But he didn't explain. He put a few items into his backpack and said, "Mom, this stuff is safe. Try it out first and see how it works. If it really doesn't work, then just do what you said and use it as perfume."
After all, the Red Face Cream worked incredibly fast. It would take only a few days to show results, and by then, the two of them would be able to experience its effects firsthand.
Guanlin, Luoyang
Guanlin Temple was where Guan Yu's head was buried. Guan Yu had crossed five passes and slain six generals, dared to attend a banquet alone, and endured having poison scraped from his bones. He was hailed as a match for ten thousand men. Unfortunately, he had underestimated his enemy and lost Jingzhou, then fled to Maicheng, where he was ambushed and killed by the Eastern Wu. Sun Quan feared Liu Bei would seek revenge, so he presented Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao in Luoyang. Clever and fond of talent, Cao Cao didn't fall for the ruse. He carved a body for Guan Yu from agarwood and buried his head with the honors due a feudal lord south of Luoyang (in what is now Guanlin Town).
Later, Sun Quan also buried Guan Yu's body in Dangyang, Hubei, with the honors due a marquis.
The Shu Han court built a cenotaph for Guan Yu in Chengdu. From then on, the people said that Guan Yu's "head rested in Luoyang, his body lay in Dangyang, and his soul returned to his hometown."
Guanlin had a temple at the front and a tomb at the back. It was one of the three great Guandi temples in China and abroad, the only Guandi Temple in China where a tomb, temple, and grove were combined in one place, and the only Guandi temple in the world called a "grove." In ancient times, this was the highest rank of Guandi temple, because only the tombs of sages could be called groves. Before Guan Yu was enshrined as the "Holy Lord Emperor Guan," only the tombs of the literary sages Confucius and Mencius were called groves.
Every year, the Huang family came to Guanlin to offer incense to the Holy Lord Emperor Guan. According to Father Huang, the Holy Lord Emperor Guan had protected Huang Huai as he grew up safe and sound, so he would honor the promise he'd made back then and pay his respects to the Holy Lord Emperor Guan every year.
Although Huang Huai and the others had delayed their trip by two or three days while waiting for Dad Huang, and had taken Huang Shan to visit several scenic spots along the way, when they finally reached Guanlin and looked into the distance, they saw a vast sea of people.
Fortunately, both Huang Huai and Huang Shan were already used to crowds like this. The three of them didn't stop, but went straight into Guanlin.
In one of the offices, the three of them met Father Huang.
At that moment, Huang Huai's father, Huang Chuanye, was talking with someone. When he saw his wife and children arrive, he smiled and nodded.
But when Huang Chuanye saw his wife, he couldn't help but pause. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes, as if he'd witnessed something unbelievable.
Mother Huang, who stood smiling beside her children, immediately felt her husband's gaze on her, especially the admiration shining in his eyes.
The corners of Mother Huang's mouth lifted slightly, and her heart filled with delight. She hadn't expected the Beauty Ointment her son had given her to have such astonishing effects. In just a few short days, it had truly transformed her.
She couldn't say she'd suddenly grown ten years younger, as Huang Huai had claimed earlier, but even in just a few days, she could feel that she looked several years younger.
She'd always taken excellent care of herself. Though she was over forty, she looked to be in her thirties. Still, at her age, wrinkles were starting to appear around her eyes and on her forehead. The marks time left on her face couldn't ultimately be erased by external means.
But now, the dewy softness her skin had lost in her youth had returned. When Mother Huang noticed this, she could hardly believe it.
Seeing her husband gaze at her with such admiration, Mother Huang couldn't help giving Father Huang a sidelong glance. A thousand charms spilled from her, leaving Huang Chuanye momentarily stunned.
Huang Huai stepped forward and greeted the middle-aged man speaking with his father. "Uncle Liu!"
Liu Yuan was one of the people in charge of Guanlin Temple. Since the Huang family came every year and always donated a sum of incense money to the temple, they had naturally grown familiar with Liu Yuan over time.
They shared a common interest, and Huang Chuanye and Liu Yuan had become good friends. So, in recent years, whenever the Huang family came to Guanlin Temple, they would meet Liu Yuan first.
Liu Yuan smiled at Huang Huai and said, "I have to say, this boy Huang Huai is looking more and more impressive. Brother Huang, with a son like him, you could think about handing your business over to him sometime."
Naturally, Huang Chuanye looked proud to hear someone praise his son. He smiled and shook his head. "I'd certainly like to enjoy some peace and quiet, but that depends on whether this boy's willing to take over my business."
Liu Yuan roared with laughter. He rose and said to Huang Chuanye, "Brother Huang, now that your wife and the others are here, I'll take you all to offer incense to Old Master Guan."
Led by Liu Yuan, the group headed for the main hall, where the Holy Lord Emperor Guan was enshrined.
The place was packed with people. Even with Liu Yuan leading them, it was more than half an hour before the Huang family got their turn.
Looking up at the imposing, solemn statue of the Holy Lord Emperor Guan seated high in the hall, the Huang family lit their thick incense sticks and bowed reverently.
As Huang Huai raised his head after bowing, his gaze fell on the mighty statue before him, and a strange light flashed in his eyes. Under his gaze, an immense aura of incense and fire gathered around the statue, as vast as an ocean. Surging waves of Incense and Fire Prayer Power hovered above the hall, leaving Huang Huai utterly shaken.
At a single glance, weariness welled up from deep within him. Huang Huai quickly steadied his mind and withdrew his gaze. The statue of the Holy Lord Emperor Guan before him returned to normal, no longer appearing wondrous under his Mind's Eye Observation.
That was right. This ability to observe all things with his mind's eye was a small talent Huang Huai had figured out not long ago, after he grew accustomed to his drastically increased spiritual power.
The ability wasn't particularly useful, but it allowed Huang Huai to see the different auras contained in certain things.
After several experiments, Huang Huai had discovered that he could only detect unusual phenomena in certain objects, such as paintings and items that people worshipped. The things he noticed most often were statues that received incense and prayer offerings.
Take the statue of the Holy Lord Emperor Guan before him. After years of worship and offerings from the people, it had gathered an unknown amount of Incense and Fire Prayer Power. Through his Mind's Eye Observation, Huang Huai had seen that vast, magnificent spectacle, with Incense and Fire Prayer Power surging like a boundless sea.
But to be honest, Huang Huai had truly been stunned by the magnificent sight he'd just seen: Incense and Fire Prayer Power surging like tidal waves, covering the entire hall and even the areas beyond it.
He knew the Holy Lord Emperor Guan's worship was thriving. Every year, when he came to pay his respects, the place was always packed with people, but he'd never had a clear sense of just how much incense was offered.
Now, with his Mind's Eye Observation, Huang Huai finally realized that the Holy Lord Emperor Guan received an astonishing amount of incense and prayer offerings.
Just think: there were tens of thousands of Guandi temples across the world. Wherever there were Chinese people, Guan Gong could be found, and people would offer sacrifices to him.
It was just like how people worshipped Mazu Niangniang in the southeastern coastal regions and across Southeast Asia—wherever there were Chinese people. When it came to the abundance of incense and offerings, few deities could compare.
As the only Guandi temple in the world known as a grove, Guanlin's fame resounded far and wide. Every year, countless people came from all over the world to offer incense before this golden statue of the Holy Lord Emperor Guan.
Looking at the golden statue before him, Huang Huai couldn't help thinking: What would happen if I took this statue of the Holy Lord Emperor Guan to another world?
[Hmm, I'll try to post three chapters tomorrow. If you can, remember to keep reading tomorrow!]
Before you continue