The Frost Origin Festival was nearing.
This was the biggest festival of the year in the mortal world.
From the imperial family's relatives to the commoners, they had to pray to their ancestors on this day. They had to ask for the blessing of the gods and hold a ceremony to exorcise the evil plague and celebrate the harvest.
Every house was decorated with lanterns, and all kinds of entertainment were rich and varied. It was one of the few days for the commoners to have a good rest and enjoy themselves.
As for the cultivators, this festival was similarly crucial.
Cultivators had no concept of time; what comes after day is night.
Cultivators often had to bitterly cultivate for several years or even decades. This festival was one of the events that reminded them of the time.
Every Frost Origin Festival signifies the end of a year.
Summing up the gains of a year and setting a cultivation plan for the next year was an essential task for the disciples.
There was still half a month before the festival, and the disciples of the Youluo Temple could no longer hold back.
There were a few cute snowmen piled on the spacious and empty Daoist Rite. The green bricks on the Immortal Ascension Platform were painted red, and the eaves of the house were hung with red lanterns…
The festivity atmosphere grew in intensity.
Li Ran was currently in the study, holding a brush as he muttered to himself and looked at the red paper in front of him.
Aqin asked curiously, "Lord Sheng Zi, what are you doing?"
Li Ran replied, "Isn't this a festival? I'm going to write a couplet."
From his point of view, the Frost Origin Festival was like the Spring Festival in his previous life. He couldn't help but feel like the new year was coming. Therefore, he decided to write a Spring Festival couplet.
"New Year? Couplet?" Aqin did not understand.
However, what was certain was that the Sheng Zi was about to write something.
"Then I'll grind ink for you." Aqin walked to his side, picked up the ink ingot, and lightly ground it.
Li Ran glanced at her and happened to look at her slightly opened collar, causing him to feel dizzy.
"I've been dizzy recently…"
Suddenly, a bright light appeared in his mind as he wrote a couplet.
"Very good!" Li Ran went through the details and threw the pen down with satisfaction.
Aqin looked over curiously and said, "A man could clench his own steel spear, a great heroine could fight back those spear with her flower?"
"How well written! It looked very imposing, I never expected you to be such a poet!"
She gave him a thumbs up and praised him.
Li Ran stroked his nonexistent beard and shook his head, "Of course, I'm known as the number one poet in the Vast Land. I was merely writing casually."
He picked up the couplet and walked out of the room, sticking it on both sides of the door.
Taking two steps back, he crossed his arms and sized it up.
"Perfect! Wasn't the smell of the year already coming?" Li Ran marveled at his talent.
At this moment, a familiar shout rang out from his huge side.
"Lord Sheng Zi, I'm here!"
Li Ran's brows twitched wildly.
Lu Xinran rushed in front of him like a whirlwind.
She was wearing a red dress and red hair accessories. Even her shoes were red. It seemed that she was especially happy.
"Lord Sheng Zi, long time no see." She greeted him with a smile.
Li Ran rubbed the space between his brows. "Can you change your opening remarks?"
Lu Xinran chuckled and took out an exquisite little box from her back.
"Lord Sheng Zi, Happy Frost Origin Festival. This is a gift I prepared for you"
Li Ran was taken aback. "There are still a few days left. It's a little early…"
He took it and opened the box.
Many pink paper cranes flew out from within, flying in the air with a faint fragrance.
There was a portrait of Li Ran at the bottom of the box. Although it didn't look very similar, one could tell her intentions.
Lu Xinran said somewhat embarrassedly, "I originally wanted the paper cranes to form a pattern in the air, but my cultivation is too shallow. The talismans I drew are not enough to do this…"
She added, "But don't worry, Sheng Zi. I'll definitely make them form a pattern for next year's Frost Origin Festival!"
Li Ran fell silent.
There were hundreds of paper cranes here, and each of them had to be inscribed with symbols. The amount of work was simply unimaginable.
With Lu Xinran's cultivation base, her qi would dry up. She had probably started preparing this gift a few months ago.
Although she was usually quite annoying, it had to be said that she was really attentive to Li Ran.
Li Ran sighed and rubbed her head. "Thank you for your gift. I like it very much."
Lu Xinran was petrified.
This was the first time the Sheng Zi had been so intimate with her.
Her face was flushed, and her breathing was rapid. Her large eyes were sparkling.
"H-he touched me?" She muttered in disbelief.
Li Ran corrected, "I touched your head."
"Not only did you touch me, you even said you liked me very much?"
"It's because I like the gift you gave me… Can you speak the whole part?" Li Ran's face darkened.
This was too easy to misunderstand.
Lu Xinran couldn't hear him at all. She turned around with a red face and ran, cheering as she ran. "The Sheng Zi said he likes me!"
Li Ran: Damn…
Just as he was thinking of killing someone, a breeze blew past behind him.
Li Ran turned around and saw Leng Wuyan float down.
He cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Master."
Leng Wuyan nodded.
In the sect, the two still wanted to maintain their master-disciple relationship on the surface.
When she saw the couplet on the door, she asked curiously, "Ran'er, why did you put the word on the door? Wu… why do I always feel that this character is strange?"
Cough cough.
Li Ran cleared his throat and said, "This is called a Spring Festival couplet. It's a custom in my hometown. It has the meaning of warding against evil and disaster and welcoming good fortune. Perfect for the Frost Origin Festival."
Leng Wuyan laughed. "You're a dignified cultivator, yet you actually believe in such things?"
Li Ran scratched his head and said, "It's just for the sake of luck. Moreover, it's even more festive when it's stuck to the red patch."
"Yes, that makes sense."
Leng Wuyan nodded. "I'll post a pair in front of my bedroom later."
"No problem," Li Ran agreed.
"By the way," Leng Wuyan said casually. "Do you have any plans for the Frost Origin Festival?"
Li Ran shook his head. "Not yet."
"I've heard that Windswept City will have various entertainment performances on that day. Of course, I'm not interested, but…"
"Disciple is interested." Li Ran looked at her with a smile.
He looked to the left and right and leaned closer to Leng Wuyan's ear. "I want to go to the city with Master. I wonder if Master would appreciate it?"
The heat blew past her earlobe, making her blush and her heart beat faster.
"Since you want to go so much, I'll reluctantly agree to the request." Leng Wuyan shyly turned her head away.
Li Ran quietly pinched her little hand. "Master is the best."
Leng Wuyan nervously looked around and glared at him, "Rebellious disciple…"
Then she turned around and flew away.