Chapter 277

The Lantern Festival in the mountain town has a history of three hundred years. It was said that a miracle occurred here at that time, and the people continued the festival of sending off the god with lanterns to this day in order to show their respect.

Lanterns crisscross, their glass surfaces gleaming.

The partridge lamp's body is made up of more than a dozen pieces of glass in different colors, with the purple glass in the center of its eye being particularly dazzling.

It looks just like a person's eyes.

Holding a partridge-shaped lamp, Yingning saw the bustling laughter of the human world.

She chuckled softly, and the scars on her face seemed to have faded considerably.

"My lord, you seem very happy." The slender and graceful Si Baixue never took her eyes off her.

“I like this feeling.” Yingning was telling the truth.

Si Baixue didn't twitch his nose, so he didn't smell anything, but he guessed a few things:

"The aura of the human realm?"

These days, Si Baixue naturally knew about Ying Ning's help to the female disciples of the sect, and also noticed that she was quite different from these weak and frail mortals.

This unusualness is not about being valued.

More like, it's different from other sectors...

The same applies.

The human realm is a lower realm, and people from the upper realm should not look down on it.

But she didn't do that.

Si Baixue felt that she seemed to understand a little: "Mortals are like mayflies, but the gatherings and separations over a hundred years, and the inability to escape worldly ties, can be considered interesting."

"Perhaps that's why you're willing to help them."

Yingning shook the partridge lantern in her hand. "Do you know that there is a book in the library of the One Sword Sect that tells about how the ancient true gods, in accordance with the will of Heaven, maintained the balance of the six realms and thus protected the immortal realm and the human realm?"

It was a book of casual conversation, yet its contents left a deep impression.

"Legend has it that there were two blue lotuses under the seat of the true god. One day, the god suddenly had a wonderful idea and sent the two little spirits of blue lotuses to the two realms respectively to see if the living beings in the two realms were well."

Si Baixue listened quietly.

Yingning continued, "The Azure Lotus said: The Immortal Realm lacks cultivation methods and spiritual power. It hopes that the True God will use his own divine power to help the Immortal Realm cultivate the Great Dao."

"God has granted it."

"Er Qinglian returned from the human realm, her figure ethereal and graceful."

"Even the true God asked: Is it going smoothly?"

"Qinglian said: The human realm is filled with unspeakable suffering. Natural disasters and man-made calamities are constant. Lifespans of a hundred years are like floating duckweed, and people are always plagued by illness. It is truly unbearable."

"The true God asked: How can we help humanity?"

"Little Green Lotus shook her head: Those mortals say that all things have spirits and their own cultivation, so it's inevitable that they'll take some detours."

"Natural disasters and man-made calamities will eventually pass, and even a lifespan of a hundred years will continue with the generational reproduction."

"They will cultivate themselves and one day they will come before you."

Yingning paused for a moment:

"They said, let them be."

Si Baixue listened intently, and a certain hardness within him seemed to soften considerably. He unconsciously asked:

"And the ending?"

"When the true god fell, a mortal finally came before the god."

"True God: Can one repent?"

"The common man said: Why should I regret?"

"Stand in this world, be down-to-earth, dedicate your life to pursuing a dream."

"In the human realm, I have no regrets."

Si Baixue stood beside Ying Ning, unaware of what was happening as she watched the passing mortals. Some were laughing, while others were troubled.

But at this moment, Si Baixue actually understood the human heart.

"As the saying goes, the heart of an ordinary person is the most precious thing."

"A heart that is both fearless and weak."

The man's fawning demeanor vanished: "Mortals are afraid, they cry."

"Despite being weak, they would still sacrifice themselves for some strange things."

For faith, for others.

"This is the biggest difference between the human realm and other realms," he then exclaimed.

"rare."

Si Baixue suddenly felt that being an ordinary person wasn't so bad.

Perhaps a mayfly, with its fleeting life, will cherish time and the people around it even more.

"Hurry to the moat, the lantern parade is about to begin!"

"The lantern parade is here! The lantern parade is here!!"

"Xiaomin, Xiaohua, let's go together!" The surrounding voices suddenly became lively, and the crowd that was originally strolling around the lantern festival seemed to start walking in one direction.

With a flick of the partridge lantern, the flower lantern was placed in Si Baixue's hands.

"Xiaoxue, let's go too."

His hand was grasped by another soft object, and Yingning led him quickly to catch up with the crowd.

Si Baixue stared blankly at the two holding hands, his palms gradually going limp. Lost in thought, he almost got bumped by a hurried pedestrian. Just then, he heard Ying Ning's voice:

"What are you spacing out for?"

"Watch out, someone might step on you."

He clenched his fists.

For some reason, Si Baixue looked at the light-footed girl in front of her.

Suddenly, at this moment and in this place, he quietly reverted to his original appearance, with porcelain-white skin and a pair of flamboyant and beautiful eyes. He was tall and slender, and his jet-black hair hung halfway down to his ankles.

He casually tossed a piece of silver onto the stall on the right and took two golden masks.

"Yes, you're protecting me."

Si Baixue put on the mask, and only after the two arrived at the moat did he put it on Yingning as well.

"Why...?" Yingning hadn't finished speaking.

Si Baixue had already answered her: "It was just a sudden thought."

"Today, I want to face you with my true self."

He chuckled softly; the golden mask he wore was not as exquisitely crafted as those in the demon realm, revealing only his deep, narrow eyes.

The banks of the moat were already packed with people.

Legend has it that the paper lanterns of the Lantern Festival are blessed by ancient gods. The paper lanterns are fragile and easily extinguished, and only wishes made before the fireworks go out will come true.

Everyone in the city wanted to snatch the still-burning lanterns that floated down from upstream.

The tiny paper lanterns, with their small lights, slowly emerged from the riverbank. At this time, only three or four hundred of the thousands of paper lanterns were still lit. The crowd happily went to the riverbank to retrieve one lantern after another.

Although Si Baixue didn't believe it, she still witnessed the excitement.

"I'll go pick one up." He told Yingning to stop behind him and then squeezed into the crowded throng.

Among the crowd, those who found it were happily discussing it:

"I found a lantern from the moat!"

"I found one too!"

"Hey, hey, don't block my lantern!"

"I want to give the lantern to Miss Tingting!"

"I hope for family happiness and that Grandma is in good health."

"My wish is for peace to prevail in the world so that I can embark on the path of cultivation."

"A lantern for you, Miss Tingting."

"Actually... my heart has always belonged to you!"

......

Many wishes passed by Si Baixue's ears, until he heard one wish:

"Of all the many wishes I have, I only wish to be with her for thousands of years."

At this moment, Si Baixue bent down and picked up a small lantern from the flowing river. He held it in his slender palm and walked back quickly.

The man was tall, with his dark hair hanging down behind his back.

The paper lantern in Si Baixue's palm had its base soaked by the river water, and the flames were about to go out.

He quickly returned to the spot where the two had parted ways, but the other person was nowhere to be seen.

“Meng Aning…”

Si Baixue's left palm stopped at the edge of her cheek. Her hand, which was about to remove the mask, stopped after she could no longer see the girl.

Seeing the fireworks about to go out, he couldn't help but smile wryly:

"Why should there be a thousand wishes, yet there are thousands of years to fulfill them?"

“A-Ning.”

"I will stay with you for thousands of years."

The contract between demons will remain in effect unless the demon dies.

Thinking about it...

No matter how much the world changes, he will always be by her side.