My Days as a God in Ancient Times
This time, it was truly unbearable!
Even though this was ancient times, Chu Qiuze simply could not bring himself to say the names of those two feminine hygiene products out loud.
It was just too embarrassing.
Seeing his troubled expression, the sibling duo began to panic a little. Wei Shengjin gathered his courage and asked "God, is there something wrong with our names?"
Wrong? That would be an understatement!
After struggling for a moment, he finally said "Would you consider changing your names?"
There was just no way he could call them that.
In this era, changing one's name was no trivial matter. Names were usually given by a family elder, a parent, or a respected scholar. A random outsider had absolutely no say in such matters.
Yet, the siblings were nearly moved to tears. To have their names bestowed by their revered god was an immense honor, something worthy of being recorded in their family’s genealogy.
Had they not been specifically instructed not to kneel before him, they would have already done so to express their gratitude.
With trembling voices, they said, "Thank you for granting us new names, my god."
Huh? Chu Qiuze was momentarily stunned. He had only asked if they were willing to change their names, he never said he would be the one renaming them!
This was a massive misunderstanding. But at this point, if he denied them, it would just make things awkward.
After thinking for a moment, Chu Qiuze said, "Wei Wuqian, Wei Yanran. How do those sound?"
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just from the names alone, anyone could tell that he was a scholar.
The siblings were overcome with gratitude, and the surrounding hunters who had joined them on the trip up the mountain also began congratulating them.
Everyone saw this as a tremendous blessing, and some even started entertaining the idea of having their names changed as well.
However, while some of their names might have sounded rustic, they were still relatively normal. Chu Qiuze had no particular interest in renaming people, so he declined.
Once the crowd dispersed, Lan An, who had been quietly observing, finally asked "Why did you want to rename them?"
Without saying a word, Chu Qiuze pulled out his phone, switched the display to traditional characters, searched for the encyclopedia entry on the feminine products in question, and handed it to Lan An.
^[Wei Shengmian (魏生棉) : This name is similar to the word "shengmian" (生棉), which can be translated as "born cotton". "Cotton" (棉) is a material used to make hygiene products such as sanitary napkins (卫生巾)]
"Absurd" Lan An’s ears turned red as if they were about to drip blood "As a man, how can you discuss such private matters of women?"
Chu Qiuze rolled his eyes. The mindset of these ancient people couldn't even be called traditional anymore, it was downright feudal.
"You might see it as a feminine product, but it actually has other uses," he explained. "It can be used as an insole, soft, absorbent, and great for long marches. That’s pretty useful for someone like you, don’t you think?"
Lan An fell silent, beginning to question everything he knew.
Ever since meeting Chu Qiuze, his entire worldview had been continuously shattered and rebuilt. If this person wasn’t an immortal, then what kind of incredible world must he have come from?
A hint of longing stirred within him.
"Hey, Wangye, want to come back to the Celestial Realm with me tonight?" Chu Qiuze had discussed it with Xiao En and made a decision. "This place is nothing but wilderness. You won’t get a good night’s sleep"
During military campaigns, sleeping on the ground was nothing unusual. Lan An normally wouldn’t mind.
But now, he hesitated.
He wanted to see that world, yet how could he just abandon the countless citizens who relied on him? Venturing into an unknown place alone? What if…
He had to admit, he was feeling a little nervous. The sheer power and pressure that Chu Qiuze exuded were unlike anything he had ever encountered.
It wasn’t just him, it was his so-called artifacts.
Seeing that Lan An remained silent, Chu Qiuze didn’t push further. This response was expected.
"Next time, then" Chu Qiuze yawned. "I’m a bit tired today. I’ll be back tomorrow as usual. Get some rest."
"Mm" Lan An gave a slight nod.
"Goodnight, Wangye," Chu Qiuze said, flashing him a flirtatious wink. "Lan An, you’re amazing!"
Lan An: "......."
At this point, he was fairly certain that this phrase must be some kind of ritual farewell.
Shameless. Ridiculous!
The next morning, the group set off deeper into the mountains, this was true primeval forest territory.
Logically, a drought shouldn’t have affected an area like this, but nature was mysterious, and even in the twenty-first century, humanity had yet to fully understand its workings.
The deeper they went, the more dangerous it became. Within just half a day, they had yet to encounter any large beasts, but they had already come across multiple venomous snakes.
Pointed heads, flicking tongues, slithering tails, just sitting in his flying vehicle, Chu Qiuze felt a shiver run down his spine. He absolutely loathed these slippery creatures.
Fortunately, the hunters knew their way around. There was no need to worry, every snake they caught was turned into a meal, replenishing their energy.
Chu Qiuze: "......"
These people were living, breathing survival experts. If Bear Grylls had been born here, he would have had endless conversations with them.
"Just make sure you cook them thoroughly," Chu Qiuze couldn’t help but remind them. This was ancient times there were no vaccines, and parasitic infections were no joke.
The hunters treated his words like an imperial edict. One of them had been just about to swallow a raw snake gallbladder when he suddenly stopped.
The group spent the entire day searching, but by evening, they still hadn’t found even the slightest trace of a water source.
Everyone was growing discouraged, especially Wei Yanran. She was the only one who knew the general direction of the water source, but months had passed, and all the markers she had left had been erased by nature.
She was both anxious and dejected. "You have to believe me. There really is a water source in this forest."
"I believe you." Chu Qiuze spoke with absolute certainty. "The wild grass here is growing denser, there must be water nearby."
In this deep forest, towering trees were everywhere. Their roots dug deep, drawing water from underground, keeping them lush and green. But wild grass was different.
When they set out that morning, the grass had been sparse. Now, there was barely any space left to step on.
With their god’s reassurance, the group regained their spirits. They found a flat clearing and began setting up camp.
Still feeling uneasy, Chu Qiuze took Lan An with him on the flying vehicle to scout ahead.
Truth be told, the flying vehicle wasn’t exactly ideal for navigating this forest—thick trees blocked many paths, forcing them to take detours.
"Can’t this thing fly any higher?" Chu Qiuze grumbled in his mind to Xiao En.
Xiao En sounded helpless. "This is a first-generation flying vehicle. It’s been obsolete in the Star Era for ages. But among the A-tier lottery prizes, it’s the best item. If you want something better, try rolling for an S-tier, 100,000 gratitude points per draw, 10 draws for a 10% discount."
Like hell he was doing a ten-roll. Chu Qiuze didn’t have that many gratitude points to spare.
He had some tens of thousands saved up, but that was meant for purchasing staple crops from the system’s shop.
Potatoes, specifically.
After all, transporting large amounts of potatoes to his villa would attract too much attention.
"How about a three-roll?" He hesitated for a long time before making his decision. If the rainmaking succeeded, he’d be able to earn another wave of gratitude points anyway.
"Sure, but a triple draw doesn’t come with a discount. The best I can do is give you one free A-rank draw."
This works too? Once again, Chu Qiuze marveled at how considerate this system was.
He clicked the draw button.
Congratulations! You have obtained: [Time-Space Locator x1]
Congratulations! You have obtained: [Iron Man Armor x1]
Congratulations! You have obtained: [Let’s Watch a Meteor Shower Together x1]
Congratulations! You have obtained: [Strengthening Pill x1]
Chu Qiuze was stunned, Iron Man Armor? Holy shit, this is...
He was so excited that he was at a loss for words. But considering that Lan An was still sitting beside him, he had to suppress his trembling hands.
Lan An clearly sensed the sudden change in Chu Qiuze’s mood. This?
He glanced around at the remote wilderness, two men and all alone.
For the first time, he seemed to experience an unfamiliar emotion.
Was this guy really that happy just to go exploring alone with him?
But… weren’t they both men?
Chu Qiuze had no idea that his crush had just had a bit of an epiphany. He was still immersed in his own joy, taking Lan An on the flying vehicle. They didn’t return to camp until nightfall.
"Tomorrow, we should reach the water source after another five hours of travel."
After saying this, Chu Qiuze handed out his unused Strengthening Pills to some of the weaker townsfolk. "Everyone, get some rest. We’ll continue the journey tomorrow."
All he could think about was going home to check out his armor. So after giving a rather perfunctory farewell to Lan An, he left.
Lan An: "???"
Just as Chu Qiuze had imagined, the latest generation of Iron Man Armor. That dazzling red, the cold steel, every single detail fascinated him.
In a rush, he put it on.
The moment he did, he was even more shocked—he could stand up! The leg components perfectly locked onto his joints. Though he still couldn’t move his legs, at least he could stand.
Damn, being 1.8 meters tall sure felt great!
He stared at himself in the mirror for a long moment before finally letting out a sigh of admiration.
"Host, you’re making great progress" Xiao En said happily. "At this rate, within six months, your legs will be fully functional again. Then we can go clubbing together!"
"Deal!"
The next day, by dusk, they could all clearly hear the sound of flowing water. After another half-hour of walking, the setting sun cast golden ripples across the lake’s surface.
The scenery was breathtaking.
All their exhaustion melted away in that instant. The hunters and guards, overcome with excitement, completely forgot about the women present.
Stripping off their clothes, they dove straight into the lake.
Wei Yanran, at this moment, didn’t care much either. After all, she wasn’t exactly a virtuous maiden anymore.
Finding a slightly concealed spot, she quietly slipped into the water to wash herself.
Laughter and splashing filled the air.
Chu Qiuze watched enviously. "Wangye, aren’t you going in for a bath?"
Lan An, who hadn’t had a proper bath since they left the capital for disaster relief: "..."
Although he wiped himself down with a towel every day and had no unpleasant odor, he still felt somewhat despised.
So, as usual, he awkwardly changed the subject: "Does this place get enough rainfall?"
"Pfft...!" Chu Qiuze couldn't hold back his laughter, but he decided not to tease Lan An any further. "Alright, once I cast the spell, there will definitely be rain within the next twelve hours, and it should be a heavy downpour."
He thought for a moment. "But after the storm, getting down the mountain will be a problem"
"Wangye" a guard reported, "we’ve found a cave on the left side of the valley. We can take shelter there for the night"
Perfect timing. Chu Qiuze responded, "Then we’ll wait until the rain stops before heading down. We can stay on the mountain for a few days, how about that? If it's fine with you, I'll start casting the spell now."
Lan An nodded.
Hearing that a spell was about to be cast to bring rain, the others stopped playing around and turned their eager eyes toward their 'divine' hero.
Chu Qiuze was completely confident now. After all, Xiao En had guaranteed that the rain spell would work.
So, he started putting on a show, imitating the dramatic movements of actors from ancient fantasy dramas. He twisted his hands in elaborate gestures and formed a hand seal.
In reality, he was simply sneaking a tap on the Drizzle at the Pond’s Edge function.
o0o