Seeing another group arrive at the foot of the mountain—nearly a hundred people dressed in black robes and white veils—I knew the Moyu Sect had arrived. With the three great Daoist sects now gathered, I let out a short laugh. On a sudden impulse, I turned to Lu Kaifeng. "Eldest Brother, I’m going down for a moment."
He understood my intent immediately: I wanted to show our strength before these arrogant, prestigious sects and strike a resounding opening gong for our Dream-of-Old Mountain. He nodded with a faint smile. "I shall assist you."
As he spoke, he faced the runaway carriage charging at full speed. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, a brilliant, elegant arc of iridescent light swept out, as if a rainbow had suddenly been bridged across the sky after a rainstorm. This was a masterful display of manifesting illusions into reality. While the crowd watched in wonder, I had already leaped onto the rainbow bridge. With a few swift bounds, the faintly glowing Hanguang Sword flashed, and in a few strokes, I severed the carriage shafts. The galloping beasts and the carriage body instantly parted ways.
Ignoring the two frenzied, pure-white Unicorn Rhinos, I tapped the broken shaft with my Minxue Steps and dropped toward the carriage like a falling star. Reaching out with a deft hook of my arm, I caught the little girl who was huddled at the front of the carriage, clinging to a pillar, and pulled her into my embrace. Before I could say a word to her, I spun around, my hand rapidly forming a seal. I chanted an incantation in the language of the demon race, triggering a pulse of ghostly blue light. This was a technique for calming maddened beasts I had learned from a local shaman while following Nie Xueqing in Han Province.
Those two Unicorn Rhinos possessed pure bloodlines, clearly descendants of ancient divine beasts. Being young and high-spirited, they had somehow fallen into a frenzy. This little girl must have snuck out to drive the carriage alone; faced with such a crisis, she had been helpless, able only to watch as the vehicle hurtled toward the Wujing Sect’s protective array.
I suppressed them for a long while, alternating between patient coaxing and stern threats, until the two rhinos finally began to settle. Just then, a figure from the mountain gate leaped onto the rainbow bridge. He suddenly struck out with two palms, startling the beasts into a fresh rage. The man sprang up, grabbing a horn of each white rhino in either hand. Using sheer brute force to restrain them, he dragged them down the rainbow bridge at a run.
Holding the little girl, I watched his performance with a cold eye. It was unclear whether the Tianjun Sect members below couldn't see the details or were simply pretending not to, as they broke into cheers: "Senior Brother Guan has such magnificent skill!"
Only then did the dam of terror break for the little girl in my arms. She clung to my neck and wailed, though she didn't forget to thank me in perfectly accented Jing capital dialect: "Waaa... Sister saved A-Long’s life, thank you, Sister..." As I drifted slowly to the ground, I took the opportunity to ask who her parents were. The answer nearly made my jaw drop: she was actually Anchi Nalong, the youngest daughter of King Anchi, the most powerful of the various kings of the Leitian Kingdom!
After the initial shock, I couldn't help but feel overjoyed. Thinking of the goods that could be traded from the Leitian Kingdom—it wasn't just "a thousand curiosities entering one's dreams," it was "ten thousand fortunes entering one's pockets"... This was more than worth it!
At that moment, one of the three deacons of the Wujing Sect stepped forward. He was a middle-aged Daoist who bowed politely to the three of us. "To manifest illusions into reality with such subtle mystery, this must be Master Lu of Dream-of-Old Mountain. This humble Daoist, Cheng He, offers his greetings. And my thanks to Miss Su for her heroic intervention."
His manner was exceptionally graceful and composed, neither too familiar nor too distant—truly the demeanor of a great sect. Still, I felt a small prickle of pride. This man was the one truly in charge among the three deacons; leaving the two with grander titles to the vain Tianjun Sect while coming personally to receive us showed that people’s eyes were indeed sharp.
Lu Kaifeng and I both returned the courtesy. Cheng He’s attendants respectfully processed our paperwork, handed over our transit tokens, and led us into the mountain. As for A-Long, the little girl tugged at my hand repeatedly, reluctant to leave, but she was eventually pulled away by her hurriedly arriving attendants. After greeting Cheng He, she went to rest in a mountain pavilion to await the arrival of the Anchi royal procession.
The Tianjun and Moyu sects had many members and were still going through the formalities one by one. As I walked past the cultivator surnamed Guan, I didn't even give him a glance. He, however, smiled and followed us, cupping his hands. "You have quite the spirit, Miss. May I ask your honored name? My surname is Guan, given name Shanping. Since we fought side-by-side just now, might I have the honor of making your acquaintance?"
So this was the famous head disciple of the current generation of the Tianjun Sect, Guan Shanping. Indeed, the Tianjun Sect had sent two cultivators at the peak of the late stage to this gathering; the other remained a mysterious unknown. I felt nothing but intense loathing for this man. I coldly gave my name and nodded a brief farewell. His expression stiffened, and several men and women around him began to mutter in dissatisfaction, clearly unhappy that a disciple from an obscure little sect would slight their idol. I ignored them entirely, leisurely following the receiving disciple to our quarters.
Normally, the lodgings for ordinary disciples would not be here. However, Lu Kaifeng had already attained the "Cloud-Feasting" rank and was entitled to be addressed as "Master." Since our group was small, the Wujing Sect deacons had made thoughtful arrangements, assigning us a private courtyard named "Chun Gu." It sat in a small mountain hollow at the foot of the Eighteen Peaks, where a clear stream meandered past. A three-story building stood there, which, along with the side wings, was more than enough for the five of us. I admired the architecture, noting its ancient charm and noble aura. The receiving disciple explained with a faint smile, "This is an ancient portable cave-dwelling. It was damaged during the Great War, and the sect elders didn't care to use it, so it was placed here. After repairs, it is used exclusively for honored guests." I was becoming somewhat numb to it all; the Wujing Sect was truly wealthy in a low-key way, flaunting their status through understated elegance...
After Lu Kaifeng handled the social niceties flawlessly, the three of us went to rest. Lunch was delivered by maidservants, prepared from top-tier ingredients with minimal impurities. Some dishes were light and pleasant, while others were heavily spiced, catering to our southern palates while allowing us to taste northern customs. I took a bite of a "Sparrow’s Tongue" dish and was so startled by the quality I nearly stuck my tongue out; the skill was on par with the chefs of Fengle Pavilion, perhaps even a notch above. I had thought everyone in the Wujing Sect was a bitter ascetic like Wei Qingming, indifferent to food and drink, but it was quite the opposite. It seemed she was simply too hard on herself to be able to withstand such temptation...
The afternoon was for sightseeing. Lu Kaifeng and I both guessed we would run into the swarming crowds of the Tianjun Sect, so we politely declined. Thus, each day had its activities. Cheng He actually took personal charge of our small sect, accompanying us daily, introducing the various functional departments while showing us the sights, and even skillfully avoiding the paths of that other sect. Furthermore, whenever we had a need, there were always two attendants in the courtyard ready to serve. It was truly comfortable to the extreme; one couldn't find a single fault.
Another day passed, and word arrived that my Fourth Brother and Fifth Sister would reach the sect tomorrow. Early the next morning, Eldest Brother and I went to the reception hall near the mountain gate. We found a quiet corner to sit, drinking tea and chatting while watching the disciples of various sects come and go, waiting for them to enter.
Heavy snow had begun to fall the previous night, a sight that even surprised the locals. It was already the fourth month; in ten days, the peach blossoms would begin to bud. This was likely the last snow of the spring.
The spacious courtyard before us was now as white as silver. My Fifth Sister, Zhu Yixin, wearing a fiery red cloak and a fur-lined hood, came running in excitedly and pulled me into a hug. Fourth Brother Qiao Songlin walked slowly behind her, holding a small red-lacquered umbrella adorned with golden plum blossoms. He leisurely shook off the fallen snow before meticulously folding the umbrella. It had clearly been held for Fifth Sister.
My gaze flickered between the two of them. I looked at Zhu Yixin with a knowing smile, saying nothing. Her face reddened, and she coughed. "He acted somewhat like a decent human being on the way here..." Just as I was about to tease her, she grabbed my hand excitedly and whispered in my ear, "I saw a very handsome Daoist at the mountain gate. He looked like he just returned to the sect from the north. There was a whole crowd around the gate, all young elites, seemingly there just to welcome him..."
My heart felt as though it had been lightly plucked by a plectrum. I felt a dizzying faintness of mind and a panicked, certain premonition.
The wind and snow grew denser. The chaotic footprints in the courtyard were lightly covered by a new layer, leaving the ground a pristine white. She indeed came walking slowly through the snow, wearing a silver-grey light fur cloak and a pale green jade robe topped with a lotus crown. Her elegance and nobility were entirely like that of a high-born aristocrat, yet she was easy and self-possessed, perfectly embodying the Daoist ideal of carefree wandering.
My heart went still for a moment—so still that I could hear the extremely faint rustle of her peerless footwork as she trod upon the snow without leaving a trace. But in the next instant, it turned into a world-shaking torrent, battering me until I felt intoxicated and ready to collapse.
Wei Qingming walked into the hall, her eyes narrowing slightly as she picked up a faint smile. She raised her hand in a salute to Lu Kaifeng. "Brother Lu, we meet again."
Lu Kaifeng rose with a smile to return the gesture. The two stepped forward a few paces and began to converse. When they spoke of the past—how they had once contended aggressively over a broken shop worth four million spirit stones—they both chuckled. Meeting again now, it seemed their old grievances had vanished with a laugh.
Zhu Yixin looked on with wonder, glancing between them and then at me. I unconsciously gripped the armrest beneath my hand. She was bound to speak to me next...
And so, I saw her take a slight step to the side, raise her sleeves in a salute, and say slowly, "Years have passed since we parted. Has Miss Su been well?"
I gazed at her silently, and she raised her eyes to meet mine. Her body carried a faint, halo-like pale golden spiritual light; so, she had reached the peak of the late stage. My previous worries seemed like a bit of a joke. Even the snow from the sky did not dare to touch her; upon reaching her, it would tremulously melt or roll away. Her eyelashes had originally carried a few snowflakes, but upon entering the warm room, they turned into a few silver, tear-like droplets of water, which now evaporated without a trace.
Her gaze was calm, indifferent, and empty.
Suppressing the bitter ache in my heart, I smiled. "Very well. And Young Master Wei?"
"Also well."
It was too bitter—so bitter my tongue felt numb. I couldn't help but wonder if my gallbladder had ruptured, sending bile flooding up into my mouth. I took a sip of tea, but even though the tea was sweet upon entry, it wasn't enough. I reached out and picked up a pastry from the plate, taking a bite. It was a style eaten by the nobles of the capital, made from the fruits of four seasonal flowers. It had a very beautiful name: "Four Seasons Without Care." Very beautiful indeed.
She had already finished exchanging pleasantries with my Fourth Brother and Fifth Sister. With a graceful flick of her cloak, she sat in a nearby chair. Her posture and silhouette remained the elegant, upright form I could sketch even with my eyes closed, yet she rested her elbow loosely on the small side table—a relaxed, languid ease I had never seen before. It was the naturally born air of disdain that only one who had been in power for many years could possess.
Fifth Sister was likely the one who understood my state of mind best. Without changing her expression, she made full use of her naturally frank and bold personality to make small talk with Wei Qingming. The Envoy, however, was all smiles and conversation, answering every question with extreme patience. She was even more gentle and warm than she had been years ago; it was hard to imagine she once possessed such a cold interior. Had these years truly been so good to her? Or beneath that casually scattered charm, was there a heart that was cold and empty?
I took another bite of the "Four Seasons Without Care" and placed it gently into my teacup. It slowly dissolved into the clear tea, vanishing without a trace.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 墨羽派 | Moyu Sect | Literally "Ink Feather Sect"; one of the three great Daoist sects. |
| 故梦山 | Dream-of-Old Mountain | The protagonist's sect (Gu Meng Shan). |
| 独角犀 | Unicorn Rhino | A mythical beast; literally "One-horned Rhino." |
| 泯雪步 | Minxue Steps | A movement technique; literally "Snow-Vanishing Steps." |
| 含光剑 | Hanguang Sword | The protagonist's sword; literally "Light-Containing Sword." |
| 雷阗国 | Leitian Kingdom | A foreign kingdom, likely known for trade. |
| 安迟王 | King Anchi | A powerful king of the Leitian Kingdom. |
| 安迟纳珑 | Anchi Nalong | The young princess of the Leitian Kingdom. |
| 程合 | Cheng He | A deacon of the Wujing Sect. |
| 关山平 | Guan Shanping | The head disciple of the Tianjun Sect. |
| 餐霞 | Cloud-Feasting | A high cultivation rank (Canxia); literally "consuming the rosy clouds/aurora." |
| 纯嘏 | Chun Gu | The name of the guest courtyard; means "Great Blessing" or "Pure Happiness." |
| 十八峰 | Eighteen Peaks | A geographic feature within the Wujing Sect. |
| 随身洞穴 | Portable cave-dwelling | A magical artifact that functions as a mobile home/residence. |
| 朱绎心 | Zhu Yixin | The protagonist's Fifth Sister. |
| 乔松邻 | Qiao Songlin | The protagonist's Fourth Brother. |
| 四时无忧 | Four Seasons Without Care | A type of pastry; also the chapter title. |
