Beyond sacrifices and prayers for blessings, the Snake King Festival was also filled with nurous activities, making it an exceptionally grand occasion.
It was almost no different from the New Year. Adults would even give red envelopes to the children.
Early that morning, everyone would form long lines in front of the temple. Gongs would sound to clear a path, punctuated by the blasts of horns and muskets. Banners fluttered in the air. Each person in the parade procession held a snake—so clutched them in their hands, others wrapped them around their arms, and still others coiled them across their chests or necks. So went so far as to kiss their snakes. The variety of poses made for a thrilling and captivating scene.
As night fell, people would bring out the "snake lanterns" they had prepared in advance, connecting them in front of the temple to form a "long snake formation" stretching for one or two kiloters.
As darkness settled, the winding bamboo snake lantern would ander through the town. Every household set off firecrackers and fireworks, welcoming it at their doorsteps or alley entrances as a way to ward off disaster and pray for blessings.
Amidst the sound of drums, the snake lanterns resembled a long, fiery snake leaping through the night sky—a truly spectacular sight.
Another interesting tradition was that on this day, all the Snake Catchers would present the best snakes they had caught as offerings before the Snake King Temple. It was believed that whoever captured the finest snake demonstrated the greatest sincerity toward the Lord Snake King and would, in turn, receive blessings.
That day also featured many competitions: whose snake was the most valuable, whose was the largest, and whose was the most beautiful.
All in all, it was easy to see just how incredibly lively the Snake King Festival in Bai Town was.
Li Shun's decision to replace the Snake King statue during the Snake King Festival was exceptionally tily.
After a mont of deep thought, Tu Xiao'an agreed it was appropriate. 'On that day, if they switch to a statue in my likeness, my Power of Faith will go through the roof.'
But he also had another thought. 'If I'm going to do this, I should go all out.'
"Li Shun, I want you to make several hundred thousand small statues in my likeness. During the Snake King Festival, have them distributed to every household."
This was because every household in Bai Town worshiped a small Snake King statue. When Snake Catchers went out to hunt, they would always kneel and pray before it.
They prayed that they would catch good snakes and return ho safely.
'If the Snake Catchers are praying to a statue of **, then I'll generate Power of Faith.'
Tu Xiao'an was taking the matter of Power of Faith very seriously.
A single Strength Potion from the system's store had already shown Tu Xiao'an its might. In a way, the Vampire Snake wasn't defeated by him, but by the store's Strength Potion.
Without the Strength Potion, Tu Xiao'an couldn't have handled the Vampire Snake, let alone utterly crush it to death in the end.
'So, everything in the store is a treasure. If I want those treasures, I need a constant supply of Power of Faith.'
'Right now, Power of Faith is basically cash to .'
Li Shun understood the Lord Snake King's intentions, but a troubled look suddenly appeared on his face. He found it difficult to voice his concern.
Tu Xiao'an noticed his odd behavior and imdiately understood. Producing so many Snake King statues would require a great deal of money.
Bai Town had a population of over a million. The production cost for distributing a Snake King statue to every single household would be no small sum.
Li Shun was rely the manager of the Snake King Temple; he naturally wasn't a man of great wealth.
However, if he really wanted to get it done, making the Snake King statues wasn't that difficult. Li Shun just needed to organize a fundraiser. If he collected donations to produce the statues, people from every household would surely be willing to contribute.
They might even fight for the chance to donate.
The Snake King's influence had skyrocketed to an all-ti peak. His manifestation of miracles, saving people from disaster, and subjugating demons were all real, docunted events.
The people of Bai Town felt deep in their hearts that the Snake King was watching over them.
Tu Xiao'an understood Li Shun's predicant and imdiately sent a telepathic ssage: "Soone will deliver the funds for the statues to you. You need not worry."
'After all, this is for my own selfish reasons,' Tu Xiao'an thought. He wasn't going to have Li Shun solicit public donations for it.
The Tu Family was no longer destitute; they had made millions from a single Supre Profound Snake. Besides, Tu Xiao'an had plenty of valuable snakes in his system now. He could just sell one of them, and the funding for the statues would be covered.
The Snake King's telepathic ssage left Li Shun both awestruck and deeply shocked. 'The Snake King even thought of this for ?'
'He's so considerate.'
Having given his instructions, Tu Xiao'an couldn't be bothered to psychoanalyze Li Shun's thoughts.
'I haven't been ho for days because of this mission. It's ti to head back. My sister is probably going to nag my ear off again.'
'But this ti is different. If I tell my sister what I've been doing, she'll probably be proud of .'
'The Snake King that all of Bai Town fanatically worships is her own little brother. The sense of glory from that would be indescribable.'
Inside the temple, incense smoke swirled through a sea of people. Unseen by all, the Lord Snake King they worshiped furtively slipped away without a trace.
Tu Xiao'an didn't make a grand exit this ti. 'The Snake King can't be manifesting all the ti. That wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.'
'It would ruin the sense of mystery and majesty.'
'A Divine Spirit needs to act like one. Mystery is crucial. Unless it's a critical mont and absolutely necessary, I don't need to manifest myself.'
...........
In the Tu Family's backyard, a Purple Gold Snake flew in like a streak of light, suddenly coming to a stop and hovering in the air.
Tu Xiao'an didn't land imdiately because he saw his mother, Wen Qiu, in the yard.
He watched as Wen Qiu cupped a handful of rice, scattered it grandly across the ground, and, with a kind, motherly smile, said to an exceptionally beautiful bird, "Co on, Azure Owl, eat up. We've got plenty of rice in this house."
Before her was an incredibly beautiful and large bird. It looked as if it were dressed in a green feathered coat. The feathers on its belly resembled a light green ballgown, flowing into a long tail that made it look both elegant and noble.
The bird's beauty was unparalleled. This was none other than a Peacock, known as the King of Hundred Birds.
Moreover, this was no ordinary Peacock, but an awakened High Rank Creature—a true king among birds.
It could speak human language without even reaching Rank Two, a testant to its noble bloodline.
The Peacock, Azure Owl, had been preening its beautiful feathers in the backyard. When it saw the woman grandly scatter the rice, its entire deanor soured.
It desperately wanted to speak and roar aloud: 'I, the magnificent King of Hundred Birds, the great Peacock, have co to your ho only to be fed rice every single day?'
From the very first ti Azure Owl ate the rice Wen Qiu offered, she had mistakenly assud the bird loved it. And so, it was rice for all three als, every single day, without fail.
She even fed it more and more each ti, terrified that the exceptionally beautiful bird might go hungry.
Azure Owl was in despair. It wanted to die. But it didn't dare offend the woman before it, nor did it dare refuse the rice, fearing it would displease her.
Under the woman's gentle gaze, Azure Owl began pecking at the rice, feeling as though life had lost all aning.
As it pecked, it fondly rembered its days on She Mountain. 'Ah, the carefree bliss of feasting on Snake Gallbladders...'
'And now I'm here, pecking at grain like a common chicken?'
Azure Owl hated that damn snake with every fiber of its being.
'It was one thing to be forcibly subjugated, but to be treated so poorly on top of it all...'
'I have the status of a princess but the fate of a servant.'
'I am clearly noble and extraordinary, yet I'm forced to eat rice for every al. I want to die. I really can't go on like this. This life is too bleak.'
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