The Heart Fire swayed with the boat like a bright lantern.
Within its glow, the faint outline of a figure could be seen.
Wherever the Heart Fire shone, those who had been howling in the water fell silent.
Around them, the Black Water gradually receded.
The believers emerged once more. Every one of them looked peaceful and breathed evenly, as though sound asleep; quite a few even had a healthy glow about their brows.
"What's going on now? It's as if everything suddenly turned on its head!"
Standing atop the wall, the young man and the girl watched a lone boat press onward through the churning Black Water. Astonishment filled their faces, and they turned to Zhang Fang for an explanation.
Zhang Fang studied the boat, equally startled and doubtful. But he had seen much of the world, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Like the Black Water, that boat was formed from thoughts. It's an application of Divine Authority. But first the Black Water engulfed people and threatened their lives, and now a lone boat has appeared to light a glimmer of hope. It's as though a Deity suddenly developed two wills that contradict each other!"
The Red-Coated Girl said, "Could that Deity have fallen into a frenzy? Gone mad? I heard the old man say Deities are bound most tightly by Incense. Without a sufficient foundation in cultivation and a firm enough Dao Heart, they're easily swayed by the thoughts their believers entrust to them, and deviations arise. Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn one."
The young man nodded. "That makes sense. Believers may be influenced by a Deity, but people lead all manner of lives, and believers can be good or bad. Some worship a Deity for their own convenience, some out