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 very short holidays—only three days for the New Year—this was still the result of a benevolent decree from a Son of Heaven a century ago.

Only one day remained ahead.

Yet despite the short holidays, all government offices were unusually quiet throughout the first month.

Especially in the countryside, no one bothered to show up for duty.

Xu Yuan checked the almanac: today's prohibitions were:

Gluttony, forging, marriage, and soul-summoning.

This day… was unsuitable for entering Ghost Wushan.

Aside from "forging," the other three prohibitions would make the corresponding malevolent spirits in Ghost Wushan become "Fu Daxiong."

He had finally finished handling 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 any longer.

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

Moreover, Behind Miao Yu sold the information to him—how could he be sure others in the Miao family hadn't secretly sold it to someone else?

Xu Yuan packed his belongings, arranged the affairs of the Zhan City Office, and set off with Da Fu.

Wang Shen wanted to return with Xu Yuan to Huishan County; Master Fei and the others knelt on the ground, clinging to her legs and weeping uncontrollably, refusing to let her go.

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

Xu Yuan grinned: "You just settle in here comfortably."

In the city, Xu Yuan owned a small house he had bought himself, and a larger one gifted by Li Yichuan.

But he wasn't ready to move in yet.

Xu Yuan mounted his horse, holding Da Fu—but Da Fu insisted on wriggling free, running and gliding behind the horse's haunches.

What Xu Yuan didn't notice was that each time Da Fu glided, he caught several flying insects midair.

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

The person sent by Taigongsuo Sect to deliver the letter to Xu Yuan had already been sent back the day before.

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

After a brief inquiry, he entered Ghost Wushan alone.

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

After waiting a while and receiving no response from Jiao, he tucked the ledger into his robe and put on Ni Mian before heading toward Wangxiang Village.

He planned to spend the night in Wangxiang Village.

With Ni Mian concealing him, he encountered no trouble along the way.

As they neared the village, Xu Yuan glanced around: "We're close to Mr. Piaodang's territory."

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

By the side path, he remembered the crooked tree where Mr. Piaodang had hanged himself—but now, it had become a grand mansion with white walls and gray tiles.

"Has Mr. Piaodang become wealthy?" Xu Yuan wondered.

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

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then walked up with Da Fu.

The gate was black; Xu Yuan called out: "Mr. Piaodang?"

Inside, there was not a single sound in response.

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 by two grotesque ghost heads!

Full of fangs, eyes chillingly dreadful!

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

The two ghost heads' eyeballs shifted, clouded over with a bloody hue!

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

Indeed, anything abnormal in these mountains was a malevolent spirit.

The two venomous snakes suddenly lunged at Xu Yuan, and immediately 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 "zheng" sound.

The snakes recoiled and vanished into the poison mist.

In mere moments, the poison mist had spread hundreds of zhang, swallowing 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 glowing red lanterns, radiating light and luring him forward.

"Hmph!" Xu Yuan let out a cold snort, swept his hand across 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 all some kind of trick?"

Xu Yuan opened his mouth, and a wad of "Fu Zhong Huo" coalesced into a pillar of fire, striking precisely one pair of the blood-red eyes.

"Aao—"

A cry of agony echoed from the poison mist; both pairs of blood-red eyes vanished.

Xu Yuan immediately waved his hand; "Pu Mian Yu" rained down, and then he drew his blade and slashed.

Chi—

Lightning spread through the falling rain.

Indeed, after the Fu Zhong Huo burned through the blood-eyed creature, the two venomous snakes slithered up silently.

Just then, the lightning struck them—front and back—five feet before Xu Yuan, rendering them stiff and causing them to fall.

Xu Yuan swiftly wrapped them in the Pi Dan.

The two venomous snakes soon revived, writhing and struggling inside the Pi Dan, biting incessantly.

But the Pi Dan had already reached the Fifth Flow standard; after gnawing for a long while, they still could not bite through, then suddenly went still.

Xu Yuan waited a while longer, then opened the Pi Dan to look again:

Where were the venomous snakes? They were two silver bracelets!

Yet the surface of these silver bracelets was pitch black, as if… someone had used silver to test poison, immersing these two bracelets entirely in venom.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then spat out another flame, burning the two silver bracelets into a lump of silver, before tossing them into the carriage.

Da Fu had been following Fan Zhezi's heels; now he flapped his two large webbed feet, pattering forward. Xu Yuan hurried after him.

In the poisonous smoke, countless venomous insects scattered in panic at the sight of Da Fu, then burrowed back into the smoke to hide.

Da Fu chased and pecked at them, then suddenly slammed into a wall.

A large swarm of venomous insects fled along the base of the wall; Da Fu chased after them, circling the wall, and soon saw the large gate again.

At this moment, the two ghostly heads on the gate were gone.

The gate opened a crack, and the venomous insects rushed in, jostling one another.

A loud rustling erupted.

Xu Yuan stood before the gate and spat a thread of fire through the crack, hoping to illuminate the interior.

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

They floated gently and hung before the door.

Two "Double Happiness" characters drifted out from the crack and stuck themselves to the door.

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

"Why didn't you warn me beforehand? I've been impolite and negligent to our guests."

As she spoke, the two black doors creaked open.

By the lantern's glow, Xu Yuan saw two figures seated solemnly in the main hall.

Both wore bright red wedding robes.

Red candles burned on the table.

The groom was none other than Mr. Lu Yuanxiang.

He flicked his long tongue, his face devoid of any joy—as if bewitched, utterly motionless—and replied impatiently: "My friend here is no ordinary man—he's strikingly handsome, his flesh fragrant—if you fancy him, take him as your new groom, shall we?"

(End of Chapter)