"Bang bang bang!"
"Boom boom boom!"
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
"Are they all on steroids today? Why is it so noisy?"
Ember got down from his bed, looking annoyed at the dense firelight in the morning Sky.
The crackling sounds hadn't stopped for days, and today they reached their peak.
Looking up, the clear Sky was filled with colorful fire rain, which bloomed its most beautiful moment in the Sky before quickly dissipating.
Countless epiphyllums of the Sky bloomed continuously, their brilliant light even completely obscuring the blue background of the Sky.
Ember said he didn't understand this scene, but he was greatly shocked.
"What day is it today, do you know?" Ember ran to the courtyard and sat beside Morgott.
He stretched his head to look at the thick book in Morgott's hand. The characters written on it were square and upright, and the phrasing and grammar were completely different from the common Teyvat language.
Unable to understand, Ember wisely pulled his head back.
"Today's date?" A hint of confusion appeared in Morgott's eyes as he looked around.
Indeed, there was no such thing as a calendar in Ember's room.
This was a bit troublesome; he and Ember were both insensitive to dates. Morgott truly didn't know what day it was today.
Looking up at the Sky, which could be described as light pollution, Morgott sighed.
Then he narrowed his eyes, holding a book in one hand and a pen in the other, and began to calculate in front of Ember.
"Swish swish swish!"
Amidst a flurry of crackling firecrackers, the faint sound of the pen tip scratching paper could be heard.
Before long, Morgott put away his paper and pen, rubbed his eyes, and said, "To answer the King, today should be the night of the full moon."
"And from the astrological signs, it's also the first full moon night of the New Year."
"The first full moon night of the New Year, isn't that the Lantern Rite?" Ember exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.
Since it was the Lantern Rite, there was no reason not to join in the fun, right? Thinking this, Ember dashed out the door.
Seeing this, Morgott smiled and shook his head. Then he sat back down and continued reading his book.
He wasn't someone who enjoyed crowds. No matter what day it was, Morgott's daily routine would not change.
...Stepping into the streets of Liyue, Ember once again experienced what it meant to be "packed with people."
The population of Liyue seemed to have increased dramatically, and walking on the streets, it was a scene of prosperity.
However, what was most eye-catching was the giant deer statue in the center of the street.
The giant deer faced the sea, soaring upwards, looking as if it was about to take flight.
The area in front of the giant deer was crowded with people, and among them were many familiar faces to Ember.
Grabbing Guoba's tail, Ember came before Xiangling.
"Hey, your good companion almost ran off." Patting Xiangling's shoulder, Ember tossed Guoba into her arms.
"I was wondering where Guoba ran off to! Thanks, Ember." Xiangling put Guoba down and tapped his head.
"What is this thing?" Ember waved his hand, asking about the giant deer in front of him.
He took a closer look and realized that this thing wasn't a statue, but an empty frame supported by bamboo and wood.
Seeing Xiangling placing food on the altar above it, she should know something about it.
"You don't know?" Xiangling seemed very surprised that Ember didn't know about the giant deer.
Even if Ember was an outsider, he should have learned something after being immersed in it for so many days, right?
"Should I know?" Ember spread his hands. He was a model Adventurer, completing the Adventurers' Guild's daily commissions without fail every day, spending much more time in the wild than in the city.
"Alright, this is a xiao lantern." Xiangling thought for a moment. It seemed normal that Ember, not being from Liyue, wouldn't know.
"This thing is also a xiao lantern?" Ember stepped back a few paces, looking at the large object in front of him in shock.
Ordinary xiao lanterns were only half a person's size, but this giant deer was several meters tall, and its design was unique.
If this could be called a xiao lantern, Ember felt that the hot air balloon he had made by hand these past few days would be perfectly suited to be called a xiao lantern.
"Actually, it's not just a xiao lantern, but also a giant firework. You'll know tonight," Xiangling added mysteriously.
"Then what is this for?" Ember then saw the altar with burning incense, where the incense burner was almost overflowing with long incense sticks.
In that short time, Ember saw several people bringing incense to the burner, but the gaps in the burner were too small to insert them.
This made many people quite anxious.
"It's a sacrifice to Skybracer. Legend has it that this adeptus, to protect Liyue, sawed off his antlers to support the collapsing Mt. Tianheng."
"This xiao lantern is made in his image!"
As Xiangling spoke, she took out many carefully arranged dishes from a box beside her feet and cautiously placed them on the altar.
"I see." Ember nodded. Vaguely, he felt that something was not quite right.
Xiangling seemed to have said that Skybracer's giant effigy was both a xiao lantern and a firework.
Wasn't it a bit inappropriate to send someone up to the Sky to explode?
But Ember quickly dismissed it. If Skybracer was truly as Xiangling described, he probably wouldn't care.
After bidding farewell to Xiangling, Ember continued to move around.
It seemed everyone was out and about on this day. Soon, he saw familiar figures again.
"Come one, come all! The demon-exorcist master's calligraphy! Take it home and paste it up, guaranteed a year of peace and safety, no evil spirits can approach you!"
A somewhat charlatan-like hawking sound reached Ember's ears. He went over to see, and it turned out to be Xingqiu and Chongyun helping to write couplets.
"You two, are you really demon-exorcist masters?"
"Of course! Chongyun, do a trick!"
Xingqiu showed no shyness on his face. He patted Chongyun's back, urging him to demonstrate.
"Why don't you do it yourself?" Chongyun put down his brush, subtly made a hand seal, and exhaled a puff of flame.
"Good! Splendid!"
"Amazing! Such skill at such a young age!"
"Another one!"
...Applause rose and fell, creating a lively atmosphere. Although the crowd didn't believe Xingqiu and Chongyun were the so-called "demon-exorcist masters," it was the Lantern Rite, and it was all about having fun.
"Come, come, two demon-exorcist masters, write me a couplet." Soon, one person from the onlookers stepped forward and, as he spoke, handed Xingqiu and Chongyun a bag of Mora.
"Today is the Lantern Rite, we're writing couplets for everyone for free, no charge." Xingqiu returned the Mora, then recited:
"Spring breeze brings warmth, welcoming the New Year; fireworks Bloom, celebrating the festival. Chongyun, this one, write it!"
"Wait, slow down!"
As Xingqiu recited, Chongyun wrote, and soon a brand new couplet was produced.
The couplet's parallelism was neither particularly good nor bad, but the calligraphy was truly pleasing to the eye, clearly showing that the writer was practiced.
This was indeed the case; Chongyun had started practicing calligraphy at a very young age. After all, drawing talismans and writing incantations all required a brush.
"Excellent! Very skilled!" The person was delighted upon seeing it. He immediately took the couplet and praised it.
Ember saw this and left thoughtfully.
People during the Lantern Rite seemed to be busy. This kind of busy wasn't the labor of work, but the "busy" of doing what they loved.
Looking at the crowds coming his way, Ember felt that they all had their own purposes. Perhaps buying New Year's goods, or seeking friends, or thinking of showcasing their skills.
Rubbing his chin, Ember wondered if, having finally caught a festival, he should do something to immerse himself in the festive atmosphere.
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