1000: Chapter 620 1000: Chapter 620 Eryao waved aside the Formation, eager to observe how, within each courtyard, guests’ wishes were fulfilled—be it for offspring or good fortune.
Rumored to be incredibly efficacious, what kind of tricks were actually being employed?
After the Formation was opened, Eryao appeared at the doorway and said to the Taoist Nun at the entrance, “Let’s go!”
The Taoist Nun bowed her head in respect and then led Eryao toward a courtyard—their nearest one, where she presided over the wish-granting ceremony.
Eryao had already released his Divine Weave, meaning even without following the Taoist Nun, he could envelop the entire Taoist Temple within its scope to see how the others granted wishes to people!
He observed that in each courtyard, a Taoist was performing a ritual.
It began with the offering of incense, followed by the wishful guests doing the same, while murmuring prayerfully.
They each held a Peach Wood Sword, though none of them were leaping as if possessed!
However, as the Peach Wood Sword was brandished, fleeting Ghost Flames appeared.
The guests, fixated on these flickers of light, found it quite magical.
How could such radiant firelight be conjured with mere sword movements?
Perhaps the titles of their wishes here were somewhat different, but the initial actions they performed were identical; it was only the content of their wishes and the subsequent rituals that varied.
The Taoist Nun led Eryao into a courtyard where someone was already waiting for them.
A table, incense burner, offerings, and fragrant, premium incense had been brought out by a Taoist Acolyte.
The Taoist Nun brought in a young man—an exceptionally handsome and noble-looking fellow—that left the guest transfixed, gazing dreamily at Eryao.
It seemed as though she had never before seen such an aristocratic and charming young master!
The guest, a woman in her twenties, had come for certain clandestine reasons borne of personal desires, though it was also with her family’s consent.
She was accompanied by an Old Woman/Servant.
It wasn’t that no young women came to the Taoist Temple to make wishes.
Different people received different treatment, especially young women seeking marital prospects.
They usually didn’t stay overnight, rather, they would come to the main hall for fortune-telling, to offer incense and ask for Scriptures or Talismans—these were the objects of their psychological desires.
Most arrived attracted by the temple’s renowned potency, either through the promotion made by others or because the Taoists here truly had abilities!
“Cough cough,” the Taoist Nun, fearing the Young Master might be displeased, coughed deliberately to snap the woman back to reality.
The Old Woman/Servant at the woman’s side glared at her, only calming down after the woman lowered her head.
Smiling at the Taoist Nun, she asked, “Oh, Immortal Master, who is this young master?”
The Taoist Nun shot the Old Woman/Servant a disdainful glance: “Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked.
Offending the Deities and nobles is not something you can afford!”
Perhaps out of reverence for the Taoist Nun or possibly due to the imposing presence of the handsome young master before her—clearly beyond her status to offend—the Old Woman/Servant was domineering only within her own household, limited to scolding her daughters-in-law.
At home, she might flaunt her authority, but coming here, having spent a substantial sum, had drained the family’s resources.
They had no choice, given their deep desire for descendants.
The Old Woman/Servant laughed awkwardly: “My apologies, my apologies, Immortal Master, please proceed!”
The Taoist Nun ignored her further.
Such guests only needed to be impressed by an air of mystique—the more convincing the act, the more compliant they were!
After washing her hands in the basin prepared by the Taoist Acolyte and lighting three sticks of incense, she faced a particular direction and bowed reverently, all the while mumbling under her breath: “Guandi, please bless us!”
Once she placed the incense into the burner and it started burning briskly, rings of smoke formed one after another—an omen that only the initiated would recognize as a sign of Guandi’s pleasure.
Eryao heard the Taoist Nun’s ritual mutterings, but he did not interrupt.
As the Young Master, he couldn’t reveal that he was unaware of this Guandi, lest he expose himself!
He guessed that perhaps this so-called Heretical Sect worshipped a somewhat unique Deity.
Yet there was no such idol here.
Perhaps their worship was conducted in secret.
Who could tell?
From the outside, this Taoist Temple appeared miraculous, and was sizable, yet ordinary people were unaware that a Heretical Sect had been entrenched here for over a decade, or perhaps even longer.
To this moment, Eryao had not yet unearthed when this Heretical Sect arose, nor the name of its Sect Hierarch.
How many years had the sect existed?
Impersonating another’s Young Master, Eryao naturally wouldn’t inquire such questions from the Taoist Nun—there were obvious risks.
But he wasn’t without means to find out; ensnaring the nun’s soul would reveal everything!
For now, the Taoist Nun still had her uses.
Eryao also felt that the State Preceptor within the Hell Palace held similar secrets.
It would be necessary for his master to command the Artifact Spirit of the Hell Palace to search out this Preceptor to uncover their crimes and apprehend them all at once!
How loathsome Eryao found that State Preceptor!
Deceived and ridiculed, the scorn he felt festered in his heart!
The Taoist Nun had the young woman offer incense next, instructing her to wish for a noble offspring as she did so.
The Taoist Acolyte fetched a cushion and placed it before the table; the woman lit the incense, then knelt on the cushion, praying fervently, full of genuine sincerity!
Eryao: “…” Wasn’t this simply a charlatan’s trick?
What could this so-called Guandi actually do?
It was quite the revelation!
The Old Woman/Servant, standing to the side, watched silently.
The Taoist Acolyte, assisting his master on the other side, had seen such rituals night after night for each assigned task.
However, he was unaware of how his master granted wishes to others.
He lacked profound Mana, his skills still amateur; he hadn’t the ability to open his heavenly eye.
His existence served merely to handle household chores.
Having studied in the Taoist Temple for three to five years, he had only learned some Scriptures.
As for the art of ritual performed by his master, the Mana employed, those were still beyond his ken.
According to his master, he lacked the necessary Spiritual Root and could only be an Outer Sect Disciple; but that mattered little.
Provided he had enough to eat, lodging, and could earn some money, the Taoist Acolyte felt his life under his master’s guidance was far more comfortable than if he were back at home!