Chapter 605: Divine Miracle

The formation seemed to be the same one, and this was still the same room, similar in size to the previous one, but the walls had changed into large blocks of stone. He Lingchuan could feel the air becoming colder, crisper, and fresher. Of course, the guards watching the room had changed as well.

"We're here." Fu Shanyue stepped out of the formation first.

He Lingchuan walked out of the room and looked back; sure enough, it was the tower where Ke Yanjing had emerged last time. The surrounding scenery had already shifted to the landscape of Tian Shu, and a large crowd of tourists cast curious and admiring gazes their way.

They had arrived at the Tiangong. Those capable of walking out of a teleportation formation were no ordinary people.

As the two were about to climb the white jade steps, a guard suddenly said, "The Emperor will see the Crown Prince of Chi Yan first."

What? They were to be received separately? He Lingchuan felt a jolt in his heart.

Fu Shanyue was also taken aback, but since they were already here, how could he disobey? He nodded at He Lingchuan and headed toward the Star-Plucking Tower first.

He Lingchuan wondered how the Tiangong would deal with him, when a young girl stepped out from the side and smiled at him. "You may have tea and rest at the Cloud Inn while waiting to be summoned, or you may tour the Tiangong. The scenery on Tian Shu Peak is unique; every year, no fewer than a million tourists come to pay their respects."

She was only fourteen or fifteen, with a pretty appearance, her small face naturally rosy, and her smile was doubly adorable.

He Lingchuan was startled. "I don't need to wait specifically?"

"No need," the young girl said. "The Emperor's audience with the Crown Prince of Chi Yan will take some time. As long as you don't leave Tian Shu Peak, we will summon you when the time comes."

The Cloud Inn was similar to the side chambers of a royal palace, a place for subjects and Lamp-Guarding Envoys to wait for audiences. Tea and snacks were fully provided, yet it was cold and desolate, lacking any lively atmosphere.

Looking outside the Cloud Inn, however, it was bustling with tourists.

Although people usually dared not speak loudly in the Tiangong, whispering in small groups was inevitable.

Ordinary people knew how to choose.

He Lingchuan asked the young girl, "I'm walking by myself?"

She covered her mouth and giggled, and He Lingchuan saw dimples between her fingers. "If this is your first time here, I can accompany you for a stroll."

"Then I shall trouble you."

The two walked side by side, and sure enough, no palace guards followed.

He Lingchuan followed her lead while asking for her name.

It turned out the little girl was named Lu Shishi, only fourteen years old, and had been selected as a Lamp-Guarding Envoy of the Tiangong just last year.

He asked curiously, "I heard the Ever-Bright Lamps of the Tiangong are never blown out by the wind. Is there even a need to guard them?"

"Wind cannot blow them out, but that doesn't mean other powers cannot strike them out," Lu Shishi said. "Since the Tiangong was built, there has been no lack of sneak attacks by external enemies. The most serious time, even half the lamps in the Star-Plucking Tower were struck out."

He Lingchuan was shocked. "What kind of opponent was so formidable?"

"This Great Demon was named Chifeng; it infiltrated Mount Xu before suddenly launching its attack." Lu Shishi pursed her lips. "In short, it caused chaos on Mount Xu, and the Tiangong was closed for over two months before it reopened to travelers."

"Why did they come here to cause trouble?"

Lu Shishi shook her head gently. "That is unclear. There are many nations and many places in this world that fear and hate the power of the Heavenly Gods."

He Lingchuan nodded.

The old Demon Emperor had passed away over a decade ago; at that time, this little girl hadn't even been born. The story of the Great Demon Chifeng was something others had told her.

However, this at least showed that even one as strong as Beijia still had enemies lurking in the shadows.

By the way, it seemed the Great Demon Chifeng was ultimately defeated by Fan Long?

The breeze on the mountaintop today was exceptionally gentle, and even the snow that never melted year-round seemed less harsh. He Lingchuan had a beauty by his side, and the little girl's smile was especially sweet, like pear blossoms in full bloom during spring, frequently causing passersby to turn their heads.

A few days ago, He Lingchuan had already followed a tour group to visit most of the Tiangong's buildings, but how could the explanations of the black-hearted guide, Old Ge, compare to Lu Shishi's thoroughness?

This little girl seemed to have a naturally affable constitution; anyone staying by her side would feel the spring breeze and a pleasant heart.

"Ahead is the Hall of Veneration."

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. "Under the seat of the Holy Venerable Ling Xu, exactly how many Heavenly Gods are there?"

"Thirty-six True Gods, one hundred and twenty-eight Subordinate Gods, and three thousand six hundred Attendant Gods." Lu Shishi led him toward the Golden Hall. "Those worshipped here are the Main Gods and Subordinate Gods."

"There are actually so many gods?" He Lingchuan thought instead that Mitian had clearly said there were a hundred thousand Heavenly Gods, yet the gods under the seat of the Holy Venerable Ling Xu were fewer than four thousand.

Where were the remaining Heavenly Gods? And under whose seat did they belong?

Lu Shishi, however, said something very mature: "If there are human nations on earth and divine nations in heaven, how can one speak of a nation without followers?"

He Lingchuan was about to respond when a "slap" sound came from ahead, and someone shouted angrily, "This is preposterous! How dare you, you mad woman, bring shame into the temple!"

The two had already walked into the Golden Hall, which was still crowded with people; it was the most popular attraction besides the Questioning Tree on Tian Ji Peak.

Usually, the atmosphere inside the hall was solemn and respectful, with people kowtowing, offering incense, and praying in low voices; no one dared to speak loudly for fear of offending the Heavenly Gods.

This was the Tiangong, after all!

Yet at this moment, a woman grabbed the sleeve of the man beside her and wouldn't let go, shrieking, "Why don't you dare let the Heavenly God judge the truth, huh? If you have nothing to hide, why don't you dare try!"

The man, his face livid, slapped her directly—the very crisp sound He Lingchuan had just heard.

This slap caused the woman's silver hairpin to fall, her hair scattering and no longer neat as before. But she seemed not to feel the pain, grabbing the man and insisting he kneel and ask for the truth.

The two kept tugging at each other, and the palace guards arrived upon hearing the commotion, intending to drag them out.

Someone on the side laughed, "Brother, how many romantic debts have you incurred outside?"

The onlookers were all grinning, when suddenly the woman screamed, "My ex-husband met with a mysterious disaster, and this wretch immediately took the debt note to force me to marry him. I endured humiliation for three years, and only with great difficulty did I trick him into coming up to Mount Xu to beg the Heavenly God Miaozhan to discern the truth and grant me justice!"

Her shrill cries echoed in the great hall, quickly suppressing the laughter of the crowd.

Even the footsteps of the palace guards slowed.

Hmm? Was there a hidden story? Looking at the woman again, despite half her face being red and swollen from the slap, her beauty was still evident.

The man was both shocked and furious, cursing while dragging her toward the exit.

Just then, the statue behind the woman emitted a clear "dang" sound; it wasn't loud, but it echoed like a bell in everyone's heart.

Someone on the side immediately shouted, "The Touchstone! The Touchstone has fallen into the tray!"

The palace guards immediately stepped forward, extending their spears to block the man. "Go back, kneel down!"

The man's face turned pale instantly. "My lord, she is spouting nonsense; you cannot believe her lightly!"

"It has nothing to do with whether we believe it; the Heavenly God requires you to undergo the trial." After the guard finished speaking, he directly hauled him back and pressed him to kneel before the statue of the Heavenly God Miaozhan.

He Lingchuan had already seen this statue of the Heavenly God Miaozhan when he entered the Golden Hall last time; it was a goddess with a kind expression and solemn appearance, her golden body the same height as a real person.

Each god possessed different ritual implements. The implement held by this goddess was quite special: a golden scale.

Besides being exceptionally exquisite, the greatest feature of this scale was an eye growing on the tip of the beam.

The goddess's other hand formed a mudra, index finger pointing up, thumb and middle finger touching, holding a weight that was also golden.

The clear sound everyone had just heard was this weight falling into the scale tray below.

Lu Shishi whispered to He Lingchuan, "Countless believers come and go here every day, praying for divine miracles. Today, this virtuous woman has a connection with the Heavenly God Miaozhan, and the deity has responded to her plea."

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. "Do the Heavenly Gods often respond to believers?"

"Occasionally," Lu Shishi smiled. "There are a hundred and eight thousand voices in the ears of the Heavenly Gods; how could they attend to every single one?"

"How will the Heavenly God Miaozhan help her?"

"Although the Touchstone has already fallen into the tray, both scale trays are still at the same level, with no difference in height," Lu Shishi said softly. "Every word the man says next will be placed on the scale to be weighed. If he speaks a lie, it will not be able to withstand the weight of the Touchstone, and the scale tray will immediately tilt upward!"

"Then, how does the Touchstone confirm the truth of his words?"

"No lie can deceive the Dharma Eye." Lu Shishi gestured toward the eye on the scale.

"It won't make a mistake?" So the Heavenly Gods called the 'Eye of Truth' the 'Dharma Eye'? The implication was very clear; the Heavenly God is the Law.

The young girl was very firm. "It will never make a mistake!"

The woman had already walked before the statue, knelt down automatically, and then turned to ask the man, "Did you kill my husband?"

The first question was so sharp that a wave of murmurs broke out in the crowd.

The man shook his head vigorously.

The palace guard shouted, "Answer!"

"No, no!" the man shouted. "I had twelve years of friendship with him, I've known him since childhood, why would I kill him!"

The crowd looked at the scale; a small piece of gold had appeared on the empty tray at some point, causing the two scale arms to sway, but the Touchstone did not sink significantly.

In other words, the Heavenly God Miaozhan accepted his answer? The woman was stunned, while the man said angrily, "Your ex-husband died in an accident; I told you, you didn't believe me, and now the Heavenly God says the same, do you believe it now?"

The woman still had a look of disbelief, and seeing the palace guard seemed about to let the man stand up, she thought quickly and said, "I'll change the question! Did my ex-husband Wang Qingzhi's death have anything to do with you at all!"

The man said angrily, "Are you ever going to finish, woman..."

The palace guard interrupted him. "Answer!"

The man exhaled and said forcefully, "No!"

As soon as the words fell, the Touchstone sank, and the tray containing the small gold piece tilted high!

"Liar! Even the Heavenly God sees it." The woman immediately shouted, "Did you hire someone to kill him!"

The man shook his head violently, his face turning pale.

The onlookers on the side were all whispering.

The palace guard poked the man's shoulder. "Answer!"

The man gritted his teeth, not daring to open his mouth again.

Of course, the onlookers also saw the truth.

The palace guard immediately summoned the guards on Mount Xu to take this man down the mountain and hand him over to the government office for trial.

The woman thanked the deity incessantly, kowtowing several times before the statue until there were bloodstains on the ground, then hurriedly chased after the officials down the mountain.

After this incident, the number of believers kowtowing before the statue of the Heavenly God Miaozhan increased significantly.

He Lingchuan noticed that the gold piece on the tray had disappeared, and the Touchstone had returned to the statue's hand.

This golden statue truly possessed divine power.

Just as he was about to step back, he suddenly saw the large eyeball on the scale turn and glare directly at him!

Thanks to the student 'Zhong Me Fei 4' for the strong support! It really cost you.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 606 =====