After Sheng Jun Chapter 6 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 6.1 The Kouyue Sect's Banquet (part 1)
A short while later, Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming left the main hall, following a servant to their temporary residence in the side courtyard.
Jiang Xingzhi cradled a crystal blue glass lamp in his arms. As they walked through the corridor lined with flowers and leaves, his indigo robe fluttered like the wind, complementing the glass lamp he held.
Zhong Ming blinked, dazzled by the sight. Jiang Xingzhi turned his head, "Brother Bai, do you dislike my idea?"
Zhong Ming had no desire to discuss it further, "As long as you like it."
Jiang Xingzhi smiled pleasantly, "Brother Bai is truly easy to talk to."
The response he received was just a "hmph" that dissipated in the wind.
The two figures disappeared around the corner as they talked, leaving only the afternoon sunlight dancing through the gaps in the leaves on the ground.
In the main hall, Shang Luxing held a cup of hot tea while watching their departing figures, only withdrawing his gaze after a long while.
The servant Zhu Yuan hesitantly said, "Family Head, those two have unfathomably deep cultivation. Who knows which hidden masters they might be... Can we really befriend them?"
"How will we know if we don't try?" Shang Luxing put down his teacup and tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Regardless of their cultivation level, as long as they want something, we have leverage to build a relationship."
"Ah Yuan, this is business."
As he spoke, the details he had observed earlier floated before his eyes—one person's desires remained unknown, while the other's gaze had never left his companion's side.
......
The banquet was to be held the next day.
Early in the morning, the Shang family's flying artifact, the Lanyu Boat, made an impressive stop at the main entrance of the Shang mansion. The Kouyue Sect had set the banquet for noon, saying that the yang energy would be strongest then, doubling the auspicious signs.
As Jiang Xingzhi boarded the Lanyu Boat while yawning, he couldn't help but complain to Zhong Ming, "Who knows who came up with this explanation? Sounded like they're just adding extra ceremony."
Seeing his amber eyes clouded with moisture, Zhong Ming caught him just as he was about to take a wrong turn, pulling him back to his side, "When you enter a village, follow the local customs."
The distance between them suddenly closed, with the hand gripping his arm firm and reliable. Jiang Xingzhi was still holding the glass lamp with one hand, so he could only let the other guide him into the cabin.
After Shang Luxing had settled the accompanying clan members, he turned to see the two "walking together" and said with a flutter of a smile, "Brother Jiang didn't rest well?"
Jiang Xingzhi nodded, "Didn't get enough sleep last night."
Zhong Ming glanced at him, "Just last night?" As if it wasn't every day that he couldn't wake up.
Jiang Xingzhi, "......"
Strange, how did he know?
Oh...... Shang Luxing cast a meaningful glance, coughed and smoothed things over as if nothing had happened, "Perhaps cultivation would help, you'd feel refreshed in the morning."
Jiang Xingzhi shook his head, "Cultivation wouldn't help."
He was already at the peak of the Mahayana realm, and what he lacked for ascension was opportunity—the last time he finally found one, it turned out to be fake.
Zhong Ming's heart suddenly sank.
Jiang Xingzhi keenly sensed the other's emotional fluctuation, as if his mood had soured. He speculated, "Doesn't work for you either?"
"......" Zhong Ming suppressed his rising emotions.
Shang Luxing tactfully changed the subject, "There are private rooms on the Lanyu Boat, Brother Jiang can rest for a while."
Jiang Xingzhi nodded, "That would be great, after all, I need to adjust my state to prepare for the performance later."
At these words, both Zhong Ming and Shang Luxing fell silent. Then, as if avoiding this topic, they both urged and coaxed Jiang Xingzhi back to his room to sleep.
****
By the time Jiang Xingzhi woke from his nap, the Lanyu Boat had entered Fu City's territory.
Looking outside the cabin, he saw misty clouds all around, with the Lanyu Boat flying over the city, heading straight toward the majestic mountain ahead. He could faintly see several carriages coming from all directions through the clouds, and disciples from some sect riding white cranes.
"We'll reach the Kouyue Sect soon," Shang Luxing walked over, "How did Brother Jiang rest?"
Jiang Xingzhi touched the glass lamp, "Very well, I'm ready to make my grand appearance."
Shang Luxing: "......"
Shang Luxing smiled forcedly, "Is that so…"
As they spoke, the Lanyu Boat approached the mountain peaks, slowly descending and stopping outside the Kouyue Sect.
Jiang Xingzhi composed himself, his gaze piercing through the solemn mountain gate straight into the depths of the mountains—today he would know whether that auspicious beast was truly the Torch Dragon.
Outside the Kouyue Sect's mountain gate, sect disciples were receiving guests one by one.
Each sect was led by their sect leader or clan leader, registering at the guest pavilion before being guided into the sect by disciples. The various sects and clans wore different attires, some in white, some in cyan, and some in bright red, gathering at the Kouyue Sect like a collection of flowers.
Shang Luxing said to Jiang Xingzhi, "Over there are the Four Great Immortal Sects, Brother Jiang must recognize them all, so I won't introduce them."
Jiang Xingzhi calmly glanced over, "Mm." He didn't recognize any of them.
However, since his purpose today wasn't to network with sects, he didn't ask for details. Following several major sects through the mountain gate, it was finally the Shang family's turn to present their invitation.
The registering disciple asked for everyone's identity and name, but when he came to Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming, he hesitated, "These two seem unfamiliar, may I ask how to address you?"
Jiang Xingzhi held the crystal blue glass lamp, maintaining a proud silence. Zhong Ming stood behind him with his hands behind his back, also showing no intention of answering.
Under two meaningful glances, Shang Luxing took a deep breath and forced himself to say, "This daren is an ancient spirit whose soul resides in this divine lamp."
The disciple's hand trembled, as if he hadn't heard clearly, "......What?"
Jiang Xingzhi cooperatively manipulated his spiritual power, making his entire body flicker.
Perhaps to boost his own confidence, Shang Luxing's usually elegant voice became resounding like an evening bell, "On the day your sect's auspicious beast appeared, the divine lamp passed down in our Shang family also shone brilliantly, manifesting an ancient spirit. Thinking the two might be responding to each other across space, we specially brought the divine lamp to attend the banquet today."
Jiang Xingzhi continued channeling his spiritual power, suddenly radiating light all over, illuminating the entire mountain gate.
The disciple swallowed and said reverently, "Family head Shang, it's not that this disciple doesn't believe, but your divine lamp......" looks too new.
If he wasn't mistaken, the lampshade even used the most popular openwork carvings of the current time.
Shang Luxing frowned, "You don't believe?"
"This disciple......"
"Never mind." During their standoff, Jiang Xingzhi spoke leisurely, his voice carrying a distant echo, "The young are ignorant."
After speaking, he closed his eyes, and his body slowly became transparent. Then, under everyone's stunned and horrified gazes, he transformed into a floating "ghost" and slowly entered the crystal blue glass lamp.
The glass lamp swayed in mid-air for a few breaths, then dropped down—"thud," landing steadily in a pair of large hands.
Zhong Ming held the glass lamp expressionlessly, his eyes calm as still water.
The entire mountain gate fell silent.
The registering disciple was flustered: it—it really was an ancient spirit! Otherwise, how could such a big living person transform into a soul?
He hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed to the "divine lamp," then respectfully looked at Zhong Ming who was holding the "divine lamp," "Then who might this daren be?"
Shang Luxing looked at Zhong Ming's dark expression and didn't dare to answer this time.
The divine lamp in his palm flashed urgently. After several moments of silence, Zhong Ming's thin lips moved twice, finally uttering two words, "Lamp holder."
Disciple, "......"
Everyone, "......"
Shang Luxing, "......" If this isn't love.
This earth-shattering move completely overwhelmed everyone present, and the Kouyue Sect disciples hurriedly welcomed the Shang family group inside.
Some disciples were already rushing towards the inner sect, and surely within half a cup of tea's time, the entire Kouyue Sect would know that the Shang family had brought a "divine lamp" that could respond to their "auspicious beast."
****
It was the transition between summer and autumn, and the path to the banquet hall was bathed in bright sunlight with lush flowers and leaves.
Jiang Xingzhi, with his soul residing in the glass lamp, enjoyed being carried in Zhong Ming's palm. While radiating brilliance, he communicated with the latter through sound transmission, "See, we got in fair and square."
Zhong Ming gave him a glance, "I only saw the 'fair' part."
Jiang Xingzhi strategically skipped over his implication and continued plotting, "Now we have a reason to get close to that auspicious beast, just waiting for the banquet to investigate its true nature... Hiss! It tickles, don't touch."