Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 329 Body search
Yan Ciwan pleaded, "But my mother is paralyzed and can't eat normally. She needs someone to feed her. She's not used to strangers being near her. Could I take some time at noon to come back and take care of her?"

After thinking for a moment, Danxiazi said, "This is against the rules, but I will make an exception for you because of your commendable filial piety."

Yan Ciwan was overjoyed: "Thank you!"

Danxiazi looked her up and down and, seeing that she was already dressed, said, "Let's go now."

"Ok!"

Yan Ciwan followed Danxiazi out of the courtyard. The gate closed behind her. She walked lightly, her face full of anticipation, but her true feelings were not so pleasant.

She knew very well that Danxiazi must have already become suspicious of her. The reason he hadn't expressed it directly was probably because he had some concerns. He would likely send someone to sneak into the courtyard to check on the envoy's situation after she left, in which case the envoy's true identity would be exposed.

Yan Ciwan must find the old woman before the truth is revealed.

She was led to the entrance of the main hall, where a colossal statue stood in the adjacent plaza. The sun was shining brightly, and the sky was clear; she could finally see clearly the characters engraved on the sword held by the statue—four characters that felt incredibly familiar to her.

God bless Yongning!

The same words were also engraved on the blade of the Ning knife.

Yan Ciwan was very surprised. She looked up at the face of the statue. Although she had never seen this person before, she felt a lingering sense of familiarity with his features.

Could the statue be modeled after the Ning clan?
Yan Ciwan knew very little about the past of the Ning clan. She only knew that the Ning clan possessed two secret treasures that were not passed on to outsiders: the Longevity Manual and the Ning Blade. Later, the Ning clan suffered a great upheaval and was wiped out. The few remaining descendants were forced to hide their identities and go into hiding. Her maternal grandfather was one of them.

What connection could the Ning family have with the Five Gods Cult?
She recalled the scene many years ago at the birthday banquet of the wife of the governor of Xizhou, when He Chunzhuo appeared in front of her and her mother. Her mother was very shocked. Even though her mother quickly recovered and tried her best to hide her emotional changes, Yan Ciwan could still tell that her mother was very flustered at that time.

Looking back now, it's likely that her mother knew He Chunzhuo's identity and background. The reason she panicked was because she knew what a behemoth was hiding behind He Chunzhuo. She didn't want to be drawn into the vortex of power struggles, so she refused the valuable gifts He Chunzhuo offered and left the banquet early with her daughter to go home.

Yan Ciwan pondered inwardly. The Five Gods Sect was formed by the remnants of the previous dynasty. They had been lying low for many years in order to overthrow the Great Cause and restore the Heng Dynasty. Apart from the Longevity Technique and Ning Blade, the Ning family had nothing special. Why was the Five Gods Sect so fixated on the descendants of the Ning family? What secrets were hidden behind this?
"Lady Xiao!"

Yan Ciwan withdrew her gaze, looked in the direction of the sound, and saw Que Niang walking towards them.

Que Niang was dressed in the same red dress and white skirt as Yan Ciwan. She was very happy to see Yan Ciwan there as well.

Yan Ciwan smiled slightly at her: "Good morning, Sparrow Girl."

After they finished greeting each other, Danxiazi spoke up, saying, "Since this is your first time entering the temple, you must undergo an inspection according to the rules, and you are not allowed to carry any weapons."

Yan Ciwan said helplessly, "We are just weak women who can't even kill a chicken, where would we get weapons?"

Sparrow Girl nodded vigorously in agreement.

Danxiazi always wore a friendly smile, but her words were quite cold and unsympathetic.

"These are the rules of Hengqing Temple, and everyone must abide by them. You will now undergo a body search."

Upon hearing that she was to be searched, Que Niang immediately tensed up, clutching her chest and taking a step back.

"You are a man, and we are women. How dare you search us?!"

Danxiazi had anticipated her reaction and reassured her, "Don't be afraid, I won't offend you. Ayou, come out for a moment."

A moment later, a young woman dressed in red and white emerged from the main hall. She appeared to be just over twenty years old, her hair was combed back, revealing a smooth and full forehead, her clothes were impeccably arranged, and a perfectly placed smile graced her beautiful face.

Danxiazi said to her, "These two are newcomers, named Que Niang and Xiao Niang. You should search and check them first, and once you've confirmed there are no problems, you can teach them etiquette and manners."

Ayou curtsied and said, "Yes."

She straightened up and looked at Yan Ciwan and Que Niang, saying softly, "Please forgive my rudeness."

When Que Niang saw that the person searching her was a woman of similar age to herself, she was less resistant than before.

She stood still and obediently accepted the inspection.

Ayou carefully examined Que Niang from head to toe but found nothing unusual. Next, it was Yan Ciwan's turn.

Yan Ciwan spread her hands, looking quite calm and composed.

Ayou checked very carefully, even asking her to open and inspect the sachet she always carried. Only after confirming that there was nothing in the sachet except for spices did Ayou return it to her.

As Yan Ciwan reached out to take the sachet, Ayou suddenly grabbed her hand and said, "Take off the ring on your hand and let me see it."

Yan Ciwan's heart skipped a beat.

Without batting an eye, she removed the silver ring and handed it to the other person, explaining, "This is part of my mother's dowry. Although it's not particularly valuable, it's very meaningful to me."

Ayou held the ring close to her eyes and examined it carefully.

Danxiazi asked, "Is there something wrong with this ring?"

Ayou examined the ring for a while, but found nothing unusual, so she said, "It's just an ordinary silver ring."

Yan Ciwan stretched out her hands and asked expectantly, "Could you please give me back the ring?"

Ayou said seriously, "There are strict requirements for the attire of a divine servant. You cannot wear any extra jewelry."

"I'll put it away later and never wear it again."

Hearing Yan Ciwan say this, Ayou returned the ring to her.

Yan Ciwan did not put the ring back on her hand, but carefully put it into her sleeve pocket.

After confirming that the two were not carrying any prohibited items, Ayou prepared to lead them into the main hall, while Danxiazi left first.

Yan Ciwan watched his departing figure and guessed that he would probably go to investigate the true identity of the Venerable Envoy next.

There isn't much time left for her.

In the center of the main hall stood a lifelike statue of a deity. The statue's face was exactly the same as the statues outside, except that it was not holding a sword or a magical pagoda. Instead, it was holding a half-open scroll of scripture.

After seeing the face of the deity clearly, Que Niang suddenly whispered something to Yan Ciwan.

Why do I feel like this statue's face looks a bit like yours?