The Unruly Immortals

As dusk gradually deepened, the Capital City began to brim with lanterns of all shapes and sizes.

As if competing in some contest, the more grandiose the shop, the more lavish and exquisite the lanterns hanging at its entrance.

On the lanterns' panels, apart from some landscape paintings, there were also riddles written, specifically for nocturnal wanderers to guess.

Groups of people gathered around the lanterns, constantly guessing.

Those who guessed correctly, amidst the envy of others, gleefully took down the delicate lanterns and brought them home.

Those who did not guess the answer bowed and retreated in shame amidst the surrounding laughter and teasing.

One sang its part and then the next took the stage; the whole Capital City was abuzz with excitement.

Guiding his horse, Li Huowang slightly sidestepped to avoid children running up from behind. One girl carried a Lanhua lantern, while a boy rode a bamboo horse, both with joyous smiles on their faces.

Is this a trick of the Astrological Bureau? The Capital City had been devastated by Doumu before, yet in just a few months, it had nearly completely recovered.

After observing for a while, Li Huowang turned to Bai Lingmiao, who was sitting in the carriage, and asked, "The Capital City is not enforcing a curfew tonight, what festival is being celebrated today?"

"Brother Li, it's the Shangsi Festival," replied Bai Lingmiao, her voice soft as she read her book.

"The Shangsi Festival?" Li Huowang quickly found the memory of this festival in Hong Zhong's Record of Appearance. This was the day when girls of "hairpin age" held their hairpin ceremonies.

On this day, adults would dress up the fifteen-year-old girls at home, eat flower cakes, drink flower tea, and eat black rice before going out for a walk, and wear pomegranate flowers in their hair to pray to the gods of happiness for a good marriage in the future.

Once girls had undergone the hairpin ceremony, they had to be mindful of the proper distance between men and women; they could no longer show their faces in public as freely.

Moreover, after the ceremony, matchmakers could come to propose marriage.

"The Shangsi Festival..." murmuring the name of the festival, Li Huowang headed toward the house that Record of Appearance had given him earlier.

Just as he was about to reach the alley entrance, Li Huowang suddenly saw Zhuge Yuan blocking his path.

"Hm? What's the matter? Could it be an ambush?!" Murderous intent filled Li Huowang's eyes in an instant, his muscles tensing up immediately.

Zhuge Yuan sighed lightly and shook his head slightly before nodding gently toward Bai Lingmiao in the carriage.

Upon seeing Bai Lingmiao's despondent expression at that moment, Li Huowang instantly understood what Zhuge Yuan was trying to convey. "Miaomiao, you haven't had your hairpin ceremony on the Shangsi Festival before?"

Bai Lingmiao shook her head gently, "No, during the Shangsi Festival when I came of age, I had already been abducted by Master Danyang."

Hearing this, Li Huowang walked in the direction where Zhuge Yuan was pointing with his folding fan, to a vendor selling pomegranate flowers.

When he returned, he placed the deep orange-red pomegranate flower among the white strands of Bai Lingmiao's hair.

"It's alright, since you missed it in the past, I'll make it up for you today!"

Before Bai Lingmiao could hesitate, Li Huowang took her hand and headed toward a nearby extravagant tailor's shop.

Li Sui also wanted to follow, but was immediately stopped by Li Huowang. "Li Sui, take the carriage home!"

By the time Bai Lingmiao emerged from the tailor's shop once more, her simple white clothes had undergone a dramatic transformation.

A light-colored silk skirt, a water poppy-colored sash, topped with a purple and blue hibiscus trailing skirt with a tight waist and flaring sleeves that dragged on the ground, made her instantly attract many gazes as soon as she appeared on the street.

The tailor's shop had clearly prepared for the Shangsi Festival well in advance; the ready-made garments were all in dimensions suitable for young ladies and fit Bai Lingmiao perfectly.

But evidently, Bai Lingmiao wasn't accustomed to being stared at, and anxiously she kept picking at the delicate orchids embroidered on her sleeve with her fingernails. "Brother Li, why are they looking at me…"

"Because you are beautiful. You're the most beautiful in the entire Capital City. What's next? Right, eat flower cakes, drink flower tea, have black rice! Don't worry about anything tonight, just be happy and enjoy this festival that belongs to you!"

Bai Lingmiao was initially reserved, but as she was swept up in the festive atmosphere around her and guided by Li Huowang, a smile gradually appeared on her face, blending into the bustling street scene.

She wandered the bustling streets of the Capital City with Li Huowang, admiring the sights, solving lantern riddles, and savoring the flower cakes.

At this moment, she wore beautiful clothes, savored delicious treats, and enjoyed the fleeting yet immense joy of it all.

Li Huowang and Zhuge Yuan stood side by side behind, watching Bai Lingmiao's silhouette as she tried her hand at pitching pots in the distance, as well as the focus on her face.

"Snap!" The words "born with talent" on the folding fan dispersed as Zhuge Yuan fanned himself. "Brother Li, it seems your confidante has something on her mind."

Li Huowang, with a complex expression, nodded slightly. "I know, I know..."

"Do you need this young master to help you solve your troubles?"

"Brother Zhuge, I know you're well-read, but this matter is something you can't help with, and for now, I don't have any good solutions either. I can only leave it to time and hope that time will take everything away."

While the two men were casually chatting, Li Huowang's attention was drawn to a young man holding a jade cat, heading their way.

The person had a fair complexion, delicate features with a hint of handsomeness, and his crescent moon-white clothes gave him a touch of elegance.

While it was common to see many girls on the street and even more men out to see the girls, what was strange was that Li Huowang couldn't see through his "Ten Emotions and Eight Miseries," which was very abnormal.

Moreover, the young man was followed by several tall servants, whom to Li Huowang's surprise, he also couldn't see through clearly.

As the distance between them closed, Li Huowang became uneasy. "Who are they? Why are they disguised and approaching me? Could it be that my Xinsu identity has been exposed?"

Just as Li Huowang was pondering this, the young man turned on his heel and entered a jade shop by the road. Li Huowang approached quietly, feeling a little uneasy.

Once closer, Li Huowang found that the young man was apparently asking the shopkeeper to appraise his jade cat.

Listening to the shopkeeper's ceaseless praise for the jade cat in his arms, the young man looked exceptionally pleased. "Haha, well... Young Master does have a good eye, a thing purchased for five hundred taels is actually worth five thousand!"

As the young man left, the servants around him began endlessly flattering him, boosting his happiness even further.

Seeing that they did not glance in his direction at all and walked straight away, Li Huowang thought to himself, "What's going on? Could it be that they were just passing by?"

"Am I being overly anxious?" Just as Li Huowang was contemplating this question, he suddenly noticed that the young man was actually walking towards Bai Lingmiao!

Without hesitation, Li Huowang dashed forward, the Copper Coin Sword already drawn, ready to strike if the other showed any unusual movement.

"My lady, I bid you good day." The young man's eyes shone as he stared intently at her white hair.