Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

Chapter 673 Visitors Still Come as Guests

Xue Lan said she hated someone, but there wasn't much disgust in her tone.

Instead, he wore a slightly relaxed smile.

So Li Qing continued, "That senior's cultivation was extraordinary, and Li Qing was no match for him. Before he left Qinglin River, he told me that a red fish festival was held every year on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month in the Qinglin River area... I'm informing you of this, young lady."

"After all, the girl is the red fish."

Miss Xue, the red-fish girl, gazed at the multi-storied ship opposite her, and after a long while, she finally spoke:

"Go ahead and do it, he's not a bad person."

He's someone I dislike, but not a bad person.

This is Xue Lan's evaluation of Shang Xun.

Although this Japanese lord has been causing trouble for me ever since he appeared, Xue Lan owes him a favor regarding the Red Fish Society matter.

Since Xue Lan left, the people of the Qinglin River basin have worshipped the red fish as the guardian deity of children, and over time they have accumulated some incense offerings and prayers. Unfortunately, Xue Lan was like duckweed, drifting from place to place for decades, traveling far and wide without ever looking back.

Naturally, there was no time to come up with an honorific title for himself and to receive offerings from countless families.

But things are different with temple fairs.

The goddesses at the Red Fish Festival are given titles, signifying that they have established their own temples in the Qinglin River basin and formally entered into a contract with mortals.

You offer me incense and prayers; may you never forget me for all eternity.

Shang Xun had already guessed her plan and gave her a way to establish other connections.

"What is the girl's title?" Li Qing asked softly from behind Xue Lan, his tone filled with anticipation.

"A title?" Xue Lan turned to look at Li Qing, her gray-white pupils reflecting the moonlight, clear and bright.

Xue Lan said cheerfully, "Don't they call me Lady Red Fish?"

"That's...it?" Li Qing was somewhat surprised.

Xue Lan turned around with a flick of her sleeve: "That's it, no need for a statue. Just use that big red fish."

Li Qing could understand using a red fish as an honorific title, but she simply couldn't comprehend the idea of ​​using a large red fish for a deity statue.

"After all, the young lady is an immortal; if she doesn't even have a title or a statue associated with her..."

Li Qing hesitated, but Xue Lan understood what she meant.

It's basically saying, "How can you be so shameless as to use fish all the time? What will people think of you when they're making offerings?"

"Lord Dragon Lord," Xue Lan revealed a set of neat, white teeth, "That's it. Don't think I'm just a fish; when Xue Lan truly uses this incense, whatever they want me to be, that's what I will be!"

When the time comes, all three souls and seven spirits will be burned away, leaving only fate and magic. Xue Lan will be so happy that she will jump for joy if she can even make a triangle.

Unfortunately, Lady Li disagreed.

This was the first time Lady Li had ever disobeyed her benefactor, but she did it with practiced ease.

"If you find the matter too troublesome, Miss, the matter of the title and the statue can be handled by Li Qing... I certainly won't..."

They would never allow Xue Lan to receive offerings while wearing the fish head.

Xue Lan thought to herself that Li Qing was overthinking things. If she knew that Li Qing wasn't human, she would explode.

But then I thought about it.

Dragons, after all, naturally have a certain arrogance.

That's how she always encounters people.

Xue Lan said hesitantly, "Oh dear, I just asked you to take my friend to experience the Dragon's Might, and now you're going to hold the Red Fish Festival."

"Isn't this too much trouble for Your Highness?"

The Goddess of the River said with a serious expression, "Miss, don't feel guilty. Li Qing is not a trouble at all."

Lord Dragon looked at Xue Lan very seriously, and could see a hint of death in the woman's thin body.

But she didn't say it out loud.

Li Qing had been the River God for a thousand eight hundred years, so she naturally knew what it meant for heaven to be jealous of talent, and what it meant for extreme wisdom to bring misfortune. Humans, being the most intelligent of all beings, naturally had a higher capacity for absorbing spiritual energy and comprehending laws than demons like her.

But Heaven is ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.

Give a person wisdom, and you diminish their physical strength; give a demon a physical strength, and you bestow upon them fierce thunder.

If I give you one thing, I will take away another. Heaven's way is impartial; all living beings and things are like dust beneath its feet in its eyes.

If you miss this step, you'll definitely be able to step on it next time.

Even Xue Lan was no exception.

Li Qing had previously been hesitant about the Red Fish Society. Although he had sent his men to spread the word, he always wanted to obtain Xue Lan's consent and discuss it with the surrounding mountain gods and city gods before he could begin.

But looking at the deathly aura emanating from Xue Lan, she knew that the sooner the better.

This can be considered as repaying Xue Lan's kindness in guiding him to become a dragon back then.

Having received Xue Lan's permission, Li Qing couldn't stay any longer, fearing that if he hesitated even a moment, Xue Lan would die on the spot at Qinglin River. He hastily took his leave to prepare for the Red Fish Gathering.

Before this, in order to keep Xue Lan from getting bored, he had arranged for her to have a playmate.

A giant green snake's head emerged from the river water, and Xue Lan asked with a smile, "What's your name, young lady?"

The green snake flicked its tongue and uttered a clear, cold female voice: "My name is Qu Qing."

"Qinglin River has fourteen bends, and you all have the surname Qu?" Xue Lan said with a smile, then stepped directly onto the snake's back.

"Thank you, Miss Aqing, for taking me to Shaoyi County."

The green snake nodded and headed upstream into the river.

Autumn had arrived, and the further north one went, the colder it became. A chilly autumn rain fell in Shaoyi County, and the night was desolate with no pedestrians on the long streets.

Suddenly, a short figure wearing a raincoat appeared in the drizzling autumn rain.

The middle-aged man, carrying a small glass lantern, showed his token to the soldiers guarding the city gate.

"Lord Cao!" The city guards bowed respectfully to the newcomer.

"We have to leave the city again!"

"If you can't write it down, go outside the city and take a look." Cao Yike stroked his beard a couple of times, then lightly leaped onto the city wall, and in no time he was outside.

Light as a swift.

"team leader."

A curious young sergeant spoke up:

"Why does Lord Cao go out of the city as soon as it rains? What is he doing?"

"All you do is ask questions! Stand up straight!"

Cao Yike nimbly skimmed over the blades of grass, the lamp in her hand not even twitching. She landed so lightly that there wasn't a sound.

Time flies like water, and more than a decade has passed in a flash. Mingtou and Dandao are gone, and Wuchang has been transferred to the capital to become the chief constable.

He used to be a lowly coroner who ran errands and wrote books, but now he's addressed as Lord Cao.

Life hasn't changed, it's just that as I get older, I have trouble sleeping and I can't write anymore.

I just like to go outside the city to explore.

Gently parting the dense grass, a grave came into view, everything as usual. Knee-high grass grew on it, and three sticks of incense burned on the stone altar in front…

Wait, it smells good!

Burning incense!

Cao Yike's eyes widened suddenly as she stared intently at the three sticks of incense still burning in the rainy night, a chill running down her spine.

"Crack!"

Behind her came the sound of dry branches being crushed. Cao Yike gripped the dart in her sleeve and slowly turned around. From bottom to top, what came into view was a light blue hem of clothing.

"Cao Wuzuo."

The woman's round, endearing eyebrows and eyes gradually became clearer in my memory, and her clear, pleasant voice entered my ears, just as it had been many years ago, unchanged.

Cao Yike bowed to Xue Lan, shaking the glass lamp in her hand twice.

"Miss Xue!"

After many years apart, immortals and mortals meet again.

Xue Lan smiled gently, raised the food box in her hand, and shook it: "Want some?"

Cao Yike smiled and strode forward.

This night is not the same as before, but the visitors are still the same guests.