Chapter 507 336: Undercurrent

Zhao Xuanqi recalled that South Mansion was the capital of Heqing Dao, the most important and prosperous city in the entire region. In his previous life's units of measurement, it was over a thousand kilometers from Guming County.

"You should know that the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up soon, right?" He Xijun said to Zhao Xuanqi.

"The Mid-Autumn Festival?" Zhao Xuanqi still looked somewhat puzzled.

"The universe operates according to its own laws. All things are born from Qi, formed by Qi. The Qi that manifests between heaven and earth also differs depending on celestial phenomena, location, and time."

"Yin Qi is also a form of Heaven and Earth Qi. For a few days around the fifteenth of the seventh month each year, the Yin Qi between heaven and earth is at its densest. When combined with special celestial phenomena or terrain, this Yin Qi can easily cause the dead to reanimate and the souls of the departed to transform into Evil Ghosts. Consequently, incidents involving Evil Spirits are frequent around every Mid-Autumn Festival. That is why the common folk refer to this time as the opening of the Ghost Gate," He Xijun explained with a placid expression.

'The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in this world is dense. The flow of time, the fluctuations of Primordial Qi... they have a significant impact on this world and its creatures. I've heard about the peculiarities of the Mid-Autumn Festival in this world before, but...'

'What does this have to do with us going to South Mansion?'

Zhao Xuanqi stared at He Xijun, his face an impassive mask. His progress in cultivation over the past two months had been astonishing, a testament to his immense talent. During their sparring sessions, even when he suppressed his own Cultivation, He Xijun struggled to gain the upper hand. This greatly diminished her sense of accomplishment as a senior sister teaching in their master's stead, and at times, she even felt deeply disheartened.

And so, after two months, she had become the way she was now—she loved to be cryptic. It was only in her superior knowledge and experience of the Martial Realm that she could reclaim some sense of purpose as a senior sister teaching in her master's place.

He Xijun stood before him, nearly his equal in height. Her expression was placid, but deep in her eyes, he could see a flicker of anticipation. A muscle in Zhao Xuanqi's cheek twitched. He finally asked, "So, why are we going to South Mansion? Please, Senior Sister, enlighten me."

Her need to feel like a senior sister satisfied, a smile finally broke through He Xijun's placid expression. She began, "Did you know that the place where South Mansion now stands was once a land of great malevolence within Heqing Dao?"

"Oh? How so?" Zhao Xuanqi's interest was piqued.

"Two hundred years ago, in the last years of the Great Qi Dynasty, the emperor was corrupt and the Dynasty's mandate was nearing its end. The world was plagued by demonic calamities. Beyond the chaos wrought by Evil Spirits, natural disasters struck year after year without cease. The site of present-day South Mansion was a strategic hub in Heqing Dao, and it was once a prosperous city during the time of the Great Qi. But it was later struck by the three calamities—plague, famine, and locusts—resulting in countless deaths."

"Rebel armies rose up across the land. Two of these factions grew by consuming the others, emerging as the most powerful forces to succeed the Great Qi. One was the Grand Ancestor of Great Wei, who rose in the south. The other was the War Monarch, Pan Rui, who rose in the north. The two armies fought a great battle in Heqing Dao that would decide the fate of the realm, and the battlefield was the very ground where South Mansion now stands."

"At the time, the Grand Ancestor of Great Wei held the advantage. The site of South Mansion, having just suffered three consecutive disasters and now haunted by the innumerable resentful souls of the dead, had already become a Land of Yin and Evil. To achieve victory, the War Monarch went so far as to borrow the power of the northern Shamans. He laid down formations for Seizing Spirits and Invoking Gods, transforming the area into a place of great malevolence and cultivating legions of Resentful Ghosts and Shadow Generals."

"The battle was exceptionally brutal. Though the Grand Ancestor of Great Wei was ultimately victorious, he paid a terrible price. Soldiers from both sides perished in untold numbers—it was said that rivers of blood flowed. The battlefield's own murderous aura, already intensely dangerous, compounded the evil of the land, making it even more malevolent. It became a veritable forbidden zone for the living, and at the time, no one knew how to handle it."

"It wasn't until a decade later, after the Grand Ancestor of Great Wei had pacified the realm, established a new dynasty, and forged the Imperial Jade Seal, that things began to change. With the world initially at peace, the Incense of the people flourished. Only then could he use the Power of Human Dao Incense to suppress the cursed land. He then founded a city on that very spot, appointed a City God, and stationed his greatest generals there to maintain suppression year-round. By using the thriving Power of the Human Path to dispel the malevolent aura, peace was gradually restored, though it took several decades."

"However, during the Mid-Autumn Festival each year, the Yin Qi between heaven and earth swells to its peak. Even a city like South Mansion struggles to contain it completely. It's easy for disturbances to arise in the surrounding regions, or even within the city walls. Therefore, during this time, South Mansion holds the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly, extending a wide invitation to heroes and experts from all the great Schools to gather in the city."

"On one hand, experts possess vigorous Qi and Blood. The sheer vitality of their presence is countless times stronger than that of an ordinary person. Gathering them in one place causes the aura of the human path to surge, which in turn suppresses the malevolence in the Earth Vein. On the other hand, should any trouble arise within the city or its surroundings, these experts are on hand to resolve it swiftly, ensuring the common folk are not harmed."

"Over the long years, the cursed land has rarely stirred, but the tradition of holding the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly has been preserved in Heqing Dao. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, all the major Schools are invited to send representatives. Independent Schools and unaffiliated Martial Artists from the Heqing Dao Martial Realm also gather there. You could call it one of the rare grand events in all of Heqing Dao. I attended with Master last year."

"It's going to be so lively! You're really lucky—Master specifically asked for you to come along. He didn't even take me during my first year."

It was as if a dam had broken; He Xijun went on, enthusiastically explaining to Zhao Xuanqi all the reasons for their trip to South Mansion.

'Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly?'

A flicker of something passed through Zhao Xuanqi's eyes. 'Normally, I wouldn't care for this sort of festival. But a gathering of Martial Artists from all over the land... a chance to witness the techniques of this world's different Schools... now *that* is interesting.'