Chapter 151

Most of the team thought the method feasible and agreed, then acted again to survey the surroundings.

Yet no one noticed a figure standing not far away, wearing a Zhongshan suit, with an extraordinary bearing.

"This place cannot be demolished."

He stared intently for a while, then solemnly reminded.

This was Professor Zhang, who had previously inspected Zuo Ci's tomb in person, and also the chairman of the Yijing Association certified by the official website.

Although the Empress Temple is not busy, it is indeed an ancient building passed down from the Ming and Qing dynasties, originally built in the Xuande era of the Ming, repeatedly repaired under imperial order in the Qianlong era of the Qing, and again repaired in the Guangxu era.

According to historical records, legend has it that the mother of the Jiajing Emperor, while enjoying an outing in the northern suburbs, rested at this temple, offered incense and made a vow; the following year she gave birth to the Jiajing Emperor, and after he ascended the throne, to fulfill his mother's wish, he ordered the construction and renovation of this temple.

During the late Qing and early Republican periods it gradually declined, the ancient structures suffered severe damage, leaving only the mountain gate hall, the second hall, and the bell tower.

The Northern Top Empress Temple enshrines the Lady of the Azure Clouds; inside there is an incense burner made during the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty and a bell cast during the Xuande era; as time passed, its scale did not diminish, so it cannot be compared to its original state, yet it cannot be said that it can simply be demolished.

"Old sir, you're joking."

The construction crew were surprised; the leader smiled and asked, "Old sir, is there any particular consideration?"

Professor Zhang nodded, saying, "The feng shui of this place is also rather special; demolishing it would have other effects, I suggest you try to reroute as much as possible."

The Empress Temple lies at the northern end of the northward extension of the capital's central axis, and it is also a landmark building of this area; although it looks dilapidated, it is actually one of the Five Peaks among the capital's Five Peaks and Eight Temples.

Moreover, it faces south with its back to the north, there are no especially tall buildings around it, the surroundings are wide open and blend into one harmonious whole; from a feng shui perspective this is "all phenomena gathering qi".

As the saying goes, pull one hair and the whole body moves; if the Empress Temple were demolished, the qi here would also be destroyed, plunging into a state of disorder, and the magnetic field here would become unstable.

The others did not understand feng shui, so the man did not take his words to heart.

"Old sir, we too have long since had someone look into it; there indeed is some feng shui talk about this place."

The leader nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, also noticing that Professor Zhang seemed to be an expert; but they had indeed already consulted a professional feng shui master, who said the same, that this place has feng shui considerations, and even if they were to demolish it they would need to pay attention.

To break the impasse is actually simple: one just needs to be able to suppress it!

"We are undertaking a government building; this temple has hardly any incense offerings, so the government's construction should certainly be sufficient to suppress it—please rest assured."

The theory of feng shui is profound and inexhaustible, with thousands of variations; even a change in a single flower or tree can affect the overall situation.

Seeing their confidence, Professor Zhang found it hard to say more, yet it is indeed true in feng shui that there is a notion of official constructions serving as the eye of a suppressing formation.

It just comes down to which side is stronger.

As Professor Zhang still seemed to want to say something, the man walked ahead, saying, "Alright, we're pressed for time; let's continue looking at other places."

On the design drawings, the location of the Empress Temple was marked with a big cross.

Professor Zhang glanced at the ancient temple, let out a faint sigh, and said, "That's all I have to say; if you insist on not listening, I fear the construction site will not be peaceful later."

The man also heard those words, but his steps did not pause at all.

Good advice is hard to heed; Professor Zhang also did not linger further, preparing to leave, but then abruptly stopped his steps, turned his head doubtfully, and glanced back.

"Why do I keep feeling that this scene is somewhat familiar… as if I've seen it somewhere before."

Professor Zhang felt strange; people often experience an inexplicable sense of familiarity when passing through a place or while doing something, and he now had that feeling.

But Professor Zhang didn't think much of it, turned around and went away.

……

The ancient temple stood under the sunlight, its dark wall plaster peeling off, long since losing the bright colors of its early days; inside there were few visitors, like an elderly forgotten by history.

Even the statues within seemed to sense their own fate, their expressions turning mournful.

Inside the temple it was tranquil and secluded; in a remote corner no one could see, a large snake coiled there, as if asleep through the ages, and even the surrounding atmosphere became hazy and mysterious, as if time itself were long.

However, this energy fluctuation cannot be easily perceived by humans.

Ye Qin was still amidst the mottled fragments of time, completely unaware that outside the Empress Temple faced the imminent dilemma of demolition.

He followed the energy fluctuation, expecting to see a temple, but what came into view was a land temple.

It appeared not large, similar to the kind one used to see near villages; inside stood a statue of the Earth God, outside offerings were laid out, and the small incense burner still held a few sticks of incense.

"Could this be the predecessor of the Northern Top Empress Temple?"

As Ye Qin was surveying the land temple, a faint sound came from behind; he abruptly turned around and saw not far away a Taoist in purple robes approaching leisurely.

Their gazes met in midair.

The Taoist, upon seeing Ye Qin's presence, flashed a hint of surprise in his eyes, but did not appear flustered; instead he performed a Daoist salute, saying, "I am Daoist Ping Shu, styled Ziyang; may I ask how you are to be addressed?"

Ye Qin pondered a moment and replied, "I am nobody of note; Master Daoist, there is no need for further questions."

It was not that Ye Qin did not want to say, but rather he could not answer that question.

Zhang Bozhan gazed at the winding great snake before the land temple, its whole body a verdant green like fine jade, especially those beastly eyes, full of spirituality; at a glance it was clearly an extraordinary creature.

At that moment, its aura and pressure even surpassed that of the earthen statue of the Earth God seated within the temple.

Zhang Bozhan gave a slight smile, feeling a solemn respect arise in his heart, "Your bearing is extraordinary; why would you belittle yourself? I have cultivated for many years, and though I have seen many people and things, I have never encountered anyone like you."

The Taoist before him spoke in an extraordinary manner, and Ye Qin felt a stir of interest, "I wonder what Dao you cultivate?"

"I cultivate the Dao of Internal Elixir."

This is fate; Ye Qin initially transformed qi into qi-elixir, then refined the qi-elixir into a golden elixir, and in the realm of Internal Elixir he can also be considered proficient.

"I too have dabbled somewhat in the Dao of Internal Elixir."

Upon hearing Ye Qin's words, Zhang Bozhan felt a surge of joy; he immediately sat cross-legged and stood opposite Ye Qin, saying, "Indeed we are fellow practitioners; may I ask what lofty insights you have on the Internal Elixir technique?"

"It's not exactly a lofty insight, but having cultivated the elixir within, one takes the self as the cauldron, essence and qi as the medicinal ingredients, spirit as the fire; through internal refinement, one causes essence and qi to coalesce without dispersing, thereby forming the great elixir of the golden elixir."

At the initial stage of forming the qi-elixir, external aid was needed; back then Ye Qin gathered herbs to concoct elixirs, thereby drawing upon their vital essence to accomplish himself.

Once the true golden elixir is attained, the required aid is one's own strength, thus achieving the unity of heaven and man.

The art of nurturing life and solidifying form is the life-function of Internal Elixir cultivation; namely, by cultivating the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit within the human body, one forms an immortal Internal Elixir.

The way of attaining the root and clarifying nature is the nature-function of Internal Elixir cultivation; that is, through cultivating the mind and nature, one reaches the state of emptiness, stillness, and non-action.

Upon hearing Ye Qin's description, Zhang Bozhan's expression grew ever more serious and absorbed; he had not expected Ye Qin to possess such unique insights, and his face shifted from initial astonishment to admiration.

Originally I thought that after decades of Daoist practice, few in the world could rival him in Internal Elixir technique; but now, hearing Ye Qin's words, I realize there are heavens beyond heaven, and for a moment my heart was moved.

Zhang Boduan nodded and said, "Your Excellency's words are truly thought‑provoking."

"Surveying ancient and modern times, the source of internal alchemy practices can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Jing and Laozi's Dao De Jing; taking the Dao De Jing's theories that 'Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things,' as well as 'returning to the root and restoring the mandate' and 'misfortune and fortune transform into each other,' to discuss immortality through the Dao."

"The Dao gives rise to the primal qi from nothingness; from that qi yin and yang are born, and when yin and yang unite they produce the three entities, which then renew the myriad things in flourishing abundance, thereby expounding the orderly transformation of all things and hinting at the reverse‑flow elixir method to return to the root and restore the mandate."

Ye Qin continued Zhang Boduan's words, saying: "Also taking the Yin Fu Classic's principle that 'fire is born from wood, calamity must be overcome,' as well as the ideas that 'life and death are mutually rooted' and 'grace and harm transform into each other,' he emphasized that internal alchemy cultivation lies in grasping the true secret, acting at the right moment, so that yin and yang circulate and the organs enjoy peace."

The two exchanged a smile, actually sharing an unspoken understanding.

Although they had just met, many of their theories were quite similar.

A gentle breeze swept by, the tree shadows swayed incessantly, casting a verdant coolness; a person and a snake chatted happily beside the Earth God's shrine.

Although Ye Qin had already attained perfected Golden Core, this discussion with Zhang Boduan on internal alchemy gave him fresh insight.

As the saying goes, reviewing the old brings forth the new; the fetters in his heart seemed to loosen somewhat.

Zhang Boduan also gained greatly; through Ye Qin's guidance he filled the gaps in his internal alchemy technique.

Although he could not truly embark on cultivation, his mental realm attained perfection, which in a sense counts as success.

"Your Excellency, you are so versed in internal alchemy that you must have reached the perfected realm; yet I sense from your tone a hint of worry."

Ye Qin marveled at Zhang Boduan's sharpness.

"Indeed, although I have attained perfected Golden Core, the path of the Dao is endless; the next realm for me remains in a state of exploration."

Zhang Boduan exclaimed, "When the boat reaches the bridgehead it goes straight naturally; Your Excellency's realm and cultivation have long transcended the mundane—if I had met you earlier, I would not have taken so many detours."

Ye Qin's gaze fell upon the Earth God's shrine; through the modest hall he seemed to see the goddess temple of years to come, their silhouettes overlapping for a moment.

"All things in the world already have a fixed number, yet also variables; if we had met earlier, perhaps the scene would be different."

Just as entering this mottled fragment of time, Ye Qin is already a perfected Golden Core cultivator, but if time were moved forward he would still be merely at the Qi Dan stage and would not have such insight.

Zhang Boduan first stared, then savored Ye Qin's words, and afterwards burst out laughing.

"Exactly so; today you and I rare­ly share kindred interests, I've heard that Yangzhou's jade blossoms are in splendid bloom—if we could go see them, it would not be wasting this wonderful time."

"Yangzhou?" Ye Qin exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this place the ancient capital?"

He immediately said, "Going there looking like this would surely frighten the city's folk."

Although this is a special time‑fragment, Ye Qin's presence seems reasonable to others and would not surprise them, yet a snake's body entering the city would still be abrupt—then it would be not flower‑watching but snake‑watching.

Zhang Boduan seemed to think of something, his eyes brightening: "A physical presence is hard to achieve, but with your level you can certainly accomplish spiritual wandering to get there!"

Ye Qin's eyes lit up with curiosity: "What is spiritual wandering?"

Zhang Boduan said meaningfully: "Though the feet have not arrived, the mind and spirit can roam the place, perhaps bringing you inspiration."

The Xici Shang says: "Only the spirit is thus—swift without hurry, arriving without going."

Though the feet have not arrived and the mind and spirit roam the land, the most famous example is the Yellow Emperor's spiritual wandering to Huaxu State.

The Liezi: Yellow Emperor records: "Taking a noon nap and dreaming of wandering in Huaxu State, which lies west of Yanzhou and north of Taizhou—who knows how many thousands of miles from the Qi state—it is not reachable by carriage or foot, only by spiritual wandering."

Upon hearing Zhang Boduan's mention of spiritual wandering, Ye Qin also felt inclined to try: "In that case, I could give it a go."

Although his mastery of mental power had reached the point of perfection, he had little contact with the spirit and soul; hearing Zhang Boduan speak of spiritual wandering felt utterly novel.

Zhang Boduan's heart and spirit wandered, yet being a mere mortal with no cultivation, he could not practice and could only achieve spiritual wandering in the literal sense.

That is simply to empty oneself, fall into deep meditation; in plain terms it is 'spirit wandering'.

"If you truly succeed in spiritual wandering, it would also fulfill my humble wish; returning empty‑handed would be a bit of a downer—better to pluck a flower as a token so I too can witness it."

Ye Qin nodded and agreed to Zhang Boduan's request.

The two closed their eyes, sat cross‑legged, entered meditation and spiritual wandering; though their bodies remained here, their thoughts roamed a thousand miles.

Ye Qin focused his mind and steadied his breath; his thoughts spread without limit at this moment, his entire spirit becoming light and airy, soon strolling side by side with the blue sky and white clouds.

In this time‑fragment, since ordinary reason does not apply, whatever Ye Qin does seems fitting and comes naturally.

Time seemed to pause at this moment; the wind ceased, the clouds stilled, as if the scene had become a still picture.

The clay earth‑god statue seated in the hall silently watched the snake and the Daoist before it; its expression, formerly devoid of joy or sorrow, now seemed profoundly inscrutable.

Though said to be a joint spiritual wandering, in fact only Ye Qin truly undertook it.

Ancient Yangzhou city brimmed with spring vigor; jade blossoms fell like fluffy white snow upon the Twenty‑Four Bridge, flute‑playing maidens standing by the rail—just standing there they formed the loveliest sight.

The lingering, melodious flute notes followed the falling jade blossoms, drifting among pavilions, towers, carved corridors and painted walls, from time to time applause rang out.

And on Slender West Lake a few jade blossoms drifted down, like pure spring white snow, stirring up immaculate white ripples.

The crowds on the main street pressed shoulder to shoulder, as if some great event were underway.

"It's rare to encounter such a grand gathering in Yangzhou today; I've heard that all the city's flowers have converged in one place, including precious named varieties, so we certainly ought to take a good look."

"The Xu family elder has even brought out the most precious Yao Huang peony—many wish to see it but cannot—so we must hurry, or else we'll arrive late and see only the backs of those people's heads."

"What's a Yao Huang peony? The moonlit night‑blooming cereus at the Zhang Yuanwai estate is truly the supreme choice."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, the liveliness having reached its peak.

Ye Qin strolled down the street without attracting anyone's surprise; on closer look his form was illusory and ethereal, giving an unreal feeling.

"I never expected that, having entered the time fragment from the capital, I would appear in ancient Yangzhou city."

"Could it be that this goddess temple is related to ancient Yangzhou?"

Ye Qin admired the scenery of ancient Yangzhou city; no wonder it attracted so many literati and scholars of old, and he too felt reluctant to leave.

Had it not been for Zhang Boduan's mention of spiritual wandering, he probably could not have appreciated such beauty.

But alas, this is merely a ripple in the time‑fragment, a historical branch; once it ends, such a spectacle will be hard to see again.

Ye Qin also followed the crowd to the site of the gathering.

Here the populace is even greater; it seems the entire populace of Yangzhou has mobilized just to witness the spectacle.

Flowers burst forth, vying for splendor; scholars and artists splashed ink and wielded brushes, yet they could not exhaust Yangzhou's beauty—even a painting sage present could not capture half of the liveliness.

As the sun set behind the western hills, the crowd slowly dispersed; the gathering would last several days, and on the next day they would still need to view the flowers, which were locked away in the courtyards because they are precious varieties.

In an instant a hazy mist arose out of nowhere, as if the flower‑filled courtyard were instantly shrouded in thick fog, with clouds and vapors roiling, filled with all manner of mystery.

Under the moonlight, silver light trickled slowly, yet it could not pierce the thick fog; after an unknown span of time, the fog gradually cleared, but those flowers had vanished without a trace, disappearing into thin air.

……

When Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes, there was no bustling Yangzhou City to be seen—only the desolate Mountain Foot and that tiny Earth God's Shrine, as if he had merely dreamed just moments before.

At this moment, time returned to normal, with no difference whatsoever.

A breeze blew from the air, bringing waves of floral scent; looking around, this place was a barren wilderness, with not a single flower in sight.

Zhang Bozhang had long since returned from his meditative trance, for he was not a cultivator and could not achieve true spiritual journeying; his mind had merely wandered.

At this moment, seeing that Ye Qin had nothing else beside him, his expression could not help but show some disappointment.

"Could it be that you did not make a spiritual journey to Yangzhou?"

The two had previously agreed that if Ye Qin succeeded in his spiritual journey, he would bring back a flower.

Ye Qin startled, then said, "Just look around."

Zhang Bozhang initially did not understand.

But the instant Ye Qin's words landed, the nearby area, originally overgrown with weeds, suddenly burst into bloom, a delicate fragrance rushing to the nose as a breeze swept by, bringing waves of floral scent.

Purple and red blossoms filled the sky like fireworks, wondrously beautiful; the scene transformed in an instant into an ocean of gathered flowers.

The blooming flowers around resembled heavenly stars, and even the ordinary Earth God's Shrine became extraordinary.

On the barren grassland, great patches of miracles blossomed, thereafter brimming with vitality; not far off, butterflies fluttered over, seemingly drawn by the floral scent, alighting on the stamens, their wings trembling lightly.

Zhang Bozhang stared, dumbfounded, unable to believe the sight before him, thinking he was hallucinating, and rubbed his eyes.

Instinctively reaching out to touch, he found it indistinguishable from a real flower—clearly not his hallucination.

Zhang Bozhang felt a butterfly alight on his chest, trembling at the sight of the spring scenery.

"This… this is as if all the flowers of Yangzhou have been moved here!"

Although this place was barren, it rivaled Yangzhou's splendor, once again reshaping Zhang Bozhang's understanding of Ye Qin's power.

Zhang Bozhang was utterly convinced, and again bowed respectfully to Ye Qin, saying, "Your ability is truly profound and unfathomable; I, your humble servant, am wholly convinced."

Compared to their harmonious atmosphere, Yangzhou City suddenly met with misfortune.

The next day, the servant went to open the gate, only to find that all the precious flowers in the courtyard had vanished without trace; he thought he was hallucinating and could not help rubbing his eyes.

He then cried out in alarm, "Oh no, we've been robbed!"

Many heard the news and, seeing the empty courtyard, were dumbstruck.

Yesterday this place was still filled with a hundred blossoms, yet in just one night they disappeared without a trace—know that there were a hundred pots of flowers arranged here.

Soon everyone also noticed other abnormalities: not only the precious flowers in the courtyard, but all the blossoms blooming throughout the city had vanished without trace.

What was once a lush green now had not a hint of color, instantly causing an uproar throughout Yangzhou City.

Then a man in a richly embroidered yellow robe came running toward them, staggering, his robe woven with gold and silver threads forming auspicious cloud patterns, exuding wealth and nobility.

"My Yao Huang peony— I spent a thousand gold to have someone acquire this sole specimen, unique in the world!"

This man was none other than Master Xu, a lover of flowers; the Yao Huang peony he spoke of was treasured by him as dearly as his own eyes.

Besides him was Officer Zhang, his face full of indignation, shouting, "Report to the authorities! We must definitely report this and catch that little thief!"

But no matter how the authorities investigated, they found no clues.

This incident sparked heated discussion throughout Yangzhou City, with every street and lane talking about it; some even turned it into a storybook, told in teahouses, each drawing a packed house.

"Smack!"

Only the sound of the storyteller's wooden clapper was heard; the long‑gowned storyteller spoke with rising and falling cadence, and the audience listened rapt, eyes fixed without blinking.

"Even if the authorities marshaled all their strength, they could not find the flower‑thief, and the city's blossoms seemed to have evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace—thus the case became a cold case."

According to the authorities' inquiries, that night the courtyard was perfectly normal, with no unusual disturbance; as the night watchman said, at the zi hour a mist seemed to emanate from the courtyard, which he first thought was his own blurred vision and paid no heed to—then—

The storyteller paused his tone, thereby whetting everyone's appetite.

"And then, what happened?"

The storyteller revealed a mysterious smile, saying, "If you wish to know what comes next, please listen to the next installment."

From the crowd came a chorus of boos, just short of throwing rotten eggs and spoiled vegetable leaves.

"You haven't heard? Officer Zhang and Master Xu, among others, have already offered a bounty of a thousand taels to capture this thief."

The crowd immediately erupted, "A thousand taels of gold! That much silver—if we caught the thief, we'd never lack food or clothing for the rest of our lives."

His companions hearing this shook their heads, saying, "Even the authorities find this tricky—how could we possibly catch the culprit?"

Suddenly someone shouted loudly, "Let me say—this is definitely not a mere thief!"

Instantly it piqued everyone's curiosity, "If not a thief, then what is it?"

The speaker lowered his voice, as if fearing to disturb some unknown presence.

"It must be an immortal! Only an immortal could make the city's flowers vanish without trace in a single night, unnoticed by anyone—who else could wield such vast Divine Ability?"

"What would an immortal want with these flowers? There's nothing good enough in the heavenly palace for him to bother with these mundane blossoms."

"That's not right; perhaps he simply fancied a change of style."

"I think it's more likely a human thief; the immortal theory has no basis."

"Who says there's no basis? There's never been a flawless case; could an ordinary thief pull this off? I say it must be the work of an immortal."

The crowd split into two factions, arguing until their faces flushed, nearly coming to blows.

Some said the heavenly immortals, overcome with longing, had taken the flowers back to the Nine Heavens, letting them shed their mortal coils and bloom in the highest heavens; others claimed it was merely a trick, the flowers simply stolen by a person.

Yet compared to the latter, the former is far more convincing, for after all, the entire city's blossoms vanished without trace—what besides an immortal could possess such extraordinary means?

Alas, in the end there was no clear result; no one knew where those flowers had gone, yet it draped ancient Yangzhou in a veil of mystery, leaving behind a folk legend.

……

And in the real world, not long after the survey team departed, the government's demolition documents were formally approved, the first to be hit being the Northern Peak Lady Temple, for amidst the wave of demolished structures its area was comparatively large.

Therefore they planned to deal with it first.

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The old man who guarded the temple watched the construction crew come and go, feeling somewhat sad, for he had guarded this temple for many years and had grown attached to it, yet he could not stop them.

The government planned to build, aiming for an international-standard large-scale construction, which was of great significance; once the project was approved, it would be hard to change.

The nearby construction site had already been fully set up; as soon as the Goddess Temple was demolished, the site would expand outward, covering all the surrounding land within its scope.

The old man couldn't help sighing and muttering, "Can't we avoid demolishing it? Although the government wants to build other structures here, it doesn't have to tear down the temple—we could go around it."

Someone from the neighboring construction crew couldn't help laughing: "That would look terribly abrupt, and besides, this temple is too dilapidated; when foreign friends come and see it, it would ruin the appearance—better to just tear it down."

If the Goddess Temple were to be repaired, it would take considerable time, effort, and money; rather than do that, it would be better to simply demolish it. Compared to preservation, destruction naturally costs less.

"Uncle, if you have nothing to do, step aside; we're about to start construction—idlers must not approach."

The old man sighed, touched the mottled red wall, finally glanced at the Goddess Temple, his expression revealing reluctance, for he would never see it again.

"Huh?"

Just then, a flicker in the corner of his eye seemed to catch something, and his expression suddenly froze.

"How did all these flowers bloom?"

The old man, idle and bored, had planted many flowers and grasses in the temple; now he suddenly noticed that all these flowers had actually bloomed!

Since he had just arrived in the early morning and hadn't noticed before, after becoming aware he looked around elsewhere nearby and discovered that even the flowerbeds outside the Goddess Temple were fully in bloom, vying for beauty.

Know that it is now deep autumn, with leaves fallen and yellow, a scene that should be bleak and desolate, yet at this moment it seemed as if time had reversed, turning back to spring.

But if one stepped outside the Goddess Temple's range, one would still see the autumn scene: yellow leaves swirling down, blown by the wind to cover the ground.

Compared to the scenery near the Goddess Temple, it formed a stark contrast, as if a lifetime had passed in a single dream.

It also seemed as if these flowers ought not to belong to this bleak world!

"How did they suddenly bloom?"

"I don't know; yesterday they weren't like this."

"You shouldn't say that; the flowers look quite nice, but they don't seem to be the kind that bloom in this season."

"They are pretty, but I always feel something is off; they aren't autumn chrysanthemums—could it be bad for them to bloom now?"

As the sun rose, early risers began their day's busyness, but when passing near the Goddess Temple, they were drawn by the sight of the flowers in full bloom.

People chattered incessantly, feeling that something out of the ordinary must be demonic.

Although pretty, compared to the autumn fallen leaves, they seemed oddly alluring.

The old man felt a jolt in his heart; looking at the increasingly noisy Goddess Temple, he could no longer recall its former tranquility, and he felt uneasy inside.

"Flowers blooming—this must be a fairy descending to the mortal world!"

"Surely the goddess came by and deliberately gave us a warning!"

The old man thought more and more that this possibility was great; now that the construction crew had arrived, the flowers were vying to bloom—could this not be some kind of omen?

Thinking this, the old man no longer dared to delay; he shouted at the construction crew not far away: "Stop! This Goddess Temple cannot be demolished!"

(End of chapter)