Chapter 27 The Death of Karin at the Festival of the Gods
The next morning, Huali walked out of the room in high spirits.
During the daytime fast of the Feast of the Gods, Songran has been busy these past two days collecting spiritual plants from the flower garden to add to the Eight Treasure Porridge as a condiment, and Huali has also started working on it.
As expected of someone who grew up in the mountains, Song Ran handled things in an orderly manner. Hua Li watched as he picked a spirit flower whose name he couldn't name and put it into the pot, then turned around and put the unwashed spirit herbs next to him into the pool.
Huali spoke first, "I'll wash this."
Song Ran paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble Miss Huali."
"It seems there's no one else in your household besides Lanxin and a servant named Agui. Such a large mansion relies entirely on the three of you; it must be exhausting." Huali washed the spiritual herbs clean. "Why don't you hire some servants?"
She was browsing the Xianbo forum last night when she saw that the Demon Envoy was recruiting workers, offering generous pay but saying it was a bit too physically demanding.
Song Ran took the spirit herb and shook his head. "This is enough. Too many people would only make things more chaotic. I grew up in the mountains and fields and am used to a quiet life. I don't like too many people." He looked up at Hua Li and smiled. "But I'm very happy that you could come."
Song Ran seemed to be reminiscing, "It's been a long time since anyone has washed herbs with me."
Huali looked at him and felt that he seemed to prefer the carefree life in the mountains to being the lord of a city; it was this place that had trapped him.
"Since you like freedom, why do you want to be the city lord?" Huali asked subconsciously, only to realize she had overstepped her bounds after asking. "That's not what I meant. Of course, being the city lord is also very good."
Seeing Huali's helpless expression, Song Ran chuckled. He looked tenderly at the blessing lamp on the Moonlit Pavilion and said, "Yes, why did I become the city lord?"
The almsgiving ceremony was held right next to the wonton stall, and long queues formed early in the morning, with families holding bowls and basins and waiting.
Rongxing got up early and helped Agui set up the shed here.
After Huali finished washing the medicinal herbs, she pulled Lianzhuo out to help, saying, "Aren't you monks supposed to love giving alms the most? Why aren't you being enthusiastic?"
Lian Zhuo subtly pulled out her sleeve and turned to look in the direction of the North Garden.
After his spiritual energy recovered, he sensed a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy over there, or more accurately, demonic energy.
There is a demon in the city lord's mansion, and its power is comparable to his.
There is only one person with the cultivation level of Nascent Soul stage: Wen Jin.
*
"Young lady, would you like to try some freshly made wontons?" the wonton stall owner said warmly.
"Why do you always say the same line?" Huali found it amusing. "Don't you remember me? I was eating wontons at your house yesterday. I ordered pork filling, but you made vegetarian ones for me."
The boss chuckled and turned to get back to work.
The porridge distribution task began quickly, and Huali was so busy that she didn't have time to chat.
A toddler of about three years old came forward with a small bowl in his hand and said, "Thank you, sister."
Huali scooped a full spoonful into her small bowl, patted her head, and said, "You're welcome."
The little girl, being very polite, lowered her head and took a big gulp. "It's delicious! Thank you, Lord City Lord! Thank you, Sister!"
It was only this time that Huali realized what it meant to have good interpersonal relationships.
Ever since Song Ran arrived, the surrounding people's praises have never stopped.
But Song Ran is incredibly approachable; he can chat and laugh with anyone, even more so than the boy next door.
Rongxing watched in awe, thinking, "When will I be able to have such good interpersonal relationships? Wouldn't I make a lot of friends then?"
Huali glanced at him. "Do you guys at the astrology station have very few sorcerer friends?"
Rongxing: "How did you know? Although we make a lot of money in this line of work, we are also hated by many people. Sometimes, if we find out that someone is a jinx and tell others, we get scolded. Sometimes, if we calculate that someone is a jinx, we are added to that person's blacklist of friends and family. It's terrible."
Songran placed the porridge into the bowl of the hunched-over old woman. The old woman sighed, "If my little grandson were alive, he would probably be asking for a bowl of porridge now."
"The deceased is gone; please accept our deepest condolences."
The old woman wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "It is all thanks to the city lord's righteousness that we were saved."
Song Ran's smile remained unchanged. "Next."
The event didn't end until dusk. Huali was sore all over, but when she saw that there was still some porridge left in the wooden bucket, her eyes lit up.
He picked up a bowl, filled it with water, and was about to drink when he heard Songran call out, "Miss Huali, could you come over here and help me?"
Karin got up resignedly.
*
The true beginning of the festival of blessing the gods begins only after the sun's rays have faded.
The branches along the street were covered with fish-scale gauze lanterns, which looked like a starry sky from afar. The candlelight cast the shadows of camels and pipa on the cloth banners, making them sway.
The young ladies, who had dressed simply in the morning, were now wearing beautiful ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses) and gold hairpins, each carrying a lantern in the shape of various animals.
Huali was dazzled by the sights, and the smile on her lips never faded.
People were releasing water lanterns for good luck under the bridge, while Huali lay on the bridge gazing into the distance.
A vendor carrying paper lanterns smiled and asked her, "Young lady, would you like to buy a lantern?"
Huali looked at the rabbit lantern he was holding up; its appearance was lively and lifelike.
Even Ao Bai, perched on her shoulder, couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder the female supporting character in the novel flew into a rage when the female lead broke the lantern festival; anyone would feel sorry for her."
Karin empathized deeply, saying, "If anyone breaks my light, I'll kill them."
Upon seeing the Ao Bai statue on Hua Li's shoulder, the vendor immediately replaced the rabbit lantern with an adorable raccoon dog. "Miss, would you like to see this?"
Huali looked left and right, and finally chose a lantern with a little fox on it. After paying, she turned around to find Lianzhuo and Rongxing.
Rongxing was already eating heartily with both hands, while Lianzhuo stood quietly to the side, gazing at the water lanterns on the river not far away.
Are you going to pray for blessings?
Lian Zhuo shook her head as expected.
The girl's smile was even more cunning than the little fox lantern in her hand. She blinked and said, "Lian Zhuo, let me show you a magic trick."
"Magic? Trick?"
"Yes, it's a magic trick. Now close your eyes, I'll count to three, and then you open your eyes."
Lian Zhuo looked at her quietly.
"Hurry up, close your eyes! One, two, three!"
Lianzhuo closed her eyes as instructed and listened to Huali count down.
A bright red candied hawthorn appeared before her eyes again. The girl, who had been rejected once, did not lose her fighting spirit because of that setback. She tilted her head slightly, and the red earlobe of her left ear brushed against the side of her face. "What are you standing there for? Here you go."
In that instant, all the scenery behind her became mere background.
Lian Zhuo felt an unbearable emptiness in her heart, as if a gust of wind had passed through it, leaving a dark hole.
"Ah, candied hawthorns!" Rongxing's eyes lit up. "Huali, why are you being so biased? I want some too."
"Besides, how could a monk eat these things? Give them to me, I..."
Lian Zhuo took the candied hawthorn, bent down and took a bite. The sweet and sour taste exploded on her taste buds.
Rongxing was taken aback for a moment, "Alright, even mages eat candied hawthorns."
"May the magic lamp appear! May the magic lamp come out!"
In the bustling crowd, someone was the first to see a huge silhouette reflected in the window paper of the attic.
Immediately afterwards, more people looked up, their faces filled with anticipation as they gazed at this moment.
As the twelve zodiac animal firecrackers exploded in unison, the lanterns throughout the Bright Moon Pavilion were suddenly lit up. Beneath the eaves of the three-story pavilion, glass lanterns formed a blooming lotus flower.
Suddenly, a mournful sound of an ocarina rang out from somewhere. Before Huali could react, the pavilion door opened, and a tall, auspicious lamp rose into the air from the Bright Moon Pavilion.
The floating rays of light rapidly converged upon it.
Rongxing exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, it's so beautiful!"
Huali nodded in agreement, "This is the Blessing Lamp; its bright red color is quite fitting for the occasion."
Upon hearing this, Lian Zhuo immediately looked up.
Suddenly, the blessing lamp exploded with a tremendous sound.
The divine artifact spontaneously combusted, and no one could escape.
Karin's eyes widened as she felt her body being thrown up by the heat wave and then falling rapidly. Her internal organs were shattered by the massive shockwave, and her body crashed to the ground in a bizarre posture, then fell silent.
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