Chapter 1416: Chapter 1401: Like a Dream, Yet Not
Walking into the alley, the deeper she went, the more secluded it beca, yet Manager Lu’s figure was already nowhere to be seen.
As she walked, unconsciously she passed through the secluded alley and ca to the entrance of the alley.
At that mont, Huo Sining faintly heard the sound of bells ringing in her ears.
Stepping out of the alley, an ancient Chenghuang Temple appeared before her eyes.
During her ti in the Magic Capital, Huo Sining had visited many Chenghuang Temples, but those in the Magic Capital had now been taken over by various small vendors, unlike this ancient and tranquil temple before her, with only a handful of devotees going to the main hall to bow and offer incense.
Huo Sining looked around and didn’t see Manager Lu. As she hesitated, a little monk suddenly pointed towards the temple and asked, “Does the female benefactor want to enter the temple to offer bows? Today, Master Miaoshan is visiting, presiding over matters here, and can offer guidance and relieve troubles for incense-offering devotees free of charge.”
Originally, Huo Sining didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas, but in recent years, she had encountered many strange things. Back at the Taicheng Ancient Tomb, when the black evil energy invaded her body, it was a strange monk that Xie Daoyuan found who enlightened her. Recently, her mind was unsettled, preoccupied with thoughts about Mr. Liang’s identity and those secrets, indeed in need of a breakthrough.
Huo Sining didn’t know who this Master Miaoshan was, but inexplicably, she still followed the little monk’s guidance and entered the temple.
After entering the temple, unlike other devotees who imdiately knelt on the cushion to pay homage, she stood at the temple entrance, looking up and gazing in a trance at the towering Bodhisattva inside the great hall.
The central statue of Sakyamuni, surrounded by swirls of smoke, seed to smile with a flower in hand, and it was unclear whether it was mocking the mortal world or the foolish and delusional people.
The Buddhist Law is vast; upon seeing the statue of Buddha, Huo Sining couldn’t help but recall her strange dream and that bizarre painting underwater. Though she still hadn’t figured out why the painting and her dream overlapped, an indescribable feeling arose in her heart.
While thinking, she aimlessly glanced around the temple. She entered to pay homage because of the monk’s ntion of Master Miaoshan, but inside the main hall, she didn’t see any sign of a master.
Huo Sining inwardly shook her head, thinking the little monk was probably making up excuses to draw in devotees, and she didn’t mind. After offering a few bows on the cushion, she wandered aimlessly around the temple courtyard.
Walking casually, she unknowingly found herself at a corridor.
The monk in charge of the front hall was busy explaining the divination sticks to the devotees and did not notice Huo Sining and Qibao wandering into the inner courtyard. Only when Huo Sining suddenly ca to her senses did she realize they had reached the temple’s backyard, near a corridor where there was a row of old houses with tightly shut windows; the lattice wood windows covered with yellowed paper, spider webs entangled upon it, layered with a thin layer of dust.
Amid the constant beat of the wooden fish, as if guided by sothing, Huo Sining pushed open one of the rooms and walked inside, seeing a wall covered in vivid and colorful Flying Apsaras Murals, from Shiva to dance of Guanyin, each posture of the apsaras was different, yet lifelike.
What surprised Huo Sining more was that these Flying Apsaras Murals were quite different from the Dunhuang murals she had seen before. Each character in these murals had human bodies with fish tails, long and slender ears, hair like seaweed, and pure azure eyes.
The sunset outside the window shone through, casting a layer of brilliance inside the entire room. The figures on the wall seed about to co alive, and Huo Sining felt as if she was in the ocean, surrounded by Jiaoren (rfolk), who were frolicking and singing, much like the graceful and joyous figures in the murals.
Such vibrant colors were truly astonishing. While marveling, Huo Sining subconsciously reached out to touch the wall.
Unexpectedly, that touch shocked Huo Sining greatly.
The mont her palm touched the wall, the Spirit of Azure Pearl within her body seed to have found an outlet, pouring toward the wall like a torrent.
Huo Sining only felt that all her energy was being drawn out by the wall, instinctively wanting to resist. Yet, that mural seed to possess an imnse sticky power, as if trying to pull Huo Sining entirely into the wall.
The force was extrely strong, and Huo Sining tried to break free, but her resistance was like an ant shaking a tree; the more fiercely she struggled, the quicker the Spirit of Azure Pearl in her body drained.
Huo Sining’s face promptly turned deathly pale. She wished to call out to Qibao for help, but she couldn’t move a bit or even open her mouth to speak.
Qibao remained staring dumbly at the mural on the wall, completely oblivious to Huo Sining’s plight, causing her heart to sink deeper and deeper, fearing fate was against her.
Within just a few minutes, her mind beca drowsy, and she fainted.
“Master, this fish is so beautiful, where did you catch it? Hehe, I just happen to want such a pretty fish, Master, can you give it to
as a pet?”
Upon hearing the voice, it felt as though Huo Sining’s mind was about to explode. She struggled to open her eyes, seeing a small child eagerly circling around her joyfully, looking extrely pleased.
“Nonsense, this fish was a hard catch for the teacher, to be used as a dicine guide, how can it be given to you as a pet?”
A hoarse voice sternly scolded, Huo Sining turned her head to see a person wearing a Taoist robe, holding a whisk, with angular features and an ethereal deanor, but in his eyes, there lurked an undetectable cleverness and scheming.
When the child heard that the fish was to be used as a dicine guide, his face imdiately fell. He stretched out his hands to shield Huo Sining’s head, blocking her with his lotus-like arms, saying with nervous urgency,
“Such a beautiful fish to be used as a dicine guide? Master, no, pick another, this one’s so pitiful, boo hoo.”
As he continued speaking, the child already had a tearful tone.
“Why are you crying? Do you think this fish is ordinary? It’s still young, its mind unopened. Once it grows, it’ll beco one of those evil Jiaoguai with human bodies and fish tails, using their song to seduce people, leading those worldly folks to lose their true selves and reason.”
“Jiaos by nature are malevolent. See, even as a juvenile, this fish has bewitched you with its beauty to plead for it. How will it be once it matures?”
The old Taoist began to lecture, but as he finished, he looked down to find the young child still unconvinced.
The old Taoist couldn’t help but tap the child’s forehead with the whisk, sighing, “You’re still young, you don’t know how dangerous the Jiaoguai are, but you will when you grow up.”
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