The Coconut Grove Lantern Fair: Yu Xiaogang Meets Bibi Dong!

A few days later, Coconut Grove City.

The carriage moved slowly along the Official Road. Before they could even see the city gate, they heard a lively sound of gongs and drums.

Yu Xiaogang lifted the carriage curtain and saw that the roadside was decorated with colorful lanterns, and merchants carrying goods and groups of people traveling together were heading into the city.

Why are there so many people today?

The Coachman chuckled and replied, "You've come at the perfect time, just in time for the Coconut Grove City Lantern Festival. The riverside will be even more lively than here tonight!"

Ah Yin also peeked over.

A carp lantern flickered past the window, and she subconsciously followed it for a moment, only reluctantly turning her gaze away when the red lantern was obscured by the crowd.

Li Qingshan found it amusing and said, "If you want to see it, we'll go check it out when we get into town later."

Ah Yin's eyes brightened slightly, but her fingers first touched the jade box in her bosom.

Before setting off, Li Qingshan had already given her the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, instructing her to keep it close to her body to conceal the aura of the Soul Beast.

Having spent these days together, she had gradually come to trust her teacher's arrangements, but the thought of entering a city full of humans still made her a little nervous.

"Pack your things properly." Li Qingshan glanced at her and said gently, "Since you've decided to come out and cultivate, you can't just stay in your room all the time."

Ah Yin nodded gently, a hint of anticipation appearing on her face.

Before long, the carriage entered the city gate.

After everyone had settled into their lodgings, the streetlights began to come on one by one.

Dugu Xin had just taken his medicine, so Dugu Bo stayed at the inn to rest with him. Li Qingshan, on the other hand, led Yu Xiaogang and Ah Yin slowly along the street toward the river.

Sugar paintings, colorful silks, and paper lanterns filled the stalls on both sides.

Ah Yin found everything fascinating, and when she passed a place selling rabbit lanterns, she couldn't help but slow down.

As Li Qingshan was lighting a lamp for her, a child's cry suddenly came from the side.

Yu Xiaogang turned his head to look.

A few steps away, a girl in a light purple dress was squatting by the roadside, with a little girl of about five or six years old standing in front of her.

The girl held a lotus lantern in her hands, but the lampshade was tilted to one side, and half a bamboo strip was sticking out of the paper.

"Don't cry, I'll buy you another one, okay?"

The little girl shook her head, sobbing, "My brother made this for me..."

The girl was somewhat conflicted.

Just now, as the crowd pushed through, she reached out to support the little girl who almost fell, but she couldn't protect the lamp in the girl's hand.

Defeating a Soul Master wouldn't be difficult for her, but repairing something as thin as paper and bamboo strips was something she had never done before.

Can I take a look?

A voice came from the side.

The girl looked up and saw a boy about her age. He didn't reach out immediately, but pointed to the crooked lamp stand.

"The bamboo strips inside have come loose; it should still be repairable."

The little girl stopped crying and looked at him expectantly.

Yu Xiaogang took the lantern, first blew out the candle inside, and then borrowed some thread and paste from the stall owner next to him.

The girl leaned closer and asked:

What do you need me to do?

"Hold this up for me, don't let it weigh down the paper." Yu Xiaogang pointed to the bottom of the lamp, while he carefully straightened the bamboo strips and rewound the loosened thread.

His movements weren't very skilled, and he even wrapped the first loop of thread in the wrong place, but he didn't rush. After taking it apart, he patiently tried it again.

Seeing him busy with his work, the girl's initial anxiety subsided.

Before long, the crooked lotus flower unfolded again.

The area punctured by the bamboo strips was covered with a small piece of paper cut into flower petals, which from a distance looked like the original pattern.

Yu Xiaogang handed the lamp back and said with a smile, "Try it, is it still crooked?"

The little girl picked it up and shook it, and immediately stopped crying and started laughing.

"Alright!"

The girl breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, the little girl's mother squeezed through the crowd and, after learning what had happened, quickly thanked the two of them.

Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, returned the remaining thread and paste to the stall owner, and thanked him sincerely.

When he turned around, he found that the girl was still standing in the same spot.

The lamplight illuminated her beautiful features, and the furrowed brows she had been carrying earlier had relaxed.

"Thank you for getting me out of that predicament."

"Didn't you catch her just now?" Yu Xiaogang laughed, "Otherwise, it probably wouldn't just be a lamp that got broken."

The girl paused for a moment, then laughed and asked, "Do you do this often?"

"Not really. I watched the servants in my household fix lamps before, and I remembered a little bit." Yu Xiaogang looked at the paste on his fingertips, somewhat embarrassed.

"We even twisted the wires wrong just now, thankfully it didn't get worse from the repair."

He didn't exaggerate the small matter, which made the girl feel quite relaxed talking to him.

"By the way, my name is Bibi Dong, what's yours?"

"Yu Xiaogang."

"Jade?"

Bibi Dong's eyes flickered slightly, but she did not immediately inquire about his background.

Just then, a golden light shone at Yu Xiaogang's feet, and Luo Sanpao, with his round head and short legs, landed on the ground, tilted his head back, and barked at him.

"Roar!"

The little guy had been so enticed by the aroma of roasted chestnuts that Yu Xiaogang decided to let it out.

Bibi Dong looked down, her eyes immediately showing curiosity, and asked, "Is this the Soul Beast you raised?"

"No, it's my Martial Soul Luo Sanpao." Yu Xiaogang squatted down and patted its head. "It's a bit different from ordinary Martial Soul; it can be used outside the body."

"Martial Soul?"

Bibi Dong squatted down in surprise. Luo Sanpao moved closer to her skirt and then looked longingly at the chestnut stall next to her.

She couldn't help but laugh:

"Is it trying to get you to buy food?"

Looking at Sanpao's expression, Yu Xiaogang said helplessly, "He just ate something, and he's already thinking about it again."

Bibi Dong got up and bought a small bag of chestnuts. She peeled one open, but instead of feeding it to him immediately, she looked at Yu Xiaogang first.

Can it eat this?

"Eating a little less won't hurt."

Having received permission, Luo Sanpao immediately leaned over, and after finishing his meal, he called out to her twice.

Bibi Dong's smile deepened, and she said:

"Your Martial Soul is very special."

Yu Xiaogang looked up at her.

Over the years, he has heard many comments about Sanpao, but there are not many people like him who approach him simply because they find him interesting.

He paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I think so too."

The two followed the flow of people to the riverbank.

On the water, lotus lanterns drifted slowly away with the current, and laughter from the shore mingled with the lanterns, making the surroundings feel warm and cozy.

Bibi Dong leaned against the railing and suddenly asked:

"Are you out having fun too?"

Yu Xiaogang explained:

"I came out with my teacher for training, and I just happened to be passing through here tonight."

Bibi Dong asked again:

"Where do you want to go?"

Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment and said, "I'll focus on mastering what I need to learn first, and then I'll go see more distant places."

Bibi Dong turned her head to look at him.

When the boy spoke of these things, he didn't pretend to be mature or rush to show off, but his eyes were bright.

She suddenly realized that this person was someone she was more willing to talk to than those who inquired about her identity and praised her looks and talent upon meeting her.

Not far behind, Li Qingshan, carrying the rabbit lantern for Ah Yin, glanced at the two people by the railing, then suddenly stopped, thinking to himself:

"This is..."

He raised an eyebrow slightly. He'd only been buying a lamp, and Xiao Gang was already chatting with a girl?

By the river, Bibi Dong had turned around, smiling as she waved the remaining chestnuts in her hand.

"Before we go any further, should we check out the area ahead? I heard the lights there are even more beautiful."