Jiang Xuning was pulled up to the tall building, and the scenery of the entire city suddenly came into full view at this moment. He gazed into the distance, lost in thought, when he suddenly heard the youth beside him whispering in his ear.
He said, “Look, Brother.”
Following the direction of his finger, Jiang Xuning subconsciously looked up. At that very instant, light erupted across the horizon. Under the vast black curtain of night, the sky was filled with “fire trees and silver flowers” (dazzling fireworks). Jiang Xuning had never seen such a sight before; he felt it was beautiful beyond description.
It was also at this moment that he suddenly understood the “good place” A-Heng had spoken of, and he remained entranced for a long time.
“How is it? I didn’t lie to you, did I, Brother?”
The weather changed suddenly, and Yu Heng led him inside the tall building to seek shelter. As the waiter brought out tea, Jiang Xuning regained some of his clarity.
Because of the Flower Festival, the tea houses in the city used flowers instead of tea leaves during these few days. When the lid was lifted, the fragrance overflowed, offering a unique flavor. Even the tea saucer was adorned with fresh flowers, looking quite pleasing to the eye.
The youth was beaming with a face full of pride. Jiang Xuning looked at him but did not respond immediately. He suddenly recalled when the two of them were still in Yue City. In truth, it wasn’t that he had never seen fireworks before, but rather that his body was weak; he couldn’t go out and couldn’t stand the smell of smoke and fire. On the few occasions he had seen them, he had only watched from afar within the estate. They were beautiful, but far less shocking than seeing them from such a close distance.
He couldn’t describe the feeling, only that for the first time, he felt that living beyond just for his parents was a wonderful thing.
Just as he was about to say something, the ground floor below suddenly became lively for some reason. The previous dimness was replaced by bright light. Driven by curiosity, Jiang Xuning looked down and saw that the eaves of the entire building were hung with beautiful flower lanterns, dazzling and colorful, illuminating the whole structure.
At the same time, a high platform had been erected in the main hall. The sounds of silk and bamboo (traditional instruments) and melodious music began to ring out.
“What is happening?”
Seeing this, Jiang Xuning looked puzzled and couldn’t help but turn to the youth beside him.
Yu Heng, whose atmosphere had been suddenly interrupted, rarely showed a flash of displeasure on his face. However, it was fleeting; by the time the person before him looked back at him, it had completely vanished, and he had returned to his usual self.
He spoke with an air of mystery, “Brother might not know, but now is the real highlight of tonight’s Spring Excursion.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the melodious music stopped. Looking up again, a middle-aged man dressed in a blue-gray long robe had already stood upon the high platform.
“Everyone, please be quiet for a moment.”
The man raised his hand slightly. His voice was warm and gentle, like a trickling mountain stream, possessing an indescribable calm. The previously bustling hall fell silent instantly.
Only cultivators would know that this was a unique secret technique of Sound Cultivators, used to enchant people’s hearts.
“You have all come from afar today, surely for the city’s annual Flower Festival.”
The man looked around and continued, “In that case, tonight my Tianyi Tower shall act as the host to add a bit of fun for everyone.”
In Guangling’s annual Flower Festival, besides the Spring Excursion, the most famous event was the “Chasing the Falling Flower” hosted by this very restaurant, Tianyi Tower.
As for why it was famous, it was because the prizes were very special. While others offered flowers, birds, fish, insects, jade, or pearls, Tianyi Tower offered rare cultivation manuals, spiritual tools and dharma treasures obtained from secret realms, rare spirit beasts that were hard to tame, or even the legendary blood of a merman.
Of course, such things might not be worth mentioning in the eyes of a great sect like the Tianyan Sect, but in the eyes of small sects and rogue cultivators, they were incredibly precious. Especially for rogue cultivators they lacked talent and had no sect to rely on. If they could obtain a manual or a spiritual tool for protection, their path of cultivation would become a bit easier.
It was precisely because of this that people flocked to it. However, while Tianyi Tower claimed the event was open to everyone, in reality, it was restricted to cultivators.
The reason was that the “flower” chased in “Chasing the Falling Flower” was a rare Golden Lotus. Within it, a Fire Soul Pearl granted it spiritual intelligence. It was impossible to catch it using ordinary methods; one had to use Divine Sense. The stronger the Divine Sense, the easier it was to catch the Golden Lotus. And only cultivators could control Divine Sense.
Jiang Xuning, of course, knew none of this. The book he had read mostly glossed over such minor details. His only impressions were of “Tianyi Tower” and “Chasing the Falling Flower.” Thus, he didn’t know why Yu Heng had brought him here. While he was wondering, the man on the stage spoke again, and a young girl holding a wooden tray appeared beside him.
“This object is the prize Tianyi Tower has prepared for everyone.”
As he spoke, the man lifted the red cloth, revealing its true form: a fruit the size of a sour apricot, but entirely a dull grayish-brown.
Having never seen such a thing, the crowd couldn’t help but ask, “What is that?”
In the quiet atmosphere, several murmurs of discussion gradually broke out, seemingly dissatisfied with Tianyi Tower’s prize this time.
However, the man in the blue robe remained unhurried and continued gently, “You may not know that this item is called ‘Turtle Brown’ (Guihe). If there are knowledgeable lords present, you should know that aside from its color, this item is extremely similar to the legendary and highly precious Red Bead Fruit.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the building, which previously had only a few voices, instantly became boisterous. Various discussions erupted; clearly, people had heard of the Red Bead Fruit.
The man in the blue robe remained calm, but with a bit more of a smile on his face, he continued, “And this Turtle Brown is not only similar to it; even its medicinal effects can reach sixty percent of the original. Not only that, the most wonderful thing about this item is that even an ordinary mortal can have all their illnesses wiped away and their lifespan extended by a hundred years upon consuming it.”
If the previous excitement was somewhat restrained, the man’s words made everyone lose their composure entirely. They naturally knew how precious the Red Bead Fruit was; in the entire cultivation world, only three had appeared in the last hundred years. People like them had naturally never seen one.
The reason it was so highly praised was that its medicinal effects were terrifyingly impressive. As long as a cultivator had one breath left, it could “grow flesh on white bones” and bring someone back from the brink of death. Even if this fruit called Turtle Brown only had sixty percent of the Red Bead Fruit’s power, it was enough to be considered terrifying. After all, the path of cultivation was difficult, and this item could serve as a life-saving talisman between life and death.
The crowd eyed it like tigers watching their prey. Among them were a few ordinary mortals; however, they didn’t care about the medicinal effects comparable to the Red Bead Fruit. They knew that no matter how powerful the Red Bead Fruit was, it was useless to mortals. Instead, the life-extending property of the Turtle Brown fruit caught their attention.
No matter who they were, everyone sought longevity, and those in power sought it even more. But hindered by a lack of spiritual roots, the path of immortality was destined to be closed to them. Even so, they would not give up easily; if one path was blocked, they chose another, using spiritual medicine to cultivate the body and extend life. They had heard early on that Tianyi Tower’s prize was extraordinary, rumored to extend life, so they had specifically recruited a large number of rogue cultivators in hopes of obtaining this medicine. They hadn’t expected the medicine to be so powerful, not only extending life but lasting for a hundred years. They were instantly overjoyed, secretly vowing to win it no matter what.
“Does Brother want it?”
Yu Heng, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, looking at the person beside him with a gentle smile.
Jiang Xuning, who had been lost in thought, was suddenly called back by his voice, but he did not speak immediately. He had heard everything the man said and knew what A-Heng meant by asking him now. He just suddenly remembered the words of the Immortal Venerable Zhongyi and felt a bit insecure. Even the Red Bead Fruit was useless to him, let alone the Turtle Brown fruit which only had sixty percent of its efficacy. Even if it could work, how could Immortal Venerable Zhongyi not know?
But putting that aside, the most important thing was that he really didn’t want to trouble A-Heng too much. He didn’t want to become a burden who only relied on others; that was not what he hoped for.
Just as he was about to say something, Yu Heng spoke first, “I know what Brother is thinking.”
He smiled, but his eyes were full of earnestness as he said, “But so what? I heard this Turtle Brown fruit doesn’t taste too bad. Even if it turns out to be useless then, just treat it as a sugar bean for Brother.”
Jiang Xuning clearly hadn’t expected him to say that. His heart, which had been conflicted just a moment ago, was now slightly stunned. His thoughts churned, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Before he could react, the man in the blue robe on the high platform spoke again, “Since everyone knows the prize, tonight’s activity officially begins. I assume everyone knows the rules, so I won’t say more. As for whose hands this Turtle Brown fruit will fall into tonight, it all depends on your own abilities.”
As soon as he finished, the crowd shifted their gaze to the servants who had been waiting outside the door. Upon the command, the fireworks held in their hands were lit. With a “bang,” brilliant fireworks exploded in the night sky, and simultaneously, a Golden Lotus glowing with red light flew out from the roof of Tianyi Tower.
The crowd did not hesitate; everyone sent out a wisp of their Divine Sense to chase the Golden Lotus.
Beams of light of various colors traversed through the air, illuminating the streets in all directions. The wind stirred by the chase sent flower petals fluttering through the sky. The passing pedestrians were long used to this scene and did not find it frightening; they were merely attracted by the beautiful “scenery,” standing still and staring blankly at everything before them.
The various beams of light pursued the Golden Lotus closely, yet they were still no match for its extreme agility. There was still a large gap between the two. And it was at this moment that a red beam of light suddenly burst out from the crowd, heading straight for the Golden Lotus. As if it had foresight, it quickly closed the distance once again.
Jiang Xuning watched and knew that was A-Heng’s Divine Sense. He couldn’t help but pray silently not for himself, but for A-Heng, wishing that everything he sought would be obtained and all he wished for would come true.
Following his prayer, the red beam of light drew closer and closer to the Golden Lotus. The others saw this and grew anxious, exerting force to catch up, but it was already too late. Looking at the person ahead of them, their eyes were full of resentment.
However, Yu Heng was naturally unaware of this. He focused all his attention on the Golden Lotus before him. Upon discovering a lapse in its movement, he lunged forward instantly.
Just as it seemed the Golden Lotus was about to be gathered into the red beam of light, a variable suddenly occurred in the next instant.
The crowd looked on in shock as a purple beam of light suddenly appeared. Before anyone could react, it snatched the Golden Lotus into its possession in a single instant.
This was something no one had expected, not even Yu Heng. His expression shifted from full confidence to a dark, gloomy look. Filled with fury, he looked toward the direction where that Divine Sense had vanished. However, to his surprise, he froze the moment he looked, completely unable to turn his eyes away.
Jiang Xuning quickly noticed his abnormality. Seeing his expression was particularly ugly, he couldn’t help but follow his gaze. He then discovered that on the busy street outside Tianyi Tower, Huo Ling was standing there, staring straight toward the direction of the two of them.