However, even if it was embarrassing, it was best to go. He wasn't a hermit like the Rain Master, who had been practicing for centuries. He wasn't like the Earth Master, who had a secret mission to perform. He wasn't like the Water Master, who just wanted to do whatever he wanted. If he wasn't anyone, yet always made the exception, he couldn't attend whatever he wanted. Over time, others would be dissatisfied and gossip. Even if he didn't think it was a big deal, Jun Wu couldn't do anything about it. So, he immediately agreed to Shi Qingxuan's request: "Okay, I'll be there."
Over the next few days, Xie Lian tried several methods, but to no avail, separating Qi Rong's soul from the man's body. Qi Rong grew increasingly complacent. Fortunately, there was a certain Gu Zi who continued to feed his "father" without complaint; otherwise, Xie Lian would have hated putting anything into his mouth. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xie Lian set up a formation outside the Puqi Monastery, locked the door, and left Ruo Xie to continue tying up Qi Rong before heading to the Immortal Capital to report.
The poem goes, "The White Jade Capital of Heaven, with its twelve towers and five cities. The immortals stroke my head, and I shall be blessed with eternal life." The White Jade Capital here refers to the Immortal Capital. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Immortal Capital took on a whole new look. Furthermore, Xie Lian saw numerous guards along the streets, along the long corridors, and near the towers. Perhaps after Hua Cheng's intrusion, security had been stepped up several times. The banquet was held under the open sky before the moon, amidst lingering fragrance, auspicious clouds, and blossoms like blowing snow. While feasting, one could enjoy the moon and the night. On earth, one would pinch a circle with one's thumb and index finger, and the moon would barely fit within that circle. But in the Immortal Capital, the full moon was pure white, like a vast jade curtain standing not far away, as if a few more steps would allow one to catch up. It was truly a beauty unseen in the human world.
It goes without saying that Jun Wu was the head of the banquet. However, how the others sat held a profound mystery. The order and placement were crucial. Sitting too high was a no-no, and the priest himself probably wouldn't approve of sitting too low. Xie Lian didn't mind this, but formal attire was mandatory for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. In other words, it was best to dress the same way as your mortal statues would. Xie Lian didn't have a statue, so he wore a white Taoist robe and a bamboo hat. It was a bit shabby, but he had no better clothes. This attire would have drawn attention, so he decided it would be best to sit in a more secluded position.
Unexpectedly, he had just found a corner to sit down, but when he looked up, he saw Feng Xin approaching. They both hesitated for a moment, nodded slightly to each other as a greeting. Feng Xin walked forward a few steps, then turned back and asked, "Why are you sitting here?"
Xie Lian thought he had sat in the wrong seat, so he stood up and said, “I thought it was okay to sit anywhere.”
Feng Xin was about to speak when Xie Lian saw Shi Qingxuan waving at him from afar. Shi Qingxuan was now in her female form. Feng Xin looked back, as if seeing something shadowy. He was horrified and left Xie Lian behind as he hurried away. Shi Qingxuan called out again, "Your Highness, over here!"
The Wind Master was a well-known figure in the Heavenly Court, so her seat was naturally excellent, close to Jun Wu. This move and call attracted the attention of many priests. Jun Wu, who had been silent with his chin in his hand, also noticed Xie Lian and nodded slightly to him, so Xie Lian had no choice but to go over. As expected, Lang Qianqiu was nowhere to be seen along the way. It was said that he had postponed the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet early in order to find Qi Rong's whereabouts. Shi Qingxuan found a seat next to him with excellent feng shui. Xie Lian felt that it was not suitable, but the Wind Master's kindness was hard to refuse, so she forced him to sit down and said, "After the banquet, I will take you to find that child. He is a little ugly, but he is very well behaved." At this point, he could only say thank you. Turning around, Ming Yi was sitting near the two of them. He was playing with a jade cup, and the hand holding the cup was actually whiter than the jade cup. Seeing that he looked fine, it seemed that the injury he suffered in the Ghost Market last time had healed. Xie Lian said, "Master Earth Master, how are you?"
Ming Yi nodded, seemingly reluctant to speak. Shi Qingxuan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He knew everyone and could even speak to people around him, even those thousands of miles away. Xie Lian was deeply impressed by how he could remember the names of so many priests, both great and small. Sitting next to him was a young man of about eighteen or nineteen, with a high nose, deep eyes, and slightly curly black hair. Xie Lian didn't recognize him, and he didn't recognize Xie Lian either. The two looked at each other for a while, both puzzled, and finally Xie Lian gave a random greeting. Looking around again, Feng Xin and Mu Qing were sitting incredibly far apart, while sitting directly opposite him, conversing in a very familiar manner, were three priests.
On the left was a black-clad civil servant, his features dignified and graceful. As he spoke, he tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, his expression calm and composed, strangely familiar. In the middle was, of course, the already familiar Pei Ming. On the right was a young man in white, gently waving a paper fan with the word "water" written on the front and three ripples painted on the back. His features bore a vague resemblance to Shi Qingxuan, but his gaze was tinged with arrogance and frivolity. Though he looked gentle, his eyes clearly showed his disdain for everyone. Who else could it be but "Shui Hengtian"?
Xie Lian understood: "Three poisonous tumors."
The black-clad civil servant must have been the male form of the most powerful spiritual mana, and he was indeed a distinguished presence. The three of them exchanged pleasantries, praising each other in various ways. Shi Qingxuan kept muttering, "Hypocrisy. Extremely hypocritical." Xie Lian found this quite amusing. Then, he noticed a magnificent small pavilion in front of the banquet hall, veiled on all sides by red curtains. He asked, "What is that?"
Shi Qingxuan smiled and said, "Oh, you may not know this, but this is also a very popular game in the Heavenly Palace. Come, let me show you, it has already started!"
Just as he finished speaking, a few muffled thunders were heard from the sky. Jun Wu looked up at the sky, poured a glass of wine, and passed it over. Then, amid the thunder, the priests at the banquet began to pass the glass of wine around with laughter and shouts, saying, "Don't give it to me! Don't give it to me!" "Give it to him!"
Just by watching others play, Xie Lian roughly understood the rules and thought to himself, "So it's pass the flower." Everyone passed the cup of wine passed by Jun Wu to each other. They couldn't spill it. They could pass it to anyone, but they couldn't pass it back. When the thunder stopped, whoever had the cup would be used to make fun of him. But he didn't know what kind of fun they were going to have. This game was not very friendly to Xie Lian. Whoever you passed the cup to was being played a trick on, so you would usually pass it to a few people you had a good relationship with. But he was not familiar with most of the priests present, so how could he have the nerve to play tricks on others? The most he could do was pass it to the Wind Master, but who knew if the Wind Master was the one who passed the cup to him?
Xie Lian thought, "It would be best if no one passed it to me. But maybe I'm just being overly sentimental." Before he could even begin, the first round was over. The wine glass, as expected, rested in Pei Ming's hands. It looked like Pei Ming was used to it. He downed the wine in one gulp amidst thunderous applause. The priests clapped and cheered, "Rise! Rise!"
Amidst the cheers, the curtains of the magnificent pavilion slowly drew back. Standing on the stage was a tall general, striding with his head held high, a majestic presence. He seemed oblivious to the priests below, nor to the bizarre, celestial beauty beyond. He took a few steps and began to sing, his voice stirring and high.
It turns out that whichever priest the wine cup passed to, the pavilion would bring up a play about that priest from the human world and perform it for everyone to see. Given people's penchant for fabricating stories, there was no telling what kind of outrageous drama they would invent, and who would be the one chosen. This game was both humiliating and thrilling. But that was also where the fun lay. General Pei's plays were always brilliant, thanks to the different female characters they played each time. Sometimes they were celestial fairies, sometimes seductresses, sometimes ladies, each one more beautiful than the other, their stories more outrageous than the last. The priests watched with rapt interest, eagerly awaiting the next female character's turn. Sure enough, soon a young lady in black appeared on stage, her voice like a nightingale. The two sang a duet, their lyrics and music quite provocative and daring. The more they watched, the more they felt something was amiss. They asked, "What's the name of this play?" "Who is General Pei seducing this time?"
At this time, "General Pei" on the stage said: "Jie Qing——"
Below the stage, Pei Ming and Ling Wen both spit out their drinks.
Who else could Jie Qing be? Ling Wen's real name is Nangong Jie. The priests were shocked: How could these two be having an affair?!
Lingwen wiped the corner of his lips with a cloth and said calmly, "Don't think about it. It's just made up."
Although both parties were a little depressed, they were both thick-skinned enough to act out their performances on stage, while the audience pretended not to notice. However, Shi Wudu did not let them go. He waved his fan and smiled, "This play is very exciting. What do you think?"
Ling Wen said, "I don't have any feelings. This play is very old. Back then, my statue wasn't what it is now. It's just a folk legend. Think about it carefully. In folk legends, how many women has Lao Pei not hooked up with?"
Everyone agreed. Pei Ming said, "Hey, don't say that. I've had almost all the other affairs that folklore tells about me. But I really didn't do this one. Don't wrongly accuse a good person."
Ling Wen said, "According to what you said, folklore says that I have hooked up with more male priests than anyone else, and I haven't hooked up with any of them yet. Isn't that really unsettling?"
Ever since Lingwen was appointed, folklore has circulated that she achieved this status through an affair with a certain priest. This contributed to the Lingwen Temple's early lack of worshippers and offerings. It's said that during periods of intense protest, she was reviled and subjected to accusations, with people frequently throwing bellybands and menstrual cloths into her donation box. However, male priests who were subject to such rumors earned a reputation as playboys, and even enjoyed the experience. While similar circumstances may exist, the difference between men and women leads to vastly different outcomes.
Just as he was thinking this, the next round began. Shi Wudu was still laughing just now, and this time it was his turn. The two cancerous tumors beside him made congratulatory gestures to him: "Retribution in this life, please accept it."
Shi Wudu frowned and drank the wine. The curtain slowly rose again. Before it rose to the top, two long shouts came from inside:
"My wife—"
"My dear..."
The scene was filled with tender affection, twists and turns, and a lingering romance. Xie Lian, watching from below, saw Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan break out in goosebumps.
Shi Qingxuan jumped up and said, "Brother! Cut it off!"
Shi Wudu immediately shouted, "Put it down! Put it down right now!"
You don't need to look to know that the one you drew this time must be the folk legend of the "husband and wife" of the Water Master and the Wind Master. Love and hatred are always people's favorite stories. If they exist, it's best, but if they don't, it's even better, and you can make up whatever you want. Logically speaking, the things done by the priests themselves are the authentic myths, but sometimes when you see the ones people give them, you have to admire that this is the real myth. As soon as Shi Wudu said that, the curtain really fell down. The priests wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh, and they had a hard time holding it back. Xie Lian asked with a smile: "Master Wind Master, how come you can order the curtain to be lowered?"
Shi Qingxuan was still apprehensive and said, "Sure, it's no big deal. Just donate 100,000 merits!"
“…”
As Xie Lian remained speechless, the third round began. This time, the thunder didn't last long before the wine glass was passed to the young man beside Xie Lian.
Seeing this result, the priests' reaction was somewhat strange. Not very enthusiastic, but not quite indifferent either. It was as if they were interested in the show, but didn't want to show it too obviously. The young man seemed to have little interest in the game, but he drank the wine anyway. He set down his glass, and the curtain was drawn again.
There were two people standing on the stage. One was a young warrior with curly hair like a lion's mane. Although it was extremely exaggerated, it was still very majestic. He must be playing the young priest. The other was a clown with a pointed face and a wretched appearance. He jumped around on the stage. When the young man faced him, he pretended to be serious, but his expression was very greasy and disgusting. When the young man turned his back, he would grin and stab at him from behind with his sword. He was undoubtedly a despicable villain who said one thing in front of others and another behind their backs.
The clown acted with such effort and exaggeration that it seemed like a farce. The priests had mixed reactions. Xie Lian noticed that the priests in lower positions were all laughing, while the priests in higher positions, such as Shi Qingxuan, Shi Wudu, and the others, mostly frowned and said nothing, not finding it funny. At the same time, he noticed that the veins on the back of the young man's hand next to him suddenly bulged, and he became alert. Although he couldn't understand what was being performed on the stage, he could probably guess that someone was being insulted. And even if he didn't know who it was, he found the arrangement extremely uncomfortable. Seeing that the young man seemed to be about to explode, he grabbed a chopstick from the table and threw it at the rope hanging the curtain.
The chopsticks, not sharp, flew past the rope and actually cut it. The curtain crashed down, startling the priests. They all asked, "How could this happen?" "What's going on?" They all looked at Xie Lian, some even standing up. Xie Lian was about to speak when something exploded near his ears. It was the young man who had crushed the white jade wine cup.
He seemed enraged by the spectacle. He threw the jade cup fragments in his hand, leaped up, and onto the table. With a kick of his foot, he shot up the pavilion like an arrow and passed through the curtains. Several priests rushed forward to lift the red curtain, but no one was inside. Everyone exclaimed in shock, "Oh no! His Highness Qiying has gone down to beat people up again!"
Xie Lian thought to himself, "Qiying? Qiying Palace? Western Martial God Quan Yizhen?" He hurriedly asked Shi Qingxuan, "Master Feng, what's going on? Why did His Highness Qiying hit someone?"
Shi Qingxuan came back to his senses and said, "Beating people is... beating people. Well, you may not believe it, but Qiying often beats his followers."
“…”
This was the first time he'd heard of a priest assaulting one of his followers. This was a deed that would make a priest's standing in the eyes of his followers plummet. He was about to ask more, but a priest below him said displeasedly, "Quan is so ignorant! Everyone's having a great time, and he doesn't even try to play along. Who hasn't been made fun of? Haven't General Pei and True Lord Lingwen been made fun of? Besides, it wasn't him who was being made fun of, so why is he so angry?"
"That's right, this guy really takes himself too seriously. Even if he's angry, how could he let it out at this time? Who would come to this banquet just to see his face? Really..."
"Alright, alright, a brat is a brat. Now that he's gone, we'll have more fun without him."
Hearing this, Xie Lian seemed lost in thought. The banquet was only slightly chaotic for a moment before Ling Wen seemed to have sent someone down to deal with Quan Yizhen's situation. After several priests stepped forward to calm things down, the banquet and games continued. And so, amidst the roar of thunder, the fourth round of the game of passing the flower with the drum began.
Xie Lian had originally just been watching others having fun, unable to fit in, and happy that no one was looking for him. He was about to talk to Shi Qingxuan, but at that moment, a hand suddenly reached out and handed him the white jade wine glass.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
