This courtyard is precisely where Hou Xuan is hiding.

Everyone stepped on the roof and leapt into the snow-filled courtyard.

Swish!

Suddenly, a crossbow arrow shot out from the dark window.

Li Yan was prepared, standing in front of everyone, drawing a circle with his left hand and using the Coiling Silk Strength unloading technique to catch the arrow in his hand while shouting loudly: "Brother Hou, it's us!"

The sound of nocking arrows inside abruptly stopped.

Hou Xuan, who hadn't seen them for a long time, directly pushed the door open, his face full of excitement: "You're finally here, what's going on?"

He's just an ordinary man, and because of Li Yan's warning, he hadn't been in contact with the "Joyful God Money," thus avoiding disaster.

However, he didn't have Divine Skills and couldn't see outside the courtyard, so upon perceiving the commotion, he immediately used the crossbow for protection.

"How's the preparation going?"

Li Yan briefly explained the situation in the city, then asked.

"It's not easy, quite troublesome."

Hou Xuan smiled bitterly: "There are many daughters in the nearby households. I've paid a good amount of Silver and have already found enough maidens, also had someone specially prepare the flower baskets."

"But with such a big event occurring in the city, it's unclear if they're still conscious."

The Flower Festival requires maidens.

Li Yan was busy with many affairs, so he gave ten thousand taels of silver to Hou Xuan for assistance.

"Find people, as many as you can!"

Li Yan glanced at the sky, gritted his teeth, and said.

Hou Xuan still had several brothers under him who had listened to Li Yan's advice and weren't bewitched by the "Joyful God Money."

Originally, they dared not go out, but with assistance from the Bamboo Forest Six Leisurely, they were no longer worried about going out to find people.

Soon, Hou Xuan led people out of the courtyard.

As for Li Yan, he instructed Wu Ba and Lv San to protect him, then entered a side room alone, lay down on the bed, took out the Dragon Pattern Jade from his bosom, and calmed himself, preparing to enter a dream.

The Dragon Lady is an intangible being, her true form still in Dragon Pond Village outside Shennongjia. Each communication is made through dreaming with the Dragon Pattern Jade.

Perhaps because she was conserving her strength for the Flower Festival, she hadn't reached out since their last deal.

The situation was urgent, so Li Yan had to take the initiative to contact her.

Holding the Dragon Pattern Jade, he soon fell asleep.

The room's layout was the same, but the surroundings were empty, and everything seemed hazy and familiar.

Before long, he was suddenly encircled from behind by a pair of jade arms that pulled him forcefully as if sinking into the ocean.

Before him, scenes of light and shadow appeared:

Along the Min River mountains, ancient tribal ancestors wore animal skins, using fire and water to split mountains and carve stones to carve out mountain paths.

La la la!

The mountain rocks suddenly shattered, revealing a peculiar giant boulder, seemingly sprouting from the earth veins, winding and spiraling into a dragon shape, its surface covered with dragon scale patterns.

The tribe's ancestors rejoiced, and using hundreds of people, they transported this dragon-shaped boulder back to their tribe for continuous worship day and night.

But on a stormy night, a massive black python emerged from the river, coiled around the dragon-shaped boulder, and plunged into the river, disappearing without a trace...

Seeing these scenes, Li Yan suddenly had a hypothesis.

This must be the Cave Heaven Stone, a treasure formed by the convergence of Innate Astra Bane. He had once obtained a small piece, absorbing its spiritual charm to help modify Luo Feng Mountain and advance the Fengdu Technique.

And the huge black python was the true body of the River God, who took the Cave Heaven Stone to create the Dragon Palace.

The light and shadow confirmed his hypothesis.

After the River God took the Cave Heaven Stone, dense fog often covered both banks of the river. As this Great Demon became the Water God of Shu, the Dragon Palace finally took shape...

At this moment, the light and shadow flickered, revealing a palace.

It was Qingyang Palace outside Chengdu City.

There, a magic platform had been set up, strange lights flashing, drums and music blaring, with a Dragon Lady statue positioned under the magic platform, bound by red ropes and with talisman papers covering its eyes.

As this vision unfolded, the Dragon Lady's arms around his chest grew fainter.

The task at Qingyang Palace was indeed about the Dragon Lady!

Li Yan wasted no time and suddenly opened his eyes.

In the meantime, noise arose outside the courtyard.

"Mr. Hou, what's going on?"

"You must know something."

"Please save my family..."

The voices of crying women and continuous pleas were heard.

Li Yan pushed the door open to see more than a dozen young women in the courtyard, each disheveled and even injured.

"Lucky indeed."

Hou Xuan approached with excitement, "I feared missing the major events of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth, so I specially mentioned to avoid the Joyful God Money."

"More than a dozen listened and weren't affected, is it enough?"

"Well done, Brother Hou, that's enough!"

Li Yan's face also showed a smile.

Hou Xuan's work indeed inspires confidence.

A simple instruction turned the situation around.

All the women in the courtyard have been rescued.

They are not fools, seeing Hou Xuan being so respectful to Li Yan, they immediately understand he is the chief and start to plead.

"Being rescued is useless!"

Li Yan scolded sternly, "Your families, the entire people of Chengdu Prefecture, have fallen under a spell; only by resolving the source can they awaken."

"We need to go to Qingyang Palace, are you afraid?"

"As long as we can save our families, we fear nothing!"

"We ask the Immortal to issue the order!"

The trouble with their families brought courage to these women.

"Good!"

Li Yan took out a Pocket Watch and glanced at it, "It's almost dark, there's no time to delay, let's set off!"

Hou Xuan had briefed these women in advance, and since they had participated in the Flowers Festival in previous years, they knew the procedure.

Taking the clothes prepared by Hou Xuan, the women went into the house to change and walked out carrying specially made flower baskets.

These clothes were meticulously crafted using Shu Brocade and white gauze, with colorful flowers made of cloth attached.

If not for their disheveled appearance, they would truly resemble Fairies descending to the mortal world.

The ceremony Li Yan was about to hold was the Flower Festival "Flowers God Parade," commemorating the birth of the Flower Fairy.

The Flower Fairy symbolizes the revival of all things.

Through this ceremony, the Dragon Lady can be awakened.

The process of the ceremony has been researched and mastered by Wang Daoxuan.

He set up the magic platform, swept and burned incense, and using peach branches dipped in vermillion liquid, he drew the 'Flowers Talisman' on the snow-covered ground in the courtyard to stabilize the place.

On the main altar, there is a Divine Statue, wearing a Furong Crown and clad in a Hundred Flowers Robe, representing the Flower Fairy.

As for the offerings on the table, Hou Xuan put in considerable effort, gathering twelve-colored flowers to correspond with the twelve monthly Flower Gods, and using rice to mold the "Flowers Cake."

Once the magic platform was ready, Wang Daoxuan, already changed into his Vestment robe, immediately stepped onto the platform, reciting the "Taiyi Rescue Suffering Body Protection Scripture," and burned the "Hundred Flowers Petition" to deliver it to the Heavenly Court.

Every move conformed to the ancient rites of the ceremony.

Bang!

The old house's door was violently pushed open.

The women, all holding flower branches like Shu Kui and Mountain Tea, progressed with Yu Step according to the rhythm of the "Ni Chang Feather Dress Song."

This is called the 'Flowers Formation,' symbolizing the descent of the twelve Flower Gods.

Li Yan walked at the forefront, holding a bronze flower basket taken from the Divine Statue in the Flower Fairy Temple.

This is also a powerful Magic Artifact.

As long as the Flower God's Parade is successful, the incense gathered by ordinary people will flow into the flower basket, which is key to the Dragon Lady's awakening.

They hadn't traveled far before encountering a large group of crazed civilians.

They were wielding clubs and ropes, seemingly intending to capture everyone.

Among them were quite a few Jianghu Guests.

These Jianghu Guests' martial skills were not profound, but they were all drawn by the reward from Shu Prince Mansion, searching for Li Yan everywhere.

Upon seeing him appear, they became even more frenzied.

Li Yan didn't bother with them, directly forming a spell with his fingers and shouted loudly, "Nuogao, left bring Three Stars, right bring Three Prisons, heaven and earth overturned, nine paths blocked, causing you to lose your mind, east as west, south as north..."

This is the North Emperor Protection Spell, which not only protects but can also cast the Enchantment Spell on the enemies, making them indistinguishable between east and west, north and south.

As the spell was cast, a fierce wind erupted.

Those charging civilians were instantly dizzy, spinning in circles or bumping into walls.

As for Li Yan and his group, they naturally knew Mountain Climbing Skill.

They used Mugwort wrapped around their fingers, foot stepped with Astral Step, reciting spells, breaking through the confusion, heading toward the South City.

Of course, unexpected events soon followed.

More and more crazed civilians gathered.

They blocked the way outside, unable to harm the group.

But the Flower God's Parade also attracted them, flocking around the team, eyes bloodshot, following jubilantly.

Thus, the parade team sang and danced, quickly arriving at the South City.

To their surprise, the city gate was already wide open, with many corpses piled on the ground, all experts sent by the Salt Gang.

The group couldn't bother with idle talk, and went straight through the gate.

What they didn't know was that Yang Chenghua had just led the Qingcheng Sect into Chengdu Prefecture, and it was here that they breakthrough.

This place is not far from Qingyang Palace, and along the way there was barely any danger. It took less than the time for two incense sticks to reach the destination.

In previous years on the fifteenth of the first month, Qingyang Palace was surrounded by stalls, medicine tents, and bright cloths, selling Shu Embroidery Hundred Flower Fragrance Pouches and Sichuan Ligusticum and Jasmine Tea.

But now, it was eerily quiet.

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