Chapter 114: Empress Houtu’s Favor

After offering incense, Shang Lu finally stepped out of the side hall.

As his foot crossed the threshold, the door of the side hall closed on its own with a dull creak.

The moment the door shut, Shang Lu heard some strange sounds.

It was as if a cluster of things were talking—soft voices, yet chattering noisily and incessantly.

“Are those ‘eyes’ talking?” Shang Lu immediately guessed in surprise. “Could those ‘eyes’ be the true essence of the deity in this side hall?”

Curious about what the “eyes” were discussing, Shang Lu regretted that he couldn’t understand their language and dared not eavesdrop too much.

If the voice of the Mountain-Opening Warrior was like thunderclaps, loud enough to scatter a soul, then these “eyes” spoke in tiny sounds, yet so noisy and chaotic that they gave one a headache.

In just a brief moment, Shang Lu felt as if his head was about to explode from the racket.

Listening longer wouldn’t literally blow his mind, but it would definitely drive him to nervous exhaustion or even madness.

It seemed that the gods in this world varied greatly—some, like the Earth Mother, were relatively normal, while others, like the deity in the side hall, were bizarre and uncanny.

In the future, when worshiping gods, one must first discern clearly and never burn the wrong incense or pray to the wrong deity, lest one attract strange and sinister troubles.

Otherwise, one might not even be able to explain how they died.

Fortunately, although the deity in the side hall was strange and eerie, its presence in the shaman temple meant that any issues were probably minor.

Just now, though the “eyes” chattered incessantly, they did not truly harm Shang Lu.

Once the door closed, the noisy quarrel was completely cut off.

Shang Lu immediately felt much lighter in his head, no longer fearing the noise.

He glanced at the shaman officer from the Discipline Department beside the door, who showed no reaction. He then feigned ignorance and respectfully asked, “I wish to visit the shaman priestess. May I?”

“Of course,” replied the shaman officer of the Discipline Department, signaling him to proceed at will. “The inspection is over. Head Constable Shang, you may do as you please without seeking our permission.”

“Understood.”

Shang Lu took his leave and went to find the shaman priestess.

Ever since reinforcements from the county government and the shaman institute arrived, the priestess had returned to the county town.

This time, it was thanks to the priestess using the Yin Inquiry Ghost Technique to contact San Niang that Shang Lu and Feng Boyuan were able to escape the secret realm early.

Although even without the priestess, San Niang would have found a way to guide the constables, the priestess had indeed contributed.

This debt of gratitude had to be acknowledged.

Moreover, the priestess did not keep secrets and shared much knowledge and experience about the secret realm with Shang Lu, enabling him to know what to do and what to avoid when unexpected situations arose, preventing reckless mistakes and dangerous predicaments.

Therefore, both morally and emotionally, Shang Lu should visit the priestess, express his thanks, and then continue to seek her guidance on new knowledge.

After walking some distance, Shang Lu suddenly paused.

He heard two voices.

One was from the shaman officer of the Discipline Department he had just met.

The other was unfamiliar, likely the officer’s companion.

Actually, the two officers spoke very softly and only began their conversation after Shang Lu had walked a fair distance, so they never imagined he could hear them.

“It seems the Jiaozhu was torn apart by the Mountain-Opening Warrior along with Qiu Haishan’s spirit.”

“Qiu Haishan was foolish too, knowing Shang Lu borrowed divine power, yet trying to possess his body, provoking the Mountain-Opening Warrior’s divine punishment, resulting in his spirit’s destruction…”

“That must be it. Otherwise, with Shang Lu’s Meridian Opening cultivation, even with borrowed divine power, he wouldn’t have been able to suppress Qiu Haishan’s spirit.”

“What a pity—a Jiaozhu wasted just like that…”

The two officers sighed deeply, lamenting the loss of the Jiaozhu.

There were many in the shaman institute waiting for their Jiaozhu to breakthrough.

“I notice Shang Lu’s body has shown signs of strengthening recently, and his cultivation is not just at the Meridian Opening threshold but nearing Meridian Mastery…”

“That’s not surprising. Qiu Haishan’s spirit was suppressed inside him, and as the spirit scattered, the Jiaozhu’s power overflowed and was absorbed by his body, strengthening it. But several of his meridians were opened, which is unexpected. It seems he truly is a man of profound fate, just as Feng Boyuan said.”

“Such a person is exactly what the Chief Priest prefers…”

The rest of their conversation was lost to Shang Lu’s ears.

Not only because he had walked too far, but also because the officers entered a room.

Shang Lu couldn’t go back to eavesdrop and had to give up.

However, from their words, he knew the inspection against him was truly over.

He could now continue to open his acupoints and meridians to boost his cultivation without fearing suspicion from rapid progress.

The officers even said he absorbed some of the Jiaozhu’s dissipated power.

This power alone could plausibly help him reach Meridian Mastery and even breakthrough to the Marrow Cleansing stage.

Shang Lu resolved to make good use of the reason provided by the Discipline Department officers, not to waste their effort and goodwill.

Leaving the courtyard where the side hall was located, Shang Lu found the shaman priestess meditating in the great hall dedicated to the Earth Mother.

A little girl accompanying the priestess hesitated upon seeing him, unsure whether to interrupt her meditation.

Shang Lu made a gesture for silence, signaling her not to disturb the priestess. Then, imitating the priestess, he found a seat and sat cross-legged.

At first, his mind was restless, filled with distracting thoughts—thinking of San Niang, the secret realm, and promotions.

His inner organs seemed to sense the turmoil and released a burst of fiery light that instantly burned away the distractions.

Freed from mental clutter, Shang Lu soon entered a profound state of tranquility.

Gradually, he even felt as if he had returned to his mother’s embrace, his entire being completely relaxed.

Because of such deep calm and relaxation, Shang Lu actually fell asleep.

Moreover, this was the most peaceful and restful sleep he had had since arriving in this world.

He felt enveloped in a rich, gentle power in his dreams.

All fatigue and weariness vanished, nurtured away by this wondrous force.

His organs, meridians, and bones grew under its care.

This power seemed to possess the miraculous effect of nurturing all things, fostering growth and transformation…

When Shang Lu opened his eyes, the priestess had already finished her meditation and was softly chanting scriptures, seemingly those of the Earth Mother.

Noticing his awakening, she looked up and asked, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, very well.”

Shang Lu felt a bit embarrassed and hastened to explain, “This place is so comfortable that I couldn’t help but fall asleep. Please don’t mind.”

The priestess did not blame him. Instead, she said, “You were able to sleep here and wash away your fatigue thanks to the Earth Mother’s blessing. Go offer her some incense.”

Following her advice, Shang Lu offered an incense stick to the Earth Mother.

He felt grateful toward the Earth Mother.

It was in her hall at the shaman temple in Baichuan Town that he had met San Niang and forged their fate.

In a way, the Earth Mother was both the matchmaker for him and San Niang and, in a sense, San Niang’s family.

After offering incense, the priestess finally asked his purpose.

“I came to thank you,” Shang Lu said sincerely.

The priestess nodded and then asked a crucial question.

“You came empty-handed to thank me? A few days ago, the Wind Shaman brought me a gift when he came.”

“I thought about bringing a gift, but then considered that you are not of the mundane world; bringing a gift might actually be disrespectful…”

“You’re mistaken,” the priestess said bluntly. “I am a mundane person; otherwise, I wouldn’t be serving as a priestess among the common folk. Remember to make up for the gift later.”

After a pause, she got straight to the point: “Tell me, since your inspection ended, why didn’t you go home? What do you want to learn from me?”

“I knew nothing could be hidden from you,” Shang Lu first flattered her, then produced a paper doll from his sleeve.

“I want to ask, how is this supposed to be used?”