...

A river channel also meandered through the city center, and countless talented scholars, young ladies from wealthy families, and beautiful courtesans also rowed boats and released river lanterns on this river surface. Each river lantern had an exquisite and varied shape, spinning gently as they drifted southwards with the current.

Along both banks of the river were buildings housing restaurants and inns. Standing there, one could open a window and see the brightly lit scene of children playing happily.

Lu Qing's location was on the second floor of an inn by the bank. Looking down, there was the river, and beside the river was a wide avenue. Along the spacious avenue were vendors selling lanterns, flower lanterns, and river lanterns, people guessing lantern riddles, vendors selling snacks like candied hawthorns, and even dice-guessing competitions...

Leaving these aside for now, Lu Qing's gaze fell upon them, but was quickly drawn to something else.

"Dong dong dong—"

Three short, two long, three quick, three knocks.

A long and earth-shattering sound of gongs and drums first burst in from the end of the street.

Amidst the noisy night, a streak of something that looked like fire or light appeared right after.

A giant head with two horns appeared on the main street.

Dragon head, dragon claws, dragon scales...

Lifelike.

A swimming dragon appeared from below, its body large and slender, glowing all over, as it moved through the street.

This caused a stir among the crowd.

"My heavens, is that a dragon?!"

"Hahaha, this is our Tianxia City's Swimming Dragon Festival! We'll have it tonight, tomorrow night, and the night after!" A local person said excitedly, proudly introducing it to outsiders.

This kind of spectacle could only be achieved in their Tianxia City.

"It's too beautiful!"

"That dragon is too majestic!"

"So it's the Swimming Dragon Festival!"

"No wonder it's been so lively these past two days!"

The swimming dragon was made of an entire bone structure, constructed like a lantern. First, a frame was built using special wood and bamboo, then dyed fabric and paper leaves were meticulously applied piece by piece. This process was also called 'painting the skin'.

From bone to skin, and then to the final lighting of the lanterns, every step was extremely professional and standardized. Lu Qing listened to the explanations of the people downstairs and gained a general understanding of the process.

However, although Lu Qing was an amateur, as a cultivator, he could see that the eyes of this swimming dragon carried a trace of talismanic energy.

This made the dragon's eyes shine brightly, and ignoring the body without flesh and blood, it was as if the eyes had suddenly come alive.

This trace of energy was what made this Swimming Dragon Festival stand out, allowing them to claim that only their Tianxia City could achieve it. This claim was indeed not false.

Just the skill of dotting the dragon's eyes was remarkable.

Lu Qing had also seen a True Dragon, and this wisp of energy already had a trace of its form and intent.

A trace of a True Dragon's form and intent was not simple.

As soon as the Swimming Dragon Festival appeared,

Lu Qing looked at the night sky. The dark energy that would descend with the night seemed to be startled by the sound of the gongs and drums, and as the swimming dragon appeared, they collectively and consistently moved away from the city center, which was now as brightly lit as daytime.

This was quite similar in principle to setting off firecrackers during the New Year.

Lu Qing's gaze remained fixed.

"Big Brother, there are so many people here, let's leave first."

"Yes, Big Brother, with so many people here, we're finished if we get stepped on!"

In a corner of a small alley, voices appeared, but no figures could be seen inside.

Only several white mice huddled together. Seeing the fireworks rising outside and the lantern dragon that seemed to be swimming in mid-air, these white-furred mice also began to chatter and squeak softly.

"Stop arguing, stop arguing."

The largest white-furred mouse had a proud and calm demeanor. If one ignored the trembling of its hind legs hidden in the shadow of the wall corner, just looking at its appearance, it was indeed very calm, as if the people outside were not scary at all.

"Do you think I wouldn't have thought of what you're thinking?"

Big Brother's words made sense, and the other white-furred mice also stopped.

"Now is the best time. Look, everyone has gone to see the swimming dragon. We can go into their houses now and get something to eat."

Big Brother waved his front paw, his bean-sized eyes looking towards the houses.

"Big Brother is so right!"

"Amazing, amazing! Big Brother must have planned to find food today."

"But, but, isn't it bad to steal from others?"

One of the white-furred mice weakly raised its front paw.

The other white-furred mice glared at it.

Another white-furred mouse looked lost.

"Nonsense!"

"We're not just taking things for free!"

"Didn't we pick up a few round copper coins in the sewer a few days ago? We'll use those to pay."

"Yeah, it's been days since we've had a proper meal."

"We're mice. Why could we just take things before, but not now?"

Big Brother white-furred mouse choked up. Its not-so-large brain couldn't process such complex questions for the moment.

"Hmph!"

"Before, we didn't have brains. Now that we have brains, we can't do that anymore." It could only recall what the storyteller's refined spirits had said.

Lights filled the sky, and fireworks bloomed in the night sky.

These fragmented words were unknown to others.

Lu Qing looked towards the wall over there, deep in thought.

Lu Qing happened to overhear this group of small demons talking. It was no wonder, as the corner of the wall they were standing against was the wall of the courtyard of the inn where he was staying.

It was not strange for Lu Qing to hear them talking.

The night gradually grew darker, and the liveliness below reached its peak as midnight approached, the most bustling moment of the Swimming Dragon Festival.

Brilliant fireworks soared into the sky, with whooshing sounds flying towards the heavens.

"Hmph, there are actually demons here! Watch me eliminate demons and monsters!"

Lu Qing hadn't expected that, not yet asleep, he would encounter a classic and clichéd scene of demon-slaying.

"Great Monk, spare us! We are good demons! We have never harmed anyone!"

"Yes! Yes! We even saved people!"

"Don't kill me, don't kill me!"

The young Monk frowned tightly. His eyes naturally saw that these mouse demons had no bloody aura. Otherwise, if he had struck them down with a single blow, they certainly wouldn't have been able to speak.

"Hmph, I will spare you for now. Behave yourselves. If you assist evil and become wicked demons in the future, I will personally take your heads!"

The Monk's Killing Intent was fierce.

Scared, the group of white-furred mice patted their chests in reassurance.

"Another connection of destiny."

Lu Qing looked over. The entanglement of Karma here seemed to be happening constantly.

...