Chapter 471: Shangsi Festival

Daoist Oddity Immortals

As dusk gradually settled, the capital city of Shangjing began to be adorned with lanterns of various sizes.

As if in a competition, the grander the shop, the more luxurious and exquisite the lanterns hanging at its entrance.

Besides landscape paintings, the walls of the lanterns also featured riddles, specifically for night wanderers to solve.

People gathered in groups of three to five, continuously guessing the riddles around the lanterns.

Those who guessed correctly, amidst the envy of others, happily took down the exquisite lanterns and brought them home.

Those who failed, however, bowed in shame and retreated amidst the surrounding laughter and teasing.

As one act ended, another began; the entire city of Shangjing was bustling with activity.

Li Huowang, leading his horse, subtly moved aside to avoid children running from behind him. A girl carried a orchid lantern, while a boy rode a bamboo hobby horse. Both their faces were beaming with happy smiles.

"Is this the doing of the Bureau of Celestial Surveillance? Shangjing had been so devastated by Dou Mu earlier, yet in just a few months, it had nearly recovered."

Li Huowang observed for a moment, then asked Bai Lingmiao, who was sitting in the carriage, "Shangjing rarely lifts its curfew. What festival is being celebrated today?"

"Senior Brother Li, it's Shangsi Festival," Bai Lingmiao replied softly, as she was reading a book.

"Shangsi Festival?" Li Huowang quickly found the festival in Hong Zhong's memories. This festival was the day for girls of 'coming-of-age' to hold their 'initiation ceremony.'

On this day, adults would begin to dress up the fifteen-year-old girls in their household. After eating flower pastries, drinking flower tea, and having black rice, they would come out to enjoy themselves, wearing pomegranate flowers in their hair to pray to the God of Joy for good marriages in the future.

Once a girl had undergone the hairpinning ceremony, she would be expected to observe the strict separation of sexes and could no longer show her face casually in public.

Furthermore, after the hairpinning ceremony, matchmakers could also visit to propose marriages.

"Shangsi Festival," Li Huowang murmured, heading towards the house that Ji Xiang had previously given him.

Just as he was about to reach the alley entrance, Li Huowang suddenly saw Zhuge Yuan blocking his path.

"Hmm? What is it? Could it be an ambush?!" Li Huowang's eyes instantly filled with killing intent, and his muscles tensed.

Zhuge Yuan sighed softly, shook his head slightly, then subtly gestured towards Bai Lingmiao in the carriage with his chin.

Upon seeing Bai Lingmiao's forlorn expression at that moment, Li Huowang instantly understood what Zhuge Yuan was conveying. "Miao Miao, you haven't had your hairpinning ceremony for the Shangsi Festival before, have you?"

Bai Lingmiao gently shook her head. "No, when I was of hairpinning age and the Shangsi Festival arrived, I had already been taken away by Dan Yangzi."

Hearing this, Li Huowang walked in the direction Zhuge Yuan pointed with his folding fan. There was a vendor selling pomegranate flowers there.

When he returned, he placed the deep orange-red pomegranate flower he held among Bai Lingmiao's white strands of hair.

"It's alright. Since you didn't have it in the past, I'll help you make up for it today!"

Without waiting for Bai Lingmiao to hesitate, Li Huowang took her hand and walked towards a nearby grand tailor shop.

Li Sui also wanted to follow, but Li Huowang immediately called out, "Li Sui, take the carriage home!"

When Bai Lingmiao emerged from the tailor shop again, her simple white attire had completely transformed.

She wore a light-colored silk skirt, an aqua-colored gauze sash, and a long gown with a purple-blue hibiscus-patterned train that swept the ground, an open front, a cinched waist, and flowing sleeves. The moment she appeared on the street, she immediately drew many gazes.

The tailor shop clearly had preparations for the Shangsi Festival, as the ready-made clothes were all sized for young women, fitting Bai Lingmiao perfectly.

However, Bai Lingmiao was clearly unaccustomed to being stared at. Nervous, she continuously picked at the delicately embroidered orchid on her cuff with her fingernails. "Senior Brother Li, why are they looking at me..."

"Because you're beautiful. You're the most beautiful in all of Shangjing! What should we do next? Oh, right, eat flower pastries, drink flower tea, and have black rice! Tonight, don't worry about anything; just happily enjoy this festival that belongs to you!"

Bai Lingmiao was initially reserved, but as the surrounding atmosphere drew her in and Li Huowang guided her, a smile gradually appeared on her face, and she blended into the bustling street scene.

She walked with Li Huowang through the bustling streets of Shangjing, admiring the beautiful scenery, solving lantern riddles, and eating flower pastry snacks.

In that moment, dressed in beautiful clothes and eating delicious food, she savored everything about this brief yet immensely joyful experience.

Li Huowang and Zhuge Yuan stood side by side behind her, watching Bai Lingmiao's back as she played 'Tóuhú' in the distance, noting the concentration on her face.

"Snap!" The four characters 'Tian Sheng Wo Cai' on the folding fan unfolded, and Zhuge Yuan fanned himself. "Brother Li, your confidante seems to have something on her mind."

Li Huowang, with a complex expression, nodded slightly. "I know, I know..."

"Would this humble scholar be of assistance in resolving her confusion?"

"Brother Zhuge, I know you are well-read, but regarding this matter, you can't help. I don't have any good solutions for now either. I can only leave it to time, hoping that time will take everything away."

As the two chatted, Li Huowang's attention was drawn to a young man holding a jade cat, who was walking towards them on the roadside.

The young man had fair skin, handsome features with a touch of elegance, and his crescent-white attire lent him an air of refinement.

It was not unusual for there to be many young women on the streets, and thus many men out to look at them. However, what was strange was that Li Huowang couldn't perceive his 'ten emotions and eight sufferings,' which was highly abnormal.

Moreover, he was accompanied by several tall servants, and Li Huowang was surprised to find that he couldn't discern their true nature or strength either.

As he watched their distance narrow, Li Huowang's heart tensed. "Who are they? Why are they approaching me in disguise? Could my identity as a 'Heart Element' be exposed?"

But just as Li Huowang was thinking this, the young man turned on his heel and walked into a jade shop by the roadside. Still feeling uneasy, Li Huowang quietly approached.

Upon getting closer, Li Huowang realized that the young man seemed to want the jade shop owner to appraise his jade cat.

Listening to the jade shop owner continuously praise the jade cat in his arms, the young man appeared exceptionally pleased. "Haha, this young master simply has good taste! Something I bought for five hundred taels is actually worth five thousand taels!"

Seeing that they weren't looking his way at all and were walking straight ahead, Li Huowang thought to himself, "What's going on? Could they really just be passing by?"

"Am I being overly nervous?" Just as Li Huowang was still pondering this question, he suddenly noticed the young man walking towards Bai Lingmiao!

Li Huowang immediately lunged forward, his copper coin sword already drawn. He was ready to unleash it instantly if the other party made any sudden move.

"My lady, greetings." The young man's eyes sparkled as he stared intently at her white hair.