Chapter 829 New Year Extra: The Lantern of Xuanjing

This is the story of Li Qi in the past, when he was still at the sixth rank, in the cave of Xuanjing Mountain.

The sun and the moon push each other to create light, and the cold and the heat push each other to create a year.

Another year has passed, and all things have changed, and a year has passed.

Between heaven and earth, the clear air and the turbid air change places, the cold and the hot air swell, the movement of the sky is vigorous, and it never stops. If Kun cannot move smoothly to respond to its movement, then the work of creation and reproduction may almost stop. Every year, it is a "node" in the movement of heaven and earth, which represents a successful cycle of movement between heaven and earth.

This is the "year".

It is always said that so many years, in fact, outside the endless domain, this unit is difficult to unify. Some places calculate it based on the number of circles of the world's movement, and some calculate it based on the movement of the sun and the moon. There are countless calendars, and there are as many calendars as there are worlds.

However, the world calculates this time only according to the calendar of the world, that is, the time for the world's qi to rotate once. Even if it is a year, it is said that so many years are based on this standard.

However, for practitioners, such a short period of time is too short, so there are longer units. For example, the first year of a sixty-year cycle in the Ganzhi calendar is called "Jia Zi Nian", which is the time for the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to run once, as well as longer "Ji", "Yuan", etc. However, Niu Huang has lived for a relatively short time and has not yet come into contact with those super-large units, so "year" is still very important to him.

On Xuanjing Mountain, you need to climb the mountain ridge covered with deep grass. Usually no mortals come here. It is the residence of monsters. Standing here and looking around, you can see white clouds all over the place, spreading flat under the peaks. The peaks are like flowers, with only one top exposed. When the sun shines on them, it is like a curling world, and you can't tell the sea and land.

The rare beauty is even more beautiful against the backdrop of a little frost and snow in winter.

"Master Niu Huang! These are all. Is there anything else to move?" Several leopards that have not yet transformed but have become monsters followed Niu Huang, dragging many products of the New Year behind them.

For Niuhuang, the mountain god who is worshipped by many tribes in the mountain, the New Year is a big festival. It is an important node for him to regulate the mountains and rivers in a year. He also needs to accept incense from mortals and deal with the heavenly gods who supervise the mortal world.

Now he is doing this, but he is exhausted.

The gods of various parties, the shrines of ancestors and ghosts, and the patrolling heavenly gods all need him to deal with them as the local earth god, but this is also a sweet trouble. The earth god of thousands of miles around Xuanjing Mountain is a very big position.

There are many things, which means great power and high position.

"No, you go first, and the next thing is for me and these guys." Niuhuang kicked the ground, and some pure earth energy came out of the ground.

It is a reward and a red envelope for the New Year.

The leopard monsters smiled happily, bowed to thank him, and then ran home quickly. They also have to celebrate the New Year and go home to prepare for themselves.

Niu Huang kicked over the things the leopards brought, and after a closer look, he found that they were all "lamps", of various colors, although they were not lit yet.

"Boys, come to work, hang these in the afternoon, and we can go to the party in the evening." Niu Huang shouted.

As he shouted, many mice, squirrels, birds, and various insects, butterflies, dragonflies, centipedes, and even a few people emerged from the forest, all of them cubs.

The New Year is also the time when these cubs are most jubilant.

They were called out by Niu Huang, and they took the lamps away and hung them in the forest.

"Master, master." At this time, several mice, a lark, and a human child came to Niu Huang's side.

Niu Huang usually appears in the mountains, and he doesn't have any airs, so even these children are not afraid of him.

"What? You are not allowed to take the red envelope before working, you have to finish it." Niu Huang said.

But the lark landed on Niu Huang's horn and chirped, "We have to hang these lights every year. What are they for?"

"What are they for? Of course, it's to celebrate the New Year. This is the New Year. It's only natural to hang lights and colorful decorations. The whole mountain will gather for the big banquet tonight. All ethnic groups and villages will also come. You should know that, right?" Niu Huang said.

"But, but, I wanted to ask last year." A little mouse said next to Niu Huang's hoof: "Last year, we hung these, and it seems that they were not used at all and were taken down. The year before last was also the same, and the year before last. I asked my dad, and my dad said that they also hung them when they were young, and it seemed that they never worked."

"It doesn't matter if it's not used. It's the best if it's used. Children, don't ask so many questions. Just hang it up. It's not like you're missing your red envelopes." Niu Huang pretended to be angry and stepped on his hoof.

The little mice ran away happily. They were just curious, and they didn't really care about it.

It was just hanging lanterns on the treetops and cliffs. These children were very skilled, and even the human child could jump on the bamboo easily.

Everyone was jubilant, because Niu Huang was really a very kind mountain god. Under his protection, the area around Xuanjing Mountain was not a paradise on earth, but also a safe place.

The whole mountain was hung with colorful lanterns, and Niu Huang looked at it from below, smiling and saying nothing.

These children didn't know that on this mountain, in addition to him, the mountain god, there was another protector. If it weren't for the other party's face, it would be difficult for them to be so safe here.

Although the other party seemed very cold, Niu Huang knew that he was actually a very kind person after attending the banquet decades ago. It was just that the couple did not like to socialize actively. They often stayed in the cave for decades, so these children had never heard of their names.

Now decades have passed, and Niu Huang rarely sees the other party. I hope the young master is well.

But no matter what, etiquette must be fulfilled. Niu Huang has always been grateful to this young master, so he hangs it every year, even though he knows that the other party probably doesn't notice this little thing at all.

But it doesn't matter. The young master can ignore it, but he can't ignore it. This loyal and steady old ox still remembers the other party's kindness and the support of canonizing himself as a righteous god.

Preparations for the New Year are going on as usual.

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It's late at night, the New Year has passed, and it's just a few minutes before the New Year.

New Year's Day.

Thinking of this, Li Qi looked at Shen Shuibi beside him.

Tutu was still pregnant and could not move lightly. Li Qi had no habit of going down the mountain, so he stayed by her side and enjoyed the world of two people. Now that they had drunk three rounds of wine, the couple's faces were a little flushed.

Lights were lit everywhere during the New Year, and the sound of Sheng and drums was boiling during the Lantern Festival.

Only the people in the mountains loved quietness, sitting in the small building to watch the moon rise.

The cave in the mountain was quiet, and there was no New Year atmosphere. Li Qi and others just watched the mortals below the mountain, the mice, trees, various birds and beasts, humans, and monsters, all celebrating in their own way.

However, they did have one thing in common, that is, they would worship the local mountain god, Niuhuang.

Therefore, you can see Niuhuang's statues everywhere in Xuanjing Mountain, and many incense born from it follow the veins and become part of his cultivation.

Unlike Li Qi, Niuhuang and his people care a lot about the New Year. They came to visit during the day and brought gifts. They were all special products in the mountains. Although they were not expensive, they were thoughtful.

Li Qi looked at Shen Shuibi, but Shen Shuibi looked outside the mountain.

"It's really lively, isn't it?" Tutu smiled.

"It's quite lively." Li Qi stretched out his hand and held Tutu's left hand in his palm: "But if we go down, I'm afraid it won't be lively anymore. They will definitely be scared."

If Li Qi appeared below, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to have a good New Year. If they were trembling in their hearts, no festival would have any taste.

This is also the reason why the couple chose a world for two. Going down by themselves would disturb their interest, just like the teacher coming to a class reunion.

"That's true, but it should be much better after the child is born." Shen Shuibi smiled, as if she could imagine how much vitality a child could bring to Xuanjing Mountain.

Li Qi didn't reply. The two just held hands, sat on the top of the mountain, and looked at the lights below.

It was the middle of the festival below. Under the leadership of Niu Huang, various lanterns were lit up, shining brilliantly. After all, there were eighth-grade practitioners in the place, so the scene could not be shabby. There were thousands of layers of mountain lights and water flames, singing and dancing, and drums. There were endless performances. Children were jumping with candies, teenagers were chasing each other, middle-aged people were cooking, and the elderly were sitting quietly. Each family brought out dishes to compete for richness.

Generally speaking, the products in the Wushen Mountain area can be said to be "very rich". Even if you pick fruits to eat, you will not starve to death. You can get a bumper harvest by just sowing seeds. With the strong source, all living things can naturally be in a good day.

The lights and moonlight followed people, and there was singing and dancing everywhere in spring, and there was a joy.

"Let's get up and walk." Suddenly, Shen Shuibi said so.

"Okay." Li Qi nodded, and the two got up and walked together in the mountains.

However, what was somewhat unexpected to Li Qi was that the mountains were also full of lanterns.

Five-colored colored glaze, purple paths glowing, lamps burning millet, bonfires, osmanthus and orchids, golden branches and dense flames, more elegant and clean, in an instant, the mountains and the sky responded to each other, like the stars pouring down, bathing in the blazing fire.

It should be the handwriting of Niu Huang, right?

"I really have to thank him for this, I haven't noticed these before." Li Qi couldn't help but feel ashamed.

Looking at the appearance of the mountains, I think Niu Huang arranges these every year, but he has never told Li Qi. As long as Li Qi walks out like today, he can naturally see the lights all over the mountain.

However, in the past few years, Li Qi has never walked in the mountains and has never seen these scenes, which is a waste of Niu Huang's intentions.

"That's right, I didn't notice it either, but he was thoughtful." Rabbit also nodded, looking at the lights like a cluster, she couldn't help but feel that she was a little too cold and arrogant.

She gently pulled Li Qi's sleeve and said, "But, in this case, do you want to go down and join them?"

"Uh-" Li Qi didn't know how to answer for a while.

"What are you afraid of?" Shen Shuibi couldn't help but laugh when she saw him hesitate.

"No, I'm not afraid, but I feel a little sad. Think about it, many years ago, Yu'er, you would never have made such a suggestion." Li Qi looked at Shen Shuibi in surprise: "Why do you take the initiative to go down the mountain now?"

Yes, Li Qi was not surprised to go down the mountain to spend time with others, but was surprised that this suggestion was made by Shen Shuibi.

The former socially anxious and autistic rabbit now wants to take the initiative to celebrate the New Year with others.

"Is there any problem? Well... If I have to say, it may be because of this child." Shen Shuibi thought for a while, tilted his head, and then smiled.

"Since this child has been in my belly, I always feel that the way I see the world has changed. It's really amazing." She stroked her belly. Although the curvature has not changed and it is still flat, the vitality it breeds cannot be faked.

"Really? Let me listen." Li Qi bent down and put his ear on his belly.

In fact, he couldn't hear anything, but he could feel happy, as if the little life inside was laughing.

"Okay, okay, the more you listen, the lower you go. You are really shameless." Rabbit seemed to be shy and quickly pushed Li Qi's head away.

Li Qi laughed loudly. Although he knew that he didn't have that much, he saw Rabbit hiding his shyness and throwing the pot on his head. In addition, there were lights in the surrounding mountains and it was the New Year.

"But now that we have come to this point, do you want to go down with me? Don't worry, I don't think they will be scared by you." Shen Shuibi said, and took the initiative to invite Li Qi to go down the mountain together.

Li Qi looked at her and said, "Yu'er, you look like you have some conspiracy."

"But you will fall for it, right? After all, you love me very much." Rabbit suddenly said.

This confused Li Qi. Shen Shuibi was a reserved person and would never do this normally. But he came to his senses immediately and realized that there was probably a conspiracy.

However, he smiled.

Indeed, he would fall for it.

"Since I am going, I must not go empty-handed. Let me prepare some gifts." Li Qi said, and used his magical powers, one hand to the sky and the other to the ground.

There must be food and drink, so Li Qi picked up the clouds on the edge of the sky and sprinkled the sunset with liquid, which is called "Xiajiang". Eating it can prolong life.

And if you want lights, you can take the jade from the underground stone lin, which is called "Ye Ming". Throw it into the water in the dark, and it will float without extinguishing, as a bright lamp.

These should be enough as gifts, and... Li Qi is a little curious. After he goes down the mountain, what will the cow gall and those mortals do?

Thinking of this, Li Qi picked a portion of each, then held it in his hand and followed Shen Shuibi down the mountain.

Another year passed, and the Vanguard Battle seemed to be just around the corner, but for some reason, Li Qi did not feel nervous at all.

Time is like flowing water, the black rabbit moves the dark day, the universe is full of virtue, and all things are warm in spring.

This is good, this is good. (End of this chapter)