qishan could act in this direct, simple manner.

“The bandits are here! Everyone flee!”

Just then, a shrill cry of panic and clashing weapons echoed from the village.

“The bandits are here!” Qing Hongxiu’s family turned pale with fear.

“Do not panic or run; you stay inside, and I’ll go look outside.” Hearing the word “bandits,” Qing Qishan was startled, but he quickly came to his senses; he currently represented the Dragon Temple, and he was no longer an ordinary person.

With this thought, he strode out of the door, looking around, and his eyes lit up upon seeing a large stone slab used for washing clothes nearby.

***

Qing Qishan ran over, lifting the large stone slab in one go; the slab, weighing nearly a hundred pounds, felt weightless in his hands.

Hongtian Village had already fallen into chaos, with cries and screams echoing everywhere, and many people running frantically without even gathering their belongings.

Far off, the brutal clashing of the bandits’ blades echoed.

Seeing the commotion and cries were loudest near the southern part of the village, Qing Qishan ran over, dodging the villagers who nearly collided with him.

Before he could run far, he saw dozens of armed men charging toward his direction.

Qing Qishan’s eyes filled with ferocity, and he threw the large stone slab at the crowd.

Thud.

Instantly, three or four people were knocked down by the stone slab, and screams erupted, with two individuals remaining motionless.

This sight startled the bandits.

But the next moment, their eyes filled with fury, and they prepared to charge at Qing Qishan.

At this moment, Qing Qishan felt a jolt, but he quickly recovered; the training the priest had given them over these past two days took effect.

“Fellow citizens of Hongtian Village, do not be afraid! I am protected by the Qingshui Dragon God, and I will guarantee everyone’s safety today!” Qing Qishan roared.

His massive voice echoed across the entire village, leaving everyone stunned.

In the distance, Yan Xiongsha laughed wildly. “The Dragon God? How amusing; if a deity truly existed, why would we need the government? Brothers, go see who this fool is; capture him alive. I want to see how this dog-shit Qingshui Dragon God saves him!”

“Yes, Grand Leader!”

“Hahaha, kill and plunder! The second leader and his men went to Qingshui Village; we can’t fall behind them!” Yan Xiongsha roared.

At this, the bandits before Qing Qishan laughed wildly. “This fellow must have lost his mind, still talking about the Dragon God! Everyone attack and chop him up!”

“Charge!” With that, they lunged toward Qing Qishan.

At this, Qing Qishan was startled—not because of them, but because he had heard the distant roar clearly: another group of bandits had headed to Qingshui Village.

But he quickly came to his senses, almost wanting to laugh.

Their village now not only had the Lord Dragon present, but also five hundred F-class warriors. Even the children could shatter stone with one punch; he should probably worry about the bandits instead.

Calming himself, he looked at the charging bandits without panic, and then focused his mind, reciting the summoning incantation the priest had taught him.

“O King of the White Dragons of the Dragon Realm, the Qingshui Dragon God, Your believer prays for Your protection; please descend upon this world to save all things.”

***

Dragon God Temple.

Xi Yu had just eaten, and he instantly perceived the call of his believer through his inner world.

Without hesitation, his consciousness entered the inner world, injecting his spirit into the corresponding point of light.

“Die!”

A bandit lunged toward Qing Qishan with ferocity.

Qing Qishan focused his mind, prepared to dodge at any moment.

Vroom—

Just then, a majestic dragon’s roar soared into the sky.

The bandit who was swinging his blade at Qing Qishan watched as a white, colossal creature emerged from the man’s body and lunged at him, and he retreated frantically with terror. The next moment, he was engulfed by a fierce wind.

Subsequently, the villagers of Hongtian Village and the bandits of the Lihu Stronghold watched as a majestic white dragon rose from the ground into the sky, looking down at everyone.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

This Hidden Class Is a Bit Off

ActionFemale ProtagonistGender Bender

Read Now →
Not interested