Chapter 149: Auspicious Sign

While others at the banquet were still toasting each other, Prince Jin quietly approached his teacher, Li Mushu.

Prince Jin whispered, "Teacher, it seems my elder brother upset Father tonight, which is why he unexpectedly came to my residence..."

Li Mushu shushed him. "Hush... Your Highness, say no more. Just pretend you don't know."

Li Mushu's gaze was fixed on the Emperor, his voice quiet but his words carrying significant weight. Prince Jin trusted him implicitly.

"By the way," Prince Jin said, turning to Yin Zhaoxian, who was seated on Li Mushu's other side, "are you enjoying the food at my humble banquet?"

Yin Zhaoxian, at least on the surface, didn't appear overly constrained. He quickly put down his chopsticks and cupped his hands in a respectful bow towards Prince Jin.

"Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness," Yin Zhaoxian replied. "All the dishes and wine are exquisite. It's just that this seat still feels quite hot to sit on..."

Seeing that Yin Zhaoxian could still make a joke, Prince Jin nodded with a smile.

"Please don't be so reserved, Yin Jieyuan," Prince Jin said. "Everyone in the capital's court knows my temperament. My invited friends don't hold any important official positions, so it's not considered forming factions for personal gain. As a commoner, you certainly don't need to worry about that."

Hearing these words directly from Prince Jin, Yin Zhaoxian felt a warmth spread through his back, but it also brought him some peace of mind.

"Haha," Prince Jin chuckled, "speaking of a hot seat, the storyteller over there is likely feeling it more than you."

Yin Zhaoxian followed his gaze to a table about seven or eight zhang away. The storyteller there clearly didn't even dare to drink his tea.

The Emperor, at that moment, was completely unaware that, to an ordinary person's eyes, there were two immortals within the banquet hall. He was currently questioning the storyteller about what happens to mortals after death.

"Mr. Wang," the Emperor asked, "do you know if people truly go to the Underworld after death? And where is this Underworld located?"

The storyteller, Wang Li, found this short period of facing the Emperor more exhausting than performing several oral storytelling sessions. The crucial point was his intense nervousness; he dared not make a single mistake.

"To answer Your Majesty," he replied, "I've heard that the Underworld is the abode of souls. Before death, an underworld messenger comes to guide them. As a mere mortal, I don't know its exact location, but I've heard it's connected to the City Gods of various regions. In folk tales, the deities in the City God temples judge a person's merits and demerits in life to determine their fate after death, as there are judges within the temples."

The Emperor stroked his beard and drank his wine, his mind wandering. With a smile, he questioned the storyteller again.

"I, too, have read many historical records," the Emperor said. "Most City Gods were established by local villagers, and some were posthumously canonized officials with virtue and talent from past dynasties. My ancestor, Emperor Zhengyuan, even once issued an edict commanding the City Gods to appear, but the temples contained nothing but clay statues. How could a true deity appear?"

The storyteller was at a loss for how to reply. He was a wanderer who collected stories from all over and possessed some unique insights, but at this moment, he dared neither contradict the Emperor nor comment on the City Gods.

The Emperor continued, asking if legendary immortal mountains truly held immortals, if dragon palaces genuinely existed in rivers and seas, and if there was a way to summon divine beings or immortal elders. However, no matter how vast the storyteller's knowledge or how vivid his descriptions, he was, after all, a mortal. The subsequent conversation left the Emperor rather dissatisfied.

After a while, the Emperor finally released the storyteller, ordering the screen to be moved back into place and the storyteller to resume his tales.

Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon had, by then, moved from their round table to behind the screen. They observed the storyteller's back; despite the cold weather, it was soaked with sweat.

The Old Dragon chuckled, "Among mortals, this man can be considered quite knowledgeable. He even hit upon some truths regarding ghosts, gods, spirits, and demons."

While the Emperor was dissatisfied with the storyteller's somewhat ambiguous answers, Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon viewed him differently. For instance, when he spoke of "wild ghosts" pestering people for "water rice," and the folk method of "standing chopsticks in gruel" and throwing it outside backwards – the storyteller described it quite accurately.

Ji Yuan also smiled. "It's a pity the Emperor wasn't seeking these minor folk remedies. He desires to achieve immortality and eternal life!"

"Heh heh," the Old Dragon interjected, "he's obtained all the benefits the mortal world offers, yet he remains unsatisfied. Such is a human monarch!" There was no sarcasm in his tone, merely a statement of fact.

The Emperor returned to his seat to eat and drink, as hot, fresh dishes were continuously brought from the kitchen.

It was a long-standing custom in Dazhen to "observe the New Year's Eve." At Prince Jin's manor, with wine, food, and entertainment, the banquet was set to last until midnight. The kitchen would also remain busy past midnight, ensuring that hot dishes were served whenever the Prince and the Emperor took their chopsticks.

As the Hai hour drew to a close, Ji Yuan felt the energies of heaven and earth churning, indicating distinct changes during the transition from the old year to the new.

"The hour approaches! Prepare for the ceremony!" a servant shouted loudly at the entrance.

Upon hearing this, even the Emperor put down his chopsticks. The zithers, harps, and lutes inside the hall all ceased playing, awaiting the arrival of the New Year.

Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon had already stepped outside. Ji Yuan, with wide-open eyes, gazed at the heaven and earth. Within the gray haze, clear qi accumulated and ascended, while turbid qi descended and dissipated. It was as if a new space was being torn open between heaven and earth, or as if clear qi, like hanging clouds, rose into the sky, drawing back a curtain.

The human essence of the entire capital region also continuously surged, seemingly clashing with the gray haze in the air, causing the clear and turbid qi to churn and roll.

"So this is how the old gives way to the new!" Ji Yuan exclaimed, his sigh filled with emotion.

The Old Dragon also watched the sky and earth with wide eyes, but he could, at most, perceive a peculiar pulsation. He clearly sensed that what Ji Yuan saw was entirely different from his own perception, yet he hesitated to ask what it was.

"Crackling, crackling, crackling..."

Firecrackers began to sound throughout the capital, growing increasingly dense. Even at the entrance of Prince Jin's manor, servants lit long strings of firecrackers.

Perhaps fireworks did not exist in this era, otherwise, the sky above the capital would undoubtedly have been exceptionally brilliant.

As he observed the once-a-year transformation of heaven and earth, the Five Elements qi within Ji Yuan's body became increasingly active. With each breath, five colors even manifested around his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Heat also emanated from the Samadhi True Fire within his metaphorical dan furnace, making the central courtyard of Prince Jin's manor warm as spring.

The Old Dragon stepped back a couple of paces, a strange expression on his face.

No wonder Ji Yuan was so reluctant to go to the Water Mansion; it turned out that even the annual transition of the years could be used for cultivation. Truly, a strange person with wondrous methods, something he had never heard of before.

Moreover, while this burst of heat was merely warmth, it contained a certain sensation that even a true dragon's body would be wary of, seemingly a formidable esoteric art.

A green vine sword had already flown into the sky on its own. In communion with Ji Yuan's mind, it seemed to perceive what he saw, darting about in the sky to capture clear qi for him. As the immortal sword stirred the heavens, a wisp of cloud qi immediately swept down.

Though insignificant in the vast expanse of heaven and earth, it contained a unique rhythm and aura.

Several chess pieces had already appeared, and the cloud qi, drawn by them, was swiftly guided into Ji Yuan's body, directly flowing into his metaphorical Mountain and River of Intent, where it was drawn into the dan furnace.

The Samadhi True Fire within the furnace was like an ordinary fire being fueled, bursting forth and overflowing even from the star-shaped openings on the furnace body.

At this moment, the heat around Ji Yuan intensified even further. Even the Old Dragon subconsciously took another half-step back, and all the ice and snow in Prince Jin's central courtyard completely melted...

"Spring Festival, Spring Festival, the first day of spring, clear qi ushers in the New Year, and all things flourish!"

While the Old Dragon was still in awe, he heard Ji Yuan utter this inexplicable phrase.

As if realizing something, the Old Dragon looked down at his surroundings. He noticed that in the central garden of the Prince's manor, some plants had rapidly sprouted new branches and grown, with some even forming visible flower buds, ready to bloom.

"Mr. Ji, you..."

Before the Old Dragon could finish his astonished words, a servant from the manor, passing by with food, suddenly screamed.

"Ah...! The garden is blooming! The flowers in the garden have opened! The garden, truly... ah!"

The female attendant was incoherent. Soon after, other servants arrived with lanterns to investigate more closely. Indeed, they saw the entire garden lush with green, and even red flowers in full bloom.

"It's true!" "The flowers have really bloomed!"

"A heavenly omen! A heavenly omen!"

The servants' excited shouts faintly reached the banquet hall, but they were somewhat muffled and unclear to those inside.

His own manor staff shouting loudly on such an auspicious day made Prince Jin frown deeply, fearing his imperial father might be displeased.

However, before he could inquire about the commotion, a manor steward hurried into the banquet hall and explained the reason for the servants' excitement.

Emperor Yuande was the first to stand up. "Such a thing exists?" he exclaimed.

Everyone else also looked on in disbelief, while the steward guaranteed his words.

"To Your Majesty, to Your Highness," the steward declared, "this is absolutely true. If you open the door and look outside, you'll see. If it's false, you may take this humble servant's head!"

"Good! Let's go see!"

Both the Emperor and the guests stood up impatiently.

"Your Majesty, quickly put this on!"

The Empress took the Emperor's cloak from a servant. He hastily put it on and headed straight for the banquet hall's main door. Naturally, no one dared to walk ahead of the Emperor.

Servants from the manor led the way with lanterns, followed by the guests. Within seven or eight breaths, they had entered the central courtyard garden.

Looking around, they indeed saw that the ice and snow in the courtyard had melted, giving way to lush greenery, and red flowers were blooming, subtly diffusing their fragrance.

"Such a thing, such a thing actually happened!" the Emperor murmured, astonished and excited.

The other guests could also not suppress their shock.

"Your Majesty, this is a heavenly omen!" "It truly is an auspicious sign!"

"This banquet was truly worth attending today!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Prince Jin!"

"Heaven bless our Dazhen!"

Amidst the accolades, the Emperor seemed to realize something. After looking around, he suddenly shouted loudly, "I am Yuande Emperor of Dazhen! If there are divine beings here, I humbly ask you to appear. I shall build temples and grant you imperial decrees, ensuring you forever receive offerings from the mortal world!"

Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon, who were almost within arm's reach of Emperor Yuande, were momentarily stunned. The Old Dragon chuckled and looked at Ji Yuan, who shook his head with a touch of helplessness.

"Let's go, there's nothing more to see here," Ji Yuan said.

With that, Ji Yuan walked over to Yin Zhaoxian, who had also come out with the crowd. He flicked a finger, and a tiny remnant of clear qi entered Yin Zhaoxian's forehead, causing his righteous aura to glow brightly.

Yin Zhaoxian, who had initially been astonished by the changes in the garden, suddenly felt as if pure spring water had nourished him, yet without any chill. He felt utterly refreshed and invigorated.

As his righteous aura surged, his vision blurred for a moment, and he vaguely saw two figures walking away, their backs somewhat familiar.

But when he focused his gaze again, the blurriness vanished, and before him were only the manor's pavilions, with no figures in sight.

"Was that Mr. Ji?"

Li Mushu, standing nearby, heard the murmur. He turned his head to look at Yin Zhaoxian and sensed that the man now possessed a clear, distinct, and extraordinary presence.

As for the Emperor's repeated shouts, naturally, no divine beings responded.