Day and night tour

Chapter 508 "Joy" Has Become a Demon
Mr. Ding, the concierge, walked upright to the position of the Longevity Cult Leader, carrying a tray upside down. After bowing deeply, he said, "Master, the Grand Master said that you should sing a 'Wind and Willow Opera' in the next program."

"The esteemed Master has just assumed the position of 'Jade Capital Divine Elixir Master,' so it is only right that I perform the 'Wind and Willow Opera' to congratulate him."

Throughout his speech, the leader of the Longevity Cult repeatedly emphasized that he was performing for Zhou Xuan, not for the fox clan.

"The master has requested a performance, saying he wants you to sing 'The Great God's Tune.'"

"what?"

The leader of the Longevity Cult could hardly believe his ears. He never expected that Zhou Xuan would choose this particular scene of love and romance.

What is the "Great Divine Tune"? It is a famous excerpt from the Fengliu Opera that all shaman disciples would sing together during every "Master's Birthday Banquet".

At each birthday banquet, the disciples would first splash the blood of five kinds of sacrificial animals on the stage of the performance, and then sing this tune to invite the Lord of Longevity to descend to the mortal world.

At this time, the leader of the Longevity Cult would emerge from the blood, followed by rituals such as "beheading the fox" and "sharing the blood wine" at the birthday celebration.

Now, sending this god-like figure to sing the "Great God's Tune" for the King of Xishan and the Fox Clan is clearly a switcheroo.

The ancient deities of the past have become mere actors on stage, while the King of Xishan and the Fox Clan have transformed into honored guests.

This was something the Eternal Life Cult Leader could not accept under any circumstances; the symbolic meaning of the "Great God Tune" was too strong, and he could not sing it.

“I can’t sing this play. Talk to the master and ask him to change it to another play.”

The leader of the Longevity Cult did not give in and urged the master of ceremonies to pass a message to Zhou Xuan.

But the concierge did not leave. Instead, he raised the tray in his hand even higher and said to the leader of the Longevity Cult, "The Grand Master has given the order that if the leader does not wish to sing, he may play with the little dolls on this tray."

"What's wrong with this little one?"

The leader of the Longevity Cult raised his eyebrows and reached out to grab the wedding doll from the plate.

The doll looked like it was made of clay, with many tiny pores on its surface. Although it was already winter in Mingjiang, the doll wasn't cold to the touch.

"This baby..."

Just as the Longevity Cult Leader was about to say that the child was nothing special, suddenly, hundreds and thousands of bursts of laughter condensed into waves of sound, constantly crashing within his secret realm.

Countless delightful illusions flashed before the eyes of the Eternal Life Cult Leader like a revolving lantern, causing his mind to become quite unstable.

"The doll is suspicious."

Realizing that his mind was being severely attacked, the leader of the Longevity Cult quickly raised his right hand, summoned his rattle drum, and then gently shook it.

The drumbeats grew louder and louder, constantly counteracting the attacks the mascot doll was launching at him.

When the rattle drum sounded for the eighth time, the influence of the Happy Doll on the Longevity Cult Leader finally subsided and disappeared without a trace.

"What a creepy doll."

The Eternal Life Cult Leader's gaze held three parts fear, three parts curiosity, and four parts surprise as he looked at the clay-like doll.

As a celestial deity, his eyesight was naturally excellent. After examining the doll again and recalling the strange shock to his own mind, he immediately understood.

"This is 'joy' among the seven emotions and six desires."

Having confirmed the origin of the doll, the leader of the Longevity Cult was filled with turmoil.

"Master Zhou's ability to capture the seven emotions and six desires is truly unparalleled in this world. He is indeed worthy of being the descendant of the Nuo God."

The Lord of Longevity was well aware that the Kingdom of Jing had nine ancient gods, each of whom controlled a complete law.

Among them, Nuo Shen, the unparalleled god of the Jing Kingdom, is in control of the "Law of Destiny".

Only by comprehending the first level of this law, "The Seven Emotions Wheel," can one perfectly capture the seven human emotions.

However, the law of destiny is the most difficult law for disciples of the human sect to comprehend, and no one has been able to understand it for many years.

"Master Zhou's ability to subdue the 'seven emotions and six desires' is as easy as pie. His effortless skill makes those Zoroastrian alchemists with their large fire pits a laughingstock."

The leader of the Longevity Cult pondered.

He was Qingyangyu's capable assistant. Over the long years, he often descended to the mortal world, and the most frequent task he undertook was to go to those large fire pits to handle matters related to the production of "elixirs".

So, although he wasn't a "master of alchemy" who was proficient in elixirs, hadn't he seen pigs run even if he hadn't eaten pork?

Over time, he also learned some of the secrets of the elixir.

He knew that the main ingredients for making the elixir of life were the "seven emotions and six desires".

Because they use the desires and passions of ordinary people to make elixirs, the Zoroastrians think of using all sorts of vicious methods to extract emotions from people.

"Unfortunately, although there are many different methods, the fire pits of those Zoroastrian sects can never extract as rich and pure passion as the Master."

The leader of the Longevity Cult looked once again at the happy dolls on the tray.

In his eyes, were the "joyful dolls" still dolls? They were now bright red pills, far surpassing the Zoroastrian fire pits in both quantity and quality.

The quantity of pills is Zhou Xuan's guarantee for his next advancement, while the quality of the pills signifies their immense value; just one pill can bring him considerable benefits in the heavens.

"The master promised me that if I refined a hundred pills, he would give me seven—if I got those seven pills, my life would be much easier from now on."

The leader of the Longevity Cult knew all too well the value of those elixirs, and he also understood what it meant to befriend Zhou Xuan.

"Sigh, let them sing the 'Great God's Tune' then. As long as Master Zhou is happy, that's more important than anything else."

Thinking of this, the Longevity Cult Leader took out a jade pendant from his pocket. The pendant was wrapped with a thin cord for easy wearing.

He took a jade bead from the thin string, tossed it into the tray, and said to Mr. Ding, "Go and inform the Master that I sang the 'Great Divine Tune,' and this bead is a reward for you."

"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master." Mr. Ding was overjoyed to have received a jade bead bestowed by a god for nothing.

He smiled like a radiant yellow tung blossom, carrying a tray and delivering the message.

Upon hearing his words, Zhou Xuan smiled and held the "Happy Doll" in his hand, muttering, "This Longevity Cult Leader is quite capable, able to adapt to circumstances. He is much better than the Crippled Monk who came with him last time."

……

The performance was still going on when the renowned opera singer Ji Rende hurriedly left the stage after singing a short segment of "Iron Chariot".

No sooner had he left than the leader of the Longevity Cult arrived, shaking a rattle drum in one hand and holding his magical weapon—the God-Slaying Whip—in the other.

He had barely settled on the stage when he cracked his whip.

Once the whip was swung straight, the tip of the whip quickly curled back, producing an incredibly fast crackling sound.

"Snapped!"

This crack of the whip was much louder than the firecrackers set off in the East Market Street today; it was like a thunderclap, and the scene immediately fell silent.

The leader of the Longevity Cult immediately clasped his hands and said, "I am originally a god from heaven. Today I need to ask Master Zhou to do some errands, so I have descended to the mortal realm. It just so happens that Master Zhou is holding a wedding banquet, so I naturally want to express my gratitude."

"I, the leader of the Longevity Cult, am from Dongguan Prefecture. Dongguan is a place of white mountains and black waters, where people love to listen to Fengliu Opera. Today, Master Zhou is hosting a wedding banquet for Hu Muhua of the Hu Clan. The Hu Clan's ancestral home is Dongguan Prefecture, so they must also love to listen to Fengliu Opera. I, the leader of the Longevity Cult, am not very talented, but I have some knowledge of this art. I will sing a song for Young Master Hu Muhua and the Snow Mountain Fox Clan—the Great Divine Tune."

Upon hearing this, the fox clan members below the stage were taken aback.

They could never have imagined, no matter how hard they tried, that in their lifetime, a deity would perform a romantic comedy for them.

What kind of influence would it take to get a deity to perform for the Fox Clan?
Those younger members of the Fox Clan had not personally experienced the bloodshed of the "Cult Leader's Birthday Party," but they felt that it was a great honor for the Fox Clan that the gods were putting on a show for them.

During the banquet, those foxes of higher seniority felt a sense of accomplishment upon hearing "the gods performing," and when they heard "the great god's melody," they understood—

—This must be because Zhou Xuan stood up for the Fox Clan, which is why the leader of the Longevity Cult was able to stage such a sensitive drama.

"Once a slave at the gates, now a guest before the hall, the gods sing the opera of wind and willows, awaiting the start of the play, when the dark night returns to light, and the fox clan will know the vastness of the sky..."

Fox Slave, the favorite of King Xishan, had naturally experienced the darkest years of the fox clan, as well as the humiliation of the annual "Cult Leader's Birthday Party."
Now, seeing the Longevity Cult Leader performing for the Fox Clan, it immediately felt that the darkness above the Fox Clan had vanished and the sky above them had become open and expansive.

Tears welled up in its eyes, and it spoke from the depths of its emotion.

His eloquent words reached the ears of both the King of Xishan and Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan smiled and said to King Xishan, "The fox clan still has talented people. This fox slave is quite learned."

"He is a talented man among our Snow Mountain Fox Clan, and his writing is exquisite."

King Xishan was now in high spirits. He immediately raised his wine cup and shouted, "Listen up, foxes of the fox clan! Just as Fox Slave's poem says—our fox clan, the dark night has been restored to light, and the sky has been opened up."

"The darkness has been restored to light, and the sky has opened up."

The foxes of the fox clan were all deeply moved, tears streaming from their eyes. Fox Slave led her people to kneel on one knee in the direction of Zhou Xuan, to show their submission and to express their gratitude.

Who among the fox clan doesn't know this? This clan, which has been hunted for thousands of years, is now able to regain its light in the darkness, all thanks to Zhou Xuan's strong support.

Without this great man, the fox clan would still be a "prisoner clan" with chains around their necks, how could they talk about "open skies"?
Upon seeing this, the King of Xishan also knelt before Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan grabbed him and said, "We don't have so many formalities here."

Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he used the Dragon-Seeking Incense and borrowed the power of the Dragon God of East Market Street to create a great wind.

A strong gust of wind swept across the ground, scattering all the foxes.

Zhou Xuan waved his hand and said, "Kowtowing and such are just mountain customs. Here at Zhou Xuan's place, kneeling is not allowed. If you want to show respect, just bow."

Upon hearing this, the foxes of the fox clan, imitating the manner of ordinary people, bowed to Zhou Xuan.

"That's enough, let's listen to the opera, let's listen to the opera."

Zhou Xuan pointed to the stage for the performance.

The leader of the Eternal Life Cult sang with great enthusiasm.

"The sun sets in the west and darkness falls."

Close the city gates and bolt them.
Nine out of ten houses have locks.
There was one door that wasn't closed...

The singing of Fengliu Opera naturally has its own rules; it must follow the "nine tunes and eighteen melodies," with melodies that are graceful and winding, and the voice must be high-pitched and resonant.
At the same time, it also emphasizes "jumping".

Its movements are not as graceful as those in other prefectures—after all, it evolved from a "shamanic" ritual to invoke the gods.

When a shaman invokes a deity, using himself as the medium, the deity descends into his body. The shaman then becomes like a madman, his body swaying and trembling uncontrollably.

That's why, when the Fengliu Opera is performed, the actors who sing it act like crazy!

Meanwhile, the leader of the Longevity Cult had completely abandoned his airs and performed the "madness" of the Wind and Willow Opera brilliantly.

The fox cubs, at times passionate and at other times completely immersed in their roles,

They've lived half their lives like foxes, and they've probably never had a day as joyous as this.

"The joy was quite intense."

Zhou Xuan immediately began the second wave of "harvesting wheat," frantically reaping this "great joy."

Joy, like a vast ocean, poured over the happy doll. Yun Ziliang then asked Zhou Xuan, "Xuanzi, what kind of bewitching potion did you give that Longevity Cult Leader? He's shameless now, really acting like an actor."

Li Changxun was also puzzled and said, "Is this still the Eternal Life Cult Leader I used to know? He has no temper at all."

“I showed him his bright future… but he’s after a share of the elixirs from me.”

“My pills are obviously superior to those of the Zoroastrian sect. The pills he received are incredibly valuable.” Zhou Xuan held the Xiwa doll and said, “He has to be lenient with me. If he wants to get a share of my pills in the future, he has to work harder now.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Ziliang repeatedly exclaimed, "The magic of this pill is truly immense!"

"Of course it's huge. If the Buddhist Kingdom weren't profitable, why would it have spent hundreds of years instigating the Dan Calamity in the heavens?"

As Zhou Xuan spoke, he looked at the happy doll in his hand.

The festive atmosphere at the banquet was incredibly strong—after all, the fox clan members weren't just laughing out loud with joy, they were crying tears of happiness.

In life, we only shed tears when we are overjoyed beyond measure.

It was precisely this joyous atmosphere of the fox clan that caused the happy doll to undergo a strange transformation.

After the celebratory atmosphere of the banquet has been absorbed by the doll by one-third, the doll will no longer be a golden figure.

Its skin was exactly like that of a real baby, and it even cried out, just like a living infant.

After the happy doll absorbed another third of the auspicious energy, its size increased by a whole circle compared to before.

Its cries have ceased to be heard; instead, it is now making a "giggle" sound.

This laughter wasn't so simple; if you listened carefully, you could hear some "strange" sobbing.

And the last third of the joy was poured into the body of the happy doll.

This baby doll's eyes have changed—its originally dark pupils have become three.

The three pupils are intertwined, forming a triangular shape.

It turned its head and looked at Zhao Wuyai. Its triangular pupils suddenly turned, and Zhao Wuyai immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Haha, so big, so white..."

"Disciple, stop dodging. Let the sect leader take your pulse..."

Zhao Wuyai is even more insane than he was not long ago!
Then, the happy doll glanced at Yun Ziliang, who was immediately overjoyed and began running around the banquet, shouting as he ran, "Disciples of Canglong Mountain, don't be afraid! Your Ancestor Yun is here. Who dares to touch you?"

Zhou Xuan's mind raced. He realized that this "Happy Doll" was no longer a Happy Doll; it was a "Happy Demon" that would drive anyone who glared at it mad.

He suddenly activated his senses, summoned Bone Fang, and shouted to Peng Sheng, "Brother Peng, Xi has become a demon. Stand up for me. I will use the tattooed Bone Fang to seal its eyes!"

(End of this chapter)