What the Four Seasons Tower had to face now was a thorough abomination, in its most extreme sense. This was the most severe providence backbite that one could hardly recover from!
The Four Seasons Tower's higher authorities would absolutely hate to see this scene.
Facing such a vehement wave of opposition, such intense and united condemnation, any ordinary person would have already broken down.
Mr. Nian, however, scoffed loudly. It sounded like a sonorous thunderclap that thumped through everyone's heart. The people could not help feeling the quake before they paled and staggered. Involuntarily, they thought of the most frightening thoughts they could possibly imagine – who was Mr. Nian? How could he be so powerful and terrifying?
"The final battle is at Tianxuan Cliff. If you're not going, I won't show myself. You can carry on and wait for my next appearance."
The writing in the sky then changed. "I believe that the Four Seasons Tower has yet to gain the ability to catch me."
"Do I need to show my confidence further? I've traveled back and forth in Tiantang City today and even now, have you found out where I am? Have you discovered any trace or hint of my presence? I'm here, right now, but can you possibly capture me? Even if you managed to find out who I really am, so what? Would I really be stupid enough to go under your knife, waiting to be chopped?"
"A day without my appearance will mean an extra day before the Four Seasons Tower's plan can be accomplished."
The script in the sky transformed quickly, but it exuded a sense of leisure and ease, delight even.
Mr. Nian's graceful voice rang out, "The Four Seasons Tower's past targets have hidden well, but once a person exposes their trail, there'll be a corresponding weakness. The target will no longer be invincible. Take the Residence of Yun in Tiantang City now; it houses many people you care about. Would you not care about their life and death at all?"
The words in the air morphed once more. "Tianxuan Cliff has the blood of my eight brothers as well! What do you think?"
"I'm giving you three days' time to set up Tianxuan Cliff, the same set up as the last time!"
The hovering words stopped at this line, not changing anymore afterward. Mr. Nian spoke some more after that, of threats and of terror, but there were no more replies in the sky.
An hour later, the dark clouds etched in the sky slowly dissipated, the ink stain lifting away.
As the ink slowly faded, Tiantang City simmered up with curses.
On this day, tens of millions of Yutang citizens inside and out of Tiantang City condemned the Four Seasons Tower without fail. It was a tough day for those belonging to the tower, as everyone in their family was 'greeted' by the throng of people without exception, repeatedly so.
Filthy words and vile curses were put on a loop while the leader of the Four Seasons Tower, Mr. Nian, was everyone's main target. No one before the nineteenth generation of his ancestors was exempted or excluded. With tough luck, they were attacked and upbraided.
The Four Seasons Tower's undercover personnel were infuriated upon hearing the censure; enraged, they had nowhere to vent their frustrations.
Revenge? How?
Those were tens of millions of people berating you. Who was there to seek revenge upon?
Kill them one by one? No matter how skilled one was, how could one kill so many people?
Those of the Four Seasons Tower could already imagine a more frightening scene. It was only a start now. When the news spread, the people who dealt out condemnation would only increase. By then, it could be hundreds of millions of people – perhaps a few billion, who were censoring them in unison. After all, Yutang had a considerable population.
When it really came to that, the rebuke would exist with them being the target, wherever there were people. How could they seek revenge then?
The Four Seasons Tower men decided wisely. All of them moved out of Tiantang City, to stay away from people. Yes, they were staying away from people. They dared not even stay at the more deserted towns and had gone directly to Tianxuan Cliff.
It was because once Yutang started such a vehement castigation, it would go on for a long, long time. Whether it was literate ministers or laborious vendors, whether it was morning, noon, or night, whether one was with others or alone, it was a curse upon the Four Seasons Tower as animals or unworthy creatures once one was to speak! They would condemn their families too.
In addition, they thought that it was not enough. Countless citizens presented their suggestion that was received by the officials and brought up to the emperor.
They were not going to celebrate new year's eve anymore! The word Nian1 was too inauspicious!
They were not celebrating the new year anymore!
They would be celebrating the spring festival!
That was right – the spring festival!
Even when it was the spring festival that they were celebrating in name now, the particular celebration had to be discussed further. Even when they were not celebrating the new 'year' anymore, they must not forgive the word 'Nian'!
For example, they could treat 'Nian' as a devil! A ghost! A revolting monster!
Anywhere in Yutang, 'Nian' was more repulsive than a rat, more nauseating than the maggots in the cesspit, more off-putting than the Dung Beetle! Yes, such was the extremely sickening state that Nian saw himself in!
From now on, every year when spring festival was celebrated, the bastard must not enter Tiantang City.
Every household had to burn firecrackers to blind, frighten, and chase away this appalling creature.
The emperor accepted the suggestion easily, immediately summoning the officials from the Board of Rites to set the celebration of the spring festival. From now on, and for hundreds of thousands of years to come, Nian must be chased away in unison, as long as the spring festival was celebrated.
No, it would be too easygoing if they only chased Nian away once a year. Firecrackers were to be lit on every major occasion to drive Nian away again! Any household that was celebrating an auspicious occasion should light loads of firecrackers as something so odious must not be welcomed…
It came true. The custom eventually became a tradition in Yutang and even the entire Tianxuan later on, passed down for generations to come.
…
The Four Seasons Tower's men had been driven away, so Yun Yang had nothing more to fear. He landed in the Residence of Shangguan Family of Generals to see the two ladies.
Shangguang Lingxiu and Ji Lingxi were delighted to see him, but they could not help worrying. After all, they were also cultivators. They knew of the Four Seasons Tower's terror.
"Are you really going to Tianxuan Cliff for the final battle against the Four Seasons Tower?" Shangguan Lingxiu looked at Yun Yang anxiously, worry spilling over her gaze.
Yun Yang smiled. "I must go, but the initiative is back to me now. Don't you worry, I know what I'm doing."
"This is still too risky…" Shangguan Lingxiu was still worried.
Yun Yang spoke softly, "There's a huge secret within that I need to unravel… Instead of saying that I'm ending the past grudge with this final battle, I'm going to untangle the doubts in my heart…"
Ji Lingxi walked over slowly and said in a confident voice, "Let me go with you. Tianxuan Cliff's blood debt consists of my big brother as well. You can't stop me. Even if you do, I'm still going!"
Shangguan Lingxiu's eyes shone in agreement. "Good idea. It's the best tactic now for Sister Lingxi to go with you. If there were any danger then, Lingxi, you can pounce upon Yun Yang. You both will be invincible. Nothing can harm you. That'll be great."
Translator Note:
1Nian (年nián): As mentioned in the earlier chapter, the Chinese character 年 stands for 'year'.