I Can Use Myriad Divine Abilities-Chapter 120: Overnight Stay at the Earth God Temple

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Overnight Stay at the Earth God Temple

The horse’s hooves clattered, kicking up bits of dust.

On a road that had long fallen into disrepair, Zhang Yuan was riding forward.

Due to the many potholes on the ground.

To avoid injuring the horse, he had to carefully steer clear of these "traps."

This significantly slowed down his travel pace.

Zhang Yuan looked at the sky.

The sun was then slanting to the west, nearly setting beneath the distant mountains, painting the sky with a magnificent and spectacular evening glow.

He decided to find a place to stay overnight.

Though this road was part of the official route, in reality, few merchants or travelers passed by, and there were no post houses or inns along the way.

Looking far into the distance, not a single village was in sight!

This was actually quite normal.

Because of the presence of the bizarre, the vast majority of villages were situated near and around the cities.

The cities were connected by official roads and waterways as routes for travel and communication, and once one entered the wilderness, not a soul could be seen.

Ordinary civilians might not venture more than thirty li from their home their whole life.

If they had to travel far, they would need to join a caravan.

Otherwise, safety could not be guaranteed.

Zhang Yuan’s luck was not too bad.

Before nightfall, he found an Earth God Temple by the roadside.

The Earth God Temple worshiped the God of Fortune, known among the populace as the Earth God.

Although not a high-ranking deity, it was officially venerated by the National Dynasty and could receive incense from common folk, offering protection to a region!

The Earth God Temple that Zhang Yuan discovered was quite large, with a grand architectural style, and grass sheds built on either side of the temple entrance, piled with some firewood and fodder.

There was even a stone trough for feeding horses, cows, and sheep!

Zhang Yuan dismounted in front of the Earth God Temple, led his horse to the grass shed, tied it, and fed it a bundle of fodder.

The horse was also very tired from the journey.

Zhang Yuan took down his luggage from the horse’s back and entered the Earth God Temple.

The temple doors were wide open, and inside the hall stood a statue of an Earth God with a kind face and a gourd staff, accompanied by an offering table with an incense burner but nothing else.

Zhang Yuan looked around, not finding any temple keeper or any other people present.

Nevertheless, the Earth God Temple was quite clean, the ground spotless except for traces left by charcoal fires. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Incense sticks and candles were placed next to the incense burner on the offering table.

Zhang Yuan knew that these were left by the passing merchants and travelers who had stayed here overnight.

He took three incense sticks, lit them, and respectfully bowed thrice to the Earth God.

Then he placed the incense sticks in the incense burner.

This world probably didn’t have any real deities.

In Zhang Yuan’s view, whether it’s the City God, Dragon God, or Earth God, they are all objects of faith for the people.

These so-called deities exist in the form of statues, absorbing and gathering the people’s belief power.

To counter the bizarre!

Similarly, the village’s ancestral hall works in the same way.

And those so-called mages and Daoists are clearly transcendents who understand how to use belief power!

Of course, the reality must be much more complex.

But Zhang Yuan would neither be deceived by appearances nor turn a blind eye.

He offered his share of belief power according to the rules.

As payment for staying overnight here.

Because this Earth God Temple could not only shield from wind and rain but also fend off the bizarre, making it a true sanctuary.

As night fell, Zhang Yuan lit two more candles and inserted them.

But the dim light was obviously far from enough to illuminate the entire hall, so he brought in more firewood from outside.

And started a bonfire inside.

Opening his luggage, Zhang Yuan took out a small pot, dry food, and a water bag, preparing his dinner.

When he left Whale Castle earlier, he only brought his weapon, without any preparation for a long journey.

But Yue Wuji had already prepared the mount and supplies needed for the road.

So even with a hasty departure, there was no problem.

However, after rummaging through his luggage, Zhang Yuan felt something was still lacking.

So he assembled the Iron-Clad Bow and brought the quiver outside.

As night had not fully descended, the surroundings were vast with abundant vegetation, and some small animals were coming out to forage.

It didn’t take long for Zhang Yuan to catch two wild rabbits and a pheasant.

The Level 3 Divine Nest granted Zhang Yuan a very strong perception ability, his sight, hearing, and smell far exceeded ordinary people even in the dark.

Together with his rich hunting experience, catching some wild game was really simple.

After cleaning the game outside the Earth God Temple, Zhang Yuan returned to the hall.

He skewered the two wild rabbits for barbecuing, while the pheasant was cut into pieces and put into a pot with some salt for stewing.

Soon, the hall was filled with a rich aroma of meat.

Zhang Yuan also took the dry hard flatbread, placing it near the bonfire to heat it up.

Ready to feast to his heart’s content.

Though conditions were limited, he didn’t want to mistreat his stomach!

Unexpectedly, just as the rabbit meat was almost cooked, there was a sudden commotion outside.

The sound of people shouting and horses neighing was quite loud!

Zhang Yuan’s heart skipped a beat.

He reassembled the Iron-Clad Bow and set it aside, then took the Yanling Saber and laid it across his knees.

After a while, a group of people burst into the Earth God Temple.

Leading them was a tall and burly man with a dignified appearance and bright, piercing eyes, walking with his head held high and an imposing aura.

Upon seeing Zhang Yuan sitting by the bonfire, he was obviously taken aback, then cupped his fist and said: "Greetings, my friend. I am Lin Zhenbei, leader of Fuyuan Escort Agency. Tonight, we’re resting here. Sorry for any disturbance we may have caused!"

"No need for such formality, Lin Biaotou."

Zhang Yuan stood up and returned the salute: "This place is open for everyone to stay. There is no disturbance at all."

This Lin Zhenbei, Lin Biaotou, was clearly a seasoned traveler who had roamed the land, his cultivation likely at the Tier Three Transformation Realm.

And the escort hands behind him were no weaklings either.

Despite having a clear advantage in numbers, Lin Biaotou remained polite and courteous.

Zhang Yuan naturally reciprocated with politeness, giving the other party due respect.

Meeting by chance, and not as life-and-death foes, it was the way of the martial world to maintain basic courtesy.

Grrrr~

At this moment, a strange noise suddenly came from behind Lin Zhenbei.

Then, as if contagious, similar noises sounded one after another!

It was the grumbling stomachs of the escort hands, protesting with hunger.

The enticing aroma of Zhang Yuan’s barbecued rabbit and the stewed chicken in the pot was tempting everyone’s taste buds!

Lin Zhenbei, a bit embarrassed, turned around and glared at his uncontrollable subordinates.

Then he turned to Zhang Yuan and said with a wry smile: "Little brother, sorry for that."

Zhang Yuan chuckled: "There’s still firewood outside, you can bring it in to cook some food, and I have two wild rabbits here; I’ll give you one to fill your stomachs first."

"No need, no need, we have our own food!"

Lin Zhenbei politely declined, his attitude firm.

Zhang Yuan did not persist.

This is the mark of a true veteran. In the outside world, one must be wary of others. You can’t just eat a stranger’s food, right?

He didn’t mind, and continued to prepare his own dinner.