yasinovel Chapter 44 The Water from the Pure Vase Blooms: Success is Complete!
Chapter 44 The Water from the Pure Vase Blooms: Success is Complete!
"Dear believers."
"The joint worship by the two villages is based on mutual understanding, which pleases the dragon god. However, rituals convey the Way and ceremonies communicate with the gods. The two villages have different customs, just like the two banks of the Qinghe River. Although the water and soil are similar, the scenery is slightly different. This is a natural phenomenon and there is no need to force uniformity."
Lin Shi spoke, his voice not loud, but it pierced through the open space and reached everyone's ears clearly.
"However, since it is a joint worship, there should be rules for joint worship. These rules are not to restrict people's hearts, but to unite the thoughts of the masses, to make the gods hear clearly, and to set an example for future generations."
"Recently, during a period of quiet contemplation, I received guidance from a dragon spirit in a dream. I have made some additions, deletions, and adjustments to the old rituals and drafted a new one. Today, I will conduct the first ceremony. I invite everyone to observe and provide feedback. If there are any improprieties, we can discuss them later."
Lin Shi paused, giving everyone time to digest his words. His words seemed simple, but in fact they contained hidden meaning. The key was the dream revelation of the Flood Dragon God, which acted like a stabilizing force, instantly calming everyone down.
Who can or dares to question the legitimacy of the oracle?
Lin Shi said no more and calmly began to make arrangements.
Fine-tune the position of the offerings.
The offerings of three sacrificial animals and five grains from Shixi Village are presented in a dignified and orderly manner, with the left side representing the left and the right the right. On either side of the incense table, a celadon vase is placed prominently, filled with holy water drawn from Bibo Pool and the upper reaches of the Qinghe River respectively. This symbolizes the unity of the two villages' origins and incorporates the core memory of the sincere offering of pure water in the riverbank rituals of Shanghe Village.
The cumbersome kneeling and worship process in Shixi Village has been simplified. The village is the basic unit, with the chief officiant himself in the center and the representatives of the two villages, Liu Laosi and Sun Ming, standing on the left and right respectively.
The remaining believers lined up by village and performed the rituals simultaneously. This maintained a necessary sense of order while highlighting the theme of joint worship between the two villages.
"Look, everyone, what is enshrined here is the true form of a dragon, majestic and awe-inspiring. It is the manifestation of the Dharma body that cleanses impurities, reveals holiness, and bestows blessings widely."
Lin Shi's gaze swept over the excited, head-raised villagers of Shanghe.
"The stone toad enshrined in my old Shixi Temple is kind and benevolent, and has long resided in this place. It is the embodiment of the compassionate and benevolent spirit of the dragon god, whose blessings are everlasting."
Lin Shi turned towards Shixi Village.
The villagers of Shixi Village involuntarily straightened their chests.
"However, the Dharma body and the compassionate form, though seemingly different, are in fact one and of the same origin, inseparable! The stone toad's compassion originates from the dragon's boundless and irresistible benevolence; the dragon's might also contains the stone toad's silent and profound virtue of protection. These are two sides of the same coin, like the moon reflected in clear water, the moon reflected in countless rivers!"
"From this day forward, all believers in our two villages shall always remember: the stone toad is a compassionate form, and the dragon is the Dharma body! Both are revered and worshipped together, each a different manifestation of the supreme dragon god in the world. May our hearts be united, and may our incense burn in one censer!"
Lin Shi's voice suddenly rose, his gaze intense as he swept over the crowd.
Shixi Village and Shanghe Village are two different villages, and over the years they have had many major conflicts simply because of the dispute over water.
The ancestral worship ceremony has only just begun, yet conflicts have already arisen. If these are not handled properly, they will surely become a major problem in the future.
As an expert, Lin Shi was very clear about the ins and outs of this place.
The remarks just made were actually an opportunity to publicly and clearly explain the core doctrines of the Jiao Shen (蛟神) belief.
The twelve characters, "Stone Toad as Compassionate Appearance, Dragon as Dharma Body," resound in everyone's heart like thunder in spring, and are like a sudden enlightenment.
It integrates the historical heritage of Shixi Village with the awe-inspiring experience of Shanghe Village.
This not only preserved the dignity and traditions of the elders of Shixi Village, but also established the special status of Shanghe Village's divine manifestation, and fundamentally prevented any doctrinal divisions that might arise in the future due to different idols.
The people from both villages savored the details, and the more they pondered them, the more exquisite and seamless they found them. The previous disputes over minor details suddenly seemed petty and insignificant.
Although Liu Laosi and Sun Ming still whispered to each other about the details, they both showed a high degree of cooperation and restraint under the premise of being consistent in the core doctrine, and quickly determined the specific procedures.
The auspicious time has arrived. The autumn sun shines brightly, high in the sky, its clear rays falling unbiasedly upon the land on both banks.
The crowd stood solemnly in front of the new ancestral hall.
The visitors from Shixi Village are on the left, while the local residents of Shanghe Village are on the right. The boundaries remain, but their atmospheres have quietly blended together.
Lin Shisu stood solemnly in front of the incense table.
Liu Laosi and Sun Ming stood behind him with slight bows. Hundreds of people held their breath, even the children stared wide-eyed, and the only sounds in the world were the autumn wind rustling through the new tiles and the gentle murmur of the river in the distance.
Lin Shi stepped forward, washed his hands with clean water, dried them, took three sticks of coarse incense that had been specially prepared and mixed with spices from the cypress wood of the two villages, and lit them with the flame of the ever-burning lamp.
A column of bluish-gray smoke rose straight up, initially straight, until it reached the eaves, where it was then dispersed by the autumn wind, the wisps of smoke seemingly merging and converging.
Lin Shi stepped back, raised his hands, palms facing upwards in a gesture of supplication, as if receiving divine revelation, and prayed aloud. His voice was clear and resonant like a chime, yet deep and resonant like a mountain, each word striking the hearts of everyone present.
"On this auspicious day, I respectfully present my heartfelt wishes."
"The children of the two villages along the Shixi River share divine grace and are blessed with divine rain."
"May your benevolent countenance bring you peace and health year after year; may your divine body manifest its power, cleansing away calamities and restoring youth. Now that the new shrine is completed, we hold this joint worship ceremony. We humbly offer seasonal delicacies and fine wine to express our sincere devotion. We humbly beseech the dragon spirit to bestow its wisdom and accept this small offering."
"May your benevolent light and divine power shine upon our land, bringing harmony to our land; may your compassionate light and divine might protect our people from calamities. May our two villages, united in heart, forever serve your revered deity—we humbly offer this sacrifice!"
Lin Shi's prayer is simple and solemn, both tracing back to divine grace and elucidating the profound meaning of the joint worship.
Most people are illiterate and don't quite understand the meaning.
However, the solemn rhythm, the devout rhymes, and the expression of the reciter as if in harmony with heaven and earth were enough to captivate them and fill them with awe and reverence.
As soon as Lin Shi finished speaking the words "May you enjoy this feast," he bowed deeply, his bow touching the ground.
Liu Laosi, Sun Ming, and hundreds of believers from the two villages, as if propelled by invisible waves, all bowed down, their foreheads lightly touching the cold or warm earth.
In the same instant when the purest aspirations of hundreds of people converged into a stream and their devotion reached its peak,
Inside the new ancestral hall in Shanghe Village, a faint yet undeniable golden light suddenly flashed across the eyes of the wooden dragon statue, as if it had instantly opened its third eye.
The two celadon vases on the altar, each containing holy water from the Bibo Pool and the upper reaches of the Qinghe River respectively, hummed softly and melodiously without wind.
The calm surface of the water in the bottle suddenly surged as if boiling, arching upwards from the center to form two small, crystal-clear water columns. At the top of the water columns, two extremely tiny pale blue water lilies, composed of countless even smaller water droplets, bloomed.
The lotus heart shimmered with light, emanating a pure and refreshing spiritual aura that cleansed the soul.
In the blink of an eye, the water column receded, the water surface returned to calm, leaving only a damp ring around the bottle opening and the fresh, mountain-like mist that filled the air after the rain.
at the same time.
Strange phenomena occurred in the Jiaoshen Temple in Shixi Village.
The dragon god suddenly emitted a restrained and profound earthy yellow radiance, and a wisp of pale yellow mist, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, slowly drifted out, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to those who approached it.
The mirror-like surface of Bibo Pool, reflecting the autumn blue sky, suddenly rippled with countless concentric circles, spreading from the center of the pool to the shore. Sunlight shattered on the ripples, creating shimmering, golden spots of light.
Even more miraculously, everyone who was at the sacrificial site in both locations and whose minds were sufficiently devout and focused, whether in front of the new ancestral hall in Shanghe Village or outside the old ancestral hall in Shixi Village, instantly transcended the limitations of sight and hearing and perceived the scene and atmosphere of the other sacrificial site.
It wasn't a clear picture or sound, but a hazy yet vivid feeling.
The people of Shanghe Village seemed to smell the familiar, heavy incense smoke from the ancestral hall in Shixi Village. They felt the reassuring and protective power emanating from the dragon statue.
The people of Shixi Village seem to see the golden light in the eyes of the dragon statue in the new ancestral hall on the opposite bank, and feel the clear and refreshing vitality bursting forth when the water lily blooms in the vase.
More importantly, these people clearly sensed two warm and powerful currents of air rising from the Jiaoshen Temple in Shixi Village and the new temple in Shanghe Village, respectively. They pierced through the void and converged above the Qinghe River, their color becoming increasingly pale gold. One part was like sweet rain falling from the sky, nourishing the land and life on both banks, while the other part surged and roared, surging into the unfathomable depths of Bibo Pool.
"Is the pool water glowing?"
"I can feel it! Such a peaceful atmosphere over Stone Creek Village!"
"Water! The water in the vase is blooming! It's the Dragon God manifesting His power!"
"The joint worship ceremony has been completed! It's truly completed! The wishes of both villages have been simultaneously received by the Dragon God!"
After a brief moment of extreme silence, an uncontrollable surge of ecstasy, awe, and an urge to worship erupted like a volcano, engulfing everyone. They looked at each other, and no matter which village they came from, all they could see was the excitement, resonance, and unwavering recognition of being fellow recipients of divine grace.
Lin Shi slowly straightened up, clearly sensing the immense power of faith that had successfully achieved cross-village integration and leaped to a new level in both quality and quantity, which was washing over the dragon clone and simultaneously nourishing his spiritual senses.
Liu Laosi, Sun Ming, and the people from both villages looked at Lin Shi with pure respect and devotion in their eyes.
The friction over the details of the ceremony had long since vanished in the face of the miracle of "the faith of the two villages resonating and merging before the gods."
The joint worship ceremony in the two villages was successfully completed.
The foundation of the Jiao God faith thus expanded from the base of one village to the rock-solid foundation of an alliance between two villages.