Three thousand lanterns!
All was silent when suddenly, there was a tidal wave-like uproar.
Never, not even the Great Martial Palace that always sat at the head, solid as the mountains, had anyone won three thousand lanterns in one night at the Mid Autumn Festival Banquet. In fact, no one had ever imagined such a number. Even just one thousand was already difficult to pass. Three thousand. That was truly unheard of, not a precedent in history, and it was even more than the count of all the other top ten heavenly officials added together!
One can imagine, at that moment, just how incredulous every official was, and some even blurted out, "That must be a mistake!"
"It must've been counted wrong..."
Yet, nevermind thinking that that announcer official had been counting for the Mid Autumn Festival's Battle of the Lanterns for years could just happen to be wrong this one time, just by looking at that massive band of flowing lights, even if they were to backtrack a million steps, that number count couldn't be wrong, and even if it was wrong the miscount could only be less, not more. Thus, another heavenly official said, "Could it be that those lanterns aren't real Blessings Lanterns? Maybe they're just ordinary lanterns?"
That basically meant "It's fraud!", and there were a few who agreed. However, Shi Qingxuan spoke up, "How can they be ordinary lanterns? Ordinary lanterns and the Blessings Lanterns have completely different makes, and they can't fly up to the heavens, so how could these be fake?"
If it was Xie Lian who argued then the rest would probably continue to doubt. Yet because it was Shi Qingxuan who spoke up, and Shi Wudu was also present, no one dared say much else. Hitting a dead end, they changed track, "Everyone, where is this 'Qiandeng Temple'? When was it built? Who built it? Does any heavenly colleague know?"
The announcer official replied, "No... but 'Qiandeng Temple' was clearly written on the lanterns that floated up."
"But l've never heard of any 'Qiandeng Temple'?!"
"Yea, me neither!"
Xie Lian finally snapped out of his shocked reverie, and when he heard the complaints, he said quite earnestly, "Everyone, truth to be told, not only have you all never heard of it, I haven't ever heard of it either."
There was no way this came about naturally?!
All of the officials lost their minds, destroyed by this unexpected thunder, incredulous and disbelieving, their tongues spitting with talk. Xie Lian really wanted to tell them: "It's only a game, why is everyone taking it so seriously?" However, first, very few took this 'game' as a game, and second, he ranked first place in this 'game', so if he said anything he'd be asking for it. The other heavenly officials couldn't say it either because they didn't place first, so if they said anything it'd be downplaying their not getting number one, making it sound exceedingly awkward.
Just then, Pei Ming chuckled, "I did say that Crimson Rain Sought Flower didn't kidnap His Highness out of ill intent but no one believed me. Now will you all believe me?"
With his reminder, everyone was enlightened in an instant.
If it really was Hua Cheng, then, it wasn't impossible for him to simply light up three thousand Blessings Lanterns like it was nothing!
Was there anything going on between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, and just what kind of relationship did they have was truly a mystery. At the moment, the majority still thought it was more believable to say Hua Cheng did this out of ill intent. There was no reason why Hua Cheng who had always been unfriendly towards the heavens would suddenly change his attitude in the face of Xie Lian. Yet, based on Hua Cheng's inconceivable lawlessness, he could very well become nice towards someone out of the blue without reason. After this Mid Autumn Festival Banquet, it'd be hard pressed to say Hua Cheng had ill intent. After all, it was three thousand Blessings Lanterns! Even for the Water Master who controlled wealth, this wasn't something he could do just because he wanted to. Amidst all the chaos, suddenly, the sound of steady clapping came from the head of the feast.
The officials looked to the sound and saw Jun Wu clapping slowly as he smiled to Xie Lian, "Congratulations, Xian Le."
Xie Lian knew Jun Wu intended to help take the heat off of him and was grateful, bowing his head. Jun Wu sighed in awe, "You always manage to create miracles."
Seeing that exchange, the feast quieted down. After some hesitation, all finally took Jun Wu's lead and applauded, sending their congratulations.
With this, no matter how shocked, all the heavenly gods had to admit that this Highness the Crown Prince had always produced phenomena. It was like this back then, and it was most certainly the case now!
The Mid Autumn Festival Banquet had ended and the relentlessly rumbling Thunder Master also packed up. The one who cheered the hardest throughout it all was of course Shi Qingxuan, no matter whose ranking rolled out she would be the first to applaud. Except Pei Ming's. At first Xie Lian wondered if his stealing the Water Master's thunder, bumping him from second place to third place, would cause his ire, but looking at Shi Wudu, it didn't seem he was displeased. Pei Ming and Ling Wen both congratulated him, and afterwards the three started planning to whose little mountain hot springs they would go for tuina massage. Hearing them, Shi Qingxuan asked, "Ge, you're all going out to play again?"
Shi Wudu folded his fan and answered, "En."
Ling Wen crossed his arms and chuckled, "Lord Wind Master, want to come and play too?"
"No, I've already got plans with people." Shi Qingxuan said.
Shi Wudu frowned, "I hope it's not with anyone unsavoury."
"Is there anyone more unsavoury than General Pei?" Ling Wen quipped.
"Noble Jie, shut up now." Pei Ming warned.
Xie Lian waited until after the two brothers spoke a few words to each other then prepared to leave the banquet with Shi Qingxuan. On the way out they bumped into Mu Qing, and who knows if he was watching Xie Lian, but he didn't look so pleased anymore. Feng Xin however, was the exact opposite. When he rose to his feet to leave the feast, he called to Xie Lian, "Congratulations." Xie Lian nodded to him too, "Thanks."
Lang Ying was settled in the Palace of the Wind Master at the Heavenly Court. That child looked to be clean and tidy but still rather shy. When Xie Lian picked him up and descended, he didn't talk much on the road. Xie Lian first went into town to buy some fresh fruits for him to eat and didn't go immediately straight back to Puqi Village. He first went into a piece of nearby woods.
Sure enough, that piece of woods was quite lively; a bare chested young man was yelling and cussing, hung upside down by a white silk band. Profanities and vulgarities spilled from his mouth and a little child squatted under him, slapping away mosquitos. Xie Lian made Lang Ying stand outside, and he himself strolled over leisurely. When that young man saw him he raged, "XIE LIAN YOU PIECE OF SHIT, FUCKING LET ME DOWN THIS INSTANT! I'M GONNA DIE I'M GONNA DIE I'M GONNA DIE!"
Xie Lian however, said warmly, "It must be years since you last got bitten by mosquitos. Is it so bad to give you a taste of being alive again?"
That young man was indeed Qi Rong. Xie Lian had expected him to be troublesome, that for sure he'd instigate Guzi to help him cut Ruoye, so Xie Lian had already instructed Ruoye that should Qi Rong try to escape, drag him to the woods and take care of him. Qi Rong was using the flesh of another against Xie Lian, and Xie Lian couldn't beat him to a pulp, but he could still make him suffer some little pains of the flesh. Xie Lian had chopped lumber and scavenged before in this area, and suffered getting bitten all over by mosquitos. Currently, it seemed, Qi Rong was also bitten all over, looking more miserable than dying, and cussed loudly, "WHERE'S YOUR SNOW WHITE LOTUS HEART! WHY CAN'T YOU PRETEND TO BE A SICKENINGLY SWEET GOOD PERSON NOW!"
Guzi hugged Xie Lian's leg and wailed, "GEGE, PLEASE LET MY DAD DOWN! HE'S BEEN HANGING FOR SO LONG!"
Xie Lian ruffled his hair and immediately, Qi Rong yelped as he fell to the ground in a heap.
To return to Puqi village, they must traverse through that maple woods. Xie Lian gripped in his hand a bare-chested, cussing young man and behind him followed two little kids, one crying and sobbing, the other sullen and quiet. What a freakish group.' Xie Lian thought. As they hiked up the hills, he cautioned to the two little ones behind him, "Watch your steps. It's easy to trip here."
That was the truth. Sometimes when Xie Lian was late in returning from town after collecting scraps and walked this path at night, maybe it was because of his luck, but he'd always trip or fall. Hearing this, Qi Rong immediately cried, "DEAR GOD! PLEASE MAKE THIS PERSON FALL TO HIS DEATH RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Xie Lian found that hilarious, "You're a ghost, what are you doing begging the heavens?"
Just then, he suddenly felt like there was a warm glow faintly emerging from the far distance, and the dark, obscure path on the ground seemed to be illuminated the road brightening. When he looked up, sure enough it wasn't just his imagination. There really was light in the horizon.
It was light from those three thousand Blessings Lanterns of Everlasting Light.
The floating lanterns flowed in the night sky, imposing and invigorating, even the shine of the stars and the moon was overcome. Xie Lian watched, dazed, and after a moment, he sighed a whisper, "...Thank you."
Qi Rong didn't know what that was about and snickered, "Why the fucking thanks? Other people are just playing around, they're not lit for you, stop thinking so highly of yourself."
Xie Lian grinned but didn't say anything and didn't rebuke either. He only said, "To have beauty exist in this world is already in itself something to be grateful for."
There's beauty in his heart and he wasn't afraid of any killjoys. Borrowing the light of those lanterns in the distance, he continued forward.