Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 394 - 391: The Unremarkable "August 13th

Chapter 394: Chapter 391: The Unremarkable "August 13th

The next day, August thirteen.

Blue skies and emerald seas stretched endlessly while a few coconut trees adorned a sandy beach on a small island, upon which stood a quietly charming and exquisite courtyard.

Green bricks, blue tiles, and white jade paved the ground.

Pavilions and water pavilions, accompanied by several swimming fish and a few lotus leaves, were brimming with life; in one corner of the wall, seven or eight stalks of bamboo and five or six peach branches complemented each other beautifully.

The most pleasant sea breeze within the "Falling Pearl Small Realm" gently blew in, stirring the white curtains in the bedroom.

Golden sunlight from the outside world filtered in through the half-open carved glass window, shining onto that gorgeously grand thousand-worked step bed in the room.

Huang Wu’s long eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her clear, bright phoenix eyes, meeting a pair of eyes that were intently gazing at her.

She couldn’t help but smile warmly,

"Good morning, Xiao Yuan!"

"What’s so good about the morning, if you really think about last night..."

Huang Wu blushed slightly and lightly bit the naughty rascal who was being so cheeky.

Propping herself up on Wang Yuan’s solid chest, she sat up indolently and stretched herself out, causing the silver silk thin quilt to slide off her smooth skin.

Porcelain-white skin glowing in the light, gentle curves of shoulder, and the soft hollow of the waist... boundless charm brightened the morning bedroom dramatically.

Ever since Huang Wu had achieved the "Taiyin Mirror Dharma Body" as a Yellow Seal Mage, she had entered a state between life and death.

Apart from not consuming "Life" like other living beings, but rather "Ghost Life", everything about her was indistinguishable from a living person.

Heartbeat, breathing, body temperature... even the ability to conceive and bear children had all been restored.

A strong arm wrapped around the girl’s slender waist, halting her attempt to get out of bed.

With her surprised cry, rhythmic bell sounds echoed in the bedroom once more.

"Hey? Wait... wait a minute..."

"No rush, the lantern festival doesn’t start until tonight, and there’s plenty of time.

Instead of wasting time wandering around like those guys, it’s better to make good use of time for diligent cultivation and self-improvement.

Others cultivate, we cultivate; others play, we cultivate; others wander the streets, we cultivate; others sleep, we cultivate...

This is the true essence of ’enduring hardships both day and night’!"

During this period,

The "Weird · Oil Seller" had been killed twice already by the "Zhengguo Temple" led by Old Black and had since not dared to show his face again.

However, the wealth accumulated over a span of more than a decade by the "Six Desires Red Dust Qi" is likely still plentiful.

The [Incense Seal] created from the [Six Desires Red Dust Qi] is enough to meet the demand.

With such protective talismans, the followers of the "No-Life Dao" and "Six Desire Red Dust Dao" had already completely withdrawn into the Imperial City.

The five Immortal Officials charged with monitoring the enemy’s movements and ready to reinforce the "Great Fate" at critical moments dare not abandon their posts.

So they find some random tasks to keep busy.

Xin Xiaowei felt great sympathy for those lower-class poor in the city, going from street to street, passing on the "One Hundred and Eight Ways to Eat Wild Vegetables, Grass Roots, and Tree Barks" that she had devised herself.

Guo Feihu and Xin Ruoheng teamed up to target the big gambling dens; one played the unfortunate one, and the other played against the house, openly robbing the rich to aid the poor.

Yes, they themselves were the poor ones.

As for Wang Yuan and Huang Wu...

There’s indeed a reason why a person can succeed.

Old Master Wang already had exceptional talent as a "Heaven and Earth Anomaly", with an abundance of family wealth and resources, a fledgling crowdfunding system, and mastery of the Heavenly Department Dao Skill.

Cultivating day and night without differentiation, his effort surpassed others by tenfold!

Isn’t that enough to crush them?

Of course, amidst his busy schedule, he also never forgot the principle that "Gods exist three feet above one’s head," keeping a distant eye on the Imperial City at all times.

With the "Talisman · King Jialouluo" in hand, he was ready to strike a fatal blow to any demon.

Only in the afternoon did the two finally get out of bed leisurely; freshening up in the boudoir, teasing each other, and walking out of the Cloud Jade Pavilion’s guest room as the sunset approached.

Wang Yuan wore a White Jade Crown on his head and a treasure blue cloud pattern silk shirt, with black boots on his feet.

He stood tall and majestic.

Huang Wu’s lips glistened lightly with sheer crimson, her hair adorned with a Double Phoenix Gold Hairpin, Bright Moon Earrings dangling from her earlobes, and White Jade Bracelets on her frost-bright wrists.

Stepping into blue and white embroidered shoes, her green trailing sheer silk dress enhanced the girl’s already graceful figure even more.

"Oh, are you two guests also heading to the lantern festival? Our Capital hasn’t been this lively in a long time; one should enjoy these events while young. Our shop won’t close tonight," said the chubby shopkeeper warmly from behind the counter.

During this time, lots of people flocked into Yunjing, and all places to stay were bursting at the seams; Cloud Jade Pavilion has earned in one month what it usually earned in the past half a year.

Even the little stall selling "staring food" at the door was booming incredibly.

This chubby shopkeeper didn’t care about any "Comet Assaulting the Moon" or "Ying Huo Guarding the Heart", making money was the most solid thing for him.

Now, he smiled at everyone like Maitreya Buddha.

"Thank you, shopkeeper, you’re always so thoughtful," Wang Yuan replied, quietly observing the Yellow Calendar hanging on the wall behind the shopkeeper.

Of course, it wasn’t an Old Almanac but just a regular Yellow Calendar.

The old pages had been torn away, leaving only unevenly cut pages remaining.

The latest exposed page read:

Jianming year sixteen, lunar August thirteen, in the celestial stems and earthly branches calendar: Guiwei year, Jiyou month, Jiazi day;

Afflictions: Clashing against Horse (Wuwu), Sha in the south;

Auspicious gods encouraging pursuit: Si Xiang, Yue De, Tian De, Wang Ri, Xu Shi, Bao Guang;

Ominous Gods, Suitable and Unsuitable: Nine Pits, Nine Drynesses, Lunar Punishment, Earthly Storehouse, Hourly, Heavy Day, Moon Rise, Blood Taboo;

Constellations: The Wall...

[Suitable]: Traveling, sightseeing, offering sacrifices, bathing, hairpin ceremony, fostering, adding members to the household, other activities not recommended;

[Taboo]: Moving earth, burial, cooking, marriages.

She nodded slightly, very certain that today was indeed the first day of the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival lantern fair, with two days left until the major change would arrive on the fifteenth of August.

Since they had instructions from the [Great Fate] and colleagues from the [Divine Transformation] realm arriving the day after next, their mission had also changed to staying behind and observing, naturally, they were happy to stop and take the opportunity to enjoy the festival one last time.

They were all clear in their hearts that after this fifteenth of August, it would probably be decades before Red County Shenzhou would celebrate such a lively festival again.

The two of them locked eyes, interlaced their fingers, and stepped out of the store of Cloud Jade Pavilion with light steps.

At a stall selling masks outside, they each picked out a tiger mask and a fox mask to wear, completely blending into the crowd.

They seemed no different from the other scholars and beauties gathered for the lantern celebration.

In an instant.

Night had fallen, and in the sky there arose a "waxing gibbous moon" that was already very close to being full.

There were also two red stars hanging high in the sky, their red glow as ostentatious as blood-colored war banners.

"Ah, Xiao Yuan, look quickly! Someone is blowing sugar figures there, that’s a tiger, that one is Chang’e, and that’s the Victorious Fighting King...

Let’s buy a sugar figure to play with, shall we?"

Wang Yuan naturally graced her with his compliance.

Burning incense pots, lighting lamps, solving riddles, admiring osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus wine...

The two, who had never before attended such a grand lantern fair, visited every possible attraction.

Their laughter, like the tinkling bells of young girls, was left behind in the bustling streets and alleys.

Unbeknownst to them, the time had reached midnight.

Seeing that many people had gathered at the river, Huang Wu promptly pulled Wang Yuan along:

"They are releasing lanterns into the river; we should go make a wish too!"

That’s because the original source of the custom of releasing lanterns was untraceable, and the objects of the wishes were various and sundry.

Some worshiped the fire god within the lanterns, some commemorated deceased relatives, some beseeched the Moon God for romantic matchups and harmony, while others prayed to the river god for safety...

The two of them joining in this hustle was less sincere than going back and gathering family and friends for a meeting and worshipping each other.

However, while the two were releasing their lanterns, they unexpectedly encountered a little interlude.

"Mr. Chen, how could you deceive me?!

Didn’t you say you needed to study and focus on preparing for the exams, with no time to accompany me to the lantern festival? Then who is this woman?!"

A delicate and lovely girl, with an appearance that inspired pity, held a yet-to-be-released lantern in one hand,

The faintly visible writing on it read: May Qin Ruolan and Chen Niangu swiftly become a devoted couple, clearly reflecting the girl’s wish.

The other hand was tightly clutching the sleeve of a young scholar as she asked him desperately and sorrowfully.

Whether it was from anger or sadness, her slight shoulders were trembling ever so slightly.

The caught scholar didn’t bother to argue; he shook off the girl’s hand and snorted coldly without a trace of shame:

"Qin Ruolan, I advise you not to make a scene here!

In the past, I was a penniless scholar, and you were a sought-after courtesan in Zuixiang House—being with you, of course, made me look good.

But this year, I’ve passed the local exams.

You, a mere woman of the streets, how could you possibly be a match for this scholarly gentleman?

As for Miss Jiang Miaoyun beside me, she is the daughter of the Academic Supervisor for the Emperor’s emissaries. I won’t allow you to yell at her like this! Apologize to her immediately!"

Tss!

Truly, the first cut is the deepest when it comes from a loved one!

As if shocked by his shamelessness, the girl named Qin Ruolan took three steps back, trembling with rage and unable to utter a single word.

The servant with her, equally furious, took a step forward and pointed at the ungrateful scholar’s nose, scolding:

"For the past two years, you studied, attended literary meetings, and wore an air of success—all of which were obtained through my young mistress engaging in prostitution.

My mistress has endured much suffering for your sake, solely based on your initial vows, and now you can so callously betray her?!"

Before the shameless scholar named Chen could speak again, Huang Wu couldn’t stand it any longer. She rolled up her sleeves and angrily declared:

"This is outrageous!

Xiao Yuan, wait for me to send this clothed beast into ’Heart Punishment Hell’, then you can properly teach him how to be human again!"

She said this while the bells around her ankles began to rage in an explosive peal.

However.

Dong! Dong! Dong!...

A grand bell toll came rolling in from the direction of the Imperial City before her.

This signified that the hour of Midnight on the fourteenth of August had arrived.

But at the very next moment.

Golden sunlight streamed down.

On the beautifully carved bed, Huang Wu’s long eyelashes fluttered gently as her clear and bright phoenix eyes slowly opened to meet a pair of eyes intently gazing at her.

She smiled sweetly:

"Good morning, Xiao Yuan!"