During the red boat competition for the standard, after shooting the golden ball, Pei Yunying didn’t choose from the many delicate silk flowers on the golden tray, but instead casually picked up a wild flower from the grass beside the water pavilion. This action was unexpected.

However, though unexpected, it wasn’t unreasonable.

After all, he wasn’t among the competing soldiers in today’s red boat competition.

Having obtained this wild flower, Pei Yunying returned to the small tower. This minor incident in the competition quickly passed, the golden ball was hung up again, and the other red boats competed for the standard once more.

It was just that with such a brilliant performance earlier, watching the current competition felt less entertaining, not as thrilling as before.

On the flower boats, music officials performed water plays with song and dance. Amid the lively singing, Lu Tong sat with lowered eyes, spacing out for a moment.

Pei Yunying had chosen a hibiscus flower.

That night, she thought she and Pei Yunying had spoken quite clearly.

Lu Tong raised her hand, her fingertips brushing past her hair. In her hair bun, the slanted hibiscus flower hairpin felt cold.

She withdrew her hand, her expression becoming calm again.

The crowd was in heated excitement. When all the water palace performances ended, the dozens of tiger-head boats and flying fish boats on Chang’an Pool all rowed away, leaving only a few of the most magnificent and exquisite dragon boats for the ministers’ leisure.

Next came the military presentations of various performances.

Dozens of people beat drums. In the qin music of “Mo Shan Xi,” those performing lion and leopard dances entered, pouncing on flags, doing somersaults, forming crescent moon formations. Suddenly there was a thunderous explosion, and the opposing soldiers separated.

The crowd erupted in cheers of “Good!”

Lin Danqing clapped continuously: “So wonderful!”

The crowd by Changle Pool watched excitedly. Lu Tong sat among the seats, also watching intently. Vaguely, she suddenly felt a gaze fall upon her, so she looked up and met the eyes of the young man looking over from Shenbao Tower.

Their gazes collided. He paused slightly, then very quickly turned his head away, shifting his gaze.

After the battle performance, various palace attendants and waiting sons presented horse riding displays—opening road riding, overhead shooting, combined shooting, flying immortal binding horses… making one dizzy with their variety.

Then came performances by girls from the Wonderful Dharma Academy, flower-costumed men presenting ball games…

Everyone watched and cheered until all performances concluded—it was already afternoon.

The auspicious time had arrived; the grand ceremony was about to begin.

In the high tower, the emperor already showed slight fatigue. Seeing the musicians beating drums, he came to Tianzhang Platform under ceremonial escort.

Lu Tong stood with the hundred officials below the altar.

The “Record of Music” states: “Great music harmonizes with heaven and earth, great ritual keeps time with heaven and earth.”

When the previous emperor was alive, personal sacrifices every three years were very grand. After Emperor Liang Ming ascended the throne, personal sacrifices were changed to once every five years.

Originally this year hadn’t reached the grand ceremony year, but with military unrest at Qishui and locust disasters in Sunan causing people unbearable suffering, censors submitted memorials one after another. Emperor Liang Ming specially opened the altar to pray for blessings for the realm.

The imperial carriage and ceremonial implements were all prepared, with the Grand Astrology Bureau checking the water clocks. All officials wore ceremonial dress and held tablets according to their ranks, while fully armed guards surrounded the area.

The Son of Heaven wore ritual robes and a ceremonial crown as he ascended the three-tiered high altar.

Ceremonial officials played music, dancers struck bronze cymbals and bells. The Son of Heaven ascended the altar, bowing and prostrating in four directions, offering wine.

Invoking the spirits, the emperor’s ascent and descent, presenting jade and silk, offering sacrificial vessels, making libations, drinking blessings, secondary offerings, final offerings, sending off the spirits…

Offerings and silk fabrics were scattered down the western steps of the altar.

All sacrificial items were sent into the burning furnace to be consumed by fire. When the music ended, a final bow was made, and the ceremony concluded.

From the beginning to the end of the grand ceremony took a full three hours. When it ended, the sky had turned completely dark.

This was Lu Tong’s first time participating in a palace grand ceremony, so she hadn’t felt much yet, but the older medical officials beside her couldn’t help showing difficulty on their faces. Chang Jin even secretly rubbed his knees when no one was looking.

Looking at the hundred officials, except for the princes and marquises standing at the very front, the ministers hiding in the back all looked somewhat strained.

Emperor Liang Ming was the same.

The Son of Heaven’s health was already poor to begin with. Enduring three full hours to complete the grand ceremony was already difficult. After the ceremony ended, he went to rest on a dragon boat on Changle Pool for a moment. Around hai hour, the Great Nuo Ceremony would begin, and fireworks would be set off throughout the imperial city.

During the period from the end of the grand ceremony to the beginning of the Nuo ceremony, officials could also go to the long seats for a temporary rest.

Everyone dispersed to return to the banquet seats by Changle Pool.

Pei Yunying followed Emperor Liang Ming aboard the dragon boat. The Empress and Empress Dowager were resting on the boat. Seeing him board, they discussed the upcoming Nuo ceremony matters before Pei Yunying withdrew.

He first made a round to check on the imperial guards, then returned to the shores of Changle Pool. The atmosphere at the seats was lively, with Lin Danqing turning to talk with Chang Jin, but Lu Tong was nowhere to be seen.

He scanned the surroundings but didn’t see where Lu Tong was.

Lin Danqing noticed him approaching and greeted him: “Why has Marshal Pei come here?”

Pei Yunying glanced at the seats and asked: “Lu Tong isn’t here?”

Lin Danqing was startled: “Eh, she was just here a moment ago?”

“She might have been called away by someone else.” Lin Danqing turned her head. “I told her that the Nuo ceremony would begin in an hour, so she should be back soon.”

Pei Yunying frowned.

“Does Marshal Pei have business with her?”

He shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, several princes called him from over there, so he said nothing and turned to leave again.

…

The lively, noisy crowd gradually receded. In the more distant reaches of Changle Pool, several palace servants emerged from a courtyard, leaving the storeroom completely quiet.

The storeroom was filled with masks and wild hair, wolf-tooth fireworks, skeleton puppets of all sizes. In the very center stood a giant puppet with golden eyes and white face, wearing an embroidered apron, as tall as a person and extremely heavy, placed on a wooden board with wheels—very imposing.

These were tools for the upcoming Nuo ceremony.

Because the tools were numerous and complicated, piled together in one place, they appeared rather chaotic. At first glance, it wouldn’t be easy to notice human figures.

The palace hadn’t held a Great Nuo Ceremony for several years. The tools were all temporarily prepared by the Ministry of Rites, and the craftsmen responsible for the Nuo ceremony weren’t palace musicians, so security here was more lax.

But in the gloomy quiet, human voices suddenly rang out.

“Where are the things?” In the storeroom, Qi Yutai extended a hand toward Lu Tong.

He had been anticipating this day since last night, but unfortunately today there were first military performances, then the Tianzhang Altar ceremony. Under all those watchful eyes, he simply couldn’t find an opportunity to seek out Lu Tong. Though his father was far from him, he had secretly arranged for Qi Huaying to watch him to prevent any sudden incidents. Even now, coming out to find Lu Tong was under the pretense of using the lavatory.

Lu Tong said nothing, pulling a paper packet from her sleeve.

Qi Yutai eagerly took it, about to open it when he suddenly remembered something and quickly looked around. There was no sound of people in the storeroom—the palace servants from earlier had gone out to move things.

Only then did he relax, looking at Lu Tong with praise: “You really know how to choose a place.”

The shores of Changle Pool were full of people everywhere, with palace servants constantly passing by. He had been wondering how to avoid prying eyes and ears. After all, everyone in the palace was sharp—if they noticed something amiss, it could cause trouble, especially with the Third Prince’s people around.

Just as he was thinking, voices suddenly sounded from outside. Qi Yutai was startled. In front of him stood the golden-eyed, white-faced “plague god and evil spirit.” Lu Tong reacted quickly, grabbing him and pulling him down. The tall puppet’s shadow concealed both of them. Outside the door, two young eunuchs were discussing something, but soon their voices gradually faded.

Qi Yutai breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, anxiety rose in his heart again.

People kept passing by, which was truly unsettling. But from Changle Pool to here, it was difficult to find another more suitable place to take the powder. Going further would risk encountering imperial guards.

Just as he was thinking, Lu Tong felt around the puppet’s belly area and gave it a forceful push. Immediately, a small door popped open.

The puppet’s middle was actually hollow.

Lu Tong said: “Get inside.”

Qi Yutai frowned: “What do you mean?”

“People could come in at any time. Hiding here isn’t safe either. Better to hide inside the puppet’s belly.”

She said: “The Nuo ceremony begins at hai hour, about an hour from now, when ceremonial officials will come here. If Young Master Qi can consume all the medicinal powder within the time it takes to brew tea, after the drug effects wear off, even if discovered, you can pretend you got lost and wandered here. No one will detect anything suspicious.”

This was just a storage place for Nuo ceremony tools. The current emperor disliked Nuo ceremonies—if not for the Sunan locust disaster, he wouldn’t have specially arranged a grand ceremony at all. Neglected items naturally weren’t taken seriously, so there weren’t heavy guards. Even if discovered, taking a wrong path wasn’t a serious error.

As long as the drug-taking process wasn’t detected.

Qi Yutai knew this action carried some danger, but for some reason, he felt a trace of nervous excitement.

He stared at Lu Tong. The woman’s fragrant, sweet scent made his heart race for a moment. Before even taking the powder, he already felt faintly heated.

Qi Yutai reached out to pinch Lu Tong’s chin: “You’re really bold. I wonder if you’re equally bold in other places?”

The frivolous, suggestive words fell on the woman’s ears, but Lu Tong’s expression didn’t change. She only reminded: “Young Master Qi had better hurry.”

Voices could be heard faintly from outside again. Qi Yutai reluctantly withdrew his hand, opened the puppet door, and crawled into its belly.

Once inside, he found the puppet’s belly quite spacious, just enough to accommodate one person sitting inside. Qi Yutai pulled out a silver flask from his chest—he had taken this from the banquet earlier. Taking powder with wine was a hundred times more pleasurable.

He curled up sitting inside. The space was cramped on all sides, and at a slightly lower eye level, there was a tiny crack that let in a sliver of light from outside. He didn’t know what this crack was for. After looking for a while, still feeling uneasy, he turned to ask Lu Tong: “Is this place really safe?”

Lu Tong nodded: “As long as Young Master Qi stays here before the drug effects wear off, you should be safe for the next hour.”

Qi Yutai thought about it and finally couldn’t resist the powder’s temptation. He had gone days without taking it. Even knowing there was a fire pit ahead, he was willing to enjoy himself first.

“You wouldn’t dare anyway.” He snorted lightly.

“May you enjoy yourself to the fullest.”

After Lu Tong finished speaking, she stood up.

The door was loosely closed. All around was quiet, with only light from the crack illuminating the puppet’s belly. Time was of the essence. Qi Yutai eagerly opened the paper packet, took a deep breath, and his expression immediately became intoxicated.

He immersed himself in long-lost pleasure, not noticing the gaze from behind.

“Click—”

There was an extremely faint sound in the storeroom.

Qi Yutai didn’t notice.

…

When Lu Tong returned to the Changle Pool seats, Lin Danqing was looking for her everywhere.

“Where did you go?” she asked. “I looked all around but couldn’t find you.”

“I got lost after using the lavatory and had to ask a palace maid for directions to get back.”

Lin Danqing understood: “You don’t often enter the palace, so not knowing the way is normal.” She added: “Marshal Pei just came looking for you.”

Lu Tong was startled: “What did he want with me?”

“I don’t know.” Lin Danqing shook her head. “When he saw you weren’t here, he left.”

Lu Tong fell silent.

As they were talking, music gradually came from the more distant reaches of Changle Pool.

“Quick, quick, quick!” Lin Danqing turned to look. “The Nuo ceremony is about to begin. Speaking of which, I was really worried earlier that you’d be late and miss the start of the Nuo ceremony, then Medical Administrator Chang would punish you again.”

Lu Tong smiled: “That won’t happen.”

“Didn’t you tell me that this year’s Nuo ceremony was moved up an hour, starting at xu hour?”

She smiled slightly: “I calculated the timing properly.”

It had been many years since there were Nuo sacrifice rituals in Shengjing’s imperial city.

This year, due to the locust disaster, the country held Nuo ceremonies again. Both the imperial palace attendants and the Imperial Music Bureau felt rushed. Lin Danqing had extensive connections and happened to hear from Music Bureau people during her duty that this year’s Nuo ceremony would start an hour early.

For the Tianzhang Platform ceremony, the most important part was the ceremony itself—not a single step could go wrong. The various military performances were for lively entertainment, but officials didn’t pay much attention to the Nuo ceremony.

After all, it was the final segment of the day, so people wouldn’t specifically remember this timing.

Lin Danqing, having received advance notice, told Lu Tong about this and discussed with her: “If they’re moving it up, is there some new element to the Nuo sacrifice?”

Lu Tong shook her head, saying she didn’t know.

She sighed: “Even if there are new elements, it’s pointless. Instead of putting effort into these things, it would be more practical to send medical officials to Sunan for disaster relief earlier.”

The sound of ceremonial cannons outside interrupted Lu Tong’s thoughts. On the other side, not far from the long seats, Qi Huaying looked at the empty seat beside her, anxiety flashing in her eyes.

“Still haven’t found brother?” she asked the servant beside her in a low voice.

The servant shook his head.

“This is terrible.”

Qi Huaying worried secretly.

An incense stick ago, Qi Yutai had said he needed to use the lavatory and left his seat. He hadn’t been seen since and still hadn’t returned.

There were guards everywhere around Changle Pool, so there shouldn’t be any danger. But Qi Huaying felt uneasy.

Before departure, father had repeatedly warned that Qi Yutai’s madness could relapse at any time—he couldn’t be left alone.

If he suddenly had an episode somewhere…

“Have you informed father about this?” Qi Huaying asked.

The servant looked troubled: “The Nuo sacrifice is about to begin, Master Grand Tutor has already gone to the ceremonial officials…”

The crowd in the distance was noisy. Qi Huaying’s heart sank.

It seemed she could only hope that Qi Yutai had just temporarily left and would return.

If he really had an episode, she hoped it would be somewhere no one would notice.

…

In the storeroom, oil lamps flickered dimly.

Among the scattered masks, wild hair, incense candles, and embroidered fabrics on the floor, the puppet stood quietly.

Qi Yutai hid inside the puppet like a mouse hiding in the dark, gnawing on scraps in the darkness.

No, not a mouse.

It should be a bird.

A bird yearning to fly toward the blue clouds above.

Whether it was because he hadn’t taken powder for several days or because the wine in the flask from the banquet was too sweet, when the medicinal powder and wine entered his mouth, he felt a long-lost pleasure. Unlike the powder Lu Tong had brought when she visited him before, this was almost like real Cold Food Powder—hot, burning, intoxicating, yet without that suffocating, reckless congestion.

Only bliss.

The surrounding darkness and narrowness didn’t make him feel cramped. This place seemed to have become a safe birdcage—a cage made of gold and silver, filled with fine food and clear water.

Though this birdcage made the bird lose its freedom, inside the beautiful cage was comfort that wild birds in the forest could never taste in a lifetime.

He felt safe.

This place was indeed safe.

The Nuo ceremony wouldn’t start until chen hour. He had never been interested in Nuo ceremonies before, and his father had only repeatedly warned that the ceremony couldn’t have any errors. Only today did he realize what a wonderful thing Nuo sacrifice was.

In his euphoria and disorientation, he happily thought: it would be good if Great Liang had several more locust disasters, floods, droughts, or other calamities.

Then His Majesty could perform Nuo ceremonies every year, and he could be intoxicated every time.

A satisfied smile appeared on Qi Yutai’s face. He felt his whole body becoming light and floating, like a bird flapping its wings, swaying as it flew into the clouds in the sky. He comfortably closed his eyes. The silver flask in his hand slipped and hit the inside of the puppet, making an extremely faint sound that was quickly drowned out by voices outside.

“This thing is quite heavy.” The ceremonial official dragging the puppet said this.

The puppet with white face and golden eyes had horns on its head and tusks protruding from its mouth, with a terrifying appearance. The wheels under the wooden board rolled, but even so, pulling it wasn’t easy.

“Why don’t you crawl inside and see?” another person asked.

“I don’t want to be unlucky.”

The speaking ceremonial official looked away in disgust, afraid the puppet might touch even a thread of his robe, saying: “Inauspicious!”

Craftsmen entered in twos and threes, carrying away masks and oil paper from the storeroom.

The lead ceremonial official urged those dragging the puppet: “The Nuo ceremony is about to begin. Hurry and get these things up there.”

…

By Changle Pool, flames suddenly rose.

In clusters of blue smoke, a group of masked figures gradually appeared.

This group wore embroidered colorful clothes and carried golden spears and dragon flags. There was also drum music, with a hundred children with red scarves wrapped around their heads, holding hand drums and chanting:

“Jia devours the fierce. Xiongwei devours tigers.

Xiongbo devours demons. Tengjian devours the inauspicious.

Lan devours disasters. Boqi devours dreams.

Qiangliang and Zuming together devour the torn dead and parasites.

Weisui devours sights. Cuoduan devours giants.

Qiongqi and Tenggen together devour curses.

In all, twelve spirits chase away evil and misfortune.

Hack your body, tear your flesh, dismember your meat, extract your lungs and intestines.

If you don’t leave quickly, you’ll become food for those who follow.”

This was the Nuo song.

Twelve ghost-faced ceremonial officers danced the exorcism dance, surrounding a puppet as tall as a person in the center.

The puppet was made extremely ugly—white face, golden eyes, with rows of fierce teeth.

Lin Danqing focused: “This is…”

“The plague god.” Lu Tong said.

Lin Danqing was surprised: “I’ve never seen this in previous Nuo ceremonies. This is my first time seeing it.” She asked Lu Tong curiously: “But Sister Lu, isn’t this your first time attending a grand ceremony? How do you recognize this thing?”

“I read about it in books.”

Lin Danqing didn’t doubt this, nodded, and continued watching the distant Nuo dance.

Lu Tong looked down indifferently.

She had seen the plague god before.

During the great epidemic year in Changwu County, neighbors fell ill one after another, and the entire Changwu County was filled with deathly silence. The county magistrate, desperate, invited a mountain priestess to dispel the plague. At that time, her parents and siblings were already too sick to get out of bed. She walked a long way and saw the priestess’s plague-dispelling ritual.

The priestess in the poor small county didn’t understand any “Great Nuo ceremony” and had no band or shamans. She hastily set up a platform with one person wearing a white-faced, golden-eyed mask and another holding a club—that was enough to dispel the plague.

Young as she was, watching the priestess’s long, strange chanting, she asked the neighbor aunt: “What is that person wearing the mask?”

The aunt told her: “That’s the plague god. The priestess will drive it away, and the epidemic will be gone.”

The plague god.

Lu Tong nodded with half-understanding, silently reciting in her heart:

Drive it away.

Must drive it away.

Once driven away, father, mother, brother, and sister would get better.

The crowd suddenly let out another gasp. Lu Tong looked up to see the Nuo dancers surrounding the center spitting fire from their mouths.

Lu Tong’s expression remained calm.

Where Lin Danqing served, there were people from the Imperial Music Bureau.

A few days ago, when she returned to the Imperial Medical Academy to organize things, she had once delivered medicine for Lin Danqing and happened to see music officials at the Music Bureau entrance carrying this “plague god” inside.

“Be careful, don’t break it! This is the star of this year’s exorcism ceremony!”

After the lead music official finished scolding his subordinates, he turned to take the medicine list from Lu Tong’s hands.

Lu Tong smiled.

It must be her family protecting her from heaven.

That’s why everything went so unbelievably smoothly.

Gradually, in the chanting, another person slowly approached from back to front.

Wearing black upper garments and red lower garments, draped in bear skin, carrying a spear and shield. The heavy bear skin pressed on this person, making their thin, withered frame appear even more pitiful. In the drifting fragrant mist, it was eerie and sinister.

The Nuo dance music suddenly became shrill.

The “protagonist” of ghost expulsion, Fangxiang Zi, was originally played by the Music Bureau director, but now it was replaced by Grand Tutor Qi Qing.

The Grand Tutor was advanced in years, widely known for his virtue and benevolence. This year during the Sunan locust disaster, he voluntarily donated family wealth for disaster relief, earning widespread praise from the people.

Over the years, he had also built bridges and roads. Poor people who benefited from his kindness were grateful. Having him play the plague-dispelling “Fangxiang Zi” showed His Majesty’s regard for him.

When Lu Tong visited to treat Qi Yutai, Qi Yutai often mentioned this matter, saying this year’s exorcism would have his father playing Fangxiang, speaking with great pride.

By Changle Pool, fireworks and lamps burned bright as daylight. In the curling blue smoke, the Grand Tutor smiled gently—he didn’t look like a ghost-expelling general but more like an immortal in the blue sky above, kind-faced and high above all.

He raised the long sword in his hand.

Lin Danqing cried out: “What is this for?”

Lu Tong smiled slightly.

“Kill the plague god.”

Everyone avoided the plague god that brought disaster and pestilence—of course it had to be killed with one decisive strike. The murderous sword would drive away plague demons. That tall, solid puppet was hollow in the middle not to hide anything, but for the moment when Fangxiang Zi’s “sword” pierced through—that instant of blood splashing.

The crowd’s cheers mixed with ghostly Nuo songs. The jolting finally awakened the person hidden in the puppet’s belly.

Qi Yutai had a beautiful dream.

He dreamed he was still a child, just in time for his father’s birthday.

Father had always loved birds. He caught a beautiful bird, clipped its wing feathers, put it in a cage, and gave it to his father.

Father was very happy, lovingly picked him up, and earnestly praised him.

Qi Yutai was overjoyed and wanted to catch another bird for his father, but someone shook him from behind.

Qi Yutai’s eyes snapped open.

All around was pitch black, with only a sliver of bright light leaking through the crack before his eyes. Noisy drum music reached his ears, accompanied by strange, eerie melodies. He was confused for a moment.

Where was this?

But soon he remembered—he was in the Music Bureau’s mask storage room for tonight’s Nuo ceremony, secretly taking medicinal powder.

His head was splitting with pain. He couldn’t remember how long he had slept, only instinctively pressing his eye to that narrow crack in the puppet, looking toward the bright light outside.

He saw his father.

Father was draped in bear skin, wearing black upper and red lower garments. In the blue smoke, he seemed as tall as in his childhood dreams, his expression both strange and familiar.

This was… the Nuo ceremony?

But wasn’t the Nuo ceremony supposed to start at chen hour? From taking the powder to when its effects wore off was at most the time of one incense stick. Why had the Nuo ceremony already begun?

Around him, people wearing Nuo masks surrounded his father in prayer. Qi Yutai watched, his gaze sweeping over the gleaming silver sword in his father’s hand, his eyes suddenly widening!

He remembered what his father was going to do.

The final part of the Nuo ceremony was called killing the plague god.

Fangxiang Shi would use his sword to kill the plague god, completely driving away demons and spirits.

Now, he had become the “plague god,” and his father had become “Fangxiang Shi.”

Father would kill him.

He couldn’t stay here—he would die!

At this moment, not caring what kind of impact it would cause, Qi Yutai instinctively wanted to shout out loud. But when he opened his mouth, he found his voice had become extremely thin and, through the puppet, was difficult for anyone to detect.

Qi Yutai turned back to feel around, but the puppet’s narrow belly suddenly seemed very large. He couldn’t find where the door seam was—it seemed to have been locked from the outside.

In some dark fate, he had become a caged bird that couldn’t escape or fly away.

With no way to flee, Qi Yutai began trembling all over. In his terror, he desperately pounded the surroundings from inside, but the puppet’s solid belly seemed like an endless enveloping night—no matter what, he couldn’t see its bounds. The urgent drumbeats drowned out everything, drowning out his desperate cries.

“Help—”

“Help—”

“Help—”

No one answered.

Qi Yutai pressed his eye close to that crack. His father’s face was right before him. He desperately called his father’s name, frantically beating like a madman. His father looked at him with an indifferent smile, as if viewing a disgusting, loathsome plague demon, walking toward him.

“Splurt—” came the sound.

The masked dancers shouted loudly, all following suit by thrusting their long swords in—

“Boom—”

A cluster of fireworks shot into the night sky, red and white, as ceremonial cannons responded with their roar.

Overhead, colorful flames suddenly exploded, countless brilliant points of light trailing long tails across the night sky like countless glowing birds spreading their wings and falling from the air.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

“The plague demons are expelled!”

“The plague god is gone!”

Throughout the imperial city, the night sky was suddenly covered by flames. Brilliant birds crossed everything, and this joyful music was like New Year’s Eve, causing people throughout Shengjing to crane their necks to look.

Old farmers in Mangming Township’s tea gardens stopped their work and gazed toward the imperial city. Small vendors on West Street sat under cloth pavilions, listening to the faint sound of ceremonial cannons. In Nanyan Pharmacy, medical workers organizing herbs walked out of the medicine garden and looked up at the colorful flames falling overhead.

Vendors with carts being driven away under Qiqiao Tower, young girls in brothels who had just been beaten, poor scholars who had failed the exams and buried their heads in books. He Xiu, Yan Erniang, Shen Fengying, Wu Youcai…

Everyone was watching these brilliant fireworks in the imperial city.

Firecracker sounds, cheers, and drum music mixed together. In the wildly dancing flames, dark red blood traces flowed down the puppet’s belly.

The first music worker to discover it began shouting: “Demons! There are demons causing chaos—”

The crowd immediately became noisy.

Those in the back didn’t know what was happening in front and were still looking up at the fireworks overhead. Shouting mixed with screaming, and by Changle Pool, chaos gradually erupted.

The guards responded quickly, immediately rushing to surround the dragon boat and escort the emperor off the boat back to the palace. Pei Yunying drew his sword to protect Emperor Liang Ming, shouting sternly: “Protect His Majesty! Those who offend will be executed!”

In the joyful ceremony, blood flowed like rivers. Red-clad guards quickly covered the imperial family’s retreat, and chaos reigned by Changle Pool. Pei Yunying ran through the crowd, his gaze sweeping over countless confused or panicked faces, searching intently.

Cluster after cluster of fireworks surged into the night sky like tides. He saw Lu Tong.

Lu Tong stood in the crowd.

All around her were people fleeing in haste, but she stood by the pool’s edge, looking up at the fireworks overhead.

The lights flickered and changed, flowing light and shadow falling on her face like bright scarlet bloodstains. The woman stood under the warm clamor, watching intently and entranced, with a gentle smile at the corners of her lips.

She smiled very happily.

Smiling and smiling, she smiled until tears came.

“The Ceremony of Nuo” —from “Eastern Capital Dream Records”