Chapter 11 - Golden Rags
A light rain had just fallen, drizzling softly. The green flagstone pavent at the city gate was not yet completely dry; the shallow surface of the water reflected the red lanterns and pedestrians on the street, and laughter rippled in these shallow puddles.
The flow of people passed by Luo He. Although his attire was sowhat strange, for the people living in Gengyang City, this mortal town backed by the Star Moon Pavilion, such mysterious individuals were actually not an uncommon sight.
The Immortal Ascension Assembly hosted by the Star Moon Pavilion was imminent, and Gengyang City was also holding the Water Lord Festival, which was particularly important and joyous for them.
Luo He's gaze passed through the lantern-lit, festooned, and bustling shops. He vaguely saw, amidst the crowd that surged like a tide around it, a central gilded divine sedan chair. On the platform of the sedan chair, carried by eight bare-chested, sturdy n, the robes of a jade-carved divine statue fluttered gracefully.
Surrounding the sedan chair was a deity-welcoming procession, beating drums and singing while stamping their feet. The sound of sheng and xiao pipes, enveloped in sandalwood and the aroma of wine, spiraled upwards, intertwining with the sweet and cloying aroma of roasted chestnuts and sugar paintings from the street side.
Children, holding bamboo-frad carp lanterns, ran through laughing. As the lantern shadows swayed, the tasseled pearl curtain on the divine sedan chair trembled lightly. Luo He watched, feeling that it looked like a noble lady veiling her face and chuckling softly.
That divine statue was Water Lord Miaoyuan. When she attained the Dao and beca an immortal, she was deified with the na Sovereign Emperor Benqing; here, she was also called Her Ladyship the Sovereign Emperor.
Regarding this Her Ladyship the Sovereign Emperor, there were also fragntary records in the Star Moon Pavilion's collection of books. She was very likely not a folk fabrication, but a cultivator who had truly existed an unknown number of years ago.
As for whether she truly ascended to immortality, or was exaggerated, sung about, and lauded in the mortal world as a so-called Sovereign Emperor, that was unknown.
"Hehe... This immortal great sir, are you also interested in our Water Lord Festival?"
Luo He had just entered the city not long ago. At this mont, he was standing at the entrance of the East City Gate. Just now, thinking about that Her Ladyship the Sovereign Emperor, he hadn't noticed for a mont that soone had squeezed in beside him.
Turning his head to look, he then discovered a short boy looking at him with a beaming smile.
There was no aura of spiritual energy on him, and his dantian was also completely empty; clearly, he was not a cultivator.
As for why he called him an immortal... Luo He supposed he probably called anyone whose attire was different from ordinary people that way.
eting the eyes beneath Luo He's mask, the boy was stunned for a mont, then imdiately ca back to his senses.
"Her Ladyship the Sovereign Emperor's divine power is boundless. Every year, many immortal great sirs like you also co to see it."
"This little one doesn't know much else, but I know every brick and tile in this Gengyang City like the back of my hand. Guiding you would be just perfect."
"Moreover, this little one has also heard that within Gengyang City, there's an immortal opportunity left behind by Her Ladyship the Sovereign Emperor back then, just waiting for a fated person during the Water Lord Festival... Eh, eh, great sir, don't go..."
It was just a pity that Luo He hadn't co for any Water Lord Festival; he had rely happened to arrive at the right ti for it.
Because in this Gengyang City, there was soone he needed to see.
Since yesterday, after Shen Huai had given him that Demonic Seed in the courtyard, Luo He had thought it over and over, and finally ingested the Demonic Seed, planting it within his own body.
If he had refused that Demonic Seed, presumably that person would still have found ways to make Luo Hongyu fall into the trap through other ans; her situation, where the body and soul didn't match, was extrely bizarre...
Luo He didn't dare to gamble that he could completely withstand her thods, so he simply kept that Demonic Seed with himself, which was the safest.
This Demonic Seed was ford from the Demonic Sarira of a Demonic Lord after death. So, in essence, it was a mouthful of resentnt qi, and ultimately, it was rely the resentnt qi of a re Demonic Lord.
How could it compare to that yin-cold malevolent qi in his body, ford after the death of the ruler of the yin side of heaven and earth at the dawn of creation?
At this mont, the malevolent qi in his body and the black lotus floating within his spiritual platform were attacking each other; Luo He's dantian was their battlefield.
Besides the fact that he didn't really care much to begin with, last night, when he didn't dodge Luo Hongyu's sword strike, it was also because he was wholeheartedly savoring the novel pain of the battle within his body.
Fortunately, it didn't last long before he adapted.
With this situation, the strength he could now exert was not even one-tenth of his usual. Although it was estimated that within a year or half a year, this black lotus would be completely destroyed by the malevolent qi in his body.
But he couldn't afford to wait that year or half a year. In the remaining ten-odd days, he had to reduce the impact of this Demonic Seed on him as much as possible, lest he himself couldn't hold out when Luo Hongyu ascended the platform to face her tribulation.
The origin of this deceased previous Demonic Lord was the Remnant Moon Sect, currently the number one Demonic Sect, though sowhat in decline.
And Luo He happened to know soone from the Remnant Moon Sect, who might have so useful information.
Although his original intention was not to involve Su Huanhuan, right now, it was not up to him to consider that much.
That favor she owed him from the Black Copper Gate back then... would be used here.
Luo He lowered his presence, passed through the extraordinarily lively crowd, followed the guidance of a small red-horned tablet in his hand, and turned into a small alley.
There was only one building in this small alley. Luo He looked up and saw it was a tall teahouse.
Righteous path sects had their respective residences and footholds within the Star Moon Pavilion's territory. But visitors from Demonic Sects obviously wouldn't conspicuously crowd together with the righteous path sects at the main entrances; instead, they each had secret strongholds nearby.
This teahouse was a hidden spot of the Remnant Moon Sect in Gengyang City.
Stepping through the doorway, he saw only a few sparsely seated custors in the main hall. Seemingly because there weren't many people, the old storyteller tapping his gavel had no interest in telling stories and sat lazily to one side, sleepy-eyed.
"Yo, this esteed sir, what would you like to eat?"
A waiter ca forward with a smile to greet him. Luo He didn't say much, took out the small tablet from his bosom, and showed it to him.
"Oh, it's the Young Lady's guest, my apologies for the neglect, my apologies... Co, esteed sir, this way please..."
"Who has such an impressive background?"
Before the waiter, after confirming the identity, could turn to lead the way, a clear and lodious female voice, like a warbling oriole, ca from above.
A girl wearing a short skirt and looking like a maidservant actually flipped down directly from the second floor and walked over with her arms crossed.
"The Young Lady's jade tablet... Oh~ so you're the person she ntioned."
The girl drawled the last sound. She slanted a glance at Luo He; eting Luo He's gaze, she frowned for so reason.
"Hmph, those eyes of yours, they're annoying to look at... Go on, this person doesn't need you to attend to him."
"Yes…”
The waiter at the side had a strange expression but didn't dare to ask more, and hurriedly retreated. After sending him away, the girl turned again to the other custors in the teahouse and said loudly:
"Out, out, no business today!"
"Hey, you young girl, what's the aning of this?"
"We've paid for our tea; you say no business and it's no business..."
Before the few scattered custors could get angry, a powerful spiritual pressure erupted from around the girl, accompanied by wisps of blood-red spiritual energy, instantly suppressing them.
Seeing that this ordinary-looking girl was actually a cultivator, the few custors imdiately shivered and didn't dare to say more. After packing their things, they swiftly cleared the place for this female baleful star.
In an instant, the vast teahouse was left with only the faint murmurs of the old man who hadn't yet woken up. The girl turned back, clapped her hands, and looked at Luo He with a raised eyebrow.
"Knowing your usual imperturbable nature, I presu you must have co looking for my Young Lady with troubleso matters today."
Luo He nodded noncommittally.
"Hmph, I knew it. You only think of her when you need her. When you don't need her usually, you can't wait for my Young Lady to be far away from you... Stinking mute."
The girl pulled a stool over from the side, sat down stiffly, propped her head on her hand, wearing small embroidered shoes on her feet, and said in a clear and pretty voice:
"To tell you the truth, my Young Lady is just upstairs."
"But, she doesn't want to see you right now. She told to kick you out if I saw you."
"Although my Young Lady is one who doesn't easily change her temper, if I put in a few good words for you, perhaps she'd be willing again. You also know, my Young Lady suffered a loss at your hands yesterday; she's bound to get it back."
"So, if you want to see my Young Lady..."
The girl changed her tone, stood up and walked in front of Luo He, raised her head, and poked his chest with a blank expression.
"Then you'll have to serve this young lady well, understand?"
"......"
Luo He looked at her quietly, not knowing what Su Huanhuan was up to this ti.
However, he knew Su Huanhuan's personality very well... He had brushed her off yesterday, so today she had to amuse herself at his expense to get even.
His ti was very tight, but he actually wasn't short of this little bit of ti.
A hint of amusent appeared in Luo He's eyes, and he nodded his head again.
"What are you laughing at? Do you think this young lady is easy to handle?"
But the girl just glared at him fiercely, then pointed outside the building, towards the street from where the sound of gongs and drums beating to the heavens could be faintly heard.
"This young lady is going to stroll around the Water Lord Festival."
"You just follow beside .”
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