Bridal Goddess

The next morning, before dawn had fully broken, mountain mist still lay heavy in the hollows when a clutter of footsteps sounded outside the temple.

The first to arrive were several sedan-chair bearers, walking at the front as they chatted and laughed.

As they rounded the foot of the mountain and spotted from afar the huge hole lightning had blasted through the temple roof, their steps faltered.

When they came closer and saw the temple doors wide open, a white-haired Daoist standing inside the broken threshold with his hands behind his back, and a little girl peeking around behind him—

The bride who had been trussed up like a dumpling yesterday was now standing perfectly unharmed beside the Daoist.

The smiles froze on all the bearers' faces.

Two of the bolder men crept over and craned their heads through the temple doors.

At that glance, their faces turned even whiter.

There was no sign of the Earth Deity on the altar. The original clay idol had long since vanished, replaced by a statue of a woman dressed in bridal robes.

Her eyes were lowered, and she held a lamp in both hands.

A tiny flame glimmered faintly from the wick in the morning breeze.

The news swept through like a clear mountain wind.

Within less than half an hour, a dark mass of people had gathered before the temple.

There were farmers carrying hoes, women with children in their arms, and several local gentry whispering among the crowd. Every one of them stretched their necks to peer inside.

They chattered endlessly, yet no one dared to be the first to step through the temple doors.

As the sun climbed higher, around midmorning, the crowd was suddenly split down the middle by an imposing force.

Several burly men escorted a fat