Acai's Sky

Chapter 977: City God Temple? Yellow Spring Ferry 4

Ah Cai looked up at the rotten wood hanging from the eaves, her fingertips traced the winding black slime marks on the green bricks, and her brows were tightly furrowed into the shape of a "川" (川).

The evening breeze, carrying a fishy-sweet scent, swept across the broken eaves. Thirty-six white lanterns flickered behind her, making the broken neck of the headless statue look even more eerie and terrifying.

"The City God Temple should be glorious after its restoration. It's really hard to accept its corrupt appearance!" Her voice was wrapped in a sigh, which caused a subtle echo in the empty main hall.

Before she finished speaking, Ah Cai waved her slender hand lightly, and the [Basic Brush] in the system backpack turned into a stream of light and fell into her palm.

This seemingly ordinary brush actually emitted a warm golden glow, and the bristles trembled gently like a living thing, exuding a faint sacred aura.

She walked to the mottled vermilion lacquer door. As soon as the brush touched the door panel, the rotten wood chips peeled off, revealing the brand new maroon paint underneath.

With each wave of the brush, the bronze dragon perched on the door knocker slowly opened its clear golden eyes, the mold spots condensed between its scales turned into green smoke and dissipated, and the originally dull dragon claws once again glowed with a majestic cold light.

The power of repair spread like ripples. Ah Cai climbed onto the crumbling stage and swept the brush across the broken beams. The cracks healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the delicate carvings reappeared on the wood.

As she bent over to wipe the altar, the blood-colored runes at the bottom of the "Meng Po Soup" bowl shattered, and wisps of sandalwood rose from the steaming black mist.

The most shocking thing is the headless statue - as the paint swept over the remains, the peeling gold paint returned like a tide, and warm white marble grew out of the broken parts. A solemn and dignified head slowly emerged from the light, the statue's eyes were slightly closed, and the compassionate expression seemed to be able to soothe the pain of all the wronged souls.

When Ah Cai walked towards the Yellow Spring Well, the water suddenly surged and boiled.

She dipped the brush into the dark green water, and the well water instantly became clear and transparent, reflecting the clear blue sky.

The roar of broken chains came from deep in the well. The pale arms that had dragged everyone turned into fluorescent dots, circling up along the wall of the well, and finally gathered into a sky full of stars.

The bluestone at the wellhead automatically joined together, and dewdrops on the well curb carved with lotus patterns reflected colorful light.

As the final stroke of the pen touched the City God Temple plaque, the entire space suddenly trembled violently. The clouds split open, a dazzling golden light. The long-lost morning sun poured down like a waterfall, illuminating every new brick and tile.

The copper bells on the eaves played clear and pleasant music, and thirty-six white lanterns lit warm orange flames, interweaving with the golden sunlight to form a dreamy light curtain.

On the once gloomy Yellow Springs River, lotus flowers bloomed one after another, and paper boats carrying obsessed souls turned into streams of light and rose into the sky, leaving only the shimmering river surface reflecting the newly renovated City God Temple.

Ah Cai leaned against the vermilion lacquer pillar that had regained its vitality, looking at the fluff of the small glutinous rice ball glowing softly in the sunlight, and a relieved smile finally appeared on the corner of her mouth.

At this moment, the golden tiles of the City God Temple are shining, auspicious clouds are swirling between the flying eaves and brackets, and the fragrance of sandalwood and lotus is lingering in the wind.

She knew that this building, which had carried countless wronged souls, had finally shed its decayed shell and returned to its sacred appearance under the bright sun.

Qin General Wang Li gazed at the morning sun dancing on the glazed tiles. The cracks in his black armor were still stained with the rotten mud from his battle with the Yin corpses. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "This is exactly what I imagined the City God Temple to be like. What a scourge it was when I first arrived. Even the demon gods crossing the border didn't look so creepy!"

His voice echoed in the empty temple, startling the swallows that had newly built nests in the beams, and fluttered over the newly painted mural of "Investiture of the Gods".

Acai's fingertips slid across the interface of the system backpack, and ripples appeared on the bronze storage aperture.

She first took out the three sacrificial animals. The beef, mutton and pork on the white jade plate shone with a warm, oily luster in the sunlight. Then, nine sticks of agarwood fell into the bronze tripod with a "click". When the light golden smoke rose, it condensed into a Tai Chi pattern in the air.

The last paper figure she took out was the most peculiar - twenty-eight paper puppets in Taoist robes were arranged neatly, with their eyebrows and eyes outlined with cinnabar, and cloud patterns and talismans painted on the hems of their clothes. They were the "house-protecting spiritual soldiers" made using the ancient method that she had bought in Xianzhi Town.

When the first wisp of incense ash fell on the blue bricks, the entire City God Temple suddenly rang with the distant sound of bells and chimes.

Ah Cai held a peach wood sword in her hand and walked around the cauldron in the Yu step, chanting the "Altar Purification Mantra": "The resounding sound will clear the ten directions..."

As the incantation flowed, the offerings on the altar actually glowed faintly, the three animals turned into wisps of green smoke and rose into the void, and the paper man's eyeballs suddenly turned ink-black, and moved slightly as if they were infused with spiritual consciousness.

The most magical thing is the smoke from the burning agarwood. The originally straight column of smoke suddenly twists and turns, outlining the verses of the Tao Te Ching in the air, and the words like golden powder are suspended in the air.

Tong Jiazhi's mechanical eyes flashed with a strange light, "These runes... are reconstructing the laws of space!"

Before he finished speaking, the sound of gurgling water could be heard from the Yellow Spring River outside the temple. The dark green water faded away, replaced by a crystal clear stream. Lotus flowers floated on the water, and the rolling dewdrops on the petals reflected a colorful halo.

Flowers of the red spider lily bloom on both sides of the river, and the blood-bright flowers sway gently in the breeze, as if telling of endless sorrow.

Each flower blooms so gorgeously, yet with a hint of sadness. The petals are as soft as silk, trembling slightly, as if showing people their short but beautiful life.

The fragrance of the red spider lily permeates the air, making people feel a faint sadness.

They grow by the Yellow Spring River, accompanied by death, but still bloom tenaciously.

In this mysterious world, red spider lilies have become a unique existence. Their beauty is unforgettable, but it also reminds people of the lives that have been lost.

The paper-made people dispersed in neat steps, some flew to the eaves to repair the tiles that had just been repaired, and some stood between the beams and pillars, making seals and chanting mantras.

When the last paper puppet stood still in front of the temple gate, the foundation of the entire City God Temple suddenly made a buzzing sound, and nine golden light pillars rose from the ground, lifting the building slightly into the air.

The wind chimes on the eaves spontaneously played "Buxuyun" and the newly sculpted statue of the City God opened its eyes, with the tablet in its hand shedding golden light.

Wherever it goes, even the dust floating in the air turns into twinkling stars.

Qin general Bai Qi looked at the Taoist pattern emerging between the brows of the statue, and the Zhuxian Sword at his waist suddenly made a clear sword sound, and the corpse poison on the sword evaporated and dissipated in the golden light.

Ah Cai gazed at the newly renovated City God Temple, took out three copper coins, and tossed them into the air. As they spun, they formed the hexagrams of "Heaven, Earth, and Man," before finally landing firmly in the center of the Tai Chi diagram—a perfect omen for the Taoist concept of "the Three Elements returning to their proper places."

As dusk falls, the City God Temple has completely lost its dark atmosphere.

The newly planted osmanthus trees wafted a sweet fragrance, and the stone pavement in front of the temple glowed with a faint fluorescence, like a Milky Way scattered on earth.

Ah Cai lit the last eternal lamp. In the warm yellow light, she saw the paper people turning into fireflies and blending into the night, while the eaves of the City God Temple outlined a solemn outline under the starry sky, truly becoming a sacred place to protect the yin and yang worlds.