Chapter 611: Epilogue: Evil Done in Life, Traces Revealed at Death

I turned my head, wanting to let Liu Junyan also look at that golden statue, but I discovered Liu Junyan had somehow already left my side.

At that moment, an aged yet vigorous voice rang out: "Qu Yaozong of the Qu Clan from Sea City, leading ninety-nine members of our direct-line descendants, gratefully recall how Zhuyou Sanren once protected our people's health and guided our descendants toward goodness, bestowing upon us a century of longevity…"

It turned out this was the Qu Clan from Sea City.

The leader, this old man named Qu Yaozong, had been cared for by Zhuyou Sanren in his youth; he was about to reach a hundred years old, and not only was he long-lived, but his descendants were also thriving.

Who wouldn't aspire to live a life like this?

All of this was brought to Qu Yaozong by Zhuyou Sanren.

Thus today Qu Yaozong brought all his direct-line descendants, carrying the golden statue made for Zhuyou Sanren, bowing with each step, to express gratitude for Zhuyou Sanren's great merit and virtue.

After this, the people who already greatly revered Zhuyou Sanren felt their faith increase even more.

"Now, with the golden statue cast, I honor the Dao with my heart; may Zhuyou Sanren's Dao endure forever, and blessings continue…"

Before the word "chang" of "everlasting blessings" could be spoken, a sudden thunderclap exploded in midair with a crack, striking Qu Yaozong squarely on the head and killing him instantly.

Everyone was stunned.

Although there was no big sun today, the weather was fine, with no sign of an impending thunderstorm.

It so happened that just as Qu Yaozong was offering the golden statue to Zhuyou Sanren, wishing him an enduring Dao and everlasting blessings, a sudden bolt of lightning struck him dead, making it hard not to let one's imagination run wild.

Qu Yaozong was only a week away from turning a hundred; dying by lightning at this point is very inauspicious.

Being close to a hundred but not yet there is called 'missing one longevity' in the yin-yang profession.

The ancients believed that living to ninety-nine meant one was near immortality, yet being struck down by heavenly thunder at this crucial juncture signified a reckoning of past sins.

This is a typical manifestation of 'hiding evil in life, revealing traces at death's end.'

When the family handles this person's posthumous affairs, they ought to consult an expert; otherwise, it will cause great trouble for the family and be bad for descendants.

But Qu Yaozong's situation is even more complicated: he had just said that Zhuyou Sanren helped him enjoy a century of longevity, yet the incident occurred right in front of the City God Temple where Zhuyou Sanren resides, preventing him from truly enjoying that hundred-year lifespan— isn't that a slap in Zhuyou Sanren's face?

People began to discuss heatedly.

Some said nothing but their faces changed, while others bluntly lowered their voices to raise doubts.

At that moment, another bolt of lightning struck down without any warning.

This time it struck squarely the golden statue that Qu Yaozong had made for Zhuyou Sanren.

The golden statue shattered into pieces, and a black mist rose up.

The eight sturdy men lifting the statue were all knocked unconscious, falling flat on their backs.

The Qu family descendants were even more frightened, scrambling with heads covered, and the scene descended into chaos.

At this point, no one cared about gratitude or faith anymore; one's own life mattered above all.

Poor Qu Yaozong lay on the ground, blood flowing everywhere, like a ruined rag; no one dared to help collect his corpse, fearing they'd be tainted by unclean things.

But they seemed to forget that before the lightning struck, Qu Yaozong stood at the forefront, the patriarch of the entire Qu family, its pride.

Truly, worldly affairs are unpredictable.

Even more unacceptable is that, despite the commotion before the City God Temple of Jūnzhú Shān, not a single person came out from inside!

With so many Qu family members having mustered from Sea City, to be treated this way only chills the heart further.

I sighed while scanning my surroundings, and soon spotted Liu Junyan's figure.

He was then standing under a relatively remote large tree, coldly observing the crowd's chaos; as I looked over, I happened to see him making hand seals.

My heart jolted— those two heavenly thunderbolts just now were actually drawn down by Liu Junyan?!

He… does he know what he's doing?!

He just drew heavenly thunder to kill a man about to turn a hundred; if this is reckoned, he will suffer Heavenly Punishment!

I sprang up and ran toward him.

My worry for Liu Junyan far outweighed my condemnation of his act, for I know this was his desperate last resort to lessen my burden.

By now, many people had, as if suddenly awakened, left on their own.

The remaining people had also lost their former piety.

For a moment, people's hearts were filled with panic.

When I reached Liu Junyan's side, he was staring at the City God Temple's main gate with a disappointed expression.

It was obvious that the current effect fell far short of his expectations.

"Zhuyou Sanren's disposition is steadier than I imagined," Liu Junyan glanced at me and said, "I thought even at worst he would send a disciple to have a look, but there was none."

"Liu Junyan, you're completely crazy!" I lowered my voice and snapped at him, "Do you even know what you just did?!"

Liu Junyan didn't care at all: "Xiao Jiu, I'm perfectly clear-headed; that old longevity star of the Qu family isn't truly a sign of long life— if one investigates carefully, one will surely find plenty of wrongdoing. I am carrying out Heaven's will; as for that golden statue, Zhuyou Sanren doesn't deserve it."

"But Āyàn, if someone latches onto this and won't let go, even if you could uncover flowers, they'd still only harp on this one mistake of yours and make a big deal out of it. Didn't we agree earlier? I'd take the lead; how could you change tactics mid‑battle?"

Liu Junyan said: "We're husband and wife— what's there to distinguish between you and me? Come on, outside is already chaotic; let Mo Qiong stand guard, and we'll enter the temple."

He said this, wrapped an arm around my waist, lifted me directly, and leapt onto the roof of the City God Temple.

Looking down from above, I saw that at the entrance of the temple's main hall, the four altars that had been set up earlier were crowded with people kneeling densely.

All of them knelt facing the large incense burner at the center of the altars, the burner already filled with burning yellow incense and incense towers, filling the entire Jūnzhú Shān City God Temple with a thick aroma of incense.

Just as we were about to fly down, a bell‑striking sound came from the direction of the main hall.

This bell‑striking sound is utterly different from the copper bell of a monastery; it is a Dharma bell.

The Dharma bell's tone is clearer, and its striking pattern matters: tight thirteen, slow fourteen.

What is meant by 'tight thirteen, slow fourteen' is to strike the Dharma bell quickly thirteen times, then slowly fourteen times, signifying an admonition to the world and the promotion of the Dao and its methods.

As the Dharma bell rang out repeatedly, the believers kneeling on the four altars suddenly moved.

Well‑trained, they gathered from west to east, forming a long dragon, removed their shoes and socks, adjusted their attire, and then one after another walked barefoot toward the large incense burner at the altar's center.

Within the burner, the incense flames intertwined, and sparks flickered with a red glow.

And those believers, one after another, stepped without hesitation into the incense burner.

The right foot stepped forward first.

The right foot stepped out, and the left foot followed behind.

When both feet landed again on the altar tabletop, I could even see scorching smoke rising from under each of their soles, making one's scalp tingle...