Chapter One Hundred and Ten: The Elders of the Sanctuary (Part Two)

In less than fifteen minutes, a man’s loud voice rang out from outside the carriage: “I am Elder Ling Qing of the Sacred Temple, here to escort the Holy Maiden back to the temple.”

Tao Ming resignedly rose and stepped out of the carriage, seeing a middle-aged man standing before the horse-drawn vehicle, whose aura was ethereal and otherworldly. She asked, “May I ask why we were unable to ascend the mountain earlier?”

Ling Qing’s eyes brightened slightly upon seeing Tao Ming, as if he had regained some of his youth, and he explained, “A protective formation surrounds the Sacred Mountain; without an escort, no one may ascend.”

Su Nanxing had been standing quietly behind Tao Ming. As a man, he naturally understood the subtlety in Ling Qing’s gaze towards Tao Ming, rich with unspoken meaning. He stepped forward to block Tao Ming and retorted, “I have visited the Sacred Mountain several times before and never knew such rules existed.”

Ling Qing appeared calm and indifferent as he replied, “These are new regulations added in recent years.”

The sky was already darkening, the sun about to set. Not wishing to argue further, Su Nanxing said, “Then Elder, please lead the way.”

Ling Qing walked around the carriage, leading the way ahead, with Su Fang turning the carriage to follow closely behind.

Soon they reached the summit of the Sacred Mountain. Tao Ming had expected someone to come greet them, so she carried Ruan Ruan down from the carriage with ease, only to realize she had been mistaken.

Before her stood the temple, constructed from white stone slabs. Tao Ming was somewhat surprised; since coming to the Wei River region, she had seen buildings primarily made of wood combined with bricks and tiles. This was the first time she had encountered such stonework.

She studied the temple carefully. Its grandeur was undeniable, but many of the stone slabs bore marks left by rainwater erosion. Near the ground, moss grew on the stones, suggesting the temple was quite old.

Ling Qing’s eyes frequently glanced over Tao Ming, which made Su Nanxing uneasy. He asked, “Elder Ling Qing, where shall we stay for the night?”

Ling Qing’s gaze seemed to fall on Ruan Ruan, but only he knew what he truly observed. He replied, “The Holy Maiden should stay in the Hall of the Holy Maiden.”

Su Nanxing looked at Ling Qing and asked, “Are only the three of you left in the temple now?”

Ling Qing’s voice carried a hint of melancholy: “A thousand years have passed without the birth of a Holy Son or Holy Maiden. It is inevitable this place has been forgotten. Besides the three of us, there are only a few servants who maintain the grounds.”

At that moment, Tao Ming suddenly recalled something—everyone said it had been a millennium since a Holy Son or Holy Maiden had appeared. Could it be that they once appeared more frequently? And could two Holy Maidens appear simultaneously?

But it was not the time to ask. She committed these questions to memory for later.

Upon hearing Ling Qing’s words, Su Nanxing gazed at the empty temple and remembered how bustling it had been during his last visit. How long ago was that? Over a thousand years ago, perhaps?

A pang of nostalgia stirred in his heart.

Tao Ming was unaware of Su Nanxing’s sentiment. She looked at the wide-open temple doors and asked, “Where to now? Carrying the child for so long is quite tiring.”

Su Nanxing turned his head toward Tao Ming, who held Ruan Ruan. The setting sun cast a soft glow behind her, the gentle evening light outlining a breathtaking scene.

His eyes filled with tenderness. This is my wife, and in her arms is my daughter.

Instantly, he dispelled the melancholy within and smiled: “Wife, you should get back into the carriage; it’s quite a walk.”

Seeing Su Nanxing’s intense gaze on her, Tao Ming felt his look almost burning a hole in her face. She made a playful face at him and turned to the carriage. Noticing Su Nanxing still watching her, she laughed and said, “What are you staring at?”

Su Nanxing recalled the first time he heard those words. He stepped closer and whispered into Tao Ming’s ear, “Wife, you’re not as forward as you used to be.”

Tao Ming’s eyes widened in surprise, pondering the meaning behind his words. Then she recalled their first date and replied with mock annoyance, “Can you be serious for once?”

Su Nanxing chuckled softly, called the others to board, and Su Fang resumed driving.

Soon, the carriage halted again. Su Nanxing instructed everyone to stay inside and watch over Nuonuo, then picked up Ruan Ruan and followed Tao Ming out of the carriage.

Before them stood a building, with the words “Hall of the Holy Maiden” inscribed above the entrance. Tao Ming surveyed the surrounding area, realizing the temple was a layered structure, though she was unsure of the Hall’s exact location within it.

Ling Qing personally led the way: “Though the Hall of the Holy Maiden has not been used for many years, it is cleaned daily and ready for occupancy at any time.”

Walking beside Ling Qing, Tao Ming observed the interior of the Hall. Upon entering, they found a large hall. On the wall directly opposite the door was a carving of a woman holding two suns in one hand and a long river in the other—a clear homage to the Holy Maiden.

Beneath the carving stood a stone chair, flanked on both sides by small square tables holding tea sets and the like.

Corridors extended on both sides of the hall. Ling Qing led them down the left corridor, gesturing toward the rooms lining the hall: “In days past, this place bustled with visitors; these rooms were never sufficient. Now, they have lain empty for a long time.”

Tao Ming glanced around and casually asked, “Did you know we were coming?”

Ling Qing led them deeper inside: “After the Holy Maiden entered the city, the Heavenly Emperor sent word of the sacred decree. Naturally, we were aware of her arrival today.”

Tao Ming gave him a sidelong glance and asked, “So this was your way of making a show of authority?”

Ling Qing’s heart quickened at her gaze, and he replied, “I take full responsibility. Two of my disciples were negligent in showing proper respect to the Holy Maiden.”

Tao Ming thought to herself, That’s a lie. If you hadn’t instructed them, would they have behaved that way?

They soon reached the end of the corridor, where a perpendicular hallway appeared. Following it to the right for several steps, they came upon a wide-open door. Inside, two rows of servants stood, bowing in unison upon seeing Ling Qing: “Welcome, Elder.”

Ling Qing savored the moment. “Rise.”

He then addressed the servants, “The Holy Maiden has arrived. From now on, you must serve her with utmost dedication.”

The servants bowed again, “Welcome the Holy Maiden.”

Tao Ming felt a headache coming on—so many bows were tiresome, and what use were so many people? Did they expect to be fed by the servants?

She kept her voice steady and said, “Rise.”

Only then did the servants stand.

Turning back to Ling Qing, Tao Ming said, “Elder, we will only stay here for one night and leave early tomorrow morning. We likely will not return. You can have these people attend to whatever tasks they have; we do not require their service.”

Ling Qing replied casually, “You may go downstairs.”

The servants quietly lined up and departed. Tao Ming continued, “Elder, perhaps you should leave as well? We have no need to trouble you.”

Ling Qing entered the room and said, “I am the steward of the Sacred Temple. All matters concerning the Holy Maiden fall under my jurisdiction.”

Tao Ming gritted her teeth but followed him inside. Before her lay a sitting room with several sets of tables and chairs. She asked, “Where is the bed?”

Ling Qing pointed to a door on the left: “That room is the bedroom.”

Tao Ming nodded once, then said again, “Elder, I believe I have made myself clear. Our visit is merely a formality; we will depart early tomorrow. We likely will have no further dealings with you. So, please attend to your affairs.”