After being expelled from the sect, I became the villain mentor

Because of his lack of interest, Yu Nian simply stopped restraining his disciples.

Ye Tang immediately took Yun Yan to visit a clothing store, and asked Yang Yi to be his bodyguard. Lin Jingyao also went to Jin Yu Tang in the city, saying that he wanted to see if there were any new and interesting things.

Only Yu Nian and Ling Cang were left. They found a street tea stall and sat down. The stall was surrounded by a strange kind of glass lanterns, which were sold by the owner.

Opposite the tea stall was a small stall where couples bought red threads, tied the two ends on their little fingers, and then left hand in hand.

Couples came and went, Yu Nian stared at the stall, and the lady selling red thread also noticed that she was just staring at it but didn't go in to buy anything.

Taking advantage of the time when the stall was empty after the previous couple of customers left, the old lady raised her head and took a closer look at the appearance of Yu Nian and Ling Cang.

The old lady was amazed at the two men's outstanding looks. Then she looked at them with a kind and compassionate look and waved to them, "Why are you just looking at them? Come here."

Yu Nian and Ling Cang walked to the front of the shop. Yu Nian wanted to ask about the customs and interesting stories of Junhong City, and what the glass lanterns lit on the roadside were used for, but the old lady spoke before her.

"Young people always feel embarrassed...but when you love, you have to stand up bravely!"

Then, the old lady took out a red string and handed it to the two of them, saying in a rather bold and cheerful manner, "Consider this red string a gift from me. No money required."

Yu Nian was startled for a moment, then waved her hands after realizing what was going on. "Auntie, we're just taking a look. We..."

"Little girl, this young man is so handsome. If you don't tie a red string, be careful that someone else will take notice of him."

The old lady directly grabbed Yu Nian's right hand and Ling Cang's left hand, and quickly and steadily wrapped the two ends of the red thread around their little fingers, and tied a knot neatly before they could react.

Looking at her work, the old lady nodded with satisfaction.

She has been professionally engaged in tying knots for thirty years, so her professional skills are beyond compare. She will definitely tie the knot securely, so that the couple will live happily ever after.

Yu Nian realized what was happening: "..."

After such a big mistake, Ling Cang also had a dull look on his face. He didn't even dare to look at Yu Nian's expression. He stretched out his left hand to tear the red string that tied the two little fingers, but the old lady slapped his hand away.

The old lady was a little angry and scolded, "Young man, can you be braver? Why are you hiding things? Even an old woman like me is more straightforward than you!"

The old lady stared at him intently, with a threatening look on her face, as if she would rush forward and fight him to the death if he dared to untie the red rope.

Yu Nian hurriedly explained: "Auntie, you really misunderstood. I am his master, we..."

"Don't explain. Explanation is covering up. Just be frank." The old lady obviously didn't believe it and interrupted Yu Nian directly.

She has been professionally selling red threads for the Chinese Valentine's Day for thirty years. She has seen hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of couples and has never made a mistake. She even suspects that she is the reincarnation of Yue Lao... How could she be wrong?

Yu Nian was beginning to doubt her life. She had seen this friendly-looking woman before, and had thought she'd wait until she was done with the queue of customers before approaching her and asking about the glass lanterns...

Unexpectedly, this lady was so fierce and difficult to defeat.

They were completely helpless and had no way to defend themselves.

Taking advantage of the time when there were no customers, the old lady brought out three bamboo stools from the stall, and the three of them sat down and chatted.

Yu Nian tried hard not to look at the red string, raised her head and asked, "Auntie, what are they doing over there?"

"Light the Seven-Star Lamp."

The old lady sat on a stool and continued, "Looking at your appearance, you must be from outside the area. You haven't heard of the legend of the Seven Star Lantern in Junhong, right?"

Yu Nian couldn't help but turn to look at Ling Cang, a local, as if asking why Ling Cang didn't know. Ling Cang pretended not to see Yu Nian's gaze.

I haven't been back for thousands of years, but I still remember all kinds of customs and legends...

Moreover, even though he is a local, it is impossible for him to know all the customs and legends.

The old lady began to explain, "Legend has it that a long, long time ago, Junhong City was still an ice field. In this area lived the ancient Lingbing tribe. For generations, the Lingbing tribe lived deep in the mountains without contact with outsiders, just to protect a treasure, which was the Seven Star Lamp.

The power of this Seven Star Lamp is truly miraculous. A dying person can light a Seven Star Lamp for themselves and worship the Big Dipper for seven days. If they keep the lamp burning, they can borrow the Big Dipper's life and achieve immortality... Even after lighting the Seven Star Lamp, they can gather the soul of the deceased and perform such heaven-defying feats as bringing the dead back to life.

Yu Nian listened with great interest and even thought that the legend was true.

You know, this legendary Seven-Star Lamp is the Seven-Star Lamp in the modern world that was lit by Zhuge Liang at Wuzhangyuan and then extinguished by Wei Yan in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

It’s just that the Seven Star Lamp here is more magical, it seems to be an enhanced version.

In the present world, it is said that there are two seven-star lamps in the world, one of which is in the hands of Jiang Ziya. After Jiang Ziya's death, it was buried with him in the coffin.

The other seven-star lamp was originally in Zhou Yi's tomb, but was later obtained by a villager. Everyone knows this man, he is the famous Zhuge Liang who died in Wuzhangyuan.

The Seven Star Lamp can prolong life and gather souls. It is extremely magical and is a legendary treasure. It seems that there are legends about it in both the previous world and this world.

Yu Nian pondered for a moment before speaking, "I've heard of the Seven Star Lanterns. The Southern Dipper represents life, while the Northern Dipper represents death. Legend has it that after setting up the Seven Star Formation, the Seven Star Lanterns are lit and placed at the location of the North Star, serving as the natal lamp. Through a mysterious prayer process lasting seven days and seven nights, if the natal lamp remains extinguished, one can extend one's lifespan... and even gather the soul, bringing the departed back to life."

Ling Cang narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this, but did not say anything.

He had never heard of the story of the Seven Star Lamp in his entire life. It seemed to be just a little-known legend... How did Yu Nian know it so clearly?

On the other side, Yu Nian continued to ask, "Auntie, how is this Seven Star Lantern related to the Qixi Festival?"

"Oh, that's a long story, so I'll cut to the chase... Because there's a legend about the Seven Star Lantern, a magical object that can increase longevity and solidify the soul, on the Qixi Festival, couples in Junhong go out together and light the Seven Star Lantern under the starry sky, symbolizing longevity and a long life together."

At this point, the old lady continued with a smile, "I don't know whether the legendary treasure, the Seven Star Lantern, actually exists, but no matter what, the Seven Star Lantern and the Qixi Festival are both related to the number seven. It would be good to have more activities and auspicious signs on the Qixi Festival. After all, it would be more lively."

The more tricks you have, the more ways you can make money... What's more, the seven-star lanterns made of glass are much more expensive than red thread.

There was a hint of cunning in the old lady's smile. She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the old man at the tea stall opposite. The couple smiled at each other with a tacit understanding.

Yu Nian expressed his understanding, saying that the number seven is really special.

In the West, seven is considered a magical number. Tarot cards have a three-by-seven hexagram system, and seven-seven also represents good luck... God created the world in seven days, and the last day was a day of rest, so seven is called the God number.

The Celestial Empire also has the concept of seven orifices, three souls and seven spirits. Seven is the most sacred number after three.

The Chinese Valentine's Day, which represents love, and the seven-star lanterns that prolong life, satisfy people's pursuit of love and longevity. Therefore, it is normal to connect the number seven together.

After the old lady finished telling the legend and meaning of the Seven Star Lantern, she recommended that the two go to the tea stall to buy the Seven Star Lantern.

Each seven-star lamp made of glass costs three taels of silver, and a whole set costs twenty-one taels of silver, and not a penny can be less.

Yu Nian had never thought about why she bought the Seven Star Lamp, but she paid for it readily and didn't feel like she was being tricked at all. She was even grateful to the old lady in her heart.