Chapter 529: Attracting Evil (Part 2)

“I heard that disciple from the Divine Weapon Tomb wanted to fight that mysterious disciple from the Red Heart Sect. It’s a shame that person didn’t show up. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be acting so arrogantly.”

“Come on, I doubt it would’ve made a difference even if he’d come. It’s all just empty hype. Didn’t you see how much they hyped up those other disciples from the various sects before?”

“That’s true…”

“…”

All sorts of discussions spread among the Martial Artists and common folk of the South Mansion.

「The next day at noon.」

“Damn it!”

On Changyuan Street, He Xijun heard the rumors circulating and was so indignant that she wolfed down three large bowls of rice just to calm down.

The day before, after she had gone on stage, she had unleashed her full power but had only managed to land a single blow on Liu Tie while withstanding the might of his two Magical Artifacts. Unfortunately, the guy’s “turtle shell” was incredibly tough. Forced to resist the pressure from the two artifacts, the palm strike she delivered didn’t even scratch him, leaving him completely unharmed.

“Senior Sister, don’t take it so hard. Victory and defeat are common in the life of a warrior. With your talent, you’ll definitely get a chance for a rematch in the future. By the way, Master, all the Stewards, and the senior brothers at the Refining the Internal Organs realm have left on their mission. What are our orders?”

Zhao Xuanqi asked He Xijun.

Early in the morning, Qiu Qing had led a group of Stewards and disciples at the Refining the Internal Organs realm away.

Qiu Qing and the sect’s Stewards needed to guard one of the nine Magic Altars outside the city, while the disciples at the Refining the Internal Organs realm had to defend the areas around the Twelve Pillars within the city to ensure no chaos erupted.

The Blood Strengthening disciples like them also had a mission: they were to be assigned to specific street blocks to participate in the day’s city-wide activities and assist the Government Office personnel in preventing any disturbances during the celebration.

“We wait here. Around dusk, according to custom, the Parade of Deities will begin on the streets. Then, at Midnight, when the Yin Qi is at its thickest, they’ll hold the lantern-releasing ceremony. In previous years, even though we were told to help with security, there was never really anything to do. We’d just catch a petty thief or two, eat, and have fun, and that was it. But this year is different. I heard there might be trouble. You better stick close to me then. Don’t get lost in the crowd, or I won’t be able to protect you.”

He Xijun warned Zhao Xuanqi.

“Alright, Senior Sister.”

Zhao Xuanqi nodded slightly.

‘Now that you’ve said that, I can relax. Getting ‘lost’ later will be perfectly natural.’

Zhao Xuanqi thought to himself.

After lunch, the group of Red Heart Sect disciples at the Blood Strengthening realm rested in an inn on Changyuan Street, waiting for the evening’s festivities to begin.

In his inn room, Zhao Xuanqi poked his head out the window. The city’s populace was unaware of the underlying situation. The streets were teeming with people, and the festive atmosphere was thick in the air. However, in the streets and alleys, he could see many officials with sabers at their waists, warily watching every corner.

‘Midnight, when the Yin Qi surges, is the perfect time for them to make their move.’

he thought. After the gathering of the sects had ended last night and everyone had dispersed, he had secretly met up with Zhuang Li and arranged a meeting point in the city for the appointed time.

Now, all he could do was wait.

Time flew by. The sun set behind the western mountains, and the sky gradually dimmed. Every household began to light its lamps, and the streets were adorned with colorful lotus lanterns of all kinds, creating a vibrant spectacle.

When night had fully fallen, Zhao Xuanqi’s group reassembled on the street. The sounds of gongs, drums, and suonas began to ring out. “Giants,” each about three meters tall, appeared on the street. These giants had different faces, wore soft brocade robes, and were adorned with ornate crowns. Some were handsome, some ferocious, and some imposing, resembling the Deities enshrined in temples as if their statues had walked into the mortal world.

These towering Deities were all people in costume. A person would hide inside, using a wooden frame to support the tall figure and control its body, mimicking the posture of a Deity.

The people crowded around the walking Deities, shouting and parading through the streets, singing and dancing. This Parade of Deities symbolized the descent of gods into the mortal realm to inspect the land and protect its peace. Although they weren’t True Gods, the human qi gathered from the adoring crowd did indeed have the effect of suppressing Evil Spirits.

Of course, the Parade of Deities wasn’t entirely made up of “false gods.”

Meanwhile, on the city’s main thoroughfare, an even grander Parade of Deities was underway.

In the center of the parade procession, eight strong men carried a massive sedan chair, ten meters long and five meters wide. The chair was adorned with clusters of flowers, colorful lanterns, and decorations of gold and silver. And inside the sedan, it was not a person seated, but a statue.

It was about a meter tall, dressed as a Civil Servant, its stern face holding a trace of kindness. A faint golden light swirled around the statue’s body.

This was the statue of the South Mansion’s City God Clone. It acted as the main deity in the parade procession, using the Power of Incense to patrol the city and guard against any anomalies.

At this very moment, as the people celebrated, Incense gathered, and golden light swirled, the eyes of the City God’s Clone statue seemed to come alive. A vast and immense consciousness blanketed the entire city, searching for any disturbance. Any Evil Spirit that appeared would be detected instantly.

However, in the streets and alleys, pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows watched every movement in the South Mansion’s avenues and lanes.

The owners of these eyes were peregrine falcons, swallows, or even snakes and rats. On the surface, they appeared to be actual living creatures, but if one could see through their flesh and blood, one would find that the main frames of their bodies were constructed from straw and hemp rope.

These were the “Blood Puppets” forged by Zhu Xie. With their unique bodies of flesh and blood, they evaded the gaze of the South Mansion’s City God and monitored everything within the city.

Meanwhile, in certain hidden rooms scattered throughout the city, the four walls were covered in sheets of yellow talisman paper. The vermilion runes on them linked together, sealing off the rooms from all outside perception.