Chapter 674: Where Are the Candied Hawthorn Skewers?

Chen Changsheng naturally sensed the situation within the crowd.

It was only the hour of Chen, yet many demons, monsters, and ghosts were already itching for action. Among them, several distinct auras of bloodlust were particularly obvious.

Chen Changsheng shifted his gaze to Lake Mountain Lake and said, "I'm afraid Lake Mountain Lake won't be enough space for them to fight in."

Mo Yuan laughed. "It's going to be chaos."

That much was certain.

The only question was whether anyone could keep them in check.

Mo Yuan looked at the Mister. "If you want to stroll around longer, Mister, I can go up and suppress them later so they don't spoil your mood."

Chen Changsheng had no such intention. "If they want to fight, let them. It's best if you avoid interfering in this Investiture of Immortals Assembly; it will only hinder your future Cultivation."

Mo Yuan paused in surprise. "Does Mister mean this Investiture of Immortals Assembly might become a recurring event?"

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "There probably won't be another event quite like the Investiture of Immortals Assembly, but the conferring of Investiture Scrolls upon demons and cultivators will continue."

Mo Yuan understood. "I see."

In that case, it really was best for him to stay out of it.

By the hour of Chen, all the officials had arrived. Those in charge of the affair were from the Ministry of Rites. Word had it that the Minister of Rites had come in person, showing just how much Your Majesty valued this event.

Several high-ranking officials from the Imperial Court took their seats by the lake, organizing the upcoming proceedings without the slightest sense of caution.

"Dong!!"

"The fourth quarter of the hour of Chen has arrived!"

"Those holding a Waist Token, come forward to register!"

The first order of business was naturally verifying identities.

People began stepping out of the crowd one after another, heading to the designated area to have their Waist Tokens checked.

Standing by the lake, Chen Changsheng looked over and spotted a few familiar faces.

"The Little Beggar really came..." Chen Changsheng murmured.

Holding Lihua in his arms, Mo Yuan turned his head. "Little Beggar?"

Chen Changsheng paused. "I saw him a couple of days ago."

Mo Yuan followed Mister Chen's gaze. A faint light shimmered in his eyes as he looked at the Little Beggar.

Mo Yuan stared blankly for a moment before reacting. "This Little Beggar practices Buddhist methods?"

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Although he cultivates Buddhist methods, in reality, he only has half a foot inside the Buddhist Schools."

Mo Yuan watched as the Little Beggar had his Waist Token verified, then found a spot to lie down. Holding a broken Folding Fan in one hand, the boy let his gaze sweep back and forth across the crowd, lingering for a few seconds whenever he spotted a beautiful woman.

The key point was that no one noticed him doing it.

One woman stepped forward and scolded him.

The Little Beggar simply played dumb, waving his arms and dancing about to make people think he was a fool.

He waited until the woman left.

He then returned to his original state and went back to ogling.

Seeing this, Mo Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "He is quite unique."

He looked at the Mister. "But speaking of which, there doesn't seem to be much point in the Buddhist Schools getting involved in this Investiture of Immortals Assembly, right?"

It was just like the Daoist Gate.

The Daoist Gate already had the protection of Immortals and was an orthodox sect. Furthermore, barring any surprises, the official Investiture Scroll documents were probably all written by Daoist cultivators anyway.

Chen Changsheng said, "He didn't come for the sake of the Buddhist Schools. He's only here to demand an explanation."

Hearing this, Mo Yuan paid a little more attention. He was quite curious to see how the Little Beggar would act later on.

Mo Yuan's gaze swept out again, and this time he spotted a familiar face.

"It's that snake demon," Mo Yuan remarked. "She's actually following the rules. But with today's lineup, those who follow the rules might not necessarily end up with a good outcome."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "The final investiture isn't just a matter of whoever wins the fight getting an Investiture Scroll. Her ultimate goal is merely to show off her abilities. As long as she catches the eye of the Human Sovereign, regardless of whether she's the one standing at the top of the pavilion in the end, she'll have a chance to receive an Investiture Scroll."

Mo Yuan was taken aback. "The Human Sovereign wouldn't necessarily give her face, would he?"

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Have you forgotten what she registered as back then?"

Mo Yuan thought back.

"Dragon Immortal..."

Mo Yuan froze, then sudden realization dawned on him. "I see..."

What did it mean to be the True Dragon Son of Heaven?

Even if Yan Ruchu knew that gods, ghosts, Immortals, and buddhas existed in this world, if he were to truly see a dragon, it was inevitable that he would be moved.

And once the Investiture Scroll was granted, the people of the world would believe that the snake demon was a True Dragon. With the offerings of incense and worship, she might just truly become a dragon.

"Uncle Chen!"

Ruyi came looking for him.

Chen Changsheng turned to look. Seeing her holding Candied Hawthorn Skewers, he asked, "Where did you buy those Candied Hawthorn Skewers?"

"There's an old man selling them over there. I brought one for Uncle Chen."

Smiling, Ruyi handed the Candied Hawthorn Skewers to her Uncle Chen.

Chen Changsheng reached out, took it, and thanked her.

Ruyi handed another skewer to Mo Yuan.

"There's one for me too?" Mo Yuan was a bit surprised.

"Of course, I had to buy them for everyone," Ruyi said.

There was a portion for Lihua too, but the cat was currently fast asleep.

"Thank you."

Mo Yuan took a bite and said, "Eating something sweet occasionally really is a novelty. No wonder they always give these as gifts."

Ruyi asked, "Do a lot of people give Brother Mo sweet things?"

Mo Yuan started to say, "Yes..."

He paused, then changed his tune. "It's nothing."

Seeing him act like this, Ruyi understood. "Brother Mo was trying to say that Sister Yun used to frequently bring Uncle Chen candied fruit, right?"

"You knew?" Mo Yuan asked in surprise.

Ruyi nodded. "Of course I know. Sister Yun lived right across from my house; she watched me grow up."

"So that's how it is." Mo Yuan smiled.

Speaking of this, Ruyi looked toward Uncle Chen and asked, "By the way, Uncle Chen, did you go see Sister Yun when you came back this time?"

"I paid a visit when I first arrived," Chen Changsheng said.

Ruyi asked, "How is Sister Yun? Has she been doing well lately?"

Chen Changsheng thought back and recalled, "Miss Yun, she..."

Chen Changsheng's words caught in his throat, as if he didn't know how to continue.

Was she doing well or not?

Seeing her Uncle Chen's reaction, Ruyi couldn't help but smile. "Ruyi understands."

Chen Changsheng looked back at her and asked, "Understand what?"

"I just do, anyway."

Ruyi grinned but offered no explanation.

Standing beside Ruyi, Ping'an said, "Speaking of which, I haven't been back to Qingshan City in many years either. I wonder what it looks like now."

Ruyi scoffed and said, "That's because you refuse to go back yourself."

"I'll definitely have time this year," Ping'an said with a smile.

"Then we'll go back together for the Ghost Festival. Mother misses you terribly."

"Mhm."

Ruyi turned her head to look at Lihua in Mo Yuan's arms.

"Is Lihua still asleep?" Ruyi muttered.

Mo Yuan said, "It seems cats never sleep at night; they only sleep during the day."

"Lihua is just lazy."

"What makes you say that?"

Ruyi stepped forward, leaned close to Lihua's ear, and whispered, "Candied hawthorn skewers, want some?"

The soundly sleeping Lihua suddenly twitched.

Immediately after, the cat licked its lips and opened its eyes.

Lihua looked around in confusion and asked, "Where are the candied hawthorn skewers?"