In the seventh year of Tianqi, on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, the temple of Dao Xuan Tianzun was finally completed.
Strictly speaking, the construction had finished two days earlier. However, San Shier, Mrs. San, Gao Yiye, and the Village Chief gathered to discuss the matter and decided that the eighth day of the eighth lunar month was an auspicious date. Because of that, even though the building already stood finished, they insisted on waiting until the chosen day before declaring it officially complete.
And so, on that morning, more than a hundred villagers arrived dressed in their cleanest clothes. They stood in orderly rows, resembling students lined up for a formal ceremony.
At the center stood Gao Yiye.
She wore heavy white robes that trapped the summer heat, and her face was covered in thick makeup. Kneeling solemnly before the structure known as the Grotto of Dao Xuan Tianzun, she maintained a posture of reverence.
It was clearly a temple. Yet everyone insisted on calling it a grotto.
Without exaggeration, the Grotto of Dao Xuan Tianzun was now the most magnificent building in Gao Family Village. It even had a proper foundation. The lower portion was built from finely shaped stone, while the upper structure was crafted from carefully joined wood.
The lacquer, provided by Li Daoxuan, gleamed with a vibrant finish that made the temple stand out immediately. If such a thing existed on a battlefield, it would surely draw every arrow toward it.
Inside, the statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun looked extraordinarily lifelike. Aside from being thirty-two percent more handsome and three hundred twenty percent more imposing than Li Daoxuan himself, it was flawless.
From outside the box, Li Daoxuan stared at his own temple. For a moment, he seriously considered reaching in, pulling it out, and bringing it to Cai Xinzhi for appraisal before selling it for a good price.
But when he saw the villagers' faces filled with genuine devotion, he dismissed the thought. A decent person should not do such things.
Gao Yiye began reciting the prayer.
The first time she had performed it, she stumbled repeatedly. This time, however, her voice flowed much more smoothly. In recent days, she had studied reading and writing under Mrs. San and practiced the prayer over and over. She still had not memorized it completely, but she no longer made serious mistakes.
When she finished, she raised her hand and declared,
"Ring the bell."
Beside her, Gao Chuwu lifted a heavy hammer and struck.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
The bell's deep tone echoed across the village, steady and solemn.
It seemed Li Da and Gao Yiyi had forged a fine bell after all.
Li Daoxuan chuckled inwardly. He had ordered them to make armor. Half a month had passed, yet not a single piece of armor existed. Instead, they had created an excellent bell.
At that moment, he understood something clearly. There was a vast difference between giving orders and seeing them carried out. Even though he watched the box often, unless he focused directly on a specific task, the results could drift far from his expectations.
With the ceremony complete, the Grotto of Dao Xuan Tianzun officially opened.
The villagers entered one by one.
Each person knelt before the statue and knocked their head against the floor with loud thuds. Afterward, they made their wishes with complete sincerity.
Li Daoxuan leaned closer with his magnifying glass and observed.
The first villager knelt and bowed five times in quick succession.
"I pray for Dao Xuan Tianzun's blessing. Let next year bring favorable winds and rain. Let there be a rich harvest."
Li Daoxuan thought to himself that this wish required no special effort. He already supplied water daily. Even if drought consumed the rest of the world, Gao Family Village would not suffer.
A playful thought came to him.
He spoke to Gao Yiye.
"Yiye. Tell him his wish has been granted."
Gao Yiye immediately straightened her posture and spoke with solemn authority.
"Rise. Dao Xuan Tianzun has granted your wish."
The villager froze. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Really? It has truly been granted?"
Gao Yiye nodded.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun himself granted it just now."
The villager's face lit up with overwhelming joy. He ran toward the exit, then suddenly stopped. Realizing he had forgotten proper respect, he hurried back and kowtowed several more times. Only then did he rush out again, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"It's granted! Dao Xuan Tianzun granted it! We can plant crops next year! Hahaha! Three years of drought. Three whole years! Do you know how hard it's been? Next year, we can finally farm again!"
Mrs. San appeared beside him and grabbed his arm.
"If your harvest truly comes next year, do not forget your offering."
"I would never forget," the villager replied quickly.
The others, seeing this, grew excited. They stepped forward eagerly.
One villager prayed,
"Please bless my fields so they produce more grain than usual."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. A bit of fertilizer would easily accomplish that.
He spoke again.
"Yiye. Tell him it's granted."
Gao Yiye delivered the message with proper gravity.
The villager burst into laughter and ran out, shouting his joy to everyone.
Soon after, San Shier stepped forward.
He knelt properly and bowed his head.
"I pray Dao Xuan Tianzun blesses me so that... that part of me grows larger and lasts longer. Let me be fierce as a dragon and mighty as a tiger."
Li Daoxuan nearly choked.
"What nonsense! Tell him to get lost immediately!"
Gao Yiye blinked awkwardly, then relayed the message.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun is angered. You are to leave at once."
San Shier scrambled away in embarrassment, clutching his head.
The entire village was filled with laughter and excitement.
Even Li Daoxuan could not help but feel amused.
Then suddenly, the peace broke.
Two sentries atop the wall began striking bamboo tubes violently.
Kong. Kong. Kong.
Their panicked voices followed.
"People are coming! There are people outside!"
At once, the villagers rushed toward the wall.
Li Daoxuan straightened and looked as well.
But something strange happened.
His field of vision only covered five hundred by three hundred meters, barely enough to encompass Gao Family Village. The villagers, however, could see several li into the distance. They had already spotted the approaching group, yet Li Daoxuan himself could see nothing.
He cursed under his breath.
"This is so inconvenient. How am I supposed to increase this field of view?"
Below, chaos erupted.
Without leadership, the villagers ran aimlessly, unsure what to do.
Then San Shier climbed onto the wall.
His earlier embarrassment vanished. His voice rang out with authority.
"Anyone with weapons, bring them! Anyone without weapons, grab whatever you can. Pot lids, brooms, sickles, hoes. Anything! Everyone, get on the wall!"
The villagers obeyed immediately.
It did not matter who gave the order. What mattered was that someone stepped forward.
Within moments, the once scattered villagers armed themselves with whatever they could find and climbed onto the wall, preparing to face whatever was coming.