"Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil-Great God Yunlai"
Yu Ziye stood outside Yunlai Hall, staring blankly, while the worshippers inside began changing the god's robe after paying their respects.
The statue of Great God Yunlai was exquisitely crafted, with clothing already sculpted onto it, though it had not been painted. But the people of Lingdong felt that this alone was not enough, so the Robe-Changing Ceremony at the end of each year also signified bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new alongside the divine being.
Because of the drought over the past two years, this year's "Robe-Changing Ceremony" was especially grand.
Once Great God Yunlai had been dressed in his new divine robe, he looked even more lifelike. Amid the bustle, Yu Ziye felt that the divine being on the altar was watching him the entire time.
For a hazy moment, it seemed as though last night's dream had returned.
"You treacherous scoundrel! Sooner or later, you'll meet a wretched end!"
As the voice rang out, a golden brush tipped with golden light reached toward his face.
"Argh..."
Yu Ziye shuddered and abruptly snapped out of his hallucination. Recalling what the Provincial Yamen Runner had said-that ghosts and evil spirits could not enter the government compound-he wondered whether it really had been Great God Yunlai.
Inside the hall, the worshippers were kowtowing, offering incense, and praying. Some prayed for peace in the coming year, some prayed for those scoundrels to die miserable deaths, and even more prayed for favorable winds and timely rains. There were even people praying for marriage, children, and wealth.
"Quick, go buy three sticks of incense for me too!"
Yu Ziye gave the order to his guards, and one immediately hurried off to buy incense.
Once the commotion subsided, the worshippers departed one after