Chapter 94: City-wide hot search, the mystery of the spirit snake (second update)

(p: Hmm... the chapter number was typed wrong, it should be chapter ninety-four, I don't know what's wrong with the input method.)

Snowflakes fell on Ye Qin's body, quickly covering the original color of the Serpent Scales, even completely covering him, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.

Meanwhile, the White Bone nearby was unaffected, after all it was merely an imagined object; snowflakes passed through it, it held the Daoist temple in its hands, its gaze still fell upon the original site of the Supreme Clarity Temple, appearing remote and profound.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze.

One snake and the White Bone, silver radiance flowed within, mixed with countless golden threads constantly wandering; even the originally ordinary snow became extraordinary.

The wind and snow suddenly intensified, the howling wind like a knife blowing from the side, yet Ye Qin remained utterly still, unaffected.

No matter how the external environment changed, his state of mind remained tranquil, like Mount Tai as steady as a rock.

At this moment, Ye Qin seemed to have taken root in the plants here, merging with the surrounding land, able to clearly sense the vibrant vitality within.

His position happened to face the Daoist temple, watching it from its initial prosperity gradually decline, while he himself grew into a towering tree.

Everything was like a cycle of rebirth.

That feeling was incredibly vivid; in a daze, Ye Qin had the illusion that he had truly become a plant near the Daoist temple.

At first there was a bustling crowd, incense smoke curling, the statues inside the Daoist temple were brightly colored, gazing at the coming and going crowds; even the large cauldron at the door was filled with incense ash almost overflowing.

When the curtain fell, there was no sign of people; the vivid colors of the statues gradually became mottled, dust slowly settled inside the Daoist temple, and that former cauldron had long since become broken and damaged.

Only two Daoist priests remained, guarding the ancient Daoist temple, still struggling to hold on.

Ye Qin's mood was somewhat complex; he didn't know whether this imagined object's special nature was the cause, bringing him an unprecedented sense of novelty.

But for him, this was also not without its benefits.

The Daoist temple perched on the White Bone began to faintly tremble and hum; the sound could not be described in words, like it came from the void, yet also like an ancient bell tolling.

These sounds seemed like unconscious murmurs, but upon close listening they resembled some Daoist-related scripture, swirling around Ye Qin, almost deafening.

The Dao, when channeled and used, is never exhausted.

The abyss, as if it were the source of all things.

Blunt its sharpness, untangle its knots, harmonize its light, mingle with its dust.

Ye Qin carefully contemplated its meaning, feeling it profoundly significant; one by one, golden symbols appeared on the Daoist temple in the White Bone's hand, layer upon layer.

This symbol somewhat resembles the Daoist yin-yang bagua diagram, and is also the orthodox emblem of Daoism.

These symbols and patterns intertwined, filled with supreme authority.

Soon the heavy snow buried Ye Qin completely, leaving only a bulge on the ground.

The wind and snow did not cease, the contemplation continued.

Snowflakes fell softly, but in a moment turned into goose-feather heavy snow; the green tiles on the Daoist temple were all whitened.

Among the smoky green willows, a few pure white specks were added; the originally somewhat ancient and weathered outline was blurred by the heavy snow, as if the Daoist temple had been recoated with a layer of color, revealing a distant ambience.

Most of the surroundings were vegetation; nearby only this Daoist temple building stood.

The vast snow stretched everywhere, only the ancient temple could be seen.

Soon the green vegetation also turned white, wrapped in silver; from afar, it seemed that only the ancient temple existed between heaven and earth.

Like a silent sage, quietly observing the cycle of ages, the wind and snow whitened his brows and eyes, leaving only a frail, aged figure.

The ancient well inside the Daoist temple also received many snowflakes; soon a thin layer of ice crystals covered it.

The old Daoist slowly raised his hand; crystal-clear snowflakes fell onto the center of his palm, that icy, chilling sensation clearly reminding him that everything before him was not an illusion.

The two Daoist priests looked at the heavy snow outside, speechless to each other, for a moment not knowing what to say.

The young Daoist snapped out of his excitement, also realizing how strange this snowfall was; when he checked the weather forecast, it still showed clear skies.

This snowfall came about inexplicably wondrous, also leaving them somewhat at a loss.

"Master, why is it snowing?"

The old Daoist shook his head, indicating he didn't know either.

"When heaven shows an omen, there must certainly be something abnormal."

The young Daoist stroked his chin, lost in thought: "What exactly counts as something abnormal?"

He seemed to have thought of something, and patted his head: "Could it be that snake?"

At first that snake came to listen to the Dao, then appeared a scene of shattered statues kneeling in worship; now the snake reappeared, even bringing ginseng along.

Moreover, shortly after it left, the snow suddenly began to fall.

All these coincidences added together can no longer be dismissed as mere chance.

The more the young Daoist analyzed, the more excited he became: "The weather anomaly must be because of that snake; thus it is no ordinary mortal creature—when I first saw it, I felt this snake was somewhat extraordinary."

Daoism believes all things have spirits, and within its pantheon there are many nature deities, such as the Sun-charioting deity Dong Wanggong, the Moon-governing deity Chang'e, the Star deity Ziwei Dadi, and Doumu Yuanjun.

The Mountain deity Wuyue Dadi, the Water deity Sidu Shenjun, the Fire deity Zhurong, etc.; trees have spirits, stubborn stones can think, birds and beasts can speak; nothing is devoid of divinity, no spirit lacks the numinous.

The old Daoist nodded in agreement, teasingly looking at his little disciple: "What you say does have some merit, but summoning wind and rain has always been the domain of dragons, hasn't it?"

The young Daoist shook his head, saying: "Master, you're falling into a misconception—everyone says it's not an ordinary snake; who knows what great background it might have; if so, causing flying snow to descend wouldn't be strange at all."

After he spoke, the young Daoist couldn't help rubbing his head, murmuring doubtfully: "But coming back to the point, if it truly is a spirit snake, why would it do this?"

The old Daoist couldn't help shaking his head and laughing, patting his disciple's head, joking: "It's just a few joking remarks; why are you taking them seriously? Perhaps that snake does have some supernatural quality, but it's nowhere near as extravagant as you claim; besides, all this is baseless talk—don't dwell on it."

"Alright, let's get on with what we need to do."

"Such a snow scene is truly rare; perfect for reviewing your previous lessons again."

The young Daoist's originally excited expression instantly fell: "No way, Master; at this time we should be enjoying the snow, after all such a wondrous scene doesn't come often."

The old Daoist waved his whisk, gave a slight smile: "You're not wrong."

Before the young Daoist could be happy for a few seconds, he continued: "However, you're only half right; I will enjoy the snow, you review your lessons."

"Arms can't twist thighs"—the young Daoist had no choice but to earnestly begin flipping through the scriptures.

The old Daoist even leisurely brewed a cup of tea, watching the snow by the window, which indeed had a special ambience; the young Daoist's gaze occasionally fell upon the outside.

The old Daoist's whisk swept over, saying: "Focus a bit more."

Snow fell silently; just as all was quiet, a disturbance came from outside the Daoist temple.

The old Daoist rose from his chair, "What's going on? I feel it's a bit noisy outside."

The young Daoist immediately put down the book in his hands, "Yeah, I don't know what happened."

……

At this moment, many people had already come onto the road leading to the Daoist temple; the originally neglected narrow path was now filled with vehicles, even causing a certain traffic jam.

The constant honking of horns filled the air; the usually quiet lane became unprecedentedly lively.

Because the road is narrow, vehicles don't move fast, and with a steady stream of cars entering from behind, this phenomenon occurs.

These people were all drawn here by the sudden heavy snow.

The surroundings were sunny, but here the clouds were dense; soon nearby residents discovered it was actually snowing, and the news spread from person to person.

Many people came out of curiosity, wanting to witness this rare snow scene.

"Damn, I saw the news online that it was snowing here; I originally thought it was someone playing a prank or joking, but it turned out to be real."

"It's only just entered autumn, and it's already snowing—this weather is really strange."

"Is this the first snow of autumn? We'd better quickly post it on our social media to commemorate."

"Although this place is a bit remote, I almost took a wrong turn when navigating just now, but the scenery along the way is indeed nice."

"I drove through other places where it was sunny, but as soon as I arrived here the sky darkened and snowflakes fell softly—it's like two different worlds."

"Hearing that it was snowing here, I drove from the urban area; the city was still somewhat hot, but upon arriving here I felt a bit cold."

Many people rushed over to see the snow, wearing rather thin clothing; stepping out of the car, a cold wind blew, making them involuntarily shiver.

"I left in such a hurry; if I had known, I would have brought more clothes."

"Don't you find it strange? Everywhere else is normal, only here the weather changes abruptly."

Someone remarked, and others also found it strange.

"That's exactly right—when things go against the norm, there must be something uncanny; moreover, according to Wu Du's climate and geography, snow this month is completely impossible."

"Then it's strange—why does only this place start snowing while elsewhere is normal? Could there be something special here?"

The crowd chatted animatedly; because the road is too narrow, most people parked their vehicles in nearby open spaces and chose to walk, lest they block the road.

Some, fearing the cold, stayed in their cars to watch; others, dressed more warmly, began to explore the surroundings.

"I recall there being a Daoist temple around here, as my grandfather told me when I was young."

"How could there be a Daoist temple in the wilderness? And this place is so remote; even if there were one, it would surely have been abandoned."

"As for Daoist temples, I only remember the famous ones on Dragon Tiger Mountain and Azure City Mountain; nowadays there are more temples and fewer Daoist temples."

Amid the discussion, a bluestone path was soon discovered; following it upward, the ancient buildings loomed faintly into view.

The heavy snow coated it with a thin layer of silver, wiping away the decay and damage, making it appear mysterious and solemn.

Snow fell on the eaves, the green tiles and red walls exuding an antiquated fragrance.

Someone exclaimed, "Ah, there really is a Daoist temple here."

Upon hearing that there was a Daoist temple here, many people were drawn over.

"Damn, there really is a Daoist temple; I thought this place had been abandoned, but it still exists."

"It seems I came here once when I was little; back then there seemed to be some visitors, but I never expected so many years to pass, and now hardly anyone comes to this place."

"That makes sense—after all, this place is rather remote, and ordinary people wouldn't come here."

"However, the scenery here is truly nice; I never discovered such a good spot before—next time I could bring my family for an outing."

"With the snow, it looks even better, giving a feeling like Old Lord Mountain."

The crowd chatted while stepping onto the bluestone path, wanting to see if anyone remained inside the Daoist temple.

And when the old Daoist and the young Daoist stepped out of the temple, what they saw was this scene.

The young Daoist stared, dumbfounded—after all, the temple was remote, usually no one came to visit, and this was the first time he had seen so many people; he couldn't help exclaiming, "Master, there are so many people!"

Although the old Daoist was a little surprised, he quickly regained his composure, saying, "May blessings be boundless, Heavenly Venerable; welcome, benefactors."

The two Daoists before them, one old and one young, the elder wearing a Daoist robe and holding a horsetail whisk, bore the air of a transcendent hermit.

Against the snowy backdrop of the temple, they truly possessed that otherworldly aura.

The crowd instinctively felt a vague reverence and hurriedly returned the salute, saying, "Greetings, Daoist priest."

"You all braving the wind and snow to pass by here—consider it a kind of fate; why not come in for a cup of hot tea?"

Seeing the old Daoist's kind and benevolent appearance, the crowd also wanted to look inside the temple, saying, "Then many thanks, Daoist priest."

With so many people suddenly flooding into the temple, the young Daoist felt a bit unaccustomed; since he had been following his master to study the Dao from a young age, he had never seen the temple so lively.

"Daoist priest, may I ask if there are only the two of you inside the temple?"

"This temple looks quite old; when was it founded?"

The old Daoist nodded, his expression neither humble nor arrogant, patiently answering the crowd's questions.

"This is the Shangqing Temple; it has a history of three hundred years, and now only I and my disciple remain within."

The crowd was somewhat surprised, not expecting the temple to have such a long history.

Compared to the large monasteries outside, the temple's area is relatively small, yet it still possesses all the necessary structures and specifications—main hall, side halls, and the annex rooms beside.

Although they were not clear on the temple's layout, they inexplicably felt it was particular, and being inside made them feel exceptionally comfortable.

"Daoist priest, why is it snowing only in this area around here? It's really quite abnormal—you know, when we drove here, the road was still bright and sunny."

It was unknown who asked casually; originally they thought the old Daoist wouldn't know the answer either.

Who would have thought the young Daoist couldn't help but speak, his voice full of excitement, "It must be because of that spirit snake! I knew it was extraordinary."

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately became interested, "A spirit snake? Is there any story behind it?"

The young Daoist had been bursting with things to say but had nowhere to say them; now, with a ready-made audience right here, he immediately launched into a fluent exposition.

"The story actually begins during a morning lesson, when my master and I were lecturing; suddenly a snake entered the temple, its scales like jade, and it was remarkably intelligent."

The little Taoist's vivid description was so lifelike that everyone felt as if they were there, unable to help becoming engrossed in listening, and the expressions on their faces shifted from initial surprise to doubt.

The little Taoist spread his hands and said, "That's how it happened, and then you all came over."

"So, Little Master, you mean this snow was brought down by that snake?"

Some of the people found it hard to believe, because a spiritual snake listening to the Dao, delivering ginseng, and summoning wind and snow sounded utterly far‑fetched; those who didn't know thought they were hearing some fantastical tale.

After all, how could a mere snake possess such great power?

"Little Master, your story is actually quite good."

What they really meant was that it lacked truthfulness, so they just took it as a story and laughed it off.

The little Taoist also knew such things are hard to believe unless witnessed firsthand, but he himself had never seen a white snake praying for snow; it was all just his speculation, and although he spoke excitedly, deep down there was a lot of boasting.

"Whether the snow was really caused by that snake, I can't yet confirm, but the ginseng was indeed brought by it."

Having never seen so many worshippers before, the little Taoist couldn't help showing off by producing the ginseng; everyone saw that its appearance was indeed fine—its humanoid shape was complete, like a plump little doll, and its roots were sturdy and thickly tangled.

"This ginseng must be decades old; it could probably fetch a good price."

"Little Master, this ginseng proves nothing; maybe it was originally yours."

The people smiled, not taking it seriously, after all some temples and monasteries fabricate miraculous tales to boost incense offerings and attract visitors.

While they were chatting, unbeknownst to them, the wind and snow gradually ceased.

This heavy snow came and went hastily, just as it arrived without any warning, and departed just as silently.

The sky was a clear, washed‑blue, like a lake with rippling green waves; occasional white clouds drifted across, stirring up faint ripples.

The weather suddenly turned bright again, and the temperature quickly rose, as if the heavy snow just moments before had been an illusion—yet many present had indeed seen it.

The heavy snow came quickly and left quickly; because it fell heavily, a light dusting of white remained on the temple roof.

Now the snow melted swiftly, dripping from the eaves to form an intermittent curtain of water, like pearls rolling onto the gray‑stone ground.

The constant drip‑drip‑drip filled the ears, oddly pleasant to hear.

"Come look!"

A cry of surprise came from outside, and everyone rushed out.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the temple after the snow seemed renewed, as if an invisible pair of great hands had tidied it up.

Just then, a patch of golden light stretched across the whole temple, like a bridge linking heaven and earth, and the old temple took on a mysterious aura.

The halo was large, nearly covering the entire temple and spreading toward the nearby hilltop.

However, due to the angle and the fact that everyone was inside the temple, it appeared as if the temple itself was emitting that mysterious golden light.

Such a scene shocked everyone present, arousing a vague reverence and making them feel the temple was truly miraculous, like the Thunderfire Refining Hall on Mount Wudang.

"How could this happen? This golden halo is simply too miraculous."

"Could it be that this temple really possesses something extraordinary?"

"Earlier, no other place had snow—only the area around the temple got a heavy fall; now the snow has stopped and this halo appears above the temple—could it not be a divine manifestation?"

The people could think of no other cause, for such a miracle defies ordinary reasoning and could not be produced by human means.

Soon someone put their palms together and bowed devoutly toward the temple.

Once there was a first person, a second and third would follow.

The formerly noisy crowd grew silent, everyone quietly clasping their hands in prayer as they watched the miracle unfold.

Even the old and little Taoists were astonished, their faces gradually turning solemn as they silently recited the Daoist scriptures.

……

On the other side, Ye Qin saw the wind and snow cease, slowly opened his eyes, and the White Bone gradually faded away.

No one noticed that the source of the golden light was right at his position.

While Ye Qin was in contemplation, he unconsciously exhaled a trace of aura, because the snow between heaven and earth was not ordinary but a kind of calamity, allowing that breath to be refracted.

Thus came into being the halo and similar phenomena that those people saw.

In fact, this isn't really miraculous; it's merely a natural phenomenon, like the Buddha's light shining over the Leshan Giant Buddha that someone once saw, or the Buddha closing its eyes, and so on.

It's actually just due to light refraction and differing angles; to the naked eye, however, it does seem somewhat holy.

"In that case, it also counts as settling the karma; surely the temple's incense will gradually improve."

Having succeeded in this contemplation, his trip was not in vain; Ye Qin glanced once, satisfied, then left, feeling that his karmic ties with the temple were now completely severed, with no further entanglement.

Under the golden halo, the temple appeared divinely extraordinary, gaining countless mysteries; even its ancient façade looked like a deposit of time and years.

The story spread quickly, since many had witnessed those miraculous scenes and posted photos online; lots learned the temple's location and flocked there to offer incense and pay a visit.

It even made the Wu Du News, and TV stations reported on it.

"It is reported that an anomalous weather phenomenon appeared in the suburbs of our city—suddenly a heavy snow fell with no warning; although it didn't last long, many citizens saw it with their own eyes, the meteorological bureau said this weather is abnormal, the cause is under investigation, and our station will continue to follow the story."

The TV stations only reported the sudden heavy snow, not mentioning the temple, but online news spread fast and many also captured photos of the temple and the nearby golden light.

Thus, the temple's miraculous nature soon landed on several hot‑search lists, rapidly climbing to the top of the local hot‑search ranking.

Even if the temple is remote, its recent miracle drew crowds; for a time people came and went, the roads were jammed to a standstill, and even this usually deserted wilderness ended up with traffic police deployed.

These days a popular saying circulates online: between going to work and seeking advancement, one chooses to offer incense.

This shows how enthusiastic people are about such things.

The old and little Taoists never expected that after this the temple would suddenly be overrun with visitors, some even camping out to be first in line for the first stick of incense.

The temple itself is small, unable to accommodate so many; it can only receive a limited number each day, and long queues form outside—an unprecedented scene.

People follow the crowd; those who don't know the truth see the scene and rush over to join the fun.

Shangqing Temple can be said to have become an overnight sensation in Wu Du; everyone knows it, and even out‑of‑town visitors are aware—anyone coming to Wu Du for tourism will definitely make a trip to Shangqing Temple.

It's a constant flow of people, with worshippers gathering in clouds.

One would think that at this moment, selling talisman papers or bracelets would surely bring in a fortune, yet the old Taoist did not.

He continued his usual routine and habits, never overcharging; even when some fervent worshippers wanted to donate extra incense money, he would speak up to stop them.

A large portion of people aren't truly devoted; they just came after seeing online news, purely following the crowd.

But the old Daoist does have genuine skill; he occasionally interprets fortunes for people, and his words often carry life wisdom.

Moreover, he is well‑versed and can follow any topic with a few remarks; he also listens carefully to worshippers' complaints and dissatisfactions, and even patiently offers guidance.

After the online hype faded, the number of visitors is no longer as exaggerated as at the start, but there is still a steady stream every day—entirely thanks to the old Daoist's own abilities, which have earned public recognition that this temple possesses something special.

If something suddenly goes viral but lacks corresponding ability, in today's fast‑changing world it will soon be forgotten.

So even now many still come out of curiosity, not only because of the online rumors of miracles, but also because of the old Daoist's skill.

After the incense flourished, the master and disciple did not think of improving their own lives; instead they first refurbished the temple.

The young Daoist, looking back now, feels it all seemed like a dream.

"Master, do you remember? Earlier a little girl came to the temple, saying she was entrusted by the Mountain God, and then that snake appeared."

The old Daoist narrowed his eyes, standing before the main hall, gazing at the blue‑green that blossomed again after the snow melted, his expression somewhat distant.

"I remember."

"Could that snake be the Mountain God?"

"I don't know."

"If the mountain truly has a deity and the snake truly possesses a spirit, why would they bring snow to our place?"

Looking at the steady stream of worshippers not far off, even the blue stone slabs are packed with people—a sight that would have been impossible before.

Curling smoke envelops the whole temple, and the brows and eyes of the master and disciple seem tinged with incense, their gazes appearing especially deep and far‑reaching.

After a moment, the old Daoist suddenly let out a soft sigh.

"I think I've figured it out."

The young Daoist couldn't read the complex emotion in the old Dao's eyes and couldn't help asking, "Master, what have you figured out?"

"We were originally outsiders; everything is due to karma." The old Dao replied with a smile.

"?" The young Daoist looked bewildered.

The old Dao didn't elaborate, just smiled and said, "When you grow up, you'll gradually understand."

As days passed, seeing the temple's incense flourish ever more, it is no longer the former tranquility, yet the old Dao and young Dao are happy each day; if one must point out a shortcoming,

it is the wish to see again that little girl from the beginning.

Unfortunately, as time went on, that little girl never came back……

(End of chapter)