From a distance, Feng Jun spotted the massive golden statue glinting in the sun — and nearly fell off his horse.
"Hold up—what the hell? Chengcheng County wasn't this fancy the last time I came here. When did that thing show up?"
He flagged down a passerby.
"Hey, when did you people build that giant statue?"
The man gave him a look reserved for out-of-towners who still thought the earth was flat.
"That's the Sacred Statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun, built by donations from all the wealthy folks in Chengcheng County. Finished just two days ago."
Feng Jun's eyelid twitched.
Dao Xuan Tianzun again.
That name had been popping up everywhere lately — even Daoist Ma at Heyang claimed to have summoned rain by praying to this same Tianzun, bragging that the Four Dragon Kings had been personally dragged out of their dens by Him.
The passerby puffed up proudly.
"Nice, isn't it? Took nearly two years and over a thousand people to finish."
Feng Jun froze. "Over a thousand people? Two years? You built this in the middle of a famine?"
He almost wanted to scold the man—until he remembered the road he'd just taken.
No starving faces.
No ruined fields.
Chengcheng County looked… fine.
That was impossible.
He lowered his voice. "So, Tianzun made it rain here too? That's why you built the statue?"
"Rain?" The man snorted. "He didn't just make it rain. Tianzun personally smote the rebel army from Guyuan!"
Feng Jun blinked. "…Personally?"
The man's eyes lit up like a street performer about to show off his routine.
"Of course! Came right out of the clouds. Hand like a mountain! Swung it down and—'You rebels, perish!'—BANG! The ground shook! The rebels soiled their pants and ran!"
The sound effect — complete with arm gestures — was so enthusiastic it almost convinced Feng Jun to start praying too.
Almost.
He exhaled and mentally stuck a label on the man's forehead: certified lunatic.
"Appreciate the lesson, good sir." He bowed politely and walked off at speed.
One of his retainers leaned in. "Master… what if that man was telling the truth?"
"He's insane," Feng Jun muttered. "Let's just go find Magistrate Liang before I lose more brain cells."
The golden statue made for an easy landmark. Following its direction, they reached the City God Temple before long.
The plaque above the gate still read City God Temple — not Dao Xuan Tianzun's Shrine.
That, apparently, had been a decree from the great Tianzun Himself: the temple was a "historic cultural site," a future tourist attraction, and therefore off-limits to rebranding.
Inside, the old layout remained.
The City God still occupied the main hall, while Tianzun's ten-zhang-tall golden statue dominated the newly built courtyard in the back.
Feng Jun walked for half a mile through incense smoke before reaching its feet — and froze again.
There, standing reverently at the base of the statue, was Liang Shixian himself.
The magistrate was in full formal robes, hands cupped around a stick of incense. He bowed deeply, then placed it in the burner and picked up a ceremonial mallet.
A single clang rang out as he struck the great bronze bell beside the altar — a sound that rolled across the entire county like a low earthquake.
Meanwhile, Dao Xuan Tianzun — better known to certain circles as Li Daoxuan, Bureaucratic Deity Extraordinaire — was slurping down a bowl of freshly delivered Chunhua noodles.
They weren't as good as Heyang's freshwater version, and he'd been muttering about it for the past five minutes.
Then a notification blinked on his "Heavenly Console."
Chengcheng County — Signal Active.
With a tap, his view shifted — and there was Liang Shixian, kneeling at his golden feet, speaking softly.
Tianzun turned up the Follow Audio function.
"Your humble servant has served as magistrate of Chengcheng County for three years. My term is over, and I am to return to the capital for reassignment."
"For these three years, Tianzun has blessed this land — with food, with rain, with protection. Without Your divine aid, this county would've starved. Now I must leave… and I do not know what awaits me next, nor whether I can continue to be a good official without Your guidance."
Dao Xuan paused mid-slurp.
Wait. Three years already?
Right.
Liang Shixian had been appointed near the end of the Tianqi era — around the same time the late emperor kicked the bucket. And local magistrates served three-year terms.
That meant Liang was due to report back to the capital.
Which also meant… Chengcheng County might soon get a replacement.
Tianzun frowned.
If a corrupt official took over, he'd have to smite them. But killing a county magistrate wasn't exactly subtle — the imperial court tended to notice things like that.
Below, Liang continued softly,
"If my successor is honest, that will be Heaven's mercy. But if he is greedy, I beg Tianzun to act — to punish corruption and protect the common people."
He sounded like a man writing his own will.
Dao Xuan sighed. Liang really was one of the good ones. Replacing him would be a pain.
He was still thinking this when Feng Jun finally appeared in the scene, striding up with a grin.
"Brother Liang! What are you mumbling to the statue for?"
Liang jumped, spinning around. "Feng Jun?!"
They hadn't met in years — not since their academy days at Donglin Academy, where Liang had been a senior student and Feng a younger classmate.
That bond mattered in Ming bureaucracy. Same academy, same side.
"Didn't expect to see you here," Liang said. "What brings you to Chengcheng?"
Feng Jun glanced around. "Important matter. Urgent. Need to speak privately."
Liang's eyes flicked to Feng's plain clothes and serious expression. He nodded.
"This way. Let's find somewhere quiet."
Up above, Dao Xuan watched the two old schoolmates walk off together and smirked.
Well, well… Feng Jun sneaking out of Heyang without orders. That's technically dereliction of duty.
He leaned back in his celestial chair.
This should be good.
Trivia
Donglin Academy: A real political and moralist movement of late Ming intellectuals who believed in upright governance. In this novel's universe, it's also the origin of 90% of "righteous officials who end up stressed, broke, or roasted by Tianzun."