Bodhisattva, please help me in my spiritual practice!

Chapter 174 On the Second Day of the Second Lunar Month, the Dragon Palace is Raised

"Here, here!"

Qi Tang saw Ao Peng from afar and stood up to wave.

Her wave immediately drew the attention of people on the surrounding terraces.

The scenery is alluring, but the beautiful woman is even more captivating.

Not long after, Qi Tang changed her outfit. The bright sunlight had completely pierced through the morning mist, like a golden bridge connecting the open-air side to the golden mountains in the distance.

Qi Tang wore a sunflower-patterned wide-brimmed straw hat, seemingly to shield herself from the sun, yet also to draw all the sunlight onto her. Her alabaster-like skin complemented her snow-white dress. Although she wore no jewelry, her skin glowed with a light, dewy sheen, shimmering in the sunlight.

Suddenly, a mountain breeze blew by. The girl pressed down on the brim of her hat with one hand and quickly pressed down on the hem of her skirt with the other. The fragrance of rapeseed flowers in the distance came with the wind, and the gentlemen around couldn't help but take a few more deep breaths. Indeed, travel helps one live a long life!

One man even subconsciously said to his female companion, "Honey, I think I'm seeing my first love again!"

The gentleman was naturally retaliated with a 360-degree rotation of his thigh meat under the table.

You're obviously doing this on purpose!

Ao Peng blinked, then quickly stepped forward to help Qi Tang pull down the brim of her hat. "The wind is so strong, and you're still wearing such a big hat. You even suggested I wear sun protection clothing."

Qi Tang smiled playfully, "It looks good, doesn't it?"

That is indeed a reason; for girls, being beautiful is more important than anything else in the world.

"It really looks good."

Ao Peng earnestly agreed.

He took out Little Chaos, which, in the eyes of ordinary people, would be like a gift from a boy to a girl. Little Chaos pretended to be a plush toy, and Qi Tang hugged it without hesitation.

With the help of the power of the Lesser Chaos God, the surrounding mountain winds were blocked by an invisible force, and Qi Tang no longer needed to cover the brim of his hat.

"Thanks."

Qi Tang said in a low voice that after Ao Peng sat down, the restaurant soon served several dishes.

"Try it, the Tujia cuisine here is delicious!"

Ao Peng casually picked up a piece of frog meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. He didn't have any expectations for the food at the trendy restaurant, but the moment the frog meat entered his mouth, the aroma of spiciness overwhelmed him and instantly won over his taste buds.

Seeing Ao Peng's initial disdain followed by a slight change in expression, Qi Tang smiled smugly and said, "Isn't it delicious?"

Ao Peng isn't stupid either. His observation skills far surpass those of ordinary people. With just a quick glance, he realized that his dish was different from the ones around him.

Although it is also Tujia cuisine, its color, aroma and taste far surpass those of the surrounding dishes, and the dishes are already prepared as soon as they are served, which is obviously a pre-made dish.

"Did you do this?"

Ao Peng quickly guessed the answer.

However, he had to admire Qi Tang's culinary skills. After a hearty meal, Qi Tang led Ao Peng to a teahouse by the fields.

When it came to serious matters, Qi Tang lost her girlish naiveté; her eyes shone with intelligence. "Captain Ao, have you read the strategy guide for Poison Dragon Town on the forum?"

Ao Peng nodded slightly. "I also logged in briefly while taking a bath, so what is the connection between Poison Dragon Town, Elder Li, and this Imperial Agricultural Festival?"

"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head."

Qi Tang replied, "On the second day of the second lunar month, the earth's energy surges upwards, and the earth dragon raises its head. Legend has it that it can surge up to the heavens. Poison Dragon Town is cursed by that dragon god, and not a single grain of food can grow in the ground. In fact, the entire Poison Dragon Town has no land at all."

"But if we can take advantage of the earth dragon's rising trend, we might be able to suppress the torrential rain and allow the land to emerge from the water. If we can grow crops, we might be able to break the curse of the poisonous dragon directly."

"Furthermore, even if the curse of the poisonous dragon cannot be broken, the rising of the earth dragon will reveal the dragon palace in the seabed, making it easier for players to find the secret location. This is a sacred Buddhist land containing the Avatamsaka Sutra, naturally attracting everyone's attention."

Ao Peng nodded slightly. This relationship made sense, but then a question suddenly occurred to him.

"Where did this saying come from that the dragon raising its head can reveal the underwater dragon palace?"

Qi Tang laughed and said, "You noticed it too? This news came out so strangely."

Her expression grew increasingly serious. "Ever since Grandpa obtained the game qualification and raised Little Shennong, the Empire has poured a lot of resources into him, especially the Dragon Ridge Rice Terraces. Although it is not the best field in the Empire, it is undoubtedly a sacred place for farmers and is of great benefit to Grandpa's cultivation."

"Although the empire has not made it explicit, it cannot be hidden from the eyes of those who are interested. If the empire wants to reunite Shennong's lineage in history, it must hold a grand agricultural festival. The timing of the second day of the second lunar month coinciding with the spring equinox is perfect, as it has a unique symbolism in the calendar."

"And the real world will affect the old world, which will naturally cause strange changes in Poison Dragon Town. However, neither Grandpa nor the Empire can be sure about these changes. But at this time, news spread that the Dragon Rising Head technique could raise the underwater Dragon Palace."

Ao Peng roughly figured out the timeline and pressed further, "A week ago?"

Qi Tang thought for a moment, "Well, about a week ago, the NPCs in Poison Dragon Town and the player forums... Although no one explicitly mentioned it, everyone inexplicably started speculating about it. This speculation even spread to places like Annam, and overseas players also strongly believed it."

Ao Peng asked softly, "Everyone?"

It turns out that "everyone" that Qi Tang mentioned didn't just include domestic players.

Ao Peng tapped his finger on the table. Right now, America and Europe are completely preoccupied with the central region and have no time to cause trouble.

Even with the addition of countries like Annam and Barat, if they had any self-awareness, they should know that they cannot cause any trouble.

Qi Tang looked at Ao Peng, "Captain Ao, do you mind meeting some people?"

Ao Peng sat up a little straighter and looked at Qi Tang; things were getting more and more interesting.

He nodded, and then Qi Tang sent a text message.

A few moments later, four or five young players walked over from the side. Their skin was slightly darker, but in Xiling, they were not particularly noticeable. In fact, if you didn't pay attention, you couldn't tell the difference between them and the Imperials.

"Hello Captain Ao, I am from the Nguyen family of Northern Vietnam. My real name is Nguyen The Xiu, and my game name is Doulu Palace Gourd."

The other players also revealed their family backgrounds and names, and Ao Peng, without any arrogance, stood up and shook hands with them.

The other party did not emphasize Annam, but rather North Vietnam. In addition, with Qi Tang's introduction and the fact that they could speak fluent Chinese, Ao Peng instantly understood which faction these four or five young talents from Annam belonged to.

Annam is divided into North and South. The South is deeply influenced by Catholicism and is more pro-Western, while the North is deeply influenced by the Central Plains Empire. Now, as the empire grows stronger, radical young people in the North even feel that their country should restore the former system of vassal kings and become part of the empire's vassal state. After all, America is too far away and the empire is too close, so this choice makes sense.