The villagers cheered with joy upon finding out that the Banteng Demon had been defeated. Lan Ming himself merely smiled faintly, secretly ceasing the protective mantra and allowing the villagers to exit the invisible barrier.
After that incident, Lan Ming decided to assist the villagers and chose to stay in the village while maintaining his original identity as the Wind God.
***
Three months later...
Without realizing it, Lan Ming had integrated very well into Houce Village. Instead of behaving like a ruler, Lan Ming opted to disguise himself as a simple village youth. He took on the job of a woodcutter and lived with an elderly woman named Ying, whom he considered his own mother and even called her "mother".
"Ah... it seems like today's work is done," Lan Ming said to himself. He had just finished chopping down trees and intended to rest for a while. Lan Ming opened the meal his mother had packed for him and started devouring Kung Pao Chicken eagerly. This dish consisted of chicken cooked with peanuts, red peppers, and vegetable pieces. The spicy, sour, and sweet flavors of the Kung Pao sauce gave a distinctive taste to the dish.
Lan Ming truly enjoyed his meal. His mother's cooking never disappointed, not even inferior to the dishes in the Sky Palace.
"It seems you're here. It's quite enjoyable to eat the chicken first, I'll catch it!" someone exclaimed with a distinctively shrill voice.
"If you want, come over here. I'll share my meal with you. Don't hold a grudge about that incident, besides, you couldn't catch the chicken yourself and ended up letting it go. Come here and have this meal with me," Lan Ming replied while enjoying his meal.
A beautiful young woman with rosy cheeks descended from the sky. She appeared angry and kept grumbling irritably.
"Your words just now offended me. Yet, you're the one at fault, daring to take my prey. That food should belong to me or not... we should fight to claim it!" she challenged.
Lan Ming remained indifferent, busy chewing his food. "Bi Kwe... if you want, come quickly, or I'll finish it."
Feeling underestimated, Bi Kwe snatched Lan Ming's food, then recited a spell and summoned thousands of hairy caterpillars to fall from the sky, swarming Lan Ming's body.
"Feel that, you deserve it. Next time, I'll challenge you to a fight. Be warned if you underestimate me again!" Bi Kwe then flew away into the sky, leaving Lan Ming to grumble in frustration.
Her behavior truly matched her title, thought Lan Ming. Of course, Lan Ming would never retaliate against Bi Kwe's mischief because the young woman was just a minor deity without an official title. Not surprisingly, without a status, Bi Kwe lived aimlessly in the human world and often caused trouble to attract Lan Ming's attention. Bi Kwe was the Unofficial Title Thief Goddess, often exhibiting behavior that involved stealing others' belongings.
Instead of getting emotional about Bi Kwe's actions, Lan Ming chose to tidy up his belongings and prepare to return to his small hut.
***
"Lan Ming, you're back. You must be tired from working hard, rest, I'll make tea for you," greeted Ying, the elderly woman whom Lan Ming regarded as his own mother.
Lan Ming smiled, as usual, this simple activity made him feel comfortable. "Thank you, Mother," he said sincerely.
Ying nodded, "Son, if you hear a knock on the door later, please open it. We'll have a guest coming to our hut today. You'll surely like this guest," said the woman before heading to her simple kitchen.
Lan Ming furrowed his brows, curious about who the guest mentioned by his mother could be.
It couldn't be Ha Han, could it? Lan Ming thought a little worried if the visitor was Ha Han.
"Isn't she very beautiful, Lan Ming? Not only that, she often helps me at the market when selling vegetables. Even I didn't expect such a beautiful woman to be willing to push my vegetable cart. She's truly like an angel descended from heaven," recounted Ying enthusiastically, not realizing she was almost throwing praises in every sentence.
"Mother, that's a bit excessive," the young woman looked embarrassed. "I'm just trying to help you because I can't bear to see you struggling," she said with a very gentle and melodious voice.
Lan Ming just smiled. He already recognized the person in front of him. Je Xi, the Goddess of Voice, who was the sister of Ha Han's wife. Not only that, Je Xi herself was also famous among the gods and goddesses for her beautiful voice.
"You're very kind. Thank you for helping my mother," Lan Ming said casually. He deliberately didn't act close to Je Xi because even when he was in the sky, he wasn't very close to the Goddess of Voice.
Finding Lan Ming's words merely casual made Je Xi feel a little sad. But she didn't want to give up too soon. Escaping from home and even spying on the Wind God for the past three months wasn't easy for her. Je Xi promised herself to make Lan Ming fall in love with her and bring him back to the Celestial Realm.
Lan Ming's presence in the Celestial Realm was quite important. Lan Ming was the most reliable warrior because of his great fighting abilities. His figure was also admired among the gods and goddesses. Unfortunately, Lan Ming was known to be at odds with his own brother, Ha Han. The two of them were vying for the leadership position in the Sky Palace. Lan Ming, feeling defeated by Ha Han, decided to go to the human world with an unknown purpose, to the gods and goddesses in the Celestial Realm.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you. Are you willing?" Je Xi asked politely.
"I have to ask Mother first." Lan Ming tried to evade.
"No need to ask. Mother has given permission, if you need time to talk to each other." Ying smiled broadly, of course, she would allow Je Xi to talk alone with Lan Ming.
Lan Ming sighed heavily, resignedly unable to avoid it. Finally, he agreed and complied with Je Xi's request.
***
In the backyard of the house, Lan Ming and Je Xi sat side by side on a long bench made of teak wood.
"What was your purpose in going to the human world, Lan Ming? Did you have another quarrel with Brother Ha Han?" Without beating around the bush, Je Xi immediately asked Lan Ming.
"I simply wanted to let Ha Han become the main leader in the Sky Palace. It's not possible to have two great individuals in the Sky Palace. My purpose in going to the human world was to temper myself, and when I become stronger, only then will I return to the Celestial Realm. But I will never return to the Sky Palace," Lan Ming replied honestly.
Je Xi nodded her head. She realized enough about the issues between the two brothers not to interfere, so Je Xi could only listen.
"If you don't want to return to the Sky Palace, will Brother Ha Han accept that?"
"Who knows. But my decision is firm. There can't be two strong individuals in one place. One day, I will have my own territory and become a leader in my own right. I don't want to live in the shadow of my brother. Understand my feelings, Je Xi," Lan Ming expressed.