The final eave tile was finally set in place.
Su Aheng wiped the fine sweat from her brow.
The calves of her legs were trembling.
The webbing of her hand holding the chisel had long since been rubbed raw, and the blood scabs had congealed within the wood grain, blending with the vermilion paint.
But she didn't care in the slightest, merely staring at the nascent Divine Lady Temple before her.
The freshly painted vermilion pillars were still damp, and the bells hanging under the eaves swayed in the wind, making a delicate tinkling sound.
“It still doesn’t look perfect,” she murmured to herself, her voice so raspy it was almost inaudible.
She originally wanted to do a bit more, but as soon as her body touched the edge of the table, drowsiness surged over her like a tide.
Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and her head began to nod until she finally drifted into a deep sleep.
In a daze, a burst of white light exploded before her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again...
She was standing in a completely unfamiliar place.
“Am I dreaming?”
No one answered.
Massive wooden frames stood tall, gears meshed with gears, pulleys spun incessantly, and shuttles darted between warp threads, producing a continuous “clack-clack” sound.
A woman stood before a wooden frame, her face blurred as if obscured by a layer of mist.
Her hands were moving, but she wasn't pushing a shuttle; with a gentle pull, a row of spindles spun simultaneously, and fabric poured out from the other end like flowing water.
Su Aheng was mesmerized.
In the past, she had seen her mother weave and knew how many days and nights it took for a single bolt of silk to take shape.
Yet the miraculous object this woman used could weave at a speed that matched several weavers combined!
“What is this thing?” she heard herself ask.
The woman turned her head, her face still blurred, but her voice was exceptionally clear: “A spinning machine.”
Su Aheng wanted to ask more, but the ground suddenly vanished beneath her feet.
The sound of gears, shuttles, the creaking of pulleys, and the woman herself all slowly faded from her sight.
“Aheng! Aheng!”
A rough, large hand patted her shoulder with just enough force to pull her out of the nightmare.
“Grandpa?” Su Aheng looked blankly at the old man.
Su Dashan nudged her. “Quickly, go wash your face. I heard that the Divine Lady has descended to the mortal realm. The Divine Lady is a savior to us, and we must go pay our respects.”
Su Aheng obediently went to wash her face.
“Grandpa.”
She couldn't help but ask, “Do you know if there’s a type of spinning machine where one person can do the work of several?”
Su Dashan laughed and patted her head. “You must be exhausted and confused. Even the Weaver Girl in heaven likely doesn't have such ability. Let’s go quickly, don't miss the hour.”
Su Aheng said no more.
By the time the grandfather and granddaughter arrived at the ritual altar in the city, the place was already bustling with people. The further they went, the denser the crowd became, until it was nearly impossible to move.
On the other side, Shen Yu and the others also arrived at the ritual altar.
Pei Du stood at the back and looked in; a sea of dark heads stretched all the way to the base of the altar.
Men, women, young, and old were huddled together, everyone looking up with devout and burning gazes toward the sky.
The originally noisy crowd suddenly fell silent.
In the next second...
A ball of light appeared on the horizon.
The light appeared emerald green, like a green gemstone embedded in the curtain of the sky.
The light moved slowly, growing larger with every inch it descended, its radiance becoming increasingly bright.
When the light flew over the city walls, it had already transformed into a warm, emerald glow, hovering directly above the ritual altar.
The light gradually receded.
A stalk of emerald orchid entered Pei Du’s vision.
The emerald orchid was held in a slender, fair hand, its leaves long and sword-like, with small white flowers emitting a faint glow.
Following the orchid upward...
Was a snow-white wrist.
Then, he saw the Divine Lady.
She emerged from the emerald light, dressed in a gown of white and green. Her dark hair was coiled high into a magnificent Wangxian bun, with a piece of plain silk draped from behind the bun like mist, trailing a soft arc behind her.
Exquisite orchid patterns were embroidered on the hem of her skirt.
With her movements, those orchids seemed to come to life, swaying gracefully on the fabric.
The sunlight shone from behind her, gilding her entire form with a faint golden silhouette.
It was impossible to look away.
“Divine Lady—”
Someone in the crowd cried out, their voice trembling so much it nearly cracked.
Then, like a dam bursting, the voices of hundreds merged into a flood that swept across the land.
“Divine Lady! The Divine Lady has manifested!”
“We welcome the Divine Lady to the world!”
“Long live the Divine Lady!”
Shouts rose and fell like waves, and the sound of foreheads hitting the ground created a dull thud.
A vast area around the ritual altar was filled with kneeling people; even Shen Jue and Shen Yu knelt toward the altar.
【Pei Du Shock Value +50】
【Su Aheng Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 76,000】
Yun Shu stood atop the ritual altar.
She immediately noticed Pei Du.
Everyone else was kneeling with their heads bowed, yet he was just standing there.
How could he not be conspicuous?
However, she had not come for him, so her gaze naturally didn't linger on him for long.
“I have descended to the mortal realm today for a wager.”
The Divine Lady’s voice was cold and ethereal.
Before Her words had even faded, She flicked Her sleeve, and a strange object appeared out of thin air on the ritual altar.
The area around the altar immediately erupted into chaos.
“What is that? I’ve never heard of such a thing!” someone exclaimed with curiosity, their neck stretched out long.
“Could it be the Divine Lady’s magical artifact?”
“And what is this wager the Divine Lady spoke of?”
“I don't know...”
Everyone whispered to one another, all of them confused.
Only Su Aheng’s eyes widened.
The object beside the Divine Lady was exactly the same as the spinning machine she had seen in her dream!
“This is the Weaver Girl’s spinning machine.” The Divine Lady raised Her hand, lightly stroking the machine, and spoke slowly: “Observe. A common spinning wheel has one person for one spindle, spinning only one thread at a time. But this spinning machine uses one axle to drive eight spindles. With the strength of one person, it can match the work of eight, or even more.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire crowd went into an uproar.
“One person matching eight?” a woman cried out in surprise.
The Divine Lady paid no mind to the clamor below.
She made a guiding gesture with Her fair hand.
The spindles on the machine began to spin on their own.
The spinning yarn flowed like a waterfall.
The crowd was so shocked their jaws nearly hit the ground.
【Pei Du Shock Value +100】
【Zhang Qiaoniang Shock Value +100】
【Pei Wanning Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 116,000】
“A divine object...”
“Truly a divine object...”
“This... this is definitely not something humanly possible!”
“Not so.” The Divine Lady shook Her head. “What this object utilizes is merely the cleverness of pulleys and gears.”
“If you can comprehend the secrets within, you can all do the same without any immortal arts or divine power.”
Her voice paused, and Her gaze swept over the faces below—faces filled with both awe and confusion—as She said calmly, “This is the origin of the wager. The Weaver Girl claimed that the wisdom of mortals is insufficient to master such heavenly objects. I, however, do not believe so.”
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