Flower Lantern Festival

Flower Lantern Festival

The Daoist led his donkey down to the riverbank and stood by the water, watching the grand spectacle of people scrambling for flower lanterns and listening to the cheers rolling along the shore.

Such flourishing splendor seemed less like the mortal world than the heavenly palace.

Sure enough, coming down the mountain had been worthwhile. Though the mountain was tranquil and elegant, the bustling warmth and worldly brilliance of human life offered an entirely different experience.

As if asking idly, the Daoist said, "The Five Gods Cult is a local religious force in River Prefecture. What does it need an intelligence organization as vast as the Poison God Altar for?"

Feng Yusheng answered carefully, "I only heard some news within the Poison God Altar. Most of the intelligence we gather is sent to Prince Jian's Estate. The Poison God Altar even has a secret passage leading to the estate, though I do not know where it is."

Though Feng Yusheng had not been with the Poison God Altar for long, he was, after all, a Protector. He knew quite a few things.

"Local sects occupy their own territories. Small sects merely control a stretch of trade routes, while great sects can even control an entire region, like petty emperors."

"The imperial court has long been displeased with those of the martial world, which is why it established the Martial Rites Division: to take in martial experts from every corner and use people of the martial world against the martial world, gradually suppressing its forces."

"Though our Five Gods Cult has been rooted in River Prefecture for many years by relying on our ties to the founding emperor and the personally bestowed edict of True Lord Xuanzhu Huode, those old bonds have long since been spent. On the contrary, because our power has grown too great, we have become a thorn in the court's eye and a splinter in its flesh."

"That is why, in River Prefecture, we cooperate with this prince. Prince Jian needs the power of the Five Gods Cult, while the Five Gods Cult needs him to withstand the pressure from the imperial court."

"Prince's estate?" The Daoist had not been down the mountain for long and was not truly familiar with Great Zhou.

Feng Yusheng did not think much of it. Judging from the information he had heard before, this man might be some ancient monster who had gone into seclusion in the mountains during the previous dynasty and only recently descended.

In the blink of an eye, dynasties had changed, people and things had become unrecognizable; it was only natural that someone coming down from the mountain would know nothing of the present day.

Thus, Feng Yusheng explained in detail. "It is Prince Jian's Estate. Prince Jian is the fourth son of Great Zhou's emperor. However, the Crown Prince is the eldest imperial son, and the foundation of the state has already been established. Naturally, the other princes were all enfeoffed in various regions. Prince Jian is greatly favored and was granted River Prefecture."

The Daoist nodded. It seemed the Five Gods Cult truly possessed immense power. Above, it had the legitimacy of the emperor's edict and Prince Jian's Estate; in the middle, a host of martial experts; below, countless believers rooted in River Prefecture for nearly a century.

However, the Daoist had come to subdue the remaining four monsters of the Five Gods Cult. The cult itself had been built by relying on those monsters.

Once the monsters were removed, the Five Gods Cult that used humans as sacrifices would naturally scatter. Even if remnants remained, they would merely be matters for the martial world and the court. Ordinary people could handle them; they would amount to nothing.

As for princes, nobles, generals, ministers, and affairs of the martial world, none of it concerned him. Gao Xian could not be bothered to pay attention.

"Return to the Poison God Altar now. Pretend everything is normal, and tell them that this humble Daoist is on his way to River Prefecture. Say that you learned the news and hurried here to report it."

"Then find out where the Poison God Altar's Poison God is."

"If you can uncover the whereabouts of the other three gods of the Five Gods Cult as well, so much the better."

"If you do well, once this matter is over, I will remove the Heavenly Punishment Seal from your body."

Feng Yusheng nodded repeatedly. "Rest assured, Great Immortal. Feng will certainly handle it properly."

He turned and left. The moment he rounded the street corner, Feng Yusheng pressed himself against the wall, looking as though all strength had drained from him.

The enormous pressure brought by that man and that donkey had nearly crushed him outright.

He slumped to the ground, with not a shred of grace left.

"Targeted by immortals like that... my divine cult really is like Grandma's child dying—no uncle, no rescue. Better think of a way to save myself!"

Having seen the situation clearly, he made his choice.

Feng Yusheng patted his outer robe, which had been burned through with several large holes and let in the wind. Seven parts embarrassed and three parts dashing, he swaggered off.

"When we were young, we all thought we were the wind. Later, we realized we were all grass."

After showing a bitter expression, he swiftly replaced it with the grin of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

"Where are all these great heroes with Heroic Spirit Reaching the Heavens, Invincible Under Heaven? Grass like me, swaying with the wind—that is the true wanderer of the martial world!"

With a leap, he landed on a rooftop and vanished into the darkness.

Leading the donkey along the bustling riverbank, the Daoist walked and looked about. Vendors shouted all along the way, selling sugar figurines, snacks, puppets, flower lanterns, and everything else imaginable.

There were also all manner of street performances: lion dances, dragon dances. Before he knew it, two or three hours had passed.

The Daoist had nothing he wished to buy. When he reached a place surrounded by stages where operas were being performed, he suddenly ran into a dispersing crowd.

"Did you see? It really was Heroine Hong Yuan!" A youth who looked to be fourteen or fifteen squeezed together with his private-school companions, beside himself with excitement.

"I told you Heroine Hong Yuan would definitely come to River Prefecture for this Lantern Festival." The plump youth puffed out his chest.

"That's right! Not only did she bring her newest work, there was even a puppet show!"

"Did you watch Heroine Hong Yuan's puppet show today, 'Tears of the Fairy'?" A young lady accompanied by servants and guards approached, her eyes red-rimmed as though she had wept from being moved by the puppet show. Upon running into an acquaintance, she could not help bringing it up.

"Heroine Hong Yuan came to this festival too? I had no idea."

"She's right up ahead, but it's about to end. You didn't see it? It was so moving—so many people cried until their clothes were soaked."

Many in the dispersing crowd still seemed unsatisfied, endlessly discussing the details of the puppet show they had just watched, as well as the famed Heroine Hong Yuan.

By the time Gao Xian stood beneath the stage with his donkey, the puppet show had already ended. Heroine Hong Yuan, renowned throughout the Jiangnan region, was onstage with a group of female companions, packing up their things.

Tang Yao looked radiant. This puppet show had been a tremendous success; the hall had been full, and the audience had wept their hearts out.

"My story was written so well, and the puppet show was overflowing with dramatic tension. As expected, whenever I, Heroine Hong Yuan, make a move, it is bound to be a masterpiece."

Holding an exquisite puppet, she basked in the joy of success. Then she turned around—and suddenly froze.

Among the crowd dispersing below, Tang Yao seemed to see the figure of a Daoist leading a donkey.

Tang Yao shuddered all over. When she focused her gaze again, the person had already vanished.

"Not good!"

Tang Yao felt she had been far too high-profile. Only then did she remember that the Daoist she had encountered before seemed to have said his destination was River Court as well.

She hurriedly packed up, bade farewell to the female companion she had performed puppet shows with, put on her little cap, slung the wooden case onto her back, and, like a thief, wound through seven or eight streets before returning to one of her three hideouts.

Though Tang Yao dressed in the plainest of clothes, she was truly loaded.

Just look at this luxurious residence. Though not large, it was refined and elegant, and located in Chende Ward, where every inch of land was worth an inch of gold. Its price rivaled that of the Capital City's most lavish districts.

"Phew!"

She cautiously pushed open the door, cautiously slid the bolt into place, and only then did Heroine Hong Yuan let out a long breath.

But when she turned around, beneath the projection of the full moon hanging high overhead, a Daoist stood with his back to her beneath the great tree in her yard.

Slap!

Heroine Hong Yuan dropped to her knees without a shred of backbone.

She prostrated herself flat on the ground, her backside raised high, her hands pressed together and stretched out before her.

"Great Immortal, spare my life! Hong Yuan will never dare do it again. From now on, I will certainly turn over a new leaf and become a new person."

The Daoist turned around. "This humble Daoist merely happened to pass through this place..."

Before he could finish, Hong Yuan, with her face pressed to the stone slabs, immediately said, "This residence will belong to Great Immortal from now on. You may stay for as long as you wish."

The Daoist smiled and nodded. "How could this humble Daoist covet your residence? Once I have traveled the world, I will naturally retire into the mountains. It is merely that the Daoist temple..."

Knock knock knock knock!

Before he could finish again, Heroine Hong Yuan crawled forward while remaining face-down on the ground and offered up a silver note with both hands. "This is three hundred taels for incense offerings. This little woman's sins are grave; even gods despise me and ghosts reject me. I ask Great Immortal to help burn it for the Daoist Venerable, and help this little woman accumulate merit."

Perhaps Heroine Hong Yuan had been a little too tactful, because Great Immortal Kongchen was left speechless for quite some time.

Only after a long while did he look at the silver note in his hand and drawl, "But this humble Daoist has heard that someone made quite a bit of black-hearted money by selling those utterly filthy, rumor-mongering books!"

Tang Yao trembled all over, fear rising in her heart.

Good thing I came prepared. Otherwise, I really would have lost my little life this time.

Tang Yao immediately stepped forward and handed over a list. "Tang Yao will never dare again. I know Great Immortal does not care for such things. What Great Immortal values is doing good and cultivating virtue, guiding this little woman toward righteousness, so after arriving in River Prefecture, I had already made arrangements."

"The money earned from those utterly filthy, rumor-mongering books will all be used to provide relief and distribute porridge to displaced people throughout the land, accumulating merit for Great Immortal."

"These are the orders for purchasing grain and supplies in various places. Please have a look, Great Immortal. This little woman would not dare keep even a single coin."

The Daoist was immediately at a loss for words. In the end, he could only reveal a gratified smile. "Mm! Very good, very good!"

"This humble Daoist had the same thought!"

Tang Yao heaved a huge sigh of relief. Good thing this heroine is clever. I had long guessed that Great Immortal had come down from the mountains to accumulate merit, so I used the money to do good deeds.

If I had still kept the money, I really would have lost my life this time.

It has finally entered contract status. If you big shots have recommendation votes, please cast one (_).