I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

I've been missing my brothers and sisters whom I haven't seen in a long time.

"Brother Twelfth should come. He won't miss such a rare opportunity for cuisines from all over the country to collide and exchange ideas."

"Short stature..."

Years discarded the clean bones in their hands and took the wet wipes handed to them by daylight to wipe the grease from their lips and fingers.

"I wonder how many strange and unusual dishes they'll come up with this time."

"I'm full, let's go, Little White."

"it is good."

After settling the bill, Bai Zhou didn't take Nian to an inn for the night, but instead drove her directly to the post station in Chang'an.

In his words, during the festival, all the inns, big and small, were fully booked. If it weren't for the inns and guild halls providing extra rooms, you could even see people sleeping on the streets. So there was no need to compete with those people for a room; you could just go through the back door.

"I am deeply sorry for not being able to welcome you properly, Dragon Lord. Please forgive me."

The postmaster of the post station was a walper named Huang Fu. He had a simple face but a beautiful voice.

"It's alright. We didn't give any prior notice, so what's wrong with that?"

Bai glanced around and saw that there were many people and things that couldn't be said in public. So he told Huang Fu to find a quiet place to discuss things separately.

"Dragon Lord, please follow me this way."

Huang Fu temporarily entrusted his duties to his deputy and then led the way for Bai Zhou.

The three of them wandered around for a while before entering a side room. The furnishings were simple, and it looked like an ordinary guest room.

"How are the preparations for this Yan Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament, which will be a grand gathering to discuss the Dao of All Realms? How many practitioners have registered?"

Let Nian do as he pleased, pull out a chair and sit down during the day, then ask Huang Fu about the relevant matters.

"Reporting to Lord Long, a total of 3,712 cultivators have registered this time, including 300 from Yanbei, 500 from Jingchu, and 200 from Wuyue..."

“Disciples from all sects and schools came to participate, and the Old Celestial Master also came.”

"The venue for the celebration is ready, nine-tenths of the chefs are already in place, and the rest are on their way and are expected to arrive within two days. All other miscellaneous items are also ready and there are no problems."

"Ah."

Bai Zhou tapped the table, and Huang Fu immediately bowed to obey.

"With the conference imminent, the place is a mixed bag, so you must use your sharp eyes to distinguish the real from the fake. Any barbarians without official documents issued by the court will be arrested and detained by the patrol troops."

"Here!"

"With extraordinary individuals from all over gathering here, there are bound to be young and hot-blooded individuals who are unwilling to submit to others. If they only argue verbally without resorting to violence, they can be forgiven. However, if they resort to violence, use magic, or injure the other party, they must be arrested immediately, their abilities sealed, and imprisoned until the conference concludes, at which point they will be interrogated."

"If anyone lays hands on the people and injures them, in addition to the punishments mentioned above, they shall be flogged one hundred times and their property shall be used to compensate the people for their medical treatment."

"If anyone has used force, he is a murderer."

"A life for a life, no need to worry about the people behind it."

"Here!"

Bai Zhou seemed to have thought of something again, and instructed Huang Fu:

"If you feel you cannot handle it, come to me and I will deal with it myself."

"Here!"

Having received Bai Zhou's promise, Huang Fu felt much more confident.

"If there is anything else that has not been said, please explain it all here."

"Reporting to Lord Long, the three individuals you ordered to be apprehended entered the city at midnight today and are currently hiding in the Qiyun Inn. Should we arrest them?"

"Yes, for now, we only need to keep an eye on these three. As long as they haven't committed any crimes, we can ignore them."

"Here."

"Is there anything else?"

"Everything is ready, but there are still some complicated matters at the post station that have not been resolved. I shall take my leave now."

"Ah."

Huang Fu got up and left, and Bai Zhou finally had time to go and see the New Year.

"Well, you said that but you didn't say who came."

He lay on the bed, looking extremely bored.

Huang Fu reported a lot of information, but didn't mention which immortal had come to the conference, which meant that Nian didn't even have a chance to go and meet his relatives.

"We'll know in two days when the conference opens."

He comforted her during the day, then took a round piece of maltose candy from the fruit plate on the table and took a bite.

"What are you eating? I want some too!"

The sharp-eyed Nian spotted Bai Zhou enjoying the candy all to himself and immediately got up and pounced on him.

"It's candy, um...it's too sweet, and a bit sticky."

Year chewed on a piece of malt candy, then pulled up a chair and sat opposite Bai Zhou, extending his hand to him.

"Sister Nian, what's wrong?"

During the day, he raised his hand in coordination.

"This is so boring. Instead of wasting time, we should take advantage of this great opportunity to further optimize the first cauldron."

"Oh, right, Sister Nian."

Looking at Nian's bones, Bai Zhou remembered something he had forgotten to tell her.

"what happened?"

Year held Bai Zhou's wrist, his fingertips gently tracing the crook of his arm.

"The final of the Yan Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament will be held on the South Peak of Mount Taihua in the West. We can set up the tripod there."

"Oh, that's quite convenient."

You can get things done without wasting time.

"Well, it's almost there."

Years later, he opened the daylight and then began to deduce the design of the tripod.

"..."

Once she's lost in her reverie, she's practically impossible to wake up, and Bai Zhou doesn't intend to try either.

He still has letters to write.

My friend, Yu Zhan

It has been more than three months since my last reply. I wonder how you have been? Have you forgotten our promise again? Have you once again ventured into danger alone? Don't lie. I have already made the little monster remember the number of times you have broken your promise, and I will criticize you when we meet again.

……

I have found a sage to assist me in my great undertaking. We only need to establish the channels step by step, and then we can achieve great success naturally.

……

I have now arrived in Chang'an, just in time for the grand gathering of celestial books. Many extraordinary people have gathered here, and their swagger and cunning are truly astounding.

I will stop here for now and discuss the details of the event with you in my reply tomorrow.

He sealed the letter, stuffed it into the eagle's belly, and sent it into the sky. Bai Zhou sat back down in his chair, waiting for Nian to wake up from his trance.

As the sun began to set, and I snapped out of my mental whirlwind, the year began to whine and cry out for food during the day.

“('□`。) I’m so hungry… Xiaobai, let’s go get something to eat.”

"Okay. What would you like to eat, Sister Nian?"

"Anything is fine... but it would be even better if I could eat something spicy."

"Then let's go try Sichuan cuisine. There are still a few authentic Sichuan restaurants in the city."

"Yay! Little White is so nice! Let's go, let's go!"

The cheerful Nian walked briskly ahead, with Bai Zhou following behind her, chuckling softly.

The Twelve Acts Begin

The Yan Kingdom's Martial Arts Practice and Dharma Discussion Conference lasted for two months and consisted of four phases.

The first phase is, of course, the opening ceremony. This event will last for three days, during which people from all walks of life can freely visit each other within the city. Whether they are enjoying the flowers and the moon, visiting relatives and friends, or attending gatherings, the authorities will not interfere much; their wishes are entirely up to them, and they are extremely free. At this time, the curfew in Chang'an will be lifted, and the night markets will be incredibly lively.

The second phase of the conference will begin in three days.

That is, a formal discourse on the Dao.

All personnel must live and work within the officially designated area, and are not allowed to wander around the city without prior notice.

During the day, one can follow the guide to the altar to participate in discussions and exchange experiences with practitioners from all walks of life.

During this period, the organizers will be responsible for providing participants with food and clothing, and will also be responsible for handling any unexpected situations.

They'll engage in verbal sparring for half a month, after which they'll give up the banter and start fighting.

All participants can join in the challenge and defend their title, engaging in direct combat with their opponents.

The winner scores points, the loser is eliminated.

"There are so many rules."

Nian held the rulebook in his hands, lying on the bed flipping through its contents.

"After all, this is a conference involving thousands of people, and incomplete rules could cause serious problems. The imperial court cannot afford to lose face in this regard."

Was anyone fouled last time?

Humans are creatures who like to challenge rules; among thousands of people, there will always be a few oddballs who dislike being bound by constraints.

"Of course. Not everyone is an upright and honest gentleman."

During the day, he picked up a green apricot and chewed it slowly. Only after swallowing the sour juice and pulp did he slowly exhale.