Chapter 89: Ritual Soul, Guardian Straw Doll, Anping Town Harvest Festival

Zhao Xing looked back and saw the musician, Jiang Jiuxian, approaching. Before the banquet, he had heard Zong Shichang introduce Jiang as an official in the Nanyang Music Hall, and also Lu Qian’s senior fellow disciple.

“Qianqian, don’t be so naive and easily deceived by others,” Jiang Jiuxian said, his face stern, his gaze sharp as it fell upon Zhao Xing.

“Senior Brother Jiang?” Lu Qian looked displeased. “Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

Seeing Lu Qian’s disbelief, Jiang Jiuxian quickly explained, “How rare are new battle lyrics and melodies? If such things were for sale, they would come from renowned masters, not from a small town like Gucheng. Besides, he’s not even a musician; he’s just an unreliable agricultural official.”

Zhao Xing was displeased. “What do you mean, ‘just’ an agricultural official? Do you look down on agricultural officials?”

“Brother Jiang,” Zhao Xing said, “it’s one thing to call me a swindler, but don’t attack my profession.”

Jiang Jiuxian scoffed, “Don’t call me ‘brother.’ If it weren’t for Zong Shichang, I would have exposed you publicly by now. If you have any self-respect, you should quickly leave before more people find out. Stop playing tricks here.”

He had been annoyed with Zhao Xing ever since the performance ended. Everyone else gave tips, but Zhao Xing offered nothing. Didn’t he understand common courtesy? And then his beloved junior sister actually offered to dance for this man. He wondered what sweet talk Zhao Xing had used to make her so infatuated!

Before Zhao Xing could speak, Lu Qian interjected, “Senior Brother, you don’t understand; he’s not what you think.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuxian felt even more bitter. How infuriating! What did she mean, he didn’t understand? How could she claim to understand Zhao Xing after only a brief conversation?

“Junior Sister, get a grip!” Jiang Jiuxian’s voice involuntarily rose.

Seeing that Jiang Jiuxian was still blocking their way, Lu Qian grew more annoyed. “Jiang Jiuxian, I have my own judgment about what’s true; I don’t need your interference. Shouting and disrupting everyone’s enjoyment is hardly the behavior of a musician. Move aside!”

With that, Lu Qian took Zhao Xing’s arm and walked directly around him.

Jiang Jiuxian was furious, practically fuming, his eyes burning with anger.

Seeing that he couldn’t convince them, he immediately ran to find Liu Muqing and the other young women from the Music Hall.

His commotion gathered all the guests who had been enjoying the moonlight in the top-floor private rooms.

“Brother Jiang, what happened? Why are you knocking so urgently?” Zong Shichang was annoyed. He was just about to hold Miss Liu’s hand, and here Jiang was, banging on the door. Didn’t he have any sense of timing?

“Brother Zong, Miss Liu, please come with me. Lu Qian has been deceived, and I couldn’t convince her. Please help make her see sense.”

“What?” Liu Muqing snapped back to reality. “Deceived? What do you mean?”

Jiang Jiuxian quickly recounted what had just happened.

Zong Shichang felt uncomfortable. How dare Jiang say his godfather was a swindler? Didn’t he know whether his godfather was a cheat or not? Moreover, with all this commotion, where would his own reputation stand?

“Brother Jiang, I advise you not to make such a big fuss. I know Brother Zhao well; he would never make empty claims.”

He was trying to warn Jiang Jiuxian not to humiliate himself. After what had just transpired, Zong Shichang’s confidence in Zhao Xing had soared.

But Jiang Jiuxian retorted, “Shichang, you’re an agricultural official; you don’t understand. Battle lyrics and melodies for musicians are not that easy to create!”

“…” Zong Shichang grew even more annoyed seeing Jiang Jiuxian directly criticize his profession. But out of respect for Liu Muqing, he held back.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, he had no choice but to follow Jiang to find Zhao Xing and Lu Qian.

“Open the door!” “Open the door!”“Miss Lu, is Brother Zhao inside?”“Qian’er…”Outside the private room, a group of people were pounding on the door.

“What are you doing?” Lu Qian opened the door, looking somewhat stunned at the crowd.

Zong Shichang said, “Brother Jiang says you’ve been deceived. Is that true?”

Lu Qian’s gaze immediately sharpened as she looked at Jiang Jiuxian. “Jiang Jiuxian, didn’t I tell you to mind your own business?!”

Jiang Jiuxian, fueled by alcohol, no longer cared about formalities. “Where is he? Whether he’s a swindler or not, we’ll know once he comes out!”

Other musicians and dancers chimed in, “Qian’er, newly created high-quality battle lyrics and melodies are simply astonishing. If it were me, I wouldn’t believe it either.”“To create one of battle lyrics, battle melodies, or battle dances is remarkable, let alone two at once?”

Lu Qian glared at Jiang Jiuxian. “Why are you shouting? He left.”

Left? Zong Shichang, Liu Muqing, and the others exchanged glances. The other guests were also confused. Could it be that he really ran away, fearing exposure?

Jiang Jiuxian became even more animated. “If he wasn’t guilty, why would he leave without a word? Junior Sister, haven’t you realized yet? He’s just a…”

Lu Qian, however, couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and simply pulled a folded volume of water-patterned paper from her sleeve.

As the water-patterned paper appeared, Jiang Jiuxian’s words were abruptly cut short. He felt an intense wave of spiritual resonance that made him tremble so much he couldn’t speak.

The other musicians reacted similarly, their gazes involuntarily drawn to the water-patterned scroll.

The dancers were slightly less affected, as it was only battle melodies and lyrics, missing the battle dance component. But they were still greatly astonished. This was clearly the sensation only an original masterpiece could evoke!

“It’s actually real?”“Did you feel that?”“This must be battle melodies and lyrics that can be cultivated to at least the seventh rank, right?”“You’re understating it. If it’s widely performed, its potential could be even higher!”“It’s definitely an original; only an original could have such power.”

Jiang Jiuxian’s face went pale, his eyes glazed over. He hadn’t expected to be so thoroughly humiliated.

Seeing this, Lu Qian put the water-patterned scroll back, her gaze fixed coldly on Jiang Jiuxian.“Jiang Jiuxian, I call you Senior Brother out of respect for your early entry into the sect. Do you truly believe your skill and discernment are far superior to mine?”“How can you treat me like a child?!” Lu Qian felt insulted, believing Jiang Jiuxian saw her as immature and incapable of judgment.

Jiang Jiuxian was mortified and speechless.

It was Zong Shichang who smoothed things over. “Alright, Brother Jiang is drunk. The misunderstanding has been cleared up. Come on, everyone, let’s resume the music and dancing. I still have some good things to show you. Disperse, disperse!”

He then pushed and nudged people to disperse.

Liu Muqing didn’t leave because Lu Qian asked her to stay. Of course, good things were meant to be shared with a close friend, while others wouldn’t have the chance to see the original.

After closing the door, Liu Muqing’s gaze was fixed on the water-patterned scroll. “Qian’er, did Zhao Xing really give you this, or did you buy it elsewhere?”

Lu Qian smiled and opened the scroll. “Qing’er, it has the musical score on it. You’ll know once you play it.”

As the water-patterned scroll was opened, the two characters “Li Hun” (Ritual Soul) were visible.

Liu Muqing walked to the guqin and began to play according to the battle melody.

“Ritual complete, drums resonate.”“Offering blessings, dances commence.”“Beautiful maidens sing gracefully.”“Spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums.”“May this endure eternally, without end.”

As the melody and lyrics harmonized, Liu Muqing felt as if she were witnessing an ancient ritual at the Altar of Heaven, with sages offering sacrifices to deities. Battle drums beat rhythmically, flower goddesses chanted, and the seasons cycled from spring to autumn in brief, repeating transitions.

“Li” (Ritual) refers to sacrifice, and “Hun” (Soul) refers to the spirit of vital energy. This was a farewell melody for the deities after various sacrifices.

The sound of the guqin resonated with heaven and earth, seemingly possessing the power to dispel dark spirits and send away sinister deities!

“This…” After playing it twice, Liu Muqing quickly felt a sensation that was both unfamiliar and familiar. “Could this have been extended from ‘Six Songs’?”

“Exactly,” Lu Qian nodded. “That’s what he said.”

“If it’s derived from ‘Six Songs,’ then there must be more than just ‘Li Hun’?” Liu Muqing suddenly realized something.

“I suspect so too. Unfortunately, I was about to ask when Jiang Jiuxian ruined everything. He left directly so as not to embarrass Zong Shichang… Hmph, Jiang Jiuxian is truly detestable!” Lu Qian was very angry.

“Alright, forget about Jiang Jiuxian, Qian’er. It seems you didn’t lose your Pheasant Plume Robe for nothing,” Liu Muqing teased. “You even got an original battle melody and lyrics in return… If you ask me, you should ‘lose’ ten or eight more such robes.”

“Do you think it was a gift? I bought this.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. It seems your hope of sacrificing yourself, Qian’er, has been dashed.”

“Qing’er, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you asking for a beating!”

Under the moonlight, Zhao Xing returned to his home in Pingkang Square. Zhao Ruide had taken his wife and children out and hadn’t yet returned.

“The Moon-Gazing Tower was certainly worth the trip. Not only did I resolve a problem, but I also secured a few Dao-preaching paintings,” Zhao Xing said as he washed his face.

After giving “Li Hun” to Lu Qian, she promised to find at least two Dao-preaching paintings. Adding the one Zong Shichang mentioned and one more Zhao Xing could afford, he could potentially acquire four such paintings.

As for whether it was worth selling? In Zhao Xing’s view, it was. These battle lyrics and melodies wouldn’t be very useful in the future. Once the Qi Luck Dynasty collapsed, all ritual, music, and dance cultivators would fall into obscurity, becoming minor paths. Eras change; some professions soar, others plummet. Since he needed money, selling them for immediate use was fine, as they were essentially found treasures.

“I hope Young Master Zong and Miss Lu can deliver some good Dao-preaching paintings,” he thought.

Setting this matter aside for now, Zhao Xing began practicing the introductory chapter of “Great Dream Spring and Autumn.”

You absorbed the sleep charm from your soul. You gained insight into the sleep charm spell. Spell progress: 10.You absorbed the sleep charm from your soul. You gained insight into the sleep charm spell. Spell progress: 12.You released the sleep charm…

After cultivating the sleep charm spell for half the night, Zhao Xing fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, as usual, he went to the Directorate of Agriculture for training.

Although the Four Heavenly Season techniques were difficult to improve further in the short term, Zhao Xing didn’t give up. He believed that this daily practice wasn’t in vain; even with progress so minute it was less than one point, accumulated over time, he would eventually break through the bottleneck.

The small mountain cat lay lazily on the pagoda tree, then pawed at a pagoda tree leaf and took a bite.“Meow.”It didn’t taste good, so the mountain cat spat it out.

“How could that taste good? You must be really hungry. Come on, I’ll take you to find some food.” Zhao Xing checked the time, planning to take the mountain cat to Chen Mansion for a meal. His own Heavenly Yuan Pear trees were still far from flowering and bearing fruit.

“Meow.” The mountain cat’s ears perked up. Hearing “food,” it immediately jumped onto Zhao Xing’s shoulder.

Agricultural officials generally ate well.

When Zhao Xing arrived, Chen Shijie was having a feast at his mansion.

“Second-rank top-grade yellow croaker? And you added rehmannia root and translucent goji berries?”“Stewed yam and white eel? To replenish qi and nourish lungs, strengthen the body and invigorate yang?”“And Tremella Bird? *Hiss*, it smells so good!”“Hey, why is there also translucent goji berry in this slow-cooked pheasant? Another aphrodisiac… Minister Chen, you should pay attention to resting and avoid overworking yourself…”

Chen Shijie glanced at Zhao Xing. “Who taught you that sarcastic tone? Can’t you just eat properly?”

“Hehe.” Zhao Xing stopped teasing Chen Shijie, but looking at the meal, he knew that Lady Gui must have been staying at Chen Mansion these past two days.

The two of them feasted on the table full of delicious dishes. Suddenly, a large yellow croaker leaped and scurried across the floor.

The yellow croaker was twice the size of the mountain cat. The small mountain cat looked up, biting at it, its body completely obscured by the fish.

Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie both ate very quickly, almost devouring the food like a whirlwind – a habit they had picked up in the military.

“Tomorrow is the Harvest Festival; are you going out of the city?” Chen Shijie asked after they finished eating.

“Yes,” Zhao Xing nodded. “Anping Town is my tax-assessment area. I need to go check on the final harvest of primal rice.”

“Take Shen Zhui with you. I’ll also give you a straw effigy.” Chen Shijie waved his hand, and immediately a straw effigy wearing a coir raincoat and a straw hat ran out from the back hall.

Zhao Xing glanced at it, but surprisingly couldn’t discern any special qualities.

“It’s a Guardian Effigy,” Chen Shijie explained. “It contains two sword qi, copied from a sword-fighting secret technique of a friend of mine in the military. This Guardian Effigy cannot be made even in Nanyang Prefecture.”

The chances of the Profound Heaven Sect making a move in September were slim, but as a precaution, Chen Shijie still provided Zhao Xing with an extra layer of security.

“Impressive,” Zhao Xing said, giving a thumbs-up. Guardian Effigies were mid-tier, extremely difficult spells to master. Chen Shijie’s was particularly extraordinary. When Zhao Xing used the Five Elements Observation technique to look at it, his eyes actually stung a little.

The materials used for this effigy were far from ordinary, filled with the power of the Metal Element, and its overall structure was incredibly precise, completely locking the two sword qi inside without any leakage.

Such a Guardian Effigy could be used for a long time; as long as it wasn’t destroyed, it could last for three to five years!

Zhao Xing used the Five Elements Observation to inspect it, but even at close range, he could only vaguely sense its sharpness, unable to understand its inner workings.

Chen Shijie was quite pleased with Zhao Xing’s praise. He wanted Zhao Xing to join the military, so naturally, he had to display some of his capabilities to entice him.

“Then I’ll take my leave,” Zhao Xing said, finishing his meal and departing without delay. He knew Chen Shijie disliked small talk.

Around the Autumn Equinox was the season for the final harvest of primal rice.

If not harvested by October, the primal rice would rot in the fields, and the common people wouldn’t be able to plant a new crop.

Anping Town also fell under Shen Zhui’s security jurisdiction, though he didn’t need to be there constantly. Minor disputes among ordinary people didn’t require high-level martial force to resolve.

Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui were riding in an official carriage. The carriage itself had third-tier defenses, and the horses pulling it possessed beast bloodlines, with a protrusion on their heads, stout limbs, and black-purple hooves and hocks.

“A purple-horned horse pulling the carriage, Brother Shen. You’ve really made it big now, having such a ride,” Zhao Xing teased.

“Don’t make fun of me. This is just a crossbreed, only carrying a bit of beast bloodline,” Shen Zhui replied.

If its bloodline were pure, true purple horns would grow on its head, and its hooves would be purple, not the current black-purple.

True purple-horned horses were usually warhorses. However, the fact that Shen Zhui was assigned such a carriage showed his rising status, at least proving the Martial Bureau’s regard for him.

“Hup!” The carriage galloped along the main road, reaching Anping Town in less than half an hour.

At this time, all the fields were golden yellow. Farmers were harvesting primal rice, women were threshing grain on the drying grounds, and children were picking up rice stalks, bundling them up, and then excitedly handing them to their elders.

This scene was beautiful and peaceful, exactly like the name Anping Town suggested.

Suddenly, the sky darkened, and dark clouds drifted from afar, seeming to presage rain.

“Brother Zhao, hurry!” Shen Zhui urged.

“What’s the rush?” Zhao Xing said with a smile, pointing a finger at the sky. A golden light enveloped a bead and flew into the clouds. It was indeed a Fourth-tier East Lake Pearl.

Although this Fourth-tier East Lake Pearl possessed ice attributes, it could also be used to absorb rainwater and cloud vapor.

Ordinary agricultural officials didn’t use East Lake Pearls, but rather ‘Cloud Rain Pearls,’ treasures specifically issued by the government for regulating rainfall.

While this East Lake Pearl wasn’t specifically for absorbing clouds and rain, its high rank meant its effect was still quite good.

Before long, the dark clouds began to dissipate, and within a quarter of an hour, they had completely transformed into white clouds.

“Whoosh!” The ice pearl returned to Zhao Xing’s hand, its blue light now even more vibrant.

The farmers, who had been scrambling to take shelter and gather grain, returned to their calm routine.

“Brother Zhao, excellent spell!” Shen Zhui said with a smile, driving the carriage and continuing to patrol the fields with Zhao Xing.

Anping Town, the Niu family’s fields.

At that moment, a group of seasonal farmhands, after finishing the primal rice harvest for the master of the house, were resting under a shed.

Among them, a middle-aged man with ordinary looks, prominent cheekbones, and stout limbs, and a woman with yellowish skin, a barrel-like waist, and a turban on her head, were conversing in low voices.

“We can’t act in September,” the middle-aged woman whispered. “It’s too rushed. The higher-ups plan to make their move in November.”

“November is the last Yang month. If we don’t act then, we’ll have to wait until next year. I estimate it will be around the start of winter.”

“If we’re not acting, why did they make us suffer here?” the middle-aged man complained, rubbing his waist. “I can’t use my true strength, and my back is almost broken from exhaustion.”

“Anping Town is Zhao Xing’s jurisdiction. He’s responsible for encouraging farming, so coming here in advance to scout is good. Besides, we come to the Niu family as farmhands every year. Not coming this year would seem strange,” the woman said, handing him a water bottle. “Here, quench your thirst first.”

“Ugh, being like a mortal is truly unbearable. Even after all this time, I still can’t get used to this worldly pain,” the man complained, looking at the clouds in the sky.

“Quiet, someone’s coming,” the woman said, seemingly overwhelmed by the heat, and stood up, steadying herself with her leg.

At that moment, the Niu family’s master arrived in a sedan chair, accompanied by several people carrying boxes.

“Chen Deshun, Wu Chenshi, come quickly! Wages are being paid!” someone called out from nearby.

The middle-aged man and woman immediately stood up, feigning excitement, and said, “Alright, coming, coming!”