A 'Chance' Encounter at the Qixi Festival (1)

Bai Wan looked at Lin Qianshuang’s slightly dazed eyes, feeling very worried about her emotional state.

Her beloved master, Ye Heng, had left her without saying goodbye, her close brothers had been killed by Ruan Qianmei, she had been humiliated by Ruan Qianmei, and the Demon Emperor had attempted to come on to her that night.

Under these successive blows, Bai Wan was truly afraid that Lin Qianshuang would collapse at any moment.

Today was the Qixi Festival in the Imperial City of the Human Realm. It was very lively and festive, and it should be a good place to relax.

Bai Wan was thinking about it when a furry little paw wrapped around her neck, so soft that it lay in front of her throat, as if afraid of falling off her back.

For beast cultivators, the neck is the most vulnerable and fatal spot.

Previously, if a mortal had dared to do this, she would have mercilessly taken their life.

Yet, faced with Lin Qianshuang’s impudence, Bai Wan unexpectedly found great pleasure in this intimacy. The soft pads of her little paws gently grazed the sides of her neck, bringing a sense of warmth and comfort.

Lin Qianshuang regained her composure and noticed Bai Wan turning her head to gaze at her, as though she had been watching her intently for quite some time. A hint of embarrassment washed over her as she said, “I’ve heard that there’s the Treasure Battle Tournament being held near the imperial capital. We could go and take a look, perhaps we might stumble upon some rare treasures.”

“A Treasure Battle Tournament of human cultivators might prove to be somewhat interesting.”

A glimmer of intrigue crossed Bai Wan’s face. She glanced at the expression on Lin Qianshuang’s face, then quickly averted her gaze within seconds.

She gently curled up the little fur ball lying on her back with her fox tail and moved it to a more comfortable position. She said happily, “Hold on tight, we’re about to leave.”

In the vast sky with sparse stars, lanterns floated and swayed as they rose from within the thick walls of the extended city.

Looking down, the high towers and pavilions of residential houses were of different heights and lined up one after another, and the lights of ten thousand homes were like silver flowing on the ground, bright and prosperous.

The river of lights reflected the fireworks blooming in the sky. On a city tower, a white shadow like a sword fell on the roof of the tower.

Upon closer inspection, it was a white fox carrying a small fluffy animal on its back, leaping among the stacked eaves.

Lin Qianshuang tightly wrapped around Bai Wan’s neck. Her jumping speed was extremely fast, and she often jumped from one rooftop to a far away place. Every time she dropped, there was a sense of falling, which was very thrilling.

Bai Wan landed on a rooftop and transformed into her human form. She handed Lin Qianshuang a Qi Gathering Pill.

Lin Qianshuang consumed the Qi Gathering Pill, and her spiritual energy had already been regulated during their journey. Her beast form was also enveloped by a cloud of spiritual energy. When the spiritual energy dissipated, she had donned a purple robe formed from spiritual energy and gracefully hovered beside Bai Wan.

Bai Wan took Lin Qianshuang’s arm and guided her to a goods-laden carriage that appeared to belong to the troupe performing for the Qixi Festival.

Lin Qianshuang observed as Bai Wan bent down and entered the carriage. When she emerged, she carried two sets of white silk clothing and two pairs of ghost iron masks.

Bai Wan’s palms surged with demonic energy as she changed into the silk garments. She donned an iron mask, one half of her face delicate and alluring, while the other half bore a blue face with fangs, creating a striking contrast.

“Shuangshuang, what do you think of these human clothes? They’re rather intriguing.”

Bai Wan twirled in place with satisfaction and beamed at Lin Qianshuang. “This mask is so handsome! I was smitten at first sight. It looks so imposing.”

Evidently, Bai Wan had never been to the mortal realm before, and she found the troupe’s cheap costumes to be exquisite.

And… what kind of ghost was this mask supposed to be?

Was it truly appropriate to wear this mask, meant for the Zhongyuan Festival¹, during the Lovers’ Festival, a day for romance?

Lin Qianshuang lamented inwardly but silently donned her clothes and mask. She watched as Bai Wan happily admired herself in the mirror conjured from demonic energy.

“That young hero Liang at the lantern festival is truly gifted. His ‘Magpie Bridge Immortal’² poem was extraordinary. Even Scholar Pan, renowned in the south of the Yangtze River, would be put to shame.”

“When the golden wind and jade dew meet, it surpasses countless earthly encounters.” As soon as this line was uttered, the married young ladies present grew despondent, as if their own feelings had been exposed.

“Especially the line, ‘If love is meant to last for a long time, why should it matter whether we see each other morning and night?’³ Even the eldest lady of Yujian Villa glanced at him several times, seemingly empathizing with his words.”

Two men resembling scholars walked past the two women, chatting away.

Upon hearing Qin Guan’s poems, which were out of place in this alternate era, Lin Qianshuang realized that the Young Master Liang mentioned by the passerby must be Liang Jingxuan.

“To think he would plagiarize ancient poems to court women. Liang Jingxuan truly has no shame.”

Lin Qianshuang’s lips twitched, and she reached out to grab a passerby. Removing her fearsome mask, she asked with a gentle smile, “Young Master, I am unaware of the whereabouts of this Young Master Liang you speak of, but I am seeking him.”

The man who was pulled around turned impatiently, but the moment he saw Lin Qianshuang’s face clearly, his eyes flashed with a hint of amazement. He quickly changed his attitude and said in a friendly tone, “Girl, Young Master Liang is at the lantern exhibition next to the Ruyi Embankment. You will know it when you go there.”

Another man caught a glimpse of Bai Wan behind Lin Qianshuang and walked forward enthusiastically, saying, “Miss, you and your friends are new to this imperial city. Why don’t we show you the way?”

Bai Wan saw Lin Qianshuang talking to two unfamiliar men. After listening for a while, she said to Lin Qianshuang, “Shuangshuang, do you know the person surnamed Liang?”

“I don’t know him, but I am interested in the poem they are talking about. I really want to see what kind of person wrote such amazing and brilliant poetry.”

Lin Qianshuang showed appreciation and explained to Bai Wan, but she didn’t agree in her heart and even mocked him several times.

In the original text, Liang Jingxuan dropped out of high school due to fighting, and his knowledge was shallow. He learned all the ancient poems he knew from his girlfriend who was a mistress for a real estate developer.

Bai Wan listened to Lin Qianshuang recite four lines of poetry, but couldn’t help but smile and whisper to her, “Although I don’t understand these human poems and songs, when I hear this poem from your mouth, it’s like a pearl falling on a jade plate—very rhythmic and catchy. It deeply captivates my heart.”

Lin Qianshuang listened to Bai Wan’s praise and couldn’t help but doubt her ears. She listened to the sound echoing in her eardrum as she spoke. After listening for a while, she clearly still the same featureless young girl’s voice, nothing as exaggerated as “pearls falling on a jade plate.”

As expected, fox demons are all veterans at telling lies with their eyes closed, and they can easily come up with a compliment.

Lin Qianshuang glanced at Bai Wan. She saw the worry hidden in Bai Wan’s eyes, and suddenly understood why Bai Wan wanted to bring her here.

It must be because she was afraid that Lin Qianshuang would be overwhelmed by the recent bad things.

Bai Wan was concerned about her.

Lin Qianshuang glanced at Bai Wan, her almond-shaped eyes curving playfully as shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. To be honest, putting aside their past grudges and current mutual exploitation, Bai Wan was a genuinely good friend. After Lin Qianshuang agreed to be guided, the two passersby enthusiastically led them towards Ruyi Embankment.