Chapter 448: Ritual
448
Finally, they arrived at the door of the house where Tang Yue was staying. Tang Yue had noticed the situation of the two people with her consciousness early on, and she had some guesses as to why the two people did not bring their bamboo hats.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly. How wonderful! This gave her the opportunity to intimidate these people anytime and anywhere.
So, when everyone surrounded Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing and walked into the house, a magical scene happened under everyone's gaze.
The two of them walked slowly and steadily. As they moved forward, the rain on their bodies seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, slowly falling off their clothes and turning into fine mist that rose up.
In just a moment, their clothes were dry again, and even their hair was dry, as if they had never been wet by the rain.
The people in the room were stunned at first, then exclaimed in amazement. The county magistrate's eyes widened, and he looked at Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing in awe, muttering to himself, "They are indeed the guardians of the goddess. They have such miraculous abilities!"
Finally, unable to hold back their weakened knees, they knelt before the goddess once more. With the protection of such a powerful goddess, what was there to fear? Their Shanhe County would be safe from now on.
Seeing everyone kneeling, Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing felt very uncomfortable. The palms held in front of them seemed to have their own consciousness, wanting to pull people back. However, Tang Yue's cold eyes shot over, and they were startled.
He immediately straightened his mind, maintaining a cold demeanor. He glanced indifferently at everyone in the room, then slowly walked over to Tang Yue, saluted, and stood still. Their postures were upright, their expressions solemn, like two true guardians of the heavens.
The rainstorm had just subsided, and the damp air was filled with the scent of earth and vegetation. At the county magistrate's request, a large bucket of water had already been properly placed in the courtyard. The remaining raindrops on the bucket's surface reflected a faint light, as if waiting for the sacred moment.
Tang Yue stood in the corridor, raised her bare hands lightly, her fingertips passed through the air, her brows slightly closed, and her whispers were like the gurgling stream. Although others could not hear the words clearly, they could feel the ethereal rhythm.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and said casually, "In an hour, the rain will stop and the ritual will begin. Send the word out, have all the sick people come to the square, and the holy water will be used to dispel their illness."
After receiving the order, the county magistrate immediately sent people to spread the news. The people in the county town had been waiting for news. Once the goddess's holy will was announced, the news spread quickly throughout the county. The people looked up at the sky with anticipation, waiting for the rain to stop so that they could quickly gather in the square.
In fact, some people, worried about not getting a good spot, had already headed to the square after hearing the news. What's a little rain? This is a goddess's ritual, something you might not see once every hundred years, no, even a thousand years.
When the rain stopped completely, the square was already crowded with people. The eyes of the sick were full of desire for healing. At this time, they were full of confidence that the goddess was so powerful that she would be able to cure them all.
Tang Yue wore a moon-white, floor-length gown, the hem embroidered with silver silk cloud patterns that appeared and disappeared with her steps. She wore a crown of pearls and diamonds, its tiny rays of light streaming in the sunlight like a falling starry river.
This outfit was created by Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing based on the image of the goddess in their minds when the three of them were in the house. No one in the county had any objection to the goddess changing her clothes.
This is a ritual to communicate with heaven and earth, how can we not be cautious?
Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing stood on either side. They wore colorful clothes but looked dignified. Their postures were as straight as pine trees and their faces were solemn, like two guardian gods.
The three of them walked slowly on a large piece of red cloth towards the newly built platform in the center of the square, as if every step they took was accompanied by unquestionable majesty.
On the high platform, wisps of green smoke rose from the black pottery incense burner, emitting a light and elegant fragrance made from a mixture of vanilla and resin unique to the Bian Yue Kingdom. The fragrance penetrated into everyone's nostrils, making people feel peaceful.
Around the incense burner were placed the best vases available in the county, filled with colorful flowers, with raindrops still lingering on the petals.
In the center, there were three ancient large pottery jars filled with "rootless water". Tang Yue couldn't help but twitching her lips when she saw them. They were really good at taking it. They really didn't mind having too much holy water.
Tang Yue climbed onto the platform and stood before the incense burner. She slowly raised her hands, palms facing upward, and closed her eyes, concentrating. The entire square instantly fell silent, the only sound being the gentle rustle of flags in the breeze.
After a moment, she opened her cherry lips and her clear, ethereal voice, like the sound of nature, echoed over the square: "Heaven and earth are my witnesses. All living beings suffer. I carry the magic water to cleanse the disease." As she spoke, she turned her wrist slightly, and her white hands, like butterflies, drew a graceful arc in the air, as if communicating with heaven and earth.
As she moved, the smoke from the incense burner began to condense, outlining strange patterns in the air. Tang Yue leaned over and picked up a wooden spoon. With graceful movements, she scooped up the "holy water" from the clay pot and raised it high above her head. The sunlight sprinkled on the "holy water", reflecting a rainbow of colors.
As everyone's eyes were on the "holy water" that Tang Yue held high above her head, Tang Yue calmly replaced the water in the three pottery jars with a mixture of glucose water and salt water in the large barrel in the space.
He chanted softly in his mouth: "Wherever the holy water reaches, all illnesses and pains will disappear." Then, he slowly poured the "holy water" into a bowl below.
Tang Yue nodded slightly, and Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing immediately stepped forward, took the wooden spoon handed over by Tang Yue, scooped the "holy water" from the large pottery jar into bowls one by one, and looked up at the sick people.
At the county magistrate's signal, the people immediately lined up, and Zhang Dabing and Sun Jinan distributed the "holy water" one by one. The people took it with trembling hands, their eyes filled with awe and gratitude, and took a sip carefully, as if drinking nectar.
"Huh? This holy water is sweet."
"Yes, yes, it's sweet. The holy water tastes really good."
The people were even more convinced and grateful to the goddess. After all, they had personally collected this rootless water, so how could they not know what rainwater tasted like? But after the goddess performed the ritual, the "holy water" became sweet. They were truly grateful to the goddess from the bottom of their hearts.
Although the county magistrate did not taste the "holy water", he knew from the discussions of the people around him that it was not just rainwater. The goddess's ability exceeded their expectations time and time again.
Tang Yue had long ago instructed Sun Jinan and Zhang Dabing that all the "holy water" must be drunk at once, without leaving any behind. So, despite the large number of people in the square, the county magistrate had also prepared a large amount of rootless water, and everyone drank a large bowl.
After all the sick people drank the "holy water", Tang Yue looked at the county magistrate and said, "After drinking the "holy water" bestowed by me, their ailments will be cured. However, I have noticed that the women here have been eating too plain a diet for many years, lacking protein supplements. Their bodies are not getting enough nutrition, so these ailments may come back again."
The county magistrate was a bit anxious when he heard this, but he thought the goddess was still there, so they had nothing to fear. However, he was still puzzled, so he asked cautiously, "Goddess, what is this... protein?"
Tang Yue patiently explained, "Protein is an extremely important nutrient. Meat, eggs, and beans are rich in it. Eating more of these foods can make the body stronger.
Also, they should occasionally eat something sweet, such as candy or sweet porridge, to quickly replenish their energy. If their bodies are healthy, they won't get sick as often."
Tang Yue really felt that she had a good conscience. Although she had lied to them, if they stopped being vegetarians in the future, most of them would no longer suffer from hypoglycemia.
A murmur erupted from the crowd, as the people chatted among themselves, their faces filled with curiosity and confusion. An old woman spoke tremblingly, "Goddess, we have always believed in the gods. Eating vegetarian food is a sign of respect for the gods. If we eat meat, will it anger the gods?"
Tang Yue sighed inwardly, but maintained a calm expression on her face, saying, "The gods are merciful, how could they be angry because you take in the necessary nutrients?
Only when you are healthy can you better worship the gods. Think about it carefully: if you are always sick and can hardly carry out daily work, how can you express your piety to the gods?
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