Chapter 269: Chaos at the Festival

The person in charge over there said they were all taken aback and had no idea what was happening. In the end, they managed to overcome the enormous psychological pressure to finish the presentation! They even requested that the meteorological department help explain the situation.

They added that this afternoon, many tourists climbed the mountain to pay tribute to the Nine Cauldrons, and no amount of persuasion would dissuade them!

The Chief Leader rubbed his temples in exasperation.

“Pay tribute to the Nine Cauldrons?”

“Yes. According to the people, since the heavens have sent us a portent and the Ancestor has manifested his power, paying tribute is a must! No matter how hard the staff in Mingsha City try to dissuade them by urging them to believe in science, it’s all been in vain!”

“Have the people of Mingsha City told the tourists to believe in science?”

The Deputy Leader was taken aback.

For some reason, although the sentence sounded perfectly fine, upon reflection it always seemed a bit off. The story they spun over there has always hovered on the edge of scientific plausibility.

“Otherwise? They’re riding the wave of public opinion, claiming that the portent is divine. Besides, it’s nothing more than a natural phenomenon, albeit one that happened to coincide with the Nine Cauldrons Ancestor Festival! And remember, a hole was punched right through thick clouds – not only can’t Mingsha City pull this off, but even foreign research institutions armed with cutting-edge technology couldn’t replicate it.”

The Chief Leader shot a glance at the Deputy Leader.

During our phone call this afternoon, the branch leader on the other end kept insisting they knew nothing. It’s clear that Mingsha City has nothing to do with this incident.

“This?”

“I’ll urge the meteorological department again later to provide an explanation for the public as soon as possible! Although today’s unusual event has generated a lot of buzz, it has also boosted the impact of the Palace Festival to the maximum. I took a look at what H Country had prepared – without that beam of light, we might have been outdone.”

After a moment’s thought, the Chief Leader continued,

“Exactly!”

The Deputy Leader nodded and then hesitated before speaking again,

“Leader, what about the performances scheduled for the day after tomorrow? After creating such a huge stir today, I’m worried that the traditional costume and traditional medicine presentations might not live up to expectations! What if…”

“Not up to par?”

“Yes! Today’s commotion will only heighten the audience’s expectations for future shows. Besides, H Country was nearly invisible during the first three days – so the next two days are bound to be a frantic counterattack! The main venue simply can’t be relied upon.”

“In that case, later on, call the person in charge at Mingsha City and tell them not to be swayed by public opinion. They should do everything possible with the next two projects – the bigger the buzz, the better! And remember, we’ll cover any fallout.”

The Chief Leader pondered for a moment and added,

“What? The bigger the disruption, the better? Leader, if the meteorological department ends up cleaning up the mess tomorrow and the day after, then…”

Hearing the Chief Leader’s orders, the Deputy Leader immediately became anxious.

“No way! Can a costume presentation and a traditional medicine show really generate more buzz than today?”

The Chief Leader glanced at the Deputy Leader again.

“That’s true.”

The Deputy Leader instinctively looked at his computer screen. As anticipated, today’s topic would linger for a long time, even making its way into certain novel plots!

“Of course,”

which is great news for Mingsha City.

From now on, no matter how hard they try to promote scientific explanations for the Nine Cauldrons Altar atop Langya Mountain, tourists will never be in short supply – as long as the Nine Cauldrons exist, the legends will persist!

“Alright then, I’m off for a meal.”

Standing up to stretch his legs, the Chief Leader spoke up once more,

“Alright, Leader!”

It was nine o’clock at night.

The snowfall in Mingsha City had finally lightened up. In the Ancient Building Courtyard of Wudi City, Xu Hao, Li Jue, Dong Liping, and others were casually chatting.

“I used to be skeptical about our nation’s fortune, but now I’m convinced!”

Even at this hour, Li Jue couldn’t hide his awe.

When sunlight bathed the Nine Cauldrons, being the main officiant felt utterly surreal. If it weren’t for today’s bowing ritual, he would have definitely paid homage to the valiant Ancestor in Long Kingdom’s most traditional manner.

“Dean, honestly, I was dumbfounded at the time too.”

At that, Xu Hao set his tea down and joined in,

However, what Li Jue and the others didn’t know was that Xu Hao’s astonishment wasn’t about today’s sky anomaly or the Winter Thunder at all—it was over what the Daoist Master had done.

How could such an extraordinary coincidence occur?

Was it really fate that a hole in the clouds aligned perfectly over the Nine Cauldrons? And that beam of light was precisely the right size to not extend beyond the altar? Even in novels, one wouldn’t dare write such perfection.

The commotion was largely due to some stealthy construction around Langya Mountain in the past couple of days. According to Daoist Master’s writings, erecting small structures around the altar would enhance its ability to communicate with the heavens and the earth.

And indeed, Daoist Master’s methods worked! Tonight’s sky phenomenon truly connected heaven and earth. But how could Xu Hao let outsiders know about this?

More importantly, even if he did, they wouldn’t believe him! After all,

by eight in the evening, experts had already offered a scientific explanation: they called it a perforated cloud or banner-hanging cloud, which are quite common in nature. As for the Winter Thunder, it was caused by a warm current generated by the dense population in Mingsha City. When that warm air met a strong cold front, it forced the low, warm, humid air to rise, creating intense convection – hence, Winter Thunder! The formation of perforated clouds and banner-hanging clouds is also tied to the northwest desert where Mingsha City is located. In a southern region, such a phenomenon would never occur.

“Not to mention you—the leaders at the main venue were equally dumbfounded, all asking if we had orchestrated it. Honestly, using a fan to simulate atmosphere would have been more believable. How could we possibly control a natural phenomenon like this?”

Dong Liping glanced at Xu Hao and laughed,

“Exactly!”

Xu Hao nodded earnestly.

“But even though today’s uncontrollable event has caused this chaos, you can clearly feel the upper management is pleased. After the phone call, they mentioned that they’ve notified the relevant departments to expedite the process at Mingsha City’s high-speed rail station. That shows how much they value Mingsha City.”

Dong Liping added,

“By the way, Xiao Xu, if we build the high-speed rail station, where do you plan to locate it?”

Li Jue casually asked from the side.

“High-speed rail station? I was thinking it shouldn’t be built in Mingsha City. If possible, Hongsha Gang Village would be an excellent choice. We can construct a subway linking Mingsha City to the station.”

Xu Hao replied.

He’d actually been pondering the location ever since he first heard about the high-speed rail project the day before yesterday. In the end, he concluded that Hongsha Gang Village was the best option.

“Yes, placing it there really makes sense!”

After a few more casual exchanges, Dong Liping paused and looked back at Xu Hao,

“By the way, during this afternoon’s call, I could clearly sense some worry that the sub-venue might not be able to keep up with today’s momentum. Let’s discuss later on how to handle it!”

“Leader, don’t worry. You’ve been working non-stop these past few days. I’ll keep a close eye on things—I’m sure nothing will go wrong.”

Upon hearing that, Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively.

Frankly, since he was bold enough to let the Palace Festival stir up such a scene, it was already a calculated risk regarding whether the traditional costume and traditional medicine presentations could match up. Even if they fell short, outdoing H Country wouldn’t be a problem.

“Can you handle it by yourself? You’ve been busy these past few days too.”

Both Dong Liping and Li Jue spoke up in unison.

“No problem at all. The projects are mostly set; we just need to fine-tune some details.”

Xu Hao continued,

“True. To be honest, we really can’t help much with the finer details. By the way, the leader also suggested we be bolder with the details—don’t be afraid of controversy. After all, today’s incident poses no issues, and neither will the rest.”

Dong Liping nodded slightly.

“Alright, Leader!”

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

But as he raised his hand to check the time and prepare to speak further, a thought suddenly struck him. He immediately stood up and said, “Leader, since that’s the case, you all continue your discussion. I’m off to the traditional costume exhibition hall.”

“So suddenly?”

“Leader, if we wrap this up early, the actors can rest sooner.”

“Alright then!”

Two minutes later, Xu Hao left the Ancient Building Courtyard. As soon as he stepped out, he hopped onto a horse specially prepared for the courtyard’s leaders, muttering to himself, “This is bad. According to Daoist Master’s book, no one should be left around the structures on the first night after the major ritual. If the book says so, there must be a reason! We must avoid any mishaps.”

In another corner of the conversation,

at the grand hall behind the altar on Langya Mountain, Luo Peng was bustling with activity, directing actors left and right. The walkie-talkie was nearly rendered useless by his constant chatter, “No! The actor’s expression still isn’t natural enough. You’re playing the fairy in ‘The Celestial King Bestows Progeny’ – and the role calls for an otherworldly presence.”

Glancing at the stage, Luo Peng furrowed his brows and immediately grabbed the walkie-talkie,

Today’s uproar at the Palace Festival had only solidified his determination to add more segments. He even came up with some myth-inspired masterpieces. After all, this part is also considered a part of Long Kingdom’s traditional performances.

Thus,

‘The Celestial King Bestows Progeny’ became one of the featured presentations!

Moreover, he decided that this piece would be performed suspended with wires in the exhibition hall, accompanied by special lighting effects that would blend the wires into the scene to create a truly celestial descent aesthetic. While it might not be as dazzling as the Palace Festival, it would certainly be far more fantastic than the previous plan.

“President Luo, I really can’t guarantee this. We’ve never even seen a real fairy before.”

Hearing President Luo’s criticism, a stage actor muttered under her breath.

She believed she had performed well, but President Luo was not satisfied.

“Can’t guarantee? If you haven’t seen a fairy before, you can still portray one.”

At that, President Luo frowned, and just as he was about to describe the desired aura further, his eyes instinctively glanced at a corner of the exhibition hall. His expression changed, and he immediately said, “Hold on, the actress by the wall – come over here! Yes, you, in the white outfit! Step up and give it a try.”

“Brothers, something happened last night that’s hard to explain in a few words.”