Chapter 1723: Chapter 1723: Feasting Without Restraint

"The primary duty of the Prayer Priest is to pray for the people, blessing each village and spreading the glory of God, which is their obligation. Oh, that rotten tree root in his hand is the Divine Staff that only the Prayer Priest is qualified to hold," Ye Yi’an whispered in explanation.

Judging by his look, he seemed rather dismissive of the temple’s mesmerizing tricks. Little did he know that he often surpassed Sikong Qinglan as a God-man.

Only then did Mu Han Yan realize why Sikong Qinglan was so adept at his ritual dance earlier; it was originally his duty, akin to those remote, barbaric lower-level God-men of the Holy Court Continent.

"Everyone, rise; the merciful Divine will forever watch over you, granting you health and peace," said Sikong Qinglan as he slowly stepped down from the carriage, handing out small porcelain bottles to the crowd bent on their knees.

"What is that?" Mu Han Yan asked curiously in a low voice.

"It’s an elixir, useless to the priest but greatly beneficial to ordinary people for strengthening their bodies and prolonging their lives. It can also help them resist the Power of Laws," Ye Yi’an replied.

As they conversed, the crowd rose, gratefully and tearfully accepting the elixir from Sikong Qinglan.

"Honored Priest, we did not know you were coming, and we have not prepared a proper reception. Please forgive us," Mu Chenglin said nervously, rubbing his hands.

"Old Clan Leader, please do not say that. Coming to the Mu Family is my honor. Mu Han Yan from your clan has decided to become a priest of the Huayu Temple, which is an honor for Huayu Temple and for me. I came to Mu Family Village specifically to escort her to the Huayu Temple," Sikong Qinglan said politely.

"So that’s how it is," Mu Chenglin said, finally realizing. They already knew Mu Han Yan was an Innate Divine Priest, so Sikong Qinglan’s enthusiasm did not seem too strange. After all, in common understanding, Innate Divine Priests are rare, appearing once in a millennium.

Anyway, Sikong Qinglan escorting Mu Han Yan personally to Huayu Temple made them immensely proud, as Mu Han Yan represents their Mu Family Village.

"Old Patriarch, shall we prepare a feast to honor the Prayer Priest?" a clan member reminded Mu Chenglin.

"Yes, yes, let’s prepare the feast quickly, slaughter pigs and sheep, and bring out the good wine from the cellar," Mu Chenglin shouted loudly.

They had already prepared to welcome Mu Han Yan, Ye Yi’an, and the others, but since another Prayer Priest had arrived, the feast would naturally be grander.

"I’ll go slaughter the pig," Mu Tu said excitedly.

"No need for such trouble, make it simple, make it simple," Sikong Qinglan said as he noticed everyone’s enthusiasm, but his stomach betrayed him with a few growls.

This Priest, it seems he hasn’t eaten for quite some time, Mu Han Yan thought with amusement.

Sitting with Sikong Qinglan for a while, the feast was ready.

In the middle of the village, dozens of large round tables were set up, along with several huge wine urns placed at the street corner.

In the Divine Continent, every village had such a large open space. When Mu Han Yan first arrived, she thought it was a martial arts field, but later learned it was for worshiping the Divine and for priests to bless the villagers. Frankly, it was also used for ritual dancing.

As everyone took their seats, dishes were served one after another. Although not as refined as those in the Tianfeng City restaurants, the dishes were colorful, fragrant, and tasty. The enticing aroma even had Mu Han Yan’s fingers itching to start.

"Priest, please," Ye Yi’an said, raising his wine glass to Sikong Qinglan.

"No need for such formality, please, please," Sikong Qinglan quickly raised his glass as well.

They clinked their glasses and drank it all, marking the official start of the feast.

Although the Mu Clan had their own domains and lived far more prosperously than those homeless refugees, they couldn’t always indulge in eating and drinking. Such rare feasting occasions meant nobody held back. Amidst the clinking of cups, camaraderie prevailed.

"Eat, don’t be shy," Ling Baobao devoured his food happily, munching away while speaking to Sikong Qinglan.

"Oh, I..." Sikong Qinglan wanted to be polite, but couldn’t help swallowing down saliva.

"Priest Sikong, just eat, there are no outsiders here, it won’t spread," Mu Han Yan couldn’t stand it anymore, sympathizing as she spoke.

"Then... I won’t hold back," Without anyone around, it wouldn’t have mattered, but watching others feast heartily made Sikong Qinglan’s cravings impossible to resist. He grabbed the chopsticks with determination.

"That’s the spirit, young people should be more carefree. Being overly restrained is not...not good..." Ye Yi’an already noticed Sikong Qinglan’s hungry state and grinned approvingly as he praised him. But before finishing his sentence, he froze, struggling to complete his words smoothly.

It wasn’t just him—Mu Han Yan and the others were also stunned. Even Ling Baobao, who was devouring a chicken leg, was left mouth-agape in shock.

Sikong Qinglan rolled up his sleeves, gnawing on a fatty pig leg with one hand while sweeping the table with chopsticks at lightning speed.

Within moments, the plates before him were emptied, and the others had been cleared out by more than half.

"How long has it been since he last ate?" Ling Baobao swallowed his chicken leg with difficulty, looking at Mu Han Yan in bewilderment. He thought he was good at eating, but evidently there were even more voracious eaters in the world. He couldn’t bear to compete with Sikong Qinglan for food now. Look at how hungry he must have been!

Mu Han Yan didn’t answer, her concern was another question: How impoverished did Huayu Temple have to be?

Then Mu Han Yan thought with dismay, can Huayu Temple support these people she brought? Can they afford to feed them?

Outside the village, suddenly thunderous rumbling was heard.

"Bandits, bandits are coming!" shouted a Mu Family descendant responsible for guarding the village entrance, scrambling in a panic.

"Bandits!" Ye Yi’an was startled, standing up swiftly.

Mu Han Yan’s expression tightened, following suit. Around them, the Mu Clan members also rose, their faces unusually serious.

(How did everyone spend National Day? Wishing everyone a happy holiday.)

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