Chapter 341: Double Happiness (Requesting Moon Tickets)

After the "Day of Forbidden Gazing" passed, all the government offices in the city relaxed completely.

Only a handful of days remained until the New Year.

Although the imperial court granted officials only a short holiday—just three days for the New Year, a concession granted by an emperor a century ago—

Just one day remained.

Yet despite the short holiday, government offices were largely idle throughout the first lunar month.

Especially in the countryside, few bothered to show up for duty.

Xu Yuan checked the almanac: today’s prohibitions were—

Overeating, forging, marriage, and soul-summoning.

This day… was unsuitable for entering Ghost Witch Mountain.

Aside from "forging," the other three prohibitions would make the corresponding malevolent spirits on Ghost Witch Mountain far more vicious.

He had finally settled all matters in Zhan City, yet today’s prohibitions seemed like an obstacle.

Xu Yuan shook his head; he still felt he could not delay further.

That "Huanhuan Tree" might not be known only to the Miao people.

And if Miao Yu sold the information to him, how could he be sure others in the Miao clan hadn’t secretly sold it to someone else?

Xu Yuan packed his belongings, arranged affairs at the Zhan City office, and set off with Dafu.

Wang Shen wanted to return with Xu Yuan to Shanhe County, but Master Fei and the others knelt on the ground, clinging to her legs, weeping uncontrollably—she could not leave.

Wang Shen sighed and said to Xu Yuan: "Fine, this old woman will stay here and watch your house."

Xu Yuan grinned: "You’d better settle in comfortably here."

Xu Yuan owned a small house in the city, and another larger one gifted by Li Yichuan.

But he had no plans to move in yet.

Xu Yuan mounted his horse, holding Dafu—but Dafu struggled to get free, running and gliding behind the horse’s rump.

Xu Yuan didn’t notice that each time Dafu glided, it caught several flying insects midair.

From Zhan City to Shanhe County, Xu Yuan made no stops, bypassing the county seat and heading straight for Qihe Terrace Town.

The man sent by the Qihe Terrace Office to deliver a letter to Xu Yuan had already been sent back the day before.

When Xu Yuan arrived at the office, it was already mid-afternoon.

After a brief overview of the situation, he entered Ghost Witch Mountain alone.

As soon as he entered the mountain, Xu Yuan took out the folded ledger and neatly wrote two small characters: Arrived.

After waiting a while and receiving no reply from Jiao, he tucked the ledger into his robe and put on the Mud Mask, heading for Wangxiang Village.

He planned to spend the night in Wangxiang Village.

With the Mud Mask concealing him, he encountered no trouble along the way.

As they neared the village, Xu Yuan glanced around: "We’re nearing the Master Drifting’s territory."

After walking a few more li, Xu Yuan suddenly touched his head, puzzled: "Did I take the wrong path?"

Along the narrow trail, he remembered the crooked tree where the Master Drifting had hanged himself—but now, it had become a grand mansion with white walls and gray tiles.

"Has the Master Drifting become wealthy?" Xu Yuan wondered.

A side path branched off from the trail, leading straight to the mansion’s front gate.

Xu Yuan hesitated, then walked up with Dafu.

The gate was black. Xu Yuan called out: "Master Drifting?"

Inside, there was no response whatsoever.

Xu Yuan stepped forward, preparing to knock on the door ring.

Only then did he notice: the door ring was not held by a beast’s head—but two grotesque ghost heads!

Full of fangs, eyes chilling!

As Xu Yuan’s hand neared, the door ring suddenly moved—hiss!—transforming into two slender venomous snakes, spitting their tongues at him.

The two ghost heads’ eyes shifted, covered in a bloody sheen!

Xu Yuan stepped back several paces: "What is this?!"

Indeed, anything abnormal in this mountain was a malevolent spirit.

The two venomous snakes suddenly lunged at Xu Yuan, and the two ghost heads opened their fanged mouths, spewing a cloud of poison.

Xu Yuan flicked his finger; the sword pellet shot out, striking the snakes—but only produced a "zing!"

The snakes recoiled and vanished into the poison cloud.

In moments, the poison had spread hundreds of zhang, swallowing even the mansion whole.

Xu Yuan looked around—he could no longer tell direction.

All he could see were the two pairs of blood-red eyes directly ahead, like four red lanterns glowing, luring him forward.

"Hmph!" Xu Yuan let out a cold snort, swept his hand over his eyes, and activated "Wang Ming."

Yet under "Wang Ming," he saw no "fate" of any malevolent spirit.

Xu Yuan frowned inwardly: "No malevolent spirit? Is this just some trick?"

Xu Yuan opened his mouth and expelled a pillar of "Abdominal Fire," precisely striking one pair of blood-red eyes.

"Aaaagh—"

A scream echoed from the poison cloud; both pairs of eyes vanished.

Xu Yuan immediately waved his hand; "Pumian Rain" fell in a fine mist, then he drew his blade and slashed.

Sssshhh—

Lightning spread through the rain.

Indeed, after the Abdominal Fire burned the blood-red eyes, the two venomous snakes silently slithered upward.

They were struck dead by the lightning—front and back—falling stiffly five chi in front of Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan swiftly wrapped them in his Skin Dantian.

The two snakes quickly revived, writhing and struggling inside, biting incessantly.

But the Skin Dantian had reached the Fifth Grade level; after gnawing for a long while, they still could not bite through—and suddenly went still.

Xu Yuan waited a while longer, then opened the Skin Dantian again:

There were no snakes—only two silver bracelets!

But their surfaces were blackened, as if… silver had been used to test poison, and these two bracelets had been soaked entirely in venom.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then exhaled another burst of fire, burning the bracelets into a lump of silver, and tossed them into the carriage.

Dafu had been following the food cart; now it flapped its two large webbed feet, pattering forward. Xu Yuan hurried after it.

In the poison cloud, countless venomous insects scattered in panic at the sight of Dafu, scrambling back into the mist to hide.

Dafu chased and pecked, then suddenly crashed into a wall.

A swarm of insects fled along the wall’s base; Dafu chased after them, circling the wall, and soon saw the gate again.

Now, the two ghost heads on the gate were gone.

The gate stood slightly ajar; the insects rushed in, jostling one another.

A loud rustling filled the air.

Xu Yuan stood before the gate and exhaled a thin thread of fire, sending it through the crack to illuminate the interior.

Suddenly, two large red lanterns materialized in midair before the gate!

They floated gently, hanging before the entrance.

Two "double happiness" characters drifted out from the crack and stuck themselves to the gate.

A sweet, feminine voice asked: "Husband, are your friends here to attend our wedding feast?

Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I’ve been rude and negligent to our guests."

As she spoke, the two black gates creaked open.

By the lantern light, Xu Yuan saw two figures seated in the main hall.

Both wore bright red wedding robes.

Red candles burned on the table.

The groom was the Master Drifting.

It hung its long tongue, its face devoid of joy—as if under some curse, motionless, and replied impatiently: "My friend here is no ordinary man—handsome, his flesh fragrant—if you like him, take him as your new groom, shall we?"

(End of Chapter)