"open--"

With a long, powerful shout, the crimson brocade fell to the ground. The crowd of a thousand people erupted in cheers that reached the heavens.

This is a golden statue of a prince. In one hand, he holds a sword, in the other, a flower, symbolizing "possessing the power to destroy the world, yet cherishing flowers." The deity's face is delicately contoured, with long eyebrows, delicate eyes, and a well-defined lip line. The corners of his mouth are slightly raised, a hint of a smile. He appears affectionate but not frivolous, ruthless but not cold; a face of compassion and beauty.

This is the 8,000th Prince Palace in the Xianle Kingdom.

Three years after his ascension, eight thousand temples had been erected on the ground. This unprecedented and enthusiastic adoration was unparalleled and unparalleled.

But this 8,000th Hall wasn't even home to the most magnificent statue of the Crown Prince. The peak on Mount Taicang, where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince resided during his youth as a cultivator, is now known as "Prince Peak." It was there that the first Fairy Palace was built. It was also there that the first statue of the Crown Prince was personally unveiled by His Majesty the King after its casting. That statue, standing a staggering five meters tall, boasted even more impressive craftsmanship. Crafted entirely from pure gold, it was a genuine "golden body."

Inside Xianle Palace, a constant stream of pilgrims thronged the hall's doors. Incense holders, long and short, were overflowing, and the donation box, taller and sturdier than typical temples, was larger. If it weren't larger, it would fill up within a day, leaving no room for newcomers. Upon entering, a clear pool, also littered with coins, shimmered in the water's shimmering green. Several old turtles in the pool, daily hammered by the coins from pilgrims crossing the stone bridge, retreated into their shells, daring not to emerge. No Taoist priests could dissuade visitors. Plum blossoms filled the temple's vast red walls, their branches festooned with countless bright red prayer ribbons. Amidst the sea of ​​flowers, the red ribbons fluttered in the wind, creating a vibrant scene.

Inside the main hall, Xie Lian sat upright beneath his statue, overlooking the crowd. No one could see him, but he could still watch the pilgrims below chattering:

"Why is there no cushion for kneeling and praying in the Prince's Palace?"

"Yes, the abbot also said that we can't kneel. The temple is already open, so why can't we kneel?"

One person said, "Is this your first time in Xianle Palace? It's always like this in Xianle Palace. I heard that after His Royal Highness ascended to heaven, he appeared in dreams to many temple priests and abbots, saying that those who believed in him didn't have to kneel. Therefore, there's no place to kneel in the Prince's Palace."

Although no one else could see him, Xie Lian nodded. Unexpectedly, the others laughed and said, "What kind of logic is that? Aren't immortals meant to kneel? It's just a rumor."

Xie Lian choked. Then someone else echoed, "Yeah, you absolutely have to kneel. Kneeling shows your sincerity!"

"It doesn't matter if there's no futon, let's kneel on the ground."

One person knelt first, and immediately, a large group around them followed suit. Hundreds, even thousands, crowded the halls, kowtowed and bowed before the statues, one after another, muttering to themselves and silently praying for blessings. Xie Lian quietly moved away, thinking, "Never mind, I'll take my time."

The next moment, countless noisy voices came towards him from all directions like huge waves.

"Please get admitted to high school! Get admitted to high school! I must get admitted to high school this year! If I win, I'll fulfill my wish!"

“Safe travels!”

"The girls I like all like my senior brother. Please make him uglier. Please."

"Damn it, I don't believe I can't give birth to a big fat boy!!!"

...There were so many requests for help, Xie Lian felt overwhelmed. He quickly made a hand gesture to block out the sound. Just as his ears had quieted down, he heard a loud shout. A man in black covered his ears with his hands and ran out from the back of the hall, roaring, "What the hell is this!!!"

The pilgrims were completely oblivious to his presence and continued to kowtow. Xie Lian sighed, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "Feng Xin, thank you for your hard work."

Xianle Palace was so bustling with incense that Xie Lian heard more than a thousand prayers daily. At first, driven by a sense of novelty, he rushed in, taking care of every detail himself. Later, when the number of people praying became too great, he assigned some to Feng Xin and Mu Qing. They would review the requests, sorting out those that were within his purview and those that could be ignored, then handing them over to him.

After Mu Qing's death, she would report it to him and never complained much. However, Feng Xin could never understand why some people would just ask for things that were so random, even coming to Xianle Palace to ask for harmonious intercourse. Xie Lian was a martial god, how could he care about such things? If things went on like this, the other priests would also be quite dissatisfied, implying that they were occupying the toilet without doing anything, and that they were trying to win over all the believers without being able to do anything. There was nothing to say about that. Feng Xin couldn't let go of his hands that were covering his ears, even though covering his ears was useless. He said, "Your Highness, why do you have so many female believers!"

Xie Lian, his hands tucked into his sleeves, sat in the swirling clouds of incense, smiling, "Isn't it good to have more female believers? They are like clouds of beauties, a delight to the eyes."

Feng Xin was horrified: "Not good at all. It seems like the female believers have no other wishes than to be beautiful, marry well, and have sons. None of them are serious. Just looking at them gives me a headache!"

Xie Lian smiled and was about to respond when suddenly, the crowd stirred. The two of them looked outside the hall and heard someone muffled his voice, "Little Mirror King is here! Hurry, hurry! Little Mirror King is here!"

At the mention of "Little Mirror King," everyone was as frightened as if they had heard "Great Demon King." They scattered like birds and beasts. In an instant, like a tornado, the pilgrims who had been worshiping the statue fled. A moment later, a young man in a cloak and elegant attire, holding a glazed lantern in both hands, stepped over the threshold and swaggered in. Without looking at his eyes, the young man's features bore a passing resemblance to Xie Lian. But looking at his eyes, he seemed too flamboyant and bright. Who else could it be but Qi Rong?

Qi Rong, now seventeen or eighteen, had grown up, his demeanor subdued, and he possessed the demeanor of a nobleman. He entered the hallway, but refused to allow his attendants in. Holding the lantern in both hands, he stepped into the hall. He flung aside his cloak, knelt on the clean floor, raised the lantern above his head, and bowed solemnly several times. The two men on the altar exchanged glances. Feng Xin smacked his lips, and Xie Lian read the impatience in his eyes.

Three years ago, when Xie Lian left the Imperial City to travel, Qi Rong was still under house arrest. Upon his return, he didn't even have time to see his cousin, as he passed away that very night in his sleep. During those three years, Xie Lian had appeared in numerous dreams to his parents, the Imperial Preceptor, and others, including one to Qi Rong, warning him to be kind, restrain his temper, and refrain from reckless behavior. Consequently, Qi Rong actively participated in building temples, donating meritorious deeds, and offering lanterns.

Although he worked diligently and sincerely, he still got into trouble from time to time, tiring Feng Xin to clean up the mess. Therefore, Xie Lian could understand why Feng Xin was impatient.

Over there, Qi Rong finished his worship and said with a hint of complaint, "Brother Crown Prince, this is the five hundredth lamp I've offered you. As your loyal brother, when will you come see me? Even a dream would be fine. My uncle and aunt miss you so much, but you ignore us. You're so arrogant and cold."

He hadn't noticed Feng Xin standing beside him, warning Xie Lian, "Don't pay any attention to him. The Emperor has told you that unless it's a serious matter, a priest must never appear before mortals without permission. This is especially true for relatives."

Xie Lian said, “Don’t worry, I’ll naturally know.”

Qi Rong stood up, holding the lamp, grabbed a pen, and began writing on the lamp. Xie Lian and Feng Xin, both traumatized by his presence, couldn't help but lean over to see what he was writing. Seeing it was a normal message of peace and prosperity, not a prayer for someone's entire family to be beheaded outside the market, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Qi Rong writing meticulously, each stroke, Xie Lian couldn't help but think of something else.

When Qi Rong first returned home with his mother, a group of nobles and princes went to Mount Taicang to pray for blessings. Qi Rong's mother had eloped with a low-class woman and fled back home. She was afraid to go out and see people, but she also wanted to pray for her son, hoping that he would broaden his horizons and not stay with her all day, becoming a frog in a well. So she asked the queen to take Qi Rong with her.

Although he had tried to keep a low profile, scandals among the nobility always spread faster than a winged arrow. Who in the imperial city didn't know what was going on between him and his mother? Therefore, the noble children on the street consciously excluded Qi Rong and refused to talk or play with him. Xie Lian saw the swing and ran up to play. All the children his age joined him, taking turns helping the Crown Prince push the swing, and they were proud of it. When Xie Lian swung to the highest point, he accidentally looked down and saw Qi Rong hiding behind his mother's shadow, peeking out and looking up at him enviously.

Arriving at the Shenwu Hall, the adults finished offering lanterns and went off to consult with the imperial masters, asking for divination, interpreting the divinations, and conversing. A group of children were left inside to play with the lanterns. Qi Rong, meeting the Empress for the first time, was unaware that she had already offered a lantern for him and his mother. Seeing the exquisite beauty of the lanterns, he also wanted to offer a lantern for blessings. Young and uninformed, he asked around for instructions on how to write a prayer for his mother. Several children from Qi Rong's clan, who had always disliked him at home, influenced by their elders, felt that Qi Rong and his mother had brought shame upon their family and deliberately tricked him. Xie Lian finished writing his own lantern, putting down his pen when he heard someone giggling behind him. The laughter was unnatural. Looking back, he saw Qi Rong, his hand stained with ink, cradling a lantern like a treasure, beaming as he prepared to offer it. On the lantern, scribbled were the nine characters: "May my mother and I soon pass away to heaven, Qi Rong."

Xie Lian smashed the lamp on the spot, furious.

He was not very old at that time, but he scared all the noble boys to their knees, not daring to speak. After his rage, Xie Lian personally rewrote a lantern for Qi Rong, and no one dared to do anything bad to him anymore. Later, when he was going down the mountain, he went to play on the swing again. This time, Qi Rong ran out from behind the queen and took the initiative to push him on the swing. He was shorter than Xie Lian, but he pushed very hard. People still looked up at him from below, but their eyes changed from envy to admiration. Later, he became Xie Lian's tail, following behind his "prince cousin" all day long.

One must admit, Qi Rong used to be a relatively normal person, but somehow, he's become more and more crooked. However, in the past three years, Xie Lian has had so many people and things to focus on that he's had no time to pay attention to his old friend, so it's unclear if he's improved at all.

Thinking of this, Qi Rong had already finished offering the lamps and was about to leave the hall. Unexpectedly, as he was backing away, he bumped into someone behind him. Qi Rong stumbled, turned around abruptly, and without even looking, started cursing: "What the hell? Are you blind or are you dead standing there? You don't know how to get out of the way?"

At this moment, Xie Lian and Feng Xin both covered their foreheads, thinking, "Nothing has changed. Still the same!"

Perhaps because he lived with his father until he was five years old, he inevitably picked up the atmosphere of the market and his father's bad temper. Even if the Queen patiently taught Qi Rong later, once he got excited, he would, in the words of the Imperial Preceptor, "show his true colors." The person who blocked Qi Rong's way was a young man in ragged clothes, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, carrying a simple bag, a pair of straw sandals that were almost worn out, and he looked dusty. However, although the young man looked haggard, his lips were dry, and his cheekbones were slightly sunken, his facial features were very handsome. He was thin but not weak, and his eyes were bright. He said, "Where is this place?"

Qi Rong said, "This is Xianle Palace, the Prince's Palace!"

The man murmured, "Prince's Palace? Prince? Is this really the Imperial Palace?" He looked at the statues in the palace, their faces radiant with gold, and asked, "Is this gold?"

He was so impressed by the splendor of the palace that he mistook it for the imperial palace. A servant stepped forward to dissuade him, saying, "Of course it's gold. The Prince's Palace is the Prince's Temple, not the Prince's Palace in the imperial palace! You don't even know where this is, how could you come from, a barbarian?"

The man asked, "Where exactly is the imperial palace?"

Qi Rong narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

The other party said seriously: "I am going to the palace to see the king. I have something to tell him."

Qi Rong and several attendants laughed, their faces filled with contempt, and said, "Where did you come from, you country bumpkin? What do you want to do in the palace? And to see the king? You asked to see him, and I'll let you see him. But once you get to the palace, I'm afraid you won't even be able to get through the main gate."

The man was not at all moved by the ridicule and said, "I'll try. Maybe it can work."

Qi Rong laughed heartily and said, "Then go ahead and try it." He raised his hand and pointed in the opposite direction. The man said, "Thank you." He shouldered his bag and turned to walk out of the temple. When he reached the stone bridge, he suddenly stopped and looked down. Through the clear water, he could see layers of coins at the bottom.

The young man seemed to think for a moment, and the next moment, he climbed over the bridge railing and jumped into the pool.

He was incredibly agile. After jumping into the pool, he bent down and scooped up handfuls of coins from the bottom, stuffing them into his arms and his bag. Xie Lian and Feng Xin were stunned, having never seen anyone dare to rob even a god's money. Qi Rong was also taken aback, then flew into a rage. He rushed over, slamming the railing and yelling, "Fuck you! What are you doing?! Pull him out quickly! I really fucked you!"

Several attendants quickly jumped into the water to pull the man out, but the young man was very skilled. He punched and kicked, and no one could do anything to him. Qi Rong was furious watching from above, and the Taoists in the temple were helpless. The young man grabbed a heavy load of coins and was about to climb ashore with his bag on his back. However, he stepped on moss, slipped, and fell on his back in the water. The attendants took the opportunity to capture him and drag him ashore. Qi Rong raised his leg and kicked him, cursing, "How dare you steal this money!"

When Qi Rong raised his leg, Feng Xin stood nearby, watching for the perfect moment and blocking it. As a result, Qi Rong's kick, while powerful, didn't actually land hard on the opponent. Although Qi Rong couldn't see him playing tricks on him, he still felt something was amiss, like a ghost was squeezing his leg. He felt the same way even after seven or eight kicks, feeling rather frustrated. The young man, perhaps choking on the water, coughed a few times and said, "This money is just sitting in the pool. Why can't I use it to save someone?"

Qi Rong kicked unhappily, and finally got annoyed. He asked, "Who are you saving? Who are you? Where are you from?"

He asked this simply to frame the young man and have him thrown in jail, but the young man was honest and answered, "My name is Lang Ying. I live in Yong'an. There's a drought there, no water, and the crops can't grow. Everyone has nothing to eat or money. Here we have water, food, and money. They made a statue out of gold and threw the money into the water. Why can't they give us some?"

Yong'an is a large city within the Xianle Kingdom. Xie Lian stood up, his expression solemn. He said, "Feng Xin, is there a drought in Yong'an recently? Why haven't I heard about it?"

Feng Xin turned around and said, "I don't know. I haven't heard of it either. I'll ask Mu Qing later."