Ch.19: What's this? A Festival?
The afternoon sun hung high, pale but bright, casting a gentle warmth over the forest path.
Winter had arrived quietly this year, not with snow, but with a slow, creeping chill that settled deep into the bones.
Nights dipped to around eight degrees, and days barely reached fourteen.
In weather like this, the afternoon sun was a small blessing, warm enough to soften the cold without blinding the eyes.
Dry leaves cracked underfoot as Lu Sheng and Yun Mo made their way toward Qinglong City.
For a while, neither spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable, just the kind that settled after a long journey.
Eventually, Lu Sheng broke it.
"Is it really fine for you to leave the hunting team without any notice?"
Yun Mo waved him off immediately.
"Relax. Shan Dong's there. And knowing that brat, he's probably already captured spirit beasts for the last few students. They'll be back a day or two after we return."
Lu Sheng raised a brow.
"Mr. Shan Dong?"
His expression practically screamed I don't believe that at all.
Yun Mo chuckled.
"Shan Dong looks clumsy, but when it matters, he's solid. Never failed a mission that counted. You can entrust important things to him."
He stroked his chin. "The kid's only in his early twenties and already level thirty-nine. Give him a month and he'll hit Spirit Ancestor."
Lu Sheng blinked. "Innate soul power level six, wasn't it?"
"Yup," Yun Mo said proudly. "Not a prodigy even by local standards. But that's exactly why he's impressive. Reached this level through pure grinding."
"He'd have been snatched up by the Medicine Hall or Soul Guide Hall if he didn't insist on becoming a city guard."
He snorted. "And even if something does go wrong, we've still got Old Wang. That fossil may be weak, but he's damn good at escape routes and pathfinding."
Lu Sheng laughed lightly. "True."
A short pause followed before he asked, "So why are we returning early? Something happening in the city?"
"No clue," Yun Mo replied. "The City Lord only told me one thing: 'Bring the boy back as soon as possible.'"
Lu Sheng thought it over, but nothing came to mind.
The winter breeze picked up, carrying the faint smell of burning wood.
The city's silhouette emerged between the trees soon after.
But something felt… different.
As they approached, Yun Mo slowed.
"Huh?"
Colorful banners hung from the walls, fluttering gently.
Lantern strings draped across rooftops.
Vendors had already set up stalls near the entrance, selling snacks and folded paper charms.
Children ran circles around the stalls, laughing and chasing each other.
It looked like a festival.
Lu Sheng stared. "Did… something happen?"
"Don't look at me," Yun Mo muttered.
"This wasn't here when we left."
They passed through the gates, greeted by families wearing bright winter scarves, chatting animatedly as they moved between stalls.
Fresh murals covered the main street: dragons, clouds, flowers, spirit beasts. New spirit lamps glowed behind shop windows.
The entire city felt alive, more than usual, brighter than Lu Sheng remembered.
As they walked deeper inside, a group of children darted past, nearly bumping into him.
Some were about his age, others younger—faces full of innocent excitement.
The contrast between this bustling warmth and the quiet, dangerous forest he'd been living in for half a month was… jarring.
Lu Sheng slowed for a moment.
A familiar face rose in his thoughts: silver-white hair, violet eyes, that cute, indignant pout.
'Yao Yao…'
He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until now.
'She must have awakened her martial spirit by now… Right? What did she get?'
He could almost imagine her expression: either proud and glowing or flustered and anxious.
He chuckled under his breath.
Yun Mo shot him a glance.
"What's funny?"
"Nothing," Lu Sheng said, shaking his head.
They continued down the decorated street.
People greeted Yun Mo with warm familiarity.
Some recognized Lu Sheng, though his travel-worn clothes made a few do double-takes.
Soon, the City Lord's Mansion appeared ahead—its gates lined with lanterns and spirit flowers.
Two guards bowed as they approached.
Lu Sheng exhaled quietly.
After half a month in the wilderness, blood, battle, and silent nights by the fire.
He was home.
And judging by the atmosphere, something was waiting for him.
Something big.
...
By the time Lu Sheng and Yun Mo reached the City Lord's Mansion, winter dusk had already begun crawling across the sky.
The air carried a chilled stillness, a quiet reminder that the nights of this season rarely forgave those who lingered outside.
Lanterns lit one by one along the outer courtyard walls, glowing with faint soul power.
Their warm light made the falling temperature feel gentler, softer.
Though the mansion was not decorated, only the surroundings, which were decorated by people themself, gave the city a festival-like atmosphere.
At least he got to know that it was not a formal festival or celebratory event from this.
The mansion looked almost festive under their glow, though Lu Sheng knew that inside those walls, life rarely slowed.
They crossed the courtyard and stepped through the front hall.
Lu Sheng expected to see Zhou Ming seated at his usual spot, reading reports or brewing tea with that half-distracted focus he always carried.
Instead—
Only Lady Li Xueya stood waiting.
She was positioned near the incense burner, back straight, hands folded lightly.
Her dark green robe draped elegantly over her frame, and the silver hairpin holding her hair in place gleamed faintly in the lanternlight.
Her presence alone carried authority.
Calm, sharp, and refined.
Elegant as always.
Sensing two presences getting closer, a soul master and a Peak Soul King, she raised her gaze to see who the guests were.
Yun Mo, seeing Li Xueya, bowed a little, giving a quiet salute.
She only spared a little glance at him as her eye fell on the other person.
But the moment her gaze landed on Lu Sheng, her eyes somewhat softened.
Getting back at Yun Mo, she spoke.
"City Lord is unavailable," she said, voice cool but not unkind.
"He will not return until late tonight. Captain Yun Mo, bring your report tomorrow morning."
Yun Mo immediately bowed with military crispness.
"Yes, Lady Li."
He shot Lu Sheng a glance, half amusement, half sympathy, before slipping out through the side door.
Clearly, he was one of the people who believed the rumors outside about Lu Sheng not being liked and all.
The door closed with a soft click.
And the instant it did—
Li Xueya's cold demeanor cracked like thin ice.
She crossed the hall in two quick, elegant steps, far quicker than someone of her level could ever move.
In two steps, she crossed over 10 meters, appearing directly in front of Lu Sheng and grabbing his shoulders.
Her voice changed entirely.
"Sheng'er!"
Gone was the icy authority.
Gone was the dignified composure.
She became every bit the doting grandmother she had always been to him.
"Were you hurt anywhere? Any bruises?"
She cupped his cheek.
"Did you fall? Did some fool let you overexert yourself?"
"Grandma Li, I'm fine—"
"Hold still," she ordered, ignoring his words entirely.
Suddenly, 8 colorful spirit rings appeared around her.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black.
The 4th ring lit up, and something miraculous happened.
A jade-green light spread across her palms as she activated her healing spirit skill.
Warmth flooded his meridians, pushing away even the faintest strain he hadn't realized was there.
Even his mind felt fully energized.
'An all-purpose healing spirit skill!' Lu Sheng mentally exclaimed.
Realizing he had once again underestimated the old lady.
Not knowing his astonishment at her skills effect.
Li Xueya carefully overused the skill multiple times.
Really an overkill, or was it an overheal?
"Half a month in the forest… honestly, I worried myself sick. God knows what Zhou Ming is thinking, deciding to send a six-year-old into the forest all by himself."
"Really, I didn't get hurt—"
"Hush."
She pinched his cheek lightly.
"I raised not only you but also raised Yueling. Always running around like a wild beast, causing trouble everywhere. I can sense when a kid is lying."
She said in a tone that said, 'You don't need to lie, you know.'
She squeezed his upper arm.
Then paused.
"…Harder?"
She pressed his shoulder.
"…Denser?"
Her brows shot up in real shock.
"Your physique… this is comparable to a peak Spirit Elder."
She circled him, examining him like a priceless relic.
"No. Bone density—muscle structure… this is already comparable to a Spirit Ancestor with top-tier beast-type martial spirit."
She straightened slowly.
Hands on her hips.
Eyes narrowed.
And then suddenly, the first spirit ring around her lit up.
Followed by another transformation.
Her eyes turned golden, and he could feel a large amount of energy being concentrated in her pupils.
And as she observed his body, Lu Sheng could feel that even deep in his bones was visible for her to see.
Even the smallest section of his body was clearly visible to her.
"What exactly did you eat out there?"
Lu Sheng answered without the slightest humor.
"…Food. Mostly grilled."
She stared at him.
Her expression said, quite plainly: Do I look stupid?
But she didn't push further.
She knew that the transformation that happened in here was not only because of absorbing a spirit ring over the limit.
That was one way of strengthening the body, but most of the credit still belonged to the martial spirit and how it was cultivated.
It almost felt like his martial spirit itself had evolved.
But that was even more impossible.
Lu Sheng had a Divine-grade martial spirit, not a trash grade, which, upon absorbing a spirit ring of a thousand-year age, could evolve like it was a normal thing.
Let alone a thousand years, even two or three matching attribute spirit rings of over 100,000 years did not have enough origin power to trigger an evolution for divine-grade martial spirit.
And even then, his aura was still the same.
And there was obviously no problem with his body.
"Sigh, alright. I won't ask you what you did, just tell me about when you feel like saying it."
She said not minding his secrets.
She will let Zhou Ming and Zhou Yueling have a look at his condition for themself.
Now she really wanted to see their expression when they saw him.
If they choose not to question him yet, she would respect their decision.
Instead, she sighed, softened again, and gently smoothed his hair.
"So, how about it, Grandma Li. Don't you want to know what spirit skill I got?"
Lu Sheng said, seeing her drop the topic, with a brilliant purple spirit ring surrounding his body.
Li Xueya, with her spirit skill still on, clearly saw through the spirit skills' age.
5,000 years old.
"..."
She was too stunned to speak.
Quietly turning off the spirit skill and absorbing the spirit rings back into her body.
She realized there were enough surprises for today, so she told him to rest for now.
"You must be exhausted, Sheng'er. Rest for tonight. Your master and your grandfather will be here tomorrow. Rather than repeating the same thing, tell us all then."
Lu Sheng blinked.
"You're not really curious?"
She waved him away.
"Though I am curious, but not enough to spoil your fun. Go take some rest."
With that, she nudged him toward the inner courtyard, half lovingly, half impatiently.
He could only sigh and obey.