sbdcsierra Chapter 481 Remnants of the Old City
Chapter 481 Remnants of the Old City
It was already noon when we left the Moon-Viewing Boat.
Although it was mid-spring, the blazing sun was already high in the sky, but it did not diminish people's enthusiasm in the slightest.
Shen Xu replaced the somewhat wilted Golden Sun Flower wreath on his head with a more refreshing Cold Star Orchid. The cool breeze emanating from his head gave him a strange sense of comfort.
The bustling crowds on Jinxiu Avenue gave him a feeling of returning to Earth.
The petals of the sunset glowed like a rainbow, weaving together to form flowing, colorful clouds that covered the streets and alleys.
The vibrant "Jade Flower Tree" forms a natural dome, with cascading flower spikes.
Carefully cultivated flowers adorn both sides of the streets, bridge railings, and the corners of eaves and walls.
The shimmering fluorescent "Star Moon Vine" and the butterfly-shaped "Cleome" climb on every building and bridge, transforming them into giant flower racks.
The crowds surged, the noise was deafening, and the flowers were in full bloom, creating a scene of overwhelming excitement.
But his target today is not the main city, but the original site of Hundred Flowers City, which is also known as the old city by the local residents.
The exact extent of the old city is unknown; Shen Xu only learned that it was located on the western edge of Baihua City.
The area was mostly inhabited by elderly and faded beauties from Hundred Flowers City, and some descendants of the earliest inhabitants.
After several twists and turns, Shen Xu found a small covered boat to the old town.
The covered boats passed through narrow, winding ancient tributaries, gradually moving away from the huge painted boats on the main channel.
As the covered boat continued to move forward, the hustle and bustle of the main city gradually faded away.
The waterways here are even denser, with the small tributaries of the Jade Belt River meandering through them, where many very simple boats are moored.
Both sides of the river are lined with low-rise wooden houses, and the streets are narrow and winding.
Several dim yellow lanterns hung under the eaves, casting long, swaying reflections on the water.
Occasionally, a small covered boat belonging to a local elderly person glides by, the oars stirring the water and making a rhythmic "squeak-splash" sound, breaking the tranquility of the waterway.
The air was filled with the smell of moisture, damp wood, and a faint floral fragrance.
This place seems to retain the original appearance of Baihua City. Time seems to flow exceptionally slowly here, allowing people to vaguely feel a trace of the original life of the ancestors who migrated from the foot of Shennv Peak.
He wanted to come here because he heard that some ancient legends and small temples about the Goddess Peak before its migration were preserved here.
Although the Goddess of Flowers has a huge white jade statue in the main city, the new residents of Hundred Flowers City who migrated from various places do not have much affection for the Goddess of Flowers and naturally do not worship her.
Even the Flower Festival held every ten years is just a carnival held in the name of the Goddess of Flowers.
"Old man, do you know where the temple of the Goddess of Flowers is in the old town?" Shen Xu asked the old man who was rowing the boat.
"I know one, but it's very old. Are you sure you want to go?"
"Yes! Thank you for your help."
"You're too kind." The old man nodded slightly. He was very old and even speaking was difficult for him.
"There aren't many people left in the old town. I heard it will be demolished in a few years and replaced with a new area of Baihua City."
At that time, we old bones who are barely clinging to life will probably not even have a place to go.
"If the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers were still alive, how could she allow her people to fall into such a state?" The old man seemed to be speaking to him, yet also to himself.
Do you know why the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers disappeared?
"Guest, you should ask the temple keeper about this! She knows far more than this old man does."
As the small boat glided through a series of narrow waterways, a low and dilapidated temple came into view before Shen Xu.
Along the sacred path of the temple, there are two rows of goddess trees. These trees are a specialty of the City of Flowers. They bloom year-round and have large white flowers that resemble magnolias. They are very common in the City of Flowers.
After forcibly giving the old man a few Qi-nourishing pills, the old man thanked him profusely and rowed away. Before leaving, he kindly pointed out a conscientious boatman nearby.
Although the temple had been in disrepair for a long time and was quite dilapidated, it was exceptionally clean.
As he walked onto the sacred path, he saw an old woman sweeping it with a hunched back. She was so focused on sweeping that she didn't even notice his arrival.
They only looked up at him when they reached the bottom of the sweeping.
"We haven't had any guests for a long time, so I'm afraid we don't have much to offer them."
"I have come to pay homage to the Goddess of Flowers."
Upon hearing this, the old woman's cloudy eyes flickered, and she then smiled and said, "I never expected that outsiders would come to worship the goddess at this time."
"Please follow me, sir."
The old woman's eyesight didn't seem very good, but she knew this sacred path exceptionally well. She could precisely avoid every pit where a stone slab was missing and every large crack in the stone slab.
"How many years have you been a temple keeper here?"
“I’ve been here since I was a child, for so many years? I’ve lost count.”
Are you alone?
“I also have a granddaughter, but she doesn’t seem to want to take over my position, and I don’t want to keep her tied down here.”
"Each generation has its own principles, and each generation has its own choices."
The old man smiled and said, "Guest, you are a wise person."
The temple was not large and had few other decorations; the white jade statue was the most important item.
The Flower Goddess's compassionate face, gazing towards the distant snow-capped mountains, is no different from the Flower Goddess on Flower Mountain.
"How do I perform the ritual?"
"The guest is not from Baihua City, so a simple greeting will suffice."
The goddess embraces all things; as long as the guest has a sincere heart, she will not care about these empty formalities.
Shen Xu looked at the goddess in front of him and bowed.
"How many Nourishing Essence Pills would I need to repair this temple?" Shen Xu asked the old woman.
"It's good that you have this intention, but the old city is about to be rebuilt and this temple is destined to disappear, so you don't need to waste your money."
How many descendants of the original inhabitants are still living in the city?
"There are many, but very few people still remember the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers."
"Are you offering sacrifices to the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers in hopes of bringing her back? I think life in Hundred Flowers City now might not be any worse than it was back then?"
"The goddess is our spiritual refuge. We need the goddess, but the goddess does not need believers."
"What about the statues in the main city?"
"Perhaps it's to attract customers."
Shen Xu gave the old woman a deep look. "If the goddess really returns one day, do you think it would be a good thing for Hundred Flowers City?"
"That would probably be a disaster," the old woman replied calmly.
"Why? You chose the Daughter of a Hundred Flowers precisely so that she could return."
"Goddess Peak was frozen because of the Goddess's disappearance, but it will surely thaw when the Goddess returns. At that time, the area within a thousand miles around Goddess Peak will become a vast swamp."
"If this isn't a disaster, then what is?" The old man looked at Shen Xu with his cloudy eyes.
Shen Xu was taken aback; he seemed to understand Zuo Chen's purpose.