The Whole Village Thrives After Adopting a Lucky Girl

Then there was the burning of incense, praying, worshipping the deities, chanting mantras, and began the sacrificial dance.

Three dozen students from the medical department also joined in the dance, making the scene spectacular.

After worshipping the immortals, Zhou Wuchang held up a big gourd in one hand and explained to the crowd, “The Heavenly God commanded me to fetch holy water from the Heavens, to save the disaster-stricken people. If anyone of you has sick family members, come and receive it quickly. I will not wait for those who are late.”

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly looked for something to carry the water.

Before long, many people came running with jars and ceramic bowls to collect water.

Zhou Wuchang repeated the act from yesterday – he raised the gourd, both his disciples supporting it on either side, and then water began to flow from the gourd.

People started queuing up, and one after another collected the clear water. Some drank it on the spot.

Those who were yet to line up asked, “How is it? Is it holy water?”

“Yes, yes! After drinking, my stomach feels warm. I must get some more for my child’s mother to drink.” So saying, he ran back to join the line.

In a short while, dozens of people had collected the water. But the gourd seemed endless, like a treasure bottle from the Goddess of Mercy, constantly pouring out clear water.

At this time, even the doctors and medical scholars ran out from the medical department. Some tried to reach out their hand to get a taste of the water but were glared back by Zhou Wuchang, “Get in line!”

The official of the medical department, Ya Sen, also came running out. He observed the large gourd in the hands of Zhou Wuchang and his disciples for a while, a dubious look in his eyes.

After a quarter of an hour, Zhou Wuchang put down the big gourd to rest a while.

Ya Sen approached, touched the gourd, and shook it.

The big gourd was light, as if there was nothing in it.

Unable to resist, he took off the stopper and peered in.

“Sir, what are you doing?” Zhou Hao asked, walking up expressionlessly.

Ya Sen, retreating his tiptoe, gave a light cough, and replaced the stopper.

With his hands behind his back, he approached Zhou Wuchang and asked, “Master, where did this gourd come from?”

Zhou Wuchang initially didn’t want to pay him any attention, but remembering the divine envoy identity his young disciple arranged for him, he answered in a indifferent tone, “It’s a holy water gourd bestowed by the Heavenly God.”

“Bestowed by the Heavenly God?” Ya Sen scoffed in his heart but his face remained smiling, “So, Master, you’re a divine envoy now?”

Zhou Wuchang gave him a cold glance, “What? Do you have a problem with that?”

This Ya Sen was nothing more than the lapdog of Imperial Teacher Xiao who would report everything to him. If it weren’t for the fact that Zhou considered it a hassle, Ya Sen would have been dead several times over.

Ya Sen laughed awkwardly, “I was just curious. When did the Master get this divine object.”

Zhou Wuchang ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.

Just then, someone came seeking water and Zhou Wuchang told his disciples, “You two go distribute the water for them.”

Zhou Hao obeying his master’s command unconditionally, picked up the big gourd with Yingbao assisting him.

Then, to Ya Sen’s amazement, water really came out of what was originally an empty gourd.

And it flowed nonstop for half an hour.

Ya Sen, feeling amazed, approached again. This time, Zhou Hao moved the gourd near his master and stood by the side, effectively blocking anyone who attempted to touch the gourd.

Ya Sen angrily returned to the medical department, pacing back and forth in his study.

Finally, he sat down at his desk and commenced writing a letter.

Imperial Teacher Xiao had instructed him to always keep an eye on Zhou Wuchang and report any abnormal behavior in a letter back to Beijing.

After writing a letter, he felt that it might be too premature, so he crumbled it up and tossed it in his drawer.

He decided to wait, observing if Zhou Wuchang would do anything else unusual.

Outside the medical department, seeing that all the sick people in the vicinity had received the water, Zhou Wuchang instructed his two disciples to pack up the incense table and head back.

On the second day, many people suddenly flocked to the medical department, each seeking water, but Master Zhou Wuchang and his disciples did not show up.

Ya Sen went to check the Yin Yang Department and found no one there. They had gone to the Taoist temple early in the morning.

With no options left, Ya Sen had to send someone to tell the people outside that Master Zhou wasn’t at the medical department that day and had gone to the Taoist temple instead.

Upon hearing this, the crowd ran off, each carrying their own containers towards the Taoist temple.

When Yingbao followed her master to the Taoist temple, she saw Master Zhou instructing the temple head to prepare the censer and said they were going to perform a ritual to summon the Heavenly God.

This time, the head of the temple surrounded the entrance of the temple with yellow silk. He invited Zhou Wuchang and his disciples to perform the ceremony inside.

Zhou Wuchang let his senior apprentice guard the entrance, while he supervised his junior disciple as he conjured up five large gourds, each filled with clear water.

He looked at each of them without any expression. Then he signaled his junior disciple to let the people come in.

Outside the yellow silk-enclosed ceremony area, many people had arrived. When Yingbao removed half of the yellow silk, everyone could see the five huge gourds placed behind Master Zhou.

“My God! What a miracle!”

“Master Zhou is truly a divine envoy!”

“Yes, yes! The holy water Master Zhou summoned has saved many of us.”

Many of the disaster-stricken refugees who had sought refuge in the Taoist temple had improved. They fell to their knees before Zhou Wuchang, kowtowing in worship and praising him as the divine envoy and the heavenly master.

Zhou Wuchang accepted these graciously and allowed the young Taoist in the temple to help distribute the water.

As for his two apprentices, they stood behind him, acting as fairy children.

Yingbao glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, her expression calm.

Later, the County Magistrate also came to see the five large gourds. He found them fascinating and had a cartload of medicinal herbs delivered.

With these herbs and the Pupil Spring provided by Yingbao, the number of patients gradually decreased.

However, the fame of Zhou, the divine envoy, grew louder and louder.

As the disciple of the divine envoy, wherever Yingbao went, people recognized her and greeted her warmly.

After about ten days, the epidemic in the county town disappeared completely, but many people still died in this disaster.

The rumors about Jiang Yingbao being a demon still popped up from time to time, but they were quickly squashed by the people.

Jiang Jie and a group of new entrants were called upon by the County Magistrate, who specifically asked about the fungus and cotton issues in Dongchen Village.

Jiang Jie truthfully replied, “Each family in our village grows fungus and cotton, as well as pepper and various fruit trees. If Magistrate is free, you can come and be our guest to enjoy the countryside.”

The County Magistrate smiled and agreed.

After the banquet, Jiang Jie, along with Mr. Wu, followed his sister, her master and Wei Zhan back to their hometown.

Old man Jiang and Jiang Quan, Jiang Dacheng’s husband and wife, and Yuanbao, had all returned home a few days earlier.

As for the shop, due to the recent epidemic, they decided to close for a few days.

As soon as Yingbao returned to the village, she looked around.

The old village at the foot of the mountain was completely destroyed by the sudden flood, including the brick house of the Clan Leader.

Although the floodwaters have now receded, a lot of silt and muddy water still remained on the ground.

The fertile fields along the banks of Chuanhe River were filled with yellow sand, and the fertile soil was washed away. It was estimated that the fertile fields would be downgraded.

However, there was no sign of disaster in the village as the villagers from East Village and West Village were all living on the South Slope, with their houses and property intact.

But the other villages were not so fortunate. The entire area, including the town, had been abandoned by the flood. Many houses were destroyed and belongings, as well as livestock, were washed away by the water.

The home of the local practitioner, Zhang, was no exception. Fortunately, Mr. Jiang had noticed the situation early on and ridden to town on horseback, bringing Zhang’s family to seek shelter at the Jiang’s residence on South Slope.

Now, not only was Zhang’s family living with Mr. Jiang, but so were other relatives.