Chapter 32.1
“You…”
“The hem is correct, but you’ve got the upper part wrong,” Lu Yao said as he walked into the light and approached Yu Le. “This part should be tucked in, and the straps need to be fastened differently.”
As Lu Yao spoke, he skillfully and patiently untangled the incorrectly tied straps, adjusting the fabric into its proper form.
Yu Le was starting to reconsider his earlier belief that the robe could be worn by anyone, regardless of gender, and realized that his initial approach had been too conservative.
The upper part of the robe was indeed very loose. The fabric gathered at the shoulders, and when it crossed over the chest, the neckline was quite low. The thin fabric revealed a lot with just a slight breeze, even without bending over.
As Lu Yao adjusted the neckline, his thumb occasionally brushed against Yu Le’s skin and collarbone. The contrast in color made the touched areas tingle, and the sensation lingered.
Looking down, Yu Le saw Lu Yao’s hands moving skillfully among the fabric, and when he looked up, he saw Lu Yao’s honey-colored chest marked with paint, and then his face—an imposing presence that seemed to slow down time.
Yu Le’s hands were nervously clutching the hem of his robe and then releasing it, only to clutch it again. His gaze was unfocused, like someone who had been scalded, unsure where to look. He could only glance to the side, trying to focus on the half-visible brass bell outside the window.
He really wanted to sing a song, but he couldn’t remember the lyrics.
“Usually, the belt can be hung on either side, but for the mountain god worship, it needs to be on the right. The bells are replaced annually to ensure it can ring—”
Lu Yao’s explanation was interrupted by a hand suddenly reaching out to his face.
Yu Le’s vision narrowed as he put the mask he had been holding correctly on his face, hiding his entire face behind the dark blue, wide, demonic mask.
Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing clear confusion that the mask couldn’t hide.
Yu Le cleared his throat awkwardly. “I was just curious about how you look with it on.”
He felt increasingly overwhelmed and couldn’t handle it any longer.
Lu Yao chuckled silently, finished adjusting Yu Le’s attire, stepped back, and observed Yu Le from head to toe with a slow, meticulous gaze, as if measuring inch by inch.
Yu Le felt like a fish on a chopping board, with Lu Yao as the butcher carefully considering the best way to make a precise cut.
His shoulders were almost stiff from the tension.
Fortunately, Aunt Long came to his rescue just in time. “Little Lu, Little Yu! Are you ready? It’s almost time. Everyone is waiting at the door!”
“Yes, coming.”
Lu Yao responded and turned to Yu Le with a smile. “Let’s go, bride.”
“…” Yu Le touched his ear, too tired to correct him. “Do I need to wear this veil now?”
“No need,” Lu Yao said, taking the veil from Yu Le. “Put it on before you get into the sedan chair.”
Yu Le nodded. Just as he attempted to take a step, he hesitated and pulled back, feeling uncertain. “Wait, did I really put it on correctly? How can I walk with it for so long?”
Lu Yao replied, “You don’t need to walk.”
“What?” Yu Le looked up to find Lu Yao already close to him. Lu Yao gently picked him up in a horizontal hold. “Aunt Long should have told you that the bride’s feet must not touch the ground.”
Yu Le felt insecure being lifted off the ground and immediately clung to Lu Yao’s neck, astonished. “Doesn’t that mean I’m supposed to sit in the sedan chair?”
“Not exactly,” Lu Yao said as he carried him towards the door. “It means you shouldn’t touch the ground from the moment you leave the room until you enter the mountain god’s hall.”
They descended from the upper floor, and all the guests at the inn, including Aunt Long and everyone else, were waiting in the courtyard.
The young man in the deep red robe, held by Lu Yao, seemed to contrast sharply with the strong, powerful figure holding him. Despite Yu Le’s own height, his naturally smaller frame and the way he was held created a striking visual comparison.
The fierce mask covered the man’s face, naturally drawing all eyes to Yu Le’s face.
With his outstanding appearance, obedient demeanor, almost floor-length robe, and the jingling belt around his waist, he truly resembled a bride being carried by the ghostly guards, about to be presented to the mountain god.
Such a strong visual impact made it hard for onlookers to keep their eyes from staring.
Yu Le, as the focus of attention, was only concerned about a sudden thought. He anxiously asked, “Lu Yao, should I kneel or sit in the sedan chair?”
Lu Yao replied, “Kneel.”
Yu Le exclaimed, “What? It’s a half-hour up the mountain. I might not be able to kneel the whole way!”
Lu Yao’s expression was hidden behind the mask, but his voice clearly carried a smile. “Don’t worry, you won’t actually have to kneel the entire time. There’s a stool inside the chair for you to sit on while kneeling. Others won’t see, and your legs won’t go numb.”
Yu Le sighed in relief and muttered, “You really should stop leaving me in suspense like that. You scared me.”
Outside the inn, there were far more people than inside.
In addition to the townspeople participating in the event, nearly all the tourists in town had come to see the spectacle. The front was crowded, and the rare tradition had everyone outside holding up their phones to take videos and photos.
Yu Le asked, “…Can I get a mask too?”
As Lu Yao made his way through the crowd, he placed Yu Le at the entrance of the sedan chair and whispered, “Hang in there. I’ll cover you with the veil soon.”
Clang!
The sudden noise of the brass bells startled Yu Le.
Lu Yao comfortingly squeezed his hand.
“On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, in the Year of the Wood Rabbit, the ritual is performed by Gong Chang-geng, the disciple of the Mountain God of Daiwa, under the protection of the mountain god. With incense, candles, tea, and wine, and the ritual of the new bride, we respectfully worship before the mountain god’s divine seat…”
As the ritual text was chanted, whispers flowed through the crowd.
“This bride is so beautiful. Could it be an actress they found somewhere?”
“In this remote mountain? Even if there were actresses willing to come, the town head wouldn’t think of this. Probably just a young man from some family, growing up in the mountains, not knowing better.”
“That sedan bearer carrying the bride, have you seen him?”
“Wow, his figure is amazing. It’s so embarrassing, haha. I want to take another look.”
“Too bad he’s wearing a mask. I really want to see what he looks like.”
“Your shooting angle is pretty tricky.”
“I never dreamed a vacation could lead to seeing the mountain god bride and the sedan bearer like this. It’s so creepy and bizarre, but also fascinating.”
…
Wang Wenyin, with a half-smile, turned her gaze away from Cheng Xiwu, suddenly giving Guan Zheng a hard jab to his dazed eyes.
Guan Zheng, startled, felt his temper rising. “Are you crazy?”
“Yes,” Wang Wenyin replied with a smile. “But don’t get me wrong. I just wanted to compliment you.”
Guan Zheng frowned. “What?”
“Nothing much,” Wang Wenyin said vaguely. “It’s just that you seem particularly pleasing to my eyes right now.”
“…May the mountain god bestow mercy and great favor, drive away the plague, eliminate the hidden demons, and bring eternal blessings to the people.”
“And now, this ritual is complete. We escort the mountain goddess into the sedan chair.”
With the veil finally placed on Yu Le’s head, the sedan chair lifted. The ritual chant was led by the master of ceremonies, followed by the sedan chair, and then by the sedan bearers in their painted faces and masks. They held up bundles of mugwort, performing a unique and mysterious mountain dance.
The remaining crowd followed behind in a long line, forming a human dragon along the narrow, winding stone path, accompanied by the rhythmic clang of brass bells, creating a grand and spectacular sight from afar.
The sedan chair was simple, more like an old-fashioned chair sedan with worn rosewood showing clear marks of age.
Yu Le sat in the center of the sedan chair, feeling nervous at first as if he might fall. He tightened his toes in anxiety.
As they entered the mountain, he gradually adapted to the gentle swaying of the chair. Beyond the red veil, he saw Lu Yao’s broad, strong back, with the heavy wooden beam pressing on his left shoulder. Each step Lu Yao took made the contours of his beautiful muscles more pronounced.
Yu Le turned slightly, glancing at the other three sedan bearers. He noticed their masks were different from Lu Yao’s—Lu Yao had a blue face and red fangs with horns, while theirs were white-faced with black fangs and no horns.
The murmurs of tourists faded behind them, unable to compete with the master of ceremonies singing the ritual text and the occasional loud calls of the bearers, echoing through the vast mountains.
“Good deeds bring blessings, bad deeds bring calamities.”
“May the people be blessed and never forget.”
Through the veil, Yu Le looked at Lu Yao and then beyond, to the expansive, layered mountains, verdant and bright, as the journey continued.
Inheritance, Mountain Soul, Devotion, Faith.
So this is the most original form of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Half an hour later, the sedan chair finally arrived at the mountain gate of the Mountain God Temple.
Unlike the serene desolation of their previous visit, today the temple was filled with swirling incense smoke. The deep bell chimes resonated throughout the mountains as the chair was lowered.
After the deafening firecrackers were set off, bright golden orpiment powder was sprinkled along the path. Lu Yao carried Yu Le out of the chair, stepping on the orpiment powder with each step as they ascended to the Mountain God Hall.
The first gate welcomed mountain guests, and the second gate welcomed devotees.
Every three steps, everyone would stop, bow deeply towards the hall, and perform three formal salutations, accompanied by the sound of the bell.
The third gate was reserved for the divine, with ordinary townspeople and tourists stopping here. Only the ceremonial officials followed Lu Yao and Yu Le as they continued forward.
Entering the Mountain God Hall, the room was filled with swirling blue smoke and the smell of burning incense money.
The floor was covered with a thick layer of red cloth carpet. Yu Le, who had been carried, lifted, and supported all the way, finally placed his feet on solid ground.
However, he was unable to move much; any movement meant stepping on the hem of his robe and risking bumping his head.
“Can I lift up the hem of my robe a bit?” he whispered to Lu Yao.
Lu Yao adjusted his stance, keeping Yu Le still. “No, don’t move. Just bear with it; we’re almost done.”
Yu Le replied with a soft “Oh,” and then asked, “Why is your mask different from the others?”
Lu Yao explained, “The green face represents the Mountain God’s divine attendant.”
Yu Le asked, “Oh, what does that mean?”
“You can think of it as a stand-in for the Mountain God,” Lu Yao paused, “Responsible for representing the Mountain God during the ceremony.”
Yu Le responded with a puzzled, “……???”
The ritual proceeded. The ceremonial text was chanted:
“On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Year of the Wood Rabbit, the ceremony is performed by Gong Chang-geng, the disciple of the Mountain God of Daiwa. Devotees come to worship, the divine attendant sits, and all must bow and prepare offerings before the golden statue.”
Lu Yao stepped back a pace, holding Yu Le’s hand tightly, facing the statue of the Mountain God.
