He needed to take another look at this diorama box.
Maybe it was not simply a container for raising forty-two tiny people. Maybe it was connected to another world inhabited by miniature humans.
No, "connected" was not quite the right word. "Overlooking" described it much better.
At first, he had treated the whole thing like a box of tiny people, no different from keeping a box of pet hamsters. He had never really intended to dig into their lives or figure out what was actually going on down there.
But if he was truly overlooking another miniature world, then there were far too many things worth investigating.
Li Daoxuan turned his attention back to the tiny villagers.
By now, the bailiffs had fled. The villagers had gathered together, cheering and kowtowing toward the sky.
As the only one among them who could speak to Tianzun, Gao Yiye was surrounded. The villagers crowded around her, all talking at once.
The girl looked up at the sky and called out, "Tianzun, everyone thanks you for your help! We also have a question. Is this divine rice meant for me alone, or can everyone share it?"
Li Daoxuan's eyes settled on the girl.
So this little girl really could communicate with him. She could hear his voice, and through her, he could learn more about what was happening in this miniature world. It was time to have a proper conversation with her.
Li Daoxuan spoke. "Distribute the rice among everyone. And I have a few questions to ask you all."
The girl lit up with joy. She immediately turned to the villagers and announced, "Everyone, Tianzun says this rice is a reward for all of us. Everyone can have a share!"
The villagers erupted in cheers.
"May Tianzun bless us!"
"Long live Tianzun!"
Someone scratched his head. "Uh, Yiye, is Tianzun a Buddhist deity or a Daoist one? Should we chant Amitabha or Wuliangshoufo?"
Gao Yiye was completely stumped.
She could vaguely make out Tianzun's face among the clouds, but she could not tell whether he was wearing Daoist robes or Buddhist robes. Figuring out the proper prayer was turning into a real headache.
It would be incredibly awkward if they got it wrong.
If they used the wrong prayer code and angered Tianzun, they would not even know how to write the word "death."
Then again, everyone here was illiterate anyway, so they did not know how to write the word "death" to begin with.
The villagers froze, unsure how to continue their prayers.
Li Daoxuan could not help shaking his head with an amused smile. These little people were actually quite interesting. They were seriously debating whether he was a Buddhist or Daoist deity.
It seemed the culture of this miniature world had developed from the same roots as his own.
With a faint smile, he said, "Do not worry about whether I am Buddhist or Daoist. I belong to neither."
Gao Yiye was stunned.
That answer had completely fallen outside her understanding. There was actually a Tianzun who was neither Buddhist nor Daoist?
Li Daoxuan continued, "Do not dwell on such trivial matters. Tell everyone to quiet down. I have some questions to ask."
Gao Yiye quickly turned toward the villagers and shouted, "Everyone, quiet down! Tianzun has a few questions for us!"
At her shout, everyone immediately fell completely silent.
Li Daoxuan asked, "What planet are you on? Or which continent? Or which dimension?"
The girl did not understand a single word, but she faithfully repeated the question to the villagers.
Unfortunately, none of the little people understood it either. Even the Village Chief, who was the most knowledgeable and well-traveled person among them, looked completely bewildered.
What was a planet? What was a continent? And what exactly was a dimension?
Is that some kind of bakpao?
The Chief scratched his head, thoroughly confused. He had heard of many foods in his life, but never a "dimension." Maybe it was a delicacy from the capital? Something only rich people ate?
He decided not to ask. It would be too embarrassing.
Li Daoxuan quickly realized that although their culture seemed to share the same roots as his own, their knowledge was still stuck centuries in the past.
Li Daoxuan asked, "Then which country are you in? And what is the current reign era?"
Gao Yiye relayed the question.
The villagers exchanged blank looks.
"Country?" someone muttered. "What do you mean, what country?"
"We are in... Gaojia Village?"
"No, no, he means the country. Like, who rules over us."
"Oh. The Emperor."
"Yes, but which Emperor?"
"...The one in the capital?"
"What is his name?"
"How should I know? Do I look like I have met him?"
Someone turned to the Village Chief. "Chief, you have been to the county town before. You must know."
The Chief scratched his chin, thinking hard. His face scrunched up. After a long moment, he shook his head.
"I... I do not know. I never asked."
"You went to the county town and did not ask who rules the country?"
"I was busy! I had crops to plant!"
"And the reign era? The year?"
Nobody answered.
Gao Yiye stared at the sky, her face burning with embarrassment. She did not know either.
Li Daoxuan frowned.
These people did not even know the name of their own country or the reign era? This was elite-level illiteracy.
Then again, when he thought about it, it actually made perfect sense.
Peasants in ancient times often could not read a single character and rarely had any reason to leave their villages. The furthest they might travel was the local county town. If they happened to live somewhere particularly remote, with no merchants or travelers passing through, the villagers could easily end up like this, completely cut off from the outside world.
Deep in the mountains, time was forgotten while a century passed in the mortal world.
Li Daoxuan let out a long sigh.
"Never mind. I am not going to get any answers out of you anyway."
The villagers looked at one another in dismay.
Gao Yiye lowered her voice and whispered to the people around her, "Folks, Tianzun seems rather disappointed."
The Village Chief panicked. "Ah? Of course he is disappointed! We cannot answer His Venerable Self's questions!"
Gao Yiye looked at him helplessly. "Then what should we do?"
The Village Chief thought for a moment. "Yiye, tell Tianzun to give us a little time. We will find someone learned enough to answer his questions."
"Someone learned?" Gao Yiye asked. "There is not a single educated person in our village."
"Of course not in Gaojia Village. But there are learned people in the county town, right?" The Village Chief stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Let me think. The most knowledgeable person I have ever met is undoubtedly the County Magistrate."
Gao Yiye awkwardly shook her head. "How could we possibly invite His Honor the Magistrate?"
"Then we will invite the Magistrate's advisor, Shan Shi'er," the Village Chief declared.
Gao Yiye shook her head again. "We cannot invite the advisor either."
The Village Chief gave a mischievous chuckle. "The advisor is a big shot too, but unlike the Magistrate, he does not have official guards surrounding him all day. Heh. It will be much easier to invite him."
Gao Yiye: "???"
The Village Chief turned to a young man standing nearby.
"Chuwu!"
Gao Chuwu stepped forward with a goofy grin.
The Village Chief pointed at him. "First thing tomorrow morning, take a few strong young lads from the village. Eat plenty of that white rice first so you have enough strength. Then head to the county town and invite the advisor to Gaojia Village. If he is willing to come, treat him well. If he refuses, knock him out with a stick and carry him back on your back. Remember, our lives were given to us by Tianzun. Whatever Tianzun wants, we must place it in His Venerable hands. We cannot disappoint him."
Gao Chuwu's grin widened. "Alright, alright! Tianzun gave me big eggs and big white rice, so of course I have to listen to His Venerable Self. But I have never been to the county town before. How do I get there?"
"I will show you the way," the Village Chief replied.
Meanwhile, Li Daoxuan was still watching everything from outside the box.
Seeing these little people seriously discussing how they were going to "invite" an educated advisor back to answer his questions, he could not help but find the whole thing amusing. This was getting more entertaining by the minute.
It seemed this miniature world was not small at all. There were villages, county towns, officials, magistrates, and advisors.
If that was the case, then there had to be a massive empire beyond all of this.
Li Daoxuan found himself looking forward to seeing the advisor from the county town return as soon as possible.