Lingyuan spun in place a few times, examining herself.
It was clear she really liked this new outfit.
What would happen if she found out the inspiration came from Fujin's new clothes?
After admiring herself to her heart's content, she turned to Mu Yang again.
"Well? How do I look?"
Mu Yang smiled but said nothing.
"Come on, tell me! Do I look good or not?"
Mu Yang didn't answer. Instead, he walked past Lingyuan and stepped out of the small wooden house.
"Let's go. We're going to be late."
Lingyuan chased after him.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!"
At the same time, she raised her claws—
No, her delicate, jade-like hands—
Pretending like she was about to hit him.
Mu Yang simply said one word: "Wrong."
This left Lingyuan utterly confused.
I asked if I looked good, and you say 'wrong'?
Mu Yang then spoke seriously.
"In human villages, what should you do if someone ignores you?"
The reason he asked this was that, after receiving the notice a few days ago, Lingyuan had actively sought him out.
She wanted him to teach her some survival rules for human society.
As a mountain overlord who lived in the wild, Lingyuan despised the rules of the human world the most.
There were too many, and they were too troublesome.
But she didn't want to cause trouble for Fujin.
If her recklessness ruined Fujin's first Toulong Ceremony, she would truly feel ashamed.
Mu Yang was actually a little stumped too.
From what he remembered, his daily life consisted of nothing but sword practice.
That was it!
So he wasn't very familiar with the customs of the ancient people of Chenyu Vale.
He couldn't just teach her based on modern standards, could he?
Thus, he went to consult Yaojun.
After some discussion, the two of them came up with a few simple and straightforward rules.
The bottom line was: Do not hit people.
Mu Yang's refusal to answer her earlier question had been a small test before they set off.
Mu Yang could withstand a slap from her, but the people of Chenyu Vale might not.
Only after Mu Yang's question did Lingyuan remember this rule.
She immediately hid her raised hand behind her back.
"Sorry…"
On the way to the human village, Mu Yang briefly went over those rules with her again.
The Toulong Ceremony would draw a huge crowd, so it was best to avoid causing trouble.
As he watched Lingyuan nod along to every word, he thought to himself:
She's putting on a good show, but she's probably just letting it go in one ear and out the other. She'll forget everything the moment we arrive.
After so many years together, he knew her personality all too well.
By the time the two arrived, the Toulong Ceremony had just begun its preparations.
The so-called Toulong Ceremony was actually somewhat similar to the New Year celebrations in Earth.
It was a joyous occasion, full of liveliness.
On this day, people celebrated the harvest and drove away bad years with laughter and beast dances.
The reason it was called the Toulong Ceremony was that, on this day, the ceremony's host—Fujin, in her current role—would lead the people to the water's edge and toss Silong (giant egg-shaped offerings) into the river.
The Silong could calm the rivers and bring favorable weather.
Of course, they could also become instruments of slaughter.
This was also why Fujin wanted to take on this role.
She didn't want anyone with ill intentions to exploit the Toulong Ceremony and ruin this place she loved, along with the humans she cherished.
After the Toulong segment came the fun part—the temple fair.
The festivities would continue until late at night, marking the end of the day's celebrations.
As soon as Mu Yang and Lingyuan entered the settlement, they saw nearly everyone busy with preparations.
Some were preparing ceremonial meals, while others were in charge of the beast dances.
Everyone was busy, but the joy on their faces was unmistakable.
Mu Yang murmured, "I wonder where Fujin is."
Lingyuan grabbed him.
"This way."
And just like that, Mu Yang was dragged through the village by Lingyuan.
The two of them were already eye-catching—
A black-clad, white-haired beauty of a youth carrying a sword, and a tall, curvaceous woman with wavy hair.
Add to that their frantic sprinting through the streets, and they instantly became the center of attention.
Wherever they passed, heads turned.
The people here weren't particularly reserved.
A few young girls swooned over Mu Yang, openly expressing their admiration.
"That white-haired boy is so handsome! I wonder which family he's from. I'll ask my dad to propose a marriage!"
"How can someone be this good-looking?!"
"Don't you think I'm just the right age for him?"
An elderly woman nearby chuckled and shook her head.
"Oh dear, the girls are staring so hard their eyes might pop out. What a shame."
"He's an Adeptus—not someone we can aspire to."
Hearing this, the girls immediately crowded around the old woman, begging her to tell them more about the young Adeptus.
Mu Yang, meanwhile, was dragged around half the village by Lingyuan.
At this point, he was feeling utterly dead inside.
I'm tired. Let's just end this.
Just as he thought that, he suddenly felt the pulling force vanish.
He quickly steadied himself—
Nearly face-planting into the dirt.
When he looked up, he wanted to curse.
Oh, Lingyuan, you—
You really abandon your friends the moment you see your crush, huh?!
Lingyuan had spotted Fujin, immediately let go of Mu Yang, and rushed over to give her a bear hug.
Mu Yang could only sigh. I'm exhausted.
He slowly walked over to the two of them.
Lingyuan kept striking poses, showing off her new outfit to Fujin.
"Do I look good?"
Fujin examined it carefully.
"Hmm… It's lovely. But why does it feel a bit familiar?"
Then she gave Mu Yang a suspicious look.
"Since when did you have this kind of skill?"
Mu Yang spread his hands.
"Inspiration struck."
"What inspiration?"
Yaojun's voice came from behind.
Mu Yang turned and saw that Yaojun had also changed into a new outfit today.
Normally, she wore plain white, but today's attire had a few ink-painted flowers.
Mu Yang replied, "The inspiration for the new clothes."
"This one."
Lingyuan struck another pose with a smile.
It was clear she really loved this outfit.
Yaojun immediately recognized that the design corresponded with Fujin's, but she couldn't resist teasing a little.
"Sigh, if only your inspiration came more often, I wouldn't have had to design this outfit myself."
"They say today's the best day to wear something new."
Yaojun copied Lingyuan's pose.
"Well? How do I look?"
Mu Yang knew Yaojun was joking with him, and since she was giving him an out, he took it.
"You look good."
Yaojun smirked mischievously.
"Is it the clothes or the person?"
Mu Yang froze for a moment.
Seeing him stunned, Yaojun patted his shoulder and chuckled.
"On the way here, so many young girls were talking about you."
"If you can't even handle such a simple trick, how can I rest easy?"
Mu Yang hadn't expected Yaojun to pull this on him.
He could only say that his heart was devoted solely to the sword path and that he had never considered such matters.
Then he quickly changed the subject to Fujin, asking if she was nervous about the Toulong Ceremony.
However, in a place Mu Yang didn't notice, someone had taken his earlier answer to heart.
That someone was Lingyuan.
Our silly beauty was throwing another tantrum.
Oh, Mu Yang, you—
When I asked if I looked good, you dodged the question and even flipped it around with that etiquette lesson.
But when it's Yaojun, you answer without hesitation that she looks good?!
Good, good, good.
Mu Yang, you're doing great!
As for Lingyuan's thoughts and the impending 'disaster'—
At this moment, Mu Yang remained blissfully unaware.