CH 29

Chapter 29: Feast of the Immortals

Beneath the shade of flowers, the candlelight flickered.

Behind the white jade screen, the sound of silk strings gradually emerged, and the wind chimes hanging from the four corners of the eaves echoed with the breeze.

Amidst the elevated platform, maidens in green dresses entered in an orderly manner, presenting jade porcelain plates with dishes to the distant guests.

Upon witnessing such a grand scene, the Flower Goddess knew that the seemingly elegant and beautiful lady by her side was still the competitive and ambitious young girl from the past.

The maidservants respectfully withdrew after a slight bow, and the Flower Goddess glanced at her own porcelain plate, becoming momentarily stunned.

Placed amidst the jade plate was a blooming white lotus, bathed in a light golden broth and garnished with a few bright red goji berries, resembling an exquisite ink painting.

It was her beloved shrimp-stuffed lily!

The Flower Goddess picked up a piece with her jade chopsticks and tasted it. The lily was both sticky and sweet, without a hint of bitterness, while the enveloping shrimp was smooth, tender, and chewy. As she bit into it, the broth burst forth, leaving a fragrant taste on her lips and teeth.

"The flavor is excellent," praised the Flower Goddess.

Madam Xianyue covered her mouth and smiled, modestly saying, "It's just a common dish. Immortal friends, please do not disdain its simplicity."

Qing Jiao remained silent, wondering who she was referring to.

Next, the maidservants presented dishes such as Bauhinia flower dumplings, lamb with straw mushrooms, and steamed seafood. The consecutive array of exquisite and visually appealing dishes dazzled the immortals' eyes.

Many of the visiting celestial beings below the elevated platform couldn't help but be curious upon seeing the Bauhinia flower dumplings. "What's that? Are they eating flowers?"

"It's local produce," Ah Yan stood on a protruding rock, picking a branch of Jacaranda flowers and gesturing to them.

"These dumplings are made specifically with the petals of the Jacaranda flowers unique to our wolf tribe. They are wrapped in minced mushrooms and cooked in a high-quality broth. The taste is marvelous!"

Ah Yan reminisced about the flavor he had tasted that day and described it, causing everyone's mouths to water. Their gaze toward the elevated platform became even more eager.

After taking a few bites, Master Kongming sighed and put down his chopsticks.

His old friend swallowed the food in his mouth and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Doesn't suit your palate? Then give it to me."

He was about to pick up his chopsticks and reach for the jade butterfly on his friend's plate.

Master Kongming quickly raised his chopsticks and struck his friend's hand back, glaring at him. "Forget it, wishful thinking!"

"Then why are you sighing? I thought you were being picky!" His friend touched his hand back with a hint of grievance.

Master Kongming gazed at the exquisite dishes on the plate and lamented, "I just regret that such delicious food couldn't be enjoyed by those two little kittens, Luo Xue and Wu Mu. It would be nice if I could take this with me..."

As he spoke, he actually started to open his storage bag and stuff the food inside.

His gaze occasionally flickered towards the plates of his other friends nearby.

His friend's heart skipped a beat, quickly protecting the food and stuffing it into his mouth, his expression clearly saying, "I advise you not to go too far."

Usually, festive banquets were occasions for the various divine beings of the celestial clans to gather and casually chat while enjoying dim sum.

Hearing that this gathering was organized by the Wolf Tribe, many immortals planned to simply drink tea and wine, but unexpectedly, they were treated to an eye-opening experience today, turning the tea gathering into a gourmet feast.

Qing Jiao tapped the dishes on the porcelain plate with his chopsticks, intending to strike up a conversation with the immortals around him. However, he noticed that each and every one of them was too engrossed in their food and didn't pay any attention to him.

Seeing Qing Jiao's smiling face, Madame Xianyue raised an eyebrow in satisfaction and raised her cup to drink.

The Flower Goddess found it amusing and raised her cup to join her.

For a while, the banquet resounded with laughter and joy, and the maidservants quietly uttered the phrase "Dai Yu Passes the Flower" before bowing their heads and retreating.

"The name is quite unique," Bai Yu said with enthusiasm as he looked at the flower-shaped delicacies in front of him.

He used the tip of his chopsticks to poke the buttocks of the black panther lying next to him in a feigned sleep. "Xuanming, don't you want to have a taste?"

Xuanming didn't like flowers, but unfortunately, most of the food at the banquet incorporated flowers. He could only show disinterest and squint his eyes, dozing off.

Qing Jiao saw this and laughed, "It seems that Madame Xianyue is only concerned about the Flower Goddess and neglects the Divine Lord's spirit beast."

Though his voice was not loud, it was still audible to many around him.

Bai Yu curled his lips and selfishly picked up a flower petal and put it in his mouth.

As soon as it entered his mouth, he froze.

Si Wuchen asked, "What's wrong?"

Bai Yu swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "This Dai Yu Passes the Flower is so delicious!"

He picked up his plate and eagerly brought it to Xuanming's mouth, enthusiastically promoting, "Try a bite, I'm not lying, it's really tasty!"

The black panther couldn't resist him and sat up, licking the flower in his mouth a few times. His golden beast eyes widened instantly.

His white whiskers slightly curled as he leaned down, grabbing Bai Yu's hand and devouring the tea flower in his plate, even glancing greedily at Si Wuchen's portion.

Si Wuchen expressionlessly pushed away the approaching black panther's head and took a large portion of it to put it in Bai Yu's bowl.

Xuanming was annoyed and raised his front paw to push Si Wuchen's shoulder. Seeing that Si Wuchen remained unmoved, he stood up and went to harass other celestial beings.

Master Kongming and the others tasted it and chuckled. "So it's made of fish meat, no wonder that guy Xuanming likes it."

The fish meat was tender and smooth without any fishy smell. Paired with the broth made from dried scallops, it was incredibly flavorful.

Xuanming searched through the dishes of various immortals, causing laughter and scolding from everyone. In the end, he directly grabbed the roll in front of Qing Jiao with his tail and returned to Bai Yu's side to savor it carefully.

Bai Yu patted the panther's head and insincerely smiled at Qing Jiao. "Apologies, Mountain Spirit Young Master, but since you can't eat it anyway, let Xuanming take care of it for you."

Qing Jiao felt annoyed, but he couldn't afford to offend Si Wuchen by his side. He curved his lips in a faint smile. "Please go ahead."

On the elevated stage, there was a lively scene with cups and plates clinking.

A gentle breeze blew, and pale purple Jacaranda flowers fell, mesmerizing everyone's intoxicated eyes. At this moment, they also sensed the tender affection beneath the Wolf Tribe's dignity and solemnity.

The Flower Goddess stood up, her light skirt shimmering under the candlelight.

She walked towards the white jade screen, and the musicians and singers who had been performing bowed their heads and stepped back.

Her slender and delicate jade fingers lightly touched the screen, and cascading flower patterns bloomed at her fingertips. The scattered red dots among the vast green mountains filled the air, as if vibrant colors were splashed and painted on the canvas of the screen, displaying the enchanting scenery of mountains and rivers to the immortals.

While the immortals were immersed in admiration, the Flower Goddess gathered a divine power in the palm of her hand and sent it into the screen.

The previously fallen flowers and green mountains disappeared with the flowing light and vanished within the brilliance.

Madam Xianyue seemed to sense something and stood up, walking down the jade steps.

Sure enough, someone shouted from below the elevated stage, "Look, there are so many flowers blooming in the mountains and forests!"

The crowd followed the voice and was attracted by the dazzling and vibrant scenery, forgetting to speak and silently enjoying the beautiful moment.

The Flower Goddess looked at Xianyue, who was filled with astonishment, and smiled lightly. "As a return gift for the banquet, I shall present you with the scene of blooming flowers covering the mountains."

Xianyue walked to the side of the Flower Goddess, withdrawing her gaze from the distant scenery, and softly said, "Thank you."

After thousands of years, the once solitary and wild Wolf Tribe finally had a different hue.

...

"Elder brother, do you really know where Yun Zhao is?"

On the streets of the Wolf Tribe, two children, one black and one white, walked hand in hand, followed by a golden-haired spiritual dog that helped them navigate through the crowded crowd.

"I do know, you have to trust me!" Wu Mu stopped and pinched the cheek of Luo Xue. He released his hand only when he saw his silly younger brother's expression, on the verge of crying but not crying.

After they woke up, they heard Bai Ze saying that Yun Zhao had gone to the Wolf Tribe, and Luo Xue started clamoring to go see him.

In the past half-month, Yun Zhao had mostly stayed in the kitchen, with limited time to play and frolic with them. However, he always came without fail at night to groom them and remove the fallen fur from their bedsheets.

Seeing Luo Xue rarely acting coquettish towards him, Wu Mu took the initiative to suggest bringing him to find Yun Zhao.

Sun Yang also wanted to go, and after obtaining Ao Yu's permission, he happily followed behind the two little kittens.

Ao Yu showed no intention of going out. Bai Ze originally wanted to go along, but the rabbits stopped him, insisting on going to the mountains to dig vegetables and pick mushrooms.

Seeing Bai Ze happily following the rabbits, Wumu rolled his eyes and led Luo Xue and Sun Yang down the mountain.

The streets were bustling, and the three little ones turned their heads left and right, searching anxiously, afraid of missing Yun Zhao.

"That's Yun Zhao's spiritual steed!" Luo Xue pointed sharply not far away.

Wu Mu looked closely and indeed saw the silly horse that only knew how to eat grass and stomp in mud puddles.

They approached and looked up, greeting the spiritual steed, "We're here to find Yun Zhao. Where is he?"

The spiritual steed let out a loud snort and turned its head, softly neighing a few times in a certain direction.

"Is it over there?" Wu Mu turned his head and, pulling his brother forward a few steps, then they saw Yun Zhao being respectfully sent down from a high building by Chang Xiao.

Chang Xiao clasped his hands together, tears of gratitude streaming down his face. "Thank you so much for your help. It's because of you that the Wolf Tribe has its current prestige and splendor."

Yun Zhao chuckled and waved his hand, looking towards the bustling street. "If you say so, the tribe members who have been patrolling day and night to set up defenses will surely give you a beating."

Zhang Xiao's smile grew even brighter as he handed over the remaining spiritual stones to Yun Zhao. "Regardless, the celebration owes much to your contributions. Please accept these."

Yun Zhao didn't hesitate and as soon as he put the spiritual stones into his storage bag, he heard someone shout from behind, "Brother Yun Zhao!"

Yun Zhao turned around and saw Luo Xue rushing towards him like a little cannonball, throwing himself into Yun Zhao's arms.

Chang Xiao looked at Wu Mu and Sun Yang, who came right after, and couldn't help but laugh. "You sure have won their affections. If Ah Yan wasn't already grown up, I would have wanted to send him to you too."

Yun Zhao thought of Ah Yan, that gluttonous little devil, and replied seriously, "Then you'll have to pay me double the food expenses."

"Well, that's fair."

Chang Xiao chuckled helplessly, then said, "I need to go attend to the guests. I won't disturb you. It's a good opportunity for you to take them around."

Yun Zhao nodded. "Go ahead and take care of your tasks."

With that, Yun Zhao waved goodbye to Zhang Xiao, ruffled Sun Yang's head, and took them to the marketplace.

With a bulging wallet, they had the confidence to go shopping!

Chang Xiao watched the figure of the young man, smiled gently, and turned to head back towards the high building.

Qing Jiao stood by the redwood railing of the corridor on the high building, gazing downward. When he saw a certain person, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but reach out and grasp the railing.

Just as Chang Xiao arrived on the floor, he happened to encounter this young master, so he approached and greeted him. "Young Master Qing, what are you looking at?"

Qing Jiao turned back at the sound of his voice and smiled lightly. "Just saw an acquaintance."

"Oh?" Chang Xiaolooked down and asked, "Is it that celestial being?"

Qing Jiao pointed her finger at the young man in the moon-white robe. "It's him."

Chang Xiao immediately saw the person Qing Jiao was pointing at, and his mind recalled the previous practice of the Mountain Spirit Clan fulfilling marriage contracts, feeling somewhat awkward.

Qing Jiao could tell at a glance that Chang Xiao knew Yun Zhao. He stared directly into his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of etherealness. "Why is he here?"

Zhang Xiao's mind was in chaos, feeling as if the other person's voice was amplifying and echoing in his ears. He couldn't help but open his mouth and reply, "He is a benefactor of the Wolf Tribe... Lady Xianyue... invited him to host a banquet..."

"I see..."

Qing Jiao shifted his gaze back to that familiar figure, his hand gripping the railing unconsciously, and a faint coldness appeared in his eyes.

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Note: I’ll try to translate as much as I can today while I still can, guys. The roof in my apartment started leaking really badly, and it flooded my place and it has spread into a part of my bedroom. The rain hasn’t stopped, and it’s getting worse. I’m close to crying right now. I told my landlady about this a few days ago, but still she didn’t do anything. Maybe it’s because I’m behind on rent for a few days. Huhu. 

Anyway, take care everyone. It’s raining hard here in my place when it’s supposed to be El Niño. What’s wrong, Earth?!