After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 11

The thought that this was all specially arranged for Ying Buran…

The initial path was dark, and the people passing by were silent.

They wore a variety of costumes, but all wore masks, as if it were part of a ritual or requirement.

“Is this mask mandatory?” Ying Buran asked, touching the mask on her face with curiosity.

Zhao Qingxun, holding her hand, nodded. “Yes, it’s part of the Celestial Celebration’s rituals. It’s meant to allow everyone to fully immerse themselves in the festivities, shedding their origins and identities. Here, we’re all just participants in the celebration.”

I see, Ying Buran thought. I didn’t expect the organizers to consider this. Her anticipation for the celebration grew even stronger. In such an event, there shouldn’t be any discrimination, and no one would recognize her, right?

These thoughts vanished the moment she stepped into the marketplace.

It was as if someone had deliberately separated the celebration grounds from the outside world. While the outside remained dark and silent, the moment she crossed the threshold, the area burst into brilliant light and deafening noise.

Ying Buran was momentarily stunned. It was her first time stepping into such a place, and she didn’t know where to put her feet.

Noticing her awkwardness, Zhao Qingxun chuckled softly, tightened her grip on Ying Buran’s hand, and led her forward. “Stay close and don’t get lost.”

“Ah, okay, okay,” Ying Buran replied, snapping out of her daze as Zhao Qingxun led her onto the bustling street.

Vendors lined both sides of the street, each stall displaying at least one lantern, while countless others floated in the air.

Ying Buran focused her spiritual energy into her eyes, spotting the spirit stones within the lanterns and understanding how they worked.

Before this, she had never imagined spirit stones being used in such a way.

Soon, Ying Buran’s attention was drawn to the trinkets on the stalls. Most items were related to the festival, such as spirit energy-infused protective talismans, masks said to resemble two Immortal Lords, or miniature lanterns.

Standing before a less crowded stall, Ying Buran gazed at a small lantern. Through the translucent paper, she could faintly see two tiny figures holding hands inside.

“Qingxun! Come look! There are two tiny people inside—it’s so magical!” Ying Buran tugged at Zhao Qingxun’s hand, her voice filled with wonder.

Zhao Qingxun leaned closer and indeed saw two miniature figures. As if sensing their gaze, the tiny figures turned to look back at them.

Incredible, she thought. Even she couldn’t discern the principle behind this. It must be something jointly developed by the Heavenly Evolution Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect.

The stall owner was an elderly female cultivator with seemingly modest cultivation, likely at the Qi Refining stage. She was currently dozing off, completely unconcerned about the lack of customers at her stall.

But… Zhao Qingxun subtly observed that this cultivator had been rapidly aging after her spiritual foundation had been crippled.

Hearing their words, the cultivator raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Zhao Qingxun with a hint of surprise.

However, she quickly regained her composure and asked lazily, yet with a hint of curiosity, “You can see the people inside the lamp?”

Ying Buran blinked in surprise, instinctively retorting, “Huh? Isn’t it obvious there are two figures inside? Though I can’t make out their faces clearly.”

The female cultivator sat up and scrutinized Ying Buran from head to toe, but Ying Buran’s mask obscured her features. After a moment of observation, the cultivator slumped back down and waved her hand dismissively. “Hmm, you’re right. Are you particularly interested in this lantern?”

“Actually, yes,” Ying Buran admitted truthfully, her gaze drifting back to the lantern. “I’ve never seen one like it before.”

The figures inside seemed to have shifted positions again. One appeared to be trying to embrace the other, only to be pushed away in apparent rejection.

I don’t understand, Ying Buran thought.

Zhao Qingxun, ever direct, simply asked, “How much for this lantern?”

“It’s free. You can take it without charge.”

Ying Buran blinked again. “Huh? Free? Really?”

The female cultivator yawned, sat up once more, and lifted the lantern from its perch. She placed it on the table and slid it toward the two women. “Not everyone can see the figures inside. Only those with a karmic connection can. I don’t sell things for money; I sell them based on fate.”

Ying Buran gently touched the lantern. As her fingers brushed against it, the tiny figure inside shifted again, turning to face her.

Seeing Ying Buran’s genuine interest, Zhao Qingxun examined the lantern thoroughly before agreeing to let her take it.

“Thank you for the lantern,” Ying Buran said. “Is there anything we can do for you in return? I feel a bit guilty taking it for free.”

The female cultivator pondered for a moment before replying, “If you really feel bad, just give me anything you like.”

Anything… But something too casual wouldn’t do. After rummaging through her Storage Ring for a while, Ying Buran finally found a small ornament, also imbued with spiritual energy.

When infused with spiritual energy, the ornament would emit a starlight-like glow, creating a beautiful effect.

Ying Buran handed the ornament to the female cultivator, explaining its use. “Here, take this. I think the starlight it emits would look lovely in a dark place.”

The female cultivator glanced at the starlight ornament. Under Ying Buran’s slightly anxious gaze, she accepted it. “Hmm, this will do. I accept this exchange. It’s very pretty.”

“I’m packing up now. The float parade is starting soon, just down the street to the right. If you hurry, you might still find a good spot.”

With a wave of her hand, the female cultivator stored her entire stall into her Storage Ring. She then bowed to the two women and departed.

Ying Buran waved goodbye, but when she turned around, she noticed Zhao Qingxun still staring at the cultivator’s retreating figure. She waved her hand in front of Zhao Qingxun’s face. “What’s wrong? Is there something off about her?”

Zhao Qingxun snapped out of her daze. “There’s nothing wrong with her or the lantern,” she explained. “It’s just… she looks vaguely familiar. Like I’ve seen her somewhere before?”

“Maybe you encountered her during a mission?” Ying Buran suggested.

Zhao Qingxun shook her head, unsure. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. She’d investigate later if the opportunity arose.

The crowd was already beginning to converge on the adjacent street. Zhao Qingxun asked Ying Buran, “Shall we head to the float parade?”

Ying Buran nodded, carefully stowing the lantern. This time, she took the lead, guiding Zhao Qingxun forward. “Let’s go see what it’s like.”

Just as they turned, Ying Buran seemed to catch another glimpse of a vision: the female cultivator holding a mirror, communicating with someone through it.

Then, the woman removed her mask, revealing the face of Cheng Banxia, though much older.

Ying Buran froze in shock. Zhao Qingxun immediately asked, her voice filled with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s nothing,” Ying Buran replied, rubbing her forehead. Unable to explain the vision she had just seen, she quickly changed the subject and continued walking. “Let’s go, let’s go. If we don’t hurry, it’ll get too crowded and we won’t find a good spot.”

Zhao Qingxun nodded and walked beside Ying Buran. “Alright, let’s go. Tell me immediately if you feel even slightly unwell.”

In the end, they were lucky enough to find a spot where they could see the performances without being blocked.

Shortly after they settled in, the parade of flower-laden floats slowly approached. The crowd surged forward, their cheers growing louder with each passing float.

The floats were pulled by Spirit Beasts and hovered in the air using technology similar to that of the floating lanterns. Each float carried a performer or a small troupe, singing and dancing.

Occasionally, flowers were tossed from the sides, caught by the performers on the floats, who returned the gesture with flying kisses.

At first, Ying Buran remained reserved, but gradually, swept up by the energy of the crowd, she began to cheer and celebrate as well. Zhao Qingxun silently stood guard beside her, the limited space forcing them to stand very close.

Holding hands was becoming impractical, so Zhao Qingxun simply wrapped her arm loosely around Ying Buran’s waist, allowing Ying Buran to easily join the cheering crowd.

As one of the floats passed by, Ying Buran thought she noticed the leader of the performance troupe glance in their direction, her gaze immediately locking onto Ying Buran.

Do we know each other? No, we couldn’t, Ying Buran thought.

Startled by the intense stare, Ying Buran lowered her raised arms slightly. Fortunately, the woman shifted her gaze, allowing Ying Buran to slowly regain her composure.

The float was adorned with fresh flowers. As the performance neared its end, the performers tossed the blossoms into the air, letting the crowd scramble for them.

Is this part of the event? Ying Buran wondered, joining the flower-grabbing frenzy. Compared to the others, she was much more reserved, only reaching out when a flower drifted her way.

Zhao Qingxun glanced around, silently shielding Ying Buran from being bumped or jostled by the crowd.

By the time the flower-tossing ended, Ying Buran hadn’t caught a single blossom, but she felt neither disappointment nor regret. For her, simply experiencing the event was enough.

Just as the float was about to move on, the troupe leader plucked another flower and used spiritual energy to make it float slowly through the air.

This scene sparked another scramble among the crowd, but the flower deftly evaded grasping hands, finally settling before Ying Buran.

Ying Buran blinked, reached out, and caught the flower, glancing at the group leader. The leader winked at her before turning away to resume dancing as the flower-laden carriage continued its procession.

“Do you know her?” Zhao Qingxun asked, her gaze fixed on the flower, a faint unease stirring within her.

Ying Buran shook her head, grinned, and held the flower up to Zhao Qingxun. “Nope! But look! I caught a flower today too!”

Unable to see Zhao Qingxun’s expression clearly, Ying Buran only heard her soft chuckle. “Mm, you caught a flower. That’s wonderful.”

Ying Buran cradled the flower, grinning foolishly for a moment longer, before turning her attention back to the flower carriage performance as the surrounding crowd cheered.

“Let me hold the flower for you,” Zhao Qingxun offered. Trusting her without hesitation, Ying Buran handed it over.

Zhao Qingxun had initially felt an urge to throw the flower away. The thought that someone else had given this flower specifically to Ying Buran stirred a prick of discomfort in her heart.

But seeing how much Ying Buran loved the flower, she simply stored it in her Storage Ring—out of sight, out of mind.

After all, Zhao Qingxun thought, feeling slightly better, the only flower that will ever grace our bedside is the Falling Star Flower we transplanted together that day.