Zhu Yixin exchanged a look with me, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Let’s go first!" she chirped.
With a master like our Eldest Senior Brother present, it was better to perform early while the audience’s interest was fresh. Otherwise, following him would only make one’s own skills seem lackluster by comparison. I had the same thought and chimed in with a smile, "Exactly what I was thinking. I’ll go second!"
Lu Kaifeng waited with a faint, calm smile, clearly content to go last. That left Qiao Songlin and Lu Lingfeng for the third and fourth slots. Unexpectedly, Lu Lingfeng, who hadn't spoken all evening, said tonelessly, "I’ll be last."
"Second Sister!" Zhu Yixin planted her hands on her hips and glared. "No joking today. You aren't allowed to manifest any of those gloomy, ominous things!"
Everyone looked at Lu Lingfeng with bated breath. She nodded obediently. "Oh."
Then, everyone turned their eyes toward Lu Kaifeng, hoping he would keep his sister in check. He smiled, nodded, and gave a pointed wink, signaling that if she misbehaved, he would certainly intervene. Only then did we relax.
Zhu Yixin clapped her hands and shouted, "Here we go!"
The night, originally as black as ink, began to brighten as if wiped clean by an invisible hand. Specks of oily green firefly light swirled around us, drawing our gaze toward the distant horizon. The quiet, elegant courtyard transformed into a vast, boundless prairie. A lake, clear as a round mirror, reflected the final sliver of fading moonlight, its surface rippling with silver waves. Time seemed to accelerate; in the blink of an eye, dawn arrived. A red sun rose over the hills at the edge of the grassland, accompanied by the shrill neighing of a horse. A lone steed galloped down from the hills, followed by a massive herd of wild horses. In an instant, the ground shook and the mountains trembled.
Horses filled our vision. Their flowing manes and lashing tails formed a series of ink-wash paintings in motion. With hooves flying, they charged wildly, heading straight for us.
Nie Xiaoyan and Gu Shuguan had never seen such high-level illusionary arts. Startled by the realism, they couldn't sit still and scrambled to get out of the way. Yet, just as the herd was about to collide with them, the horses suddenly veered upward. They soared gracefully over everyone’s heads into the sky, circling the area before rising higher and higher. Their coats took on brilliant, multicolored hues, shimmering with starlight, resembling the elaborate animal-shaped fireworks crafted by master pyrotechnicians.
While the laypeople watched in enchantment, Eldest Senior Brother, though kind in tone, shook his head in mild disapproval of Zhu Yixin’s creativity. "Though next year is the Year of the Horse and the theme is appropriate, the manifestation of the illusion is merely mediocre."
I made a face and teased her, "Is that all?"
"Of course... not!" Zhu Yixin’s pride was wounded. She coughed and hastily added another spell. "Keep watching!"
As the horses completed their second circuit in the air, golden light suddenly flickered among them. Figures appeared to be riding upon their backs. Looking closer, one figure had a long beard reaching his chest and wore bright red battle armor. He looked incredibly familiar, almost like...
"Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth," I sighed, pressing a hand to my forehead. "Fifth Sister really is a money-grubber."
That wasn't the end of it. A whole procession followed: Guan Gong, Fan Li, the Immortal Official of Profitable Markets, the God and Goddess of Fortune... every deity representing wealth appeared. They sat atop the horses, laughing as they held out heaps of gold and silver ingots, scattering them like celestial maidens scattering flowers.
Cheers erupted below. Gu Shuguan, practically drooling, caught an armful of the treasures. "You could even add the ancestors of our Thieves' Sect—the ones enshrined in the Wudao Temple!" he laughed.
I found it both hilarious and exasperating. "You know they’re fake, yet you’re grabbing them with such gusto?"
"It’s called 'Welcoming the God of Wealth,'" Gu Shuguan said, tossing me a golden wafer with a grin. "Sister Su, take some of this auspicious aura!"
"It’s called 'Wealth Arriving on Horseback'!" Zhu Yixin added.
Though it lacked technical depth, it was a massive hit in terms of popularity. Zhu Yixin stepped down, looking quite pleased with herself. Then, it was my turn.
Following my plan, I summoned Huanzhen and said with a smile, "My performance requires a partner. You all know Huanzhen is a spirit, not a mere object. It will choose a fated partner according to its own whim. Whoever is chosen cannot refuse!"
The others weren't sure what I was up to, but they sensed my motives weren't entirely pure. They all laughed and shouted, "As you command!" With great solemnity, I had Huanzhen sprout a dozen branches of budding winter jasmine, letting everyone pick one.
"Please channel your spiritual power to resonate with the flower..." I said, swaying my head like a profound master.
The flowers in everyone’s hands grew and bloomed one after another. In the end, the one in Nie Xueqing’s hand bloomed the most fiercely and beautifully.
"Chief Nie, congratulations!" I laughed. "The first lucky omen of the New Year. May your business bloom like these flowers!"
"Girl, if you want me to do something, just say it," Nie Xueqing said, amused.
"Fine!" I grinned, baring my teeth. I stepped toward her, grabbed the end of her flower branch, and gave it a sudden tug. The golden petals flew into the air, transforming into crackling fireworks. The branch itself turned into a pair of three-foot-long colored silk ribbons, fluttering gracefully in the air as I swung them.
"Sister Qing, your swordplay is divine, but I wonder how you fare with soft weapons. Today, please use these ribbons to shatter my flower ball." As I spoke, I tossed a glowing sphere—shaped like a hydrangea and formed by Huanzhen—into the air. Huanzhen, possessing its own sentience, drifted away.
"How hard can that be? It’s my first time testing the illusions of Mount Gomeng," Nie Xueqing laughed heartily. Before she had even finished speaking, she had already leaped several yards away, chasing the flower ball.
After Zhu Yixin’s performance, I realized this was both entertainment among friends and a small test from our Eldest Senior Brother. Sister Qing’s cultivation was near the Canxia stage, significantly higher than mine. Using illusions to deceive her senses was difficult, which was exactly why it would demonstrate my skill.
In the dark night, Huanzhen emitted a seven-colored radiance, making it an easy target to track. However, its movements were ghostly and erratic, darting left and right in unpredictable paths. Hampered by my illusionary barriers, Sister Qing—despite her three-foot-long weapons—kept missing by a hair’s breadth. Nevertheless, the fierce winds generated by her strikes caused Huanzhen to tremble, shaking off various fragrant, crystalline petals like a butterfly shedding its scales. From a distance, Sister Qing looked like a celestial maiden dancing amidst flowers, bathed in a shower of falling blossoms. She looked both valiant and beautiful, possessing more feminine charm than usual.
The people on the ground cheered and flattered her loudly. She laughed and danced even more vigorously until Huanzhen suddenly dived toward the ground, seemingly about to vanish.
Subconsciously, she threw the ribbons in her hands toward Huanzhen’s last known position. The two ribbons instantly knotted together, extending into a nearly six-foot-long banner. The end struck the center of the Huanzhen flower ball—and also slapped right onto Lu Kaifeng’s nose...
"The drinker’s heart is not in the wine!" Even Gu Shuguan, the only "outsider" present, understood the ploy and doubled over laughing.
We juniors clapped and stomped our feet, laughing until tears came. Even the usually stern Qiao Songlin couldn't help but chuckle.
The moment the silk ribbon caught the flower ball right in front of Lu Kaifeng’s face, the sphere shattered, filling the air with fragrance. Peaches, plums, pears, apricots, begonias, and roses—every flower associated with spring bloomed out of thin air. The rain of petals was so dense and fragrant it felt as if the Goddess of Flowers' palace had been overturned.
Eldest Senior Brother, whose physical martial training was relatively lacking, only had time to partially dodge. He raised a palm and caught the silk ribbon. Thus, a taut rainbow bridge was formed, connecting the two of them.
Nie Xueqing locked eyes with him in mid-air. Her lips curled into a smile, and her face flushed slightly. With a playful, mocking snort, she tossed her end of the ribbon into Lu Kaifeng’s arms and flew back to the ground.
Eldest Senior Brother clutched the ribbon, trying to save face. He even critiqued me: "Ahem. A-Zhi’s connection with Huanzhen has improved significantly, and the illusionary array was well-constructed..."
Zhu Yixin protested loudly, "A-Zhi was just being opportunistic! It’s not like you could criticize Sister Qing, could you?"
This made everyone laugh even harder, and the two subjects of the joke looked even more flustered.
Amidst the chatter, arguments, and laughter, Qiao Songlin stepped forward. He bowed politely to all sides, carrying an uncharacteristic air of mischief. He said slowly, "Recently, while reading Tang Dynasty anecdotes, I came across the term 'Two Tangerines and a Gallon of Wine.' It speaks of a refined scholar of the Wei and Jin dynasties who went out to enjoy the spring scenery, carrying only two tangerines and a gallon of wine..."
Before he could finish, Zhu Yixin feigned shock. "When did you start reading such pretentiously romantic books? A-Qing must have corrupted you!"
Qiao Songlin gave her a helpless look. "I was merely browsing in the study when I had nothing else to do." He coughed and got back to the point. "Now, I shall borrow one tangerine, one persimmon, and a bowl of wine. I also ask for my Sixth Sister’s assistance in a joint performance."
"As you command," I replied, suppressing a laugh and nodding solemnly.
He smiled faintly and took an orange and a persimmon from the "All Things Auspicious" arrangement Wei Qingming and I had set up the night before. He handed the orange to me and kept the persimmon for himself. Then, he summoned the ordinary sword he used for daily practice and signaled for me to summon Hanguang. "Our martial skills are comparable. Whoever strikes the fruit in the other’s hand first shall be the winner." As he spoke, he pulled two identical, non-magical cloaks from his cosmos bag. He handed me the silver one and donned the black one himself, adding a theatrical flair to the duel.
"Wait!" Nie Xiaoyan raised her hand. "Where’s the wine?"
"The winner drinks it, of course," Nie Xueqing answered with a smile.
With the terms set, Fourth Brother and I stopped talking and crossed blades. Normally, his cultivation and martial skills surpassed mine, but the core of this battle was using illusions for defense, distraction, and paralysis to seize the object in the opponent's hand. Relying on my agility and speed, I felt I had a good chance.
I deliberately showed a weakness, baiting him into striking my wrist. Just as the sword tip was about to graze my fingers, the orange in my hand suddenly dropped. It spun and slid down the length of his blade. At the critical moment, I hooked it with my foot, swung it over my head in an arc, and caught it in my left hand. Meanwhile, my right hand drove Hanguang toward the persimmon in his palm like a bolt of lightning.
At this point, the disadvantage of his choice became clear. A persimmon is soft; it breaks at the slightest touch. He couldn't toss and juggle it as I did with my orange. The ensuing struggle mostly involved me using clever tricks to throw the orange around as a lure while seeking an opening. However, his defense was impenetrable, leaving me no way to succeed.
Though the fight looked impressive, I was growing impatient. Unexpectedly, I stopped aiming for his persimmon and instead thrust toward the cord of his cloak, intending to strike during the moment of distraction when the cloak fell. But Fourth Brother was Fourth Brother; he dodged calmly, merely tilting his body and raising the arm holding the persimmon slightly. My chance! I grinned and, instead of using my sword, I threw my orange directly at his persimmon!
The red and orange fruits both flew into the air. His reactions were lightning-fast; he pierced my orange with his sword. Unfortunately for him, I had already smashed his persimmon before that.
I was just about to cheer in triumph when I saw a figure in a silver cloak holding a sword. On the tip of the sword was a pierced, dripping persimmon. The figure bowed elegantly to the audience.
Wait, what?
I looked down and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I had no idea when he had swapped our cloaks and the items in our hands. Now, I was the one wearing the black cloak, with a single orange skewered on the tip of my sword...
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 双柑斗酒 | Two Tangerines and a Gallon of Wine | A literary allusion to a leisurely spring outing. |
| 赵公明 | Zhao Gongming | A major God of Wealth in Chinese folk religion. |
| 利市仙官 | Immortal Official of Profitable Markets | A minor deity associated with wealth and successful trade. |
| 五道庙 | Wudao Temple | A temple dedicated to the "Five Roads" deities, often associated with protection and wealth. |
| 马上钱来 | Wealth Arriving on Horseback | A pun on "immediately" (mashang) and "on a horse." |
| 迎春花 | Winter Jasmine | Literally "flower that welcomes spring." |
| 醉翁之意不在酒 | The drinker's heart is not in the wine | An idiom meaning one has an ulterior motive. |
| 百事吉 | All Things Auspicious | A traditional New Year decoration or arrangement. |
| 斗篷 | Cloak | Used here as a theatrical prop for the illusion game. |
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