Chapter 59: Thousands of Miles to Meet God
This gathering of spirits and gods took place at the Buddha's Palm Dojo. To keep an eye on the surroundings, the four of them set out on foot early in the morning, but they saw no one along the way.
Cang Ming pondered for most of the night, but he still couldn't guess how Wei Ci's men had gotten the news of this grand event. He simply assumed Wei Ci had planted undercover agents throughout the Three Realms, hence his constant praise of his magical powers. Wei Ci listened to Cang Ming's silent praise with great satisfaction. He smiled but didn't reply, instead telepathically replying, "Then, General, don't forget the meal you rewarded me with. It seems I paid for it last time on the cliff."
Xisheng and Wulu lagged far behind the two men, discussing in low voices the origins of the Millennium Old Goods Peddler, the reliability of their intelligence, and what to do if they discovered a fraud upon reaching Buddha's Palm. Wei Ci scoffed lazily, not even turning his head.
When he saw the giant Buddha from a distance, Cang Ming suddenly understood how the spies knew that a grand ceremony to thank the gods would be held in the Buddha's palm. Because anyone could see it.
At the Buddha's feet, frail, ant-like figures were seen struggling to climb onto the Buddha's palm, following the stone sleeves that cascaded down from the sky. The palm held before him had returned to normal, the finger Wei Ci had broken reconnected, even curling slightly into an orchid shape, as if nothing had happened before.
It was covered in ice and snow, with the north wind howling, but those who climbed up were like devout pilgrims.
Wu Lu was the first to cry out, "Can these mortals climb walls and fly over rooftops? Why haven't they fallen to their death yet?" Xi Sheng stared at the Buddha statue for a while and said, "There's a ladder carved into it."
The four of them hurried over and finally arrived in front of the Buddha statue. Sure enough, there were imperceptible ripples on the folds of the stone carving, like a ladder to heaven, naturally formed, reaching straight into the clouds.
Xisheng was the most skilled at using the Yellow Teleport Talisman, but he had just used one yesterday and hadn't recovered the mana he'd consumed. He also didn't have any pre-drawn talisman paper. Cangming acted decisively, throwing out his Ice Blade Sword. "Let's all four of us fly up together and take a look around the perimeter of the dojo!"
The thought of the four of them being strung together tightly together made the Demon King shudder immediately and said coldly, "No."
Wu Lu said, "Humph, this master doesn't want to squeeze with you!" Xi Sheng said sleepwalkingly, "Let's climb up together." Wu Lu objected vehemently again, "I am now the head of Tongduo Mountain..."
Cang Ming had no choice but to compromise and said, "You and Xisheng fly the swords, and Wei Ci and I will find another way to get up. Bing Ren will lead you to the Buddha's arm, and then you will slowly walk to the edge of the Buddha's palm, but don't enter. If you enter the Buddha's palm, you will lose your magic power..."
Wu Lu and Xi Sheng exchanged a disdainful glance, then reluctantly nodded in agreement. Wu Lu made a request: "Hey, Cang Ming, could you please put the scabbard back on the sword? I'm afraid of such a sharp ice blade..."
Cang Ming gritted his teeth and smiled as he sheathed his sword. Xi Sheng absentmindedly stepped onto the ice blade, while Wu Lu followed, crutch in hand. As soon as the sword flew a few feet off the ground, both men knelt down and grabbed the scabbard.
Cang Ming couldn't bear to watch, and he chuckled in a gloating manner. Wu Lu suddenly slapped his head and said, "Oh, how could I forget? I actually built a new carriage when I returned to Tongduo Mountain this time!"
The ice blade slowly fell back to the ground. Wu Lu extended his cane and tapped a nearly silent rhythm on the snow. Cang Ming looked at the horizon expectantly, and even Xi Sheng looked up.
After a while, a golden chariot swooped down from the sky, landing squarely in front of them. It was made of woven bamboo, painted with a layer of gold lacquer mixed with glitter. It had been bumped and rubbed along the way, and a closer look revealed some paint chips.
Wu Lu maintained his proud demeanor and said, "These past few days, the disciples have revived tradition and handcrafted a carriage for our master. Although it's not as good as the golden carriage that was passed down through the generations of the Tongduo Sect, that one was destroyed by Zhong Wuqi after all, and then ridden away by a demon..."
Cang Ming and Xi Sheng climbed into the carriage, and Wei Ci also condescended to board. Upon boarding, they discovered that the carriage was actually using the spiritual power of several people to take off. If even one of the passengers lacked magical power, the carriage would probably not even float.
Wu Lu sat in the driver's seat, whipping the nonexistent horse. The golden chariot flew towards the Buddha statue, with a sense of rapid progress. He turned back and explained, "Although this chariot is made of sacred wood, it's not very flexible. I have to drive it myself. My disciples usually sit in the chariot."
Cang Ming praised: "That's great. Why should a disciple have to drive the carriage for Master? Master can do it himself."
Wei Ci said in her mind in a very soft and pleasant voice: "General, this is a tough and interesting idea."
As they spoke, the golden chariot had already passed through the clouds and hovered near the stone sculpture's sleeve. Cang Ming took the lead, leaping onto the statue's arm with a single tiger leap, with Wei Ci following closely behind her. Xi Sheng and Wu Lu, as usual, crawled over.
As usual, the four of them masked themselves, disguised themselves, and whistled. The top of the Buddha's arm resembled a natural, narrow stone path, dispelling the reality of the golden chariot. In unison, they formed a single column and slowly walked along the stone arm toward the Buddha's palm, pretending to stumble and walk unsteadily, as if they were pilgrims.
Cang Ming couldn't help but praise him, "Xisheng Wulu, you two really act like mortals."
Wu Lu suppressed his anger and replied, "We really can't walk steadily."
When they reached the middle of the stone arm, they finally saw scattered believers, each using their hands and feet to slowly climb the stone steps on the hanging sleeve. Cang Ming knelt on the stone edge and asked the young man who was closest to them: "Young man, where are you from?"
The man looked up and said, "Damn it! How did you get up there so quickly? I remember I was the first one."
Cang Ming was stunned and hurriedly evaded the question, "Well, we probably..." Wu Lu followed up with, "We set out early."
The man laboriously dug at the sunken stone trough, climbing faster and faster, panting and threatening, "No, I was the first one to leave. You dare to tamper with matters concerning ghosts and gods? I bet you'll die a miserable death!"
Xisheng snorted and glared at the man, frightening him so much that he nearly fell headfirst off the cliff. Xisheng said coldly, "We won't be the first to get in." The man breathed a sigh of relief and climbed a bit more before finally standing in front of them. He looked them up and down suspiciously, "Are you guys new here?"
Cang Ming quickly said: "Yes, we came here because of your reputation, and we also want to pray." Before she finished speaking, the man had stretched out his arms and ran towards the Buddha Palm Dojo in small steps as fast as walking on a single-plank bridge, leaving the few people behind.
The remaining believers also sparsely climbed to the top of the sleeves. The four of them deliberately separated, blending into this strange group and marching towards the temple. Cang Ming and Wei Ci led the way, while Xi Sheng and Wu Lü Ze brought up the rear. They could only be heard whispering to each other:
"I wonder if today's grand ceremony of thanking the gods can bring about a miracle?"
"Go to hell! Is it so easy for the gods to show up in person? Just make your wish."
"Hey, I heard there's a kid who couldn't make it up and fell down the mountain. He's buried in the snow, so there's no one to collect his body."
"That's nothing. Last time, there was an old woman who insisted on coming to pay tribute to the gods, but she froze to death..."
Cang Ming felt a chill down his spine. Wei Ci transmitted a message: "They are not believers, they are clearly a group of gamblers."
Wu Lu muttered, "This rabble is nothing but followers of the evil spirit." He slipped and nearly fell onto the narrow stone path, screaming in fear. Those in front and behind him looked at him with disdain. Xi Sheng grabbed his crutch, helping him maintain his balance.
Cang Ming mingled among the women and quietly asked, "Where are you from? Isn't it true that there are not many people in the snowy plains outside the pass?"
A woman walking in front turned around and asked, "Then how did you get here?"
Cang Ming said: "We... I grew up here and came back... to visit relatives..."
"Well, I thought so." The woman walked forward cautiously. "Don't you know? On the first and fifteenth day of every lunar month, the divine road opens, so we have to hold a grand ceremony to entertain the gods. No matter where you live, as long as you set out early and walk all the way to Beiyuan, you will definitely reach the magic circle outside Shanhaiguan."
Another woman behind him chimed in, "As long as you step into the magic circle, you'll be transported to the Buddha's feet, and then you just have to slowly climb up. You said this god is truly powerful!"
Cang Ming secretly noted the position of the magic circle, turned back and exchanged a look with Wei Ci, his face filled with worry. Wei Ci blinked, then said calmly in Cang Ming's ear, "Doesn't the Yinlüxian have several disciples now? We can just send more people to investigate."
A lot of people have gathered in the Buddha's palm, and an incense burner is placed in the center. All the believers who come to the temple offer incense to the burner.
Cang Ming and Wei Ci sat in a circle with the others. From the moment they entered the dojo, their sound transmission technique ceased to work. They turned around to look for Xi Sheng and Wu Lu, but one of them was covered with a bag, and the other was disguised as a passerby. They were nowhere to be found.
Clouds drifted through, thick with fog. I could vaguely see the people around me, their eyes closed, mumbling something, their mouths opening and closing. Beyond that, nothing could be seen. A north wind picked up, bringing even thicker vapors. The sea of clouds and fog filled the air, and no one could be seen. Only whispers and a humming sound rose and fell.
Cang Ming listened carefully and realized they were the people's prayers. Some were wishing their brother to die suddenly so they could inherit their sister-in-law, others were begging the Supreme God to bless their sons with a serious illness and a recovery, and some were even offering to trade ten years of their parents' lives for an official position.
Cang Ming rubbed his brow, feeling irritated. Wei Ci's hand gently covered her knee. She raised her head and met Wei Ci's calm and cold eyes, feeling a little relieved.
The devotees gradually filled the Buddha's palm. The temple was a sea of people, some in tattered clothing, others in brocade and mink furs. An old woman turned to look at Cang Ming and Wei Ci and asked, "What are you two asking for? A secret in the bedroom?"
Cang Ming was speechless. Wei Ci coughed lightly and replied, "Don't bother." The old woman looked at him and said, "It seems that this is your problem. Then you should worship properly."
“…”
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd. Countless believers craned their necks nervously, solemnly warning one another, "Here they come! Here they come! Silence!"
Cang Ming held his breath, staring intently at the empty space within the circle of people. Suddenly, a golden light flashed, breaking through the dense mist. Suddenly, it was Old Gui Lian, wearing embroidered shoes, and the white-haired Li Xianzhen who emerged.
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