Chapter 106 Why are you blushing?!
Song Chi nodded immediately. The witch's song and dance at the Hall of Heroes had angered his master to the point that he looked like he needed oxygen at any moment; it had truly put the old man in a difficult position.
Now that all the other disciples have abandoned their offering lamps, she hasn't received the golden scroll's quest notification yet. That means she'll probably have an easy trip.
Mo Shubai was summoned by Xue Rongzhan at this moment, and the two must have some matters to discuss regarding the festival.
They each held a lotus lantern and a purple mist lantern. When the deacons loudly reminded them that they could throw the lanterns into the river, the lanterns in their hands were almost involuntarily pulled into the River of Heroes by spiritual power.
Then, powered by the formation, it swayed and moved upstream against the current.
Mo Shubai glanced back slightly at that moment. His master immediately explained, "Since your eldest brother is the chosen one, he naturally must participate in the Immortal Contest on the pleasure boat." His expression implied, even so, you shouldn't try to steal it.
Song Chi thought to herself, why should she bother to snatch it? It's not like the Lotus of Love from last time, which could grant Mo Shubai a chance for advancement. Even if she wanted to pursue Mo Shubai... she would only do it secretly. Therefore, she immediately nodded to indicate that she understood.
However, the golden scroll suddenly moved.
"Hurry and throw the sacrificial lantern."
"You must seize Xie Lanqing's sacrificial lamp and accompany him onto the fifth painted boat so that he can gain the main hall's approval and enter the maze to obtain the opportunity to refine weapons."
Screw you! Here we go again.
At this moment, the deacons urged for the third time to begin. If they did not vote now, they would truly have no chance.
Just then, Master was pulled aside by Venerable Xuanji of the Ziyan Divine Palace to talk, so Song Chi used his spiritual power to send the small peach blossom lantern in his hand flying into the river.
At that moment, Master's gaze suddenly fell upon them, and he even closed his eyes in anger. Venerable Xuanji, on the other hand, smiled and tried to persuade them. "Young people love excitement, why do you have to keep her all to herself?" Master was clearly not comforted, but the die was cast, and he gave up after a moment of anger.
Mo Shubai glanced back again, then turned his face away with a smile.
At this moment, the disciples threw the last batch of sacrificial lamps into the River of Heroes.
Next, from among tens of thousands of lanterns, those chosen by the spirit in the main sacrificial hall above will become the celestial children of the chief priest. In the book, it was Cui Xue Ruo and Ye Qing Yu who were chosen. Once chosen, they boarded the first and second painted boats and no longer participated in the lantern competition. Of course, other disciples could also steal their lanterns and board the painted boats in the same way.
The spiritual energy that soared into the air from the main hall like dazzling fireworks and then fell like meteors immediately enveloped Cui Xue Ruo and Ye Qing Yu. The two were carried by the crimson spiritual mist and floated onto the first and second painted boats.
However, soon countless white lotus flowers flew out from the main hall, swirling like ribbons and lifting Mo Shubai up, landing him on the third painted boat.
This was something that had never happened before, and a gasp of surprise came from all directions.
Not to mention them, even Song Chi, who held the script, was astonished. Simply because it wasn't written that way in the book.
The Venerables were the first to recover their senses, after all, the appearance of the White Lotus Jade Lord in the Hall of Heroes was something that hadn't happened in millions of years. Therefore, perhaps the White Lotus Jade Lord had some kind of inheritance to bestow upon this future White Lotus Son. Naturally, Mo Shubai received such favor, not to mention others, even the Mo family patriarch Qingchenzi was there with red eyes, stroking his beard and nodding with satisfaction.
In this way, Mo Shubai no longer participated in the competition. He landed on the third painted boat.
Song Chi clicked her tongue. She thought, "Actually, this is for the best. Anyway, she won't be trying to steal Mo Shubai's offering lamp this time." She was also worried that Mo Shubai would try to steal someone else's lamp, even though in the book he still played the Moon Gazing Immortal and didn't participate in the competition. But what if he were to participate and steal someone else's? Song Chi felt her little heart would definitely break. Right now, the mission was important; it wasn't a good time to undergo the tribulation of love.
As Venerable Xueqiao watched as Shu Bai was favored by the Jade Lotus Immortal and taken aboard the painted boat, he noticed a slight change in the eyes of the wolf cubs scattered around, a clear expression of regret. It was evident that if Shu Bai were to intervene, these wolf cubs would employ every means at their disposal, and a fierce battle was likely to ensue.
Even Shu Bai showed a slight look of regret. This kid probably wanted to steal his third junior sister's sacrificial lamp this time in order to express his feelings.
It's quite amusing, really. Even someone like Shu Bai can get jealous. The moment Bai Lian Yu Jun appeared, Song Chi's gaze, which had been fixed on Shu Bai, immediately brightened and turned to Bai Lian Yu Jun. That shameless brat was definitely a little lecher, and seemed genuinely smitten with Bai Lian Yu Jun, this pure and innocent celestial being. So Shu Bai would subtly block Song Chi's view, preventing her from drooling over Bai Lian Yu Jun. This made the brat wrinkle her nose several times.
Even Venerable Xueqiao almost laughed when he saw it.
Now, forget it. It's a good thing that Shu Bai isn't participating in the competition, saving a huge conflict. As for Song Chi, her dream of snatching her senior brother's lotus lantern from among the many obstacles is basically a pipe dream. She has to blame herself for previously flirting with these boys like a butterfly. Now, none of her girlfriends are interested in participating tonight and haven't thrown any lanterns. She'll be completely isolated and helpless; even if she manages to snatch someone else's lantern, she won't be able to get her senior brother's.
However, these boys have feelings for her. Even if they try to stop her, they probably won't hurt her badly. It's just that this girl is likely to get angry soon; she has a short temper.
Venerable Xueqiao, no longer bothering with the others, boarded the main painted boat. Soon, the young people, laughing and joking, descended from the viewing platform, maneuvering their moored red-lacquered boats, and caught up with the painted boats ahead, and the procession of lanterns as bright as a galaxy further ahead.
As Song Chi mingled in the procession, rowing her small boat forward, she still didn't know what shape Xie Lanqing's sacrificial lantern actually was. She hadn't paid any attention to Xie Lanqing before. In fact, her peripheral vision was constantly scanning Mo Shubai's side; to be honest, this was utterly love-struck.
It's hopeless, hopeless. We have to overcome this, we absolutely must overcome it.
Shaking her head, Song Chi rowed the small boat forward with great vigor. The grand formation on the River of Heroes forbade the use of divine sense tonight, so she had to rush ahead of everyone else to see what kind of lantern Xie Lanqing had. And besides, this kid's opportunities were so numerous; she'd been protecting him like a mother hen the whole way. If it weren't for the fear of being struck by lightning, she really wouldn't want to bother with him.
However, the grand formation of this ceremony ensures that no matter your cultivation level, as long as you row the boat forward, you'll always be in a difficult situation, like rowing against the current. The more spiritual power you use, the stronger the current will be. Of course, if you work harder, you'll move forward faster. It still gives you a glimmer of hope. Therefore, it perfectly matches the origin of the name "Competing for Immortality on a Boat."
Song Chi exerted every ounce of his strength to bravely rush to the front and reach the first beachhead.
This lantern-grabbing activity is divided into three parts. The first part is at Bihukou, where the river area is wide and the river is relatively slow, allowing the disciples to fully exert their strength to compete.
Upon reaching the mouth of Bihu Lake, the main painted boat will cross the lake and stop at a narrower point upstream. The next activity, which lasts for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, will then begin.
When Songchi arrived at Bihukou, the Dengxian painted boat was still halfway into the narrow waterway more than ten miles away. The remaining six painted boats, on the other hand, were gently floating in the center of the vast Bihukou.
Countless sacrificial lanterns shimmered like a galaxy across the entire lake.
Because she couldn't discern it with her divine sense, she could only identify it by spreading her spiritual power. It took her some time to find the sacrificial lamp that carried Xie Lanqing's spiritual power.
Coincidentally, it was also a peach blossom lantern, only slightly larger than hers. Hers was only half-open.
If you put these two lamps together, you could almost call them a pair. Song Chi cursed inwardly, guessing that it was those ascended beings causing trouble again.
Fortunately, this peach blossom lantern was hidden in the shadows of the slow-moving river and the shady trees.
Song Chi felt much more at ease. She planned to use the plot to her advantage when Su Yu appeared, then sneakily collect the lantern amidst the chaos, and then… Xie Lanqing… She looked around. Good, no shadows in front. Looking back, she saw this guy, his robes fluttering lightly, slowly sailing towards her like an immortal.
Screw you. This show-off guy is seriously obsessed with maintaining a public image.
At this moment, no one was looking at him; who was he trying to impress with his ethereal, otherworldly demeanor? But no, there were indeed many onlookers on both banks, and many of the female disciples on the boat were indeed looking in Xie Lanqing's direction.
In this brightly lit night, her complexion was as radiant as the morning glow; she was indeed exceptionally beautiful, almost dazzling.
But couldn't Ai Mei choose a different time? If she could use her divine sense, she could secretly call out to Xie Lanqing to hurry up.
Unfortunately, her divine sense was sealed, and she dared not make a sound to alert the enemy. She had a feeling that someone would probably thwart her plans soon. After all, that bastard Hua Shalan had only just recovered slightly before coming to the sacrificial ceremony; in the book, he would have been dead by now… This person had just brushed past her, though only giving a light laugh before disappearing into the distance. But she figured this guy had a screw loose; she didn't know what he saw in her, but he was bound to cause trouble.
Song Chi could only glare at Xie Lanqing through the crowd. Fortunately, their eyes met, but after a slight pause, Xie Lanqing simply smiled and continued his flamboyant, aristocratic demeanor, even appearing more graceful than before…
Song Chi nearly vomited blood. How could you not be happy?!
Immediately, the urgent clanging of bells came from ahead, signaling the start of the lantern-grabbing game.
Song Chi turned around and saw fireworks exploding in the sky, while lively music rushed from the riverbanks towards the center of the lake. She breathed a sigh of relief; the music was good, because it gave her a real advantage in any situation, whether it was a sneak attack or a maneuver.
No wonder the golden scroll told her she absolutely had to practice this piece until she knew it by heart. And now it's come in handy!
Therefore, she wasn't in a hurry to snatch the sacrificial lamp. She'd wait until that bastard Xie Lanqing arrived, then grab the lamp and forcibly drag him onto the fifth pleasure boat. Today, she'd pull off a clever and forceful takeover!
By this time, many disciples had already begun to move, mostly couples going hand in hand to grab their respective offering lamps, but strangely, none of them were the first to board the painted boat. It seemed they would have to wait for Su Yu to take the lead, or for one of the protectors to lead the way. In any case, the other disciples didn't want to steal the limelight.
Song Chi discovered that Su Yu's speed was almost the same as Xie Lanqing's, and they were both still walking leisurely.
That time, she could take advantage of Su Yu's storyline. Therefore, she secretly circulated her spiritual power freely, waiting for the chaos to appear so that she could immediately unleash a burst of hidden energy with her zither, then pick up the lamp and capture the person, making sure it was all done in one go.
"Junior Sister Song, it's been a long time. How have you been?" came a soft voice from beside her.
Song Chi turned her head and realized that Wen Yujiu, dressed in a light green soft robe, had appeared beside her at some point. Meanwhile, his disciple on the other side was already winking and raising a jade mirror to take pictures.
Song Chi: "..." She had a feeling that Wen Yujiu had come with ill intentions. However, she really didn't understand what this man saw in her. She didn't like pink shirts, her appearance wasn't particularly neat, she wasn't sweet and cute, and she didn't like poetry and songs. She really didn't fit any of the characteristics of the person he liked. But over the years, this man had indeed never stopped sending her various holiday gifts, and occasionally he would write poems praising the night of the delicate cloud grass... But apart from starting an even more difficult challenge, she really didn't feel there was anything to miss about that night.
"Senior Brother Wen, it's been a long time." Song Chi could only give a perfunctory cupped-hands reply.
Wen Yujiu simply smiled, then asked, "Junior Sister Song, why haven't you taken action yet?"
Needless to say, if it weren't for the fear of someone causing trouble, she would have already picked up Xie Lanqing's lantern. How despicable.
"Where is Senior Brother Wen? Why haven't you taken any action yet?" Song Chi didn't want to answer him, so he asked instead.
Wen Yujiu elegantly held the fan in front of her and looked up at the location of the main painted boat opposite.
Song Chi knew that location; her little peach blossom lantern floated in the shadows not far from where the main painted boat was located.
Wen Yujiu looked in that direction and smiled faintly. "Since Junior Sister Song is urging me, then I will act immediately."
Then, with a flourish, the two of them took the boat forward, ready to leap away. Upon reaching the mouth of the emerald lake, the formation changed again. One could not stray more than ten feet from the boat; even a light touch in the water would result in elimination, and the formation would throw one onto the riverbank.
Who urged you, you bastard! Song Chi immediately grabbed his pipa, intending to use the undercurrent to secretly kick Wen Yujiu, but instead kicked him into the water.
Wen Yujiu's clothes fluttered for a moment before she quickly calmed her spiritual energy. "I shouldn't steal the spotlight from the protector, so I'll wait a bit longer. Don't worry, I'll definitely get my hands on Junior Sister Song's sacrificial lamp soon."
Who asked you to steal it!
Song Chi's chest ached with anger. But what good did it do for her to glare at Wen Yujiu? He smiled with exceptional gentleness and looked at her with a questioning smile, as if to say, "What are you angry about?"
Song Chi was so angry she didn't want to speak, turning her gaze away and ignoring him. Now she realized she had to hurry. She figured she couldn't protect her own lantern; she had to get the sacrificial lantern and capture Xie Lanqing for the pleasure boat before these idiots. Damn it, she wasn't confident she could defeat these monsters.
Fortunately, we still have the script... although that script is very likely already obsolete.
At this moment, Su Yu appeared. He was about ten feet to the west of her, and Xie Lanqing, that damned fellow, was a little further away in that direction. However, his sacrificial lamp was in the shadow of the trees on the eastern riverbank. Neither side was particularly convenient.
But it doesn't matter, this undercurrent can still help him.
Song Chi thus gathered his spiritual power, waiting for an unusual conflict to occur.
Then, as expected, Su Yu urged the boat to move. The small boat cut through the wind like an arrow, with a dragon-like shadow seemingly circling ahead. He then retrieved the lantern, boarded the first painted boat, and with a powerful punch, the dragon-like shadow roared and sent the evil spirit flying. He then handed the sacrificial lantern to Cui Xue Ruo, who was dressed in stunning red.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Su." Cui Xue Ruo accepted it generously and naturally. Then the two smiled and hung the spiritual lamp on the bow of the boat.
That was it, it didn't even take a few breaths! There was no conflict at all.
Although he had guessed that the script would be changed, the extent of the changes still made Song Chi lick his lips and gasp in anger.
Wen Yujiu seemed to see right through her, letting out a low chuckle. This almost made Song Chi lose interest in her mission and want to punch him flat first.
Do you know what she's doing now? It's a great act of kindness that prevents everyone from being struck by lightning.
Screw you. Let's get this done!
Because Su Yu had set a precedent by boarding the painted boat, the other disciples couldn't resist rushing excitedly to the center of the lake to grab the sacrificial lanterns.
Song Chi abandoned his illusions and unleashed a burst of zither music that instantly enveloped the entire area. The strings, like an undercurrent, created countless bubbles from all directions, making the entire surface of Bihukou appear as if it were in the deep sea, shimmering with mist and spiritual energy bubbles. Each spiritual energy bubble was imbued with the sound of strings.
Song Chi was determined to strike decisively, so he went all out from the start.
This kind of large-scale spell consumes a lot of spiritual energy, but its effects are naturally extraordinary.
Not to mention Wen Yujiu's eyes instantly sparkling with brilliance, even the Venerables on the main pleasure boat couldn't help but nod in approval. For a sound cultivator to achieve such control, their perception of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth must be extremely refined. Furthermore, their mastery of musical techniques must be exceptional; Song Chi had clearly mastered all the intricacies.
Venerable Xueqiao was also pleased with this. This girl has recently become more discerning, and her mastery of music cultivation has indeed surpassed that of before. Moreover, she practiced this piece until late last night, and he secretly gave her some pointers on the changes in spiritual energy. Now, she has almost perfectly executed the move.
That still gives us a slight chance of winning.
But this girl... is indeed quite shrewd. She makes no attempt to hide her feelings for her senior brother, directly using her spiritual power to break through the array's restrictions with the help of the music, rushing forward for a while before leaping and landing a few feet away from her senior brother's lotus lantern on the east side.
But everyone present probably knew what she was thinking.
And those kids, aren't they all chosen ones? Naturally, they all possess extremely powerful magical abilities.
Especially Wen Yujiu, who held a precious fan with radiant immortal light in each hand, after a few graceful Linglong Sect movements, his small boat passed through the array's restrictions amidst the disciples' amazement, and just as the fans snapped shut, it stopped right a zhang away from Song Chi.
They firmly blocked the lotus lantern from behind.
Seeing Song Chi's surprised expression, Venerable Xueqiao couldn't help but think to himself, "You little girl, you should know that there are always people more capable than you. These protectors are all exceptionally talented. It's just that these brats aren't properly protecting the Dao; why are they stopping this girl's infatuation?"
Song Chi dared not underestimate any of Wen Yujiu's group. Her original plan was to use Mo Shubai's lotus lantern as a feint, which would coincide with the sound of the zither penetrating the array's landing point. Once there, she would immediately turn back and retreat sharply, picking up Xie Lanqing's peach blossom lantern. Then, coincidentally, the next landing point of the melody would be not far from Xie Lanqing.
The plan was perfect, and the deception was effective. At least that bastard Wen Yujiu fell for it and stood in his way.
But what made her want to vomit blood was that Xie Lanqing's peach blossom lantern suddenly leaped through the formation, landing not far from Wen Yujiu with a ding-dong sound. It then rushed towards Mo Shubai's lotus lantern with a flash of spiritual light, as if it had seen a relative.
Screw you!
What are you doing over there?!
She had a good plan.
Everything came to nothing.
Moreover, a gentle breeze swept across the water at that moment, and then the entire lake surface flashed. The sacrificial lanterns began to move and shift erratically.
But this is in the book... well, the book is all about Su Yu showing off his divine power as the male lead and fighting against a bunch of male supporting characters, and it doesn't mention these details on the water at all.
In short, we watched as Xie Lanqing's peach blossom lantern sank into the water and then emerged from the west.
What left Song Chi speechless was that, rather than saying that Xie Lanqing's peach blossom lantern ran away on its own, it was more accurate to say that it ran away along with Mo Shubai's lantern.
The two lamps circled each other like a yin-yang symbol, the peach blossom lamp emitting a cheerful pink glow. To be honest, Song Chi almost started to doubt Xie Lanqing's sexual orientation. See, otherwise why would she keep chasing after Mo Shubai's lamp?
Since that location happened to be the point where the music ended, Song Chi didn't bother arguing with Wen Yujiu.
She decided to give it one last try. But before leaving, the music suddenly shifted, instantly creating a sonic barrier around Wen Yujiu. Inside, butterflies fluttered, flowers and trees grew lush and green, the moon reflected in a still lake, and pure white slender cloud grass danced in the air—the very beauty of that secret realm from years ago. He's not just reminiscing, is he? Then let him stay trapped in that emotion and never come out.
Wen Yujiu chuckled softly with pleasure. "That beautiful night...it seems Junior Sister Song hasn't forgotten it either!" Knowing it was an illusion, he disregarded it and gracefully danced his way onto the illusory lake...
"She hasn't forgotten?!" Song Chi was so angry he almost had a heart attack. As expected, the wood spirit root hadn't been completely unsealed. This illusion technique is basically ineffective against those with strong willpower—damn it!
But it was Wen Yujiu's business whether he was willing to fall into the trap. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Song Chi changed the tune and drove the small boat to move across the lake. After a slight spiritual explosion,
This time, the lotus petals landed precisely not far from the two lamps. But before she could even pick them, countless pink lotuses rushed out from the side, swiftly carrying the two lamps far away. Jiang Linyue, her face grim, coldly stared at her from nearby.
Song Chi: "!!" Everyone else was fine, but Jiang Linyue was different. "Aren't you afraid of pain, kid?" Little did she know that when he was on the path of righteousness, he was struck down by lightning and shed tears, which prompted Dai Jia to say that the frail Jiang Linyue was really pitiful back then.
So now, you bastard, do you even know what you're trying to stop? Do you want to get struck by lightning?
She glared at him angrily, her heart aching with rage. But Jiang Linyue merely glanced away and snorted softly. As he snorted, his still youthful and elegant face gradually turned red, completely flushed, a redness that even the red light of the lanterns couldn't conceal.
Why are you blushing?!
Song Chi was utterly speechless. She had only glanced at him once, so why was he blushing like that?!
Laughter could be heard everywhere.
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Author's Note: [Let me see][Let me see] I was going to finish this part, but I'm too sleepy. I'll continue tomorrow~
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