The sky gradually darkened.

Oil lamps were lit inside the earthen house, and Dou Niang and Xu Fu emerged from the inner room, dressed up in their finest attire.

Since it was a festival, they couldn’t wear their everyday clothes. Dou Niang had changed into a brand new black floral tube skirt, embroidered with colorful flowers and plants, reaching only to her knees, with black cloth boots that were both warm and light. Around her neck she wore a string of silver colored beads, and two braids tied with velvet flowers hung down to her chest. She seemed to have applied a bit of rouge, making her look charming.

Xu Fu had also washed his face clean and changed into a black cloth robe. This robe seemed rarely worn, as the embroidery colors on it were still very fresh. Tian Fangfang examined their attire and asked, “Are these the clothes to wear for the Auspicious Serpent Festival?”

Dou Niang nodded with a smile, “The Serpent Witch Clan reveres black as the most noble color. During the sacrificial ceremonies of the Auspicious Serpent Festival, everyone must wear black robes.” She fingered the string of colorful beads around her neck, “I strung these beads myself. Wealthy families would wear gemstones on their chests.”

Xu Fu brought over several lamps from behind him and handed them to Tian Fangfang and the others, “During the Auspicious Serpent Festival, everyone must hold a Divine Serpent Lamp. Please take them first, honorable immortals.”

Zanxing took the Divine Serpent Lamp and held it up to examine it carefully.

The lamp wasn’t large, about the size of a cuju ball, made from a lantern sewn with white cloth. The fabric was either embroidered or painted with totems—the very same totem they had seen at the city gate when they first arrived at Wu Fan City: a woman holding two serpents. Now with the lamp flame burning inside, it cast the serpent shadows on the outer cloth covering, making them sway slightly as if they were about to swim and leap out of the lantern at any moment.

“It’s getting late,” Xu Fu glanced at the sky. “Honorable immortals, let us go to the Auspicious Serpent Festival now.”

Everyone left the house together.

The desert was scorchingly hot during the day, but at night, without the sun’s blazing heat, it became cold. Dry, cool winds blew from the distance, and warm-colored lanterns hung at the doorways of every household along the not-so-spacious dirt paths. The night sky seemed extremely low, and the silent heavens and bright lights divided the world in two. In this vast, boundless wilderness, these points of light brought the vitality of human gatherings.

Dou Niang smiled as she explained, “The city is usually very lively at night, with food and drink vendors on the roadside, and juggling performances at lantern festivals. But today is the Auspicious Serpent Festival, so everyone has gone to the Wu Dan Lin Desert, making it a bit quieter here. We came out late, but once we get to the Auspicious Serpent Festival, you’ll see how lively it is!”

As she spoke, there was some pride and a bit of boasting in her voice, as if this Auspicious Serpent Festival were some extraordinary celebration.

However, Zanxing and the others didn’t feel as lighthearted as her current footsteps. They hadn’t even seen the face of the Serpent Witch Clan’s holy maiden yet, so who knew whether this Auspicious Serpent Festival would bring fortune or misfortune?

After walking along the long dirt road, the further they went, the fewer houses they could see by the roadside, and the “road” became increasingly spacious, almost merging with the distant desert. However, there were gradually more people, and Zanxing could already see several well-dressed men and women chatting and laughing as they walked forward, as if truly heading to a rare festival.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the path beneath their feet had completely disappeared. If not for Xu Fu and Dou Niang guiding them, Zanxing and the others would have almost thought they were about to get lost in the desert. However, in the pitch-black desert, some flickering starlight gradually appeared. Those points of light were fire-orange colored, making the desolate wasteland noisy and lively in the cold, silent night.

Dou Niang ran ahead, waving vigorously toward the distance, then turned back to look at them, saying joyfully, “We’re here! The Auspicious Serpent Festival is here!”

Zanxing looked toward the distance, and those points of light became clear.

They weren’t starlight at all, but burning torches. The larger points of light were bonfires clustered together, while the smaller ones were fire branches stuck into the sandy ground, arranged in flower patterns.

Countless people in festive attire gathered among those torches, engaged in enthusiastic singing and dancing. Someone was beating drums—the drum faces painted with bright vermilion, with delicate carvings of birds, beasts, insects, and fish on both sides. The drumbeat was passionate, and young girls in black long skirts danced gracefully to the rhythm. The girls’ gorgeous skirts were extremely wide, embroidered with lifelike butterflies among flowers. With each spin, the colorful butterflies on the skirts would dazzle the eyes, and with each wave of their arms, their beautiful, long hair seemed ready to steal away one’s soul.

Zanxing murmured, “It is a dance festival…”

This was somewhat different from what she had expected.

In the distance, a black-clothed young man saw Dou Niang and said with a grin, “Dou Niang, you’re late! The roasted beef is all gone!”

Dou Niang made a face at him, then turned to Zanxing and the others, “Are the honorable immortals hungry? Come taste the feast of our Auspicious Serpent Festival!”

She pulled Tian Fangfang along as they ran forward, with Zanxing and the others following behind. They had only walked halfway when they could smell the aroma of food carried on the wind.

Many long wooden tables were set up around the desert bonfires. The table Dou Niang led them to still had untouched food on it. There were fruits, candies, and dairy products, along with richly colored, fragrant wine. On a wooden rack beside it, a small calf was being roasted, the beef sizzling with oil and its aroma instantly reaching everyone’s nostrils. Mendong’s stomach let out a loud “gurgle,” and when everyone looked over, the child immediately blushed.

Speaking of which, Zanxing’s group had eaten nothing except drinking some water at the Xu family’s house since leaving the secret realm of Li’er Kingdom. While cultivators generally have high tolerance for hunger, disciples at the sect would often fast. Now that they had entered this desert, everyone’s yuanli was severely depleted, their Qiankun Bags wouldn’t open, and they were no different from ordinary people. Naturally, their perception of hunger had become much more acute.

“This kind of roasted beef is something my father and I rarely get to eat on ordinary days,” Dou Niang picked up an exquisitely carved small knife nearby, selected the most succulent part, cut off a piece of beef, and placed it on a plate, offering it to Tian Fangfang. “If the honorable immortals don’t mind, please try some.”

The beef sat on the plate, gently steaming. Tian Fangfang swallowed her saliva and looked toward Gu Baiying.

Gu Baiying glanced at the delicacies on the table and said casually, “Sect disciples cannot eat mortal food.”

“Ah?” Dou Niang looked surprised for a moment, showing some regret. “That’s truly a pity.”

Zanxing also felt it was a pity. The young beef looked tender, smelled fragrant, and should taste quite good, especially when they were all hungry at the moment, making it seem even more delicious. However, this place was strange, and they dared not randomly eat the local food, so they had to suppress their craving for the time being.

Not far away, there were elegantly dressed young men and women competing in contests.