NOVPUBSitting in the inn’s room, Hestia looked out at the damp world beyond the window. The sound of water cascaded from the rooftops, forming miniature waterfalls that washed over the streets and buildings below.
Hestia held her large spider companion, listening to the rain outside. Her gaze shifted to a small memory card on the table. It was something she and Feng Jianxue had found in an old film store in Thousand Towers City the day before.
After agreeing to help the girl search for Agarwood Street, they had explored many places in search of a way to access the underground core zone. As evening came and they parted temporarily, Feng Jianxue had taken her to the old store and purchased this card.
The card contained footage of the “Flowing Fire Festival” celebration from twenty years ago.
“Why are you looking for this?” Hestia had asked Feng Jianxue at the time, puzzled.
Although he seemed ready to give a different explanation, under Hestia’s curious gaze, he decided to reveal a bit of the truth.
“Hestia, don’t you think the sword-dancing girl who performed twenty years ago looks a lot like you?” he said with a hint of mystery as he handed her the memory card.
“This card can be viewed in immersion mode or played like a normal video. But I recommend experiencing it immersively.”
With those words, he waved goodbye. His demeanor had become more relaxed and casual compared to his earlier enthusiasm.
Later, Hestia found an immersive cinema, rented a private booth, and inserted the card. As the fog-like crystals began to fill the room, she was transported back to the “Flowing Fire Festival” of two decades past.
Shi – Bin Feng – Qi Yue
“In July, the fire descends; in September, clothes are made.”
Under the blazing sun, the azure sky glowed brightly.
The perspective descended from the sky, zooming into a wilderness filled with towering buildings adorned with flying eaves.
People in tall hats and red sashes walked slowly in a procession, forming a crimson river across the desolate gray land. They passed through dry riverbeds, high bridges between buildings, and deep underground tunnels before converging on a grand altar surrounded by tall structures.
By the altar stood “Divine Generals” clad in vibrant armor, and at the center was a giant censer with thick incense sticks.
Elders among the ceremonial leaders held up silk scrolls, chanting ancient prayers to the heavens. The silk floated on the wind, burning into smoke.
In this procession, Hestia noticed a young girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to herself. She appeared to be about 17, dressed in snow-white sleeves with a strikingly red inner dress that drew attentions.
Following the elders with dignified steps, the girl in snow-white sleeves and a red dress carried herself with a serene elegance.
As the incense procession wound through the city, the girl was escorted by the Divine Generals into a sedan draped in layers of red fabric. Once she entered, the sedan was lifted, and the procession continued.
Through the veiled layers, her figure was faintly visible, evoking reverent worship from the crowd. This was a grand ceremony to invoke the gods. Once she entered the sedan, she ceased to represent herself and instead became the earthly vessel of the “Five Phoenixes’ Mandate.”
According to ancient history, five phoenixes brought knowledge and enlightenment to the world, laying the foundation for the culture of the Eastern Continent people. The ritual to honor the Five Virtuous Phoenixes became a tradition passed down through generations.
The procession slowly traveled through the city. The girl remained poised in the sedan, her posture unwavering. Only late at night, when they reached the “Imperial Pavilion,” could she step out to rest. This citywide tour would last three days.
Following the recorded footage, Hestia approached the sedan where the girl sat. After a long time, she finally saw her face up close as she stepped out.
Though youthful and slightly unpolished, Hestia recognized her. This was her mother in her younger days.
“Mom was so beautiful in her youth,” Hestia thought. She even felt her mother outshone herself at 17, perhaps due to her elegant attire.
Her mother’s long black hair was pinned into a silk-like bun, adorned with pearl flowers on one side and a hairpin with dangling red feathers on the other. The gemstone on the hairpin glimmered in the sunlight, its vibrant red hues layered against her dark hair, making her look exceptionally stunning.
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After the city tour, the procession stopped before a grand building where a towering stage had been prepared.
A hundred sword-wielding maidens approached, flanking the sedan protectively. Two of them gently helped the girl in snow-white sleeves and a red dress step down.
As the bells atop the building tolled, the girl ascended the stage step by step. At the platform’s edge, a handmaiden knelt and presented an ancient sword with both hands.
The girl slowly unsheathed the sword, its blade as clear as autumn water, shimmering with brilliance.
The tens of thousands gathered at the festival fell silent, their breaths held as they watched the ethereal girl. Music began to play, starting gently. Inside the building, musicians with zithers, flutes, strings, pipa, and drums were seated, ready to perform.
After a soft prelude, a majestic melody rose. The atmosphere grew vibrant, and the girl began to move.
Her sword dance was slow yet fluid, as if time itself had stilled. Her wide sleeves fluttered in the air, casting an otherworldly calm.
Though different from Hestia’s memory, she recognized the sword technique her mother had once taught her. However, her mother’s younger self executed it with an unmatched grace and grandeur, creating the illusion of manipulating magical flows around her.
As the girl danced, the crowd’s energy became livelier. Her movements grew lighter until she seemed to “float.”
She had no wings nor used any transcendent abilities. With each step, her body effortlessly lifted off the ground, resembling a celestial being depicted in ancient murals. The altered environment of the stage made this possible. A feather falling from above would have hovered, spiraling gently instead of descending.
Her figure resembled a soaring phoenix, her sleeves billowing and her sword gleaming as she moved. Her steps glided onto the air, her form weaving between the towering structures like a phoenix spreading its wings or a red fish swimming through water.
As the music faded, the girl gently descended, standing still. Her fingers traced the blade of her sword, and her eyes slowly emerged from behind her sleeves, exuding an ethereal and dreamlike beauty.
