Chapter 80: Lively

As evening approached, the You hour arrived, and Mo Hua reached the large tree on West Street.

Bai Zisheng hadn't arrived yet, so a bored Mo Hua picked up a branch and drew array formations on the ground to pass the time. Mo Hua was still practicing the Earth Fire Array. Because offensive array formations had variations, he needed to spend more time contemplating them and improving his proficiency.

Just as Mo Hua was thinking Bai Zisheng wouldn't come, he looked up and saw Xue Gu approaching with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi. Mo Hua waved and said politely:

"Xue Gu, long time no see!"

"Long time no see indeed!"

Xue Gu's fair hand instinctively touched Mo Hua's head. Mo Hua wasn't particularly willing but didn't refuse.

"Zisheng and Zixi have been cultivating hard. It just so happens that today is a festival, so I let them relax a bit. I'll still need to trouble you to show us around," Xue Gu said gently.

"It's no trouble," Mo Hua said, shaking his head. Then, with a wave of his small hand, he added, "Follow me, everyone! Today is the last day of the Hunt Demon Festival, it's very lively!"

Bai Zisheng let out a soft exclamation, then ran in front of Mo Hua, looking around curiously. Anything new he saw, he wanted to ask Mo Hua about. The cultivation world was vast and boundless, with immense differences in customs and products from place to place. Coupled with strict family management, many things were completely new to Bai Zisheng.

Bai Zixi quietly followed beside Xue Gu. She wore a hat in the same style as Xue Gu's, but much smaller. A white, light veil covered her incomparably beautiful face, only revealing a small section of her exquisite, pale chin. She didn't speak much along the way, but she listened carefully to every word of Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua's conversation.

The street was brightly lit, not necessarily prosperous, but full of the lively hustle and bustle of everyday life. Stalls lined both sides of the street, selling everything from pills, spirit tools, jewelry, snacks, array formations, and miscellaneous items to toys, herbs, spirit ink, and even the fur, bones, and inner dans of demonic beasts. The variety was dazzling.

The crowd flowed along with the stalls, gradually moving towards the distance. The lamp shadows flickered, extending continuously into the unseen distance. Not to mention Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, even Xue Gu was somewhat entranced for a moment. Born into an aristocratic family, she had seen more prosperous immortal cities, but this kind of lively and bustling street market was a first for her. It was as if these cultivators were truly alive. Following the boisterous crowd, even immortals who didn't partake in worldly pleasures could feel the simple joy of the mundane world.

Bai Zisheng strolled along, buying many things. There was a cow that could spray fire, a monkey that could wink, and a dog that could wag its tail – all wooden toys painted with lacquer and dyed vibrant colors, looking incredibly lifelike. They likely had simple array formations carved inside, and with a bit of spirit power injected, they would move on their own. Besides that, he also bought a cool-looking treasure sword decorated with dragons and phoenixes, flashing a seven-colored gleam. Except for its exaggerated appearance, it was useless and couldn't even be considered a spirit tool, but Bai Zisheng loved it very much.

Mo Hua's arms were also full of things, all bought by Bai Zisheng, who had asked Mo Hua to hold them so that Mo Hua could pick out what he liked. Bai Zixi received a small white rabbit, only the size of a fingernail. When placed in her palm, it would move its small legs, pattering along. This was something Mo Hua bought for her. Because she had been staring at the small white rabbit at the stall, but didn't say anything, and Mo Hua felt he had an advantage over Bai Zisheng, he spent one spirit stone to buy the small white rabbit for Bai Zixi. Bai Zixi simply said thank you, and it was hard to tell if she liked it or not, but she would frequently open her fair, jade-like small hand throughout the journey, watching the small white rabbit run in her palm.

Besides buying things, Bai Zisheng also liked watching performances. One type was shadow play. There was a large curtain with shadows projected onto it. The shadows depicted various characters, including men, women, old, and young, as well as various ghosts, monsters, and demonic beasts. Cultivators used spirit power to control the shadows and make them perform various actions. Other cultivators would narrate the stories, performing different segments.

The shadow play stories included those about people and demons. Typically, they featured a male cultivator saving a beautiful female cultivator in the wilderness. The two would fall in love and pledge eternal devotion, secretly planning a life together. The male would even defy his sect and masters and elope with the female cultivator to a remote, uninhabited place. There, the female cultivator would shed her clothes, transform into a demonic beast, and eat the male cultivator. Mo Hua really liked this story, finding it very cautionary, and he never got tired of watching it.

However, Bai Zisheng didn't like it as much. He preferred to watch simple and lively beast fighting plays. Beast fighting plays depicted hunters hunting demonic beasts. A large stage would be set up, and several cultivators would act as hunters – of course, they didn't need to act, they were hunters themselves. Several other cultivators would crawl into puppets made of demonic beast bones and fur, acting as demonic beasts. Then, the demonic beasts would spray fire, and the cultivators would use spells, fighting very excitedly and fiercely.

Mo Hua felt it was a bit fake because Mo Shan was a hunter and had once told him that during a real demon hunt, everything was tense and dangerous. Even when facing weak demonic beasts, one couldn't be careless, or else they would be lightly injured or even lose their life. However, this kind of performance was purely for entertainment, and no one took it seriously – well, except for Bai Zisheng. He dreamed of going into the mountains and fighting demonic beasts one-on-one, but of course, Xue Gu wouldn't allow it.

As they strolled along, they also encountered Zhang Lan. Zhang Lan was walking with a group of very elderly cultivators, most of whom had sparse hair but immediately gave off an air of importance and status. They were likely high-level cultivators from the Dao Court Division and clan heads or elders from some of Tong Xian City's prominent families. The line of cultivators was imposing. Cultivators wearing Dao Court Division robes led the way, followed by a group of young cultivators respectfully trailing behind.

These young cultivators who could follow behind the elders and accompany them were likely highly valued within their clans. Mo Hua had seen some of them before; they were all direct descendants of the Qian family and An family, two major families, and their results in Tong Xian Gate were all ranked at the top. Zhang Lan seemed out of place among the group of white-haired cultivators, his face still wearing a forced smile as he awkwardly engaged in conversation.

Mo Hua saw Zhang Lan, but Zhang Lan was busy socializing and likely didn't see him. However, Zhang Lan suddenly said something to the elderly cultivator with the least and whitest hair, then gave a bow and quietly withdrew. When Mo Hua turned his head, he found Zhang Lan standing not far in front of him, waving.

"Don't you need to accompany them? Those are all important figures in the city, right..." Mo Hua couldn't help but ask.

"Don't even mention it. I originally took leave and secretly came out for a stroll, but I was caught by the chief officer halfway and was forced to accompany these clan heads and elders for half the day."

"Oh, I originally thought you weren't serious, but I didn't expect you to entertain those elders so properly. Although it's a bit fake," Mo Hua said, looking at Zhang Lan with a bit of renewed respect.

Zhang Lan casually touched Mo Hua's head, "What do you know, kid? I was just going along with the situation. I'm just lazy, not stupid." Mo Hua was a little displeased.

"Oh, I still have things to do. You can go stroll by yourself," Mo Hua said, trying to send him away.

Zhang Lan laughed good-naturedly, "What could you possibly have to do?" He then turned his head and discovered the young but exceptionally good-looking Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi next to Mo Hua, and behind them, although her appearance couldn't be clearly seen, Xue Gu had an outstanding demeanor.