Huang Youcai led his son-in-law into the temple.
There were no Gatekeepers here, after all, the "God" was alive; it was simply impossible for any thief to dare to sneak in.
"Great Witch, are you there?"
No one responded.
"It looks like he’s still busy over there."
The two found the plaque for the "Mother of Sores" in a side chapel and offered up a generous quantity of fish and shrimp.
Muttering to himself, Huang Youcai recited, "The red dust is like a prison, all living beings suffer, Reincarnation never ceases, worries never end, have rcy on us mortals, a deity descends from heaven, Mother of Sores, hailing from the realm of true emptiness."
This phrase was standard across various Taoist Temples. The words "Mother of Sores" could be freely changed, with alternatives like "Mother of Turtle Spirits" being equally applicable.
"Please bless my family with peace and health, bless Qingshi Town with favorable weather, and grant us a good harvest next year."
They were just the usual courteous phrases.
A while later, a faint mist started to emanate from the offerings in the basket.
After the mist dissipated, they vanished without a trace.
The "Gods" of the Mountain and Sea Realm had truly partaken of the offerings.
As for whether the "Mother of Sores" would actually bless their family, that was another matter...
Imdiately after, the two stepped forward, heading to the "Main Hall" at the center, and glanced at the stone statue placed in the middle.
"See, I told you, didn’t I?" Huang Youcai dared not say much, only hinting obliquely.
"Shall we go in and pay our respects?"
"Seems alright."
After all, paying homage wouldn’t cost them any flesh.
But soon, Huang Youcai found himself in a difficult position.
There were no ditation cushions here; it seed people were not allowed to kneel. Not even an incense burner for offering incense was present, let alone permission to light incense.
There was only a lone, weather-worn statue with an indistinct tiger-like face, standing at the center of the table.
Its appearance was unremarkable, worn by the winds, yet from any perspective, it exuded an aura of imnsity beyond belief.
Even mortals could sense the subtle aura hidden within it: it asked nothing of the world.
Nearby stood a lone "Undying Lamp," casting a milky glow.
After looking for a few monts, they still decided to simply bring their hands together and bow a few tis.
"This exalted deity, I, Huang Youcai, pray that you bless Qingshi Town with favorable weather and perpetual peace."
After making their offerings, the two left the oppressive environnt, their hearts pounding with residual fright.
Ding Zhijing was silent for a mont, scratching his head, "Indeed, it has so quite wondrous aspects..."
He stubbornly argued, "But this statue, in terms of aura, falls a bit short compared to the Great Turtle Spirit Mother in the city."
"Falls short of the Great Turtle Spirit Mother a bit, does it?" said Huang Youcai. "I’ve seen the Great Turtle Spirit Mother too, and always felt it paled in comparison to this one. That’s why I was so alard."
"Not at all, not at all," Ding Zhijing said. "That enormous statue of the Great Turtle Spirit Mother stands two zhang high (approximately 6.6 ters), with eyes in the statue bigger than a human head! Upon entering the Main Hall of the Great Turtle Spirit Mother, you can feel the faint mist and the chilling breeze."
"The Great Turtle Spirit Mother favors cold over heat; even in the height of sumr, the temple is icy cold."
"One must wear a cotton-padded jacket to worship the Great Turtle Spirit Mother!"
"That icy air chills you to the bone," recalled Ding Zhijing with a smile. "Of course, at that ti, the Great Turtle Spirit Mother seed to be in slumber, otherwise, the climate would have been even colder."
"I’ve heard that the more powerful a Deity is, the more unusual phenona appear."
"This naless statue, showing no such phenona or thriving incense offerings, would seem to suggest this deity is sowhat inferior to the Great Turtle Spirit Mother."
"I see..." Huang Youcai seed persuaded, after all, his son-in-law was a Scholar, much smarter than a country bumpkin like himself.
Ding Zhijing then said, "But it stands in the Main Hall, while the Mother of Sores is in the side chapel."
"And since the Mother of Sores willingly submits without protest, it must be sowhat stronger than the Mother of Sores."
"You’ve got the education, Zhijing," Huang Youcai finally felt relieved.
His son-in-law had long advised him to move away, but his attachnt to the land kept him there.
...
As the two departed, the nearby Mother of Sores sensed sothing and shuddered.
"Who is... gossiping about !"
...
"Could that one possibly be an Evil God?"
"I’m not too certain about that... as long as it doesn’t eat people, generally it’s not an Evil God. It doesn’t even have an incense burner for incense offerings, which seems quite pure; it reminds a bit of the Buddha atop Jiuhua Mountain."
Such matters, not even Ding Zhijing, a Scholar, dared to speculate wildly about.
After all, distinguishing between "True Gods" and "Evil Gods" was sothing only the court could ascertain by dispatching a Heavenly Master.
...
...
The naless statue began to emit specks of light.
The head of the Mother of Sores twitched as if sensing sothing, and in a frenzy of excitent, she raved,
"My lord... my lord wishes to reorder heaven and earth! Caw!"
...
...
"As long as it’s not an Evil God, that’s good. I think I’ll continue to stay in the town. I’ve lived here my whole life and don’t wish to leave."
Suddenly, Huang Youcai sensed sothing; his heart beat wildly, and even his temples throbbed.
The two exchanged glances and looked in the direction of the temple.
"What has happened?" asked Ding Zhijing with a grave expression.
In the next instant, a mind-boggling will burst forth from not far away!
An indescribable phenonon, one that was beyond the power of words, erupted.
A great sun!
A deity that descended from the heavens, manifesting in the world the great sun!
Huang Youcai stared dumbfounded at this sun, and involuntarily collapsed, closing his eyes and showing a look of despair.
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