Magic Farm 171

Chapter 171: The Spring God’s Blessing from the Mage Association—You Shall Preside

By the time dusk was falling, the two of them returned to the residence Leslie had arranged.

Leslie and Jin Qian had already changed clothes: they wore the traditional attire of Jindong City, and perhaps because of the Spring God Festival, the colors were especially bright and vivid.

Qi Yu and Shan Xingyu each received a set as well.

It just so happened that the two sets left were identical in style.

Standing to the side, Leslie grinned mischievously. “First come, first served! Don’t blame us for picking first.”

Jin Qian was a bit more honest and spoke the truth: “These two sets are too flashy. We wouldn’t look good in them.”

He glanced at the two handsome men before him and nodded solemnly. “Only people like you—who would look good even in a burlap sack—can pull these off.”

Qi Yu looked at the clothes.

The traditional attire of Jindong City, whether for men or women, was always a loose, long robe. The garment was made of white satin, embroidered all over with colorful flowers, green leaves, butterflies, and little bees.

According to Leslie: for the Spring God Festival, you had to wear spring itself.

Shan Xingyu had been in unusually high spirits since earlier, and now he urged Qi Yu, “Hurry up and get changed. It’ll be dark soon.”

Qi Yu didn’t know why he was suddenly in such a rush, when just a moment ago, during their walk, he’d been so relaxed.

He carried the clothes into the room. They looked unassuming at first glance, but were actually complicated to put on, and rather heavy.

It was only with the servant’s guidance that Qi Yu managed to dress properly.

“This set suits you especially well.” The servant looked at him with amazement, enthusiastically suggesting, “There’s a flower crown too—would you like me to help you put it on?”

Having already donned such heavy attire, Qi Yu replied, “Then I’ll trouble you to—”

“I’ll do it.”

Shan Xingyu’s voice came from the doorway.

Qi Yu turned to look at him. Shan Xingyu was dressed in almost the exact same clothes.

With his clear eyes and elegant brows, his tall stature and long legs, and that easy, unrestrained air, even such elaborate robes couldn’t hide the crisp, dashing energy he exuded.

In a few quick steps, he came to Qi Yu’s side, scrutinized him carefully, then bent down to pick up the flower crown and gently placed it on Qi Yu’s head.

Stepping back to take a look, he exclaimed in admiration, “The Spring God has come to my side.”

Qi Yu replied with certainty, “You’re saying I look good.”

Shan Xingyu corrected him, “Exceptionally good.”

Qi Yu didn’t have much of an opinion about his own looks; he just felt that, dressed in these complicated outfits, both he and Shan Xingyu seemed to have become more valuable.

He said, “Let’s go find Jin Qian and the others.”

“Wait a moment.”

Shan Xingyu moved to his side, adjusted their positions, and used the survival panel to snap a photo.

[The God Has No Form: (photo) Look.]

Qi Yu opened it—it was a photo of him and Shan Xingyu together.

Shan Xingyu said softly, “I won’t be able to bear sending you messages anymore.”

“Why?”

“Pictures can’t be saved, and with so many messages, this photo will get pushed up and lost.”

After hearing this, Qi Yu asked, “Shan Xingyu, is it that you can’t bear to lose our photo together, or is it the photo of us in these outfits?”

Shan Xingyu: “What do you mean?”

Qi Yu didn’t think it was a difficult problem. “If it’s the photo of us together you can’t bear to lose, we have the teleportation gate—we can see each other every day. I can take a new photo with you every day.”

That way, it wouldn’t matter if it got pushed up.

“If you like these outfits, just wait—I’ll go ask Leslie to buy them for us. Whenever you want to see them, we’ll put them on.”

Shan Xingyu took a quiet breath.

He met the clear gaze of the local boy, eyes black and white, his own reflection visible within.

He couldn’t help but reach out, palm covering those eyes.

Qi Yu: ?

The local boy blinked, his soft lashes brushing Shan Xingyu’s palm.

“If I didn’t know you had absolutely no such intentions, I…”

His hand was pried away by another. Qi Yu said, “Why are you covering my eyes?”

Shan Xingyu was silent for a moment, then said, “You’re too good-looking. I was dazzled by you.”

Qi Yu eyed him suspiciously. “Then you should be covering your own eyes.”

A knock came at the door, and Leslie’s voice sounded from outside: “Lord Qi Yu, are you ready? The carriage is here to take us out.”

Shan Xingyu opened the door for them.

“Wow!” Jin Qian exclaimed when he saw them. “I told you, only you two could make these clothes look good.”

Leslie was even more enthusiastic. “If I’d known, I would’ve signed you up for the main float at the city lord’s mansion. You two, dressed like this, look better than any of the Spring Gods!”

They boarded the Boge Chamber of Commerce’s carriage and soon arrived at the main area of the Spring God Festival.

“Wow!”

As the carriage stopped, it was six in the evening.

Jin Qian, who had been nervously watching the survival panel for the time, finally let out a sigh of relief.

Though he’d already confirmed with Qi Yu that the native world was different from the Forest of Stars, he’d still been on edge.

Not until the time had safely reached the “night” of the survival game did he relax.

He lifted the carriage curtain and saw the world outside ablaze with lights, bustling with people.

His nose suddenly stung, but he quickly suppressed it, the sourness replaced by delight.

Qi Yu was also startled by the lively scene. To him, Jindong City had already seemed crowded during the day.

But compared to this moment, it was nothing.

Everywhere, people wore attire similar to his—old folks, young people, children.

Everyone carried flowers and wore smiles. He didn’t even need to try to sense it; he could tell the mood here was sweet.

He was observing them, and others were observing him.

A pure white flower was offered before his eyes.

It was Leslie.

Laughing heartily, he said, “A tradition of the Spring God Festival: everyone gives flowers to their favorite ‘Spring God’—usually to a beautiful stranger.”

The traditional attire they wore was, in fact, an imitation of the Spring God’s garb. In other words, today, everyone was playing the role of the Spring God.

“It’s your first time at the festival, isn’t it? Here, let me, on behalf of Jindong City, give you the first flower.”

He was perfectly fair, giving each of the three a flower.

Leslie’s gesture seemed to serve as some kind of signal.

As the carriage departed, they were quickly surrounded by strangers.

The festive atmosphere was infectious. Even the shyest, quietest person, in this joyful night, could smile and offer a compliment and a flower to a stranger:

“You look wonderful. May the Spring God always bless you.”

Soon, Qi Yu’s arms were filled with a large bouquet.

At first, he was at a loss, only able to mechanically say “thank you” to every enthusiastic smile.

He instinctively looked for Shan Xingyu, and found that Shan Xingyu was faring no better.

But he clearly handled it with ease, collecting flowers with a beaming smile, calling out “sister” and “brother,” his blessings flowing even more smoothly than the locals’.

Qi Yu carefully noted the things he said to the people, and soon, he too could offer a few pleasant words in addition to “thank you.”

“Lord Qi Yu?” a surprised voice called from not far away.

Qi Yu turned and saw someone dressed like a butterfly.

He had two colorful streaks painted on his face, which was why Qi Yu hadn’t recognized him at first.

But after a closer look, “It’s you, the one who sent me the subsidy.”

“Ah, that’s me!” The man squeezed through the crowd, greeting him with a cheerful smile. “My name’s Pein. I never thought I’d run into you here.”

Qi Yu looked at him and concluded: out of his work clothes, this Pein looked much younger.

Pein had just come to say hello, and asked, “Since you’re here for the festival, why not join the Mage Association’s float?”

Qi Yu: “Why should I? Is the float that much fun?”

Pein said, “It’s great fun to ride the float in the parade—everyone will see you.”

He looked at Qi Yu several times, delighted. “You look so good in this outfit, I guarantee, by tomorrow the whole city will be asking who you are.”

That would really put the Mage Association in the spotlight!

Qi Yu’s eyes lit up.

A certain Second God appeared in a flash: “What are you talking about?”

Qi Yu said, “We’re talking about the Mage Association’s float parade. I want to join.”

Shan Xingyu, his face half-hidden behind a mass of flowers, could only be heard, “I think I just heard something about the whole city asking about someone.”

“That’s right,” Qi Yu leaned in and whispered, “Wouldn’t that mean everyone would know I’m a mage from the Forest of Stars?”

A mage from the Forest of Stars.

His reputation would definitely soar.

No sooner said than done, he followed Pein and soon found the Mage Association’s float.

As soon as he approached, he felt a strong surge of wood-element magic. The Mage Association’s massive float was also covered in flowers.

Unlike the other floats, where the flowers were artificially arranged, all the plants and flowers on the Mage Association’s float had been grown by wood magic.

An elderly silver-haired woman sat atop the float.

Qi Yu had seen her during the day, together with President Frederick—a senior elder of the association.

Gone was the dignified, elegant mage’s robe of the daytime; now her silver hair was coiled into an intricate bun, adorned with several flowers, and she too wore a long, brightly colored dress.

If she were walking down the street, she’d look no different from any kindly old lady.

“Hello, Elder Roland.”

Elder Roland smiled at Qi Yu, her eyes crinkling. “What a beautiful young man. The Spring God’s attire suits a child like you.”

She knew Qi Yu’s true identity, and her gaze swept over the three behind him, lingering a moment on Shan Xingyu, her smile deepening.

She was clearly reminded of that rumor from Ophelia Royal City.

“You’ve come at just the right time. This year, there aren’t enough young mages to give the blessing on the float, so this old woman has to come out and do the work herself.”

“This year, let the Mage Association’s Spring God blessing be presided over by you.”

Shan Xingyu and Jin Qian had followed Qi Yu up, and Leslie, seeing they were all there, shamelessly tagged along. When he saw that the elder of the Mage Association said nothing, he knew this was tacit approval, and was inwardly overjoyed.

Now, seeing the Mage Association elder’s attitude toward Qi Yu, he gained an even deeper understanding of Qi Yu’s status.

[Author’s Note]

[food][food][food]—see you later for another chapter [heart]