inspire-indiana Chapter 12 Humans Exercising Divine Authority: Praying for Rain
Chapter 12 Humans Exercising Divine Authority: Praying for Rain
Shixi Village.
Villagers line up to fetch water.
"It's gone down by three fingers again!"
"If this continues, we won't even have enough water to drink, let alone irrigate the fields."
Li Laoshuan put down the empty bucket, stretched his neck to look at the ancient well, and his voice was dry and rough, like sandpaper.
"In my small cornfield, the stalks are all twisted into hemp ropes; they crumble into powder if you pinch them."
"It's over, this year is all over."
Wang the Cripple pounded his leg, his eyes vacant.
"It's not just your house!"
"The vegetable garden is completely withered, and the chickens aren't laying eggs anymore. How are we going to survive?"
Widow Zhao spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I went to the fields this morning to check."
"It's no use, there's no way to save him. I've lived for over ten years and I've never seen such scorching sun or such a vicious drought."
Old Sun shook his head, his face etched with wrinkles that looked as if carved by a knife, his aged voice weak and feeble.
"Could it be that we did something wrong and angered the gods?"
In the crowd, someone hesitated before speaking, and as soon as they finished speaking, everyone's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the stone niche at the village entrance.
"Nonsense!"
"The Stone Toad King has always protected us!"
Bai Siqi frowned, then suddenly shouted, his voice carrying a barely perceptible weakness. His face was extremely pale, and his hands gripped his cane tightly but trembled slightly, showing great worry.
This drought is highly unusual.
Lin Shi carried a hoe, walking along the sun-baked, hardened field ridges. His straw sandals offered little protection from the scorching heat. He squinted at the sky, which resembled a red-hot iron, the sky a blinding blue. Day after day, the earth was baked relentlessly. He surveyed the surrounding fields, noticing the crisscrossing cracks in the soil.
The seedlings planted earlier were withered and yellow, showing a dying, grayish appearance, curled up, and ready to crumble at the slightest touch.
In this kind of weather, farming is pointless; the vast fields at the village entrance are deserted.
Lin Shi walked into the village.
The air was thick with dust and a sense of unease.
Several teenagers leaned listlessly against the wall, licking their chapped lips. Even the usually energetic stray dog drooped its head, lying in the only shade, its tongue lolling out and its belly heaving violently.
Lin Shi turned around and strode towards the home of clan chief Sun Ming.
Despair, like an invisible vine, is quietly spreading to every corner of Shixi Village.
Ever since discovering the secrets of the dragon, I've been thinking about how to gain more faith power, and this is a good opportunity.
What could be more heartwarming than a life-saving rain falling in this desperate situation, turning the tide of life and death?
If successful, the faith in the Stone Toad King will no longer just bring health and peace, but will be able to dominate the vitality of this land!
The combined power of faith will far surpass that of the past, enabling it to break through the shackles at the bottom of the pool more quickly.
The severe drought that Shixi Village is facing presents a golden opportunity for them to gain more credibility, and they must not miss it.
Sun Ming sat under the eaves, which barely shielded him from the scorching sun, his eyes half-closed in a daze. The wrinkles on his face resembled the cracked fields, and his cloudy eyes were full of worry.
"Chieftain."
Lin Shi called out.
"Lin Shi! If it doesn't rain soon, our whole year is over."
Sun Ming looked up at Lin Shi, his eyes somewhat unfocused.
"Chieftain!"
"We cannot sit idly by and wait to die."
"We must pray to the Stone Toad King for rain!"
Lin Shi got straight to the point and spoke directly.
"Pray for rain? This is no small matter! If our prayers are not answered, wouldn't we be utterly angering the gods? At that point, Stone Creek Village would truly be without any hope!"
Sun Ming trembled, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deeper worry. His withered hands gripped his cane tightly, his knuckles turning white.
The consequences of failure are too great to bear.
"Chieftain, the Stone Toad King has repeatedly performed miracles, bestowing blessings upon the village. You have witnessed his power firsthand."
"This severe drought may be a test given to us by the gods, a test of whether our faith is firm."
"I have a premonition that as long as we pray sincerely and the ritual is performed correctly, the Stone Toad King will surely respond!"
"I am confident about this matter."
Lin Shi met Sun Ming's hesitant gaze with a steady tone, leaning slightly forward and speaking in a low voice that carried an undeniable authority.
Sun Ming stared blankly at Lin Shi.
The tiger's head was retrieved.
Village worship.
Toad Pearl!
Toad curse!
Wang Hu!
One thing after another flashed through my mind like lightning.
The stone before me has deep, unfathomable eyes, as if they contain some incomprehensible power.
"Alright! Let's pray for rain!"
"Lin Shi, what do you think we should do about this ceremony?"
Sun Ming took a deep breath, a strange sense of trust overcoming his fear.
"I will preside over this rainmaking ceremony. I am fully aware of the ritual and its key points, and I will do my utmost to communicate with the gods and pray for abundant rain!"
Lin Shi spoke calmly but firmly, explaining that his in-depth research in his previous life, especially the vast consciousness he had obtained from the dragon a few days ago, contained more than just the painful memories of suppression; it also contained various kinds of "techniques," with rainmaking being just one of them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to make such a move.
"Alright! You'll take charge! The whole village will cooperate on whatever is needed!"
Sun Ming looked at Lin Shi, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded heavily.
We fast for three days, clean our houses and alleys, and prepare offerings! We pray to the Stone Toad King to send down sweet rain!
Shixi Village seemed to have been muted.
The sounds of roosters crowing, dogs barking, and children playing have all disappeared.
No smoke rises from any of the houses, and people survive on plain water and the last remaining dry rations that are as hard as rocks. Ironically, the emptiness in their stomachs makes them even more focused.
The cleaning was no longer limited to one's own yard, but extended to every alley and lane. Even the weeds by the roadside were pulled up clean, as if to completely drive away all the filth and disrespect that hindered the rain from this land.
Under Lin Shi's meticulous arrangements, everything proceeded in an orderly manner. Gradually, all the expectations and anxieties were drawn to the same focal point of faith. An unprecedentedly cohesive and almost burning belief gathered in the sky above Shixi Village, suppressed but poised to erupt, growing stronger and stronger.
dusk.
The setting sun resembled a giant fireball about to burn out, and the clouds on the horizon were a bleak, dark red.
Village entrance.
Stone niche.
The altar was set up.
Wheat, millet, and beans were placed in a coarse earthenware bowl.
A jar of the last, clear spring water drawn from the bottom of the well.
Several bunches of emerald green willow branches with tender buds, symbolizing the resilience of life.
Arranged neatly.
A wooden table, with yellow paper laid flat, stones placed at the four corners, and a bowl of cinnabar, bright red like blood.
The sky gradually darkened.
The huge fire burned brighter and brighter.
Lin Shi stood before the altar, his expression solemn and his eyes sharp.
Clan chief Sun Ming, holding the village seal, and a group of clan elders, including Xu Zheng, lagged behind by half a step.
The villagers gathered around in complete silence, the firelight illuminating their eager yet anxious faces.
"Initiate the ceremony!"
Lin Shi's gaze swept over the crowd. He took a deep breath, and with a clear and resonant voice, he shouted, piercing through the twilight.
Lin Shi faced the distant Bibo Pool, bowed deeply three times, his movements slow and rhythmic, as if communicating with an invisible force. He took a willow branch, dipped it in the clear water from the pottery jar, and swung it around the altar, flicking the water droplets as he went, scattering them in all directions.
"The vast and boundless expanse of the universe conceals the virtue of water."
"The stone toad is spiritually connected and can sense the movements of all directions."
"Now we, the common people, humbly pray to Heaven."
"The land is bare for thousands of miles, and all the crops are damaged."
"I humbly beseech the Divine Lord to govern Yin and Yang."
"Summoning dragons and spreading clouds, commanding thunder and lightning."
"The Milky Way pours down, nourishing the eight directions."
"The sweet rain has fallen, saving my seedlings."
"With this pure wine, there is no greater fragrance than this."
"Only God and Saint can bear witness to this heartfelt sentiment."
"Cleanse away the scorching heat, and forever bathe in grace."
Lin Shi circled the sacrificial altar once, set down the willow branch, and, using his hand as a pen, moistened cinnabar. As he wrote, he chanted, and large, bold characters, like iron hooks, appeared on the prepared yellow paper. The prayer flowed from his lips, his voice initially low and somber, like the murmuring of a pool, then rising high, as if piercing clouds and splitting rocks. It struck directly at the heart. Each syllable carried a strange power, resonating with the surrounding air, spreading outwards in ripples like water.
"Print it!"
Lin Shi shouted loudly.
Sun Ming stepped forward, bowed, and presented the village seal with both hands.
Lin Shi picked it up, flipped it over, and covered the bottom right corner of the yellow paper.
"Stone Toad God above! Today, the land of Shixi Village is barren for thousands of miles, and all living beings are in grave danger! On behalf of all the elders of the village, believer Lin Shi humbly beseeches the God to consider our sincere devotion, to be moved by the parched earth, and to send down sweet rain to revive our crops and save our people! May Heaven and Earth bear witness to our heart's desire!"
Lin Shi rolled up the prayer text, held it in both hands, looked up at the sky, and uttered the last word. He then threw the prayer text into the fire. Flames rose, and blue smoke rose straight up. A thought flashed and rushed straight to the Bibo Pool.
The dragon avatar sensed a highly concentrated and incredibly fervent power of faith surging forth through the ritual presided over by Lin Shi and through the stone toad statue! Its massive body suddenly tensed within the chains binding it.
underwater.
The dragon's cold, vertical pupils instantly turned pure silver-white. The chains binding its massive body suddenly tightened, and the power it had been holding for so long erupted like a dormant volcano. The chains vibrated violently, the runes flashed wildly, and the backlash was like billions of ice needles piercing the soul.
"roar!"
The dragon disregarded everything, letting out a silent roar that reverberated through the soul. It didn't hesitate to burn part of its soul's essence, frantically squeezing out the power to recover. It pushed its water magic to its limit, forcibly creating an invisible, enormous vortex in the sky, desperately drawing in and gathering every possible drop of water vapor from the air.
An extraordinary phenomenon has occurred!
On a clear night, without warning, wisps of clouds began to gather from all directions. At first, they were just a thin veil, but soon, more moisture was forcibly restrained and dragged in by that invisible force!
The clouds piled up and thickened at a visible speed, turning into low-hanging, heavy, lead-gray clouds that completely covered the sky above Shixi Village.
The suffocating heat was dispelled, replaced by a moist, earthy, and cool scent.
The villagers looked up at this miraculous reversal of the heavens, their bodies trembling with excitement. Tears mingled with sweat as they streamed down their faces, but they bit their lips tightly, afraid to make the slightest sound, lest they disturb the hard-won cloud formation.
Lin Shi's face was as white as paper. He felt as if he were experiencing everything that the dragon had endured.
At the bottom of the pool, the dragon's clone was enduring immense pain, its consciousness almost fading away.
"Crackling!"
A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder that shook the earth!
Large raindrops, carrying an incredibly cool scent and a faint trace of spiritual energy, pattered down!
It instantly transformed into a vast, all-encompassing curtain of rain!
The torrential rain precisely enveloped Shixi Village and its surrounding fields.
It falls onto the parched land and is quickly absorbed.
When it lands on a dying seedling, the gray leaves unfold at a speed visible to the naked eye, regaining their vitality!
"Rain! It's raining!"
"Lin Shi! It was Lin Shi who prayed for the rain!"
"The Stone Toad King has appeared!"
"Lin Shi is a divine messenger!"
The villagers knelt on the ground, which had instantly turned into mud, and their long-suppressed emotions erupted. They let the torrential rain wash over their bodies and let out deafening cheers, cries, and shouts.
As the rain subsided, the dark clouds dispersed, and the bright moonlight shone down again, Shixi Village had completely transformed.
The land was nourished by the rain, the crops were reborn, and every villager's face was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster and unwavering faith in the Stone Toad King.
Lin Shi stood beside the altar, feeling the extreme exhaustion and weakness emanating from the dragon avatar within his body, and feeling the overwhelming power of faith that surged forth like a tidal wave, filled with boundless gratitude and utter conviction, most of which was clearly imprinted with reverence for him!
At the bottom of the pool, the dragon was nearly exhausted, but its surging new life force was rapidly repairing its damage.
The runes on the cold chains became even dimmer under the impact of this power of faith.
Lin Shi's tense body gradually relaxed.
This time, I am the guide, using the ritual to maximize the guidance and gathering of faith, and taking this opportunity to establish myself as the supreme representative of the gods in the hearts of the villagers.
The clone dragon transcends its limits, endures pain, and combines the power of faith with its innate water-based abilities to summon a torrential downpour with remarkable effects.
Everything went as planned. By praying for rain during the severe drought, the village was saved, and the imprint of faith was further etched into the souls of every villager. Their faith became more abundant and pure, reaching a new peak.
Lin Shi clenched his right hand. This time, with the help of the dragon to control the clouds and rain, as his faith power accumulated, he was certain that one day he would be able to obtain such power himself.
First came the spiritual awareness that enveloped the entire village with a single thought; now it's the ability to command the wind and rain at will.
What kind of supernatural power will it be next time?
Lin Shi shook his head. Was he still human now? But the feeling of having power was really good. He smiled and turned to leave.