791 The Entrance Of A White Dress (1/2)
Panic slowly took over Shangguan Lingxiu and Old Mistress Shangguan's expressions.
Watching the three joss sticks burn quietly, the grandmother and granddaughter duo could not help feeling that the joss sticks looked prideful and refined as they burned, untainted from all worldly affairs.
No matter how gracious the incense blazed away, the calm composure of the two people who were waiting was slowly but surely being ruffled.
As the three joss sticks were about to reach their ends, there was still nothing. Old Mistress Shangguan could not help being consumed by anxiety.
”What's happening? Why isn't there any reaction?”
The old mistress stared restlessly at the smoke and subconsciously murmured, ”Could it be… fake?”
Once she entertained this possibility, it was difficult to maintain her composure. The old lady felt chilled to the core as she trembled uncontrollably.
This was Shangguan Family's last trump card – the family's biggest secret. It was the pillar and mental support that the Shangguan Family of Generals had depended on to go through countless challenging times!
If the incense was a fraud, would it not be a joke for the family's many generations to have passed it down verbally and guard it so ceremoniously for millenniums?
If this were true, Old Mistress Shangguan knew fully well that she would not be able to accept it.
On the contrary, Shangguan Lingxiu was more composed. ”Don't be troubled, Grandma. Time is surely needed for this incense to pass the message along.”
”What do you mean?” Old Mistress murmured as if she had caught onto a life-saving straw.
”Since this incense has to be lit and burned, it means that the deity must need some time before receiving the message. If the deity were so divine, it's probably a powerful presence that does not belong to our continent. No matter how magical these joss sticks are, it's connecting another world to this world after all – a certain duration of time must be needed. Even if the deity moves to depart upon receiving the message, it has to cross the distance between two worlds. This definitely needs time as well.”
”Since there are so many imaginable processes, how can the deity really rush over within the burning period of the incense? No matter how omnipotent the deity is, it's still a challenge.”
Shangguan Lingxiu continued to conjecture, ”I think the deity is already terrifyingly powerful to be able to rush here within a day or two. Asking for more will only be troubling ourselves with self-thought fantasies.”
”What you say is reasonable. I was too high-strung and lost my rational mind,” Old Mistress Shangguan muttered, feeling her distressed mind slowly calming down.
Shangguan Lingxiu's analysis was obviously well-grounded. It was logical reality and undeniable facts.
Both of the ladies calmed down again to wait in silence, anticipating the arrival of unknown serendipity.
Then, they heard a light chuckle. It seemed to have come from beyond the sky; illusory, yet it also seemed real, resounding in their ears. As they doubted themselves and second-guessed their thoughts, they saw the smoke in front of them quiver suddenly before a pretty silhouette materialized from it.
A lady clad in white who looked like she had stepped out from a portrait wore a light smile as she stood before the grandmother and granddaughter.
When Old Mistress Shangguan was young, she knew that she had been a fair beauty. Shangguan Lingxiu was also at the age where she was at her prime, the most beautiful time in her life.