Book 2 Chapter 12

The Ascension Festival and the Fantastic

A vast expanse of azure water, as far as the eye can see.

Waterfowl cry in the gentle breeze, and the reeds by the lakeside sway in the breeze.

Beside this transparent clarity, the indigo hue of blue.

The human touch, shoulder-to-shoulder, sprawling out.

As if to say "impregnable" in a physical way.

Double towering walls!

It looked solid and solid, like an iron wall, a shield that could stop anything.

The impregnable walls enclosed an area so large that it was impossible to tell where they began and where they ended, and around them were moats (ditches dug around the walls in case of siege) to keep enemies from entering, forming a great round band of water from the sky. Inside were dozens of huge, magnificent, ornate pavilions. The entire citadel exuded an aura of imposing power, as if it were a living creature.

Adjacent to Lake Payang, a natural wonder that stretches out from the horizon as far as the eye can see, is a cluster of majestic pavilions. This is the seat of the Heavenly Martial Arts Hall, a great martial arts learning center where the essence of the mighty Bai Dao martial arts clan is breathed, and the heart of the mighty Bai Dao martial arts clan, which boasts a huge and powerful martial power.

And then there is the city of Nanchang, which sits adjacent to the Heavenly Martial Academy, an enormous crystallization of nothingness and power, and Lake Panyang, a vast expanse of watery indigo. The city of Nanchang was now thriving, fueled by Lake Payang and the immense presence of the Heavenly Martial Academy.

Every day, hundreds or thousands of people come and go, and hundreds or thousands of goods are constantly being traded. To put it simply, there was a dazzling amount of goods coming and going. With such a huge supply and demand generated by the Heavenly Martial Academy, it was inevitable that Nanchang would prosper.

In particular, every single accommodation and nightlife establishment in Nanchang was consistently full, without exception. In short, it was a boom. As a result, the mouths of the business owners in the area were agape and unable to shut up.

The lodging establishments were already filled to capacity, and the taverns were packed with people from all over Zhongyuan with dreams of prosperity, exchanging stories and information day and night, regardless of the changing positions of the sun and moon. Of course, alcohol was a must at this event. At the end of the night, empty liquor bottles and empty snack plates were all that remained.

Most of the martial artists currently gathered at Namchang were not all martial artists who dreamed of ascending beyond the Daiyong Gate. Only a few young masters under the age of thirty were ascending martial artists, and the rest were merely onlookers, information traders, or bettors. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, they were all spectators.

But they were there for one reason and one reason only: the upcoming Heavenly Martial Arts Academy's biggest event, the Ascension Martial Arts Festival, commonly known as the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy Entrance Exam.

'Ascension Festival'

It is a name that strikes two bats into the hearts of men and makes the god of the sword resound in the loins of men. The number of those who sharpen their swords and cultivate their tao each year to pass it is easily counted in the thousands. But only a tiny fraction of them make it through to the shining honor. The vast majority of those who are rejected go on to hone their skills and rise to the challenge. If one were to pass the Ascension Test, one's place as a late exponent of the mighty Bai Dao would be completely guaranteed, and one's future would be completely secure.

A measure of the mighty Bai Dao's skill, the scales of power, and the Ascension Festival!

So who could fail to heed the call of the Ascension Festival, and who could fail to look away, for the splendid festival of martial arts is about to begin.

About this time, two men entered the men's room, which was now a whirlwind of heat and excitement. One was an ordinary-looking young man, perhaps twenty years old, and the other was a middle-aged man in his mid-forties, with the unusual appearance of being caught, red-haired, and red-eyed.

The young man's bangs were long and covering his eyes, making it difficult to make out his exact appearance, but he was not ugly, judging by his uncovered jawline, and his clothing was plain blue and unremarkable. On the other hand, the middle-aged man, who appeared to be in his mid-forties, who was accompanying the young man, had a dragon hair that could never be there at first glance, and attracted the attention of the surrounding people. A peculiar appearance of black, red, and white. Furthermore, he wore a crimson robe with a fiery golden color, resembling a giant flame itself. Even the single sword strapped to his waist was crimson, but there was only one thing that was not crimson, and that was the silken zither strapped to his back, which was completely out of character for him.

The jet-black zither, reminiscent of deep darkness, somehow made the middle-aged man feel awkward, causing all the passersby to stare and wonder. However, only the two of them knew why the middle-aged man was carrying such a rosary on his back. They were Bi Ryuyeon and Yin Do.

Thousands of people have gathered to watch or compete in the Ascension Festival, which is about to begin. By the time they arrived, all the places to stay had already been taken. Under these circumstances, the fact that Bi Ryuyeon was able to find a room at the Summer Palace-a hotel that was also recognized by Nanchang-was nothing short of miraculous. All the lodging houses and restaurants had already been booked a month in advance, so room prices skyrocketed, and bed-and-breakfasts sprang up all over Nanchang. At this time, the revenue from bed-and-breakfasts was an important source of income and salty profit for middle-class families here in Nanchang.

Of course, the price of minshuku soared as the start date of the Ascension Festival approached, bringing tears to the eyes of the poor people who came to watch the festival. The unemployed and spectators who could not afford minshuku were forced to sleep in tents along the banks of Payang Lake.

The colorful tents that dot the shores of Lake Payang are a spectacular sight to behold at this time of year. Tent vendors in Nanchang earn more than half of their yearly revenue at this time, as sales more than triple. In many ways, the Ascension Festival had a tremendous impact on the economy of Nanchang.

In such a time as this, it was unlikely that she would be able to find a place in a humble inn, but she did, and at the highest end of the scale. The Summer Moon House was the most prestigious tavern in Nanchang, aptly named for the summer moon.

Total capacity of 400 people. 100 employees. Known for having the best chefs, the best sake, and the best facilities to make guests feel at home, the restaurant was booked out two months in advance, despite the high price tag. How is it possible to get a room so easily at Haoleu?

The answer lies in Yin Do, a disciple of Bi Ryuyeon who, if asked, would deny that he was Bi Ryuyeon's disciple, even to the point of wielding a sword. He is now an unfortunate man who has fallen to his death as a pupil of the nameless, nameless, nameless student Bi Ryuyeon due to an unfortunate trick of the heavens, but he is still the head of the five most powerful thieves in the world, and he is the gatekeeper of the most powerful gate in the world, the Heavenly Sword Gate. When he asks for a room, who could refuse him, especially when he is known for his bad temper and haste?

No one would dare to dream of such a thing unless they had closed their business for the day and wished to rebuild from ruin and change industries rapidly. This is Nanchang, the gathering place of martial artists from all over the world! Even here, it was impossible not to recognize the Yeomdo of the first-class Hawalu. Here in Nanchang, identifying a martial artist was crucial to the success of a business deal. To accurately judge an opponent's status, ability, position, and weight, to never defy a master, and not to offend him, was the key to survival in the lodging industry here in Nanchang.

There are so many shops and bases that have disappeared after offending an absolute master that you can't count them all with ten fingers and ten toes. Therefore, the owners of this place are always on the lookout for them and pay close attention to them. Moreover, since it was a place where all the star martial artists gathered, there were frequent accidents.

Even in such a pavilion, the Yeomdo was such that it was categorized as a special first-class master. Furthermore, his danger and caution were classified as Red Special First Class, so if he demanded a room, he would have to make one. His extraordinary appearance made it unnecessary to verify his authenticity. There was no one whose identity and appearance could be more easily verified. Moreover, his appearance was a walking credential in itself, as a single glance into his eyes would reveal his reputedly dirty nature.

So Howlou had to get a room, no matter what, and when he did, his master wept. Not tears of success and joy that they had made it, but tears of sorrow that they had been deprived of their own room. They had to make up a room where there wasn't one, and as it turned out, the only room that was large enough was the master's, because they decided that the rooms of the lower-ranking employees weren't up to par with the master's standards. So the master of Howelu emptied his room with tears in his eyes, and soon his room was transformed into a double-occupancy room, and it was decided that the master would be living in Juxoy's quarters for the time being. Mr. Hwanjang was indeed a madman, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he had to live up to his name as a madman. That's the story of his insanity.

As a result, she and one other person were offered a comfortable place to sleep in the finest accommodations. Whether or not he knew the story behind it, Bi Ryuyeon remained dumbfounded. That is, until the next day, when he met Ling Shunyi.