By the time the bandit attack was over, night had already fallen. The sun had only just begun to set when the fighting started, and by the time the last scream faded, the sky was completely dark.
The Bai family clearly couldn't travel anymore today, so they had no choice but to stay overnight in the Gao Village Family.
But the Gao Village Family wasn't a city. It had only a handful of houses, nowhere near enough to host an entire entourage.
The tenant farmers who had followed Bai Yuan from Bai Family Fort were used to hardship. They simply squeezed themselves against the inner side of the village wall, mixing in with the refugees already camped there. Farmers could sleep on anything as long as it didn't stab them.
But Bai Yuan, Madam Bai, and the Bai family's young master could not just curl up with refugees like sacks of potatoes.
After some hesitation, their eyes drifted toward the newly built Dao Xuan Tianzun Cave.
In ancient times, it was normal to spend a night at a temple or a monastery while traveling. And if the place was abandoned or had no monks, it was even easier. You just walked in and slept.
But this was not an empty temple.
This one had a real, living Dao Xuan Tianzun hovering directly above it.
A deity who had displayed divine power today.
Under such circumstances, who would dare walk in casually and say, "Hey, nice temple, I'll sleep here tonight"?
Bai Yuan's hesitation was obvious, and San Shier immediately caught it. He grinned and said to Gao Yiye:
"This gentleman Bai wishes to stay in the Dao Xuan Tianzun abode. Does the Tianzun permit it?"
Gao Yiye tilted her head slightly, listening to the voice only she could hear. Then she smiled.
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun grants permission."
Bai Yuan lit up instantly. He bowed deeply toward the sky.
"I have troubled Dao Xuan Tianzun greatly today. When my situation improves, I shall rebuild the temple and recast the divine statue."
Gao Yiye listened again.
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun has more to say. One hour from now, when all the villagers are resting, San Shier, Madame San, and Bai Yuan, you three must enter the temple. The Tianzun has tasks for you."
Everyone's posture straightened at once.
Especially Madame San. She trembled like someone who had just drawn the winning lot during a festival.
"Me? A humble woman receiving the Tianzun's command... This must be a blessing I earned over three lifetimes!"
For the next hour, the four of them stared at the sky, silently willing time to pass faster.
The sun disappeared completely, leaving only the moon and a ring of lanterns atop the village wall to push back the darkness. The villagers gradually fell asleep, and only two sentries paced along the ramparts.
Inside the Dao Xuan Tianzun Cave, oil lamps flickered.
Gao Yiye, San Shier, Madame San, and Bai Yuan sat in a rough circle, their shadows swaying with the flame.
Madam Bai and the Bai young master were not invited, and they did not dare approach the place.
Gao Yiye listened again, her face brightening.
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun has arrived."
The others immediately straightened their backs.
Their spines went rigid.
Their expressions turned solemn, reverent, and painfully serious.
From the sky above, Li Dao Xuan looked down at the four mortals.
"I summoned you because only you four in this village can accomplish this mission. It is a glorious task, but also an extremely difficult one."
Before Gao Yiye even finished relaying the words, San Shier jumped up like an eager hound.
"No matter how difficult, this humble one will exhaust his life and die without regret!"
Bai Yuan also bowed deeply toward the statue.
"My life was saved by the Dao Xuan Tianzun. Whatever command is given, I would not dare disobey."
Li Dao Xuan continued:
"I wish to save more suffering people. I want them to live without hunger, without fear of war, and to live in peace."
He paused briefly.
He had originally wanted to add something else, but that thought was only for himself. Mortals could simply work hard. There was no need to explain everything.
The two men froze for a moment.
Unexpectedly, it was Madame San who reacted first. She had always considered herself kindhearted, and the idea of saving people struck directly at her core.
"What are you two standing there for? The Dao Xuan Tianzun is compassionate and merciful, wishing to save the world. Such a grand aspiration, and you are just sitting there stunned?"
Both men immediately dropped into deep bows.
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun is benevolent!"
But as for how exactly to save the world, that was another matter entirely.
Li Dao Xuan continued:
"In this terrible drought, I can give people food to keep them alive. That is saving them. But if I give too much and they become lazy and useless, then that is not saving them at all."
The two men immediately understood.
"Better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish."
"Exactly," Li Dao Xuan said. "Saving people is complicated. Some only need their lives saved. Once they survive, they will move forward on their own. Others require both their lives and their hearts to be saved, or they will fall right back into ruin."
Li Dao Xuan still did not fully understand his system, so for now, experimentation was his only path.
He continued:
"But not everyone deserves happiness. I can show kindness to good people. But those who commit evil, those who are cruel and violent, do not need salvation. They need punishment. Letting them live only harms others. Killing one evil man is saving many good people."
He had wanted to save people ever since he realized what this world was, but that never meant saving everyone.
He turned to Bai Yuan:
"You are returning to Bai Family Fort tomorrow, correct?"
"Yes. The bandit chief has been crushed by your divine power. The remaining stragglers pose no threat. I must return to handle the aftermath."
"But the villages around Bai Family Fort must already be in ruins. And your fort has been looted clean. If you return empty-handed, you will not be able to help them rebuild."
Bai Yuan fell silent.
Li Dao Xuan said, "Go and look at your cart."
Bai Yuan hurried outside.
The cart sat parked outside the temple. He rushed over, lifted the curtain, and froze.
Half a cart filled with flour balls.
White, round, packed to the brim.
He had no idea when they had appeared.
Li Dao Xuan said:
"Take these back and save the villages around Bai Family Fort. It will not be enough. After you return, send more carts to the Gao Village Family. Ensure the people survive the drought, and guide them toward new lives."
Bai Yuan inhaled deeply and bowed low.
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun is benevolent."
Next, Li Dao Xuan spoke to Madame San:
"You already have a jar of burn medicine. Tomorrow, bring more empty jars and bottles. I will grant you more medicines with different effects. Go and treat the suffering."
Madame San immediately understood.
"For every person I heal, I will tell them of the Dao Xuan Tianzun's great vision."
"No need," Li Dao Xuan said. "They do not need to know who saved them. Saving them is enough. But you must tell them this. Being saved does not give them the right to harm others."
Hearing this, Bai Yuan suddenly felt as if he had awakened from a dream.
"When I help the villages around Bai Family Fort, I will also teach them this principle. Only the good deserve salvation. The wicked do not. Save lives, and teach virtue."
"Good. Do that."
With that, Li Dao Xuan withdrew beyond the clouds.
Gao Yiye listened for a moment, then spoke:
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun has returned to the heavens."
Everyone let out a long breath at the same time.
Bai Yuan shook his head and sighed.
"For a moment, I nearly misunderstood the Dao Xuan Tianzun. I thought He was a soft-hearted saint who saves everyone without distinction. That was truly disrespectful of me. The 'Rites' in the Six Arts of a Gentleman... scratch that, scratch that."