I'm just an ornamental fish in the water.

Jiang Li frowned.

The idol's eyes and even its entire head were blindfolded, and it didn't know what that specifically meant.

But without a doubt, this is a ritual, or to put it more bluntly: a symbol of mysticism.

Just like how Taoist disciples strike a bronze chime before performing a ritual, creating a resounding sound that shakes the ritual space.

This is also a symbol, meaning that the clear and melodious sound cleanses all the invisible impurities within the temple, thereby creating a clean space for communicating with the gods.

However, Jiang Li's knowledge of scientific instruments and other related knowledge is almost zero.

Even so, Jiang Li instinctively felt that something was wrong.

With a creak, Feng Mu closed the gate of the City God Temple, plunging the temple into darkness.

But Feng Mu was not affected. He just looked at the statue of the City God and said softly, "Whenever a temple is built, a statue must be erected first. When the statue is complete but the temple is not yet finished, a red cloth will be placed over the statue's eyes."

"This means that the temple is not yet qualified to receive the gaze of the gods."

"Only after the temple is built and everything has settled down will a sacrificial ceremony be held to remove the red cloth covering the eyes of the statue. This ritual is called consecration."

She knew that Jiang Li lacked this common sense, so she explained it in great detail.

Jiang Li listened quietly, then frowned and said, "But this statue doesn't seem to be like that?"

"That's right."

Feng Mu's voice carried a hint of coldness.

"The statues of gods and temples that are built to perfection are interdependent. Even if the temples are dilapidated or need to be repaired, the statues of gods will not be treated in this way."

"Instead, we will hold a ritual to temporarily remove the statue of the deity and place it in another auspicious location, ensuring that the incense offerings are never interrupted."

"There has never been anything like this before, where the temple still stands, but the heads of the statues are covered."

Feng Mu pointed at the statue and said softly, "Moreover, the consecration of a statue only involves covering its eyes, but this City God statue has its entire head covered."

"They cannot see, they cannot hear, they cannot speak, and they cannot even smell incense."

This is also a symbol, meaning that the statue has lost all perception of the outside world, and has even been deprived of the connection between the statue and the temple.

"Jiang Li, go and lift the tablecloth under the shrine."

Feng Mu said softly.

"Um."

Jiang Li stepped forward.

The statue of the City God is placed on the shrine, and below the shrine is an offering table, which is where offerings to the gods are placed.

This offering table is also quite strange.

Logically speaking, a temple that has been closed for half a year should still have offerings on its altar.

But on this offering table were three exquisite silver plates filled with fresh seasonal fruits, and the incense burner was full of incense ash.

The entire altar was spotless, a stark contrast to the dusty ground around it.

Jiang Li stood in front of the offering table, reached out and pinched the red cloth covering the table. The red cloth covered the entire table, hanging down and blocking the table legs all the way to the ground.

He used a clever trick, and the red cloth was suddenly pulled away, but the incense burner and offerings on it did not move an inch.

"really."

Feng Mu's gaze fell on the altar.

Underneath the altar, where there should have been nothing, stood a magnificent and exquisite statue of a deity!

The statue depicts a woman seated in meditation. She is veiled and has her hands clasped together at her lower abdomen, a gesture known as the Buddhist meditation mudra.

It means that one's thoughts are focused and still.

If a Buddha statue is in this pose, there should be nothing in its hands, but this female deity statue is holding a book in its hands.

The words “Huang Tian Tai Ping Shu” are written on it.

The statues were extremely ornate, even extravagant.

Because ordinary statues of deities are made of wood and clay, they are usually painted with colors on the surface, or at most coated with a layer of gold powder, and more luxurious ones are gilded.

However, the material inside this statue is unknown, but its surface is covered with a layer of jade.

Pieces of mutton-fat white jade are pieced together, with the seams polished so finely that they appear as a single, seamless whole unless examined very closely.

Heaven knows how much money such a statue must have cost. Putting everything else aside, just finding so many pieces of mutton-fat jade of the same color is an extremely extravagant expense. Not to mention the superb craftsmanship.

Both Jiang Li and Feng Mu recognized this statue.

It is a statue of the Goddess Wusheng.

"Usurping the temple, outwardly a god but inwardly evil, stealing incense offerings."

Feng Mu sneered, pointing at the statue of the Goddess Wusheng, and said, "What a clever trick."

"By sealing the temple gates, covering the City God statue, and then enshrining the statue of the Goddess of No Birth, the incense offerings made by the people on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month will become the Goddess of No Birth's possession!"

Jiang Li frowned deeply, thought for a moment, and then took out the travel token of the Luoshui Divine Palace from his bosom.

Holding the token, he activated his true qi.

"Jiang Li, a servant of the Luoshui Divine Palace, has come to pay homage to the City God of Wushan in the name of the Goddess of Luoshui, and humbly requests Your Majesty's favor in granting me an audience!"

Jiang Li shouted it three times, and the unique aura of the Luoshui Divine Palace on the token also flashed three times.

Although the Water Palace and the City God Palace are not subordinate to each other, they have frequent interactions.

Normally, a servant of the Luoshui Divine Palace seeking an audience with the City God would not be turned away.

But now, Jiang Li called out three times, but there was no response whatsoever.

This was within Jiang Li's expectations, and the result was not surprising to her.

That's precisely why Jiang Li frowned.

The small world of deities in Wushan City God Temple was completely silent.

It's as if the Wushan City God Temple, including the City God himself, has been completely wiped out.

Upon seeing this, Feng Mu closed his eyes and carefully sensed it.

A short while later, she opened her eyes again, her expression inscrutable, and said, "I can't sense the small divine world of the Wushan City God either."

"Does this Goddess Wusheng possess such supernatural powers?"

Jiang Li asked incredulously, "To be able to isolate a part of the City God's World, even to seal it off?"

"Even the Goddess Wusheng cannot do this."

Feng Mu shook his head with certainty and said, "Behind it, there must be an even more evil entity."

The more you understand, the more complicated things become.

The Goddess of No Birth is very likely just a pawn, a mere facade.

There may even be an organization behind it, an evil organization.

This organization's power is so great that it can even interfere with and influence the local city god.

It could be far more than that.

"What do we do now?"

Feng Mu was at a loss for what to do. His handsome eyebrows furrowed as he pondered deeply.

Jiang Li, standing to the side, stared intently at the statue of the Goddess Wusheng, muttering to herself, "The darkest place is under the lamp..."

"What?"

Feng Mu looked at him.

"Even if the Goddess Wusheng has the means to isolate the City God's small world, it is absolutely impossible for her to destroy a City God's small world."

"In other words, the City God's Small World in Wushan County must still exist. However, at least its entrance has been taken over by the Goddess Wusheng."

Jiang Li looked at the statue.

"Then, perhaps the entrance is related to this statue?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Mu's expression shifted, and he stepped forward without hesitation.

She lifted her skirt and ran onto the statue of the Goddess Wusheng.

Boom...

The statue slammed violently against the wall behind it, shattering into meaningless fragments.

As the statue collapsed, Feng Mu's eyes lit up.

With a wave of his hand, an inexplicable supernatural power was unleashed, shooting out a dazzling divine light that landed on the spot where the statue had originally been.

The next moment, a pitch-black void was illuminated by the divine light...