The festival was loud, chaotic, and wonderfully vibrant.
They walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the packed streets. Yan Shuo bought her a stick of bright red candied haws, which she happily nibbled on by lifting her veil slightly, her eyes curving into happy crescents with every sweet bite.
They looked exactly like a wealthy mortal couple enjoying the spring festival. No one paid them any attention. No one sensed the dark, terrifying Nascent Soul foundation hiding beneath Yan Shuo's relaxed posture, and absolutely no one realized the blushing girl eating candy was the Goddess of Slaughter.
Eventually, Yan Shuo guided them toward the center of the city.
The bustling market opened up into a massive, circular plaza paved with ancient blue stone. In the very center of the plaza stood the city's namesake—a gargantuan, thousand-year-old plum blossom tree. Its massive branches stretched out like a canopy over the square, covered in millions of glowing pink petals.
