Wandering Gods of Day and Night

...

"Quite lively with the smoke and mirrors of ordinary life."

In his past life, Zhou Xuan always loved watching crowds, strolling through snack streets and temple fairs. The cries of street vendors and the chatter of the crowd intertwined, always managing to dissolve the loneliness most effectively.

He wandered from East Street to West Street, and someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "Make way for the dragon! Step aside!"

Immediately, the visitors scattered to both sides, those with no place to stand squeezed under the eaves of the shops. The bustling street cleared out instantly to make space for the Dragon Lantern Team's performance.

Zhou Xuan also stood in the crowd on the side of the street, looking into the distance, where he saw a pale yellow dragon lantern twisting and turning forward under the control of twenty to thirty people.

"Ooo-hoo, ooo-hoo."

The members of the Dragon Lantern Team let out strange cries, mimicking the roar of a dragon.

The captain controlling the dragon's head required incredible physical strength; without arms capable of exerting hundreds of pounds of force, the dragon's head would lack flexibility, the rhythm would fail to captivate, and the dragon would appear lifeless, devoid of that elusive spirited charm.

This captain wore a yellow sleeveless vest that revealed explosively powerful muscles, wielding the dragon's head with great vigor.

He moved it up and down, his forehead drenched in sweat. Under his precise direction, the dragon lantern darted left and right as though the street had transformed into heavenly clouds, the yellow dragon weaving through this misty expanse.

"Quite impressive."

Zhou Xuan stuffed a piece of rice cake into his mouth and commented.

A passerby overheard Zhou Xuan's praise and said, "Dancing the yellow dragon is no trivial matter. It's not like those performers playing with red or colorful dragons."

"The color of the dragon dance seems to hold some significance?" Zhou Xuan followed the voice and turned to ask.

"A very significant one indeed... Oh... turns out you're Boss Zhou from Jingyi Shop?"

The passerby recognized Zhou Xuan's face and realized who this young onlooker was. East Market Street was buzzing with talk — everyone said this Xiao Zhou from Jingyi Shop had connections that reached the heavens, with contacts in the Mingjiang Prefecture and the Great Hall.

Typically, merchants and residents of East Market Street wouldn't have such sharp awareness, but Lao Bai, the paper horse artisan, had a relative working as a public servant in the prefectural office. During one visit to East Market Street, this relative witnessed the City God's Lord Qingfeng chatting amiably with Zhou Xuan.

Among the three major entities of Mingjiang Prefecture — the City God, Witch, and Bone Elder — only the City God maintained closer ties with the prefectural office.

Officials from the prefectural office could identify key figures from the City God's side, but the Witch and Bone Elder Association's core members remained out of reach even to them.

Lao Bai's relative noticed Lord Qingfeng's tone and demeanor toward Zhou Xuan seemed markedly deferential. He warned Lao Bai not to cross Zhou Xuan under any circumstances; this young man had such powerful backing that if he wished, he could crush you with a mere flick of his finger.

The residents of East Market Street stuck together like one big family, leaving little room for secrets. In no time, the whole street knew Zhou Xuan was someone not to be trifled with.

"Boss Zhou, how's business going?" The passerby cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then promptly called out to others nearby, asking them to make room for Zhou Xuan, lest he get squeezed in the crowd.

"No need, no need. We're all here to enjoy the spectacle. Being a bit crowded feels more lively," Zhou Xuan replied.

He continued, "My little business isn't enough to call me 'Boss.' About what you were saying regarding the yellow, red, and colorful dragons — I'm quite interested. Brother, would you mind sharing a bit more?"

"What's there to mind?"

The passerby handed Zhou Xuan a cigarette before continuing, "I heard Boss Zhou isn't from Mingjiang Prefecture, so you might not be familiar with Mingjiang customs.

Whenever we celebrate big occasions in Mingjiang Prefecture, dragon dances are a must. Just in Mingdong District alone, there are at least twenty or thirty dragon dance teams.

Conflict often arises between these dragon dance teams. The Yellow Dragon team is the most dominant, followed by the Red Dragon team, and then the Colorful Dragon team."

The passerby paused for breath and then added, "Those who can perform the Yellow Dragon dance are considered the elite in dragon dance circles. If a Yellow Dragon and a Red Dragon cross paths on a street, the Red Dragon performers must lower their dragon handle and lead the entire Red Dragon close to the ground, showing submission to the Yellow Dragon."

"What if the Red Dragon doesn't bow down?"

"That's when a big fight breaks out. The Yellow Dragon team will pull the dragon handle out of the dragon's body and fiercely beat up the Red Dragon team. If the Red Dragon team isn't hot-tempered, they'll endure the beating, and that'll be the end of it. But if tempers flare, the Yellow Dragon team might retaliate mercilessly, with fatal outcomes happening occasionally."

"When the Yellow Dragon appears, the other dragon lanterns must proceed cautiously like cats."

The passerby continued, "Of course, the Yellow Dragon team may excel at fighting, beating anyone who doesn't submit, but they also excel at performing. If a Yellow Dragon is danced without energy or spirit, even the onlookers won't tolerate it.

Don't underestimate the onlookers — some of them are influential figures. These big shots have fiery temperaments and will overturn the scene if they find the dragon dance unsatisfactory."

"That's why everyone in East Market Street is here to catch a glimpse of the Yellow Dragon's style today."

Zhou Xuan found the story intriguing. Even within something as small as the dragon dance teams, there was no shortage of open conflicts and hidden agendas.

Still, regardless of the rivalries among dragon dance teams, the onlookers simply cared about whether the performance was exciting and wouldn't concern themselves with anything else.

"Ooo-hoo, ooo-hoo."

The soaring yellow dragon twisted and turned through the air, gradually approaching Zhou Xuan.

The closer it came to Zhou Xuan, the more his perception became disrupted, as if the switch controlling his sensory powers had been broken.

With that subtle shift, Zhou Xuan sensed a warning sign of danger.

His perception wasn't ordinary; it could rival that of the gods.

For such an extraordinary perception to be affected—this Yellow Dragon had to be no ordinary dragon dance team.