(Friendly reminder: This post is unrelated to the main plot and is purely a holiday rant.)
The underworld, on the banks of the River of Oblivion, at the Bridge of Helplessness.
The atmosphere, which was usually filled with wailing and eerie will-o'-the-wisps, has taken a different turn today.
Several exquisitely carved pumpkin lanterns floated on the River of Oblivion, their eerie green flames shining through their hollowed-out eyes and mouths, making the river water even more sinister.
The spiderweb decorations entwined on the railings of the Bridge of Helplessness fall in fluffy pieces whenever the wind blows.
Several newly deceased ghosts were frantically hanging small colorful flags on the Meng Po Pavilion.
The colors are red, green, and yellow, and the color scheme is extremely bold.
Meng Po, leaning on her long spoon, stared at the ancient shop sign, half-hidden by colorful flags, her lips twitching wildly.
"What are you up to now?" She slammed a spoon against the edge of the pot, causing the soup to ripple and startling a newly-minted ghost with a flag hanging nearby, who nearly fell off the ladder into the River of Oblivion.
A quick-witted little ghost messenger nearby hurried over, smiling obsequiously: "Lady Meng Po, have you forgotten? Today is the opening day of the first 'Underworld Carnival and Wangchuan Cultural Exchange Festival' set by our Crown Prince!"
Meng Po's eyelids twitched: "...What the hell?"
"...It's just about organizing some activities to liven things up!" The little ghost messenger rubbed his hands together. "The Crown Prince said that the culture of the Underworld needs to go out into the world, and the brand of Wangchuan needs to be established! We can't always be crying and wailing; we need to show some positive and uplifting spirit!"
Looking at the pumpkin lantern spinning in the river, being pulled around by vengeful spirits, and then at the colorful flags fluttering in the wind on the bridge, Meng Po took a deep breath, feeling that even her soup was starting to lose its flavor.
"Positive and uplifting? Is that all?" She pointed to the mess. "I think he's just bored out of his mind!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than the sound of gongs and drums approached from afar.
A group of ghost messengers dressed in brightly colored clothes walked over, playing suonas, banging gongs, and swaying stiffly in a folk dance.
The one in the lead had two exaggerated blobs of blush on his face and was holding a sign with the following words scrawled in crooked vermilion:
"Warmly celebrate the first Underworld Carnival! Drink Meng Po's soup, cross the Naihe Bridge, and be a person of the Underworld again in your next life!"
Meng Po: "..."
She silently picked up the long spoon, scooped up a bowl of soup, tilted her head back, and drank it down.
Forget it, out of sight, out of mind; she wanted to forget her worries.
Amidst the chaos of the demons dancing wildly, a clear, melodious voice pierced through the clamor, its tone carrying a hint of nonchalance:
"Wow, it's quite lively here."
All the ghosts turned around at once.
Li Yuheng, dressed in a black brocade robe with gold trim and his black hair tied up high, was slowly strolling across the River of Oblivion.
Beside him, Shu Bai wore the same outfit, but his eyes were filled with speechlessness at the scene before him.
Li Yuheng walked to the Bridge of Helplessness, his gaze sweeping over the crooked pumpkin lanterns and colorful flags, and nodded in satisfaction:
"Not bad, it has a bit of a festive feel to it. But next time, you could be bolder with the color scheme. Red and green together? That's just awful! That's the kind of impact we're going for!"
He patted the young ghost officer holding the sign on the shoulder: "The slogan is well written, very spirited! Go to the accounting office and collect three catties of incense later."
The little ghost messenger was so excited he almost threw the sign into the River of Oblivion: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Li Yuheng then turned to Meng Po, grinning as he leaned closer: "Grandma Meng, did you add anything to the soup today? How about a Halloween limited edition? Like pumpkin flavor?"
Meng Po stirred the murky soup in the pot with a blank expression: "Your Highness, this soup of mine is made with a thousand-year-old recipe, and it is of the highest quality. Adding pumpkin might affect the quality of your reincarnation."
“Hey, that’s too conservative.” Li Yuheng shook his head, but didn’t say anything more.
He turned around, very naturally took Shu Bai's hand, and led him towards the center of the ghost horde, announcing loudly as they walked:
"Listen up, everyone! This year's carnival will be hosted by me, the Crown Prince! The motto is—no motto, just have fun!"
"Hey you in the river! Yes, you! Stop messing with the pumpkin lantern! I hereby declare the first 'Wangchuan Cup' Pumpkin Lantern Carving Contest now open! The first prize is a photo with me!"
Shu Bai: "..."
The ghosts fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an even more heated clamor than before.
The vengeful spirits that had been rummaging through the pumpkin lanterns were now scrambling to swim to the shore and frantically starting to carve.
Even the few new ghosts adorned with colorful flags nearly fell off the ladder, staring longingly in this direction.
Shu Bai couldn't help but ask, "...Why are they so excited? Is taking a picture with you something to be happy about?"
Li Yuheng was enjoying the admiring gazes of the ghosts when he heard this and raised an eyebrow triumphantly: "You don't understand, do you? Taking a photo with me is equivalent to getting top-tier traffic certification in the underworld."
"When we post their photos on their graves, even the ghosts within a hundred miles will look up to them and walk with an air of superiority."
"Moreover, if you take the photo to the Black Impermanence (a powerful deity in Chinese mythology) to get a permit for reincarnation, you can be given priority in being born into a good family. This is a valuable asset."
Shu Bai looked at the ghosts who were so excited they were about to fall apart, and remained silent for a moment.
"……No wonder."
Li Yuheng put his arm around Shu Bai's shoulder, his voice filled with undisguised pride: "This is called sharing joy with the people, don't you understand? Besides, with my outstanding demeanor, it's only natural that they want to take a picture with me."
…
Shu Bai watched as the ghosts carved pumpkins into bizarre shapes in order to get a spot for a group photo; one of them even carved Li Yuheng's face.
Although the characters are not perfect, they capture the essence quite well.
He couldn't help but facepalm: "...Are you sure this is a cultural exchange, and not your personal fan meeting?"
Li Yuheng: "How could that be? I'm setting a benchmark for underworld culture and raising the aesthetic standards of the grassroots ghosts."
As he spoke, he casually picked up the pumpkin lantern that was carved in his likeness and examined it under the light: "Hmm, although the details are a bit rough, the charm between his brows is captured quite well."
The ghost holding the pumpkin lantern trembled with excitement.
Li Yuheng waved his hand and said, "This is the first prize!"
The other ghosts immediately began to wail, regretting that they hadn't thought of carving Li Yuheng's face.
After the group photo was taken, Shu Bai couldn't stand it any longer and tugged at Li Yuheng's sleeve: "That's enough. If you keep going like this, Meng Po's soup pot will be overturned by these excited ghosts."
Li Yuheng looked back and saw that the area in front of Meng Po's pavilion was already packed with people. Meng Po was holding a long ladle, and her face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Alright, alright," Li Yuheng smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction, "The first carnival was a complete success! Let's do it again next time!"
He put his arm around Shu Bai's waist and, amidst a chorus of howls and wails, slowly walked towards the palace.
Even after walking a long way, you could still hear Meng Po's powerful roar behind you: "Everyone line up! No one can be reincarnated until they finish their soup!"
Li Yuheng laughed so hard his shoulders shook: "Look how lively it is!"
Shu Bai glanced at him: "Yeah, it's so lively that even Meng Po (the goddess of forgetfulness) wants to add something to your soup."
“She dares?” Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow, then leaned closer with a grin. “But if you, Shu Bai, were to feed me yourself, I would drink even the most deadly poison.”
"...Shut up."
The two figures gradually disappeared into the distance, while the pumpkin lanterns on the River of Oblivion behind them still glowed faintly, reflecting an eerie yet festive light on the river.
Li Yuheng suddenly remembered something, turned to Shu Bai and winked:
"Oh right, I forgot to mention earlier—"
Happy Halloween, my little kitty.
Shu Bai paused in his steps:
"you--"
"...Never mind, you're happy too."
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