Xing Shuishui caught the arrow and used its momentum to jump down. She pulled the arrow out and threw it back at the young man.
“My sister says we should be polite when visiting. So here’s your arrow back.”
Enhanced with magic, the arrow flew swiftly. Before the young man could react, it grazed his headband. With a rip, the headband fell off.
He stared in shock, his expression particularly dark.
Du Dizhu had already vanished.
Xing Shuishui glanced up at her sister on the upper floor, then at the chaos in the streets. She guiltily clasped her hands behind her back: “Your human rules don’t apply to spirits. Du Dizhu was fighting too, but you only target me because I’m easy to bully. Is this how Luodan treats its guests?”
She pointed at her skirt: “Plus you put a hole in my clothes. It’s not pretty anymore. You need to get me a new one!”
“Clever words.”
The young general said coldly, “I don’t care if you’re human or spirit. Once you enter the city, no fighting is allowed. Consider this a warning, or don’t blame me for not telling you.”
Xing Shuishui thought this person was quite dense. Just as she was about to speak, Xue Zhuangxin came downstairs holding her skirt and took Xing Shuishui’s hand: “My little sister is lively and doesn’t understand Luodan’s rules well. Please don’t hold it against her, General.”
Seeing this, several Luodan officials wiped their sweat and said: “Our general has a bad temper from years of fighting battles. Miss Xue, please don’t take offense. Never mind one outfit – we can send a hundred outfits to your inn right away!”
The young general mounted his horse and looked back with a sneer: “A bunch of cowards.”
What an annoying person, just as annoying as He Liansheng.
Though Xing Shuishui was irritated, she still maintained a gentle and obedient demeanor for her sister’s sake.
Since she could see her past life in her dream arts, what about in He Liansheng’s dream arts? They said his previous lives were full of suffering before he achieved his current success. This person became a celestial master so young – how miserable must his past lives have been in the cycle of reincarnation?
She suddenly wondered if He Liansheng’s past life had an equally terrible temper like this general.
Well, thinking about it, their personalities were somewhat similar.
That evening at the palace banquet, the guests included not just nobles and officials, but also cultivators and famous spirits. When these different groups made eye contact, their expressions were quite interesting, though they couldn’t act out in the palace.
The palace lanterns were even more beautiful than those outside. Orange-red lanterns hung overhead like flames, made with various mineral paints and glass styles. Looking up, they were translucent and magnificent, as if in a dream.
Xing Shuishui looked away and noticed Du Dizhu was sitting next to her sister. She found an excuse to switch seats with her sister.
Du Dizhu seemed to have forgotten everything, wolfing down food with no royal dignity.
Seeing Xing Shuishui staring at him, he actually offered her a lotus pastry: “You’ve been looking for a while. You must be hungry. Young girls like you love sweets. Take it. Remember to put in a good word for me with your sister. I really like her – you might end up calling me brother-in-law.”
Xing Shuishui replied bluntly: “Get lost.”
This ancient fossil wanted to marry her sister?
Du Dizhu: “You little girl have weak cultivation and a bad temper. Lingshan loves taking in your type. I love eating your type too.”
Xing Shuishui placed her Qitong Blade on the table: “Say that again, and I’ll knock out your teeth.”
Du Dizhu: “Heh, you’re not even enough to fill the gaps in my teeth.”
He turned to a cultivator nearby: “This uncouth girl doesn’t want my pastry. Do you want it?”
That cultivator saw Du Dizhu and turned pale, practically crawling away from his seat.
Du Dizhu smiled and turned back: “The uncouth girl doesn’t want my pastry and isn’t afraid of me. How interesting. Little girl, want to guess why they’re afraid of me?”
Xing Shuishui thought for a moment: “Probably because your hair is all messy, you’re neither male nor female, like a black rag floating in the air.”
Du Dizhu: “…”
“Heh.”
He couldn’t be bothered arguing with a child: “Because my master is Jing Wushuang.”
Xing Shuishui: “Who’s that?”
“The current top mirror arts master, enough to make celestial masters choke, and make Lingshan people change color at the mention. No wonder you haven’t heard of my master’s name – being locked up by Guan Yinzi for so long, it’s normal to be such a country bumpkin. But… I heard Guan Yinzi has a martial arts manual called ‘Yin Mountain Scripture.’ If you can tell me about it, I can teach you mirror arts in exchange.”
Xing Shuishui said with disgust: “No thanks. I advise you to stay away from me and my sister. Not everyone wants to rule the world like you.”
Du Dizhu drank a pot of wine and laughed loudly: “Rule the world? How vulgar.”
His smile gradually faded: “I just hate my master. Want to kill him.”
Xing Shuishui asked: “Was your master not good to you?”
Du Dizhu: “He was quite good. Just that he never seemed satisfied with me, always put me down, hit me with his hands, called me useless. I’m so sick of him.”
“I want to kill him.”
Xing Shuishui had no interest in his plans for killing his master, and in fact, Jing Wushuang didn’t end up dying by his hands.
Her gaze returned to the banquet. Why hadn’t Luo Yuhua appeared yet? She didn’t know how long she’d been in Chi Xuan’s dream art, but looking down, she saw the red string on her wrist was gradually getting shorter.
Just then, the atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became lively. The dancers retreated and many people stood up. Xing Shuishui thought something major had happened, but saw an official walk forward with a bamboo scroll, bowing to the monarch while discussing something. Some young nobles were already getting restless.
Xue Zhuangxin explained to her: “Luodan has a tradition. Every Lantern Festival, men shoot down lanterns to show their love for women they admire.
If they shoot down many lanterns, not only will the monarch give rewards, but may even arrange marriages on the spot. The people of Luodan will remember forever.”
Now she remembered, Xing Shuishui remembered it all.
The most troublesome scene from back then was about to happen!
The official walked to the crowd, said a few words with a smile, then opened the bamboo scroll and started announcing rankings.
“Fifth place, Third Young Master of the Garrison Duke’s Manor, shot down seven lanterns!”
“Fourth place, Second Young Master of the Chancellor’s Manor, shot down ten lanterns!”
The young nobles wore proud expressions. These young masters who shot down many lanterns accepted compliments while exchanging glances with the ladies’ section.
Du Dizhu seemed to find it interesting and sighed: “These mortals love competing over such meaningless things. How boring. If I had come earlier, all the lanterns in Luodan would have fallen for your sister.”
Xing Shuishui: “You’re so ugly, my sister would never like you. Even if my brother-in-law is that sickly one, it still couldn’t be you.”
Du Dizhu: “What sickly one?”
Xing Shuishui realized she had slipped up and stopped responding to him.
The official was finally about to announce first place. Many were curious who had shot down the most lanterns this Lantern Festival. Xue Zhuangxin also looked expectant, just enjoying the excitement.
The official smiled, but when he saw the name on the last bamboo scroll, his eyes went wide. He was silent for a long while as people discussed among themselves. Finally, he swallowed and announced: “First place, General Fu Qi, shot down nine hundred and ninety-nine lanterns!”
Hearing this, Xue Zhuangxin teased Xing Shuishui: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine lanterns – you have a nine in your name too. Quite a connection.”
The Third Princess stood up, her face pale: “This is impossible!”
She looked at General Fu Qi angrily: “Didn’t you tell Father you would never marry or have someone you love? Why did you shoot down nine hundred and ninety-nine lanterns for a woman! Who is she? Say something!”
The young man sat at the banquet table silently, just coldly staring at Xing Shuishui.
Xing Shuishui nearly choked on her tea. A misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!
When entering the city, his swift arrow had indeed been quick and accurate, but he hadn’t meant to shoot down all the street lanterns – nine hundred and ninety-nine! Who knew shooting lanterns meant showing love in Luodan!
She couldn’t help but feel frustrated. This dead man could have stopped her any other way, but he had to shoot this arrow, now causing such a huge misunderstanding. She just wanted to leave with her sister.
Du Dizhu loved watching drama and making trouble bigger, pointing at Xing Shuishui and laughing: “For whom did nine hundred and ninety-nine lanterns fall? For her, of course! I saw it with my own eyes. All the street lanterns fell for a peach blossom spirit. Tsk tsk tsk, such a touching love between human and spirit. Our Wuxiang Mountain approves this marriage first.”
He said to the young man: “Oh, friendly reminder – you’d better watch out for Lingshan, in case they take advantage one day and put your little wife in the Spirit Pacification Tower.”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
Suddenly really wanted to rip out his tongue.
The young man laughed coldly and stood to leave: “If you want to know what happened with these nine hundred and ninety-nine lanterns, just ask around. I haven’t been back to the palace in a long time. Did they tie up a dog in the palace? It’s so noisy.”
Perhaps used to being arrogant, he could actually say such shocking words. The monarch’s face changed drastically.
Du Dizhu narrowed his eyes: “If you haven’t heard of Wuxiang Mountain, I can send you to the Yellow Springs now to ask about it.”
Xing Shuishui crossed her arms and smiled: “Looks like the top mirror arts master’s disciple is going to kill a mortal in public. How exciting.”
Du Dizhu was momentarily stumped and said sinisterly: “Xue Jiuling, we have a long future ahead. Don’t be too smug too early. I’ll make you hand over the ‘Yin Mountain Scripture’ in tears someday! And make your sister my concubine.”
Xing Shuishui was about to draw her blade to attack, but Du Dizhu chanted a spell and vanished.
Soon someone explained the misunderstanding, and the monarch expressed apologies to them.
That night, Xing Shuishui and her sister stayed at Luoshen Villa, but Xing Shuishui hadn’t forgotten her purpose in coming to Luodan. While her sister slept, she went out alone to investigate Mu Ziyu’s whereabouts in the city.
That night, she encountered General Fu Qi patrolling the city. The young man had an outstanding bearing and indifferent expression. Xing Shuishui tripped while walking and suddenly remembered how his arrow had torn her skirt.
“Ah! Spirit! Spirit! General, be careful!”
“General, run quickly! It’s a spirit!”
The patrol guards cried out, and the next second they all fainted.
Xing Shuishui walked up to the young man, tilting her head: “When are you going to send me the clothes you owe me? Don’t try to get out of it.”
Her shadow fell on the bluestone slabs, her frame thin.
“Pay for your clothes? Heh…”
The young man turned sideways, holding his sword, his tone nasty: “Are you daydreaming? Or do you want me to arrest you and throw you in jail? I’m warning you, don’t follow me.”
Seeing how unreasonable he was, Xing Shuishui figured she probably wouldn’t get the clothes tonight, but she didn’t plan to let him off. She raised her hand and wrote a string of spells.
The young man stared at her coldly: “What spirit arts are you using?”
“What spirit arts?”
Xing Shuishui turned and sat on a nearby bench, spreading out her skirt, then smiled innocently: “Why, spirit arts to force you to mend my skirt, of course.”
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