Chapter 342 The Drum and the Lantern, Encountering Pei Yuan Again
A large drum was placed every ten feet in the square, for a total of twelve drums.
The drum is entirely bright red, covered with white auspicious cloud patterns. Under the candlelight, the drumhead is thin and translucent, shimmering with a crystal-clear color, making it look quite different from ordinary drums.
Chen Chu couldn't help but glance at it a few more times, and asked curiously:
"The drumhead looks crystal clear; I wonder what it's made of."
Someone nearby chimed in, their tone brimming with undisguised pride.
"Madam, you're not from Qingshan Town, are you? The blessing and disaster relief drum at Qingshan Temple was made by Abbot Jueming himself."
It is said that Master Jueming found a shark pearl at sea during his travels, ground it up, and mixed it with leather to make it.
This drumhead is not only precious, but it also bears scriptures personally engraved by Master Jueming, which is why it can be used to pray for blessings and ward off disasters.
Upon closer inspection, Shen Chu saw that the drumhead faintly glowed red under the lamplight, and on it were characters the size of grains of rice.
It looks as if it was written with cinnabar.
At this moment, the gate of Qingshan Temple opened, and a row of monks dressed in gray and red robes filed out.
They were all strong and healthy, shirtless, with prayer beads hanging from one hand and drumsticks in the other.
The entire square fell silent instantly.
Almost all the people looked at the monks with pious eyes.
The monks raised their arms and struck the drumheads heavily with their drumsticks.
The drumbeats were completely different from the dull sounds he usually heard; they had a crisp and ethereal quality that gave Chen Chu goosebumps all over.
Hongxiu, who was standing next to her, also subconsciously touched her arm.
Shen Chu asked softly, "Are you cold?"
Hongxiu whispered, "Miss, I don't know why, but this drumming makes my hair stand on end and I feel inexplicably uncomfortable."
Shen Chu felt the same way and turned to look around.
But all the people around him listened to the drumbeats with expressions of excitement or reverence.
She frowned slightly, but thankfully the drumming stopped soon afterward.
The monks carried the large drum into Qingshan Temple. The leading monk clasped his hands together and proclaimed loudly:
"Esteemed benefactors, the abbot has made preparations at the temple and welcomes you to come and pray for blessings."
As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted in the square.
Many people are already excitedly shouting about it.
"I'm going to pray for a good marriage for my child in a little while."
"I want to pray for my husband, to bless him so that he can pass the imperial examination in a few years."
A large crowd surged toward Qingshan Temple, and Shen Chu was pushed back repeatedly.
Hongxiu shielded her and retreated to a safe corner, unable to help but gasp in astonishment.
"Is praying here really that effective? The incense at Qingshan Temple is just too strong!"
I don't think even the Jingguo Temple in Beijing is this popular.
Shen Chu listened to the excited discussions around her, lost in thought.
Why would a temple be so popular with worshippers?
Hongxiu tugged at her, "Girl, since we can't squeeze in anyway, why don't we look at the lights first?"
"The lanterns at Qingshan Temple are really exquisite."
When Shen Chu came to his senses, he noticed that tall frames had been erected under the walls on both sides of Qingshan Temple, and lanterns were hanging all over them.
The lanterns were colorful and varied in shape.
It wasn't dark yet, and the lanterns hadn't been lit, but their unique designs made her sigh in admiration.
"What a unique lantern."
Someone nearby chimed in, "This is nothing! These lanterns are not only uniquely shaped, but they'll be even more beautiful when they're lit up."
The speaker was a vendor who had set up a stall nearby.
He said with pride, "When it gets dark and all these lanterns are lit up, the light is different from that of ordinary lanterns."
Shen Chu asked with great interest, "How are they different?"
The vendor pointed to the lanterns and said, "These are all specially made lanterns of Qingshan Temple, called 'White Skin Transparent,' and the lantern's covering is as thin as a cicada's wing."
This lantern can burn for three days and three nights on a single light, its soft yet bright light bringing the patterns on its surface to life.
Shen Chu couldn't help but take a second look.
All the lanterns were painted with various landscapes, beauties, and even Buddhas in gold and silver, and some were lifelike little animals.
One of the lamps had a picture of a cute little fox with its eyes half-closed.
She reached out and touched it, noticing that the lantern's cover was soft and smooth, clearly different from the paper on ordinary lanterns.
It looks more like a layer of skin that's been put on.
Skin?
A slight stirring ran through her, and she instinctively wanted to take the lantern down for a closer look.
The lantern was taken down the moment my hand touched it.
Shen Chu looked up and was caught off guard by Pei Yuan's handsome face.
She was stunned and subconsciously tugged at the veil on her hat, but her gaze fell on Pei Yuan's chest.
It's only been two days, has his injury healed yet?
Among all the lanterns, Pei Yuan spotted the one with the fox painted on it at a glance.
The fox on the lantern has curved eyebrows and eyes, looking adorable, but its eyes also sparkle with a cunning and lively spirit.
It does resemble the way Shen Chu's eyes darted around.
Without hesitation, he reached out and took the lantern, only to see a hand hovering in mid-air behind it.
He raised an eyebrow and saw the person standing opposite him.
She wore a long, apricot-yellow, wide-sleeved dress with pleated floral patterns, slightly gathered at the waist, and a veiled hat with a light veil hanging down to her waist.
Although he couldn't see her face clearly under the veil, he recognized her as the woman who had saved him in town two days ago.
"It's you? What a coincidence! Madam, you've also come to the temple to pray for blessings?"
Shen Chu clenched her hands, which were hidden in her sleeves, gave a slight curtsy, and said in a low voice:
"Hmm, has your injury healed, young master?"
Pei Yuan nodded, "I'm much better now, thank you for saving me, Madam."
Please leave your address, Madam, so I can personally visit and express my gratitude.
Fearing he would discover something amiss, Shen Chu didn't dare to talk to him much, so she casually gave him an address.
Pei Yuan noted it down and handed over the fox lantern.
"Was Madam about to take down this lamp for a closer look?"
Shen Chu bowed in thanks and reached out to take the lantern.
Before her hand even touched the lantern, she suddenly looked sharply towards the corner tower opposite.
A flash of cold light appeared on the corner tower.
Shen Chu's pupils constricted slightly, and he exclaimed in alarm, "Be careful!"
An arrow shot straight toward Pei Yuan's back.
As the arrow was about to strike Pei Yuan in the back, she was so nervous she almost jumped up.
At that moment, Pei Yuan suddenly performed a nimble backflip, catching the arrow in mid-air, and then swiftly threw it backhand.
The figure of the black-clad archer on the corner tower flickered, and the arrow grazed past his arm.
Pei Yuan lightly touched the ground with his toes and quickly flew towards the corner tower.
Shen Chu lifted her leg to chase after him, but Hong Xiu grabbed her arm.
"Watch your step, young lady."
It turned out that when Pei Yuan dodged the arrows, he dropped the fox lantern on the ground.
The lantern fell to the ground, and the next lantern caught fire.
The flames suddenly shot up, and if Hongxiu hadn't grabbed her, she might have stepped on the lantern.
Shen Chu glanced at the lanterns, then suddenly twitched her nostrils and looked back.
The lantern was already mostly burned, emitting a wisp of black smoke and a faint, strange smell.
It smelled like burnt meat; though subtle, she still caught it.
She thought of something, and her expression changed slightly.
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