Chapter 119: Neighbourhood Gathering
At the end of the path, there was a large pagoda, three stories tall.
Entering it, Fengyu saw many cultivators already taking seats and chatting in the huge open space on the first floor, various tables and chairs arranged, cultivators coming and going around.
"Seniors, how many seats do you need? Or do you wish to join an open table’s seats?" a waiter came and greeted them then led them into the room while asking for their intention.
"Just a table for three people. Is this going to be where the neighbourhood gathering is held?" Fengyu asked as he followed the server, looking quite surprised at the setting. It looked partially like a restaurant, partially like a venue for events, and partially like an auction hall!
"The daily order is as usual - the gathering will start formally in two hours, afterwards there will be a large auction, and at the end there will be an exchange event. Most cultivators stay all the way to the last event" the waiter explained after bringing them to a table for four, asking whether they wanted to order anything.
Fengyu and the twins didn’t feel like it, so they only ordered a few snacks and biscuits.
Soon another waiter came and served them two plates of fruit such as grapes and cherries, as well as a plate filled with biscuits, ranging from cookies to soft cakes.
Slowly time passed, and soon, it was only an hour away from the gathering. The room was getting fuller and few tables were left.
A waiter came at this moment, asking Fengyu whether they’d be open to let another person sit at their table. A single person taking a whole table would be a bit conspicuous and not very sociable, so they wanted to arrange him to sit with another group.
Fengyu thought about it and accepted it.
While he did so, he kept looking around the venue, not seeing any Foundation Building cultivator on their floor, thinking that they were likely on the second floor.
It was always said that this corner of the field only had 500 fields, yet Fengyu saw nearly 1,000 tables, all nearly full.
Just as he was wondering why this was the case, he saw the waiter leading in a cultivator with quite a strong pressure, seemingly at the peak of Qi Refining.
Fengyu looked at the female cultivator that arrived - she had an air of elegance and refinement, yet also a very inviting and kind smile.
She cupped her hands at the group, "Thank you, fellow daoists, for letting me join you!"
"No problem, no problem! Please, take a seat!" Fengyu gestured to the last chair on the table.
The cultivator nodded and sat down, introducing herself, "I am Co Fei, owning a small restaurant with my wife. May I ask who fellow daoists are?"
Fengyu was a bit surprised... wife?
He thought about it for a moment before understanding. Even in his previous life it had become rather normal to see some female and male couples, so it was not a surprise to see it here, where cultivators were very individualistic. Though then again, it might be a case of two friends supporting each other. He didn’t know nor did he wish to pry, so he simply nodded.
"I am Fengyu and these are Ming and Ling, we rent a field together. I’m a spiritual herder while they are planters."
"Greetings fellow daoists," the twins also cupped their hands in greetings.
"Herder and planters? Fellow daoists, I wonder what you herd and plant? My restaurant is very willing to buy a few items!" Co Fei said directly.
Fengyu looked at her and thought for a moment, changing the topic and asking her something else, "Fellow daoists, I wonder... this should be a gathering for those that rent fields in this south-eastern area, isn’t it?"
The female cultivator instantly understood what he was asking and nodded, explaining, "Fellow daoist, this neighbourhood gathering is indeed only for the neighbours of this area, but in fact, there is another neighbourhood gathering in the city’s southeastern courtyard area. The two neighbourhoods invite each other to their gatherings, even arranging it in a way that there is a gathering every six months rather than the gathering falling on the same day.
Of course the social gathering, the third event of the gathering, is only intended at the local cultivators!" Co Fei explained everything calmly while looking at the hall around.
"Thank you, fellow daoists, for explaining this so clearly!" Fengyu thanked her before sitting back down and looking at the raised platform in expectations.
Minutes passed and soon another hour had passed by.
Just then, Fengyu suddenly saw a person flying out of the second floor onto the first floor.
It was a middle-aged man with a kind smile.
"Welcome to all fellow daoists to our small corner’s neighbourhood gathering!" the cultivator smiled kindly as he looked at everyone around.
"Those who have been here for many years know the order, those who are new don’t know as much.
Today we will start with a small gathering - not much, just a small show by a cultivator and a bit of music while fellow daoists around all dine and have an enjoyable stay!" the cultivator said, waving his hand at the band behind him, telling them to start playing.
Fengyu looked a bit surprised, only now feeling the casualness of this gathering.
Good music started playing, waiters came out with food, and the people simply and relaxedly talked with each other.
Fengyu listened as Ming and Ling talked with Co Fei, their spirits high, clearly interested in a cooperation with this restaurant owner!
Seeing this, he simply smiled and didn’t say anything. He felt that such an atmosphere was also nice to have.
’It seems that this gathering serves to calm the spirits of so many cultivators who are tense and working all the time, forgetting to relax and calm down to settle their mind,’ he thought as he allowed his own mind to go with the flow too.