Chapter 166

Ruan Jiaojiao felt a tremor in her heart, a warmth spreading through her as if a patch of her soul had been bathed in sunlight. She gave up. She stopped trying to be strong, because she truly couldn’t climb any further. Her legs were trembling, and her heart was pounding violently. She leaned against the deity’s shoulders; she knew he would shield her from the wind and rain and carry her up the mountain. Ruan Jiaojiao rested her chin on his broad shoulders. He climbed step by step, and soon the temple on the mountain came into view. From the eaves to the main structure, and finally, the front gate. The red and yellow main gate stood with three sections open, and in the large courtyard before it sat a massive incense burner, covered in glowing embers and burning incense sticks.