Chapter 514: Banquet

Chapter 514: Chapter 339: Banquet

Before the towering city gate, merchants from all over had gathered, forming a long queue outside the walls to await inspection by the city guards.

For the traveling merchants of Heqing Dao, the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly meant a massive influx of people into South Mansion, along with all sorts of activities. As long as they found the right opportunity, they could make a fortune in just a few days.

Consequently, the guards’ inspections at the gate were exceptionally strict. If any mishap occurred during the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly—if someone with malicious intent slipped into the city and caused chaos and casualties—it could even affect the Evil Yin Qi that South Mansion was suppressing. That was an offense punishable by the execution of one’s entire family.

Ordinarily, they might turn a blind eye to certain things for a bribe, but at a time like this, there was no room for leniency.

However, Zhao Xuanqi’s group did not have to wait in line with the merchants. The Red Heart Sect was, after all, one of the Five Sects of Heqing, a renowned Sealed Sect. They had been invited to attend the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly, and if any incidents occurred during the event, their assistance would be required. Their status was completely different from that of these traveling merchants.

After Qiu Qing revealed his identity as an Elder of the Red Heart Sect, the captain of the gate guards personally came to welcome them respectfully. After a brief inspection, he had someone lead the Red Heart Sect group into the city.

Passing through the city gate, they found themselves on a main thoroughfare paved with bluestone slabs. The street was at least a hundred meters wide—incredibly spacious—and stretched toward the city center, its end out of sight.

Shops lined both sides of the street. Despite its hundred-meter width, the street did not feel empty; it was bustling with a continuous stream of pedestrians, horses, and carriages, giving it a very prosperous air.

The buildings in South Mansion were generally taller than those in Guming County. In Guming County, a three-story pavilion about ten meters high would be considered the tallest structure, but in South Mansion, six-story pavilions were commonplace. One could even occasionally see pavilions dozens of meters tall. It was said that such pavilions required special Arrays and rituals and used materials from Artifact Refining to support their frames.

Although the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly was still two days away, South Mansion was already filled with a rich, festive atmosphere.

Street performers crying out their acts were a common sight, and hawkers weaved through the streets and alleys selling Lotus Fragrance Cake, a specialty pastry for South Mansion’s Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition, there were vendors selling copper mirrors, talisman paper, and Origami Lotus Lanterns.

Every shop and household in the city had hung up Origami Lotus Lanterns in shades of blue, green, or pink. They had posted yellow talisman paper with red patterns, pasted colorful Door God Paper Cutouts on their doors, and hung objects to ward off evil—such as Eight Trigrams Copper Mirrors, bronze swords, and Peach Wood Swords—from their eaves.

Zhao Xuanqi could tell that these “Magical Artifacts,” like the talisman paper and copper mirrors, were just ordinary objects. They showed no particular fluctuations of Primordial Qi; at most, they were mere decorations and ornaments with no practical effect.

However, he could understand the origin of this seemingly useless practice. Many years ago, when the malevolent Qi in South Mansion was potent, the imperial court would likely have distributed genuinely effective evil-warding items to every household on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. But as time went on, with South Mansion’s prosperity and the dissipation of the Evil Qi, the court no longer expended the manpower and resources to produce and distribute these objects.

But the habit, formed over many years, gradually became a custom that was passed down through the generations, much like putting up couplets and setting off firecrackers for the New Year in his previous life.

It was meaningless, but it offered peace of mind.

A trace of joy at the approaching festival could be seen in everyone’s eyes; they seemed unafraid of the hidden threat posed by the eruption of Yin Qi during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Based on what Zhao Xuanqi knew, on the day of the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly, the curfew throughout South Mansion would be lifted. The imperial court would organize deity processions and lantern-lighting activities, and everyone would celebrate until dawn. The entire point was to borrow this Qi of human joy and prosperity to suppress that sinister Evil Qi.

The power of a single person is weak, but when the power of the masses gathers, it can change the world. This was the very foundation of the Incense and Candle Dao.

Furthermore, among the pedestrians on the street, Zhao Xuanqi also noticed many people dressed in martial attire. These individuals were powerfully built, with abundant Qi and Blood and gazes as sharp as torches. It was obvious they all had Cultivation.

In Heqing Dao, the practice of the Martial Dao was not the exclusive privilege of the Five Great Schools. There were many unaffiliated Martial Artists and small Schools among the populace. However, the imperial court managed these forces rather strictly. All unaffiliated Martial Artists had to be meticulously registered, and unlike the five Sealed Sects, they could not take disciples at will. For every disciple they accepted, a detailed report had to be filed with the local Government Office.

At that moment, these unaffiliated Martial Artists were also looking in the direction of the Red Heart Sect’s group, peculiar expressions in their eyes as they whispered among themselves.

“The Red Heart Sect is here? They’ve been causing quite a stir lately. I wonder if that mysterious disciple who shone so brightly in the Ghost City incident came with the group to South Mansion this time.”

“Since his identity is a secret, he probably won’t be revealed now. Besides, no matter how strong that person is, he was only at the Blood Strengthening realm. Two months have passed. Even with a breakthrough, he’d only be at the early stage of the Refining the Internal Organs realm. South Mansion is currently filled with masters. Even without comparing him to the long-famous experts, many of the top talents of the younger generation from the various Schools have already reached the deepest levels of the Refining the Internal Organs realm.”

“Yeah, I heard it’s not just people from the Five Sects who were invited to this Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly. It seems some Sealed Sects from the Guan Nan and Beiyun Daos, regions that border our Heqing Dao, were invited as well?”