Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 99 - Celebration Banquet (1)

“What you mean is that the culprit must be a demon, but the demonic energy is gradually receding, right?” Meng Ying asked.

“It’s not receding, it’s being concealed,” Gu Baiying said. “There’s no demon species in the world that can completely hide their demonic energy unless they use some method.”

“But what method could achieve this?” Men Dong was puzzled. “There’s never been a record of this in the Taiyan Sect’s library, and I’ve never heard my senior masters mention it.”

Gu Baiying lowered her eyes and spoke after a while, “I don’t know.”

That night, because Mu Cengxiao suffered injuries and needed rest, not many words were spoken. The group of Zanxing returned to their respective rooms and went to sleep.

Since Meng Ying had already returned to the palace, Zanxing didn’t need to insist on staying with Gu Baiying, and instead shared a room with Meng Ying. However, whether it was because Meng Ying’s cultivation was high, causing the other side to be cautious, or for some other reason, the night was very peaceful, with no demons coming to disturb them, and Zanxing had a good night’s sleep.

After sleeping until dawn, on the second day, because the Bixi spirit had been captured, the atmosphere in the palace improved significantly. Even the maids and guards walking around wore genuine smiles on their faces.

The entrance to the secret realm of Li’er Country would soon open, but the cultivators who had previously joined Tan Tianxin and others in capturing the Bixi spirit had suffered some injuries. Disciples from various sects were now recuperating and practicing in the courtyard to prepare for the upcoming expedition.

Zanxing was no exception.

Since arriving in Li’er Country, Zanxing had been too busy dealing with the matter of the shark demon to focus on practicing the Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff technique. However, she was still stuck at the second move of the staff technique and couldn’t seem to make progress. Moreover, the Xiao Yuan Pearl in her chest felt as lifeless as ever. It hadn’t alerted her to the presence of any demons sneaking into her room, nor had it provided any encouragement in her practice. Zanxing tried calling upon it a few times without any response, so she gave up trying.

Perhaps when the protagonist’s plot armor is transferred to a supporting character, their plot armor gradually loses its effectiveness. However, this meant that the changes she caused to the plot were minimal, and she probably wouldn’t receive any warnings from the original world anymore. Zanxing looked at the red mark in the palm of her hand and sighed.

The plot was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

During the day, Zanxing spent her time earnestly practicing. When night fell, the king specifically arranged a celebration banquet for the cultivators.

The celebration banquet was held in the southwest of the palace gardens — the Cloud Sea Garden.

The Cloud Sea Garden was unlike typical royal gardens. Li’er Country was originally a maritime island nation, with the palace located at the center of the island. From the observatory in the Cloud Sea Garden, one could see the sea stretching out like a line into the distance. In the early morning, clouds resembled the sea, while at night, the tide resembled clouds. If there happened to be a clear moonlit night, with the sea reflecting the moon’s light, and the wind blowing gently, the tides surging, one could feel the passing of seasons in the blink of an eye.

The royal family of Li’er Country was wealthy. While they couldn’t compare to the abundant spiritual energy found in the food of immortal sects, the ingredients were extremely precious for ordinary people. They also hired renowned chefs to prepare the dishes, so the disciples of the sects were not neglected.

The palace was adorned with blue glass lamps, which glowed like blue fireflies in the night. After saying a few words, the king left the seat, not wanting to disturb the enjoyment of the cultivators. Among the sects present, the Chihua Sect and the Yin Feng Sect were subtly leading, though they were wary of Gu Baiying’s profound cultivation and didn’t actively seek closeness. Of course, Zanxing and group had no intention of getting involved with them either. They chose to stay far away from those people and went to the observatory on their own.

The observatory was extremely high, and standing on top of it, one could see the moonlight shining on the sea, with silver waves rushing from the horizon to the shore. The long wind brushed against people’s cheeks, both chilly and damp.

Tian Fangfang placed the food basket down. He didn’t want to talk to anyone from the Chihua Sect, but he couldn’t bear to waste the delicious food from the banquet. So, he had a servant bring up a large basket filled with food and wine, treating it as a small gathering.

“Junior Sister, come help me arrange these,” Tian Fangfang said as he spread out a blanket on the ground, turning the observatory into something akin to a picnic spot.

Zanxing walked over and began arranging the dishes from the basket. Tian Fangfang remarked, “You know, the cooks here are quite good. Smell these dishes, they’re strangely fragrant.”

“Can you still eat?” Men Dong looked unconvinced. “After seeing those female corpses, doesn’t it affect you at all?”

“To be honest, I do feel sorry for them, but it shouldn’t affect my appetite,” Tian Fangfang replied as he poured wine into the cups. “Besides, if we don’t eat our fill, how can we investigate the real culprit?”

“What’s the point of investigating the real culprit?” Men Dong sneered. “Can’t you see those people would rather we didn’t meddle? I bet once we’re in and out of the secret realm, none of this will concern us anymore.”

Zanxing followed his gaze towards the Cloud Sea Garden. At the banquet, the disciples of various sects were either complimenting each other or building relationships for future interactions, all with a façade of mutual joy.

Mu Cengxiao scanned the surroundings and asked, “Why isn’t Seventh Senior Uncle here?”

“Senior Uncle looks down on the food of ordinary people, so why would he come?” Men Dong replied confidently.

“What about Senior Sister Meng?” Mu Cengxiao hesitated for a moment before asking.

Zanxing answered, “Senior Sister is cultivating in her room and doesn’t want to come out. Besides, that Nie Xinghong from the Yin Feng Sect is always bothering her, so it’s better for her to stay inside.”

Meng Ying was truly talented and hardworking. Zanxing hardly ever saw her engage in any recreational activities. It was said that Meng Ying’s purpose for coming out of seclusion and entering the secret realm of Li’er Country this time was to test her sword skills. Otherwise, as newcomers, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to travel together with Meng Ying at all.

Zanxing had just tasted some of the food and wine Tian Fangfang brought over when suddenly, Mimi let out a meow and jumped away from her side. Zanxing heard someone behind her say, “Senior Sister Yang.”

Turning around, Zanxing saw Rong Yu with Mimi all over his face, looking somewhat bewildered as he tried to lift Mimi off him.

Given Mimi’s current weight, it wasn’t something Rong Yu, a delicate fellow cultivator, could handle. Zanxing picked Mimi up from Rong Yu and said, “Sorry, Senior Brother Rong, this cat just really likes you.”

“It’s okay,” Rong Yu smiled. “It’s cute.” Although he said so, his expression didn’t quite match his words.

Zanxing glanced in the direction of the Cloud Sea Garden and said knowingly, “So, you were also being isolated by them?”

“Liuli Sect is just a small sect, so we don’t usually have the opportunity to interact with the Chihua Sect,” Rong Yu said frankly. “But whether I’m isolated or not doesn’t really matter.”

“Junior Brother Rong, how is your senior brother doing?” Tian Fangfang asked, lifting his head. “Will he be able to enter the secret realm tomorrow?” Previously, Rong Yu’s senior brother had been severely injured by Tan Tianxin, the medicinal herbs of the royal family of Li’er Country couldn’t compare to those of the sects. It was hard to say whether he could recover before entering the secret realm.

At the mention of this, Rong Yu looked somewhat crestfallen. He replied, “My senior brother still can’t get out of bed. I’m afraid he won’t be able to enter the secret realm tomorrow.”