Chapter 61: A Manifestation of the Divine

Since ancient times, humanity has always harbored a certain reverence for the unknown. This awe comes from deep within, much like the devotion one feels for faith itself. Now, as the crowd gazed upon the grotesque beast before them, anxiety swept over each person present. Who had ever witnessed such a creature? And to make matters worse, the only learned scholar among them had revealed himself in such a disgraceful state.

This sight stirred unease within the hearts of the villagers, and even the county magistrate, shielded by his bailiffs, watched the scholar with vigilance. “Scholar, what exactly is carved on this?” the magistrate asked, his curiosity piqued, for he too had never seen such a lifelike carving of a strange beast and was instinctively awed.

“Sir, the inscription tells us that this beast’s origins are far from simple,” the scholar stammered, prompting the magistrate’s nerves to tighten. “You there, protect me well! Do you understand?” the magistrate instructed his bailiffs, who could not help but swallow hard.

There was little else to be done—who would not fear the beast before them? The scholar’s words only deepened their distress; none wished to sacrifice themselves. But with the magistrate present, fleeing was not an option.

“Scholar, what exactly is this thing?” The magistrate coughed lightly and looked at the nervous scholar for an answer. The scholar then recounted what he had gleaned, and only then did those present grasp the truth: the beast had once been subdued by the previous master of the Quanzhen Temple. After suppressing the beast, the former master chose to depart from the world.

Last night, however, the beast attempted to break free, prompting the former master, who had sealed it, to return to the mortal realm.

Yet, upon seeing the dilapidated state of Quanzhen Temple, the previous master decided there was no longer any reason to guard this land.

Everyone accepted the scholar’s explanation, as they had little choice. In Quanzhen Temple’s heyday, all were aware of its formidable powers. Now, however, it had fallen into ruin, mostly because the current master devoted himself to healing the sick, never seeking offerings or payment.

This realization brought shame to all present, including the magistrate, for each had benefited from the temple’s help.

“So, what should we do now?” several villagers asked the scholar, eager for guidance. Though few had witnessed the former master’s return last night, some swore upon their lives that they had seen the temple radiate dazzling light, illuminating the night sky.

This convinced many to believe, especially since Quanzhen Temple had always been shrouded in mystery; perhaps the beast truly was sealed here.

“What more needs saying? Those with wealth should give money, and those with strength should lend their effort!” some villagers replied disdainfully, as if anyone could be confused about their duty.

“Something’s wrong! Something’s wrong! Quanzhen Temple has truly revealed its divine power!” Before matters at hand could be settled, a bailiff rushed over, shouting breathlessly.

“What’s happened to cause such alarm?” The magistrate scolded the flustered bailiff, clearly displeased at the embarrassment.

“Sir, Quanzhen Temple has truly shown its divine power!” The bailiff gasped, his face pale as if he’d seen a ghost.

When the magistrate learned that a strange beast had been unearthed in the fields, his first thought was of Quanzhen Temple, so he dispatched a bailiff to investigate.

The breathless bailiff was the one sent, and he seemed thoroughly shaken.

“What happened exactly? This so-called divine manifestation—explain yourself!” the magistrate ordered, and everyone listened intently.

According to the bailiff’s account, he had scarcely arrived at the temple before being struck with awe. Why?

Because at the entrance of Quanzhen Temple, countless animals bowed their heads as if in worship, and on the temple walls, ants crawled in abundance.

Ants crawling is common enough, but the bailiff had never seen ants trace out the four characters of “Quanzhen Temple.”

It was a sight unprecedented, and everything before him brimmed with mystery, filling the bailiff with fear.

That was why he rushed back in panic to report to the magistrate, awaiting his decision.

“How strange! Could Quanzhen Temple truly be manifesting divine power?” the magistrate murmured, convinced that the bailiff had no reason to lie.

With this in mind, the magistrate assigned several bailiffs to guard the beast while he and the rest made their way to Quanzhen Temple to see for themselves.

The villagers dared not linger in the wilds, for the beast seemed ready to devour them, and they too wished to witness the temple’s divine sign.

So, led by the magistrate, the crowd set out together toward Quanzhen Temple.

All their reactions were completely within Fang Xu’s control. In fact, Fang Xu had anticipated these very responses.

Why? Because everything unfolding had been meticulously orchestrated by Fang Xu, with the help of Old Wu and the other guards.

To Fang Xu, it was merely a minor scheme—he simply benefited from reading widely. It proved that such knowledge indeed had its uses.