The Courtyard that Troubled Ghosts and Deities

To be honest, the group of City Gods had indeed misunderstood Gu Ning'an. Without actively sensing or deducing events, he had no idea the spell on the tailor shop's signboard had been triggered, nor did he expect this group of ghostly deities to seek him out in the dead of night.

The spell character on the signboard had been greatly enhanced by Gu Ning'an, with its power and effects amplified many times over.

Previously, the character functioned by discerning "people." It still retained that ability, but now it was more profound.

When the spell character observed the City Gods present, it naturally detected the thick, malevolent energy of demonic flames clinging to them. Upon confirming that these ghosts and deities carried the proper incense offerings of divine authority, the character autonomously activated and cleansed the demonic flames.

However, this did not mean the spell character possessed independent consciousness.

To put it simply, the power left behind by Gu Ning'an carried his intent to eliminate hidden dangers and avoid planting "seeds of evil." Since the demonic flames represented an "evil cause," the spell character deemed it necessary to activate itself and purge the flames.

This series of events led the overly contemplative City Gods to believe that Gu Ning'an was displeased with what had transpired at the Eight-Zhang River.

In their minds, Gu Ning'an, unwilling to personally resolve the issue of the demonic flames for them, had directly used the spell character's power to extinguish the flames.

Now that this matter was unresolved, Gu Ning'an's decision to "plant kumquats at midnight" and leave them waiting seemed like a subtle reprimand.

Caught between the Xiangzhou City God, their superior, and a true immortal of Gu Ning'an's stature, the county-level City Gods dared not meddle.

Realizing this, the group no longer looked toward the local City God Xu for guidance. Instead, they began to scrutinize the simplicity of the courtyard or discreetly observe Gu Ning'an's figure as he worked.

On the other hand, Marquis Lingyou didn't concern himself with his subordinates' overthinking. He didn't believe someone of Gu Ning'an's caliber would resort to petty gestures over such trivial matters.

If Gu Ning'an were truly that petty, why would he have resolved the issue of their demonic flames so quickly?

In Marquis Lingyou's view, this midnight planting of a kumquat tree by a true immortal was undoubtedly a rare spectacle. Witnessing it might even provide insights into the Dao and elevate his own understanding.

This was a rare opportunity—a case where arriving by chance was better than arriving intentionally.

As midnight arrived, Gu Ning'an placed the five kumquat seeds into the deep pit. Picking up the wooden shovel beside him, he skillfully filled the pit with moist soil.

In no time, the circular hole was leveled with the soil. After sprinkling some water over it, Gu Ning'an set the wooden shovel aside, stood up, and clasped his hands toward the City Gods behind him.

"Thank you all for waiting."

The county-level City Gods, having witnessed the unremarkable scene of planting, became even more convinced that this was a subtle "lesson" from the immortal.

Marquis Lingyou, on the other hand, felt humbled, believing his cultivation was still too shallow. He couldn't detect even the faintest trace of spiritual energy emanating from the planting.

Gu Ning'an noticed that only Marquis Lingyou had a seat, while the others were left standing awkwardly, exchanging glances. Feeling somewhat apologetic for making them wait so long, he said, "The stone chairs outside aren't enough. I'll bring out more benches and brew some tea. Please bear with me for a little longer."

Before anyone could respond, Gu Ning'an had already carried out two long wooden benches. Placing them in front of the standing City Gods, he glanced at their numbers and smiled. "Still short by two benches. I'll fetch a couple more."

"Ahem!"

The cough came from Marquis Lingyou, and the meaning behind it was instantly understood by the county-level City Gods: Are you out of your minds? Letting a true immortal carry benches for you? What's next? Should I clean your altars for you someday?

"We'll do it ourselves! Ourselves!"

"Ah, I'll go grab the benches!"

"Been enjoying too much incense power lately—standing for a bit is good for me!"

In an instant, the City Gods began to clamor, their flustered chatter making them look far from the dignified overseers of local realms they were supposed to be.

"I've got it!" declared City God Xu as he arrived with a long wooden bench in hand, placing it beside the others.

A moment of silence fell, followed by a collective wave of approving looks directed at him.

Gu Ning'an cast a strange glance at the group of ghostly deities before heading toward the kitchen. "I'll go brew some tea. Please wait for a moment."

This time, Marquis Lingyou refrained from coughing, and the City Gods, now seated, also refrained from rushing to assist.

The difference was clear: carrying benches was a task for subordinates to perform for their superiors, not the other way around. Brewing tea, however, was an act of hospitality from the host. To interfere would only cause unnecessary confusion.

Before long, cups of tea, their rich aroma wafting through the air, were placed on the stone table before the group. The tea was none other than the famous Wishing Spring.

Gu Ning'an had not paid much attention earlier, but now, seated and engaging in some small talk, he noticed that the demonic flames previously clinging to these individuals had completely vanished.

Perhaps they found a way to resolve the issue themselves… he thought. With a smile, he asked, "May I ask why the esteemed City Gods have come to visit me so late at night?"

Marquis Lingyou was momentarily stunned by the question but quickly clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, smiling. "We've come specifically to thank you, sir, for ridding us of the torment caused by the demonic flames."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other City Gods all rose and bowed in unison. "Thank you, Master Gu!"

"Wait, wait!" Gu Ning'an raised a hand to stop them, looking utterly confused. "While I did extinguish the demonic flames on City God Xu earlier, the rest of you... I don't believe that has anything to do with me?"

Seeing his genuinely puzzled expression, Marquis Lingyou paused, then chuckled. "If I may ask, sir, were the words 'Excellent Craftsmanship' on the tailor shop's signboard written by you?"

Gu Ning'an nodded. "They were."

"That explains it," Marquis Lingyou said, gesturing for the others to sit back down. He continued, "Earlier, we noticed a flash of spiritual light emanating from the tailor shop signboard and learned it was your handiwork. Out of curiosity, we decided to take a closer look.

"Those characters were truly a masterpiece—bold and powerful, full of vigor. Just as we were about to leave, a gentle breeze flowed forth from the spell characters and extinguished the demonic flames on us."

"We know you are modest, but the fact remains that you helped us rid ourselves of a persistent affliction. Please do not downplay your contribution."

Hearing this, Gu Ning'an finally understood what had happened. It turned out that the spell characters he had crafted earlier had taken effect.

"I see now. However, I truly wasn't aware of this. It seems the spell characters sensed the demonic flames on you and, with the intent of sowing good karma, activated themselves to extinguish them.

"Perhaps it was the righteous incense power and merit you carry that allowed the spell characters to assist you," he explained plainly, unwilling to take credit for something he had not actively done.

Little did Gu Ning'an know that his explanation only deepened the awe the City Gods felt toward him. To them, this modest man in the green robe seemed even more unfathomable in his cultivation and understanding of the Dao.