Hong Yin's chanting lasted half an hour. When she opened her beautiful eyes again, the tear tracks on her face had dried, and her expression had once more returned to tranquil, unruffled calm.
When the chanting stopped, Hong Yin pressed her palms together again and kowtowed respectfully. Only then did she slowly rise, gently turn around, and look toward Li Yan, who sat cross-legged not far away.
Li Yan opened his eyes at that moment as well, their blacks and whites distinct, clear as a sea of stars.
"Amitabha! Fellow Daoist Li, this humble nun has finally found the foundation of the temple in the Immortal Spirit Realm. No matter how I thank you afterward, this humble nun must first offer you my thanks!"
As she spoke, she pressed her palms together and bowed to Li Yan. This time, Li Yan did not avoid it, but he immediately stood as well and returned Hong Yin's gesture with a Daoist salute.
He knew this bow was not the kind of thanks they had discussed as part of their conditions, but because Hong Yin had found her own sect. She was thanking him in the name of the entire Red Buddha Temple.
That was why, in Hong Yin's words, she had used "this humble nun" twice in succession, to show how solemnly she regarded it. Though Hong Yin had occasionally used those words in past conversations with Li Yan, relatively speaking, she had used "I" far more often.
When she walked the outside world, she still interacted with others as a cultivator. The words "this humble nun" only slipped out unconsciously from time to time, but here, she had used them deliberately.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Hong Yin, on finding your sect's foundation. This has also been your long-cherished wish for many years.