As the summer grasses grew lush and the horses waxed strong, friction inevitably arose along the northern borders. Though these were minor disturbances, there were always loose ends to tie up. Occasionally, Wei Qingming would depart for a brief interval, or Hong Lu would enter to report matters, interrupting the four of us at our leisure. She was always apologetic, but none of us blamed her; instead, we urged her to attend to her duties. Wei Qingming would even discuss military strategy and post-war settlements with Qiao Songlin, truly treating my senior brother and sister as her own kin.
For the next two nights, Wei Qingming remained perfectly decorous, coaxing me to sleep before retiring to the adjacent room. It wasn't that she lacked the desire for intimacy, but rather that her burdens were many. Sleeping for less than four hours on that first night had been a grand luxury. It was one thing for her to exhaust herself with paperwork, but she could not bear to disturb my rest while I was still recovering. On the day the rain ceased, she escorted me back to the sect. She watched as the three of us completed the entry formalities and safely passed through the mountain gates, then departed without entering the sect herself.
I spent my days oscillating between longing and a spirited dedication to my sword practice. Wei Qingming had taught me the technique of using sword forms to guide the spiritual energy throughout my body. Furthermore, the Wujing Sect possessed the richest spiritual resonance in the world; while honing my martial skills, my cultivation progressed at a staggering pace. Combined with my daily meditation, I could faintly feel myself approaching the threshold of a breakthrough after only two months of practice. I couldn't help but sigh; no wonder the disciples of these great sects advanced so rapidly. How could the mundane sects of the martial world ever hope to compare?
The Qixi Festival was a rare occasion for celebration within the Wujing Sect. Daoist sects generally viewed secular festivals with indifference; the festivities of the year's end or the Lantern Festival rarely touched the sect. Moreover, in this frigid northern land, there was little to enjoy besides endless snow. This summer night of Qixi, however, with its mild climate and beautiful landscapes, had become a favored day championed by the male and female disciples. The Cowherd and Weaver Girl on earth paired up in couples, making amends for the celestial tragedy of the stars above.
Upon returning to the sect, I saw colorful lanterns already being hung everywhere. The Heavenly Street, which rivaled the width and length of Chang’ning’s Imperial Street in the capital, was lined with small stalls. I was delighted by the sight: it turned out the disciples of various peaks were hawking their local specialties, elixirs, talismans, and the like. Some were trading old goods, exchanging what they had for what they needed. Wandering through such a scattered market reminded me of that night at the Chunan Banquet. I truly wished I could set up a stall for Wen Gan, complete with a shop sign, so she could tell the fortunes of these pampered children of heaven...
Our Rumenglai naturally wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity. Lu Kaifeng had long since scouted the market trends and brought in a batch of the most expensive goods to stock a rented stall. Tending the stall were Lu Lingfeng and Zhu Yixin. My Second Senior Sister had spent three days crouching by the rainy lake and caught absolutely nothing. It made sense, though—any ghosts within the world's preeminent sect would have been purged clean eight hundred years ago!
When Lu Kaifeng returned and saw his beloved younger sister looking dejected, he laughed and produced a piece of Yin-wood. Trapped within was a ghost of the Canxia Realm he had captured during his travels—a water ghost, as luck would have it. Lu Lingfeng was overjoyed and, returning the favor, agreed to watch the shop... though the actual business was handled enthusiastically by my Fifth Sister, who sat there drooling as she counted the coins. Lu Lingfeng merely relied on her beauty to act as a "Wealth-Inviting Maiden," a lucky mascot of sorts.
Yu Niannian and Yan Xiangjun also had a stall, selling miscellaneous clothing and jewelry that had gone out of style after only one or two wears. The two sat together chatting and laughing, utterly indifferent to who looked at the goods or who paid. Seeing me, Niannian waved happily. I walked over with a smile, complimented their clothes, and picked out a few pieces of jewelry to show my support.
Yan Xiangjun’s expression was neutral. Since the day of the Purification Ceremony, she and I had tacitly avoided meeting in various settings. She had clearly harbored feelings for Wei Qingming for a long time, but her pride had prevented her from ever making a move. Wei Qingming’s heart was filled only with endless official business; she felt nothing for Yan Xiangjun that could even be called friendship. Moreover, Yan Xiangjun was addicted to banquets and social games, toying with the affections of many male disciples. There was never any possibility of development between them. As a high-born lady from the capital’s noble families, she naturally looked down on my identity as a member of the demon race from the remote countryside. Having her "prey" snatched away by me surely made her uncomfortable, but I held no grudge against her.
I gave her a polite nod of greeting and was about to leave with the items Niannian had wrapped for me when Yan Xiangjun suddenly called out, "Disciple-Niece Su."
I turned back with a faint smile. "Aunt Yan, is something the matter?"
Though we were supposed to use the titles of aunt and niece within the sect, disciples of the same age from different peaks usually mixed them up freely. Those who were close, like Niannian and I, simply called each other by name. I had once been quite angry when Wei Qingming forced me to call her "Aunt" upon our first meeting. Thinking back on it now... well, Master Wei certainly had a sense of playfulness. But since Yan Xiangjun insisted on putting on airs, I felt a spark of defiance. I wanted to see what move she was making.
Yan Xiangjun adopted her finest socialite poise, softening her tone as she pushed an exquisite small box carved from spirit crystal toward me with a smile. "Miss Su, there is indeed a matter I must trouble you with. Although Qingming has not been in the sect these past few years, she often sent letters and gifts. My brother and I never had the chance to reciprocate. Today, I shall give this to Miss Su; consider it a congratulatory gift for your union."
Through the spirit crystal, I could see a pair of jade jue—ancient artifacts of delicate craftsmanship. One couldn't buy such things for two or three hundred thousand coins without the right connections. I could only imagine what kind of heavy gifts Wei Qingming had sent before. A *jue* ring also carried the meaning of "parting." It almost sounded as if there truly had been a romance! And what was this about "often sending letters and gifts these past few years"? Wei Qingming hadn't given me so much as a word for six or seven years!
To be honest, I was already fuming, yet I remained composed, thanking her with a smile. Yan Xiangjun reached up to fiddle with the pendant on her earlobe and suddenly gave a bright smile. "Those two men drank together long ago; let us also turn our swords into plowshares. We can't be more petty than the men. Miss Su, I admire your character and appearance. If I have lost, then I have lost. Surely we can still be friends?"
This was quite unexpected. I have a fondness for straightforward people, and she immediately became more likable in my eyes. I proactively reached out my hand, and she shook it readily. I then took a precious gift from Rumenglai from my robe and handed it to her.
She opened the box and looked inside with surprise. Knowing she had likely never seen it before, I smiled. "This was produced in the Kingdom of Jingjue in the Western Regions. It is carved from ivory and inlaid with a hundred and twenty types of gemstones and spices. Jingjue has always been famous for its craftsmanship, which is exceptionally fine. This piece was commissioned by a wealthy nation further west, depicting a deity they worship."
"What is the deity's name?"
"Aros." I winked at Yan Xiangjun. "The God of Love. However, Sister Xiangjun’s beauty and grace are natural and divine; you have no need for a deity’s blessing. My intention was simply to place a beauty of our land alongside the God of Love from another; it is like the sun and moon shining together."
Yan Xiangjun seemed to have never experienced my eloquence before. Coming from the mouth of a romantic rival, the words seemed even sweeter. Hearing this, her heart blossomed with joy. She stroked the Rumenglai emblem on the box and laughed. "So Miss Su’s family is the owner of Rumenglai, which has become so famous in the capital these past few years. Since you looked after my business today, I shall have to visit your shop another day to request a few more treasures."
With the friction between friends dissolved, Yu Niannian finally clapped and laughed happily. She pouted at me playfully. "She gets a fine gift, but doesn't Sister A-Zhi have some other divine statue or celestial robe to give me?"
Before I could speak, Yan Xiangjun glanced at her and said, "Do you also intend to give Wei Qingming a parting gift so you can receive a generous return from her?"
Yu Niannian covered her mouth and fell silent. I suppressed a laugh and handed her a small box. She opened it with great excitement, then her eyes widened in shock. "Why is it a chubby little child? And... he’s not wearing any clothes!"
Yan Xiangjun laughed as she took it to look. I chuckled. "That is the God of Love’s... child! Niannian, you are just as cute as him!"
"I don't want it! Wouldn't that make Sister Xiang my mother? Would you dare answer if I called you 'Mom'?"
"My dear daughter, how precious!"
The instigator of all this was nowhere to be found. I was still feeling a bit piqued, so I had no intention of sending her a message. It wasn't until the actual day of Qixi, just as dusk fell, that Zhu Yixin pulled me out with a grin. Both of us were dressed in fresh, beautiful attire as we walked hand-in-hand to see the lanterns on the Heavenly Street. Qiao Songlin followed behind us, carrying the flower lanterns we intended to use.
In the ten-mile peach blossom forest at the foot of the mountain, billions of exquisite glass lanterns shaped like peach blossoms were hung. They floated on the branches, powered by spiritual energy, inviting the colors of spring to descend upon the world once more. The cold, white Heavenly Mountain was stained with the hue of peaches, adorned by this bright "skirt" of light with a tender, feminine grace.
The streets were crowded, filled with a cacophony of different accents. It turned out that the Wujing Sect’s Heavenly Street was open to the public today, allowing merchants from near and far to come and do business. One could see the brilliant lanterns and the immortal bearing of the various sect disciples, interspersed with folk acrobatics and the music and dances of the common people. If the Lantern Festival in the capital was about the "Aoshan" light displays and grand choral dances, and the Lantern Crossing Festival in Yunmeng City was about the "Night-Shining Ephemerals," then the purpose of the Wujing Sect’s festival was to eat various snacks. Even the usually cold and noble "immortal maidens" were seen lifting their silken sleeves, leaning over stalls to sniff folk snacks with greedy expressions, while their male companions bought pairs for them to share amidst laughter. When Yu Niannian saw me, she hurriedly stuffed a yellow peach coated in crystalline sugar into my hand and Zhu Yixin’s before being called back by her sisters.
Zhu Yixin and I laughed as we licked our sweets. We had been wandering for nearly an hour, yet there was still no sign of Wei Qingming. I knew she was a woman of great ability with many eyes and ears, so I had given the frantic Yang-Yang to Lu Lingfeng. I let my elusive Second Senior Sister wear the spirit for the night to mislead Master Wei, and I had threatened my three senior siblings and A-Wan that I would turn against anyone who leaked my whereabouts. I wanted to see if Wei Qingming could find me without relying on any tricks.
Although that was my goal, the Heavenly Street was a single straight road from end to end. After walking back and forth a few times without seeing her, I couldn't help but feel both angry and bitter. I even began to baselessly imagine if she was off fooling around with someone else... I had seen Yan Xiangjun by Yu Niannian’s side, followed by a group of joyful male companions. Before that, I had even wondered if the two of them had reconciled and become each other's new flames...
Zhu Yixin asked me, "How did Little Wei offend you? Weren't you two so sweet it made my teeth ache?"
My anger was rising, and I couldn't hold back, so I told her everything in one breath. Zhu Yixin pointed her empty candy stick at me in indignation. "Well! Yan Xiangjun is really something, isn't she? What kind of gift was she trying to send? Regardless, it’s still Little Wei’s fault! Why should she send 'light gifts with heavy sentiment' across thousands of miles to others, but not to our A-Zhi?"
I agreed loudly, and the two of us immediately plotted to give her a hard time when we saw her tonight. Qiao Songlin couldn't help but try to speak up for his friend: "Brother Wei has eyes for no one else."
He, a man of few words, seemed to want to argue further, but Zhu Yixin cut him off. "She'd better have eyes for no one else! If she did, it would be even worse. We can't let her off the hook so easily!" Qiao Songlin immediately fell silent.
***
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