Rainbow Bridge

Lu Mingtang's expression remained unchanged, but he softened his tone even more:

"You flatter me, sir. I am merely reporting the wishes of each family. Whether to go or not is entirely up to you. However..." He paused briefly, then raised his eyes, meeting Zheng Qingci's gaze calmly, "Langqiong Zhao is only a stone's throw from Golden Ao Mountain, and the county magistrate's office is the face of the court stationed in Nanzhao. If you do not go, tomorrow Golden Ao Mountain will be filled with distinguished guests, but Langqiong Zhao will be the only one absent. I fear that you will be in an even more embarrassing situation then."

Zheng Qingci silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh:

"If I were to go, I wonder what those censors would write in their memorials. If I were to personally go to Golden Ao Mountain to Qixia Temple, in the eyes of those great Confucian School and the officials of the court, it would be seen as 'a local official currying favor with a hermit, which is a disgrace to the nation.'"

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingtang suddenly laughed and mocked:

"My lord, this is Nanzhao, not Han territory!"

Then, he paused briefly, observing Zheng Qingci's expression.

"I heard that Prefect Yang was also very polite to the abbot of Qixia Temple last time?"

Seeing Zheng Qingci's expression change slightly, he seized the opportunity and said:

"If things are like this from above, why should you, sir, be the one to stand at the forefront?"

Without waiting for Zheng Qingci's response, he stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute:

"My lord, I shall take my leave now."

After saying that, he turned and left.

He took two steps forward, then turned back:

"Although you, sir, govern the two thousand li of Langqiong Zhao, your official rank is not high. If this were in Han territory, a prefect of a prefecture would govern two thousand li, not just a county magistrate."

After saying this, he didn't linger. He left the county government office, took another step forward, and his appearance had changed. His hair was now as white as snow, and then he stepped into the Great Void.

Zheng Qingci was left alone in the hall, the candle flame flickering in the night breeze. He suddenly recalled the words of the patriarch of the School of Names:

"A name is a representation of reality. If one knows that this is not this, and knows that this is not here, then one does not call it that." At this moment, he was the one whose name and reality were separate. The five words "Magistrate of Langqiong Zhao" were never meant for Zheng Qingci.

If he attends the banquet, he will be disloyal; if he doesn't go, he will be unwise.

He couldn't bear either of the two evils.

After all, he wasn't a direct descendant of Zheng Xuanzhi. If he were, why would he study the teachings of the School of Names instead of Confucian School...?

It wasn't that he refused to choose; from beginning to end, he didn't even have the right to choose.

As for the person from earlier, it's likely that the real Lu Mingtang has already been murdered.

Outside the hall, the bright moon hung high, its clear light spilling across the ground.

The night was as cold as frost, yet no one noticed; the courtyard was filled with wind and dew, yet no one felt the chill.

The next day, as the sun rose in the east, the sky was filled with rosy clouds, and the morning light spilled across the ground.

Today, countless colorful flags flutter in the wind on Golden Ao Mountain, and auspicious clouds and rosy light surround the Golden Ao Mountain.

At the mountain gate, representatives from various factions across the vast Nanzhao region had been waiting for a long time in front of Golden Ao Mountain.

Before long, a fire phoenix rose from the Golden Ao Mountain, and then the Radiant Fire rose and transformed into various birds and beasts.

Then, the gates of Pear Garden Mountain slowly opened, Liu Yunhe, leading his disciples and many Spirit Wood Child, appeared before everyone's eyes. He was holding a long sword; it was Autumn Steed. Looking at the crowd outside, he said loudly:

"The Abbot of Qixia Temple, True Person Qingyan, cordially welcomes all fellow practitioners to the Purple Mansion Dharma Banquet. The Abbot has prepared a banquet in the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall and invites you all to move into the mountain."

As soon as he finished speaking, a Rainbow Bridge rose from the mountainside of Golden Ao Mountain and landed at the mountain gate.

Liu Yunhe was taken aback at first, but he naturally recognized what was in front of him and quickly said:

"Guests are welcome; please use the Rainbow Bridge to ascend the mountain!"

Before the Human Dao stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge and felt the shimmering light and auspicious energy beneath their feet, realizing that they were indeed using a Spirit Treasure as a means of transportation for their guests.

Someone clicked their tongue in surprise:

"Qixia Temple has such a grand scale; even the bridge welcoming guests is from Spirit Treasure!"

Several disciples of the Purple Mansion Clan couldn't resist reaching out to touch the flowing radiance. The moment their fingertips touched it, they felt a warm sensation coursing through their meridians, instantly dispelling all their fatigue. They couldn't help but marvel at it.

Some knowledgeable people stroked their beards and sighed:

"Such profound knowledge and experience is unmatched by Zhu Household in the Nanzhao."

On the back mountain, Su Yao stared blankly at the Rainbow Bridge that seemed to stretch down from the mountainside, then turned to the gray-clad man beside him and smiled:

"Qingzhu is so thoughtful, even letting you bring the Rainbow Bridge down the mountain."

The man in gray also laughed and said, "Daozheng is not in the mountains, and Gui Hong has disappeared. Now, all the affairs of Qixia Mountain, big and small, are being handled by Qingzhu. Qingzhu said that the abbot's banquet at Qixia Temple should not be shabby, so he sent me to bring the Rainbow Bridge and all the abbot's belongings, as well as any items the abbot may need in the future, to deliver here."

Su Yao burst into laughter upon hearing this.

The man in gray paused briefly, then said:

"Qingzhu is mindful of the large number of guests today, and the True Person of the Laoshan Dao Lineage has specially conveyed a message to Qingzhu, informing him of the various matters encountered by the Abbot during his breakthrough to the Purple Mansion in Nanzhao. Qingzhu has prepared the Night Mulberry mentioned by the Abbot to the underworld messengers, as well as various spiritual fruits and delicacies, and has entrusted me to bring them along for today's banquet."

After saying that, he took out a book and handed it to Su Yao.

Su Yao took the booklet and glanced through it briefly. His heart immediately bled. He could disregard Foundation Establishment level items, but this booklet contained quite a few items at the Purple Mansion level. He hurriedly said:

"I have indeed forgotten about the matter of Night Mulberry, but today's guests are mostly from local Nanzhao forces, and the Pear Garden has made preparations. Taking so many Purple Mansion -level items from Qixia Mountain is rather extravagant."

The man in gray shook his head:

"The abbot is still in Nanzhao and cannot return to the mountain for the time being, so he probably won't have time to send out invitations to all the fellow practitioners of the Mysterious Gate sect. Qingzhu has already instructed us to send out all the invitations in the past few months, and many fellow practitioners of the Mysterious Gate sect will be attending today. These delicacies are prepared for them." He softened his tone and added, "Qingzhu later said that since they have already been prepared, why not invite all the Zhu Household from Nanzhao as well, to show the prestige of Qixia?"

Su Yao's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth and cursed:

"That damned sheep, it doesn't know the cost of firewood and rice when it doesn't manage a household!"

The man in gray immediately fell silent upon hearing this.

The abbot dared to say such a thing, but he wouldn't.

If one is not careful, being swallowed by Qingzhu and trapped for over a hundred years before seeing the light of day again is no laughing matter.

He quickly changed the subject:

"Most of our fellow cultivators will be coming this time, and Qingzhu has even ordered us to retrieve the Law Treasure ' Flowing Rosy Clouds Pavilion '."

Su Yao first looked towards the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall on the mountainside, and then smiled:

"The Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall is ultimately too small; it is insufficient to fully display the grandeur of Qixia."

The man in gray nodded, then handed over a Storage Bag, continuing:

"Qingzhu me to bring Liu Chan and Yingge along to assist the abbot in holding the Dharma banquet. We will return afterward. There is also some good news: the abbot's two attendants, along with Daoist Zheng, have also come. They are currently at the foot of the mountain with Yingge, and will remain at Golden Ao Mountain to serve the abbot from now on."

Su Yao took the Storage Bag, his heart suddenly filled with joy.

Nannuo and Jueming were his childhood companions, and Daoist Zheng was an elder who had cared for him since childhood. Hearing that they were all going to stay, his joy was more genuine than if he had obtained any Spirit Treasure.