Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 125 New Year's Invitation

Finally, the two statues of the gods were completed, and the vital energy and the rules of the divine way were also incorporated into them.

The Taoist priest put away his brush with satisfaction. He was in excellent form today; whatever he drew looked perfect.

They handed over the statue of the deity and politely saw the person to the door.

"Young Master Xu, if you encounter anything that cannot be spoken of, you may contact me."

Master Mao spoke earnestly, and Xu Xuan nodded earnestly in return.

If this person were to enter the Dao, he could be called a fellow Daoist.

Having obtained the door god portraits, the shopping was complete; there was no need to buy new clothes, as the academy had already sent over custom-made Confucian robes.

Once home, we immediately got busy, making a lot of noise and commotion, just like during the Chinese New Year.

"Scholar-monk, what are you doing?"

Xiaoqing hopped across West Lake. The students at the academy were on holiday, and she also managed to secure her own break.

When they arrived at the courtyard, they were almost knocked over by the smell.

"Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, so I'm preparing some 'Five Spices Platter' in advance."

The Five Spicy Dishes consist of five pungent vegetables: scallions, ginger, garlic, leeks, and radishes, all placed in a dish. Eating these foods is believed to have the effect of dispelling cold and harmonizing the Qi of the five internal organs.

The smell is quite strong, and snakes don't like strong smells.

Xiaoqing stayed far away from the kitchen, playing by herself in the yard, occasionally asking questions.

For example, why does the neighbor put a raw egg or a ceramic chicken figurine?

"Because the Chongming bird can drive away fierce beasts such as tigers and wolves, and even demons and ghosts are afraid of it, people will paste chicken patterns on their doors or place chicken ornaments to ward off evil spirits and protect their homes."

"It has a similar meaning to the door gods that I've placed there but haven't hung up yet."

Xu Xuan didn't have much to do, and he couldn't test the little monster's study progress during the holidays; that was simply not something a normal person should do.

I could only tell the little monster about human customs.

"On New Year's Eve, we exchange gifts, eat and drink together, and stay up all night."

Then I casually asked how you were going to spend the New Year.
As expected, Xiaoqing knew nothing.

Monsters are long-lived beings; even if they don't break through to a higher realm after transforming into human form, they will live much longer than human cultivators.

So why would anyone take a year so seriously?

It is said that before Bai Juyi reached the point where she could not progress any further in her cultivation, she would go into seclusion for several decades at a time, and even Xiaoqing lived for more than 500 years.

Xu Xuan felt a sense of wonder as he pondered the worldview of the immortal species. Is this what immortality is?

After that, nothing more was said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Xiaoqing's big eyes blinking expectantly.

I don't remember anything else, but I heard Kuisui very clearly.

She had a very clever plan in mind: she had lived for 500 years, but that meant she had missed 500 New Year's gifts and received 500 fewer presents.

What a loss this is!
Xu Xuan had no idea what the monster's thought process was, nor did he want to.

Because he had his own little idea, he extended an invitation.

"In that case, let's celebrate the New Year together."

This half-disciple doesn't usually respect his teacher, and his learning is messy and haphazard.

But he can hold his own in critical moments, and I've fought several life-or-death battles with him.

Do something nice for them during the Chinese New Year, send them some gifts, and appease this top-notch enforcer.

Xiaoqing agreed without even thinking.

Previously, I was simply curious about human behavior, but after learning more about it, I'm more willing to participate.

With food, drink, and gifts, what child doesn't love Chinese New Year?

"But...it's not good to leave my sister alone at the bottom of the lake."

This is a good question!
Mr. Xu reluctantly spoke.

“The New Year is a time for family reunion. You and your sister depend on each other for survival, and it is really not appropriate to leave her alone.”

"In that case, why don't you invite Miss Bai to come along?"

"I'm a kind-hearted person and can't stand seeing this kind of thing."

His tone was very calm, as if it were just another person coming and adding another pair of chopsticks.

In reality, his heart is as firm as a rock, Amitabha. Meanwhile, on the other hand...

Early classmate rode in a carriage, slowly approaching Guo Bei.

As expected, the leaden-gray clouds in the sky gradually thickened and darkened in color as soon as we entered Guobei territory, as if a blizzard was about to fall at any moment.

Upon arriving here, the drivers from other counties dared not proceed further, and the student got off the bus to transfer to their own caravan waiting in the area.

Stepping onto the ground, a chilling coldness seeped into my body from the bottom up, making me feel as if I had been detached from the human world.

Is this the paradise described in the letter? Or is it more like a dark, barren land?

The butler's attitude was much better than before, but his smile was even colder.

The gaze felt like a venomous tongue, making me extremely uncomfortable.

"Young Master is finally back. Master has been waiting at home for a long time."

"Ah."

Get in the car and continue your journey into the depths of Guobei.

Just a few steps away, I saw several people fighting with dulled machetes, until only one person remained.

The man nonchalantly rummaged through the dead man's clothes, shook them, and found a few taels of silver.

Although Guo Bei is located in the heart of Jiangnan, the environment is chaotic and disorderly. Many fugitives hide here, and all kinds of shady businesses are conducted here. Such battles are not uncommon.

Is this what the letter meant by the arrival of blessings?

Early knew this couldn't happen, but the feeling of being deceived by her father was still unpleasant.

As we continued walking, we saw more familiar sights.

Before arriving in the county town, I witnessed seven murders. I really don't know why not all the people are still alive.

"Butler, is things even more chaotic in Guobei County?"

"Young master, you are overthinking it. It's already much less."

Where did this much smaller standard come from?

The letter also mentioned that the elderly live long lives despite this environment.

What kind of elderly person has a body of steel? Otherwise, they would have to be like this family, employing dozens of armed guards and having dragon and tiger tattoos all over their bodies.

It got even worse when we got to the county town; the people there seemed to have gone mad.

Deception, lust, murder—human morality has completely vanished.

The scholar in the carriage was filled with anger. This was not how things were supposed to be at the academy. Unfortunately, he did not have the power yet. He vowed to sweep away the evil influence after he passed the imperial examination.

We'll ask Instructor Xu for advice; he'll surely have a solution.

"We're here~~~~~"

The carriage came to a smooth stop without any swaying.

When he arrived at his doorstep, Zao felt his body stiffen the moment he stepped onto the stone steps.

His eyes darted ahead, a hint of hesitation in his gaze.

The gate was wide open like the gaping maw of a monster; there were no peach wood charms, no ornaments, and no festive atmosphere whatsoever.

The body's instincts resisted entering this grand mansion.

Instructor Xu's words about not going to Guobei County echoed in my mind.

"Master."

"The master is waiting for you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Zao glanced behind him and swallowed hard.

From the butler to the guards, everyone blocked all escape routes, watching to see why the young master hadn't gone in yet.