Song Xiaohe lowered her voice and retorted, "You can keep the gates of hell for yourself."
Before Shen Xishan could respond, Su Mulin crawled over from the other side, scrambling on all fours to Shen Xishan's side. He whispered, "Don't worry, my lord. Even if we have to cross a single-log bridge together, I'll make sure to push her off so you can go first."
After saying this, he smiled obsequiously, as if to prove his loyalty.
Earlier, outside the Immortal Alliance's outer mountains, Song Xiaohe had sensed that this person was somewhat of a sycophant. But after not seeing him for several days, his behavior had become even more blatant. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging furiously by now.
Song Xiaohe sneered, "You think you can push me off? I'll kick you down myself."
Su Mulin replied, "If I fall, I'll drag you down with me. I won't let you block the lord's path."
Song Xiaohe scoffed, "You shouldn't be called Su Mulin. You should be called Dog Mulin. A bootlicker through and through."
Su Mulin was clearly hurt by the remark. He wanted to retaliate but, being slow with words, could only blush in anger and shrink back, glaring at Song Xiaohe.
Song Xiaohe bared her teeth menacingly and made a gesture as if to gouge out his eyes, trying to scare him.
As the saying goes, even ghosts fear the wicked. And since Su Mulin seemed to only know how to show loyalty, he had no courage to speak of. Terrified, he quickly closed his eyes, afraid that Song Xiaohe might actually gouge them out.
"Are you an old acquaintance of Miss Song?" Xie Gui asked cautiously, sensing the tension between her and Shen Xishan.
"Not really," Song Xiaohe replied.
"They are disciples of the Immortal Alliance," Xie Gui said slowly, trying to mediate. "I don't know them well, so it's best not to provoke any conflict with them."
Song Xiaohe thought to herself, *How amusing. I'm also a disciple of the Immortal Alliance.*
She nodded but said nothing more. Just as she was feeling hungry and about to take out some food, a clear ringing sound came from Xie Gui's sleeve—a soft chime of bells colliding.
At the same time, a deep howl echoed from outside the temple, growing louder and closer, accompanied by a faint but rapid trembling of the ground. The sound of drums also began to rise.
It was the sound of musical instruments.
Xie Gui pulled something from his sleeve—a small sundial about the size of a palm. "It's noon," he said.
Almost everyone in the room stood up at the same time, their expressions alert as they looked outside, ready for action.
Song Xiaohe also rose to her feet and walked over to Bu Shiyuan, her left hand already resting on the wooden sword at her waist.
Bu Shiyuan struggled to stand with the help of her wooden cane, coughing twice before saying, "Let's go out and take a look."
The situation outside was clearly unusual, but since Bu Shiyuan had suggested going out, Song Xiaohe naturally followed.
Thus, the two of them displayed a kind of fearless bravery as they headed for the door.
"Stop! Don't go out!" someone shouted, warning them not to act rashly.
Bu Shiyuan ignored the command, paying no attention to the warning.
Song Xiaohe glanced back and saw that Shen Xishan had also stood up, brushing off his robes as he walked toward the door, with Su Mulin trailing closely behind.
Not just these few, but others also began to move. Those who advocated staying put to observe quietly and those who wanted to go out and investigate split into two groups.
So, without heeding the shout, Song Xiaohe stepped forward, opened the door, and walked out a few steps, stopping at the edge of the barrier.
Before her, the wind and sand howled relentlessly. The deep sound of horns grew clearer, mingling with the drums, gongs, and other instruments, creating a chaotic yet melodic performance. The tune was long and flowing, like an ancient melody.
"This is a sacrificial song," Bu Shiyuan explained, noticing Song Xiaohe's confusion.
Song Xiaohe stood on her tiptoes, straining to see through the swirling sand. In the distance, something was writhing and coiling in the air, slowly approaching. Rows of faint lights could be seen flickering within the haze.
"It looks like a giant snake..." she said.
"It's not a snake!" Su Mulin suddenly shouted, startling Song Xiaohe. He was practically vibrating with excitement. "That's the Dragon God! They're worshiping the Dragon God!"
Song Xiaohe felt the urge to kick him out of the barrier.
"What Dragon God?" she asked.
"The Dragon God is the creator of the world. Legend has it that when the world was still in chaos, the first living being to emerge was the Dragon God. After that, rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, and valleys were formed, followed by all the gods and beasts," Xie Gui explained, standing beside Song Xiaohe. "Wherever the Dragon God went, life would spring forth. It roamed the world and eventually found a secluded place to sleep. There have been many rumors of the Dragon God's appearances throughout history, but no one has ever seen it with their own eyes."
"The mountains and valleys are the Dragon God's spine, the rivers and seas are its blood, and the gods and beasts are its soul. To honor the Dragon God, later generations began the tradition of offering sacrifices," Bu Shiyuan added. "This tradition has been passed down for millennia, though few still practice it today. To witness it now is a stroke of great fortune."
Shen Xishan crossed his arms, indifferent. "These are just legends. No one has actually seen the Dragon God. It might just be a figment of ancient imagination."
Bu Shiyuan glanced at him, and Su Mulin whispered in protest, "No, it's real. The Dragon God truly exists."
Xie Gui chuckled. "Well, it's ancient history. Who knows if it's true or just a story? What do you think, Miss Song?"
Song Xiaohe thought for a moment and said, "It might exist. After all, there's no smoke without fire."
A sharp, piercing sound of a suona suddenly cut through the air, its tone so intense it seemed to stab through the wind.
The eerie melody grew louder as the coiling shape in the sand rapidly approached, and the trembling of the ground became more pronounced.
Many people stood by the door, watching cautiously, ready to retreat or attack if the approaching thing proved dangerous.
As it drew closer, Song Xiaohe could finally make out what it was.
The thing writhing in the air was actually a long, winding structure made of thousands of lanterns connected by black iron plates. Each section was pieced together, with scales carved into the iron. The interior was hollow, with long poles inserted into it, carried by people below.
At the front was a massive dragon head, its long horns the most striking feature. Its mouth was wide open, revealing sharp fangs.
The people carrying the iron dragon lanterns ran in a curved path, their movements combined with the light and shadow of the lanterns, while the sand obscured the people below, creating the illusion of a dragon coiling through the air.
The faint trembling of the ground was caused by the synchronized footsteps of the hundreds or even thousands of people running.
It seemed to be nothing more than a sacrificial ceremony held in the midst of a sandstorm.
When the giant iron dragon swayed close to them, Su Mulin suddenly dropped to his knees, raising his hands high and shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Long live the Dragon God!"
His face turned red from the effort, and he seemed utterly absorbed in his worship.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
Song Xiaohe really wanted to kick this fool out of the barrier. She held back, barely restraining herself.
But the next moment, Su Mulin suddenly lunged forward, falling face-first into the sand outside the barrier.
Song Xiaohe was startled, thinking, *I didn't kick him, did I? Did my body act on its own?*
She glanced over and saw Shen Xishan retracting his foot, his face full of annoyance. "Too noisy."
Su Mulin scrambled to his feet, brushing the sand off his face. He was about to ask who had kicked him when he looked up and froze in terror.
The people carrying the iron dragon lanterns weren't human at all. They were creatures that resembled humans but had no noses. Below their slanted eyes were two small, bean-sized eyes, and their mouths were triangular, with sharp, white teeth protruding from the sides.
Looking further up, their arms weren't arms at all but insect-like forelimbs. Their legs, however, were human-like and seemed powerful as they ran.
One of the creatures noticed Su Mulin, who had suddenly appeared, and turned to look at him. Its pupil-less eyes stared at him, sending a chill down his spine.
Su Mulin's tears burst forth as he scrambled back into the barrier, screaming, "Monsters! They're monsters!"
Song Xiaohe leaned against the barrier, peering out. She could now clearly see that the lantern-bearers weren't human, and a shiver ran down her spine. She took a step back.
She had never seen such creatures before—neither fully human nor fully demonic.
Shen Xishan, annoyed by Su Mulin's incessant noise, pulled out a talisman and slapped it on Su Mulin's forehead. "Get inside."
Su Mulin was so frightened that her whole body went weak, and she quickly scurried into the temple in a strange posture.
"Miss Song, there might be danger here. You should go into the temple as well," Xie Gui said to Song Xiaohe.
Shen Xishan took a couple of steps forward, squinting slightly as he looked outside, and said nonchalantly, "A half-formed demon spirit, what danger could it possibly pose?"
"Have you seen something like this before?" Song Xiaohe immediately moved closer to ask.
"Living in abandoned human towns for too long, they start to delude themselves into thinking they can become human," Shen Xishan glanced at her. "People like you, who have spiritual power but are extremely weak, are their favorite source of nourishment."
Song Xiaohe glared at him, finding this person utterly detestable, and decided not to speak to him anymore.
As they were talking, the people behind them began to grow restless, believing that these demonic creatures were the ones who had trapped them in the city. Some suggested that they should fight their way out now and exterminate all the demons.
These lowly creatures, who couldn't even fully transform, could obviously be easily killed. Even if their assumptions were wrong, there would be no casualties or losses.
Having made up their minds, they were about to step out of the protective barrier when Bu Shiyuan suddenly spoke up, "If you take action, you will never leave this city for the rest of your lives."
"And who are you?" someone asked discontentedly.
Bu Shiyuan's cane had somehow disappeared, and in her right hand, she held a string of black and white beads, with a moving ring and black tassels dangling from it. Her left hand was tucked behind her back, giving her the air of a true transcendent master.
Song Xiaohe quickly stepped forward to introduce her, "This is the semi-immortal I invited. She can divine anything without fail. She even predicted that I would face a life-threatening calamity before the age of seventeen."
The crowd looked at Song Xiaohe strangely, probably thinking she was out of her mind.
Shen Xishan, gazing at the dragon lanterns swiftly passing through the yellow sand, said, "Then her divination must be quite accurate. Why not divine something for me?"
Bu Shiyuan asked, "What would you like me to divine, Young Master Shen?"
Shen Xishan replied, "My romantic fate."
Bu Shiyuan said, "Young Master Shen's future partner will be an extraordinary figure among the six realms."
Shen Xishan smirked, "But I practice the Path of Emotionlessness. How could I have a partner?"
Bu Shiyuan replied, "My divinations are never wrong."
"Sister Shiyuan, don't pay him any mind," Song Xiaohe tugged at Bu Shiyuan's sleeve, clearly targeting Shen Xishan. "This guy must know that he'll never find a wife in the future and is destined to be a bachelor for life. That's why he chose the Path of Emotionlessness. The powerful partner you divined must be taking pity on him, letting him marry into her family as a live-in son-in-law."
Shen Xishan's mouth twitched, "The junior brother you like also practices the Path of Emotionlessness."
Song Xiaohe lifted her chin and snorted, "That's different. My junior brother pursues the Sword Path for ascension, to bring glory to the Immortal Alliance of the human realm. How can someone of your questionable character be compared to him?"
Shen Xishan was rarely angered, his brows furrowing deeply.
"Song Xiaohe, why are you so insufferable?"
