Chapter 99: The Heavenly Palace and the Thunder God
Upon the altar, the statue of Thunder God began to emit a radiant glow. The previously stiff and artificial-looking paintwork gradually softened, and the once harsh, rigid angles of the statue became more natural and refined.
The statue's eyes flickered with a gleam, resembling a flash of lightning in the night. It seemed as though the clay figure was slowly coming to life, its eyes fixed downward with a terrifying aura of authority.
“Who dares to summon me?” The voice boomed like thunder, reverberating throughout the temple, as though multiple claps of thunder were crashing together. The calico cat had already hidden behind the Daoist priest's legs, peeking out with only half its head and one eye, observing the scene with wide eyes.
The priest stood below, cupping his hands in respect towards the altar. “It is I who requests your presence.”
“A Daoist priest...” Thunder God's eyes narrowed slightly, as if offended. In a deep voice, he questioned, “What lineage do you hail from? Who is your master? How dare you be so disrespectful! To seek an audience with a god without even offering incense?”
“Thunder God, you misunderstand. I am traveling and did not bring incense with me. It was not my intention to be disrespectful. I am Song You, the thirtieth-generation heir of Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain, apprenticed under Daoist Duoxing,” Song You replied respectfully.
After a brief pause, he added, “However, my master is still alive. If you wish to inquire further, you may visit Yin-Yang Mountain in Lingquan County to seek her out.”
These thirty generations were counted from the lineage of Hidden Dragon Temple, not from the founding of the temple itself. Hidden Dragon Temple's lineage began long before the creation of Daoism.
It was only after someone established Daoism that a zealous ancestor decided to build the Hidden Dragon Temple on Yin-Yang Mountain. Many lazy ancestors later lived off it. In truth, the lineage of Hidden Dragon Temple predated not only the Heavenly Palace but also Daoism itself.