Inviting the Statue of Guan Gong Down the Mountain

Huang Huai and Chen Wei were responsible for the right side halls of Xunzhen Temple's main halls, which housed the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan, the statue of Guanyin Who Sends Children, and the statue of the Three Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, totaling five statues. The left side hall housed the statue of the God of Wealth Zhao Gongming, the statue of the Matchmaker God, and the statue of Maitreya Buddha, among others.

As Chen Wei had mentioned earlier, the number of tourists visiting Xunzhen Temple to offer incense and worship had greatly increased in recent days. From the moment Xunzhen Temple opened, tourists had been constantly coming and going.

The Chinese culture emphasizes politeness, and this extends to offering incense and worship. While it couldn't be said that everyone entering the halls would offer incense, about half of them, even if just seeking spiritual solace, would devoutly bow before the statues and offer incense and candles.

Huang Huai continuously distributed incense and candles while observing which deities the tourists worshipped. Those worshipping the statue of Guanyin Who Sends Children were noticeably the fewest, usually only young couples. Those worshipping the Three Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity were mostly elderly tourists. In contrast, the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan served multiple roles, attracting the most worshippers regardless of age or gender.

A day passed quickly. According to his own count, no less than one to two hundred people entered the side halls to burn incense and worship deities that day, leaving him and Chen Wei quite exhausted.

Looking at the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan amidst the swirling incense smoke, Huang Huai couldn't help but sigh. While Xunzhen Temple housed many statues, in terms of the amount of Incense and Fire received, perhaps only the magnificent, several-meter-tall statue of True Warrior Great Emperor in the main hall could rival it.

If this were in that world behind the gates, with so much Incense and Fire Prayer Power, he wondered if this statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan would be stronger or weaker than the statue of the Three-Eyed White Lotus Goddess worshipped by the Seventh Elder of Great River Sect.

For some reason, this thought flashed through Huang Huai's mind. As soon as the thought arose, combined with his restless musings from the previous night, his gaze towards the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan now held a peculiar expression.

Chen Wei, who was with Huang Huai, noticed him staring blankly at the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan. His dazed appearance made Chen Wei nudge him and tease, "What are you spacing out about? Did Old Master Guan manifest?"

Snapping back to reality, Huang Huai shot Chen Wei a glare. "If Old Master Guan really manifested, he'd strike you down first..."

As he spoke, a call came from outside from his senior brother. Huang Huai responded and left the side hall. Chen Wei, chasing after him, called out, "I've offered incense to Old Master Guan too. If he really manifested, he wouldn't strike me first..."

In the evening, Xunzhen Temple closed its gates. After dinner, everyone went back to rest. Huang Huai, however, headed to the residence of the Great Daoist Master.

In the room, the nearly sixty-year-old True Person Datong, with a ruddy complexion, looked at Huang Huai and said, "Eh, Xiao Jiu, did you come to see me about something?"

Huang Huai smiled and replied, "Nephew isn't allowed to visit his uncle without a reason?"

True Person Datong couldn't help but glance at Huang Huai. "Alright, you brat. I'd be surprised if you came to find me without a reason. Tell me, what is it?"

Huang Huai's expression turned serious. "While tending to the side halls today, I noticed that the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan, perhaps due to age or some other reason, has a patch of gold paint on its back that seems to be peeling. I plan to take the statue down the mountain tomorrow to find someone to repair it."

Hearing Huang Huai mention business, True Person Datong pondered for a moment. "If I recall correctly, that statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan was meticulously carved and polished by skilled artisans using the finest rosewood, commissioned by your father at a great expense. You personally brought it up the mountain. Not to mention anything else, the over ten catties of rosewood alone are incredibly valuable. It's fine for you to go down the mountain to find someone to repair it, but be very careful not to let anyone trick you out of the statue."

As he spoke, True Person Datong seemed to recall his own clansman and couldn't help but laugh. "Your father cherished it dearly. He told me more than once that it was thanks to Holy Lord Emperor Guan's protection over the years that you were able to grow up healthy and lively. If you damage or lose the statue, be careful your father doesn't beat you!"

Huang Huai chuckled. "Uncle, don't listen to my father's nonsense. While Holy Lord Emperor Guan's protection is true, your long-term efforts in caring for me have been indispensable to my good health. My father has a few jars of good tea stored away. If he mentions it again, don't be polite with him..."

True Person Datong burst into laughter and waved his hand at Huang Huai. "Alright, I remember. If you don't share good tea with me, I won't let your father off next time. But when you go down the mountain, remember to be safe and return soon."

The next morning, after breakfast, Huang Huai paid his respects to the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan. He then carefully placed it into a backpack. The backpack also contained books Huang Huai had brought back the previous day. Together with the statue, the backpack felt quite heavy.

After bidding farewell to Chen Wei and the others, Huang Huai left Xunzhen Temple and descended the mountain path.

In Shiyan, a taxi stopped in front of an extremely luxuriously decorated jewelry store. A young man carrying a backpack alighted from the taxi. He glanced at the jewelry store before him and stepped inside.

Noticing Huang Huai enter, a young lady with exquisite makeup and a professional short skirt immediately strode towards him with her long, slender legs.

"Handsome sir, is there anything you need?"

A faint scent of perfume wafted towards him. Huang Huai looked at her enthusiastic smile and said, "My surname is Huang. I made an appointment yesterday for a batch of silver bars. I wonder if I could see Manager Chen Hong."

The saleslady smiled immediately. "Looking for Sister Hong? Please follow me!"

Huang Huai followed the saleslady.

Before an office, the saleslady knocked on the door. "Sister Hong, Mr. Huang, the client who made an appointment, is here to see you!"

"Please come in!"

A soft, pleasant voice came from within. The saleslady then pushed open the door and nodded at Huang Huai. "Mr. Huang, please come in."

Huang Huai entered the office and saw a figure sitting there, seemingly looking at something. Because she was looking down, Huang Huai couldn't see her full face. However, with her hair cascading over her shoulders and a professional suit that couldn't conceal her curvaceous figure, she possessed a certain allure.

Chen Hong looked up at Huang Huai. A smile appeared on her oval face as she stood up. "You must be Mr. Huang Huai. The ten kilograms of silver bars you pre-ordered are ready at our store! Are you here to collect them now?"

Huang Huai nodded slightly. "Yes."

Chen Hong smiled at Huang Huai. "Our store's current price for silver is 5.1 yuan per gram. However, since Mr. Huang requested them to be processed into one-tael (50-gram) and ten-tael (500-gram) ingots, according to regulations, we will charge a craftsmanship fee of 2 yuan per gram. The total will be 7.1 yuan per gram, which is seventy-one thousand yuan for ten kilograms!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Huai immediately produced his bank card. "Swipe it."

Chen Hong immediately called out to the door, "Xiao Yue, please process Mr. Huang's transaction and remember to issue a receipt."

Money talks. The jewelry store was very efficient. In just over ten minutes, Huang Huai had received what he wanted.

When Huang Huai emerged from the jewelry store, his backpack was filled with ten kilograms of silver. The sudden increase of twenty catties in weight made his backpack considerably heavier.