“Your words must be true! My family’s stall is an established one. We have a history of more than ten years,” bragged the vendor cheerfully whilst deftly packing another bag of snacks for Ling Chuxi. Then his eyes lit up as he continued, “The town is so lively today because a messenger belonging to the Deity Temple is passing through. The Lord Messenger is staying at that inn over there. Everyone is so excited and eager to see how this Lord Messenger looks like. There were even quite a few people who had sent gifts over. I will also be sending the best snacks from my stall over in a while.”
Deity Temple?!
A messenger of the Deity Temple? Ling Chuxi was stunned at this news and she frowned after hearing it. This Deity Temple had a high standing in this world. It was the belief of the people. Praised as virtuous, Deity Temple followers would send aid during difficult times. For example, during draught, floods or natural disasters, the people from the Deity Temple would appear to help the citizens. Therefore, they were held in high prestige. How the Deity Temple was perceived was different from how the temples of Ling Chuxi’s previous world were perceived. The people of Deity Temple did not only eat vegetarian food and chant their Buddhist scriptures, but their reputation and authority were both very strong here. They could even go against the Imperial Court! The Deity Temple was the embodiment of justice, righteousness, strength, compassion and messiah.
Seeing as how everyone in this small town was so elated and how worshipful the gazes directed at the inn were, one could easily tell the position Deity Temple held in the hearts of the citizens.
As they ate their snacks, Ling Chuxi’s group of three went into the only inn in the town in search of lodgings for the night. At the door of the inn, there was an attendant who was accepting the things people were sending over to the Lord Messenger of Deity Temple. The attendant waved at them in annoyance and said, “All of you should go back now. Don’t disturb the Lord Messenger’s rest. I will help all of you to pass on the things you have brought to him.” Nobody had any differing opinions and all of them respectfully passed on their gifts to the attendant before turning around and leaving.
Ling Chuxi and the rest walked through the front door of the inn. The innkeeper spoke in an indifferent tone without raising his head, “If you are here bearing gifts for the Lord Messenger, please pass them on to the attendant.”
“We are here to stay though,” said Ling Chuxi in response.
“Oh, is that so?” said the innkeeper as he raised his head to take a clear look at Ling Chuxi and the rest. Observing that they were all dressed out of the ordinary, he hesitated for a moment before speaking in a slightly more polite tone. “I’m afraid this won’t be too convenient, my three guests. We have the Lord Messenger staying here tonight. Why don’t the three of you look for a family to stay with for the night instead?”
“Why? Did the Lord Messenger book your entire inn?” asked Ling Chuxi coldly as she raised her brows.
“The Lord Messenger appreciates peace and quiet. It would be better if you all could look for another place to stay instead of remaining standing here like this,” insisted the innkeeper after he clocked Ling Chuxi’s attitude. If this scene took place in the past, he would definitely not dare to act like this towards people who were dressed out of the ordinary as this group were. However, today was different. The person who was staying in his inn was the Lord Messenger from the Deity Temple. So given the circumstances, his words were no longer courteous.
“You—” began Ling Chuxi, but before she managed to complete her sentence, she was interrupted.
“It’s not a problem, Innkeeper. This is the only inn in town, right? Let this miss and her companions stay,” said a deep male voice. “How could other people be deprived of a place to stay because of me?”
Ling Chuxi turned around to look at the person who spoke. The voice belonged to a young man dressed in green. An odd cloud imprint was embroidered on his sleeve. Ling Chuxi found out later on that the cloud imprint was worn exclusive only by those from the Deity Temple. The man himself looked ordinary. He had a pair of small eyes that were currently beaming at Ling Chuxi. Standing behind him were two males dressed in dark combat clothes with broad hats on their heads, disallowing others to see their faces clearly.
Yet, despite how covered up they were, Ling Chuxi could judge that the two men in dark combat clothes possessed cultivation skills that were not weak. This so-called Lord Messenger also seemed to be very strong in his own right. Because, when he came downstairs, Ling Chuxi was actually unable to notice him until he spoke. His breathing was so restrained that it seemed as though his level of cultivation was above her own.
Ling Yichen frowned slightly. The way the man before them stared at Ling Chuxi made him uncomfortable. Was this man the rumored messenger from Deity Temple?