Before Baozhu mounted the cart, Shen Dexian personally stepped forward to repeatedly emphasize: “Tonight you are the true incarnation of Guanyin. Every word and action must be dignified and solemn – there must not be the slightest trace of irreverence.”

Baozhu paid no attention to his words. Lifting her skirts, she elegantly and gracefully climbed the ladder onto the treasure cart. Atop the cart was a wooden lotus seat for her to stand in the center of the flower, like a sacred throne. The white oxen had just begun to slowly move their hooves when in that instant, a blue shadow flickered. Wei Xun leaped onto the treasure cart and, as if no one else existed, sat cross-legged behind Baozhu with an upturned smile: “Is this close enough?”

Wei Xun had always harbored some doubts about the inevitable chaos during the city procession, but confident in his supreme martial arts and believing he could protect her in any situation, he had not intervened.

The ladder had already been removed, leaving the high platform isolated in the air as crowds of spectators gradually surged forward. Witnessing this blue-robed man’s extraordinary skill, no one had the ability to drag him down from the cart top. Shen Dexian was both angry and annoyed but dared not lose his temper. In his desperation, he thought of an excuse and loudly announced: “You shall portray the attendant boy beneath Guanyin Bodhisattva!”

Baozhu’s eyes were full of laughter as she smiled: “Excellent – those near the water tower see the moon first.” Speaking thus, she eagerly dipped the willow branch into the pure vase, and after soaking it thoroughly with sweet dew, turned to vigorously sprinkle it over Wei Xun’s head and shoulders.

Shen Dexian had never seen such a willful Guanyin servant. Following beside the cart, he desperately tried to dissuade her: “You mustn’t show favoritism – the dew must be evenly distributed! Evenly distributed!”

Yang Xingjian accompanied the cart and, hearing this, secretly laughed to himself: When His Majesty decides to exclusively favor someone, all the civil and military officials combined cannot dissuade him. What use is your futile talk, fat man?

Sure enough, Baozhu righteously proclaimed loudly: “Since I am Guanyin’s incarnation, favoring my attendant boy is only natural and proper.”

Still feeling unsatisfied, she simply pulled out the willow branch and poured half the vase of sweet dew directly over Wei Xun’s head, drenching him thoroughly. Through all these roundabout efforts and public appearances, she had only this one purpose—

“How is it? Do you feel your illness has improved?”

In his lifetime, with life fragile as morning dew, Wei Xun had never received such favor. Bathed in her gentle, compassionate gaze, he trembled with excitement throughout his body. Looking up at her face, he felt he was in paradise with no regrets even unto death.

He had once mocked the world’s fools for blindly following superstitions, deceiving themselves and others, mistaking plain water for miraculous medicine. That vase clearly contained ordinary clear water he had personally poured in, yet now sprinkled on him by her hands, it seemed to transform his very being, as if even his skin could taste its sweetness. Having personally experienced the love of faith, how could he distinguish who was foolish and who was mad?

He was wild with joy, answering in a trembling voice: “Through Guanyin’s grace, I am cured!”

That night, the people of Luoyang came out in full force – old and young supporting each other, the entire city emptying to line the streets and witness the Buddhist procession. Wherever the treasure cart passed, crowds surged like ocean waves, their joyful acclaim weaving together into a passionate, boiling sea.

It happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival with the full moon hanging high, bright as day. Silver radiance illuminated every detail of the procession. The guild had also invited various entertainers skilled in sword-swallowing, fire-breathing, pole-climbing, and tightrope-walking, dressed in exotic costumes and parading through the streets.

Among all the Buddhist statues in the procession, what the people most anticipated was the only one portrayed by a real person – the Willow Guanyin from Changqiu Temple. Countless people craned their necks and looked up, watching from afar as a procession slowly approached:

Leading the vanguard were performers dressed as lions and protective spirits. These two auspicious beasts cleared the street before the cart, dancing to stirring drumbeats with leaping, rolling, head-shaking, and tail-wagging steps that drew cheers from the audience.

Following were two rows of nuns carrying incense burners, whisks, scriptures, and prayer beads – the earthly attendants serving the Bodhisattva. Behind them came guards holding treasure canopies and vajras, displaying solemn majesty. Such grand ceremonial regalia, apart from imperial processions, was only used in Buddhist and Taoist rituals, giving viewers an extraordinary sense of awe.

Finally came the climactic finale – the treasure cart drawn by white oxen. Atop the high platform stood a young woman as Guanyin in the lotus seat, holding a pure vase and willow branch, sprinkling sweet dew toward the people waiting for blessings. Moonlight fell upon her dignified figure like a layer of ethereal, sacred gauze.

On the terraces lining both sides of the road gathered the womenfolk of wealthy families, dressed in fine clothing, watching the ceremony while competing to toss flower petals toward the treasure cart. Celestial maidens scattered flowers while countless people celebrated – this scene interwoven with moonlight was dreamlike and fantastical. Though such spectacles appeared every year, this year was slightly different from previous ones.

The people all remarked that this year’s Guanyin possessed an especially gracious and noble bearing, quite refined and aristocratic, making viewers forget worldly concerns. The story of Changqiu Temple’s Buddha statue shedding tears, a young woman wiping the Bodhisattva’s tears, and casting the golden sacred hexagram had spread throughout Luoyang, becoming the talk of the town. They just wondered why this year’s treasure cart had an additional blue-robed youth sitting in lotus position behind Guanyin – judging by his role, he seemed like a dharma protector or attendant boy.

Atop the treasure cart, Baozhu maintained a dignified, loving expression while inwardly blooming with joy. Since departing Chang’an, she had never been as delighted as tonight.

Charity is the first of the six perfections in Mahayana practice, divided into three types: dharma charity, material charity, and fearlessness charity. At Chanming Temple, she had secretly manipulated Tan Lin’s corpse to gather believers’ rice and grain for distribution to hungry people – that was material charity. Tonight, using sweet dew and pure water to comfort hearts and temporarily free them from fear of illness was fearlessness charity. This was not merely ritual but a means of transmitting hope.

Midway through the procession, many people joined the music and dance procession. Yang Xingjian could no longer contain himself and rushed into the formation, dancing hand and foot alongside the colorful lion.

When the clear water was exhausted, Baozhu handed the empty vase to Wei Xun. With his lightning-fast hands and Shisan Lang providing support below the cart, they managed the exchange so smoothly that no one noticed. The three of them shared perfect understanding and coordination, sprinkling endlessly and abundantly so that many received the sweet dew.

There was another subtle reason: now magnificently dressed, standing on the lotus seat with auspicious beasts leading ahead and attendants clustering behind, no one dared compete with her for passage anymore. The glory and joy brought by such acclaim and supremacy over ten thousand people was truly incomparable to anything else in the world.

While turning to sprinkle water, Baozhu’s lips moved slightly as she whispered to Wei Xun: “I heard there was supposed to be a fireworks display tonight, but it was delayed because preparations weren’t ready – postponed until the day after tomorrow. Shall we watch the fireworks together before departing?”

Wei Xun also had a youthful heart. In such circumstances, how could he refuse? He smiled and said: “As long as you’re not anxious, and don’t fear your brother growing anxious.”

Baozhu laughed: “He’s as vigorous as a jade-bridled steed – waiting an extra day or two won’t matter. I’m eager to meet with him, but I hear Youzhou’s winters are harsh and far less prosperous and lively than the Central Plains. Once we travel that thousand li, we may never return.”

Wei Xun comforted her: “You could hold processions in Youzhou too, just that in the cold you couldn’t dress so lightly.”

Under countless watching eyes, the two secretly made their arrangement. Their gazes touched lightly then separated, hearts stirring with unspoken joy.

In the sea of people, a towering giant monk stood out like a crane among chickens, a full head taller than others, making observation quite convenient.

Luo Tuotuo looked up toward the blue-robed figure atop the treasure cart, but the blue-robed man seemed oblivious to his fellow sect member, his attention entirely focused on the Guanyin before him, his devoted infatuation obvious to all.

On this full moon night with Luoyang city blooming like brocade amid thunderous music, Luo Tuotuo remained expressionless, coldly observing this extraordinarily lively procession while a folk saying arose in his heart: When the moon is full it wanes, when water is full it overflows; those who climb high must fall hard, extreme prosperity leads to decline.

The Blue-robed Guest’s heart had opened to emotion. For one who transcended the world to become involved in earthly affairs – whether fortune or calamity, who could say?

“…When your batch of gunpowder was made into fireworks, it killed two craftsmen, costing quite a bit in compensation to their families. The ratio of saltpeter to sulfur seems problematic. The fireworks display couldn’t keep up with today’s procession and had to be postponed until the day after tomorrow – another major loss…”

The white oxen pulled the treasure cart past, and the procession gradually moved away. The man beside him continued his endless complaints. Luo Tuotuo’s gaze shifted from Wei Xun to fall upon this fault-finding merchant’s face.

“People always die. Whether crushed to pulp by a monk’s staff or blown to pieces by gunpowder, they still must cross the Bridge of Helplessness and River of Forgetting.” Luo Tuotuo said coldly, “Or are you daring to default on this monk’s final payment?!”

The merchant was frightened by his fierce, menacing face. Glancing at the staff thick as a flagpole in the monk’s hands, he immediately swallowed his complaints. Silently calculating the cost of shortchanging the “Fire-wielding Warrior’s” payment, he forced an ugly smile: “Good food is worth waiting for, good things don’t mind delays – postponing two days doesn’t matter. With such a bright full moon, fireworks wouldn’t show up well anyway.”

This man was named Jia Liang, a member of the City Patrol Guild specifically responsible for organizing fireworks displays. He thought that having just taken a large order from Youzhou, this batch of gunpowder had already paid for itself – no need to risk his life haggling with such a desperate character.

Besides, Guild Leader Shen Dexian had introduced new business selling rare timber to wealthy families at ten times profit – much more lucrative than making fireworks. He just wondered where Shen had obtained nanmu wood thick enough to embrace – hadn’t such trees long since vanished from the Central Plains? Thinking of how trading a single log could bring vast wealth, Jia Liang immediately pulled gold from his chest and honestly paid Luo Tuotuo the final payment.

The City Patrol Guild was experienced in organization. This grand ceremony involved hundreds of thousands of participants, and aside from some crowding, it proceeded smoothly without the incidents Wei Xun had feared.

After the ceremony ended, Baozhu followed previous custom by returning the lotus crown and other jewelry in their original condition, keeping only the brocade celestial robe as a memento. Having participated in such a grand ceremony, the psychological joy and satisfaction far exceeded any material reward.

But even after removing the jewelry and changing clothes, the City Patrol Guild members still treated her with utmost respect, bowing repeatedly. Many people also congratulated Yang Xingjian, informing him he was now part of the “Ascension Families.”

Baozhu said strangely: “Even if I was Guanyin’s incarnation during the procession, once I remove those trappings, I shouldn’t retain such undeserved fame – otherwise it would be disrespectful to gods and Buddhas.”

Shen Dexian smiled broadly and said: “The Bodhisattva has returned to heaven, but your ladyship’s fortune is just beginning. Fast and burn incense these few days, then wait to achieve righteous fruit and ascend on the spot!”

Baozhu had thought that having the opportunity to portray Guanyin and mount the treasure cart for charity was already having Buddhist affinity. With the procession ended, how could she still ascend?

Yang Xingjian gave her a meaningful look and whispered: “This must be these foolish men and women’s fantasy about ‘when one person gains status, even chickens and dogs ascend’ – thinking they can now curry favor with dragons and phoenixes, with one daughter bringing a hundred suitors to the family.”

Baozhu understood, recalling how the court also used terms like “ascension” to describe favored ministers who were promoted beyond normal ranks, and dismissed it with a laugh. But Wei Xun seemed thoughtful.

The next day, using calligraphy practice as an excuse, he kept Baozhu in the courtyard copying poetry all day. Having stood almost motionless atop the treasure cart all night, Baozhu also felt her legs were sore and was too lazy to go out strolling, so she watched him practice writing.

After the unknown young woman temporarily staying in this courtyard portrayed Guanyin, she became instantly famous. Idle neighbors from all around gathered at the gate, wanting to see what she looked like in daily life.

Master Duanchen also came with two disciples, but seeing the gate tightly closed, she knocked without answer. Though the courtyard wall wasn’t high and she could easily vault over it, after pondering for a moment, she turned and left.

Author’s Note: The procession takes place while Huo Qi has not yet reached Youzhou – she is currently still racing along the road.