...
Lunar December 29, nearing the end of the year.
Every household was busy sweeping away bad luck and pasting New Year blessings, their feet barely touching the ground.
Except outside the Underground Street, a group of funeral shopkeepers and their assistants stood around like loafers 'streetwalking'.
This year there is no 30th day; the eve falls on the 29th evening. At this time, restaurants and teahouses closed their doors, those taking a break have taken a break, and even if one or two occasionally open, they are already full of customers.
Xu Qing and the others had nowhere to go, and since he was also worried about the Underground Street soon to be covered by a lightning disaster, he stayed with his group on a neighboring street, chatting idly.
The rebels of the Red-Clothed Cult were huddled together with Xie Hongying, chattering about something.
Xu Qing, with his keen ears, listened carefully and upon hearing that the Red-Clothed Cult was discussing trivial matters for next year's rebellion plan, he withdrew his attention.
The carpenter from the woodworking shop, who was mute, stood nearby the Red-Clothed crowd, unnoticed by everyone.
What could an illiterate mute do even if he overheard?
At noon, the Underground Street remained silent.
The Red-Clothed Cult members were getting restless, wanting to return, but were blocked by the iron pillar-like figure standing firmly in the street.
Seeing this, rather than being angry, Xie Hongying's eyes lit up and she began using her eloquent tongue to try to recruit the strong man into the Red-Clothed Cult to plot for the grand cause.
Unfortunately, the strong man was not Wang Liang; he had no intention of aspiring to conquer the world and seek fame. He only wanted to pursue martial arts excellence with Huang Xiaoliu under the Sect Leader's guidance.
Later on, sporadic firecrackers sounded in Linjiang City, followed by a citywide commotion.
Being a hub of waterborne trade, Linjiang County's prosperity was uncommon; despite the turmoil in the nation, festivals remained very lively.
Most in the Red-Clothed Cult had lost homes or family members, and so it was with the Galloping Immortal Disciples on Underground Street. During that time, Sun Erzhuang hurriedly sent hot shark ears with wagons for everyone to share.
The group squatted by the street, not feeling lonely.
However, just then, the entire street, including the Underground Street, suddenly darkened.
The mute carpenter looked up in confusion and upon seeing the gathering dark clouds overhead, he pointed to the sky, exclaiming incoherently that the weather was changing.
Meanwhile, in an alley corner, a female Taoist and a female Divination Master hurriedly approached Xu Qing.
Master Yizhen said with some concern, "This lightning disaster seems unusual. It shouldn't have such a formidable force..."
From the Wooden Box, the voice of Master Jingxu emerged: "Today marks the end of the year, the people burn incense to pray to the gods, and even the heavens celebrate the New Year. How can the peach tree overcome its tribulations at this time?"
Xu Qing didn't know if Jingxu was joking or if there was some truth to it, but the movement of the thunderclouds above the Underground Street was indeed considerable.
Nonetheless, Xu Qing was not the least bit flustered; compared to his Celestial Thunder, this lightning disaster was truly a case of a minor witch meeting a Great Witch.
The timing of this lightning disaster was impeccable, with firecrackers filling the city and the smell of gunpowder mixed with the New Year's atmosphere wafting into people's nostrils.
Amidst the fireworks citywide, a stark white lightning bolt formed, aiming directly at the coffin shop and crashing down!
The sound of it suppressed even the loudest firecrackers, rendering them powerless.
The previously lively Linjiang City, with firecrackers going off one after another, suddenly fell silent.
Inside the coffin shop, when the thunder as thick as a water vat struck down, Tao Sanmei, who had been frugal with only two to three thousand incense sticks, hurriedly took out ten thousand incense sticks and hurled them out.
Celestial Thunder has yin and yang: monsters and ghosts fear the Yang Thunder, while cultivators fear the Yin Thunder.
Above that is Celestial Thunder.
Tao Sanmei never imagined it would be the Yang Thunder striking her!
As the ten thousand incense sticks were thrown, at the location of the peach tree in the backyard, a giant tree shadow formed by the incense smoke shot up suddenly.
The tree shadow, with a majestic canopy and splendid glow, stretched out to cover half the sky!
Fireworks from Liuxian, and celebratory flowers from Shangping and Lijun, faded to nothing before this lustrous tree shadow formed from incense.
Master Jingxu, through the Wooden Box, saw the opulent canopy and the massive incense tree, unable to speak from the shock as if she had never seen such things before.
Is this the kind of merit a person can achieve?
As the lightning touched the canopy, countless incense merits scattered like sparks and the canopy only shrank slightly.
As the vortex circulated, the thunderclouds accumulating lightning seemed momentarily stalled.
The Celestial God leading the lightning disaster found this towering canopy somewhat familiar and squinted for a closer look.
Such magnificent righteousness, such grandiose means... upon savoring that scent of incense.
Wow! Isn't this an old acquaintance!
The Celestial God's anger suddenly had difficulty descending.
Stirring up trouble on someone else's good deeds is a bit unreasonable, yet if the long-accumulated thunderstorm only strikes once, and the rest remains withheld, it would not look good on Him either!
By strange coincidence, just when the Celestial God was raging and looking for a place to vent while working overtime during the New Year, there truly was a clueless idler in the city who raised his head to look at the sky.
That idler was a monk, at the moment he was bald-headed, gnawing on a chicken leg, and with a wine jug, his drunken eyes hazily caught sight of the dazzling treasure-light from the shadow of the towering tree.
"Wow! Incredible, who is undergoing tribulation here?"
The Mad Monk rubbed his eyes, yet he couldn't figure out how, in this Five Filthy Evil Worlds, apart from the nine generations of good people in his Buddhist sect, anyone else could possess so many merits?
He instinctively pinched his fingers for divination.
"Hmm... Constable Zhao Zhonghe of Linjiang County?"
The Mad Monk furrowed his brow, how could it possibly be him?
He is just a constable now, how could he have such destiny?
The monk put away the wine jug, set down the chicken leg, wiped his hands on his body to clean off the grease, pinched his fingers again for divination.
This time it was no longer Zhao Zhonghe, but an old monkey image that stole the Celestial Scripture popped up.
"How could it be this white ape stealing the Celestial Scripture? No, no!"
The Mad Monk felt increasingly that this matter was odd as he continued calculating, he glanced at the distant golden canopy, steeled himself, and divined again.
Thinking, though they say not to ask more than three times, as a monk, I also do good deeds, surely you can't strike me?
Little did he know, when a person's luck and curiosity spring forth together, trouble is bound to come!
The Mad Monk rolled up his sleeves, fully concentrated, almost pinching sparks out of his fingers.
And this time, a new figure emerged in his mind.
That person looked rather scholarly, a champion scholar, but was unexpectedly bare-chested, bare-backed, with a five-clawed dragon sprawling wildly across his shoulder.
Looking at the face again...
"Emperor? Is this right?"
The Mad Monk's eyes widened, bewildered, at that very moment, the celestial thunder which was supposed to strike the peach tree suddenly changed direction, and all the remaining celestial thunder struck him altogether.
"Ah! No good!"
When the thunderclouds dispersed, the monk vanished, leaving only a smoke-emitting broken monk's shoe on the ground.
Outside Underground Street, Xu Qing turned to look in the direction the celestial thunder veered, full of confusion.
Why did the thunder strike somewhere else?
The Wooden Box carried by Yizhen Daoist turned completely silent.
Cheng Caiyun, who had never seen such a scene, turned pale and said, "Scared to death, it's one thing for lightning to strike in dry weather, but why is it so near, hopefully, it won't strike the house..."
Xuan Yu, concerned about his own shop, upon hearing this, led Xu Qing immediately back to Underground Street.
He opened the coffin shop's door, passed through the aisles separated by coffins, and when Xu Qing reached the backyard, a refreshing sweet floral fragrance greeted him.
He paused and looked, only to see in the twelfth lunar month, the peach tree blooming resiliently in the yard, its peach blossoms dazzlingly splendid, the wind carried subtle fragrance, the ancient peach tree felt the time and transformed, sheltered by incense offerings, transcending the boundary of life and death, gaining rebirth.
Xuan Yu lifted his head, gazing at the peach blossoms on the branches, momentarily entranced.
After a while, Xuan Yu suddenly felt a slight sensation on his forehead, he extended a cat's paw, it turned out a snowflake fell onto his head.
"Xu Immortal Family."
"Hmm?"
"It's snowing!"
"Hmm..."
—————— He paused and looked, only to see in the twelfth lunar month, the peach tree blooming resiliently in the yard, its peach blossoms dazzlingly splendid, the wind carried subtle fragrance, the ancient peach tree felt the time and transformed, sheltered by incense offerings, transcending the boundary of life and death, gaining rebirth.
Xuan Yu lifted his head, gazing at the peach blossoms on the branches, momentarily entranced.
After a while, Xuan Yu suddenly felt a slight sensation on his forehead, he extended a cat's paw, it turned out a snowflake fell onto his head.
"Xu Immortal Family."
"Hmm?"
"It's snowing!"
"Hmm..."