Chapter 101: Clear Creek Town

Morning sunlight pierced the thin mist, gilding the stone slabs of Clear Creek Town with a golden edge. Shi Ran stood under the stone archway at the town gate, her eyes wide round; she had never seen such a lively place.

Shops lined both sides of the street, vendors' cries rose and fell, pedestrians shouldered each other, and the air was filled with the mixed scent of sugar figurines, baked cakes, and unknown spices.

"What are you spacing out for?" Luo Changfeng lightly poked her back with his sword sheath, "Hurry up, if you get lost I won't come looking for you."

Shi Ran didn't take offense, instead looking excited: "Senior Brother, you said you'd take me to eat wontons?"

Luo Changfeng gave a light cough, "All right, all right. I know a place with exceptionally good wonton soup! Let's go!" The two walked ahead, Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue behind; the four had ethereal grace and bearing, the men suave and handsome, the women charming and composed as they strode down the street, drawing much attention.

Though they said they were going to eat wontons, how could Shi Ran possibly eat only wontons? Seeing sugar figurines she wanted to eat, seeing candied haws she wanted to eat, seeing soup dumplings she wanted to eat, and seeing baked cakes she wanted to eat even more!!

Luo Changfeng bought them all in one go, his purse straining, and he lamented, "Shi Ran, are you here to devour Clear Creek Town? Eating this much—can your stomach hold it?"

"It can!" Shi Ran, mouth full of candied haws, looked innocent, "I'm eating just because it's tasty—what does my stomach have to do with it? Senior Brother, why aren't you eating? Don't you think it's good?"

Luo Changfeng patted his pocket—what else could it be? Of course it's empty! Those few bites of yours would earn him three merits, "Why do you ask? It's not like you've stopped eating since you stepped into Clear Creek Town, Miss Beautiful Shi Ran—has your mouth ever stopped?"

He muttered angrily, "Even a pig couldn't eat as much as you—Master, your head must be addled, passing up Sect Leader Luo for you!"

Shi Ran didn't catch the rest, but the remark "Even a pig couldn't eat as much as you" really struck a nerve—she vaguely recalled someone having insulted her like that before, and not just once!

"Senior Brother, why do you say I eat more than a pig? A pig's a pig, I'm me—how could I possibly out-eat a pig?"

Luo Changfeng gave a grim smile, money already eroding his reason, "Whether you can out-eat a pig is something only you knows."

Shi Ran narrowed her eyes, fuming—but with Master absent she couldn't file a complaint, so she turned to Mei Ruoxue and Gu Yusheng for judgment: "Senior Sister, Junior Brother, judge this—we're from the same sect and household, yet Senior Brother Luo claims I can out-eat a pig! I clearly can't, right?"

Mei Ruoxue gave a faint smile; she wasn't yet used to Shi Ran's liveliness, but didn't dislike her either—as long as Shi Ran clung to Gu Yusheng, she could do as she pleased. As for whether she could out-eat a pig, Luo Changfeng certainly had the most say, since he was Shi Ran's defeated subordinate.

Gu Yusheng also remained silent, his right hand always on his sword hilt, eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

"Junior Brother, is there danger here? Why do you keep gripping your sword?" No one answered himself, Shi Ran didn't feel awkward, and immediately posed the next question.

Gu Yusheng didn't want to say it, but recalling Master, he felt he had to speak: "Although an ordinary mortal town shouldn't have demons or monsters…" His gaze fell on the lotus mark on Shi Ran's forehead. "I always feel something's off about this place."

"Come on, come on!" Luo Changfeng, having somehow squeezed back, grabbed Shi Ran and said, "Hurry up and eat the wontons—if they sell out later, you'll accuse me of breaking my promise again!"

The four passed through the bustling streets to a stall beneath an old locust tree, where the stall owner, an old man with a wrinkled face, was deftly wrapping wontons, the dough on the cutting board glistening with a lustrous sheen in the sunlight.

"Boss, four bowls of fresh shrimp wontons here!" Luo Changfeng, familiar with the place, found a seat, tossed a few copper coins onto the wooden table.

Shi Ran sat on a stool imitating the others, curiously observing her surroundings; the neighboring table held a young couple. The wife cradled a babbling infant in her arms, while farther off, several porter-clad men were heartily eating noodles, sweat beading on their foreheads. Such an ordinary yet lively scene should have felt familiar, yet for some reason it seemed as if she were seeing it for the first time.

"Your wontons are ready!" The stall owner placed a bowl of steaming hot wontons before Shi Ran.

The clear broth floated with emerald green scallions, the wonton skins thin as cicada wings faintly revealing pink shrimp; Shi Ran lifted one, blew on it, and gently brought it to her lips. The fresh sweet broth burst on her tongue, the shrimp sprang, the skins smooth and tender, and she happily narrowed her eyes.

"And you still claim you can't out-eat a pig!" Luo Changfeng shook his head. "How is it? Tasty, right?" He said proudly, "I've traveled far and wide, and this place's wontons are the best."

His words trailed off as Shi Ran followed his gaze back, seeing a stooped old woman standing at the stall's edge, holding a bamboo basket. Inside the basket lay several exquisite lotus lamps; the old woman's gaze fixed unblinkingly on Shi Ran, her cloudy eyes flashing a strange light.

"Miss!" the old woman's voice rasped like sandpaper, "Take a lotus lamp—tonight's temple fair will release river lanterns, which can pray for blessings and ward off disaster!"

Shi Ran was about to shake her head when the old woman added, "Miss Shi Ran, I think this style suits you perfectly!"

The air seemed to freeze; all four changed expression simultaneously—this stranger, whom they'd never met, actually called out Shi Ran's name accurately.

Gu Yusheng's sword was already drawn, Mei Ruoxue's hand rested on her You Ge Sword, and Luo Changfeng forced a calm smile, "Granny, you must have mistaken the person—this junior sister of mine is visiting Clear Creek Town for the first time."

The old woman seemed not to hear, taking from the basket a seven-colored lotus lamp that glowed with an odd iridescence in the sunlight. "Seven-Colored Fire Lotus follows heavenly decree; future prospects, bonds unforgotten. This lamp is for the fated one."

Saying this, she shoved the lotus lamp into Shi Ran's hand; the instant her fingertip touched the lamp, its core flared with seven-colored fire, startling her so she almost dropped it.

"Who exactly are you?!" Luo Changfeng bellowed, his Po Yun Sword already drawn.

The old woman, however, turned and left, her form flickering strangely a few times before vanishing into the crowd. Luo Changfeng chased a few steps, looking around, but there was no trace of her.

Shi Ran stared blankly at the lotus lamp burning in her hand, noticing that the flame's color matched exactly the hue of the lotus mark on her forehead.

Gu Yusheng said solemnly, "It seems we can't linger in Clear Creek Town. Let's leave at once."

Mei Ruoxue hesitated, "But… you've already received a distress call—are we really going to abandon the merit?"

Gu Yusheng hadn't spoken yet when Luo Changfeng interjected, "No way—we must participate in tonight's temple fair."

Seeing the three look at him in confusion, Luo Changfeng lowered his voice: "I just probed with my divine sense—this lamp contains no demonic aura, but a hint of immortal fate. Clear Creek Town's temple fair occurs once a century; it's said to hold relics left by ancient sages, and that mist demon is clearly after Shi Ran. In that case, we might find clues at the fair."

Mei Ruoxue furrowed her brows: "But then we must be careful—Master isn't here, it's just us few. Shi Ran, keep this lamp close to your person; don't reveal it lightly!"

Shi Ran nodded, obediently tucking the lotus lamp into her Cosmos Bag, yet she felt the bag grow warm, as if alive.

Night fell; lanterns adorned the central square of Clear Creek Town, crowds thronging. On the stage, folk songs warbled, fragrant breezes drifted by, children waved candied haws as they weaved through the crowd, playing. A scene of peaceful prosperity and lively festivity.