Statue in the Storeroom

The Great Daoist Master glanced at Huang Huai and said, "He wants to borrow a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Why doesn't he go to Mount Putuo of the South Sea? Most of the deities enshrined in our Taihe Mountain are Daoist venerable gods."

Huang Huai chuckled, "My friend heard that statues of deities that have been enshrined in Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries for years are the most efficacious due to the constant incense and fire. So, he wants to find a Guanyin Bodhisattva statue that has been worshipped for many years."

He secretly glanced at the Great Daoist Master and saw him smiling at him. Huang Huai immediately said, "I was thinking, don't we have a Guanyin Bodhisattva statue in our temple that was put away a couple of years ago?"

The Great Daoist Master slowly nodded. "That painted pottery statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva can be considered an antique. It was already enshrined in the temple when I took over Xunzhen Temple. Legend has it that a lay Buddhist left it here during the late Qing Dynasty but never returned. It's been almost a hundred years now. A couple of years ago, I saw that the original paint on the statue was starting to show damage from years of incense and fire, so I had it put away in the storeroom."

Huang Huai's spirits lifted. "Ah, so this is an antique? Then I'll have to turn down my friend."

The Great Daoist Master waved his hand. "It's just an ordinary painted pottery statue, it can hardly be called an antique."

As he spoke, the Great Daoist Master looked at Huang Huai and said, "If your friend sincerely worships it, I can allow him to take it home. It's better than being idle in the storeroom."

Huang Huai quickly said to the Great Daoist Master, "Thank you, Master. I'll definitely have my friend offer more Incense and Fire money."

The Great Daoist Master chuckled, "What Incense and Fire money? Sincerity is what matters. It's only because you asked, otherwise, a statue that has been worshipped for a hundred years isn't something anyone can just take."

Huang Huai grinned, "I knew you loved me the most, Master!"

The Great Daoist Master glanced at Huang Huai. "Alright, if there's nothing else, go get some rest. Shanshan will be here in a few days."

Hearing the Great Daoist Master mention his mother and younger sister's upcoming arrival, Huang Huai couldn't help but smile.

The next day, Huang Huai woke up early. Although he had only slept for six hours, he felt incredibly energetic and not tired at all.

Huang Huai's vigorous appearance only made Chen Wei look more listless.

As the gates of Xunzhen Temple opened, a steady stream of tourists entered, and everyone in the temple began their busy day.

From morning till night, there was a constant flow of people. Chen Wei felt completely exhausted. Beside him, Huang Huai looked energetic and smiled as he watched tourist after tourist burn incense and pray. His joyful demeanor stunned Chen Wei.

Chen Wei sidled up to Huang Huai, looking puzzled. "Hey, Xiao Jiu, are you on steroids or something? Why are you so happy when other people are burning incense and praying!"

Huang Huai gave Chen Wei a look that said, You know nothing. Chen Wei, understanding Huang Huai's gaze, looked even more dejected.

Huang Huai ignored Chen Wei. These tourists were all here to burn incense and offer Incense and Fire Prayer Power to Holy Lord Emperor Guan. With each person, Holy Lord Emperor Guan's Incense and Fire would increase.

He thought about how the High Gods in Great River City had to resort to manifestations and blessings to gain Incense and Fire Prayer Power, while he just had to watch people burn incense and pray here and reap the Incense and Fire Prayer Power. How could he not be happy!

After a busy day, most of the people in the temple had already gone to rest.

In the Great Daoist Master's room, Huang Huai once again enjoyed some Spilled Jade Spirit Nourishing Tea. After a cup of tea, half of the day's fatigue vanished.

After drinking it a few times, Huang Huai could clearly feel the Spilled Jade Spirit Nourishing Tea's significant benefits for the mind. It was indeed a tea that even High Gods favored.

If Huang Huai could sense the extraordinary nature of this tea, let alone the Great Daoist Master. After all, the Great Daoist Master had drunk every last drop of the tea brewed from that single tea leaf, not wasting a single drop.

As a result, the Great Daoist Master was full of energy and didn't sleep until the early hours of the morning, getting only two or three hours of sleep. Yet, when he woke up precisely at six in the morning, the Great Daoist Master showed no signs of fatigue; instead, he was full of vigor.

With the Great Daoist Master's experience, knowledge, and mastery of pharmacology, if he couldn't realize the extraordinary nature of the tea Huang Huai gave him, then he would have truly wasted his life.

However, after sensing the tea's unusual properties, the Great Daoist Master merely looked at Huang Huai, who was sipping tea from him, and said, "You brat, this tea is extraordinary. When dealing with your friend, just be mindful."

Huang Huai smiled upon hearing the Great Daoist Master's advice. "Master, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

As they spoke, the Great Daoist Master glanced at Huang Huai and casually tossed him a key. "I know what you're thinking about. Here's the key, go get it!"

Huang Huai took the key and grinned. He then drank the rest of the tea in one gulp and said, "Master, you should get some rest!"

Xunzhen Temple wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. The storeroom consisted of three side rooms, equivalent to Xunzhen Temple's warehouse. One room stored daily necessities like rice and oil, while the other two rooms held mostly miscellaneous items.

Huang Huai was no stranger to the storeroom. He skillfully opened one of the rooms, and a faint musty smell wafted towards him.

Clearly, this room was rarely opened, so the air inside wasn't fresh and carried a moldy scent.

Entering the room, he saw stacks of meditation cushions and several statues. He kicked something on the floor, and a clanging sound followed. Under the dim light, Huang Huai realized he had accidentally bumped into a broken incense burner.

His gaze swept across the various statues. One of them, a painted clay statue of True Warrior Great Emperor, was incredibly weathered. The paint had long since peeled off. Because it was made of clay, one of True Warrior Great Emperor's arms was broken, making the statue look dilapidated.

At first glance, there were also statues of Supreme Purity Celestial Venerable and Jade Purity Celestial Venerable, also in disrepair due to their material. However, a statue next to them was remarkably well-preserved. Judging by its paint, it had a ruddy complexion, wore a yellow robe, and had a belt around its waist, appearing like a sturdy warrior.

"Yellow Turban Warrior!"

Having grown up in a Daoist temple since childhood, Huang Huai immediately recognized the statue as a Yellow Turban Warrior. He was no stranger to these figures, who served as the subordinates, errand runners, and all-around helpers for the great deities.

Beside some deities, there were often Golden Boy and Jade Girl or Yellow Turban Warrior statues. It was clear that this Yellow Turban Warrior statue was one that Xunzhen Temple had once enshrined.

He walked forward and examined it, a smile appearing on his lips. He gently touched the Yellow Turban Warrior statue and crouched down. Under the light, he saw a few crooked characters on the statue's clay foot.

"Huang Huai was here!"

[It's Monday again, so here's an early chapter. Please support with reads, recommendations, and rewards!]