Chapter 80: A Bustling Festival (On Shelves Tomorrow)
Chapter 80: A Bustling Festival (On Shelves Tomorrow)
As evening fell and the hour of You approached, Mo Hua arrived at the big tree on West Street.
Bai Zi Sheng hadn't arrived yet, so Mo Hua, feeling bored, picked up a twig and started drawing array patterns on the ground.
The array Mo Hua was practicing was the Earth Fire Array. As attack arrays were somewhat different, he needed to spend more time understanding them and improving his proficiency.
Just as Mo Hua was starting to think that Bai Zi Sheng wasn't coming, he looked up and saw Xue Yi approaching with Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi.
Mo Hua waved at them and greeted Xue Yi politely, "Xue Yi, it's been a while!"
"Indeed, it has been a while," Xue Yi replied.
Xue Yi's slender white hand reached out and ruffled Mo Hua's hair. Mo Hua wasn't too keen on it, but he didn't refuse.
"Zi Sheng and Zi Xi have also been working hard on their cultivation. Since it's a festival today, I thought they could take a break and relax. I hope you can show us around," Xue Yi said gently.
"It's no trouble at all," Mo Hua shook his head and then waved his small hand, "Follow me, today is the last day of the Demon Hunting Festival, and it's quite lively!"
Bai Zi Sheng let out a light call and then ran to Mo Hua's side, curiously looking around. He asked Mo Hua about everything new and interesting that caught his eye.
The cultivation world was vast and boundless, with great variations in customs and products from different regions. Coupled with the strict family restrictions, there were many things that Bai Zi Sheng had never seen before.
Bai Zi Xi, on the other hand, quietly walked beside Xue Yi. She wore a hat similar to Xue Yi's, but smaller and more delicate, with a white thin veil covering her exquisite face, revealing only a small section of her delicate and fair chin. She remained silent for most of the journey, but she listened intently to the conversation between Bai Zi Sheng and Mo Hua.
The street was brightly lit, not exactly prosperous, but bustling with the lively atmosphere of the mortal world.
On both sides of the street were stalls selling a wide variety of items: Spirit Pills, Divine Artifacts, precious jewelry, exotic snacks, magical arrays, rare trinkets, enchanted toys, medicinal herbs, Spirit Ink, as well as demon beasts' fur, bones, and inner cores. The selection was dazzling and seemed to have everything one could desire.
The flow of people moved slowly along the stalls, gradually making their way into the distant unseen areas where the lights cast dancing shadows.
Even someone like Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi, and even Xue Yi, were momentarily stunned by the sights and sounds.
Xue Yi, born into an aristocratic family, had seen much more prosperous immortal cities, but this was the first time she had encountered such a bustling and lively street market. It felt as if these cultivators were truly living their lives to the fullest.
Following the bustling crowd, even an immortal who was detached from the mortal world could sense the joy and excitement of the secular world.
Along the way, Bai Zi Sheng bought many things. He got a fire-breathing wooden cow, a winking monkey, and a dog that could raise its tail. These toys were crafted from wood, painted, and colored to look lifelike. They probably had simple arrays carved into them, as a bit of spiritual power was enough to bring them to life.
Additionally, he also bought a showy-looking treasure sword, adorned with dragon and phoenix engravings and shimmering with a colorful glow. It was all for show and had no practical use, not even qualifying as a spiritual artifact. Yet, Bai Zi Sheng loved it dearly.
Mo Hua's arms were also full of things that Bai Zi Sheng had bought and asked him to hold. Later, Mo Hua would be able to choose whatever he liked from the pile.
Bai Zi Xi received a tiny white rabbit, no bigger than a fingernail. It could run with its tiny legs and fit in the palm of her hand. Mo Hua had bought it for her because she had been staring at it at the stall but didn't say anything. Feeling that Bai Zi Sheng had been treated unfairly, Mo Hua spent a spirit stone to buy the little rabbit for Bai Zi Xi.
Bai Zi Xi simply thanked him, and it was hard to tell if she liked it or not. But whenever she had a spare moment, she would open her palm, revealing her jade-like small hand, and watch the little rabbit running in her hand.
Besides shopping, Bai Zi Sheng also enjoyed watching shows.
One type was the shadow puppet show, with a large screen displaying shadow puppets of various characters, including humans of all ages and all sorts of ghosts, monsters, and demon beasts.
The male lead would even defy his sect and elders, eloping with the female cultivator. However, once they reached a secluded place, the female cultivator would reveal her true form as a demon beast, devouring her lover.
Mo Hua loved this story and found it intriguing and educational, never tiring of it.
On the other hand, Bai Zi Sheng wasn't a fan. He preferred the more straightforward and lively beast-fighting shows.
These performances depicted demon hunters battling demon beasts. A large platform would be set up, with several cultivators playing the role of demon hunters—which they might not even need to act out, as they were already hunters themselves. Other cultivators would don puppets made from the bones and hides of demon beasts, becoming the beasts they fought. The shows were full of excitement, with the demon beasts breathing fire and the cultivators casting spells in a chaotic yet captivating battle.
Mo Hua felt these shows were a bit fake. After all, Mo Shan was a demon hunter, and he had told Mo Hua that hunting demons was always a tense and dangerous affair. Even when facing weak demon beasts, one had to remain vigilant; otherwise, injuries or even death could occur.
However, these performances were meant to entertain, and no one took them too seriously—well, except for Bai Zi Sheng.
He dreamed of facing off against a demon beast in a one-on-one battle, though Snow Aunt would never allow it.
As they continued strolling, they ran into Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan was walking with a group of elderly cultivators, their hair thinning with age but their status evident from their distinguished appearances. They were likely high-ranking members of the Daotingsi and elders or clan leaders from prominent families in Tongxian City.
The group of cultivators made an impressive sight, with Daotingsi disciples in their distinctive robes leading the way and a group of respectful young cultivators following behind.
These young cultivators, who had the honor of accompanying the elders, were probably highly regarded by their clans. Mo Hua recognized a few of them as direct descendants of the Qian and An families, top-performing students at Tongxian Gate.
Zhang Lan stood out like a sore thumb among the white-haired elders, his face bearing a forced smile as he awkwardly made small talk.
Mo Hua spotted Zhang Lan, but the latter was busy socializing and didn't seem to notice him.
Suddenly, Zhang Lan said something to the eldest cultivator with the least amount of hair, excused himself, and quietly stepped away. Mo Hua turned his head and saw Zhang Lan waving at him from a short distance away.
"Aren't you supposed to be with them? Aren't they important figures in the city...?" Mo Hua asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
"Don't remind me," Zhang Lan said with a sigh. "I took a break to sneak out and enjoy the festival, but halfway through, I was caught by the Chief Administrator, and here I am, stuck with these clan leaders and elders."
"I used to think you were irresponsible, but I didn't expect you to be so adept at socializing with the elders, even if it's a bit fake," Mo Hua said, his respect for Zhang Lan growing.
Zhang Lan casually ruffled Mo Hua's hair. "You're just a kid; it's all about putting on a show. I'm not stupid; I'm just lazy."
Mo Hua scowled, clearly not appreciating the gesture.
"Well, I have other things to do. You can go enjoy the festival by yourself now," Mo Hua said, trying to dismiss him.
Zhang Lan laughed. "What could you possibly have to do? Oh, I see..." His eyes fell on the exceptional-looking Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi, as well as the veiled but remarkable figure of Snow Aunt standing behind them.
(On Shelves Tomorrow)
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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