From the second day onwards, pilgrims who frequented the area discovered that a plaque, which had been absent for a long time, had suddenly appeared above the main hall.
The plaque bore the inscription "Tian Yi Ruo Shui" (天一若水), and the water deity enshrined within finally had a name after three to four years.
Also, from this day forth, anyone who offered incense with sincere devotion could receive a divine charm. This charm, when affixed to one's eaves at home, would protect the household from malevolent spirits and ghosts.
Furthermore, the Water Deity Temple seemed to grant almost any reasonable wish. If a certain area suffered from drought, or if spirits caused trouble elsewhere, respected Immortal Masters would intervene for such legitimate requests.
With Linfu County as the center, the name of the Tian Yi Water Deity Temple spread throughout hundreds of miles, attracting a considerable number of pilgrims and believers.
This continued for a month until a group of over twenty people arrived at the mountain top Water Deity Temple. Under the guise of the county yamen, they dispersed all the pilgrims and cleared both the interior and exterior of the main hall.
"I am the Magistrate of Linfu County. I request the Water Deity of this place to appear and meet me."
A young man of imposing demeanor stood within the main hall, surveyed the surroundings, and then spoke slowly.
He appeared to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, exuding an aura of scholarly righteousness. He was clearly a Confucian scholar, yet he also possessed an air of official authority. Though he had no cultivation, his presence was enough to deter minor malevolent entities.
"I have only recently ascended to divinity and have not yet fully solidified my divine essence. I am unable to appear in person. I humbly request your understanding."
A golden light flickered from the central deity statue, and a slightly immature voice emanated from it.
Hearing the voice, the Magistrate of Linfu County frowned. Could it be that a young child had truly become a deity?
He looked up, carefully observing the deity statue before him. His aide and the constable, seeing this, felt their hearts leap into their throats.
It was a universally known principle that one should not gaze directly at a deity statue, lest they incur divine wrath.
While ordinary mortals might not be held accountable, beings like cultivators would certainly be punished. Even if this was merely a wild deity not sanctioned by the imperial court, such disrespect was unacceptable. And the young Magistrate, as a Confucian scholar, could not be unaware of these rules.
"Do you know the laws of the court?"
After a long pause, the young man spoke in a calm tone.
In a short time, a voice from the deity statue replied, "I am aware."
The Great Yu Dynasty had explicit regulations: any shrine not recognized by the court was considered a heretical temple. Even if it provided protection and received incense offerings, its statues would be destroyed by the authorities. Only in exceptionally rare cases, or if it became intrinsically linked with the local land and fortune, could it possibly survive, be examined, and eventually be officially recognized and granted a decree.
"Sir, this place is privately owned."
Mo Yiyan, who had been waiting patiently, stepped forward two paces and stated with a humble expression.
His implication was that even the imperial court could not interfere here. As long as they did not engage in rebellion, no outsiders could question them, even if they built temples and enshrined deities.
The young Magistrate understood this. He calmly glanced at the middle-aged man before him and did not speak further.
"Linfu County already has a Water Deity. The Prefectural Governor submitted a memorial to the court, which received the approval of the Imperial Observatory."
He spoke slowly and then, with his retinue, departed.
Not long after, the previously dispersed pilgrims re-entered. Although some were confused as to what had transpired, it did not hinder them from offering incense and making their prayers.
"Investigate the matter of the Linfu County Water Deity."
A divine sense emanated from the deity statue, reaching Mo Yiyan's ears.
The Daoist from the mountains immediately acknowledged this, then left the Water Deity Temple with others, gathering information about the Linfu County Water Deity from various sources.
Within the deity statue, Ji Yuan, who was using prayer power to condense his divine body and obtain the local Water Deity's divine essence, fell into contemplation.
The young Magistrate's words before he left were certainly not without purpose; they seemed to carry a hidden meaning. On the surface, it was a warning, yet it also felt like a reminder, as if to say that one mountain could not tolerate two tigers, and one region's waters could not accommodate two Water Deities.
However, the true situation could only be determined after Mo Yiyan brought back definitive news, allowing him to decipher the deeper meaning of the Magistrate's words.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye. As the moon hung high in the sky, a brilliant golden divine light rose within the deserted main hall of the Water Deity Temple, accompanied by rippling waves of water.
Within the deity statue, a figure began to coalesce. A vague silhouette emerged from the ethereal to the corporeal, finally stepping out as a youth.
He was the same size as the statue behind him, his face appearing no older than fifteen or sixteen. Though suffused with divine power, he still carried a hint of immaturity.
Ji Yuan stood naked on the altar, looking down at his golden divine body and experiencing the changes that came with solidifying his divine essence.
His crystalline skin, emitting a faint golden glow, appeared no different from ordinary flesh and blood, but it had already transcended the bounds of typical living beings. After consolidating his divine essence, his divine body transformed into a golden body of prayer power. While its form remained unchanged, it no longer relied on internal organs or meridians.
Simultaneously, his perception of incense offerings and prayer power became sharper, as did his understanding of the Great Dao contained within heaven and earth. Every movement he made exuded a subtle divine power. Moreover, within the place of his divinity, his strength would be greatly enhanced, and he would possess various incredible divine abilities. However, once he left, he would lose these enhancements and could only rely on his own cultivation level and divine power.
What Ji Yuan found unexpected was that after condensing his divine golden body, he had regressed from an eighteen or nineteen-year-old appearance to that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old. If he had known this would happen, he should have instructed Mo Yiyan and the others to make the deity statue appear older. This current form, he felt, would undoubtedly diminish the awe it inspired.
Suddenly, with a thought, divine light permeated his being, and a robe, shoes, and socks fashioned from divine power adorned his divine golden body.
Moments later, the main hall door was gently pushed open. Mo Yiyan, dusty from travel, entered after closing the door.
"Congratulations, my Lord, on condensing your divine essence and successfully forging your golden body!"
He offered his congratulations to the youth standing before the deity statue on the altar.
Ji Yuan stepped down from the altar, moved his divine body, and then asked calmly, "Did you find out anything?"
After consolidating his divine golden body, even his casual movements and words carried a subtle divine power.
"I did indeed gather some information."
Mo Yiyan's expression turned serious as he recounted the various findings from their days of inquiry.
About ten miles from Linfu County, there was indeed a small river that flowed into the Fuyuan River, with a branch entering the county town. The Water Deity of this place was originally a wealthy landowner in the county. It was only because his descendant had become a third-tier cultivator, and by leveraging his cultivation and his sect's influence, that he had petitioned the Prefectural Governor to grant his grandfather the position of River Lord. Now, over three hundred years later, that third-tier cultivator had long since perished, but the landowner's position as River Lord had gradually solidified over the years.