Releasing Sky Lanterns

The four of them were leisurely strolling down the road when Luochen stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Fortunately, Su Yue, with her quick reflexes, caught her.

“Are you alright, Senior Sister?”

“I’m fine.”

Luochen turned her head to face the culprit, a child who, realizing the trouble they had caused, stood pitifully rooted to the spot.

“I’m sorry, Big Sister,” the child apologized softly, “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Niu Niu, I told you to walk slower!” Her mother, panting, finally caught up. Upon seeing Luochen and the others, her face immediately paled, and her voice took on a tearful edge.

“My apologies, esteemed ladies, my child didn’t mean it.”

Luochen waved a hand, signaling for her not to be anxious. She then knelt down, her voice gentle, “Niu Niu, where were you running off to in such a hurry?”

“To that street up ahead!” Niu Niu pointed with her finger, and as if sensing that these were not bad people, her tone grew cheerful.

“It’s so lively there! They have lantern riddles, storytelling, and even acrobatics!”

Luochen gently stroked Niu Niu’s head and offered her a freshly bought tanghulu (TL Note: Candied hawthorns, a traditional Chinese snack of fruit skewers coated in hardened sugar syrup).

“I see. Thank you, and remember to watch where you’re going next time, alright?”

Niu Niu beamed, accepting the tanghulu. “Thank you, Big Sister, you’re such a kind person!”

“Let’s go take a look ourselves.”

Luochen was brimming with excitement.

****

“Don’t miss it, folks, come one, come all! The chest-breaking-boulders performance is about to begin! Those with money, please contribute; those without, your applause is just as welcome!”

“And so, after that Black Mountain Old Demon acquired this magic treasure…”

“Baozi! Freshly steamed baozi !”

The streets here were even more bustling, with the throngs of people reaching a point of considerable congestion.

Chen Ruan curiously gazed left and right, this being the very first time in her life she had attended such a grand gathering.

“They have Touhu here! Come quickly!” Luochen’s excited shout pulled Chen Ruan’s wandering thoughts back.

“Ten coins for one round, ten arrows per round,” the stall owner said with a smile as they approached.

“Everyone, come and try your luck!”

“It would be far too dull without a little wager, wouldn’t it?”

Luochen looked at the three of them, her eyes twinkling with a smile.

“Here’s the deal: the one with the highest score gets to be the first to taste my improved version of Luosifen (TL Note: A pungent Chinese noodle soup made with river snails and fermented bamboo shoots), while the one with the lowest score will be punished by washing dishes for an entire week.”

At the mere mention of “Luosifen,” Su Yue and Venerable Zhu Qing’s expressions instantly froze, and a flood of unpleasant memories surged into their minds.

On that fateful day, they had recalled the terror of being utterly dominated by Luosifen.

‘That first place, I absolutely cannot take.’

Su Yue gnashed her teeth; she had no desire to taste that flavor a second time.

Yet, coming in last and having to wash dishes was clearly no desirable task either.

‘Which means…’

‘I must strive for second place.’

Venerable Zhu Qing and Su Yue exchanged glances, a glint of mutual understanding flashing in their eyes.

“What exactly is Luosifen?” Chen Ruan, the outsider, still innocently inquired.

“Delicious.”

They spoke in unison.

‘Oh, in that case, I absolutely must strive for first place!’ Chen Ruan secretly resolved, only to notice Venerable Zhu Qing and Su Yue looking at her with an expression of profound pity.

Chen Ruan: ?

With each of them harboring their own secret intentions, the competition began.

Venerable Zhu Qing and Su Yue, with remarkable tacit understanding, each missed their first arrow, thereby ensuring Chen Ruan’s initial lead.

By the ninth arrow, Chen Ruan had hit eight out of eight, Venerable Zhu Qing seven out of eight, while Su Yue lagged at the bottom with six hits out of eight.

As three more arrows steadily struck within the pot, each of the three accumulated another point.

Su Yue launched her final arrow, which struck the pot’s rim, bounced off, and fell to the ground.

Seven out of ten. It seemed the last-place finisher had already been determined.

Su Yue clicked her tongue, seemingly accepting this outcome.

‘At least I won’t have to eat Luosifen.’

When it was Chen Ruan’s turn, her arrow sliced through the air in a graceful arc, steadily hitting its mark within the pot.

Ten out of ten. The suspense of the competition was utterly eradicated.

Venerable Zhu Qing, the true winner, stepped forward and patted both Su Yue and Chen Ruan on the shoulders.

“Young ones, you still need more practice.”

A wily, knowing smile played upon her lips.

Chen Ruan: ?? ‘But didn’t I win?’

Su Yue: ‘666 (TL Note: Chinese internet slang, often used to praise someone’s skill or, as here, sarcastically imply they’ve revealed their true capabilities), so you’re not pretending anymore, huh?’

In high spirits, Venerable Zhu Qing casually tossed an arrow. It struck the rim of the pot, bounced off, spun twice in the air, and then, with uncanny precision, shot directly into the pot’s left handle.

The entire scene fell into a stunned silence.

“Piercing the ear! Three points!” The stall owner was the first to erupt in cheers.

“So that’s what ‘still needs practice’ meant! Senior, you truly are formidable.”

Witnessing Venerable Zhu Qing’s spectacular display, Chen Ruan willingly conceded defeat.

After gaining three points, Venerable Zhu Qing’s score had risen to eleven, surpassing Chen Ruan to claim first place.

“Master, are you truly so eager to try my improved Luosifen?” Luochen asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry, this time I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

She rubbed her hands together, looking utterly invigorated and ready.

In an unnoticed corner, Su Yue, who had been desperately holding back her laughter, was on the verge of fainting from lack of oxygen.

A dejected Venerable Zhu Qing walked at the very end of the group, suddenly feeling that life had lost all meaning.

Su Yue deliberately slowed her pace, waiting for Venerable Zhu Qing to catch up beside her.

“Could you perhaps perform that again?”

“What?” Venerable Zhu Qing retorted, glaring at her.

“That line about, ‘Young ones, you still need more practice’,” Su Yue said, perfectly mimicking Venerable Zhu Qing’s voice.

“Get lost!”

****

As night deepened, the residents of Jinyang City began releasing their long-prepared sky lanterns, their flickering candlelight burning within the colorful paper, adorning the vast night sky.

Chen Ruan was momentarily stunned; since the destruction of her homeland, she had neither the time nor the opportunity to witness such a scene again.

“Miss Chen, you truly do love to daydream, don’t you?”

Luochen smiled, waving a hand in front of her.

Chen Ruan felt a cool sensation spread across her hand.

The next moment, Luochen had already grasped her hand and was lightly jogging forward.

“I’ll take you to see the lantern shop up ahead.”

When Chen Ruan returned from her daze, they had already reached the very forefront of the lantern-releasing crowd, before them lay a veritable sea of stars, woven from countless lights.

This starlit sea swayed with the gentle breeze, its myriad points of light forming waves that surged upwards, like a rising tide, into the night sky.

“The Lantern Festival in Jinyang City has a very special custom: if this is your first time releasing a sky lantern, you can write your wish on the very first one you send aloft today.”

Luochen tucked a brush and a sky lantern into Chen Ruan’s arms.

“Hurry and write it.”

Luochen covered her eyes with her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips.

“Don’t worry, I won’t peek.”

Chen Ruan picked up the brush, but despite her repeated hesitation, she delayed putting it to paper.

She turned her head to look at Luochen.

Luochen was currently gazing at the distant, swaying lantern lights, her long hair cascading down to obscure her profile. The candlelight danced in her eyes, waxing and waning.

As if sensing Chen Ruan’s gaze, Luochen turned her head, breaking into a radiant smile, her beautiful eyes gleaming. The myriad lights sparkling in the distance could not compare, even by half, to the beauty standing before her.

A gentle breeze swept past, lifting a few strands of her hair; time seemed to freeze in that moment. As if by some inexplicable impulse, Chen Ruan wrote down her wish.

Slowly raising her hand, the sky lantern, now carrying her heartfelt wish, gradually ascended into the night sky.

Among the countless lights, there was finally one that belonged solely to her.

“Oh, right, you also need to write it on this.”

Luochen handed her a sachet.

“Write your wish inside this sachet and carry it with you; the chances of it coming true are much higher!”

“Mmm… alright.”

The person before her seemed to speak with a hint of shyness.

Luochen wondered if it was just her imagination, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Chen Ruan had been acting a little strangely ever since writing her wish.

‘Could she have written something peculiar?’

She secretly speculated.

As one sky lantern after another was released, the festive atmosphere reached its peak. Luochen felt it was time to deploy the ultimate weapon she had long prepared.

“Let’s release this one!”

After calling over the other three, Luochen inexplicably conjured up an enormous sky lantern.

Chen Ruan walked around the lantern, observing it. She noticed portraits of the four of them adorning its sides, though they appeared… a little cuter than their real selves?

“It’s a Q-version art style,” Su Yue explained, ever the quick-witted one. (TL Note: ‘Q-version art style’ refers to a chibi, super deformed, or cute caricature style, often seen in anime/manga.)

Each of the four grasped a corner, and at Luochen’s command, they simultaneously released their hold.

Luochen secretly channeled a surge of spiritual energy, and the colossal sky lantern began to float leisurely upwards.

As its altitude increased, more and more people began to notice this distinctive sky lantern.

Especially when they discovered the four little figures painted on the lantern.

Eventually, nearly everyone on the entire street was craning their necks to gaze up at Luochen’s handiwork.

It was quite the sight, ensuring everyone on the street had to crane their necks.

“Sister Luo, isn’t this a bit inauspicious?”

Looking at the portraits on the lantern, Chen Ruan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

As if realizing something herself, Luochen’s smile instantly froze.

“Shut up.”

“It looks a bit like… ascending to heaven.”

Su Yue offered her answer after a moment of serious thought.

“SHUT UP!!!!”