At Sophia's Daoist temple, Ruth sold incense offerings, while local volunteers cleaned and handed out tea beside the merit box.
The Daoists with East Continent features basically handled no affairs. They only appeared occasionally, then hurried off again.
There was a large incense burner in the temple courtyard, topped with a tall iron cover, so even heavy rain would not extinguish the incense.
The people from the five vehicles took turns offering incense. Even the smallest offering consisted of ten thick incense sticks, and even the locals from the Leo Kingdom were no exception.
Before long, smoke filled the courtyard. If not for the rain diluting some of it, it would probably have been quite choking.
Besides burning incense in the courtyard, they naturally had to pay their respects in the True Martial Hall as well. At this point, a foreign female Daoist nun guided everyone through the various rituals—Winston understood some Xia language, but he spoke it haltingly.
Paying respects in the main hall was a lengthy process, but no one grew impatient. They lined up quietly.
Many locals had long heard of this Daoist temple, but few had actually visited. Someone pointed at the statue of the True Martial Emperor and quietly asked the tour guide if that was the deity in question.
Before the guide could speak, Winston gave a cold snort and said softly, "God loves all people, but making noise in a shrine and pointing at a deity—do you know what you're doing?"
That person instantly withdrew his hand, forcing a smile, and did not dare say another word.
Once the round of worship was over, the guide said everyone could look around. The person who recognized Fourth Master Lin spoke up. "Fourth Master, does the temple master happen to be free now?"
"I've already