Chapter 92: Temple of a Thousand Lights Endlessly Illuminating the Lingering Night 2

Three thousand lanterns!

All was silent when suddenly, there was a tidal wave-like uproar.

Never, not even the Great Martial Palace that always sat at the head, solid as the

mountains, had anyone won three thousand lanterns in one night at the Mid Autumn

Festival Banquet. In fact, no one had ever imagined such a number. Even just one

thousand was already difficult to pass. Three thousand. That was truly unheard of, not a

precedent in history, and it was even more than the count of all the other top ten

heavenly officials added together!

One can imagine, at that moment, just how incredulous every official was, and some

even blurted out, "That must be a mistake!"

"It must've been counted wrong..."

Yet, nevermind thinking that that announcer official had been counting for the Mid

Autumn Festival's Battle of the Lanterns for years could just happen to be wrong this

one time, just by looking at that massive band of flowing lights, even if they were to

backtrack a million steps, that number count couldn't be wrong, and even if it was wrong

the miscount could only be less, not more. Thus, another heavenly official said, "Could it

be that those lanterns aren't real Blessings Lanterns? Maybe they're just ordinary

lanterns?"

That basically meant "It's fraud!", and there were a few who agreed. However, Shi

Qingxuan spoke up, "How can they be ordinary lanterns? Ordinary lanterns and the

Blessings Lanterns have completely different makes, and they can't fly up to the

heavens, so how could these be fake?"

If it was Xie Lian who argued then the rest would probably continue to doubt. Yet

because it was Shi Qingxuan who spoke up, and Shi Wudu was also present, no one

dared say much else. Hitting a dead end, they changed track, "Everyone, where is this

'Qiandeng Temple'? When was it built? Who built it? Does any heavenly colleague

know?"

The announcer official replied, "No... but "Qiandeng Temple" was clearly written on the

lanterns that floated up."

"But I've never heard of any 'Qiandeng Temple'?!"

"Yea, me neither!"

Xie Lian finally snapped out of his shocked reverie, and when he heard the complaints,

he said quite earnestly, "Everyone, truth to be told, not only have you all never heard of

it, I haven't ever heard of it either."

There was no way this came about naturally?!

All of the officials lost their minds, destroyed by this unexpected thunder, incredulous

and disbelieving, their tongues spitting with talk. Xie Lian really wanted to tell them: "It's

only a game, why is everyone taking it so seriously?" However, first, very few took this

'game' as a game, and second, he ranked first place in this 'game', so if he said

anything he'd be asking for it. The other heavenly officials couldn't say it either because

they didn't place first, so if they said anything it'd be downplaying their not getting

number one, making it sound exceedingly awkward.

Just then, Pei Ming chuckled, "I did say that Crimson Rain Sought Flower didn't kidnap

His Highness out of ill intent but no one believed me. Now will you all believe me?"

With his reminder, everyone was enlightened in an instant.

If it really was Hua Cheng, then, it wasn't impossible for him to simply light up three

thousand Blessings Lanterns like it was nothing!

Was there anything going on between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, and just what kind of

relationship did they have was truly a mystery. At the moment, the majority still thought

it was more believable to say Hua Cheng did this out of ill intent. There was no reason

why Hua Cheng who had always been unfriendly towards the heavens would suddenly

change his attitude in the face of Xie Lian. Yet, based on Hua Cheng's inconceivable

lawlessness, he could very well become nice towards someone out of the blue without

reason. After this Mid Autumn Festival Banquet, it'd be hard pressed to say Hua Cheng

had ill intent. After all, it was three thousand Blessings Lanterns! Even for the Water

Master who controlled wealth, this wasn't something he could do just because he

wanted to. Amidst all the chaos, suddenly, the sound of steady clapping came from the

head of the feast.

The officials looked to the sound and saw Jun Wu clapping slowly as he smiled to Xie

Lian, "Congratulations, Xian Le."

Xie Lian knew Jun Wu intended to help take the heat off of him and was grateful,

bowing his head. Jun Wu sighed in awe, "You always manage to create miracles."

Seeing that exchange, the feast quieted down. After some hesitation, all finally took Jun

Wu's lead and applauded, sending their congratulations.

With this, no matter how shocked, all the heavenly gods had to admit that this Highness

the Crown Prince had always produced phenomena. It was like this back then, and it

was most certainly the case now!

The Mid Autumn Festival Banquet had ended and the relentlessly rumbling Thunder

Master also packed up. The one who cheered the hardest throughout it all was of

course Shi Qingxuan, no matter whose ranking rolled out she would be the first to

applaud. Except Pei Ming's. At first Xie Lian wondered if his stealing the Water Master's

thunder, bumping him from second place to third place, would cause his ire, but looking

at Shi Wudu, it didn't seem he was displeased. Pei Ming and Ling Wen both

congratulated him, and afterwards the three started planning to whose little mountain

hot springs they would go for tuina massage. Hearing them, Shi Qingxuan asked, "Ge,

you're all going out to play again?"

Shi Wudu folded his fan and answered, "En."

Ling Wen crossed his arms and chuckled, "Lord Wind Master, want to come and play

too?"

"No, I've already got plans with people." Shi Qingxuan said.

Shi Wudu frowned, "I hope it's not with anyone unsavoury."

"Is there anyone more unsavoury than General Pei?" Ling Wen quipped.

"Noble Jie, shut up now." Pei Ming warned.

Xie Lian waited until after the two brothers spoke a few words to each other then

prepared to leave the banquet with Shi Qingxuan. On the way out they bumped into Mu

Qing, and who knows if he was watching Xie Lian, but he didn't look so pleased

anymore. Feng Xin however, was the exact opposite. When he rose to his feet to leave

the feast, he called to Xie Lian, "Congratulations." Xie Lian nodded to him too, "Thanks."

Lang Ying was settled in the Palace of the Wind Master at the Heavenly Court. That

child looked to be clean and tidy but still rather shy. When Xie Lian picked him up and

descended, he didn't talk much on the road. Xie Lian first went into town to buy some

fresh fruits for him to eat and didn't go immediately straight back to Puqi Village. He first

went into a piece of nearby woods.

Sure enough, that piece of woods was quite lively; a bare chested young man was

yelling and cussing, hung upside down by a white silk band. Profanities and vulgarities

spilled from his mouth and a little child squatted under him, slapping away mosquitos.

Xie Lian made Lang Ying stand outside, and he himself strolled over leisurely. When

that young man saw him he raged, "XIE LIAN YOU PIECE OF SHIT, FUCKING LET ME

DOWN THIS INSTANT! I'M GONNA DIE I'M GONNA DIE I'M GONNA DIE!"

Xie Lian however, said warmly, "It must be years since you last got bitten by mosquitos.

Is it so bad to give you a taste of being alive again?"

That young man was indeed Qi Rong. Xie Lian had expected him to be troublesome,

that for sure he'd instigate Guzi to help him cut Ruoye, so Xie Lian had already

instructed Ruoye that should Qi Rong try to escape, drag him to the woods and take

care of him. Qi Rong was using the flesh of another against Xie Lian, and Xie Lian

couldn't beat him to a pulp, but he could still make him suffer some little pains of the

flesh. Xie Lian had chopped lumber and scavenged before in this area, and suffered

getting bitten all over by mosquitos. Currently, it seemed, Qi Rong was also bitten all

over, looking more miserable than dying, and cussed loudly, "WHERE'S YOUR SNOW

WHITE LOTUS HEART! WHY CAN'T YOU PRETEND TO BE A SICKENINGLY

SWEET GOOD PERSON NOW!"

Guzi hugged Xie Lian's leg and wailed, "GEGE, PLEASE LET MY DAD DOWN! HE'S

BEEN HANGING FOR SO LONG!"

Xie Lian ruffled his hair and immediately, Qi Rong yelped as he fell to the ground in a

heap.

To return to Puqi village, they must traverse through that maple woods. Xie Lian gripped

in his hand a bare-chested, cussing young man and behind him followed two little kids,

one crying and sobbing, the other sullen and quiet. 'What a freakish group.' Xie Lian

thought. As they hiked up the hills, he cautioned to the two little ones behind him,

"Watch your steps. It's easy to trip here."

That was the truth. Sometimes when Xie Lian was late in returning from town after

collecting scraps and walked this path at night, maybe it was because of his luck, but

he'd always trip or fall. Hearing this, Qi Rong immediately cried, "DEAR GOD! PLEASE

MAKE THIS PERSON FALL TO HIS DEATH RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Xie Lian found that hilarious, "You're a ghost, what are you doing begging the

heavens?"

Just then, he suddenly felt like there was a warm glow faintly emerging from the far

distance, and the dark, obscure path on the ground seemed to be illuminated, the road

brightening. When he looked up, sure enough it wasn't just his imagination. There really

was light in the horizon.

It was light from those three thousand Blessings Lanterns of Everlasting Light.

The floating lanterns flowed in the night sky, imposing and invigorating, even the shine

of the stars and the moon was overcome. Xie Lian watched, dazed, and after a

moment, he sighed a whisper, "...Thank you."

Qi Rong didn't know what that was about and snickered, "Why the fucking thanks?

Other people are just playing around, they're not lit for you, stop thinking so highly of

yourself."

Xie Lian grinned but didn't say anything and didn't rebuke either. He only said, "To have

beauty exist in this world is already in itself something to be grateful for."

There's beauty in his heart and he wasn't afraid of any killjoys. Borrowing the light of

those lanterns in the distance, he continued forward.