"If everyone is interested, please move to the front door, and I will part the river and invite you into the mansion for a feast," Luo Wensheng said with a smile, "Before dawn tomorrow, I will surely send you back safely!"
"I’ll go!"
"I shall go too!"
"I’ve never experienced a wedding banquet at the River God’s residence before; today is really an eye-opener."
"Chief of the Escort, you go ahead, I’ll keep an eye on the belongings."
Luo Wensheng glanced around, his face adorned with a warm smile, and slightly raised his head, eting Lu Zheng’s gaze.
"Oh? What a handso and elegant young man," Luo Wensheng cupped his hands, Lu Zheng returned the courtesy, then turned and went back into the room.
"Eh?" Luo Wensheng blinked, he thought Lu Zheng would co downstairs, but he went back into the room instead?
Not long after, Lu Zheng ca out holding a box, closed the door behind him, and walked slowly downstairs, approaching Luo Wensheng, nodding respectfully, "In haste, I haven’t prepared a proper gift, just ordinary items, I hope the River God will not mind my disrespect."
His True Qi circulated, unmistakably radiating Daoist aura, "Lu Zheng, Lay Practitioner of White Cloud Temple, greetings to Magistrate Luo."
Luo Wensheng’s expression changed, quickly cupping his hands respectfully, "Forgive , Luo was short-sighted earlier, greetings, Young Master Lu."
The eyes of everyone in the inn focused on Lu Zheng, surprised that this gentleman rushing in overnight, looking gentle and refined, turned out to be an Abnormal Person?
The two leading figures of the Xiong Feng Escort Agency exchanged looks, secretly amazed, lanting their own blindness.
Xiaotangzi, the runner boy, felt anxious in his heart, thankful that this gentleman was magnanimous, otherwise, he wouldn’t have fared well.
...
Monts later, about twenty people arrived at the front door of the inn, only to find the River God’s Mansion had dispatched a twenty-person team, ten playing music, ten bearing arms, quite a spectacle.
Lu Zheng glanced around, noticing that besides himself, the two Martial Artists from the Escort Agency were present, the Innkeeper also ca out with his wife, along with several scholars, rchants, and travelling perforrs.
Seeing these people, Luo Wensheng didn’t waste ti, leading everyone to leave the inn, walking swiftly to the riverbank at the ferry.
Luo Wensheng took a pearl from his sleeve, holding it aloft, chanting lightly, finally uttering "part," the river water gurgled, splitting into two sides before everyone’s eyes, forming a path.
The band first walked onto the riverbed, hand drum, copper gong, suona, dongxiao, bamboo sheng, pipa, moon lute, zhongruan, all sounded together, truly jubilant.
"Everyone, please!" Luo Wensheng gestured invitingly, leading the way.
The next mont, everyone looked at Lu Zheng, so he didn’t hesitate, proceeding first, and the rest then followed, soldiers with guns guarding the sides for safety.
"Seems my luck is good, is the River God’s Mansion just near this ferry?" Lu Zheng asked with a smile.
Luo Wensheng nodded, "Indeed not far, so I ca nearby, didn’t expect to invite soone as distinguished as yourself."
Lu Zheng waved his hands, "You’re too kind, I’m just a Lay Practitioner, a Registered Disciple, undeserving of your praise, traveling outside, it’s enough not to disgrace the sect."
The band and soldiers were acceptable, all were shallow in cultivation like water spirits, Luo Wensheng, Lu Zheng couldn’t sense his demon qi, his Dao Practice must be at least a hundred years, Lu Zheng didn’t dare act arrogantly.
Of course, Lu Zheng’s cultivation wasn’t weak, having refined for a while after defeating Ye Lan King, consud over a hundred strands of Light of Fortune, improving his cultivation greatly, hence being respected at the Anomaly Suppression Bureau, and why Luo Wensheng treated him with respect.
"So young, such high Dao Practice, such a good personality, no one is blind."
Lu Zheng vaguely felt that as his cultivation improved, the Three Treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit prospered, his own lifespan extended.
Indeed, successful cultivation leads to longevity hope.
"Jade Seal, after ten more years of cultivation, will I be able to shake the world, live forever?"
Jade Seal, "..."
...
Everyone walked on the riverbed, the water parted ahead, closed behind, only their path stretched several zhang in a hollow road through the river, looking up at the sky, seeing the river banks rising higher, even dozens of zhang high, showing the depth of Lu River.
Soon, they saw an open area ahead, a Water Mansion appeared, roof eaves and walls hung with pearls similar to Luo Wensheng’s, repelling the river water, allowing no intrusion.
"Water-Repelling Pearl!"
"River God’s Mansion!"
"Impressive indeed," Lu Zheng marveled at the River God’s Mansion, using Water-Repelling Pearls as streetlights, rubbing his chin, "Truly befitting of the long-standing Lu River God’s Mansion, I wonder if my gift will yield a return gift."
After entering the River God’s Mansion, the band and soldiers dispersed, while Luo Wensheng led everyone to the grand hall.
"Goodness!"
Six tables of banquet were present, two empty ones, likely prepared for Lu Zheng’s group, while the other four were filled with guests.
However...so guests looked completely human, while others retained so original traits, be it long whiskers, scales, or ear fins, whether due to insufficient cultivation or intentionally.
Lu Zheng: (⊙o⊙)
My goodness, I thought there weren’t many demons in this world, turns out there’s quite a lot!
"Guests have arrived!" The attendant at the hall door announced loudly, everyone turned, first laying eyes on Lu Zheng, who hadn’t suppressed his aura.
"Lu River God even invited cultivators?"
"With Elder Li’s cultivation and connections, inviting a few cultivators is easy as pie."
"But this ti is just for welcoming a son-in-law, not a centennial celebration, isn’t it too grand?"
Lu Zheng paused at the door, seeing two tables placed against the wall at the side of the hall door, scattered with various items, Luminous Pearl, Red Coral, Herbal Elixir Pills, or gold, silver, and jade, probably about fifty or sixty items, gifts from the guests.
Lu Zheng smiled and placed the wooden box on the table, smiling at the attendant recording with a pen beside him, opened the box, and revealed his gift.
In an instant, multicolored light blossod, dazzling the attendant’s eyes, "This...this is..."
"Lu Zheng, Lay Practitioner from White Cloud Temple, sends a Five-Colored Glazed Glass Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Ornant."
"Hiss—"
"Hiss—"
"Hiss—"
The attendant loudly announced, "Lu Zheng, Lay Practitioner from White Cloud Temple, sends a Five-Colored Glazed Carp Leaping the Dragon Gate Ornant!"
Standing beside Lu Zheng, Luo Wensheng’s eyes also lit up with amazent.
Although the ornant was ordinary, it was exquisite and beautiful, and of great value, certainly not disrespectful; it beca clear that Lu Zheng’s words earlier were truly modest.
He assud Lu Zheng might gift so talismans or carry-on elixir pills.
Moreover, the gift’s good symbolism, had it not been for today’s wedding coincidentally arranged, he would suspect Lu Zheng had prepared it long ago.
User Comments
0 comments from readers