Festival

Whoosh----

Ding-----!!!

Colorful fireworks exploded in the sky, painting the night with streaks of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple, turning the night sky into a brilliant rainbow. Countless colorful lights emitted dazzling beams, illuminating the night as if it were day. Cheers, clamor, and music merged into a cacophony, a blend of discordant sounds forming a vast torrent of noise that carried the festive spirit and madness to every corner of the city.

After days of preparation, Winter Arrival City's annual grand event—the Winter Arrival Ancestral Worship and Auspicious Prayer Festival, commonly known as the Barbecue Festival—officially began tonight!

The large factory buildings, usually cold and lifeless, were adorned with colorful ribbons and banners, decorated like wedding sedan chairs. The streets were lined with ornaments of various shapes. Large ornaments carved from spirit stones transformed the otherwise plain roads into a fairy-tale world. This was true even for the factory district on the city's outskirts; the city center was even more spectacular! The city government had spent a fortune purchasing hundreds of newly popular spirit light display boards (similar to dynamic billboards on Earth), decorating every conspicuous spot in the city center. The display boards shimmered with spirit light, cycling through different slogans, images, and simple animations, making the night even more magnificent.

Over a dozen giant floats formed a long dragon, slowly moving along the main road. Actors in gorgeous costumes on the floats sang and danced, their every difficult move eliciting cheers and applause from the crowd. The citizens of Winter Arrival City, regardless of gender, age, wealth, or status, wore their finest clothes, completely abandoning their usual reserve. One by one, they shouted and laughed in the streets, using the festival's madness to relax the tension that had built up over the year.

But the true stars of the festival were neither the citizens, nor the floats, nor the myriad of decorations.

They were—

"Selling, selling! Freshly grilled Phoenix Chicken meat, selling cheap!" "Top-grade Rock Swallowing Python, just arrived today! Ten in total, first come, first served! You won't find this deal again!" "Assorted Ramon Rabbit, buy one get one free! Don't miss out!" "All sorts of rare Demonic Beasts, try something new! A century-old brand, honest dealings!" "Skewered Wolf, grilled Hunter Lizard, full variety, blood-sweating sale!"...

—Grilled meat!

The custom of eating grilled Demonic Beast meat was the most well-preserved. As far as the eye could see, in the squares, under the eaves, and along the streets, there were barbecue stalls everywhere. Wisps of smoke rose, and the glow of charcoal fires rivaled the colorful lights, filling the air with a primal aroma that drilled straight into one's nostrils. Each stall displayed small mountains of strange and exotic Demonic Beasts, either normal or grotesque, chopped into pieces, skewered on iron rods, sprinkled with spices, and roasted over fire.

Most stalls featured common Demonic Beasts. Only experienced shops with a long history would sell high-grade Demonic Beasts, as the higher the grade of the Demonic Beast, the more troublesome it was to process. Ramon Rabbits and Phoenix Chickens only required plucking and skinning, while Striped Snakes and Arrow Frogs needed their venom glands removed. The meat of Rock Swallowing Pythons and Spiny Skin Apes required special cleavers to cut, and Water Spirit Salamanders and Silver Fish would melt if the charcoal fire was too strong... In short, the requirements were terrifyingly numerous.

As for the Si Nan Family, they were extremely vigilant due to the anomaly detected during their last investigation. They had deployed a large number of personnel to monitor the entire city. I thought they wouldn't participate in the festival, but...

"Bone Armor Lion, Cloud Swallowing Sparrow, Giant Worm, Blood Tooth Fish King, all free, while supplies last."

"""""Oh yeah!"""""

...I was too naive.

The square in front of the Winter Arrival Hotel was exceptionally lively. All the Demonic Beasts harvested from the mountains in recent expeditions were displayed, piled into a mountain of meat. All the hotel's chefs had come out in full force to serve the public. Fierce-looking Demonic Beasts were instantly transformed into fragrant grilled meat, sprinkled with unknown high-grade spices, their intoxicating aroma wafting straight to the nostrils. Even the fire-starting was handled by fire-elemental ability users... This level of prestige, this display of wealth, was incomparable to street stalls!

Clutching seven or eight skewers of charcoal-grilled Cloud Swallowing Sparrows and a small pot of wine, I quietly left the hotel. The surroundings were now dappled with light and shrouded in smoke from the charcoal fires, making it difficult to discern faces. For once, I lowered my hood, feeling a sense of relief.

Most of the time, I'm a quiet person and dislike crowded, noisy places. I had even snuck away from KTV rooms a few times before my transmigration. So, right now, I really wanted to find a quiet spot to drink wine, admire the moon, and eat grilled meat, while also... looking for Si Nan Ying.

Si Nan Ying wasn't at the hotel. I assumed she had gone out to clear her head. I didn't know the technicians responsible for monitoring the clan members' movements, nor could I find Si Nan Yuan or Rui Feng. My only hope of seeing her was by chance.

Winter Arrival City is bordered by the Long Bridge Canal to the south. Several canal tributaries flow through the southern part of the city, where several shipping companies are located. Normally, cargo ships are constantly coming and going, making it a bustling scene. But now, almost everyone had gathered in the city center, leaving this area quiet. The docks were still decorated with ribbons and flowers, which did little to enhance the festive atmosphere and instead highlighted the desolation.

I found a stone bench by the river and sat down, gazing at the clear river reflecting the beautiful moonlight. The three moons—Gold, Silver, and Orange—shone in mutual contrast, each making the other two appear even more beautiful. If poets from Earth saw this triple-moon spectacle, they would probably weep with emotion... As I thought this, I opened my wine flask and took a sip. It was good; not too strong, with a subtle taste somewhere between beer and red wine, possessing a unique flavor.

Blowing in the evening breeze, sipping my wine, and eating delicious food—what could be more pleasant?

...But, what about Earth right now? My family and friends must still be worried sick about my disappearance.

Thinking of this, my previously good mood turned gloomy. Yes, now is not the time to enjoy life. The priority is to find a way back quickly.

Just as I was quietly adjusting my mood...

"Xiao Ye?"

"Huh!?"

I turned my head and saw, not far from me, sitting on a pile of wooden crates used for loading goods, a beautiful girl. Her delicate features, purple eyes and hair, and a dark gray skirt—it could only be Si Nan Ying.

"Xiao Ye, are you... looking for me?"

"Mm, yes." Actually, looking for her wasn't my sole purpose, but I didn't say it out loud.

"I see... Thank you."

Silence fell between us again.

...The atmosphere was so awkward.

Perhaps due to the blow of her uncontrolled ability, Si Nan Ying lacked her usual vitality. Her smile seemed forced, and she didn't cling to me and chat as soon as she saw me.

The Si Nan Ying before me was vastly different from the one I remembered. Was it really just because she was in a bad mood? Or was this her true self?

Regardless, I decided to try and communicate.

With that thought, I stood up and walked towards her. Without asking for her opinion, I sat down next to her and offered a skewer of grilled meat, "Here, want some?"

Si Nan Ying hesitated slightly before taking the skewer. She took a bite, and at the moment it entered her mouth, she let out a sound of enjoyment, "Mmm~~". After finishing the skewer, her mood seemed to improve.

"So..." I carefully chose my words, "Can you tell me about yourself?"

"About me?"

"Mm... I know the Si Nan Family is an incredible clan, but when I think about it, even though we're friends, I don't know much about you personally."

"...But I don't know anything about you either. You tell me first."

This is a good sign! I thought. Her saying this meant she was willing to talk, but was still hesitant about opening up to me.

For now, I'll go along with her.

Half a day ago, the center of the Winter Arrival Mountains.

The usually deserted wilderness was now crowded with over a dozen adult men. Before them stood an instrument as large as a refrigerator, equipped with a thick antenna.

"Are all the Blood Tooth Fish in the Blood Tooth River cleared out?"

"That's right, everything is ready, just waiting for the right moment!"

"Gentlemen," said Sunny, stepping forward and looking at everyone with utmost solemnity, "the day has finally come. Although we are only responsible for a small part of this grand plan, it doesn't mean our task is unimportant! After a month of lurking, the time for harvest is finally here!"

"Well said. Then..." Olga walked up to the instrument and forcefully pressed a button. The instrument immediately emitted a deafening roar. A peculiar and powerful wave emanated from the antenna, spreading throughout the Winter Arrival Mountains at an astonishing speed!

"Let us begin!"

In response to the requests of many readers, we are now offering a VIP ad-free membership feature.

Click to view.