"Sir, it's Lord Sikong who has returned!" Joyful cheers rang out from the ruined city wall. The city gate opened, and several middle-aged men in shabby clothes came forward to greet him.
"Brother Yan, Brother Qi." Sikong Qinglan jumped off the carriage and called out affectionately to the two leading men.
Seeing this, Mu Hanyan also got off the carriage.
"Lord Sikong, who is this?" Seeing Mu Hanyan, several men were slightly stunned.
"This is Lord Mu Hanyan, and these two are my friends, Yan Qingshan and Qi Ming, both citizens of Huayu City," Sikong Qinglan introduced. Huayu City was obviously the shabby little town before him.
"Greetings, Lord Mu!" the two men immediately saluted.
"Brother Yan and Brother Qi, there's no need to be so polite." Mu Hanyan returned the greeting.
Only then did she realize that the two men were actually no more than thirty years old, but their faces were weathered and their clothes were tattered, making them look much older than their actual age.
"Sir, please don't be so polite. We are actually followers of Lord Sikong." Seeing Mu Hanyan return the greeting, the two were flattered and quickly gave way.
Just like the followers of the Holy Court Continent, some of the followers of the temple priests follow the priests because they admire their strength, while some are just guards or servants. For example, Hua Yue Zirong and the other two looked flattered, so they were probably the latter. However, when they were in the Holy Court Continent, Mu Hanyan never treated Hua Yue Zirong as a servant, but as a friend or even a relative. Naturally, she would not look down on Yan Qingshan and Qi Ming, and she still politely completed the greeting.
Seeing Mu Hanyan's indifferent smile, which was friendly and calm without any affectation, Yan Qi and the others immediately felt a liking for her.
"Sir, the left priest and the right priest have been waiting for a long time." Yan Qingshan said to Sikong Qinglan.
"Oh." Sikong Qinglan responded with a look of embarrassment, but soon cheered up and said, "Let's go. Don't keep them waiting."
Under the leadership of Yan Qingshan and Qi Ming, Mu Hanyan walked into Huayu City.
If Mu Hanyan's heart had only chilled half when she saw the desolation of Huayu City from afar, then her heart had completely chilled after entering the city.
With its dilapidated towers, shabby houses, and deserted streets, Huayu City felt even more desolate than many ancient ruins. After all, ancient ruins were protected by forbidden barriers, but upon entering Huayu City, Mu Hanyan discovered the barrier's power was pitifully weak. The biting north wind was barely any different from that of the wilderness.
Only as they approached the temple did the barrier's power gradually grow stronger, and the wind finally felt less harsh and biting on their faces. It was clear that the Flower Rain Temple, abandoned by the Lord, was no longer able to support Flower Rain City's barrier, and it was only barely holding up near the temple.
It was evening, and wisps of smoke rose from the rows of houses near the temple. It seemed that they were the people who stayed in Huayu City, but there were no more than a few dozen households.
Hearing the sound of the carriage approaching, many people opened their doors and looked over curiously.
Seeing these common people, Mu Hanyan's heart sank even further. Each of them wore ragged clothes and looked pale. It looked like their lives were much worse than those of the Mu family, only slightly better off than those homeless refugees.
No wonder Ye Yian was hesitant about Sikong Qinggang's invitation earlier. He hadn't even mentioned it to her before. Life in the Huayu Temple is not easy.
Huayu City is not big, and soon the group arrived at the Huayu Temple in the center of the city.
Two women in sacrificial robes came forward when they saw Sikong Qinglan.
"Lord Sikong is back. Thank you for your hard work on the journey." A woman said modestly.
The woman was about twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a beautiful appearance. Although her priest robes were a bit old, they were neatly kept, giving people a sense of coolness. Of course, she also had some pride as a priestess.
"You are too polite, Lord An. This is my duty." Sikong Qinglan said politely.
"Senior Brother Qinglan, did those old guys give you any trouble when you went to Tianfeng City this time?" another woman asked, blinking her big black eyes.
She seemed to be a little younger than the other woman, but she had a baby face and two dimples when she smiled, which made her look lively and vivid.
"It's okay." Sikong Qinglan said vaguely.
"Has Fengcheng Temple agreed to our request?" The baby-faced priest's eyes lit up and he asked happily, but he didn't notice the helplessness in Sikong Qinglan's eyes.
The young men in priest robes around him also looked at Sikong Qinglan expectantly, and the common people had the same look.
"I'll tell you in detail about the Fengcheng Temple later. Let me introduce you first. This is Lord Mu Hanyan, this is Lord An Xiaxin, the left priest of our Huayu Temple, and this is Lord Chen Yuhe, the right priest." Sikong Qinglan felt ashamed, and it was not appropriate to say much in front of so many people, so he introduced them to each other first.
"Greetings, Lord An and Lord Shen." Mu Hanyan bowed and said.
The priests on both sides were all girls in their twenties, and most of the young priests around were also women. Mu Hanyan now understood why Sikong Qinglan was always so shy.
"Lord Mu, you are too polite. I didn't expect you to come here in person. It is really an honor for our Huayu Temple." A smile finally appeared on An Xiaxin's cold face. Although it was forced, it still looked much more friendly.
But…wait, what did he mean by coming in person? How did it make her feel so honored? Did she misunderstand something?
"Lord Mu, Fengcheng Temple is thousands of miles away from our Huayu Temple. You must have had a hard time on the road. Come in and have a seat." The smile on Chen Yuhe's baby face was kind. As she spoke, she pulled Mu Hanyan inside.
Hearing Chen Yuhe's words, Mu Hanyan immediately realized that they mistook her for someone from Fengcheng Temple. It was no wonder. Sikong Qinglan went to Tianfeng City to ask for help, and she came back with him. He was vague and unclear just now, but he was unusually polite to her. It would be strange if the two priests on both sides did not misunderstand.
"You misunderstood. I am not a priest of Fengcheng Temple." Mu Hanyan quickly explained.
"What?" An Xiaxin and Shen Yuhe were both stunned, then looked at Sikong Qinglan.
"Fengcheng Temple rejected our request. The requirements are the same as those of the other major temples. This Lord Mu came to our Huayu Temple to participate in the priest assessment." Sikong Qinglan looked at everyone helplessly and said.
After hearing his words, everyone showed disappointment. No, it was not just disappointment, it could even be said to be despair.
Mu Hanyan certainly knew that this despair was definitely not because she came to Huayu Temple to take the assessment, but because of the rejection from Fengcheng Temple. Although she didn't know what Sikong Qinglan had asked Fengcheng Temple for, just looking at the dilapidated scene of Huayu City, she knew that without the support of other temples, this temple probably would not be able to hold on for long.
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