Chapter 92: Prayer Lotus Lanterns Become a Pair

"It seems you'll still have to go out with me to the lantern festival tonight." Lingxiang said to Xinyi behind her, while tucking in the quilt corner for Rendong.

Xinyi naturally didn't mind; he was busy wrapping fine cloth around Long Qi and was about to agree without much thought, but just then, Long Qi suddenly cried out in pain, insisting that Xinyi's hand was too heavy, and even turned his head to look at the end.

Xinyi immediately caught the hint, and the "Alright" that was about to spill out was abruptly choked back; he changed his tune instead: "Rendong should be cared for by someone attentive. Long Qi is injured himself, so if he were left in charge, I imagine he wouldn't be able to look after him thoroughly. In that case, it wouldn't be convenient for me to go with you." Saying this, he tied a knot for Long Qi.

Hearing what he said, Long Qi felt very gratified; as expected of his own brother, Xinyi was still very sensible.

Lingxiang seemed to hesitate upon hearing this: "You said it yourself, he's injured like this and can't even take care of a person, so how can he go out with me?"

As soon as Long Qi heard Lingxiang ask this, he stood up immediately, not even bothering to put on his robe.

"Although I've suffered a few injuries, I can still walk. Besides, these injuries aren't that serious; if you don't believe me, look." Saying this, he even hopped twice to show that what he said was true.

"Since that's the case, I suppose you should be able to look after Rendong properly. Since you are injured, shouldn't you be resting more in the room? Or perhaps..."

Before Lingxiang could finish her sentence, she heard Long Qi let out an "Ouch," grimacing and baring his teeth, claiming that the wound on his back was aching so much he couldn't bend over, and that his arm was quite inconvenient and couldn't be raised high, and so on.

"Since you're like this, it seems I can only go to the lantern festival alone this time." Lingxiang said, rising from the spring stool.

Hearing her say this, Long Qi immediately changed his tune and said with a face full of naturalness: "That's not necessarily true. Although my arm and back are aching unbearably, my legs and feet are still fine. I can still stroll through a small lantern festival; who knows, if I encounter something happy, it might even make me recover faster."

The two of them acting like this nearly made Xinyi, who had been holding back for a long time, laugh out loud. Long Qi glared at him, and only then did he steady his mind and begin to persuade Lingxiang: "Long Qi has unique tendons and bones. I heard before that he soaked in your medicine bath, so I imagine that is why his wounds have already begun to recover, and he has never been afflicted by Demon Poison, so he should be able to accompany you out."

"But..." Long Qi didn't look like he could win a prize for her; what was the point of bringing him out?

But she didn't get to say this sentence before being interrupted by Long Qi. Long Qi was seen swiftly putting on his robe, and while tying his belt, he urged:

"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up! It's already dark outside; I imagine the lantern festival has long since begun. If we don't hurry, we won't even be able to see the candle wax."

Lingxiang walked with a helpless expression, glancing from time to time at the foolish-looking Long Qi beside her, thinking to herself that before going out today, she should have asked her senior brothers to cast a divination to check for good or ill fortune—

This wasn't strolling through a lantern festival; this was clearly taking a silly son to the market.

"Lingxiang, look, what is this?"

"Lingxiang, come try this!"

"Lingxiang, this thing is quite interesting, let's buy it to play with."

Long Qi was like a young lady from an official's family who had never been out before; one moment he was curious about this, the next he was pulling Lingxiang to buy this or that, or insisting she eat some ordinary snacks. In this short while, she hadn't even seen a shadow of the Guyang River, just following him around aimlessly.

She had come for the lantern festival; although she didn't count on getting the final prize, getting some small lantern decorations would be better than nothing. She couldn't just come down the mountain for nothing and even waste two boxes of Pill, right?

But this fellow...

"Lingxiang, look! This lotus lantern is quite interesting; it can even open and close!" Long Qi excitedly shouted to Lingxiang, holding a lantern sold at a street stall.

Lingxiang just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into; this look of being unaccustomed to the world was truly...

"Young Master, these lanterns are a pair. Looking at your stance, you must be taking this young lady to the lantern festival. If you buy a pair, you can place them into the Guyang River with your sweetheart when making a wish at the festival. This will allow the Heavenly Official to grant a blessing and ensure a happy marriage for the two of you." The lantern peddler, seeing Long Qi like this, hurriedly rubbed his hands and said with a smile, his squinted eyes turning into a single slit.

Lingxiang sneered at this; if making wishes were useful, she wouldn't still be at the Foundation Establishment level to this day. It was always a case of relying on the mountains and having them collapse, relying on the water and having it run dry; in the end, one still had to find a way oneself.

Thinking this, Lingxiang turned and walked away, while Long Qi leaned in close to the peddler to whisper in his ear.

"Is it really capable of granting a blessing for marriage?"

"It is certainly true; this old man never deceives anyone." The peddler said, rubbing his hands even harder, thinking to himself that he was indeed a naive young lad, and this deal was eight-tenths likely to be done.

Long Qi did not doubt him and hurriedly reached into his bosom: "How much?"

"Twenty copper coins." The old lantern seller said, holding up two fingers.

Long Qi hesitated the moment he heard this. Since entering the Yuanqing Sect, the sect would issue two hundred copper coins every month for the disciples' pocket money, and he hadn't been willing to spend a single one. Now, two lanterns would cost him twenty copper coins; this was really...

The lantern peddler seemed to see through Long Qi's hesitation and hurriedly leaned forward to say: "Young brother, these are top-quality Prayer Lotus Lanterns. This is the only place that has them; once you pass this village, you won't find this shop. If someone else buys them, it will be their marriage that is fulfilled. Look, that young lady has already walked far away."

Hearing this, Long Qi hardened his heart, took out a handful of copper coins, and without even counting, handed them to the peddler.

The peddler didn't count them either; he just took the coins and stuffed them into his Storage Bag, then took out two pieces of paper and wrote something on them, subsequently stuffing them into the two lotus lanterns, and finally tied a red string between the two lanterns.

"Young brother, be careful not to let this red string come loose. When the Hour of the Bo arrives, place them into the river. When the Heavenly Official sees them, he will surely grant a blessing for the two of you." The peddler said, handing the lanterns to Long Qi.

Long Qi hadn't expected that this peddler would even prepare paper and brush to sell lanterns. Although he didn't know what he had written, he imagined it must be some auspicious words praying for the Heavenly Official's blessing.

"Alright, I'll take your auspicious words. If it really comes to pass, I will definitely go to the Half-Mountain Temple another day to offer two sticks of incense for you, praying for your business to be prosperous and evergreen."

The peddler heard this and smiled so wide his mouth couldn't close.

"Since that's the case, I'll give you one more good thing. Come closer."

Long Qi saw the peddler covering his hand, as if he wanted to tell him some secret, so he leaned his ear over. After the peddler finished speaking, he waved his hand, signaling Long Qi to hurry and chase after Lingxiang.

Long Qi didn't linger, cupped his hands in a salute, and chased after her. At this moment, a figure flashed by; in an instant, the lantern peddler had vanished without a trace, and the place that was originally selling lanterns had turned into a stall selling snacks and treats, while the people around seemed completely unaware of what had happened there, continuing to do business and hurry on their way.

Long Qi naturally knew nothing of this. Now, he was only thinking with all his heart that this matter must be kept from Lingxiang; whether it was true or false, whether it was effective or not, he didn't care at all.