The name Daoist Mystic Tianzun was quite unfamiliar to most county town residents. Although a small number of common folk had sought medicine from Third Madame and heard his title, they only knew his name, not his deeds.
Regarding what kind of deity this Tianzun actually was, they were completely in the dark.
But things were different recently.
That small group of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun's devout followers could now tell a few stories about the Tianzun.
Take, for instance, two devout followers meeting on the street and greeting each other.
"Hey, Old Zhang, did your child's illness get better?"
"Much better,thanks to the Honored Lady bestowing the Tianzun's divine medicine."
"Hey,I used to think the Daoist Mystic Tianzun was like 'Medicine King,' a deity who only dispensed medicine. But just a few days ago, I heard from another follower that the Tianzun possesses immense magical power and also vanquishes demons and monsters."
"Funny you should say that,I know about that too. And I even have a book." As Old Zhang spoke, he pulled a picture-book from his sleeve, pointing at the cover characters proudly. "Can you read? I know you can't, haha. This title is The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons. It's about the Tianzun subduing demons and monsters."
"Oh?Tell me about it."
"No need for me to tell you.Even illiterate people can read this book." Old Zhang proudly flipped through the pages of his picture-book, showing them to the other person. "See? The Tianzun's immortal magic can make a hand grow huge, slapping down with a splat, flattening the monster..."
"Wow!Amazing! So amazing! Where did you get this book? I want one too."
"This book was given to me by the Honored Lady.If you want one, go ask her. If she finds your heart sincere, she might give you a copy."
"Wow,I'll make a trip to the City God Temple then."
Conversations like this circulated among a minority...
At first, only about a dozen people spread the word. In the blink of an eye, twenty or thirty were talking about it. Later, several hundred were passing it around. The poorest in the county town, those who couldn't afford doctors or medicine when sick, all began recounting the stories from The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons.
A few days later...
A large transport convoy arrived at the gates of Chengcheng County Town.
Leading it was none other than Teacher Wang, who had spent a huge sum to acquire the Chengcheng Bookshop. The old soldier guarding the gate recognized Teacher Wang's face and hurried to greet him. "Sir, you've returned to the county town?"
Teacher Wang smiled. "After acquiring the bookshop, I've been busy for over half a year. Now with a bit of free time, I must return to manage the bookshop's business. Can't let such a large acquisition go to waste."
The old soldier felt a pang of awkwardness internally. Sir Wang is a good man, but too foolish. What kind of year is this? How can books possibly sell? It's better for the bookshop to stay idle; it won't make money, but it won't lose money either. Once you start striving to sell books, you'll probably lose everything.
In times like these, it's not laziness to fear, but ambition!
Starting a business is a shortcut to bankruptcy!
The old soldier casually inspected the book transport convoy. No issues; the front carts were filled with thick picture-books. But checking the latter half, he found the rear carts were all filled with white wheat flour.
Seeing the flour, the old soldier couldn't help but stroke his stomach and swallow. "Sir Wang, are you switching to the grain trade again? These days, the grain trade can earn a bit, much more than running a bookshop."
Teacher Wang laughed. "No, no, no. As a scholar, running a bookshop suits me better. This grain isn't for opening a grain shop; it's for a promotional activity."
The old soldier: "What does 'promotional activity' mean?"
Teacher Wang stroked his beard, smiling. "A new term. It means 'an activity conducted to promote sales.'"
The old soldier shook his head, still not understanding.
Teacher Wang smiled. "It's like this: if you buy one book from me, I'll give you two liang of flour. Done this way, won't books sell well? That's called a promotional activity."
Hearing this, the old soldier's jaw dropped, almost hitting the ground. "This... you're doing it this way?"
Teacher Wang: "Is it not allowed?"
The old soldier:"I'll buy fifty books! No, no, five hundred books!"
Teacher Wang:"Limit one per person."
The old soldier was stunned,then suddenly abandoned his post at the gate, sprinting toward home. "Sir Wang, wait! I'll go call everyone in my family. One book per person is fine, right?"
Teacher Wang chuckled inwardly but said, "Run slowly, don't fall."
The old soldier would not slow down. This deal of buying a book and getting two liang of grain—where would you find another like it? Can't slow down, must go fast! Though aged and decrepit, at this moment, he erupted with qinggong-level speed. Wudang's Cloud Ladder and the Xiaoyao Sect's Lingbo Weibu were nothing before him; even materializing fighting spirit into a horse could only achieve a 50-50 tie.
The old soldier's figure flickered twice and vanished around a distant street corner.
Teacher Wang thought to himself: The Tianzun's promotional method is truly unreasonable, striking directly at human nature.
Now there's no one guarding the gate. Tsk!
The convoy moved through the county town's main street, passing through a large crowd of ragged refugees. Smelling the flour's aroma from the carts, the refugees struggled to their feet from street corners, gazing at the convoy.
The Gao Village militia escorting the convoy were all robust and healthy, clearly not to be trifled with. The refugees dared not riot, only watching the grain carts pass with lifeless eyes.
Seeing this scene, Li Daoxuan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
He lowered his head, speaking to Gao Yiye, who was blended into the convoy. "Yiye, relay an order: have the militia intentionally overturn two grain carts."
Gao Yiye, wearing a bamboo hat and rain cape and blended into the team, immediately straightened up. This was her first time in the county town, curiously looking left and right. As a child, she had yearned for the county town, but now being here, it seemed gray, dilapidated, and lifeless, far inferior to Gao Village.
She leaned close to Teacher Wang's ear, quietly conveying the Tianzun's decree.
Teacher Wang understood. Just as he was about to go back and relay the decree, he saw Flat Rabbit, in charge of the last cart at the convoy's rear, suddenly let out an exaggerated "Aiyo!" and gave his cart a hard shove, thumping into the grain cart pushed by Zheng Gouzi in front.
Both grain carts overturned simultaneously, the flour bags on top rolling off.
Zheng Gouzi turned, wanting to protect the grain bags, but Flat Rabbit cried out "Aiyo!" again, toppling onto Zheng Gouzi. Both men fell together and rolled aside.
The ropes tying the flour bags somehow came loose too. As the bags tumbled, flour spilled onto the street.
Seeing this, the nearby refugees couldn't hold back anymore. With a roar, they rushed over, scooped up handfuls of flour from the ground, and took off running.
Flat Rabbit whistled, intentionally not blocking them, even holding Zheng Gouzi back, watching as the refugees looted the two carts of grain clean before his eyes.
Teacher Wang and Gao Yiye were slightly stunned, simultaneously muttering, "This guy... before even receiving the Tianzun's order, he intentionally overturned the grain carts on his own initiative."
(Ming Context: The 'buy a book, get flour' scheme is a stroke of genius tailored for a famine economy. It converts Li Daoxuan's surplus grain (from the 'celestial' supply) into a targeted subsidy that simultaneously accomplishes three goals: relieves immediate hunger, disseminates his religious narrative, and creates a positive, tangible association with his name—'the Tianzun who gives food and stories.')
(Meta: Flat Rabbit, the perennial comic relief and 'unreliable' militiaman, instinctively understands the Tianzun's true, compassionate will better than anyone. His preemptive 'accident' reveals that Gao Village's culture of mutual aid is now so ingrained it operates on reflex.)