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 I'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.