Chapter 372: (1): Sword Immortal Sword
It was the fifteenth day of the first month, the day of the Lantern Festival.
All of the households in Old Dragon City had hung up festive red lanterns, and the streets and alleys were packed with people. In accordance with the customs and traditions of the city, each of the five major clans crafted a long dragon of lanterns, which they paraded out on the streets. If one were to look down at Old Dragon City from the sea of clouds up above, they would see five fiery dragons roaming along set routes.
Chen Ping'an asked the four picture scroll martial artists to accompany Pei Qian out to see the lanterns, while the Zhao Clan yin soul followed them in secret in case of any mishaps.
Meanwhile, he and Zheng Dafeng remained in the shop, standing over at the counter. The two of them prepared a flagon of wine, two small porcelain wine cups, and a few dishes of snacks.
Zheng Dafeng was still behaving rather strangely, and prior to taking a sip of his wine, he pulled out a willow branch and placed it against the doors of Dust Medicinal Shop, then also set down a bowl and a pair of chopsticks outside the doorstep.
Chen Ping'an took a glance at his handiwork, then asked, "Is that an offering to the gods or to any wandering spirits that may be passing by?"
"It's a tradition passed down by the old man," Zheng Dafeng explained with a smile. "As for exactly why this tradition is observed, the old man never told us. As his disciples, we simply carried out his instructions without asking why. There are no wandering spirits or demonic entities in Old Dragon City.
“With so many Qi refiners in the city, the yang energy here is far too abundant. Even if some wandering spirits do somehow show up nearby, they wouldn't dare to approach our shop as long as Old Man Zhao is here. With the exception of those that have completely lost their minds, most spirits are far more polite and respectful of rules than us people."
Chen Ping'an nodded in response as he took a sip of wine. It was the same osmanthus wine that had been brought to the shop by the people from the Fan Clan.