With a single command to kneel, hundreds of thousands of people fell to their knees in a matter of breaths. A dense sea of dark heads stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The annual Snake King Festival had become Bai Town's grandest celebration, even more massive and festive than the New Year.
Incense smoke permeated the sky above Bai Town, threatening to transform it into an Immortal Realm veiled in white mist.
The old man, Li Defeng, took a deep breath, his gaze profound and reverent. The backs of his hands were as coarse as old pine bark, crisscrossed with deep cracks, and his palms were thick with calluses. It was this pair of hands that now reached out and gripped a corner of the large, red cloth.
The scene was deathly silent. Everyone held their breath and looked up, their expressions solemn. The Snake King statue was about to be unveiled.
"Unveil..."
