Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 319 Birthday Celebration
Amidst a violent shaking, Zhou You suddenly opened his eyes.

He was certain he hadn't slept, absolutely certain.

Having penetrated deep into the enemy's lair, he used meditation as a form of rest, but even so, his consciousness remained trapped in this nightmare.

No, this shouldn't be a dream. It feels more like someone is using the dream as a medium to convey something to me.

But the question is, who exactly is this person?
The tremors from underground grew stronger, and the entire house began to shake. The expensive decorations were knocked over and tilted, and a vase worth a fortune fell from the high platform in the blink of an eye.

Then, with a 'bang,' it shattered into pieces on the ground.

However, just as Zhou You steadied himself and tried to stand up, the earthquake abruptly stopped, just as it had come.

Apart from the mess in the room, everything seemed as if nothing had happened.

When I first arrived, the earthquakes only occurred once every few months. By the time I killed that general, they were occurring once every few weeks. Now that I've reached the Prince's Palace, they're happening almost every three or four days.

"Even if it were built on a volcano, it wouldn't shake this frequently."

Zhou You pressed hard on his still throbbing head, and then, thinking back to the dream he had just had, and the nearly completed method of 'immortality' by the Hou Tu Sect, he had a vague feeling that something was about to happen.

But it's like drifting willow catkins, swirling around you but impossible to touch or feel.

But just as this feeling was getting stronger, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.

"Excuse me, are you alright, sir?"

Zhou You shook his head, finally clearing his mind, and then pushed open the door.

The official I met yesterday was standing with his hands at his sides, speaking with a smile that was neither particularly warm nor overly distant.

"So that our guests may know that the birthday banquet is about to begin, His Highness has specially sent me to inform you that the carriages and horses are already prepared outside, so please hurry up."

Zhou You looked around at the mess in the room and asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Even with the earthquake so severe, is your lord sure he still wants to hold the ceremony today?"

The official's expression remained as composed as ever.

"Guest, you are joking. Birthdays can't be postponed by even a day. Besides, it's just a simple earth dragon dance. Even the heavens would have to give way to the Prince's birthday."

"."

After silently observing the official for a long time, Zhou You finally took off the broken sword hanging at the door and awkwardly slung the large package over his shoulder with one hand.

The official saw this and wanted to take it over, but Zhou You immediately refused.

"No need, this is a congratulatory gift for your prince, and I need to present it to him personally."

Seeing this, the official said no more, but turned to the side and respectfully made a "please" gesture.

Compared to the special welcoming party yesterday, this time it was much simpler, consisting of only a vermilion carriage and a few cavalrymen.

Knowing that someone disliked it, the beauty from yesterday was no longer there; only expensive incense wafted around, and there was no other sound.

Zhou You was happy to have some peace and quiet, so he closed his eyes and began to rest and rejuvenate.

Like this, I don’t know how long it took.

In the blink of an eye, the clamor reached my ears.

It was as if he had suddenly burst from the mountains into a bustling city, with shouts, celebrations, and the sounds of dancing and music all around him. This time, without waiting for an official to invite him, Zhou You pushed open the carriage door and jumped out.

Looking again, one finds oneself in a palace.

The palace, situated atop a mountain in the middle of the lake, resembles a celestial palace.

Zhou You was a worldly man before.

Even setting aside distant examples, the city of Ketumati in the Buddha's mind was almost luxurious and magnificent, with countless rare treasures piled up in the city like mountains and forests, every corner telling the story of the boundless luxury of Buddhism.

But this palace takes the opposite extreme.

Although it lacks the extravagance and splendor of Chitoumo City, all the pavilions, decorations, and even the steps on the ground that are easily overlooked, all exude an astonishing elegance and tranquility. If Buddhism is about blatant ostentation, then this is about ultimate restraint.

But being reserved does not mean being unsophisticated.

Zhou You gently tapped a simple lampstand beside him, and a sound like jade came from it. Then he dipped his finger into the lamp oil inside.

—It has a wonderfully fragrant aroma; judging from the taste, it must be whale blubber from the North Sea.

This thing is probably worth a hundred taels of gold for just one coin.

Looking around, the mountains and fields are dotted with lights.

How much money must have been burned in just one night?

Amidst the lights, musicians played music and beauties danced—beauties rarely seen elsewhere were abundant here, their stunning faces appearing and disappearing in the lamplight, making it hard to tell whether it was a dream or reality.

Seeing Zhou You looking somewhat dazed, the official seized the opportunity to approach and said with a smile.

"Guest, these outside are for the common folk. These guys are just there to join in the fun; they won't even get to see the Prince. But these dancers are quite good. Some of them even perform in the inner court. If you see anyone you like, I can have one come over and keep you company."

Zhou You, however, did not answer.

The man frowned, staring at the fleeting glimpse of a skirt and a face that seemed vaguely familiar. He remained stunned for a while before shaking his head with a wry smile.

"I even went out of my way to get two invitations, but it turns out everyone has their own ways of getting in. You actually managed to sneak in, but this method is just... well, a bit too much."

"Guest, what did you say?"

"No, it's nothing, I just happened to catch a glimpse of someone I know."

Zhou You shook his head and continued walking forward with the official.

The boundless lights stretched along the way and climbed the steps. As the mountain path extended, the tourists gradually disappeared—but the music never stopped.

And by the time they arrived here, they had already become unified.

"Upon ascending the golden palace with unwavering grace, the ochre robe gleamed in its deep light."

A multitude of voices come together, some melodious, some clear, some bold, and some graceful.

"The tinkling of jade pendants and the music of immortals, the robes and hats exuding the fragrance of the imperial court."

Suddenly, the sound of drums rang out, loud and clear, but it did not disrupt the musicians' ensemble at all; on the contrary, it blended perfectly into the music.

"The heavens are ancient, and the sea is longer than the heavens."

The singing was melodious and clear, and even the guests behind her seemed to join in the singing.

But for some reason, Zhou You sensed something was amiss. Everything was perfect, the scene was undeniably spectacular, but the problem was…
There's always a lingering, inexplicable feeling of nausea, as if a swarm of greenbottle flies are hiding in the song, their buzzing wings concealed within the music. At first, it's not very clear, but over time it becomes extremely irritating.

Finally, with the distant sound of drums, the song came to an end.

“The heart of sunflower and celery is the same, while the wings of mandarin ducks and swans have form.”

"When shall I join my close attendants and share this wish for boundless happiness!"

At this point, the two had reached the end.

Looking up, a palace came into view.

Other adjectives have already been used, so there's no need to repeat them—but Zhou You's expression still froze when he looked at the building.

In a daze, he even felt as if he had traveled into some kind of ancient costume palace drama.

—Otherwise, how could there be a palace system where the main palace is located in the capital?

The official seemed used to such surprised looks and smiled at Zhou You.

"Guest, I cannot go in after you arrive here. However, according to the rules, I need to inform you of your name card. Would it be alright if I just used the one I wrote down before?"

Zhou You nodded, but before leaving, he seemed to remember something. He took the pen from the official, erased the words "Tai'an Road" and then wrote the words "Sanren" in a crooked and distorted manner.

The official was somewhat puzzled, but still followed Zhou You's wishes and loudly proclaimed the name the moment he pushed open the vermilion gate.

"I am Lingyuan Daoist, a recluse, wishing His Highness a happy birthday!"

At the same time, many eyes were also focused on Zhou You.

As expected, the palace was also in the style of a royal residence. There were already hundreds of people sitting here, some wearing official robes, some wearing brocade robes, and some even wearing foreign costumes.

However, those wearing official robes were all of the third rank or lower, those wearing brocade robes were all exuding wealth and power, and those wearing foreign clothing were clearly in high positions, and might even be the rulers of some small border country.

Compared to this group of people, this person's simple, even tattered, blue robe seemed out of place.

Despite the doubtful, curious, or disdainful looks, Zhou You showed no fear. He glanced around and saw that the back seats were mostly full, with only a few empty seats at the very front. So he walked over and plopped down without a care in the world.

Who would have thought.

It would have been better if he hadn't sat down, because as soon as he did, the people around him immediately erupted in chaos.

A group of strange gazes immediately focused on him.

Although Zhou You had spent a long time in ancient times, he was ultimately a modern person, and a modern person who didn't have much contact with history.

So he didn't know that places like this, close to the main seat, are usually reserved for relatives of the birthday celebrant or people of extremely high status.

He, as a freelancer, is clearly not qualified.

However, just as the whispers around him grew louder and some people couldn't help but want to call for the servants to drag this fool away, a slick voice suddenly came to Zhou You's ear.

"Master Zhou, you're sitting in the wrong place!"

—Huh? I know someone here?

I turned my head in confusion, only to see a chubby face.

Who is coming?

Zhou You scratched his head, and although the person looked familiar, he couldn't remember what his name was—until finally, he managed to find a name from some corner of his mind.

"Which three families do you belong to, fat guy? I remember your surname is Gou?"

The man had initially been somewhat expectant, but upon hearing the surname, his face immediately fell.

"It's Xun! Daoist Master, my surname is Xun!"

"Oh right, it's Fatty Xun."

—Upon hearing this, Zhou You finally remembered it clearly.

This person was the one who tried to steal the immortal pill from Master Wang at Changsheng Temple. After being exposed, he only went through the motions and didn't put in any real effort. Finally, he was exposed by Tao Le'an and only then did he reluctantly throw out a magic weapon.

But how did this person get here?

Seeing the puzzled look on Zhou You's face, the fat man first smiled apologetically at everyone around him, then forcibly pulled Zhou You up.

"Master, I'll talk about my business later. Please leave this place and come with me."

After a while, in a secluded corner, Fatty Xun finally finished explaining.

It was only then that Zhou You realized the magnitude of his mistake, but he didn't care at all. He just smiled and asked the fat man.

"Hey you, weren't you supposed to be going back to apologize to your master because you messed things up? How did you end up here and even get an invitation?"

Fatty Xun gave an awkward smile, replying as if he were very embarrassed.

"Just as you said, even though the people from the Exorcism Division pleaded for me, I would at least be demoted two ranks when I got back this time—but who would have thought that when a person is at their lowest point, their luck would actually turn around."

Fatty Xun took a sip of wine, his face brightening from gloom to sunshine, and then he said with a grin.

"The day before I was to be transferred, the head of the Songzhou branch—who was also supposed to be at the banquet—suddenly went mad for some reason, constantly chanting that the Earth Mother had descended to earth. The head office couldn't send anyone over in time, so they had no choice but to ask me to make amends and see if I could curry favor with the Prince."

Looking at that incredibly gratified face, Zhou You was at a loss for words—this guy probably really thought he was lucky—and after a while, he finally found a topic to ask.

"You've come, but what about the others who survived? How are they?"

"You mean those two brothers? They're alright, I guess. They did survive, but they're crippled. I heard a few days ago that their leader passed away, and I reckon he's already on his way to the funeral."

Just as they were chatting, the vermilion gate was suddenly pushed open again.

—Unlike before, this time it was less of a push and more of a slam.

Holy crap, who's coming this late?
—And they can even be more rude than me?

Zhou Youran looked up with interest and immediately saw a person also dressed in a Taoist robe.

The man's exact age was unclear, but his white hair and beard suggested he was quite old. His Taoist robe was only slightly better than Zhou You's, having also been washed until it was faded. Yet, simply by standing there without saying a word, he exuded an aura of authority without anger.

Behind him stood several other people dressed in Taoist robes, of various ages, but all with the same expression on their faces.

—That was an expression full of malice and mockery.

Under such gazes, most people involuntarily looked away, and at the same time, a hurried voice came from outside the door to report the news.

"Master He Yunzhao, the leader of Maoshan Sect, has come to offer birthday greetings to His Highness!"

(End of this chapter)