Folklore: The dragon splits into two bodies, and the village worships the dragon as a deity in its p

Chapter 37 Respectfully Inviting

The clear stream flowed all night, washing away the shadow of death that had lingered in Shanghe Village for days.

At the patient's home, after being fed water and medicine, the vomiting gradually stopped, the diarrhea subsided, the high fever subsided, and a trace of peace finally appeared on the face of the patient who was sleeping soundly.

At dawn, before the milky white morning mist had completely dissipated, the riverbank behind the village was teeming with people, many times more numerous than the night before, a dark mass of figures.

Some people squatted by the stream, repeatedly scooping up water to examine it closely, and bringing it to their noses to inhale deeply, as if to confirm that the sweetness and purity were not a dream.

Some people gathered in small groups, speaking urgently in hushed tones, their gestures animated.

Many others simply stood there, their gazes shifting back and forth between the clear stream and the direction of Shixi Village, their faces a mixture of post-disaster disorientation, awe of the unknown forces, and bewilderment at having their understanding completely overturned.

"Is the water really that clear? There's no strange smell at all?"

"My dad drank half a bowl, and he stopped having diarrhea in the middle of the night. He's fast asleep now! Heavens! No! The Dragon God!..."

"The Earth God Temple over there! Sigh! Yesterday, someone wanted to go there to offer incense and pray for peace, but when they saw the toppled statue, they got really scared and didn't dare to go in."

"The temple keeper is still the same, spouting nonsense, one minute begging for mercy and the next saying there's a dragon in the water!"

People gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.

The old local deity, whom they relied on, is now silent and struggling to survive. A new being has emerged, one that has demonstrated power and compassion.

letter?

Still don't believe it?

There weren't many people by the stream last night, and few have witnessed the reflections in the water. But now, faced with the undeniable results of the purification and the improvement in their loved ones' condition, no one can deny it.

Liu Laosi stood at the front of the crowd, with everyone's eyes focused on him. The weight of the gaze created immense pressure, but the pebbles in his arms, warm and steady against his skin, felt like a small heart, faintly echoing the pulse of the distant Bibo Pool, and he slowly relaxed.

Liu Laosi closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes had vanished. He slowly turned around to face the growing crowd of people with different thoughts. The morning light pierced through the thin mist and fell on his face, which was etched with the marks of life, giving rise to a solemnity that transcended his age, almost like that of a god.

"Dear uncles, brothers, aunts, and sisters!"

"Last night, by the mercy of the Dragon God, He manifested His divine power to cleanse my filth and save my family. His grace is like that of a second creation."

"This clear, cool water is proof enough!"

Liu Laosi spoke, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear and steady, piercing through the subtle noise.

The crowd quieted down, and all eyes turned to him. Many were looking at this usually taciturn man, who had recently been repeatedly in the spotlight, with such seriousness for the first time.

"but!"

"The grace of God is boundless. What we mortals saw last night was merely a blur of light and shadow, and we could not see the whole picture."

"Some may harbor doubts, thinking it is an illusion; others may shrink back, finding it difficult to calm their minds."

"This is the norm."

Liu Laosi changed the subject abruptly, his voice unconsciously infusing with a deep, resonant power. His gaze sharpened as he slowly swept over the various faces, pausing slightly on the faces of a few who were usually close to the village head's family and whose eyes were now darting around.

"Now that the plague has been eradicated, the grace of saving our lives is truly profound."

"However, faith is not a game; it requires sincerity and reverence. How can doubts be dispelled if one cannot personally witness the true God's majesty and hear His divine voice?"

"What makes you so certain when storms come?"

Liu Laosi took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slightly, merging the warmth of the pebble in his arms with the guidance from afar. His voice suddenly rose, carrying a desperate and powerful intensity.

"Therefore, I, Liu Laosi, today on behalf of all the villagers, dare to earnestly plead! We beseech the Dragon God to have mercy on our sincerity, to witness this clear water and the hearts that have gathered here, and to reveal your true form on this riverbank, to bestow upon us a dragon's roar, so that our wandering souls may find peace, so that the world may be rectified, and so that our unwavering faith may be established!"

An uncontrollable fervor surged within Liu Laosi. He didn't know why he was doing this, but it seemed as if there was something in his mind guiding him to say and do these things.

"here we go again!"

"Why are you here again?"

"How is that possible?"

"impossible!"

Xu Zhong was dumbfounded.

Old Liu is illiterate and can't even write his own name, so how could he say such a thing?

It happened again last night!

"Revealing its true form?!"

"Bestow upon me a dragon's roar?!"

The crowd erupted in cheers!

This demand is at least ten times bolder than last night's!

This is not a hazy light and shadow, but a form that is required to be clearly visible, or even a sacred sound that can be heard!

Many people's first reaction was that it was absurd, that Liu Laosi had gone mad, but then they realized that this was exactly what they longed for deep down.

The water is clear! The person is better!

But why?

Who did it?

We need a definitive, unquestionable answer!

Having just survived a brush with death and witnessed the powerlessness of old beliefs, I now desperately need an undeniable truth to fill the emptiness and panic in my heart.

"Yes! Please, God of the Dragon, manifest your power!"

"Let us see clearly and hear plainly!"

"Please, divine being, show me your true form!"

Excited shouts erupted from the crowd, starting as scattered cries and quickly merging into a surging wave of sound. Not only those who had participated the previous night, but also many villagers who had arrived this morning and still harbored doubts, were infected by the atmosphere and shouted out loud.

Liu Laosi glanced at Xu Laoxiu, whose expression was changing in the crowd, and then at the few people standing in the distance, who were sent by the village chief Lü Liang. Without saying anything more, he resolutely turned around and faced the clear stream once again.

Liu Laosi's movements were extremely solemn. He straightened his patched but clean coarse cloth clothes, gently brushed the dust off his knees, and slowly and upright knelt down. His knees touched the cool, smooth pebbles soaked by the stream, making a slight sound. He straightened his back, raised his hands from his sides, slowly clasped them together in front of his chest, fingertips together, raised them high above his head, pointing straight to the sky, paused for a moment, and then bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the ground.

"Liu Laosi, a believer, along with the trembling villagers of Shanghe Village, humbly pray to the Dragon God to manifest His power!"

Liu Laosi did not offer a lengthy prayer, but only a declaration that encapsulated all his thoughts.

Whether they were excited young adults, trembling old people, or women holding infants, at this moment, with Liu Laosi's bow, the clamor subsided abruptly. Immediately afterwards, a rustling sound of clothes rubbing against pebbles, like the wind blowing through a wheat field, filled the air. A dark mass of heads bowed, kneeling one after another towards the stream and the clear pool.

Only the sounds of wind, water, and the suppressed breathing of hundreds of people remained on the riverbank.

As the sunlight gradually brightened, it dispelled the last wisp of mist, making the stream appear like flowing crystal and elongating the shadows of the kneeling crowd, casting them onto the pebble beach and weaving them into a strange pattern.

Time seemed to stretch out, each moment filled with tense anticipation.