Chapter 61: The Old Fox and the Little Fox

Xiao Yifeng watched the utter defeat of the two girls—one large, one small—and couldn’t suppress a loud laugh.

The duo turned on him instantly, speaking in perfect unison with annoyed glares. “What are you laughing at? If you’re so capable, you try it!”

Xiao Yifeng smirked, teasing, “Fine, I’ll do it. But if I manage to catch one, what do I get?”

Su Miaoqing was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by his confidence.

Li Yabing, however, thrust her half-eaten stick of candied hawthorns forward. “If you catch one, I’ll treat you to this!”

Su Miaoqing couldn’t hold back a smile. Her bright eyes fixed on Xiao Yifeng, the corners of her lips curling up as she tilted her head. “Then I’ll treat you to candied hawthorns as well.”

The two ‘little foxes’—the stunning cultivator and the precocious child—exchanged a glance and giggled.

That fleeting moment of charm was potent enough to stun the surrounding onlookers. Men and women alike paused, inwardly praising the sight. What a pair of absolute beauties in the making.

Xiao Yifeng shook his head with a bitter smile. “Deal.”

He stepped up to the stall owner. “Boss, give me 10 nets.”

“That will be 30 copper coins,” the old man said, reaching out his hand.

“Here you go. 30 coins.”

Xiao Yifeng spoke loudly for the crowd to hear, but what he pressed into the old man’s palm wasn’t copper. It was a jagged, heavy piece of broken silver.

The old man’s eyes flickered. He understood instantly.

Without a word, the vendor reached into a hidden pocket inside his sleeve and pulled out 10 paper nets. To the naked eye, they looked identical to the fragile ones the girls had used.

“Here you go, Young Master,” the old man said, his grin widening. “This old man wishes you success in catching them all!”

Xiao Yifeng caught the hidden meaning in the vendor’s tone. He shook his head, amused by the unspoken transaction, and squatted down beside the basin.

Su Miaoqing and Li Yabing huddled next to him like two curious quails, watching intently.

Xiao Yifeng casually lowered the net, targeting a lively red goldfish that was darting through the water.

Li Yabing gasped, anxious. “Big Brother, do you even know how to play? Don’t go for the big one! You’ll never lift it!”

But before her sentence was even finished, Xiao Yifeng’s wrist flicked.

The net scooped the red goldfish out of the water with steady, unwavering stability. He deposited it gently into the wooden ladle beside him.

The goldfish flopped and splashed inside the net during the transfer, yet the paper remained perfectly intact.

Li Yabing and Su Miaoqing stared, dumbfounded.

Only after Xiao Yifeng tipped the fish into the ladle did the paper net finally tear under the water’s tension.

Xiao Yifeng smiled at their shocked expressions. He repeated the trick, moving with practiced ease. Dip, scoop, drop.

One after another.

He burned through the 10 nets, capturing exactly 10 fish.

Li Yabing and Su Miaoqing watched the entire performance, their mouths hanging slightly open, utterly stunned by his efficiency.

Xiao Yifeng clapped his hands dry and stood up. “So? Impressive or not?”

Li Yabing nodded furiously, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice. “Impressive. Very impressive! Here, for you.”

She shoved the half-eaten, sticky candied hawthorn stick toward him.

Xiao Yifeng’s face stiffened. He looked at the saliva-covered treat and hurriedly waved his hands. “No need, no need. You keep it for yourself.”

Li Yabing tilted her head, looking genuinely confused. “You really don’t want it?”

Seeing Xiao Yifeng’s awkward expression, Su Miaoqing burst into laughter. “Little Sister, he really doesn’t want it. You eat it. If he wants some later, I’ll buy him a fresh one.”

Xiao Yifeng turned to the stall owner. “Trouble you, old sir, to separate these fish into two portions.”

“Right away!” The old man agreed enthusiastically.

With practiced proficiency, he packed the fish into two hollowed-out bamboo tubes filled with water. He handed them over with a beaming smile. “Here, Young Master. Your fish. Thank you for your patronage today. Take care!”

The two ‘old foxes’—Xiao Yifeng and the vendor—exchanged a glance. They shared a knowing smile, an understanding that required no words.

Money really does make the world go round.

Su Miaoqing watched the interaction, her brow furrowing slightly. She felt like something was off, a subtle trickery she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but the evidence of the fish was undeniable.

Xiao Yifeng handed one of the bamboo tubes to the little girl. “Little Sister, this is yours. Hold it carefully.”

Li Yabing hugged the bamboo tube, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the swimming goldfish inside.

“Thank you, Big Brother, Big Sister!” she chirped sweetly. “I take back what I said earlier. Big Brother, you are actually a good person. My name is Li Yabing. I have to go find my dad now, or he’ll scold me again. I won’t disturb you two anymore. Hehe…”

Su Miaoqing’s face flushed a lovely shade of pink. She chided softly, “Little Sister, what nonsense are you talking? Not ‘disturbing’… My name is Su Miaoqing. And this fool here is called Xiao Yifeng.”

Li Yabing grinned. “Sister Qing’er, Fool Xiao Feng, goodbye!”

She waved her small hand vigorously, then turned and skipped away into the crowd, her pigtails bouncing.

Su Miaoqing looked at Xiao Yifeng, her eyes dancing with amusement at the new nickname.

Xiao Yifeng rubbed his nose, letting out a bitter laugh. “What a precocious little girl.”

With Li Yabing gone, the two resumed their stroll through the Lantern Festival.

Su Miaoqing carried her goldfish with a beaming smile. The atmosphere in Wangtian City was infectious. They stopped to watch fire breathers illuminating the night sky and martial artists performing dazzling acrobatic duels. Su Miaoqing watched intently, clapping and cheering for every feat.

They played lantern riddles, bought fresh candied hawthorns, and watched a craftsman paint intricate animals with molten sugar. Su Miaoqing threw herself into every activity with a lively enthusiasm.

She was already exceptionally beautiful, her cultivation in the Wentian Sect giving her an ethereal temperament that separated her from the mortal dust. Now, standing beneath the festival lights, her smile radiant as a flower, she made everything around her pale in comparison.

The streets were shoulder-to-shoulder with people. Naturally, quite a few lechers and ruffians tried to use the crush of the crowd to fish in troubled waters, attempting to get close and grope the stunning beauty.

Xiao Yifeng, however, was a silent guardian.

He moved subtly, his shoulder checking a man here, a subtle burst of Qi blocking a hand there. He blocked them all, discreetly inflicting enough pain to send the offenders scurrying away without ever disturbing Su Miaoqing’s mood.

Su Miaoqing remained oblivious, excited as a child. She darted from one stall to another, heading wherever the crowd was thickest, like a carefree, happy sprite.

Following the flow of people, they soon arrived at the riverbank of Wangtian City.

Weeping willows lined the long moat, their branches swaying gently in the evening breeze. The motion was soothing, a soft counterpoint to the bustling city. The river water sparkled, reflecting the starlight above, flowing forward in a quiet, peaceful rhythm.

A group of young men and women were gathered around an elderly woman and her family, who were selling lotus-shaped river lanterns. Beside them sat a table with paper and brushes, allowing customers to write down blessings or wishes to place inside the lamps.

The river was already alive with light.

One by one, young couples knelt by the bank, releasing the glowing lotus lanterns into the current. They bobbed on the sparkling water, drifting slowly into the distance.

As more lanterns joined the flow, they connected into a shimmering ribbon—a river of stars on the water mirroring the Milky Way in the sky. For a moment, the boundary between the mortal world and the heavens seemed to blur.

Faced with such scenery, Su Miaoqing’s breath hitched. She stared, captivated. “So beautiful…”

Xiao Yifeng nodded, his gaze softening. “Yes, it is. Senior Sister, let’s go take a look.”

He led her toward the old woman selling the lanterns. Seeing so many young people eagerly writing their private thoughts on the paper slips, Su Miaoqing couldn’t help but ask, “Grandma, what is the meaning behind releasing these river lanterns?”

The old woman looked up. Upon seeing Su Miaoqing, she inwardly sighed in admiration. What a naturally elegant and lovely girl. A true jade.

“You two must be from out of town,” the old woman said kindly. “This is our Heyang area’s special Lantern Festival, held only once every four years. You write down your wishes or hopes and release the lantern to float down the river. Legend says they drift all the way to the Heavenly River, where the immortals can read them. You can pray for blessings for yourself, your family, friends… or your husband and lover.”

She paused, her eyes twinkling as she looked between Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing.

“Young men and women like you often use the lanterns to seek their destined partners. Of course,” she pointed a withered finger toward the distance, “there is a small ferry over there. Young people of your age and status often prefer to rent a small boat, drifting on the river to release their lanterns in private.”