Forge a path to success.

Chapter 299 Enjoying It (2)

The five major lineages of the city-state of Jingsha each have their own characteristics. The third lineage, named Poetry and Literature Canopy, is naturally famous for its literature and art. The fifth lineage, Yuqianling, sounds like a botanical garden, but it is actually Jingsha's most famous entertainment venue.

Yuqianling is located in the upper-middle part of the Jingsha Mountains, at a higher altitude than the third ridge. It is named for its lush vegetation and abundant crops. Its territory has a ring-shaped structure, with the outer layer being a densely populated residential area with tropical greenery, and the inner layer being a bustling area that resembles a desert oasis.

For a long time, the Fifth Lineage was filled with luxury hotels, opera houses, and (legal) clubs. After all, given the empire's technological blockade, no matter how abundant Jing Sha's material wealth was, his entertainment options were limited...

But after the new captain of the Fifth Meridian took office, the situation in the area was completely transformed. This new captain was full of ingenious ideas and had a strong drive to act. She established connections with Paradise, Dustless Land, and even Asura Island, purchased various entertainment facilities from the major dust islands, and recruited many talents to manage them. In the Fifth Meridian, she built an unprecedented large-scale entertainment facility - Flying Swallow Amusement Park.

This amusement park occupies most of the bustling area, integrating the commercial and political centers of the Fifth Order, and has been extremely popular since its establishment. Today, Flying Swallow Amusement Park has become one of the synonyms for the city-state of Jingsha. Considering the constant warfare throughout the Shendong Realm, there are very few places to indulge in entertainment; currently, it can even be said that Flying Swallow is the most renowned theme park in the Shendong Realm.

"...The above is excerpted from the excellent essay 'My Hometown Flying Swallow' by a high school student from the Fifth Pulse Sequence," Fan De said. "What the essay didn't mention is that the amusement park is extremely difficult to enter, and tickets are hard to come by."

It put the magazine containing the excellent essays back into the frame, and the cable car rattled and swayed in the wind tunnel.

The physical distances between the ley lines are quite vast, and the citizens of Thornsa travel using "wind tunnels." These pale green breezes float between the major branches of the divine tree and are public passageways created by the divine power of Thornsa. Locals travel through the wind tunnels in ropeless cable cars, reaching adjacent ley lines in less than an hour—far faster than an airplane on Earth.

Ji Huaisu was leaning against the window looking at the scenery when he heard this and asked, "Are the tickets so expensive?"

"The ticket price itself isn't expensive, but there are just too many people who want to go!" Vande explained. "Many locals in Jingsha haven't been there, and tourists from other places all want to see Feiyan. The amusement park itself can't handle such a large influx of people, so we have to limit the number of tickets sold. If you go to the official ticket office now, you can only book tickets for admission three months from now."

“I’ve only been there once when I was little,” Gulibo nodded.

Chu Hengkong's focus was elsewhere: "The amusement park has become a thriving business from scratch. It seems that the Fifth Vein Captain is a clever and quick-witted person."

“This kind of person has a strong grasp of their territory. I think there’s still a lot to discuss regarding the cards!” Vande sneered.

When they first arrived in Jingsha, they were newcomers and thought the captain of the Divine Guard was just like a police chief. But after living in the city-state for some time, they have gained a deeper understanding of the power structure here.

In the city-state of the Divine Tree, the Divine Tree itself is detached from worldly affairs, with power primarily distributed among two institutions: the Council and the Divine Guard. The Council holds legislative power and a small portion of executive power, while the Divine Guard controls the judiciary and most of the executive power. The Council of the Thorn Shade often refers to the "Upper House" of the First Order Mansa Starburg, while the "Lower Houses" of the various orders tend to enact civil laws but do not interfere with the specific administrative direction of their respective areas.

In other words, apart from Fort Mansa, the power of the four major lineages is basically concentrated in the hands of the Divine Guard. They are the local troops, the judges who try criminals, and the "government" that manages political affairs. Captains of the Divine Guard like Trek even have the ability to dictate the future development of the area, making them, in effect, the most powerful people in the vast lineages.

Every captain of the Divine Guard possesses the strength of a 5-point mass. How could a ruler with both intelligence and ability allow heretical forces to run rampant on his territory?
Chu Hengkong pondered, "It seems that many demons have lived in the Fifth Lineage before, which should also be a concern..."

"Then let's kill all the demons!" Ji Huaisu said cheerfully.

"Hmm."

"Hey, A-Kong, why are you touching my head?"

"Be good."

"Damn it, are you underestimating me?!"

Van der, with practiced ease, ignored the frolicking wild animals, then turned around and exclaimed, "We're here!"

"Wow, that's amazing!" Gulibo exclaimed.

Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu turned their heads upon hearing this, their eyes illuminated by the light in the night sky.

Countless sparks shot upwards into the sky, exploding simultaneously as if by prior arrangement, their shimmering light bursting forth like a radiant sea of ​​flowers across the night. Red as roses, white larkspur, deep blue freesias, golden chrysanthemums in the autumnal hues… the fireworks merged into a breathtaking spectacle, a magnificent sight reflected in the night sky. The falling flames did not dissipate; instead, they gathered in the wind, forming illusory shadows.

Majestic martial arts cultivators, agile cultivators with broken hearts, soaring dragons high in the sky, and divine trees bearing all things, along with various birds, beasts, and exotic races, all roamed beneath the imposing statues, surging into the wind tunnel to accompany the cable cars. The passengers cheered enthusiastically, and even the well-traveled Ji Huaisu couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "What a grand gesture!"

A series of fireworks illuminated the distant, verdant castle, behind which stood a giant Ferris wheel, its lights constantly shifting. Several disc-shaped theme parks, supported by massive wooden structures, surrounded the castle, with long tracks winding around them and then cutting across its center. Beneath the roaring roller coasters, children holding balloons ran and cheered.

We've arrived at Flying Swallow Amusement Park.

The cable car came to a smooth stop at the end point, and everyone practically jumped back to the ground without even waiting, even Chu Heng felt a surge of excitement. Employees dressed as large mascots handed out balloons to the tourists, thoughtfully giving Vande a mini version.

"Guests, you've arrived just in time—the grand parade tonight is about to begin, please enjoy!" Chu Hengkong smelled a familiar scent as he took the balloon. The large mascot distributing the balloons was actually a demon, but so weak that even Gulibo would have a hard time defeating it. He secretly memorized it, deciding not to make a move yet, and instead looked towards the direction of the bustling crowd.

From within the crowded throng, a bugle call rang out, standing out like a crane among chickens. The sounds of gongs and drums grew louder as they approached, the footsteps as precise as a military parade. Young soldiers in red uniforms marched forward in neat square formations, the parade stretching far and wide, yet containing only one float resembling a locomotive.

Atop the float stood a woman in a long white dress, its petal-lined collar billowing high. She raised her cane and laughed heartily: "The parade is about to begin! Get your hats ready, your laughter, your chocolates, and—music!"

The soldiers took off their red uniforms, revealing colorful performance costumes underneath. The woman in the white dress magically produced several cards and tossed them into the air: "Entertainment Party - Flower Parade Float, Confetti Disco Balls, Candy Castle!"

"It's the Entertainment Party deck!" Gulibo jumped up excitedly.

Those were several cards from the Ultimate Battle. The cards floated above the parade, transforming into several extravagantly designed floats that landed and linked together behind the locomotive. At the center of the parade was a bouncy city made of gummy candy, with small animals arriving from all directions, jumping into the procession to sing and dance.

Come on, my cheerful friends! Let's enjoy this amazing night.

Flowers turned into honey and flowed down. Chocolate was pounded into a great castle.

Soldiers took to the stage and danced gracefully. Even their hoarse voices could produce ethereal melodies.

Forget all your worries for now. Laugh heartily and witness your dreams!

The staff scattered ribbons and balloons, pulling onlookers onto the floats. Caught up in the atmosphere, the tourists joined in singing and dancing. The floats summoned by the woman in white seemed endlessly crowded; groups of people boarded without trampling, making it difficult to distinguish between amusement park employees and tourists.

Chu Hengkong observed carefully and whispered to Fan De, "Is the information of the Floating Light Path materialized?"

Van der grabbed the balloon and ran toward the float, completely forgetting about the important matter: "I want to play too! I haven't gotten on the float yet!"

A little rabbit reached out and pulled Fan De onto the train. Ji Huaisu and Gu Libo stared expectantly at Chu Hengkong. Chu Hengkong could only nod helplessly and boarded the train with the cheering Ji Huaisu and Gu Libo. They boarded the locomotive at the very front of the parade, with little rabbit and dragon dolls blowing trumpets and scattering ribbons on either side. The woman in white stood at the very front of the train.

Seeing everyone board the carriage, she stepped forward and gave an exaggerated bow: "What a coincidence! I am Harley Luoya, the captain of the Fifth Vein. Welcome everyone from Huilong City to visit!"

Captain Harley Luoya seemed completely detached from those in power, more like a wholehearted amusement park manager. Chu Hengkong and his companions introduced themselves and, without further ado, asked, "Captain, are you familiar with the Demon Cards?"

Haliroya was still busy waving to the tourists, speaking in a song-like voice: "I know that~"

Ji Huaisu pressed further, "So, what does Captain Harley Roya mean?"

“Of course I have to deal with something as terrible as the contamination of the outer paths. However…” Harleroya pointed her cane behind her, “I have more important matters to attend to right now, and I don’t have time to spare.”

Following her gaze, everyone saw a group of incongruous individuals standing on a float—some were pot-bellied like capitalists, others were dressed in suits like politicians. Once on the float, these people seemed to have become thirty years younger, singing and dancing along with the animals, overjoyed.

“The members of the Senate just happened to be visiting the amusement park, and as the park director, I have to personally receive them,” Halillow said, her eyes crinkling. “So, I really haven’t had time to work on the investigation lately!”

Ji Huaisu was truly astonished: "No, have you even grasped the concepts of priority?!"

“Miss Ji is absolutely right. Things should be prioritized.” Harley Luoya circled around them. “I’ve heard that you all have a wealth of experience dealing with heretics, but I wonder if you are familiar with the Path of Floating Light?”

Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu, one a unified barbarian and the other a supreme barbarian, were truly ignorant of the fleeting path of the mortal world. The two barbarians quickly raised the most knowledgeable eye demon in their group, and Fan De's eyes darted around, as if he understood something.

"We are well aware of the 'rules' of the Holy Grail Cup."

"Great!" Harley Luo clapped her hands childishly. "Then, I'll have to trouble everyone to help with the card survey! If you need any assistance, please feel free to ask the amusement park staff~"

After saying that, she threw a handful of candy at the tourists, then jumped onto the float behind and brazenly began chatting with politicians and capitalists. Ji Huaisu's face immediately turned ugly: "Damn, is she out of her mind? Outsiders have infiltrated, and this person is still busy flattering them!"

Chu Hengkong didn't care: "The captain has a mass of 5, while you and I have mass of 3. Why point fingers at others? Since Captain Harley Luoya has no objections, let's get down to business."

(End of this chapter)