The disciples all clutched their chests, letting out long sighs of relief. The danger had finally passed; now, it was time to hear the instructions of their elders.
Four Meal of Radiance masters descended slowly from the sky, and only then did I see their appearances clearly. Zhong Shikuang was dressed simply, his face resolute. He did not use any arts to maintain a youthful appearance, looking every bit the fiery-tempered, robust septuagenarian. Master Zheng of the Tianjun Sect was fair and plump, looking like a frequent customer of Into the Dream—a smiling, wealthy patriarch who felt like he could pull out three or four hundred thousand at any moment to place a massive order.
Master Wei of the Ink Feather Sect was the only woman among them. She was slender and elegant in bearing. Though her features were merely delicate, she wore her loose black robes with a reckless, uninhibited grace that was both ethereal and captivating, possessing a truly refined and dashing air.
My Eldest Senior Brother landed before us, one hand lifting his sleeve and the other tucked behind his back. He looked at us with a smile, his eyes filled with comfort and pride.
Grandmaster Zhong spoke first, his voice booming: "You kids did well! The young disciples of our three great sects cooperated with absolute sincerity and remained fearless in the face of danger. You are truly the glory of your generation!"
Master Zheng cupped his round, white hands and smiled. "Indeed, indeed. I trust that through this ordeal, the disciples' willpower has been tempered. This is the true purpose of descending the mountain for cultivation." I thought to myself: *Your sect didn't exactly put in much effort.* As expected of a merchant, his words were vague and diplomatic, making it sound as if everyone had contributed equally and worked together with all their might.
Wei Yi'an, however, did not care for pleasantries. She teased, "Let the disciples disperse on their own. Today’s banquet was quite... unique in flavor. I shouldn't like to eat it a second time."
A scattered laughter broke out among the crowd, gradually growing louder out of respect for Master Wei. She smiled as she looked over everyone, her gaze sweeping across those of us who had been on the cliff, her eyes filled with warmth and encouragement.
I clapped and laughed happily for a while. When I turned to look at Wei Qingming, I saw her sitting cross-legged by the table, her head tilted. She had one knee slightly raised, resting her arm loosely upon it, while two fingers of her other hand idly toyed with the three dice prepared for the drinking games. Despite being the greatest contributor to our victory, she seemed distracted, as if the surrounding revelry had nothing to do with her. My heart twinged with a sharp ache. I reached out, pinched a plump red bean from a plate, and—timing it perfectly as she rolled a bright red "one"—I quickly pressed the red bean into the small, crimson-painted hole of the die.
Only then did she look up at me. Her eyes flickered; she clearly understood my meaning.
I chuckled and pointed at the dice. "Rise!" The three dice sprouted tiny arms and legs, wobbling as they stood up. They began to chase each other around, scuffling over that single red bean.
Wei Qingming watched in silence, a faint smile finally surfacing on her lips. She watched until the dice began to fight tooth and nail. Then, she took two more red beans from the plate and tossed them into the air. Each die caught one; they made peace, linked arms, and began to dance.
"If one day... I were to commit a terrible mistake, or if I knew a great calamity was coming but was powerless to stop it, A-Zhi... how would you look at me?"
I had never heard her speak with such desolation and weariness. My heart ached for her. I quickly grabbed her hand and said, "How could you be wrong? As for other matters, one simply does their best and leaves the rest to fate. Why must you take the whole world upon your shoulders? You're making my heart ache for you!"
"Mm." She lowered her eyelashes and lightly squeezed my hand. "To have the one I love before me, to tend to the matters of today... to live life like this, I should be content and fortunate."
At sunset, a gentle breeze blew. Startled birds took flight, and the peach blossom forest that stretched across the ridges reflected the fiery evening clouds, looking exceptionally brilliant and enchanting. The crowd abandoned their mounts, choosing instead to stroll back and enjoy the spring scenery.
On the way back, Zhu Yixin and Yu Niannian snatched me away, winking and smirking triumphantly at Wei Qingming. Lu Lingfeng seemed to be chatting quite happily with Yi Fei; I had no idea how two people of such few words managed to find things to talk about. Wei Qingming had regained her usual spirited demeanor, walking slowly with Qiao Songlin and Dantai Ye, chatting casually with a faint smile.
The girls twisted my arm, pressed on my back, and blocked my path, looking for all the world like they were conducting a forced confession: "Spill it!"
"There's nothing to spill..." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but my heart was sweet. I couldn't stop my lips from curling upward. "It's just... we're together now."
"It's just 'together now'!" They chirped, mimicking my voice. Yu Niannian giggled. "Sister A-Zhi, you have to be honest. Sister Yixin said you've been in love for six years! Why didn't you get 'together' back then?"
Zhu Yixin chimed in loudly, "A-Zhi, you were so mournful and secretive before. I thought it was some high-born son of a noble house in the capital. I didn't realize it was someone of Martial Uncle Wei's caliber and character. We all saw it today—he treats you wonderfully. What exactly happened back then?"
I thought to myself: *I can't exactly tell you she's a woman, and that she suddenly proposed to me when I was completely unprepared, so I rejected her in a panic and we had a falling out, can I?* As I was mentally drafting a response, the women's sharp claws began to "torture" me relentlessly. I cried out in pain, only to hear Wei Qingming speak leisurely from behind us.
"I revealed my heart to her, but she declined politely. Thus, we remained apart until now."
The crowd around us was stunned. A sudden silence fell. Yu Niannian and Zhu Yixin’s mischievous hands froze in place. Wei Qingming took the opportunity to step forward. Gently and courteously, she loosely held my arm to rescue me, then quickly withdrew her hand, stepping back with a graceful, humble, and calm demeanor. She couldn't bear to see me suffer even the slightest bit of hardship.
The men exchanged looks, their faces filled with disbelief: *This guy doesn't even care about his pride just to protect his woman?*
Yu Niannian and the others had their mouths hanging open like dark pits, equally incredulous: *How could anyone reject such a devoted person when they're practically served on a silver platter?*
I was at a loss for words. Instead, it was Anchi Nalong who ran up with a mischievous grin, hugging my leg. "Sister A-Zhi, you're being quite unreasonable! If Brother Qingming pursued me, I'd say yes in a heartbeat! Don't go breaking hearts just because you're so beautiful!"
Everyone burst into earth-shaking laughter. I felt that the sheer momentum of this laughter alone could have driven back the enemy from earlier. Amidst the collective teasing, I pressed a hand to my forehead in resignation. "Yes, I was terribly wrong and I regret it deeply. Today I am making amends and chasing her back." I finally understood why Wei Qingming had sacrificed her own pride—she had seized the moral high ground!
Yu Niannian and the others had their fun and knew when to stop. With unspoken understanding, they went off to talk to their other companions. I silently slowed my pace to wait; she silently slowed her pace to follow. Eventually, the people around us drifted away, leaving only the two of us, one in front of the other, walking toward the fiery, sinking sun.
Her face was painted by the sunset glow, her tenderness adding to her refined beauty. My shadow fell across half of her cheek. In that slight darkness, her gaze was like a clear, bright lamp—or like that beautiful moon-moth I had seen on a summer night.
I was utterly intoxicated, filled with an indescribable happiness. Yet, I teased her, "Well, I suppose this finally settles the debt of that rejection. You're not allowed to hold a grudge anymore!"
She smiled faintly, blinked slowly, and whispered, "I never held a grudge. There was only yearning in my heart."
The male disciples went off to rest. Wei Qingming escorted me all the way back to the Chungu Courtyard, enduring a fair amount of teasing from Zhu Yixin. Although Wei Qingming was usually a person of few words, she was actually quite sharp-tongued; she skillfully deflected every jab with ease, even making my Senior Sister laugh with delight. Lu Kaifeng had left with the Meal of Radiance masters and had not yet returned. As Zhu Yixin entered the house laughing, Lu Lingfeng stepped into the courtyard with an expressionless face. Qiao Songlin and I remained at the bottom of the steps.
I looked at Wei Qingming longingly, truly loath to part with her, yet unable to be overly affectionate in front of my Senior Brother. I was so anxious my heart felt like it was being scratched. Qiao Songlin, sensing the mood, tactfully walked into the courtyard.
She stood in the sunset, her long, thick lashes casting a shadow.
"Will you be in the sect during this time?" I asked. "No matter how busy things get, you must come see me often."
She smiled. "I will. Tomorrow, at the Hall of Celestial Pivot."
I nodded repeatedly with a silly, happy grin. We shared a lingering, soulful look before I finally entered the courtyard. Qiao Songlin stepped back out to see the guest off on behalf of our Eldest Senior Brother, and he and Wei Qingming exchanged formal bows.
For once, she was the one who kept turning back to look as she walked away.
Early the next morning, I bounced out of bed. I clattered about opening clothes trunks and jewelry boxes, humming a song as I did my hair and put on my ornaments. I even dumped all the gifts I had brought from Into the Dream onto the bed, picking through them for something suitable for Wei Qingming. In truth, though I had felt despair when I knew I was coming to her sect, a tiny sliver of hope for a meeting had remained. When I was choosing items back then, I had already been thinking of her. All of them were worthy gifts, yet now I felt none of them were good enough for her.
In the end, considering her apparent fondness for incense and sachets—no matter the occasion, she was always impeccably dressed and carried a rich fragrance, much like a noble young lord—I took an exquisitely crafted, elegantly shaped antique pomander and tucked it into my sleeve. I also chose a top-grade inkstick from the Suizhou tribute ink, named "Green Scale Marrow," which had a refreshing and soul-soothing scent. I sealed it in a box, held it in my hand, and hurried out the door in high spirits.
I was a bit overexcited and arrived too early. The Hall of Celestial Pivot was completely empty; the disciples on night watch hadn't even changed shifts yet. Despite the lingering traces of sleepiness and fatigue, they greeted me with warm smiles. Hearing that I was looking for Martial Aunt Wei, they escorted me into the hall and led me to a side wing. To my surprise, Wei Qingming was already there. She sat perfectly upright by a small desk, her head tilted as she read a book intently, occasionally writing or drawing rapidly on paper. A lamp flickered on the table, while the morning sun began to burst forth outside the window.
I gave the guard disciple a look, signaling him not to announce me. I hid to the side, peering through the window lattice of the door, looking at her with deep affection. It wasn't even six in the morning yet; the offices hadn't even opened. Recalling how I had seen her every single time I entered the pavilion over the past half-month, could it be that she actually lived in the Lingxian Pavilion?
Wei Qingming seemed deeply immersed in her work. Although I had used an illusion to hide myself, with her alertness, she shouldn't have been entirely unaware. Finally, after I had watched for a moment, she gave a slight start, looked up, and walked over in a few steps to push open the door. I threw myself into her arms, wrapping my hands around her fragrant neck, and said with a giggle, "Good morning, Martial Aunt!"
She smiled faintly. Seeing no one around, she still maintained her proper decorum, stepping aside to let me in. Only under the cover of her wide sleeves did she squeeze my hand with lingering tenderness, conveying the depth of a night's worth of longing.
***
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