The candles were half melted, villagers kneeling with backs straight, eyes fixed upward, waiting for a miracle some believed would never come.
Meanwhile, in the skies above, Long Xiao had realized his lightning had turned Lord Feng Luo's hair to ash. Turning slowly, he looked at the others and back at Feng.
"My sincerest apologies, Brother Feng," he said, voice low.
"I was truly aiming for the rock. I swear on Mother Scarlet."
Feng Luo stood in stunned silence, a single drop of sweat tracing a line down his bald scalp.
A ray of light fell on Feng Luo's glassy head, causing it to feel hot.
The silence that followed spoke volumes. No words could restore his hair.
Lord Han, easily the calmest among the Five, had noticed for some time that something was wrong with Long Xiao.
"Brother Xiao, is everything alright? You've been looking quite tense lately." Lord Han prompted.
"Yes! You've been acting quite unusual ever since you became a Higher God." Lord Bai added, watching Lord Zhao's materialized art instruments make a portrait of Feng.
"I'm fine. No need to worry." Long Xiao forced a smile.
"If you are really fine, you certainly owe me an explanation as to why my hair got struck by lightning instead of THE ROCK!" Lord Feng pointed out angrily, watching the ash of his fallen green hair disappear in the wind.
"A-Xiao is definitely not fine." Lord Zhao said, not looking up from the portrait.
"Or how else could he have possibly managed to make Brother Feng a fresh monk?" Lord Zhao chuckled at Feng Luo's disheveled appearance in the portrait.
The portrait showed Feng Luo with a bald head, a face full of anguish, surrounded by dead flowers, beneath dark, gloomy clouds. The lightning bolt struck the center of his scalp.
"Hmm!" Long Xiao cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
"I—Goddess Ling Xing just asked for my assistance." Long Xiao pointed upwards.
"Yes, yes." He reassured.
Which she obviously didn't.
"I shall take my leave. Forgive me again, Brother Feng Luo." He bowed his head lightly.
Long Xiao clapped his hands three times.
The first clap summoned a thunderbolt that cracked the rock open, water oozing down profusely into the dry river channel.
The second clap delivered a copy of the portrait Lord Zhao had made to Long Xiao's side.
"Hey, that will cost you sixty merits!" Lord Zhao called out.
The third clap was for disappearing. Long Xiao teleported away.
"He's definitely not fine." Lord Bai sighed, snapping his fingers.
As a result, it began to rain.
"LONG XIAOOO!!! You'll pay for this. My beautiful hair…" Lord Feng cried out, tears falling from his eyes. If there was anything Feng Luo loved besides his wealth and appearance, it was his hair. And now it was gone.
Meanwhile, At The Temple.
---
"It—it's raining. Brother, it's raining." The little boy chirped happily.
They looked up as rain fell on their faces.
"It is raining." The older boy repeated. "The gods must exist after all."
The village head, hearing the rain and the muffled sounds outside, smiled and bowed his head in gratitude.
"The gods have answered our prayers. The people of Azu are eternally grateful to the gods." He said solemnly before standing up.
"Everyone, go home! The gods have given us another chance at life. We shouldn't waste it!"
After hearing the village head's words, everyone, including himself, left the temple. Drenched and cold, they went home with renewed hope. Believing that with the gods' blessing, another chance at a prosperous life was certain.