VESSEL - Extinction Countdown 949: Fierce Deity of No Calamity

Over seventy years ago, when Dong Laosan was still “Little Three,” a Clay Buddha was unearthed in Touxiang Village’s copper mine.

Unbeknownst to all, as it was unearthed, a strange gust swept the mine, spilling outward as a hazy, fleeting shadow.

A crowd rushed in to gawk, leaving only Dong Laosan and the limping Fourth Elder at the entrance, both of whom glimpsed the eerie shadow.

“Little Three, you see that? What was it?” Fourth Elder rubbed his eyes, disbelieving.

“Fourth Elder, it… it looked like a shadow…” stammered young Dong Laosan, his voice trembling with fear.

“Where’d it go?”

“Up the mountain, gone in a flash!”

“Little Three, can you recall where it vanished? Take me there!”

“Fourth Elder, why chase it? It’s eerie!”

“Hey, kid, when I say go, we go!” Fourth Elder barked, raising his cane as if to swing.

Rural children fear little, save an elder’s wrath, and Fourth Elder, the second-oldest in Touxiang, held unmatched authority, his stern face unnerving even adults.

Reluctantly, Dong Laosan supported Fourth Elder, stumbling up the mountainside.

They reached a flat clearing halfway up. Fourth Elder squinted, scanning all directions, then slapped his thigh: “Perfect!”

Dong Laosan blinked: “Fourth Elder, what’s up?”

“They dug up that Clay Buddha, didn’t they? We’ll enshrine it here—prime spot for a temple!”

“Huh?”

“Little Three, I don’t lie. That was the Earth Goddess!”

“Not the Earth God? Since when’s an Earth Goddess?”

“What do you know? Where there’s an Earth God, there’s an Earth Goddess! She’s hard to please, but we saw her—it’s fate! Keep this quiet.”

Fourth Elder knelt, muttering words like “no riches, just peace for generations.”

Dong Laosan stood by, Fourth Elder’s reverence easing his fear.

A month later, a small temple rose on the chosen ground. That night, Fourth Elder passed in his sleep.

Dong Laosan kept the secret seventy years, until Yi Qing saw through him in a few words.

Vanilla piped up, puzzled: “I know the Earth God, but what’s an Earth Goddess?”

You Long’er eyed Yi Qing, expecting her to know, but Ye Shisan spoke: “The Earth Goddess is ancient. In folklore, she’s seen as a fierce deity, so most don’t worship her.”

Vanilla pressed: “Fierce? Did she do something wrong?”

Ye Shisan smiled: “Not quite. Let me tell a tale.”

All cheered, even Dong Laosan leaned in.

“The Earth God, also known as the God of Fortune and Virtue, guards the land—a kind, honest elder. Legend says he saw the poor struggle and planned to share wealth evenly. The Earth Goddess stopped him, saying the world needs rich and poor, or who’d bear bridal sedans? Speechless, the Earth God gave up, and wealth gaps grew, so the poor cursed her.”

“Another tale: the Earth God saw mourners grieve a death and moved, sought to revive them. The Earth Goddess blocked him, arguing, ‘Without death, the world turns to chaos.’ He saw her point and dropped it. Folks blamed her tongue.”

“Her advice was sound—society needs roles, life needs death. Yet her blunt words earned centuries of scorn. Only when we understand life, death, wealth, and poverty can we fairly assess her.”

Vanilla leapt up: “Wow! Uncle Shisan knows it all!”

You Long’er beamed: “He’s my man—brilliance is a given!”

Yi Qing, surprised: “Ye Shisan, where’d you hear this?”

He grinned: “The asylum housed many talents, including learned intellectuals. Stick around, you learn a bit.”

At the side, Old Dong, his eyes agog with wonder, ceaselessly sang their praises: “This boss must’ve studied abroad! Knows plenty! That Ye house we passed—Ye Dongsheng called it the Earth Goddess too. Stayed at the Clay Buddha temple days, he said it was to fulfill a vow…”

Yi Qing’s nose twitched, sensing something: “Chief Dong, you’re over seventy?”

“Eighty next year! Old and spent!”

“When they dug the Clay Buddha, you were five or six. What's Ye Dongsheng’s age?”

“Him? A cycle older, sixteen or seventeen, maybe.”

“When did he start healing?”

“It’s hard to pinpoint—around that time, perhaps? After his parents passed, the Ye family was so poor they couldn’t afford a coffin, and the village pitched in to help. Ye Dongsheng then took up healing, beginning with herbs gathered from these mountains, and after the founding of the nation, he blended in Western medicine, earning widespread praise for his remarkable skill.”

“You never saw him for ailments?”

“Haha! In all my years, no grave illness has struck me! Minor ailments I’ve shrugged off and weathered—never once sought a healer!”

Yi Qing nodded, piecing it together.

Dong Laosan added: “Folks, see the Clay Buddha temple? If not, let’s head back—my daughter-in-law’s got lunch ready.”

“I’m starved. Let’s eat first!”

Ye Shisan had meant to venture into the temple, but Yi Qing cut in, whispering: “Don’t rush to your death. The Earth Goddess’s not to be trifled with!”