AWB Chapter 172 The Lantern After a Year (5)
Chapter 172 The Lantern After a Year (5)
The sun sets and night falls.
Lanterns were lit in every household, adding a touch of beauty to the night.
"Ha—I've finally had a good night's sleep. It's almost evening, would you like to have dinner, my guest... hmm?" Hu Tao yawned and subconsciously called Zhong Li to have dinner.
After calling for a while, they found that he was nowhere to be found in the store.
"Master, you're awake." A helper came over and greeted Hu Tao. "Mr. Zhongli asked me to tell you that he went to entertain important guests and might be back late. He told you not to wait for him for dinner."
"A distinguished guest? Is there some big business opportunity?" Hu Tao's eyes lit up, and the worker scratched his head awkwardly under her gaze: "Well... I don't know. He's a very handsome young man. Oh, I remember now, he seems to be the blond boy who used to come here often."
"Someone who comes here often? Is he a traveler? Or... Jin Xuan?" Hu Tao began to ponder the boy's identity.
"A traveler? I don't think so. That little white thing isn't next to him..."
"Oh, I see, it's Jin Xuan. Okay, I understand, thank you very much." Hu Tao thanked the helper with a smile, then packed her things to go to "Wanmin Hall" for dinner.
It's not a holiday yet, so we need to go early, or there won't be any seats left. As for our own retainer, with someone as wealthy as Jin Xuan, he certainly won't be short of food.
“Cough cough—!” Zhongli, who was sitting next to Xuan Yue on a cliff near the Layered Rock Abyss, suddenly coughed.
Xuan Yue, who had been focused on Xiao Deng, looked up and asked with concern in her eyes, "Did you catch a cold?"
"I guess the Hall Master nagged me, but mortal bodies are indeed a bit too fragile." Zhongli looked at the gradually descending night and the faintly visible firelight of Liyue Harbor, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "I thought you would choose to turn down the Cloud Tower and become a lantern."
Xuan Yue did not reply immediately, but slowly spoke after the lantern in her hand had completely taken shape: "This place is closest to him... and them."
He carefully placed the lantern on the stone beside him, gazing up at the faintly visible starry sky: "Morax, there must be something between you and Barbatos that you're hiding from me."
“…” Zhongli remained silent. What should he say? Had Barbatos said something to him?
"Could it be..." Seeing Zhongli's silence, Xuan Yue suddenly widened her eyes: "No way...you guys really..."
"They're together?!"
Boom-!
Xuan Yue clutched her head and cried out in pain. Zhong Li's face was unusually gloomy: "You're spouting nonsense. You deserve a lesson."
"Barbatos and I are at most friends."
"Oh dear, it's just that I've seen you haven't had a confidant by your side all these years... so I wanted to find you a companion." Xuan Yue's voice gradually weakened; he always felt suppressed in front of Zhong Li.
He's arrogant and domineering in front of outsiders, but he's always the one who gets lectured by his own family.
Could it really be because he's the youngest?
"I really should have kept an eye on you with Liu Yun and the others. Don't let those things from novels affect your reality. After that, I had them confiscate all your books."
"No! There are still so many books I haven't read yet!" Xuan Yue immediately started crying and shouting, indicating that she was wrong.
(Do you still remember that you are a god?) Zhongli looked at the girl who had already snuggled into his arms, looking at him with big, teary eyes, and her heart softened for a moment.
Xuan Qing, who had been following behind him and had transformed into a crystal butterfly, felt particularly helpless.
Why do you think he hasn't confiscated Xuan Yue's novels after all this time? It's a matter of whether he can control them or not.
He dared to say that Morax would definitely not be able to withstand this move either.
"Alright, alright, I give up." Zhongli sighed helplessly and patted Xuan Yue's head in resignation.
(I knew it...) Xuan Qing said that it was not difficult at all.
"You've bought so many materials for lanterns, how many are you planning to make?"
"...There are so many, if we really want to calculate it in detail, we probably wouldn't be able to gather enough materials even if we bought up all the materials in Liyue."
Xuan Yue's expression softened, and she smiled slightly as she said, "Sister Gui Zhong, Ming Hai, Yi Xiao, the Immortal Yakshas, the fallen Thousand Rock Army, and... those Daoist practitioners."
“And Ah Qing’s former subjects and old friends…” Xuan Yue’s words startled Xuan Qing, who was eavesdropping behind him. Then he continued, “So if possible, I would like to give each of them a cup, so that they can also see that the land is now peaceful, harmonious and tranquil.”
(...) That was his responsibility; he didn't have to bear it. Why...
“Your idea is good, but these materials are simply not enough to make that many lanterns.” Zhongli looked at the materials in the bag; at most, they could make thirty or forty more.
"Hahaha... Zhongli, have you forgotten my powers? Otherwise, why would I only want these materials? If I took all the materials from those merchants, it would arouse suspicion."
"I don't want to be taken to the General Affairs Department for questioning."
"Tea from the General Affairs Department isn't so easy to drink." Zhongli couldn't help but smile slightly, and there was an unreadable emotion in his eyes as he looked at Xiaodeng next to Xuanyue.
"Wait, did I miscount? It feels like someone's missing!" Xuan Yue counted on her fingers again, calling out names one by one, then exclaimed, "Right, where's Ruo Tuo? Where did he go? I haven't seen him in so long!"
(Oh no... I'm going to get scolded again. I completely forgot about Ruotuo?!) (╥_╥)
“Uh…actually…” Zhongli also found it a little difficult to speak.
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"My head... my head is spinning, how can it be so complicated... Do you... do you remember it?" Paimon shook his head, feeling his mind was completely blank.
She forgot everything she heard and remembered nothing at all.
"I'm barely okay... I used to memorize a long list when I did commissions before, so this is... alright compared to that."
"Haha, it was quite complicated at first, but you'll get the hang of it once you practice more. There aren't many people like you who want to learn how to make 'sky lanterns' these days..." Jingming, who was teaching them how to make sky lanterns, said with a sigh.
"Was that huge 'Mingxiao Lantern' also made in this way?" Paimon asked, pointing to the deer-shaped lantern that had already taken shape not far away.
"That? Well... you could say it was part of a 'system,' but it wasn't organized by any one person; it was organized by everyone in Liyue together."
Jingming carefully considered his words, thinking about how to explain it in a way that would be easier for people to understand: "Let me put it this way. Although the majority of the funding still comes from the General Affairs Department's appropriations, the materials and other supplies are all donated by the residents."
"...Um, we met a little girl when we came here earlier. She said she donated her rag doll. Can rag dolls be used to make lanterns?" Paimon asked, spreading his hands and looking on with curious eyes.
"Well... after all, the Lantern Festival is a big festival. If residents want to participate in the construction of the 'Sky Lantern'... no matter what they donate, it's always a token of their appreciation, and we generally accept it."
"After all, it's such an important festival, participating in it also has a sense of 'praying for blessings.'"
As Jingming was speaking, he suddenly noticed that the lanterns nearby had all lit up, indicating that the "night market" had already begun: "Oh, sorry, it's already so late without me realizing it. You're here for the Lantern Festival, right? I won't take up any more of your time."
"If you ever want to make 'sky lanterns' again, feel free to come find me."
Kong: "Thank you. Happy Lantern Festival."
"Haha, I hope you have a great time at the Lantern Festival."
After saying goodbye to Jingming, they took the lanterns and prepared to have dinner.
"How about we go to Wanmintang for dinner? I wonder if Xiangling is there. I'm craving her cooking. *slurp*..." Paimon swallowed hard as he thought about it, his eyes gleaming, as if afraid Paimon wouldn't agree.
"Let's go then. Now that we're back, we should go and say hello."
"I've been waiting for you to say that, so let's go! Onward to the Hall of Ten Thousand People!"