At that moment.
A melodious horn sounded from a massive palace at the end of the street.
Upon hearing it, countless worshippers immediately prostrated themselves and knelt in unison toward that direction.
Then, a row of handsome monks of similar build, draped in kasayas and holding their palms together, slowly emerged.
Behind the hundreds of monks came elephants draped in batik Buddha images, moving at a leisurely pace.
Their tusks had not been cut off. Instead, they had been intricately carved with openwork designs, faintly revealing the figures of various Buddhas within.
Four elephants raised their trunks and trumpeted toward the sky, and the procession's imposing aura instantly spread outward.
The countless people along the street became even more devout in their posture, their chanting growing louder and louder.
Then came palace after palace made of gold foil paper and carried on people's shoulders, glittering brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
This grand ceremony was, in truth, also a parade, allowing worshippers to behold the gods in their hearts.
After that.
More than a dozen graceful women slowly emerged, dressed in thin gauze that also veiled their faces.
Their arms and waists were exposed to the air, slender and without a trace of excess flesh.
Leip swallowed.
Yet the worshippers around them showed no hint of disrespect in their eyes.
These were all attendants, and low-ranking "saintesses" themselves. In the hearts of the faithful, offering their bodies even more completely to the monks was an incomparably sacred act.
Afterward.
Two even larger adult elephants appeared, covered in lavish golden ornaments. They walked side by side, carrying a wooden pavilion on their backs. Its carved beams and painted rafters were exquisite, while colorful silk fluttered in the wind.
The backdrop of the pavilion depicted a deity with three heads and six arms, the