The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 245 - 171 Vermilion Bird Street, Drumming into the Path

Chapter 245: Chapter 171 Vermilion Bird Street, Drumming into the Path

"Brother Yan, you must put in some strong effort today!"

Manager Wan, donning a brand-new robe, looking impressive yet at this moment, he was sweating profusely on his forehead, appearing somewhat nervous.

Li Yan looked around, then failed to suppress a laugh, "Senior Wan, with this setup, you have nothing to worry about, just watch."

He was indeed not wrong.

One large and two small Divine Towers, decorated exquisitely, now looked more refined and grander than initially with vermilion columns and glazed roof tiles, even the flying eaves and arches meticulously depicted patterns of peaches and blessings.

Lanterns hung, ribbons danced in the air.

It looked no different from a real Divine Temple.

The men carrying the Divine Towers, led by Guo Luquan, were all tall and sturdy, wearing only red vests and headbands even in the cold, their muscular forms exuding a masculine aura.

The drumming band that followed had also put in much effort.

Everyone wore black cloth armor similar to the old Qin dynasty’s standard, though modified to avoid taboos.

In front of them, a row of large Qin and Han drums, behind them, a row of weapons from sabers to spears, and at the rear, a row of imposing banners and flags, looking as formal and majestic as an army.

Li Yan himself was clad in splendidly styled armor, grander in design with a row of Order Flags on his back.

He hadn’t wanted to be this ostentatious, but the members of the drumming band argued he had the right look and insisted he stand in the middle to boost the group’s spirit.

Today, despite the plethora of teams, this attire could compete with any and hold its own.

"These matters above, I am not afraid."

A hint of pride flickered in Manager Wan’s eyes, but he soon sighed and said, "But they announced last-minute rule changes today; we might be at a disadvantage tonight."

"Oh, what changes?"

"Originally, the daytime was just a formality, and the evening involved parading the deities through the streets, with locals following with incense to see who could attract more followers. That’s why I hired Zuo’s troupe to perform the Eight-directions Projection Technique."

"But this time, it’s going to be the real deal. The Taixuan Orthodox Sect set up an altar at the City God Temple, distributed twenty-four Magic Flags, handing them to twenty-four teams."

"Tonight, starting from twenty-four directions in Chang’an City, all teams will set off together for the parade, emulating the ancient rain dance rituals. If two teams meet, they battle it out to seize each other’s Magic Flags and incense."

"Whoever brings the Magic Flags to the City God Temple will have their ranks decided based on the number of flags they have, with the losers eliminated."

"Talking about the rain dance rituals alone, we don’t lose; the concern is facing those shameless ones who might collide with your Divine Tower..."

"Don’t worry, Senior Wan!"

Hearing this, Guo Luquan beside him patted his chest and laughed, "We’ve carried Divine Towers before, even patrolled the doors of villains. Sometimes, their servants would try to stop us with clubs, but we dispersed them with a single charge."

"Brothers, are you scared?"

"Scared my ass!"

The men carrying the Divine Towers were also extremely excited today; after all, many of them were usual laborers who worked hard to earn money every day. They seldom experienced such grand excitement.

Besides, Manager Wan had said, if they could secure a rank, everyone would get a bonus, equating to several months of their usual hard labor.

"Manager Wan, rest assured."

Li Yan blinked and whispered, "If someone resorts to tricks at the time, rest assured we won’t return empty-handed..."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As they spoke, three cannon shots rang out from the city gate.

"Prepare the sedans!"

The team nearest to the gate shouted immediately.

Those leading were naturally extraordinary.

It was the team from Lingtong.

They were organized by magicians from Guanzhong, competing for a spot and had also put in significant effort; their Divine Tower was only slightly smaller than Manager Wan’s, also employing a specialized team for carrying the Divine sedan.

Although it was determined based on carrying the Divine Tower, being the Drum King’s assembly, the drumming’s powerful and prestigious competition couldn’t be missed.

Their drumming involved drummers mounting social gongs and drums on chest harnesses called "back bows," directed by a drummer, with each person also bearing flags on their backs.

This was known as "Battle of Ten Sides Gongs," said to have evolved from the deceptive soldier tactics Han Xin used during the Chu and Han contention at Ba River.

As they entered Vermilion Bird Street, the sound of the drums and gongs burst forth.

Even separated by the city wall, the roar inside sounded like a tsunami, coupled with the continuous crackling of firecrackers to enhance their presence...

Following them were the Weinan flag drums.

Their drumming team was even larger, with over 150 people, not only featuring various drums—large, medium, and small, as well as hand drums—but also including cymbals, gongs, and other instruments.

The rhythm was lively and strong, the scene festive, even with dancers waving colorful flags intertwined with the drumming team, imitating two armies in confrontation.

This drum music also had a long history, commonly known as "Prestige Gongs and Drums," historically termed "Drumming to Challenge Qin."

All seemed similar in being drums, but the implications differed.

Each drumming style passed down through generations had its own glorious history.

For example, the third team from Xianyang was the Bull-drawn Drums, requiring an old bull to move due to the massive sound; the heavy drum mallets striking like thunder.

The age of these "Bull-drawn Drums" even dated back to Pre-Qin.

The following teams each had unique qualities.

Qi Mountain Rotary Drums could be traced back to the Western Zhou era when Zhou Gong in his later years made music and rituals for marching during the Zhou dynasty sacrifices...

Weinan Hong Fist Drums mixed the drumming with small Hong Fist boxing movements...

Ansei Waist Drums, historically a must-defend area for military families, used drums for signals, to boost morale, in emergencies, and for entertainment...

Other provincial drumming teams similarly had long and impressive histories.

For example, the team from Jinzhou was backed by major businesses, sparing no expense and creating an exceptionally grand scene.

Their performance involved Wei Village drum carts.

Wei Village was the place granted to the famed general Yu Chi Jingde, also known as "Hubei Fort," with ten chariots lined up in five columns, the wheels rolling loud, the massive drums thunderous, passionate, bold, and wildly vigorous...