"Ting! Ting ting!"
The door closed, the curtain fell, and the room was enveloped in dim light and an unusual tranquility.
Jiang Yuan could only hear his own breathing, while Ji Xiuxiang, kneeling before the divine statue, seemed not to breathe at all. Slowly and rhythmically, she tapped a wooden clapper, producing a monotonous yet solid sound.
He squinted, examining the divine statue approximately over a meter high, surrounded by a flower-decorated canopy. It wore a red bridal dress and a phoenix crown, resembling a bride sitting in a palanquin, ready for marriage.
In front of the statue, incense burned in the censer, with spiraling blue smoke filling the room with a peculiar fragrance.
"Ji Xiuxiang, a believer, bows and prays to Her Majesty!" Dizzy from the incense, Jiang Yuan suddenly heard Ji Xiuxiang shout shrilly, and then chant half aloud and half sung: "With one stick of incense, transform into a million incense clouds, and beseech Her Majesty's descent..."
