After we finished questioning Nie Xueqing, it was time to turn the interrogation on Zhu Yixin. Though my Fifth Sister’s face was flushed, her words were quite direct. "Songlin cares most about his cultivation. So, we’ve made a pact: we’ll wait until we’ve both reached the Canxia Stage before we discuss anything further..."
I laughed so hard I splashed water all over her. "That’s far too ambitious! Even at the fastest possible rate, you won’t be getting married for another twenty or thirty years..."
She shot me a glare. "Not everyone is like you and your Lord Envoy, handling even the great matter of marriage with such thunderous efficiency."
"Exactly. Even I, your semi-master, didn't get the news in time. I flew back and couldn't even catch a drop of wedding wine before you two had already returned to the capital!" Nie Xueqing took the opportunity to voice her dissatisfaction.
I leaned toward her with a fawning smile. "Let me massage your legs and shoulders, Great Head Nie..."
"Though I knew it was only a matter of time," Sister Qing added with a chuckle. "At first, when Lord Wei asked me to look after someone, I didn't think much of it. But later, when I heard you murmuring his name in your sleep, and he requested that I write to him every month... well, what was there left to misunderstand?"
I coughed, feeling a bit embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, how did you and Qingming meet, Sister Qing?"
"It was probably nearly ten years ago," Nie Xueqing recalled. "I had taken power as a member of a branch family, and my hands were stained with no small amount of blood. Grudges and karmic consequences were unavoidable. A formidable character emerged from the line of the patriarch from two generations back; he had been lying low for over a decade and nearly took my life. It just so happened that the case Lord Wei was investigating in the south was connected to this man. He took care of the fellow as part of his duties, which in turn saved my life."
She sighed. "It was somewhat accidental, but it was all thanks to the Lord Envoy’s foresight. He had been wary of the man escaping and had sent people to shadow him. At that time, the brothers by my side were all dead, and I had only a breath of life left in me. If the people from Yingzhao Temple hadn't appeared, I certainly would have met my end there." She shook her head with a wry smile. "For those of us in my line of business, seeing Yingzhao Temple is usually like seeing the God of Calamity himself. My face was covered in blood, and I could barely open my eyes. When I saw your partner appear, I thought to myself that when it rains, it pours—the Nie family was finished."
"Who would have thought? He didn't pay me any mind at all. With one stroke of his blade, he cut down the Nie kinsman who was lunging to kill me for revenge, then retrieved what he needed from the dead man’s robes. To be honest, during the half-month I spent recovering, I couldn't decide how to repay such a debt of gratitude. But Lord Wei simply said he only wanted a promise: that I would be at his disposal when needed."
Zhu Yixin and I nodded along, thoroughly satisfied with the story. Nie Xueqing then teased me with a grin, "I'll say this even if it risks upsetting you: in our circles, Lord Wei is practically a living Yama. Wherever he goes, families are often wiped out and local governments are turned upside down. Before I met him, I truly didn't expect him to be such an elegant and refined person. It was even harder to imagine that he would be willing to silently protect someone with such profound devotion..."
I lowered my lashes and smiled, then rubbed my eyes and said softly, "I am truly fortunate."
***
Lord Wei had gone out early to meet with several prominent members of the merchant guilds and didn't return until near noon. With a mischievous grin, I pressed her into the bath, insisting on serving her while she bathed. To my surprise, this person was thick-skinned; she let me have my way with her, touching her here and there without the slightest hint of bashfulness. Her open and composed attitude even made me suspicious—I felt she must be hiding a trick up her sleeve, perhaps waiting for the right moment to drag me into the tub with her.
Seeing my furtive, hesitant movements, she arched an eyebrow slightly and spread her hands in a display of feigned weakness. "What are you afraid of? I can't beat you right now."
"Oh, right!" I slapped my forehead, my eyes lighting up. I scurried behind her and pulled her into an embrace.
Her slender neck was right before my eyes, her shoulder blades protruding slightly with her movements. Droplets of water slid down the hollows of her back, and every fine hair was clearly visible. I felt the heat rising, making me feel even hotter than if I were soaking in the hot spring myself.
Wei Qingming turned sideways with a faint smile. I saw her face, wet with water, her long lashes clumped together and adorned with droplets that looked like shards of silver. She tilted her head back, her lips drawing closer and closer to mine. Her warm, moist breath brushed against my nose. For a moment, I was truly entranced, frozen in place, unable to move.
Just as she was inches away, she stopped. Her lips curled into a smirk, and she said slowly in a low voice, "Mmh... actually, better not. Doing this today would seem disrespectful to the ancestors." With a splash, she sat back up straight.
Fuming, I slapped her on the back, then grabbed her face and kissed her directly. She let out a laugh and whispered in my ear, "Aren't you afraid of getting your clothes wet?"
"You're asking the obvious..." Because I was holding her, my clothes were already soaked.
She finally finished her bath and dressed, returning to her usual refined and dignified appearance. In contrast, I was soaking wet and red-faced. She helped me out of my wet clothes and into clean ones. As she lowered her head to patiently fasten my buttons, I amused myself by undoing and retying her belt over and over again.
After a simple lunch, it wasn't long before the scents wafting from the kitchen made me crave more. Just as I was looking around and sniffing the air, looking for a chance to steal a few pastries, Lord Wei sent Hong Lu to tell me to go to the rear garden.
The rear garden was named "Ying Garden." It was situated on gently rolling hills, with streams of living water diverted from the Qing River. The original owner had designed it with great care; the entire garden was incredibly beautiful. It was planted with many fine trees from the south, which explained why it required so many winding streams. The most precious among them were twelve Davidia trees—the Dove Trees—that were over a thousand years old, standing right against the back wall of Chancellor Zhang’s estate. These delicate trees could not withstand the heavy snows of the north, so this entire area was protected by an array. The snow melted before it could even land. The place was a lush green and as warm as late spring. Wearing my thick winter clothes, I couldn't stand the heat and took them off, draping them over a rock.
Wei Qingming was standing by the stream at the edge of the Dove Tree grove. Two others were with her: Lu Tanwei and Zheng Tancun. All three saw me, and I hurriedly bowed. "I didn't know the two Immortals were visiting. Please forgive my lack of hospitality."
Lu Tanwei laughed heartily. "No need for such formality. We just came to check on the Wei lad."
I quickly asked Daoist Zheng, "Is Qingming’s injury fully healed?"
Daoist Zheng nodded. "There are no more issues this time. However, she should still take care of herself in her daily life." As he spoke, he glanced at this rising star of the sect, his brow furrowing slightly. Wei Qingming allowed him to stare, her expression remaining calm.
Daoist Lu continued, "Alright, your wife is here. You can open that gift for her now."
I was pleasantly surprised. A gift for me? And it required the presence of two Canxia Stage Immortals? What kind of extraordinary item could it be?
Wei Qingming smiled. "It’s not exactly from me; it was actually a gift from Mr. Feng. Though... it’s true I put in some effort to obtain it."
My curiosity grew even more. If the elders hadn't been present, I would have already climbed all over her, tugging at her sleeves to make her tell me. She reached into her robes and produced two small boxes carved from spirit crystal. As she opened the first, a soft, silvery radiance flowed out like water, spilling into her hands and washing over her clothes. The second was the same, except it emitted a brilliant, passionate golden light that carried a hint of warmth.
Was it related to the Sun and Moon techniques she practiced? Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw two strange seeds lying at the center of the glows. All the brightness emanated from them.
Naturally, I didn't recognize them, but Lu and Zheng both showed looks of surprise. Daoist Zheng, in particular, who usually maintained a detached and lofty air, couldn't help but widen his eyes, a touch of joy coloring his expression.
Seeing that I didn't recognize them, Lu Tanwei laughed. "Are these the seeds of the Gold and Silver Albizia? Rumor had it the sect just obtained a pair; I suppose you were the one who secured them, lad. Not bad, not bad at all!"
I searched my mind for the name "Gold and Silver Albizia." It took a moment before I reacted, asking in disbelief, "You mean the holy trees of the Shiying State Religion? The Gold and Silver Albizia?"
Wei Qingming nodded with a smile.
Heavens, those were rare treasures that only grew within the Shiying Imperial City and on the holy mountain of their state religion... She actually managed to get the seeds? Even as tribute, these wouldn't be enough. And Grandpa Feng actually gave them to me as a New Year's gift?
Seeing my jaw tremble as I pointed at the two round little fruits, unable to speak, Wei Qingming found it both amusing and endearing. She explained, "Strictly speaking, there is only one true Shiying Holy Tree—the most ancient one. The Gold and Silver Albizia that descended from it are spread throughout the holy mountain, and even noble families who are devout followers of the state religion can plant them. It’s only because our two countries are isolated that these things are exceptionally rare in our Great Jing."
"Is that so?" My eyes were wide. Then, Daoist Zheng’s excitement was likely due to his nature as a healer; he had obtained a new medicinal ingredient.
"Yes," she continued. "Mr. Feng said that these trees can aid the cultivation of the fox clan. Since I often use medicine, perhaps they will come in handy one day. It would be a waste for him to keep them, so he gave them to us."
"Grandpa is so kind..." I said, my eyes welling with tears.
Little Daoist Wei had invited Daoist Zheng because he practiced wood-attribute techniques. For such precious seeds, the planting required a professional. Daoist Zheng naturally had no reason to refuse; once the trees matured, we would naturally provide him with medicinal materials as a return gift. Little Wei and Old Lu, who currently couldn't freely use their spells, stood aside with me to watch.
Daoist Zheng condensed a technique as gentle as a spring breeze, slowly enveloping the Silver Albizia seed. Only then did we see that while its light was brilliant, the seed itself was dull and unremarkable, looking like a longan pit. Stimulated by the magic, it began to quiver and swell. The moonlight-like radiance intensified several times over, finally merging with the pale, willow-green light of Daoist Zheng’s spell.
With a flick of his sleeve, the seed flew out and burrowed into the earth.
I held my breath and waited for a moment, but nothing extraordinary seemed to happen. Just as I was thinking the method seemed a bit plain, Daoist Zheng repeated the process with the Golden Albizia seed and sent it into the ground.
In that instant, it was as if the entire world went silent. Then, a clear, melodious ringing of bells sounded from nowhere, carrying a sense of cleansing the heart and shedding worldliness. The peaceful, sleeping earth shook incessantly. Two pillars of light erupted from the ground, beads of light splashing everywhere, bathing us in a fountain of gold and silver radiance.
These were the Twin Holy Trees, formed of pure light.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 餐霞 | Canxia Stage | A high-level cultivation stage (literally "eating clouds/mist"). |
| 英招寺 | Yingzhao Temple | The judicial/investigative organization Wei Qingming serves. |
| 矢鹰国 | Shiying Kingdom | A foreign nation mentioned in the text. |
| 盈园 | Ying Garden | The name of the garden in the estate. |
| 金银合欢 | Gold and Silver Albizia | A rare, magical tree species (Hehuan also means "union"). |
| 珙桐 | Dove Tree | Davidia involucrata, a rare tree species. |
| 鸿陆 | Hong Lu | A subordinate or servant of Wei Qingming. |
| 冯先生 / 冯阿爷 | Mr. Feng / Grandpa Feng | A senior figure/elder related to the protagonist. |
