296: Chapter 94: First Eat Dumplings, Then Eat More Dumplings 296: Chapter 94: First Eat Dumplings, Then Eat More Dumplings Zuo Yan wasn’t confined by the City God’s Office because she had revealed her true form.
Many things in this world can’t be judged by a simple black-and-white standard.
Even with murder, there’s a distinction between premeditated murder and self-defense.
Indeed, streaking on the streets in broad daylight is offensive to public morals, but that doesn’t mean everyone must wear clothes at home while bathing or sleeping or during intimate moments.
What’s the problem with revealing one’s true form after midnight?
If you don’t sleep and stay up all night, even if you don’t see a ghost, you’re likely to die suddenly from exhaustion.
Moreover, the victims were cultivators of the Longevity Sect—though they claim to be cultivators, neither their identity nor their beliefs have received official recognition, designating them as unregistered and unprotected by human rights.
Unregistered individuals aren’t recognized as people and don’t enjoy human rights protection.
Zuo Yan’s issue lay in her failure to fully consider the potential problems of Echo Erosion that might follow—though one can’t entirely blame her, as the collision of different mystical systems can yield unpredictable results.
Think of those pioneers in the physics and chemistry fields who, upon discovering something new, would directly stick out their tongues to taste it.
She was released today, not because her confinement period ended.
With such a mess she stirred up, according to the customs of the southern people, she would be suppressed under a tower for decades.
The main reason was that the Red Lantern Society had opened the Incense Hall tonight.
Opening an altar and opening an incense hall aren’t the same; opening an altar is like setting up a new branch outside, whereas opening an incense hall is like holding a meeting to discuss important matters with all the elders and leaders.
The Red Lantern Society rarely opens the incense hall, as it is not a traditional Jianghu gang where grievances between women can be openly discussed.
But whenever the incense hall is opened, it definitely means something significant has happened.
Only when rows of red lanterns light up the night of Tianmen, gradually blanketing the city, do the Tianmen People recall that the Red Lantern Society was originally not an organization for protecting women’s rights.
These old ladies were initially extreme militants under the leadership of the Holy Mother of Red Lotus, slaughtering foreigners and burning churches.
When the Red Lotus Lantern rises, heads fall.
The opening of the incense hall by the Red Lantern Society means only one thing: it’s time for killing.
Kill foreigners!
Kill traitors!
Kill collaborators!
Exterminate the evil and wicked!
As a disciple under the Holy Mother of Red Lotus and the first-generation Red-Robed Elder of the Red Lantern Society, Zuo Yan had actually already retired from the front line and no longer partook in the affairs of the society.
However, during the opening of the incense hall, she was still obligated to attend, to support and empower the younger disciples.
As a Night Patrol of the City God’s Office, she was also obligated to represent the City God’s Office to monitor the actions of the Red Lantern Society, always ready to control the situation and adjust strategies to prevent these senior ladies from really causing a mess.
Should she go to the Longevity Sect to enjoy the scene, or should she visit the Red Apparel Society to watch the spectacle?
Or perhaps, is there a possibility that mingling both could result in a combined outcome?
Li Mumu was very conflicted.
“Let’s go to the Longevity Sect!”
Hearing that there was something interesting happening at the Longevity Sect, Zuo Yan immediately changed her mind, “Actually, I don’t particularly want to go to the incense hall.
It’s always the same old stuff, and I’m really tired of it.”
Where is your sense of duty?
“Last time, you were scared into screaming by that Raggedy Old Taoist.
All you’ll find at the Longevity Sect are types like him.”
“That’s exactly why we should go see the spectacle.
Don’t you think it’s thrilling?”
I get it, the worse it is, the more you want to play, right?
“We can first go see the opening of the incense hall at the Red Lantern Society, and then head over to the Longevity Sect to enjoy the scene.”
Wendy offered a better suggestion, “Compared to the Red Lantern Society, which can openly gather people, the Longevity Sect is somewhat less efficient, so we should have enough time.”
This was, after all, not an era advanced in online telecommunications where you could notify everyone with a mass message.
It couldn’t be said that transportation relied on walking and communication on yelling to such a primitive extent, but it wasn’t much more advanced either.
Only rich people could afford a telephone, and they still couldn’t use it for nefarious activities.
Ordinary people didn’t understand the basic principles of telephone communications—they thought making phone calls wouldn’t leave any traces, just like Xiao Baili, who had called to threaten the former head of the Special Service Bureau; the following day, agents from the bureau followed the phone line and arrested him on the spot.
As a semi-public organization locally, the Red Lantern Society could brazenly hang red lanterns and allure people.
The Longevity Sect didn’t enjoy such benefits.
Otherwise, why would the protagonists in those classic martial arts novels always manage to attend auctions, compete for the position of Alliance Hierarch, or go on true confessions adventures in the Apricot Forest, and women warriors’ expo…
It’s all a matter of efficiency.
Upon hearing this, Mumu found it very reasonable, “Then, elder sister, shall we first go to the Incense Hall?”
“Let’s go!”
Zuo Yan was thrilled and with one hand grabbed one of them, turning into a whirlwind and swooshed out the window.
Although Mumu knew this method was indeed convenient and fast, she couldn’t quite accept this mode of travel in her heart.
It made us seem like the demons blocking the way in Journey to the West.
“Elder sister, you’re at least a formal civil servant at the City God’s Office; Wendy and I both come from prestigious families, noble young ladies.
Why must we choose such a mode of travel?
Next time, can we switch to a more classy skin?”
But since she was freeloading a ride, she didn’t dare voice any of these thoughts.
Zuo Yan led the two through the realms of yin and yang, swiftly moving along streets and alleys.
“It really is bustling tonight.”
As she flew, she suddenly made this remark.
Wrapped in the black wind, Mumu couldn’t see what she was observing.
Suddenly, the surroundings brightened, and her feet touched the ground.
When she opened her eyes next, she realized she had arrived by the river.
In front of her was a magnificently-styled boat, brightly lit with carved beams and painted rafters.
Lanterns shaped like lotuses floated on the river, illuminating the entire river.
The boat was decked in red, with women dressed in red robes and equipped with weapons moving around on board.
The Incense Hall of the Red Lantern Society was actually such a boat?
Seeing the surprised expression on Mumu’s face, Zuo Yan couldn’t help but smile and said, “Do you know the original cause for the Red Lantern Society?”
“I heard it was because the Bodhisattva guided them to burn churches and kill foreigners?”
“Do you think regular households’ women would be driven to unite in burning churches and killing foreigners?”
“Uh…”
Mumu thought it made sense.
You could say tourism, baking, beauty todayAils, watching movies, chasing after idols—these hobbies fit for women are all fine.
But burning churches and killing foreigners… no matter how you considered it, it didn’t seem like the hobbies of decent women, continued for so many years.