chsdbacks Chapter 3 Faith! The Path to Extraordinary!
Chapter 3 Faith! The Path to Extraordinary!
Scorching sun!
It enveloped the earth!
Like fire.
As if coated.
Lin Shi gripped the hoe with both hands, using all his strength to shovel it into the ground. He pulled hard with both hands, prying up a clod of earth. He took a breath and repeated the same action until Zhao Fugui, who had been watching him, walked away before he stopped.
After Lin Shi and Sun Ming inquired about and read the miscellaneous notes about their ancestral home, they found themselves frequently distracted while working these past few days. Their arms, which wielded the hoes, felt weak and powerless. Stone toads, deep pools, dragons, faith power... these fragmented pieces of information written on yellowed pages swirled in their minds like scattered puzzle pieces. Based on their years of experience studying folk customs before their transmigration, they came to a startling guess: a real and true path to transcendence exists in this world.
To prove his point, Lin Shi made two trips to the village entrance to worship the stone toad statue in the shrine, taking advantage of quiet times or when no one was looking.
The first time was on a misty, early morning.
The village was quiet, with only early birds catching insects to eat.
He walked directly to the stone niche, and in front of the cold, rough stone toad statue, he casually cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, his back ramrod straight, without offering any prayers.
However, almost the instant the action was completed, the dragon's clone at the bottom of the deep pool felt a barely perceptible tremor, like a tiny needle pricking it in the darkness. It was slight, brief, and cool, then vanished without a trace. The old wound on the dragon's abdomen did not heal in the slightest.
The second time was at dusk.
After finishing their work, everyone in the village went home. Not seeing a single person, I stood in front of the stone toad statue, bowed deeply, bent over, and silently prayed, "Great Stone Toad King, please bless the fields so that we may have plenty of food." This time, the feeling was much clearer.
A strong and powerful force converged on the stone toad, and the dragon clone at the bottom of the pool sensed and absorbed it simultaneously. The old wound on its abdomen did indeed feel somewhat healed, but it was extremely sluggish and slow, like wiping away dirt with muddy water. It wasn't entirely useless, but it really wasn't very effective, and it was a waste of effort.
Lin Shi's gaze drifted toward the stone niche at the village entrance.
I tried it this morning!
I tried it at dusk!
Only noon is left to try!
"Lin Shi!"
"If I catch you slacking off even once, you can forget about getting two wheat cakes today!"
Lin Shi was startled, then came to his senses. He turned his head and looked around. Twenty meters away, Zhao Fugui was pointing at him and cursing him furiously. Lin Shi didn't say a word, but immediately lowered his head and got back to work.
The village head Zhao Fugui's gloomy gaze followed him every day, staring intently at him. If he relaxed even slightly, Zhao Fugui would immediately roar or even pick up a clod of dirt and throw it at him. Not to mention the foul language, which never stopped like a tidal wave.
However, what used to be pressure has now become motivation. He needs to figure out the relationship between the dragon at the bottom of the pool, the stone toad king at the village entrance, and himself. This is his only chance to survive, or even a chance to become extraordinary, in this world. No matter what, he has to seize it, no matter the cost.
The night was as dark as ink.
The mountain wind howled, like iron nails scraping against glass, harsh and unpleasant to hear.
The flames in the stove flickered back and forth.
Lin Shi warmed his hands and then his face with the hot water, which helped to ease the fatigue from a day's work. He waited for the water to boil, then lifted the earthenware lid, picked up a piece of wheat cake, broke it into pieces, threw it in, put the lid back on, boiled it, took it out, let it cool for a while, ate it bite by bite, wiped his mouth, patted his full belly, stood up, strolled around a couple of times, picked up a piece of wheat cake that had been left aside, went into the shed, put it in a bag, and hung it on the ceiling. He needed irrefutable evidence to prove whether a real and true extraordinary path existed in this world. He would go to the stone shrine at the village entrance again at noon tomorrow; this was a special offering he had left behind.
He lay down on the grassy pile, closed his eyes, and soon fell fast asleep.
noon!
The sun was blazing.
Today is a rare day off. The whole village is not farming, and everyone is at home. The village is quiet, and you can't see a single person.
The old locust tree at the village entrance cast a thick shadow, and the stone niche was enveloped in coolness.
Lin Shi stood three steps away from the stone niche, gently setting down a wooden bucket filled with water drawn from the well, soaking an old but faded coarse cloth in it. He stood quietly for a while, waiting for the sweat on his body to dry completely. He then stood firmly with his feet together, picked up the stone toad statue with both hands, and respectfully bowed slightly before approaching to begin cleaning. First, he carefully picked up the withered leaves and bird droppings in the niche, cleaned the stone toad's open mouth which was covered with some mud and sand, carefully picked out the small twigs, put the damp cloth on his fingers, and wiped it clean little by little. He then soaked the coarse cloth in the clean water, wrung it out, and wiped the stone toad statue, starting from its back, inch by inch. When the cloth got dirty, he washed it in the bucket, wrung it out, and continued.
With a clear mind and without haste, Lin Shi was not cleaning a neglected stone niche, but rather carrying out a sacred preparatory work. Slowly, the stone toad statue revealed its bluish-gray true form.
After cleaning the stone niche, Lin Shi took three steps back and carefully examined it. The niche was clean inside and out, and the stone toad statue stood silently. Under the dappled shadows of the trees, the stone toad statue faintly revealed a calm luster.
Lin Shi rested for a while, straightened his worn clothes, lowered his voice, and with a solemn expression, knelt on the cool ground in front of the stone niche, placed his hands together in front of his forehead, and slowly bowed down.
"When the stone toad opens its mouth, rain will come often; when it closes its mouth, the ditches will dry up. Offering sacrifices of three kinds of animals will bring abundant grain; sincerity is key, and all disasters will vanish!"
Lin Shi touched the ground with his forehead, and a strange tranquility arose in his heart. In an instant, he fell into a state of ethereal peace. Naturally, the song that the clan elder Sun Ming had hummed in the ancestral house a few days ago came out of his mouth in a low tone, with an ancient charm and rhythm.
The voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet midday. Each word seemed to carry weight, blending into the surrounding air and intertwining with the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves of the ancient locust tree, echoing far and wide.
A warm, pure, and unadulterated current of warmth slowly emerged from the void, growing thicker and thicker.
Lin Shi maintained his prostrate posture, forehead touching the cool earth. A tidal wave of emotion surged within him. He didn't need to look; he knew from feeling alone that this was the power of faith, the power of belief—a special force generated by the unwavering conviction fostered or spurred during rituals and offerings. Another dimension, a concept existing only in his research, truly existed in this world!
A sudden change has occurred!
The stone toad looks like it has its mouth open.
At the bottom of the emerald pool!
The dragon clone suddenly raised its head!
In an instant, an invisible life force poured into the stone toad, filling the "river channel" inside. Like a mountain spring thawing in early spring, it flowed continuously through some invisible connection, nourishing the dragon's soul and the wounds in its body. The old wounds in its abdomen, which had been dormant for countless years, sent a clear and heart-pounding tingling sensation through it. Countless new fleshy buds quietly sprouted and connected.
The dragon let out a silent, soothing groan. Its cold, vertical pupils, with a single point of light, shone steadily and resolutely, like a ignited star.
Lin Shi's body swayed as a surge of power flowed back into his body from the dragon. In an instant, he felt as if he were in a deep pool, and his perception and control of the vast body of water around him became more acute and precise. The water flow followed him silently, as if he were controlling his own arm.
Lin Shi straightened up, raised and flipped his right palm. With a thought, a water droplet the size of a grain of rice condensed in the air, shook a few times, and landed in his palm. The Reverse Scale suddenly surfaced and disappeared in an instant.
Lin Shi slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on the stone toad statue.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The rough, ancient outlines seemed to contain some ancient law of the universe, and an enlightenment rose in his heart:
This is no longer just a stubborn rock, but a bridge, a road, connecting one's physical body with the powerful dragon at the bottom of the pool, and even more so, connecting the mortal and the extraordinary.
How to do it?
An unintentional bow, as faint as a firefly.
The rituals of trade are tainted and impure.
Ancient rituals and sincere intentions, clear spring water to cleanse wounds!
It has nothing to do with the quantity of offerings or the volume of the voices; it is not a simple exchange of equal value, but a resonance of heart and sincerity, as long as the body and mind are perfectly in harmony with the ancient rituals.
This time, not only did it generate confidence, but the difference in purity compared to the two attempts a few days ago is proof of that.
If the rituals and sacrifices are performed in accordance with the rites, then the power of faith can be enhanced.
This is my specialty!
Lin Shi left quietly. The road ahead was still long, but the door to power had been opened wide enough.
The western mountains swallowed the last ray of sunlight.
Lin Shi sat in front of the stove, and by the firelight, ate one bite after another of the half-cold wheat cakes soaked in hot water. He suppressed his hunger and dragged his tired body back to the drafty thatched hut, where he lay down on the cold straw mat.
Since the existence of faith was confirmed at noon a few days ago, my life has been abruptly split in two for the next few days.
During the day, he remains the same taciturn man, struggling to survive in the fields. The scorching sun makes his scalp burn, and his arms, which wield the hoe, ache unbearably. Every muscle in his body protests against the arduous labor.
Village head Zhao Fugui would appear on the field ridges countless times a day, his hands behind his back. His shrewd eyes would sweep over the half-dead crops as if he were inspecting livestock, his gaze as cold as ice. The pressure of survival hung like a heavy millstone around his neck.
But everything changes when night falls, like it is now.
Lin Shi didn't go to sleep immediately. He closed his eyes, and with a thought, his consciousness shrank to an inch, sinking into the bottom of the Azure Pool and entering the dragon's body. The familiar coldness and darkness, especially the heavy feeling of being bound by chains, came immediately, as if they were pressing down on him.
This was during the third verification a few days ago. The dragon gained a sliver of faith and acquired a new skill—through the dragon, it could sense everything the dragon felt.
Lin Shi took a deep breath, calmed himself, and felt his senses extend like tentacles, leaving the pool and reaching the land. He crawled towards the village entrance until he reached the stone toad statue and stuck to it.
Lin Shi's heart skipped a beat. His senses were no longer limited to the dragon's massive body and the surrounding pool. He could hear not only the simple sound of flowing water, but also subtle movements around the stone toad statue:
The evening breeze blows through the stone niche, and the whistling sound emanating from the cracks can be clearly heard. One can even vaguely sense the occasional ripple of a villager's gaze toward the niche, whether out of awe, curiosity, or complete indifference.
Unfortunately, these ripples were too weak to form any real power.
The third attempt a few days ago proved that only proper rituals and sacrifices can generate faith power; in other words, only sincere worship of the stone toad by the villagers can generate faith power.
However, the villagers no longer believe in the stone toad and pay it little attention. Occasionally, someone will casually light one or two sticks of incense and offer a gesture, generating very little faith.
Lin Shi had considered various solutions. In fact, all it would take was for the stone toad to manifest its power once, and the problem of the source of its faith would be solved. However, this could only be addressed by patiently waiting for the right opportunity; there was no point in rushing it.
Lin Shi focused his mind and discovered that, with himself as the center, the stone toad and the dragon were two anchor points, connected by extremely faint but real lines. His consciousness continued to extend and spread, like an invisible, sparse net, slowly and quietly enveloping the entire village. Due to his limited abilities, he couldn't see the scenery or hear the specific conversations, but he could capture the atmosphere and various emotions of the entire village.
Lin Shi was immersed in the novel sensations, and time flew by. Just as he was about to turn back, a distinct wave of agitation suddenly came from the west end of the village. This was a fluctuation formed by a mixture of anxiety, panic, and fear, like a school of startled fish violently colliding in the web of consciousness.
problem occurs!
Lin Shi suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils slightly contracting in the darkness. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, the pervasive sense of panic was undeniable.
Lin Shi quickly got up, put on his coat, and followed the source of the emotional turmoil towards the center of the village.