My Lady Always Lacks Ambition
Chapter 242 - 241 Grandmaster’s Enlightenment

Chapter 242: Chapter 241 Grandmaster’s Enlightenment

Every god statue, once sculpted, must undergo an Enlightenment ceremony, which is to offer salutations and inform the Heaven and Earth through the ritual, infusing the boundless Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth into the statue, bestowing it with spirituality. Only then is the god officially revered and housed in the temple, protecting the land and blessing the common folk.

Otherwise, a god statue without the Enlightenment ceremony is merely a clay figure, like a piece of art. If discarded carelessly, it can become inhabited by evil spirits. If worshipped unknowingly by the common people, it may become an Evil God, misleading all beings.

Therefore, the ceremony to replace the golden statue is solemn and respectful. The Grandmaster’s golden statue, by the consecration presided over personally by the Daoist Temple Master, invites believers to observe the ceremony as a gesture of its importance.

The auspicious time for Enlightenment arrives, and the main hall is enveloped in silence.

Master Chi Yuan, in a sanctified Vestment robe embroidered with various auspicious Taoism patterns of gold and silver threads, wears a Dharma Hat, flanked by Daoists clad in yellow scripture robes.

And in the center of the hall, the new golden statue has been positioned, covered with a red cloth, connected by a red string to the adjacent god statues, leading all the way outside to two flagpoles; the tops of the poles intertwine, forming a whole.

In the middle of the flagpoles at the temple gate, Wuwei holds a mirror close to the red string, the mirror facing the temple gate. Outside the gate stand Qingming and an old Taoist named Qingxin, each holding a mirror. Qingxin is responsible for catching the light from the mirror outside the temple gate, while Qingming aims the refracted light onto the new god statue.

This is Enlightenment.

It is the act of drawing the divine light of the sun, moon, and stars—the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth—into the temple, allowing the god statue to receive the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, and bring blessings to all people.

Qin Liuxi, draped in a purple Vestment robe embroidered with the patterns of the sun, moon, stars, and the Eight Diagrams Pagoda, fastens her hair with a Magic Crown. Her somewhat gaunt face is serious and stoic, cleverly standing beside Master Chi Yuan.

At that moment, with the arrival of the appointed time, light shines through the mirrors onto the red cloth-covered golden statue, gleaming with golden light.

Master Chi Yuan silently recites the Clean Heaven and Earth Divine Spell, stepping the Gang Step Fight on the spell pattern, and then points at Qin Liuxi: "I hereby invite disciple Buqiu, Junior Temple Master of Qingping Temple, to awaken the senses and spiritualize our Grandmaster."

Junior Temple Master?

Yu Changkong looks towards the celestial-like Qin Liuxi, his eyes bright, his gaze profound.

Even the silently observing believers in the hall turn their eyes following Master Chi Yuan’s gesture, sighing inwardly at how young this Junior Temple Master is—much younger than many of the temple’s Daoists.

Qin Liuxi becomes the focus of the entire assembly aside from the Grandmaster, yet she dares not flee but rather obediently takes a clean towel handed by Qing Yuan, climbs a ladder, and wipes the dust off the golden statue, then pricks the statue’s orifices and limbs with a needle, signifying the opening of senses.

As she performs this awakening, Master Chi Yuan strikes with a command token while chanting, "The god opens its three thousand six hundred joints and eighty-four thousand pores, each joint connected, every pore interlinked. After Enlightenment, the god shall respond to all, and the universal radiance illuminates all beings.

As he speaks, Qin Liuxi receives a brush from Qing Yuan and dabs it at the statue’s eyes, ears, nose, etc., as a gesture of imparting Spiritual Energy. Only after the ceremony does she remove the red cloth and string.

The divine light flashes into the spirit within the statue.

At that moment, the golden light intensifies, the once ordinary Grandmaster statue as if suddenly infused with Spiritual Energy, coming alive and its smile brightening.

"The Grandmaster has revealed his spirit!" someone cries out after the golden light passes, unable to hold back, and then kneels down.

All believers kneel, their words a murmur.

Qin Liuxi neatly folds the red cloth and string onto the side table, then glances once more at the beaming Grandmaster, holding back a snicker. With the golden statue’s enhancement, his smile now stretches unrealistically to the root of his ears.

Grandmaster: Now that I have a golden body, I will not quibble with a rebellious disciple and shall tolerate her.

With the Enlightenment complete, bells and drums resonate in unison, as if Immortal Music fills the air.

Qin Liuxi, hands behind her back, looks on as the entire congregation kneels on the mats, hands clasped in prayer. Sometimes silent, sometimes bowing their heads, their lips moving in scripture recitation, their expressions solemn and devout.

In the twinkling of an eye, the affairs of the world are as fleeting as wisps of blue smoke; all aspirations are filled with hopes that they may come to fruition as desired.

Yu Changkong also bowed his head in prayer, wishing only that his parents could be proven innocent.

With that, the Enlightenment ceremony was concluded. Qing Yuan said with a smile, "Beloved believers, outside the hall, medicinal tea and medicinal porridge are prepared. You may go have a bowl and be touched by the divine light to fend off a hundred diseases. In addition, those who wish to take home a Protective Talisman or a small statue for worship may come here to me."

He referred to a row of small divine statues and Protective Talismans in front of the Grandmaster; all were imbued with Spiritual Energy, and some believers would take them home for worship.

Yu Qiucai was the first to rush to Qin Liuxi’s side, congratulating him with a smile and a clasped hands salute.

"Who would have thought that Mr. Yu would have time to attend the ceremony?" Qin Liuxi smiled back with a salute.

Yu Qiucai said, "Having learned that your temple was replacing the golden statue, my wife reminded me daily to come on the designated day. As you know, my wife is pregnant and soon to give birth. I was thinking of taking this red cloth home, and also asking for a small statue to ensure peace for our home and safety for both mother and child."

"You have God in your heart, and God will surely respond. Please do as you wish," Qin Liuxi said with a smile, gesturing to Qing Yuan to give the neatly folded red cloth to Yu Qiucai.

Yu Qiucai, being very tactful, deposited several silver notes of one hundred taels each into the incense oil box, and carefully took the divine statue.

"When you return home, offering agarwood incense and restorative incense is also appropriate," Qin Liuxi reminded him.

"Very well, very well."

Yu Qiucai whispered again, "About that old friend I mentioned last time, he might come to seek your help again. When that time comes... they really are out of options now, and the girl is somewhat confused."

"On your account, if I am available, I will make the trip," Qin Liuxi said.

"That would be wonderful." Relieved, Yu Qiucai exchanged a few more words, bade farewell to Master Chi Yuan with salutations, and left.

He was busy with official duties and came to the ceremony at the insistence of his wife. Valuing it himself and tasked by the Shen family, he made a personal appearance. Now that his goal was accomplished, he naturally did not linger.

Yu Qiucai had asked for red cloth, and others came forward to ask for red threads. After all, items that had been blessed possess spirituality, and it is appropriate to ask for them to ensure peace. Qing Yuan cut several lengths and let the believers either tie them around their wrists or in their hair.

Yu Changkong, on the other hand, asked for a mirror before leaving.

"I thought you would ask for a small statue of the Grandmaster," Qin Liuxi said with a light laugh.

Yu Changkong replied, "My clan holds greater faith in the Buddhist Sect, while I, my heart is rooted in Dao."

"Most commendable." Qin Liuxi handed him the mirror and then took a red thread, tied it around his wrist, and said, "Your donation of the golden statue is a meritorious act; the Grandmaster will surely grant you peace on your journey."

Yu Changkong looked at the red thread in his hand, his eyes shining bright, "You know then, that I am leaving."

Qin Liuxi lifted his chin slightly, "I have some skill in face reading as well. Though I cannot read your entire fate, I can discern some of the immediate future; naturally, I can see that you are about to embark on a long journey."

"And my grandfather’s illness?"

"Rest assured, no mourner shall enter the hall."

Yu Changkong let out a sigh, paused for a moment, and then said, "I leave tomorrow. How should I use these eyes of mine in the future? Could you teach me a spell?"

"That is possible..."

"Hey, Master Buqiu, can you tie a safety thread for this Princely Heir as well?" A hand suddenly pushed forward in front of Qin Liuxi.