Gao Yiye lifted her head, preparing to ask Tianzun how she should arrange the newcomers.
Before she could speak, Li Daoxuan's voice descended from above.
"Yiye, a family in the village was slaughtered by bandits not long ago, and their house has remained empty ever since. Take San Shier's wife and daughter there and let them settle in for now."
Gao Yiye immediately bowed her head in acknowledgment.
"Yes, Tianzun."
She then turned toward the newcomers, her voice gentle and reassuring.
"Please follow me."
San Shier's household servant and maid lowered their heads, not daring to speak, while the ten-year-old girl clung tightly to her mother's hand. Her small fingers trembled slightly, betraying the fear she was trying so hard to suppress.
Mrs. San, however, was made of sterner stuff.
Although she remained wary, Gao Yiye's calm demeanor gave her courage. As they walked, she could not help but ask,
"Miss, what exactly is the story of your Gao Family Village? Those walls… they are far more imposing than even the county seat's defenses."
Gao Yiye smiled faintly.
"They are a blessing bestowed by Tianzun. Our Gao Family Village lives under Tianzun's protection and is surrounded by divine wonders. Now that you have arrived, you will see them for yourselves soon enough."
Mrs. San blinked in confusion.
"Tianzun's protection? Divine wonders?"
She did not understand at all.
In truth, she had been silently cursing her husband the entire journey.
When he had sent them away, she had assumed they would simply hide in some nearby village for a few days. Instead, Gao Chuwu had led them more than thirty li across barren land scorched by drought.
Thirty li.
For a middle-aged woman who had spent her life in relative comfort, it had been pure torment. Her legs had long since lost all feeling, and her lungs burned with every breath. More than once, she had nearly collapsed, tempted to remain where she fell and abandon the desperate march altogether.
Yet each time she faltered, the memory of the chaos erupting behind them drove her onward.
The distant roar of battle.
The terrified screams.
The sound of a city collapsing into violence.
Those sounds had forced her to grit her teeth and keep moving, step by agonizing step.
Now, at last, they had arrived.
Yet Gao Family Village appeared disappointingly small. Were it not for the strange, brightly colored walls surrounding it, she would have seen nothing remarkable at all.
She was still silently resenting her husband when her gaze suddenly fell upon something ahead.
Rows upon rows of wooden racks stood in the open air.
And hanging upon them—
Chicken strips.
Salt-cured chicken strips, left out to dry beneath the sun.
Ordinarily, this would not have been unusual.
But this was not merely a few racks.
There were hundreds.
Thousands.
They stretched across the open ground as far as the eye could see, forming a vast sea of drying meat.
Mrs. San stopped walking.
Her mind went blank.
Wasn't there a drought?
Weren't people starving?
Hadn't entire regions fallen into rebellion because of famine?
Then what was this?
So much meat.
So much salt.
It defied all reason.
Her servants and maid stared just as blankly, their eyes wide with disbelief, as though they had stepped into a dream.
Gao Yiye led them to a dilapidated house near the edge of the village.
"You may stay here for now," she said.
Mrs. San examined the crumbling walls and worn roof, unable to hide her disappointment. But she quickly suppressed her reaction. This was only temporary, she reminded herself. Once the chaos subsided, they would return to their proper home.
At that moment, Tianzun's voice reached Gao Yiye again.
"This is not the county seat," Li Daoxuan said. "Even if they have money, they cannot buy food here. Give them two grains of Divine Rice, some vegetables, a few chicken strips, and a portion of salt. Let them eat first."
Gao Yiye immediately obeyed.
She returned shortly afterward with the provisions.
The moment Mrs. San saw them, she froze.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"This… this rice…"
Her voice trembled.
"Why are the grains so enormous?"
She stared at the salt next.
"And this salt… these crystals look like white gemstones."
Gao Yiye answered calmly.
"As I told you before, Gao Family Village is blessed with divine wonders. This is Divine Rice and divine salt bestowed by Tianzun. You may accept them with peace of mind."
Mrs. San's hands began to tremble.
At last, she understood.
These were the "divine wonders" Gao Yiye had spoken of.
Overcome with reverence, she clasped her hands together and bowed toward the heavens before accepting the food.
Having completed Tianzun's instructions, Gao Yiye left them to settle in and returned toward the city gate.
Mrs. San instructed her servants to clean the room and arrange their bedding. With nothing else to do, she took her daughter's hand and stepped outside, wandering through the village.
The towering walls surrounding Gao Family Village filled her with an overwhelming sense of safety.
She passed the vast drying racks once more, still unable to comprehend how such abundance could exist in a time of famine.
Then she saw something even more astonishing.
A pond.
A massive pond filled with clear, shimmering water.
She stopped breathing.
Water was more precious than gold in these times.
Rivers had dried up.
Wells had turned to dust.
And yet here stood an entire pond, brimming with life.
She could scarcely believe her eyes.
Suddenly, shouts rang out from the direction of the gate.
"Heave!"
"One, two, three!"
Mrs. San turned and saw several villagers struggling to lift a massive wooden gate.
The gate was enormous, bound together from countless timber trunks using the divine rope. Its weight was tremendous.
As they struggled to raise it, one villager suddenly slipped.
The balance broke.
The gate tilted dangerously.
It began to fall.
Directly toward the elderly Village Chief.
Panic erupted.
Mrs. San cried out in shock, clutching her daughter tightly.
But then—
The falling gate stopped.
It froze in midair.
Suspended by an invisible force.
It neither fell nor moved.
It simply hung there, defying all logic.
The villagers stared in stunned silence.
After several breaths, Gao Yiye's voice rang out.
"Tianzun has caught the gate! Why are you all standing there? Hurry and support it!"
The villagers snapped out of their stupor and rushed forward.
Gao Chuwu was the first to reach it. His arms strained as he supported the immense weight. Thanks to the nourishment he had received in recent days, his once-thin frame had begun to fill out, and strength now flowed through his limbs.
More villagers joined him.
Together, they lifted the gate back into position and secured it firmly using the divine rope.
Only then did they finally relax.
From a distance, Mrs. San stood frozen.
Her hands trembled as she rubbed her eyes repeatedly, unable to trust what she had just witnessed.
"That… that invisible force…"
Her voice quivered.
"Tianzun truly manifested…"
Mrs. San was a devout believer in Daoism. Throughout her life, she had visited temples, burned incense, donated offerings, and recited sacred texts. She had memorized scriptures and incantations, praying faithfully for divine protection.
Yet never—not once—had she witnessed a miracle.
Until now.
Her knees gave way beneath her.
She fell to the ground and kowtowed deeply, her forehead striking the earth.
"Tianzun has manifested!"
Her voice trembled with emotion.
"This humble believer has witnessed it with her own eyes. Even if I were to die now, I would have no regrets."