Zanxing (Retranslated)

Some cultivators offered a high price to take Men Dong away, but his parents refused to sell their son, rejecting the offers outright. As the price offers increased, more and more people came to “buy” their son.

Having such a child was too conspicuous. One winter night, a fierce fire broke out in the couple’s home. The blaze was so intense that both parents perished in it, and their young son disappeared without a trace. The villagers couldn’t find the child’s remains in the ashes.

“Later, when Seventh Uncle and Fifth Uncle were traveling, they discovered some cultivators practicing dark arts. They killed the evil cultivators and found our mistreated junior brother, so they took him with them,” Meng Ying said, looking at Men Dong, who was helping Douniang pick herbs.

When Gu Baiying found Men Dong, it had been half a year since the boy had been captured and used as a tool to find spiritual herbs by those evil cultivators. Naturally, those who could kill innocent people for an Immortal Spiritual Aperture wouldn’t treat Men Dong kindly. The poor child was forced to search for herbs day and night, becoming alarmingly thin.

Zanxing hadn’t known about Men Dong’s past. Hearing this, she became thoughtful. “No wonder he’s so close to Seventh Uncle.”

To Men Dong, Gu Baiying wasn’t just the person who brought him back to the Taiyan Sect and saved him from hell. He was also probably seen as an avenger for his parents.

“When Junior Brother was first brought back to the Taiyan Sect, he would cry non-stop if separated from Seventh Martial Uncle. So the sect master let him live in the Elysium Hall with Seventh Uncle,” Meng Ying sighed. “I think the reason Junior Brother is so close to Xu Douniang is that he remembers his own past. Junior Sister, don’t tease him about this.”

Zanxing cleared her throat. “Now that I know the reason, I won’t bring it up again.”

She followed Meng Ying’s gaze to Men Dong. This child, always dressed in clean, bright clothes, occasionally with some spoiled habits, turned out to have a tragic past.

On the other side, Men Dong was squatting on the ground, helping Douniang sort herbs.

Douniang, older than Men Dong by a few years, had already learned to work early on, while Men Dong, having been raised in the Taiyan Sect, seemed like a pampered young master.

“Little Immortal,” Douniang said, a bit embarrassed, “you should go rest. I can handle all this work myself.”

Men Dong blushed. “It’s fine, I want to help.”

His hands were pale and tender, with fingers as delicate as scallions, while Douniang’s hands were rough. She smiled and asked, “Are all the people from your great sect able to use magic? Can you make things appear?”

“Of course!” Men Dong answered without hesitation. “Our senior brothers and sisters in the sect can do everything, including flying!”

“Flying?” Douniang’s eyes sparkled. “Can Brother Tian fly too? Can he take me flying?”

Men Dong was about to say “Yes,” but then he remembered that their qi was sealed in this place. They couldn’t even open a Qiankun Bag, let alone demonstrate any magical abilities. He hesitated, unable to speak.

Seeing his reluctance, Douniang kindly said, “It’s okay. Brother Tian once told me that great sects have many rules, and your masters probably don’t allow you to use magic casually outside. It’s alright!”

The more she said this, the more frustrated Men Dong felt. What he said was true, but now it seemed like he was boasting. He could only lower his head and continue sorting the herbs. As he did, he noticed a red plant among the weeds.

He picked out the red plant.

The red plant was long and flat, not as tough as the other grasses, but soft. Men Dong murmured, “Wuya Grass.”

“What is Wuya Grass?” Douniang asked, looking over.

“A type of grass that contains spiritual energy,” Men Dong explained, handing it to her. “Cultivators can use it to enhance their cultivation, and ordinary people can use it to prolong their life and improve their health. You need to crush this grass and boil it with water for half an hour before consuming it.”

“Really?” Douniang, overjoyed, clutched the Wuya Grass and asked excitedly, “Will this help my father get better? His health has been poor this year.”

Men Dong nodded.

“Little Immortal, thank you so much!” Douniang looked at him eagerly. “Could you help me check if there’s any more Wuya Grass here? If not, I’ll go to the riverbank tomorrow to gather more. It would be great if I could find another one.”

Men Dong cleared his throat. “Sure.”

“You are so kind!” Douniang was so excited she could hardly speak. “You’ve helped my family so much. We’re very poor and don’t know how to repay you.”

Tian Fangfang, watching from the side, smacked his lips. “If you didn’t know better, you’d think the next thing she’d offer is herself.”

Gu Baiying rolled his eyes.

Zanxing reminded, “Isn’t our sect against romantic relationships?”

“Who said that?” Tian Fangfang asked.

Zanxing nodded toward Men Dong. “When we were in Li’er Country, it was mentioned several times that our sect forbids dual cultivation, right, Martial Uncle?”

Gu Baiying, caught off guard by the question, hesitated before answering impatiently, “Naturally.”

As they chatted idly, Xu Fu came in from the backyard, holding a stack of neatly folded clothes and hats. Seeing Men Dong squatting on the ground helping Douniang sort dry grass, he was startled and quickly said, “Douniang, how can you let the Immortal…”

“It’s alright,” Men Dong stood up, trying to appear serious like an adult. “I have nothing else to do anyway.”

Xu Fu nodded uneasily. Douniang noticed the clothes in his hands and asked curiously, “Father, what’s this for?”

“You silly girl, have you forgotten the Ji She Festival? Today is the seventh day of the fourth month,” Xu Fu said, handing the clothes to Douniang. “Stop sorting grass. Wash up and get ready to go out with me when it gets dark.”

Douniang was startled, then smacked her forehead. “Oh no, I was so happy to see Brother Tian that I forgot about the Ji She Festival!”

Hearing this, Zanxing asked Xu Fu, “What is the Ji She Festival?”

Xu Fu smiled and explained, “The Ji She Festival is a celebration in Wufan City. Every year on the night of the seventh day of the fourth month, the Holy Maiden leads the adults of the Snake Shaman Clan to the Wudanlin Desert to worship the Sacred Snake. The citizens of Wufan City also go along.”

“Though they say it’s a sacrificial ceremony, it’s really just singing and dancing,” Douniang said, holding the clothes and patting the dirt off her hands. “Our Red Drum Dance is very beautiful, and there’s lots of good food at the Ji She Festival—grilled lamb, glutinous rice wine, and there’s even competitions. Brother Tian, you all came at the right time. If you don’t mind, you immortals should join us tonight at the Ji She Festival! I guarantee it won’t disappoint!” The young girl extended her enthusiastic invitation.

Everyone looked at Gu Baiying.

The young man tapped his slender fingers twice on the back of the chair and looked at Douniang with an unreadable expression. “You mentioned that the Holy Maiden will be at the Ji She Festival?”

Douniang nodded eagerly. “Of course, the Holy Maiden presides over the sacrificial ceremony. We can’t usually see the elders. It’s only during the Ji She Festival that we get to see them.”

Zanxing thought to herself, This Snake Shaman Clan seems quite mysterious. Does the sealing of qi upon entering this place have anything to do with them?

Gu Baiying stood up and walked over to Xu Fu, his gaze falling on the man. Though he was young, he was taller than Xu Fu and exuded an overwhelming presence despite his gentle smile, making Xu Fu nervously rub his hands and avoid Gu Baiying’s eyes.

Gu Baiying patted Xu Fu’s shoulder lightly and said indifferently, “It sounds interesting. In that case, we would like to go and see it for ourselves.”

Douniang, oblivious to the underlying tension, was ecstatic. “Great! I’ll go make lanterns right away. Tonight is going to be so lively!” She pulled Xu Fu along, saying, “Father, I’m afraid we don’t have enough lanterns at home. We need to make a few more for the immortals.”

As the two went into the inner room, Meng Ying hesitated before looking at Gu Baiying. “Uncle…”

Gu Baiying lowered his eyes, his voice calm. “I tested him just now. He has no qi; he is indeed an ordinary person.”

Gu Baiying was not someone who showed kindness easily. His earlier pat on Xu Fu’s shoulder was not meant to comfort the nervous old man.

“That Ji She Festival sounds suspicious,” Mu Cengxiao added.

Indeed, it did. Of all times, they had to arrive just in time for the annual Ji She Festival. It seemed too convenient, as if someone was waiting for them.

“From what Douniang said, it’s a sacrifice to the snake god,” Zanxing mused. “Could it be that once we reach the desert, a giant python will come and swallow us all?”

“Here we go again, is your paranoia acting up?” Men Dong looked at them coldly. “They kindly invited us to their festival, and you’re being suspicious behind their backs. If you don’t want to go, just say so. Why ruin their goodwill?”

Zanxing retorted, “You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment.”

“You’re the one blinded by jealousy!”

“Stop arguing,” Gu Baiying interrupted them irritably. “If there’s something strange about this city, it’s likely because of the Holy Maiden. Since tonight is the Ji She Festival, it’s the perfect opportunity to see what she’s up to.”

Zanxing tugged at his sleeve. “But we don’t have any qi now.”

“Yang Zanxing,” Gu Baiying raised an eyebrow. “Is this all the courage you have?”

“Do you all still have some power left?” Zanxing asked, surprised, looking at the others. Tian Fangfang shook his head at her.

Meng Ying stood up. “Since we’ve decided, everyone must be extra careful tonight. This place isn’t on the map of Duzhou. If there’s something strange here, it’s probably a trap.”

That was true. In the past, whether it was at Gufeng Mountain or Li’er Country, they were familiar places. But Wufan City had never been mentioned in the last few decades or even a hundred years. The future was uncertain, and their qi was waning. They couldn’t even open their Qiankun Bags.

The enemy was in the dark, and they were in the light. This in itself was never a good situation.

And the Ji She Festival… didn’t seem very auspicious

Footnotes

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   Ji She Festival translates to Auspicious Serpent Festival