Chapter 346: Full Moon Banquet
When Jiang Li arrived at the Baize Dynasty, he found Baixue Ling reviewing memorials in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, demonstrating remarkable diligence in governance.
“Are you… Baixue Ling’s Qilin Avatar?” Jiang Li noticed this Baixue Ling had striking golden eyes.
The Baixue Ling who had accompanied Jiang Li to Lingxi World was in her Baize form.
Seeing Jiang Li’s arrival, the golden-eyed Baixue Ling set aside her memorials: “Human Sovereign, there’s no need to distinguish between us so precisely. Whether in Baize form or Qilin avatar, we are both Baixue Ling. We share the same thoughts and sensations. Whatever she says or does, I can sense it, just as she can perceive my actions and thoughts.”
The golden-eyed Baixue Ling emphasized: “I am Baixue Ling. What brings you here, Human Sovereign?”
“Do you still possess the blood of the First Baize Emperor?”
“Of course. Shall I take you to it?”
“Very well.”
The golden-eyed Baixue Ling’s lips curled into a delighted smile. She had been waiting for Jiang Li’s request and immediately sent a mental message to her Baize form: “The Human Sovereign needs me. It’s your turn to handle court affairs.”
When the Baize-form Baixue Ling rushed to the scene, she found only piles of memorials—her avatar had vanished.
Gnashing her teeth in frustration, she had finally found an excuse to shift administrative duties to her avatar for some leisure time, only to discover her avatar had the same idea.
“Truly worthy of being my avatar!”
……
“You seem more lively than the Baize form,” Jiang Li observed that this golden-eyed Baixue Ling displayed more expressive emotions.
“Naturally. After all, she’s a Baize while I’m a Qilin.”
“What difference does that make?”
“Baize represent wisdom. Have you ever seen a sage giggling all day? That would be most improper. Qilin symbolize auspiciousness. As an embodiment of good fortune, it’s only natural for me to be cheerful and uplifting.” The golden-eyed Baixue Ling delivered this analysis with such seriousness that Jiang Li couldn’t tell if she was joking.
As they chatted, the golden-eyed Baixue Ling retrieved a sealed jade vial from the treasury. Opening it, several drops of blood floated out, suspended in mid-air.
“This is blood our ancestor left for descendants after becoming a Celestial Immortal and returning to the Nine Provinces.”
Though this was one of the Baize Dynasty’s most treasured artifacts, the golden-eyed Baixue Ling handed both vial and blood to Jiang Li without hesitation.
Analyzing the blood of the First Baize Emperor, Jiang Li found it largely similar to the Executor of Karma’s blood, but with subtle differences—enough to distinguish between the two.
“You suspect our ancestor is connected to the Executor of Karma?” Sharing memories and sensations, the golden-eyed Baixue Ling knew about events in Lingxi World.
“I must be overthinking.” Jiang Li shook his head and returned the blood.
Upon reflection, Baixue Ling had seen the First Baize Emperor’s blood before. If the two blood samples matched, she would have noticed.
“What are your thoughts on the Outer Realm Demons?” Jiang Li wanted the golden-eyed Baixue Ling’s perspective—while their personalities differed, their knowledge was identical.
“Complete ignorance. Outer Realm Demons are beyond my knowledge. Baize aren’t omniscient—whether regarding Outer Realm Demons, the Mahayana Stage, or how to break through the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, I know nothing.”
The golden-eyed Baixue Ling joked: “If I knew everything, I’d have already reached Mahayana Stage.”
“Immortal Elder Changcun truly deserves his reputation as a celestial who spent millennia in the Immortal Realm. His breadth of knowledge puts those of us relying on ancestral legacies to shame.”
Jiang Li comforted her: “Different eras aren’t comparable. When the Celestial Ladder still existed, connecting the Nine Provinces to the Immortal Realm, one could learn much about celestial and other worlds right here.”
“Now that we’ve lost contact with the Immortal Realm, we can only rely on immortal manuscripts and Immortal Elder Changcun’s accounts.”
“There’s no need to compare yourself to someone who’s lived tens of thousands of years.”
……
“Hall Master, I have good news for you.” Commander Liu contacted Jiang Li, barely containing his excitement—a rare display of emotion.
“What is it?”
Lowering his voice conspiratorially, Commander Liu whispered: “Commanders Ma and Zhuo are having a child.”
Jiang Li was speechless: “…Why are you whispering? It makes it sound like you’re responsible.”
“Ahem. Discussing Commander Ma always feels embarrassing—I instinctively lower my voice.” Commander Liu flushed. Any mention of Commanders Ma and Zhuo inevitably led to “that” topic, creating a conditioned reflex.
Resuming normal volume, Commander Liu continued: “The couple is expecting. Finally, no more indecent behavior—the Human Sovereign Hall will have two fewer trouble… I mean, two more normal commanders.”
Only then did Jiang Li recall that Commanders Ma and Zhuo’s obsession with aphrodisiacs and bedroom matters stemmed from their desire for a child, not inherent nature.
Heaven rewards the diligent—their persistent efforts had finally borne fruit.
“How far along is the pregnancy?”
“The child is still young—about nine months from birth.”
“…That is indeed quite young.” Jiang Li understood Commander Liu’s feelings—he shared the sentiment.
With Commanders Ma and Zhuo normalized, nearly half of the Human Sovereign Hall’s five Unity Stage commanders would be decent people.
Broadly speaking, the Human Sovereign Hall was gradually becoming more respectable.
Were it not for the private nature of this matter, Jiang Li suspected Commander Liu would want to celebrate publicly.
“Additionally, the couple wants to host a small full moon banquet.”
Jiang Li: “???”
Do we have different understandings of full moon banquets?
Who hosts a full moon banquet one month into pregnancy!
“The couple was so overjoyed upon learning about the pregnancy that they proposed holding the full moon banquet immediately. Thinking they were joking, I agreed—never expecting them to be serious.”
“Originally, we didn’t plan to inform you, Hall Master, assuming you were busy in Lingxi World. But since you’ve returned, we’d like to invite you.”
“It’ll be a small gathering—just a few commanders and yourself.” Commander Liu provided Jiang Li with the banquet’s time and location.
Under these circumstances, Jiang Li had no choice but to attend.
“What gift should I bring?” Jiang Li felt obliged to bring something appropriate.
The question stumped Commander Liu—what does one bring to a one-month pregnancy full moon banquet? “There’s no precedent. Just bring whatever you think suitable—the thought counts.”
“That’s as helpful as telling me to order randomly!” Jiang Li found the response utterly useless.
He recalled dining out with Bai Hongtu and others. When asked what they wanted to eat, they’d say “whatever, you choose”—only to complain about every dish ordered.
Especially Bai Hongtu—the troublemaker would reject vegetarian dishes like stir-fried cabbage, then refuse meat dishes like braised lion’s head.
In contrast, Yu Yin ate whatever Jiang Li ordered without complaint.
Eventually, Jiang Li and others feasted while making Bai Hongtu drink plain water.