Chapter 1214: Tenfold Favor, Hero Tournament

"Dong! Dong! Dong."

The drumbeat started first from the drum tower.

Slow and steady, slow and heavy, heavy and deep, each sound knocking on people's chests.

The drum was beaten three times.

Under the drum tower, on the left and right sides, two bare-chested men swung large mallets, continuing the beat.

Three more sounds rang out, and three zhang away on the bluestone street, another bare-chested man swung his arms.

One after another, side by side, beat by beat, passed on like a relay.

"Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!"

The drum sound stretched all the way, passed on all the way, beaten together all the way, like a passed torch, a giant beast waking from slumber. Yellow dust rose lightly on the ground, ripples fluctuated in the jars, small stones on the roofs trembled slightly, and all the tourists stopped their steps, held their breath, and pressed their hearts.

It rang all the way to the Shangrao Pier.

Two rows of thirty-six people on the altar, two lines of one hundred and eight people.

The men took turns swinging with one hand, then changed to holding the mallet with both hands, turning their waists, putting in all their strength, beating the big drum three times together. Thirty-six brass horns neatly emerged from the left side of the big drum, reaching toward the sky.

"Woo~~~~"

The low, oppressive brass vibration echoed through the universe.

The drums stopped, the horns ceased.

Heaven and earth were silent.

On the Eternal Spring Tree, the big fish in the waves stopped swimming.

The painted boats on the river stopped drifting, and the doors and windows on the boats were all wide open.

Wild boar roller coasters, jade crystal boats, water spiders, wooden capsules... all stopped operating.

Without parents coaxing, the children's crying stopped along with the horns, and they widened their big eyes, curiously looking at the world.

The street vendors even put down their cooking utensils and bamboo sieves, and under the surprised gazes of the tourists, they moved forward in unison.

They were Pingyang people, Yixing people, and water town people from nearby, interspersed among the stopped pedestrians, moving forward like white foam squeezed out of a collision in a reef group.

Beside the altar, the coiled dragon incense stick for timing burned, emitting wisps of white smoke, and the copper ball hanging below was teetering, the white cotton thread scorched yellow by the high temperature.

Noon was approaching.

"Wait, why is He Hanyu over there? With Shitou?" Wen Junxuan pointed.

The Shangrao Pier was wide and bright, the solid wood altar was towering, and the surrounding square was crowded with local villagers. On both sides of the square were high houses, forming a sharp shadow of steps at the entrance, avoiding the scorching sun. Under the eaves, the village elders who were old and had inconvenient legs and feet, as well as the gentry who funded the River God Festival, all stood there.

And three steps up, a black dog as large as a horse sat on the ground panting, and beside it were Wen Wen Shi Yun and He Hanyu, who had been strolling and inexplicably lost contact!

Both were on the best "viewing platform."

It wasn't strange for Wen Wen Shi Yun to go to the front, after all, he was Liang Qu's direct disciple and was going to follow him to practice martial arts this year, but why He Hanyu...

"Oh no, it's all our fault for not watching Wen Wen Shi Yun well, we were dazzled by the liveliness of Yixing." A youth punched his palm, full of regret. "He must have been threatened by He Hanyu while we weren't paying attention. He originally wanted to go by himself, but now he can only take her."

One word awakened the dreamer, and the youths lowered their heads, feeling ashamed.

It was all their fault for being distracted by the liveliness on the street and not protecting Wen Wen Shi Yun from the oppression of a bad woman; it was truly shameful!

"Damn it, how did things turn out like this? It's all my fault! We all took Shitou's tickets but didn't protect him."

"To err is human, who can be without fault? Everyone, don't be too sad! We must regroup and learn our lesson!"

"Ah, the French fries ruined me! From today on, I'm quitting potatoes!"

The bamboo tube fell to the ground, and the golden French fries rolled out of the tube. The big yellow dog on the side of the road raised its head, its tail stood up, and it excitedly licked them clean.

"Strange..."

Wen Junxuan always felt something was wrong. His eyes were fixed on Wen Wen Shi Yun on the steps. Just as their eyes met, Wen Wen Shi Yun on the steps leaned back slightly, stretched out his hands, made a gesture of choking his own neck, and then sighed long, his face full of helplessness.

"Plop."

The cotton thread broke, the copper ball fell onto the iron plate, making a crisp sound.

"The auspicious time has arrived."

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

"The auspicious time has arrived!!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Three gong sounds interrupted his thoughts.

The mallet swung, and the drums beat again.

People's eyes were attracted by the central sacrifice, and tourists stretched their necks, crowding their heads.

There were plenty of similar ceremonies throughout the Jianghuai region, and some were even more complicated. On weekdays, no one would pay attention, and no one would be interested enough to run over to watch. But coming to Yixing County, for some reason, it seemed to be more interesting, with an atmosphere and a kind of so-called "cultural characteristic."

The tips of their shoes stepped on the line.

The sacrificial officiant Xiang Fang Su beat the drum one step at a time, walking slowly along the central axis of the three-zhang altar to the front of the altar.

With his back to the altar and facing the crowd, his voice spread throughout the street.

"Offer... the sacrificial animals!"

Tourists on the bluestone street turned their heads, expecting the animals to be dragged forward, guessing whether they were big spirit monsters or demon beasts, and what variety they were.

However, the wind and clouds changed above their heads, and a violent wind suddenly rose.

In the clear, cloudless, azure sky, cotton-white clouds rolled in from the west, spreading out and casting a large shadow, covering the scorching sun.

After that, ten thousand horses galloped!

Jade-white horses galloped forward, their manes flying, the reins on their necks swinging, as if dragging the white clouds behind them.

The horses stepped on the air without sound, while the drums on the ground had sound.

Heaven and earth echoed each other, forming a fierce hoof-beat!

The men beat the drums with all their might, the ground shook lightly, and the flags fluttered.

Everyone felt the horses' hooves landing on the earth, landing on their hearts.

"Prince of Huai!"

A cry of surprise made everyone's eyes firmly fixed on the figure in the middle of the ten thousand horses.

A young man.

A heroic young man.

The Prince of Huai!

For his youth, there was no one in the world who could surpass him!

"Roar, roar, ha!"

The chief officiant ascended, and there was an uproar.

Above the eaves, the golden-haired monkey group jumped up and down, climbing the horse-head walls, shouting and laughing.

The wheels rolled, splitting the white clouds, grinding out two straight cloud axes.

Liang Qu stepped on a green war chariot, the flags on the chariot flying. He held countless reins, the ends of which were pulling ten thousand heavenly horses. Behind the heavenly horses, there were three giant beasts crawling: a bull beast as majestic as a small mountain, a fish beast with a forehead as high as a longevity star, and a sheep beast with long, floating hair, looking like an old man with longevity.

It perfectly matched the meaning of fortune and longevity in the sacrifice!

In terms of Qi, they were even demon kings!

The war chariot drove from west to east, aligning with the bluestone street.

Liang Qu flicked the reins, and the ten thousand horses dived downward, then came up. The giant beasts turned at an angle, flying over people's heads, brushing against the tourists' hair, almost within reach.

Screams continued.

Spectacular and inspiring.

"Those were all transformed by the Third Prince, right? Could it be that they are using mist beasts as sacrifices this year?" He Hanyu asked quietly. She had been to Yixing and seen the Third Prince, knowing it had the ability to spit mist and create things.

"My master said that traditional celebrations should keep pace with the times. A gentleman stays away from the kitchen, and seeing them alive, he cannot bear to see them die. Today, there are both old and young, and slaughtering them on the spot is too cruel. Pouring blood into the Jianghuai River is likely to reduce the flow of tourists to the Water-Sky Walkway, so they changed to using mist beasts."

He Hanyu was stunned: "Then... does it still count as a Yixing tradition?"

"It counts, right?" Wen Wen Shi Yun scratched his head. "Master said it's in the essence, not the form; it's in the people, not the objects. Everyone comes to watch the performance, so it should be as grand and spectacular as possible. Following the old ways, the people in the back wouldn't be able to see, which would be bad instead."

White clouds pushed horizontally over their heads, unfolding like a curtain.

The little mirage dragon puffed up its cheeks, spraying mist hard.

The white clouds hung down, and the ten thousand horses disintegrated into a straight white waterfall, spreading and growing over the Jianghuai Great Marsh, winding and gathering into a huge dragon gate frame.

Above the dragon gate were the agile postures of horses galloping; even when they landed on the frame, they continued to gallop.

Living reliefs, a living dragon gate frame!

Splash, splash.

The iron chains hanging from the main beam were like bridge-pulling iron cables, constantly shaking, tightening, and stretching, hanging the three struggling beasts upside down, emitting miserable neighs.

Shocking.

Unparalleled shock.

On the river, the dragon gate frame was at least a hundred zhang high. Throughout Yixing Town, no matter where people were, they could clearly see the struggle of the three giant beasts. The monks on Pingyang Mountain could also see it clearly, and even on the top of the mountain, their line of sight was level, making it even clearer.

"Replacing killing with form, the Prince of Huai's virtue is benevolent and thick."

"Roar!"

The demon king roared, and ears buzzed.

The timid turned pale and weak, their legs trembling; the brave turned blood-red, taking a step further.

The chief officiant shouted loudly:

"Pierce!"

Liang Qu waved his hand, and the war chariot beneath him turned into three emerald green sharp knives, hanging down from the dragon gate frame.

Amidst a chorus of exclamations, they sank straight into the necks of the giant beasts. From the wounds, rolling white smoke gushed out, just like splashed blood. The white smoke spread across the entire river surface, flowing like milk, and even overflowed onto the bluestone street.

Everyone's calves were surrounded by white smoke, their trousers brushed, as if they had entered a fairyland.

The youths couldn't help but step back.

Grand.

Spectacular.

Most importantly, a strong sense of participation!

Children reached out to grab the misty clouds, their hands empty, as if there was wind on their fingertips.

The elderly breathed deeply, as if what was flowing on the ground was immortal Qi, making every step feel light.

Just this one ceremony personally operated by a Wu Sheng was worth the trip!

"Witch-priests, return to your positions!"

Five gong sounds.

Dozens of witch-priests walked out from both sides, went to the sides of the altar, sang sacrificial songs loudly, and danced sacrificial dances.

Gongs, drums, horns... the music mixed together, changing from solemn to enthusiastic, from awe to joy.

"Chief officiant, proceed!"

Clang! Clang! Clang.

Nine gong sounds echoed, rolling and surging endlessly.

The musicians raised the copper horns again, and the cowhide-faced drums stirred the dust in the air.

The pier reflected the sunlight, a vast expanse of white, and the Prince of Huai climbed the steps.

Pearls sparkled.

Wine was sprinkled into the great river.

【Sacrificing to the Jianghuai River, River Favorability +9.1124】

【Ruling the Jianghuai River, seizing favor 0.4】

【River Rule: 1.3 (River Favorability: 80.4124)】

Ten times the usual!

"How did he do it? Those giant beasts, are they real or fake?"

"I can't tell, I really can't tell."

"They look exactly like the real ones, but the blood is clouds and mist, and the whole body is jade white, which is unusual..."

"Finally saw him. So this is what the Prince of Huai looks like. But why didn't I see other Martial Saints? Wasn't it said to be a Hero Tournament, a competition for the East Sea Great Hunt qualifiers?"

The stagnant crowd flowed again.

The clamor rose again, noisy discussions.

Everyone's face carried unbelievable excitement, excited to see the Prince of Huai and the ceremony. The youths' faces were flushed, telling each other everything that had just happened.

Yixing County, too...

How could there be such a magical and interesting place in the world?

Jiangchuan, transparent walkways, waterways, temples, martial halls, the Eternal Spring Tree... far from being summarized by the word "prosperous."

In terms of prosperity, Nanzhili and the Imperial Capital had more extravagant places and more luxurious enjoyments. Jiangchuan's specialties, Pingyang Temple's history, the Martial Hall's foundation, and the majesty of the strange tree were all inferior.

But there was a unique joy in Yixing County that exceeded the scope of language. They felt like they had become small children again, children who knew nothing about the world and could play with a block for an entire afternoon!

For people with great wealth, what could they play with friends after leaving here?

Nothing more than fighting crickets, listening to tunes, reading scripts...

Such strong novelty even brought a sense of "shame" and "inferiority." They were truly "country bumpkins" who had never seen the world!

Fortunately, everyone was a "country bumpkin" today, avoiding embarrassment.

Merchants from all over the country experienced it personally and subconsciously thought of the business opportunities inside, wanting to move this set back. But after thinking carefully, it seemed that every project was irreplicable. Even if it could be replicated, like the Peach Blossom Corridor of the Huaiyin Martial Hall, would anyone go if it were built? Even if it were better and bigger.

This was a complex system, unless Liang Qu himself was willing to spread this system.

Three merchants from the Northern Court gathered in the Volcano Pavilion, wearing bathrobes, eating small hot pots, watching the clouds and mist in the sky, and the scrolling subtitles on the Eternal Spring Tree, their eyes full of envy.

"A prosperous trend..."

Carriages like flowing water, horses like dragons.

After sacrificing to the Jianghuai River, Liang Qu returned to the Eternal Spring Tree without stopping, to take charge of the next key project.

To cheat, oh no, to earn.

To earn the money of this group of rich people fiercely!

"Don't let your guard down, you must maintain safety and order, be careful of thieves and robbers, tell me immediately if anything happens, there are no small matters today."

"Don't worry, my lord."

"What about the toilets? I asked you to build one every half mile before. You must send people to clean them every quarter of an hour to ensure they are clean. Is there any problem?"

"Sent someone to check just now, no problem for now."

Receiving so many tourists actually put a considerable amount of pressure on the local reception capacity.

Including the inconspicuous toilets, most places had dry toilets. Liang Qu knew how bad they were without going in. One step down, "squelch, squelch," and in summer, they were full of wriggling protein.

However, this was an indispensable facility after there were many people. It must be kept clean and tidy. In addition, uncivilized phenomena such as carriages parking randomly and horses defecating on the street... all greatly damaged the tourists' mood, making people not want to come again.

Compared with this, theft and robbery were easier to handle; this was guaranteed by the travel permit.

Hosting such a large-scale event for the first time, Liang Qu had to personally oversee every aspect and personally grasp the key points, not daring to delegate.

Among the thirteen fiefdoms, only Yixing was fully built, having started accumulating ten years ago. From the New Year to today, the help of the Xu family could be counted as lighting the fuse, and now the switch had been completely pressed, causing an "explosion."

The twelve ports behind were not as good as Yixing, and the effect would definitely not be as good, so the effect of the first one must be explosive enough to build a reputation and attract latecomers continuously.

Cultivating to the current realm, there were many places he couldn't manage.

But under his own feet, Liang Qu wanted to build a "Fantasy Land"!

"A'Fei, introduce some more traditional stories. After two quarter-hours, warm up for the Hero Fighting Tournament and introduce the 'heroes' who will appear."

The long whiskers folded ninety degrees.

"This is delicious, delicious!"

"Guest, buy a sugar fish, Benbo'erba."

"Wood carving, wood carving of Benbo'erba."

"River shrimp in June is just right, guest, come, eh, alright, three guests in the private room upstairs!"

"Try the kite! Why is it so big? This kite is for sending people to the sky..."

The crowd surged. They were like silver money tides, walking ingots. Wherever they went, they collided with the vendors, creating waves and leaving traces.

"The next one is the Hero Tournament, right? Will those Martial Saints and Demon Kings really fight?"

"Don't know. By the way, can Martial Saints leave easily?"

"The Prince of Huai wouldn't lie, right?"

The excitement of the River God Festival had not yet subsided, and more people were already looking forward to the Hero Tournament at the Shen hour, or rather, it was precisely because they had seen the River God Festival that they had greater expectations.

Many Martial Saints and Demon Kings could not come in person, but they also sent their confidants to Yixing to see what exactly it was that they had authorized.

For example, Zhang Xu, the housekeeper of the Prince of Yue, rushed from Ningjiang Prefecture. On the way, he saw the grandson of the Prince riding a dog, leaning over to He Hanyu's side and waving his arms, laughing and shaking his head.

"Splash."

The sound of the tide hitting the shore attracted the tourists to look up.

On top of the Eternal Spring Tree, the circular subtitles disappeared, and Benbo'erba jumped, splashing a big wave, jumping in front of them, attracting attention.

"Dear tourists, the River God Festival has ended. You have understood the brilliant culture of Yixing and seen the heroic posture of the Prince of Huai.

However, today's liveliness has just begun. There are only two hours left until the Hero Tournament at the Shen hour.

You can go to the restaurants along the street to have lunch, and while taking a break, listen to Benbo'erba grandly introduce the 'heroic figures' of this tournament to everyone!" ===== CHAPTER 1215 =====