The twelve First Seats of the Wujing Sect presided over twelve individual peaks, while another six peaks were held in common by the entire sect, including Zhuoxue Peak. The operations of this massive sect relied on twelve institutions, divided into four palaces, four halls, and four pavilions. The four palaces—Taihe, Jingle, Donghua, and Jianfu—oversaw the sect's general affairs, with the First Seat of Taihe serving as the Sect Leader and the center of power. Jingle Palace managed the disciples' mundane affairs and finances; Donghua Palace handled external relations, particularly those involving the imperial court; and Jianfu Palace oversaw the realm's sacrificial rites, maintaining a close relationship with the Ministry of Rites.
Among the four halls, Shenxiao Hall led the way, specializing in combat and garrison duties. Chongyang Hall focused on formations, Changchun Hall on medicine, and Danshu Hall on talismans.
The four pavilions served as cultural and technical institutions: Lingxian was the academy; Tianxin was responsible for selecting, training, and educating disciples; Lingbao handled the forging of artifacts and the refining of pills; and Qingwei focused on the cultivation of spiritual plants and trees, as well as the care of spiritual beasts.
Hong Lu had once mentioned that Wei Qingming had studied under several First Seats. He likely meant the heads of Shenxiao, Chongyang, Danshu, and Lingxian. With mastery over weaponry, formations, and talismans, combined with her vast knowledge, it was no wonder she was invincible in combat.
Thinking of this made me miss her all the more. As soon as we landed at Taihe Square, I began looking around eagerly. I could only see ordinary disciples crowded in the center, separated by rows of gray prayer mats that matched the color of the cyan jade tiles. There were no elite disciples in sight, only about three thousand ordinary ones. Even including the various branch temples, their numbers likely didn't exceed five thousand.
For a sect with a thousand-year history and the reputation of being the best in the world, the Wujing Sect actually had very few disciples relative to Jing Country’s population of three hundred million. This spoke to the rigor of their selection process. In contrast, *that* other sect accepted anyone who came their way; their formal disciples already numbered nearly ten thousand, far too many for their headquarters in Anjing to hold, forcing them to spread out to other major cities in Wu and Yue Provinces, like Jiangdu and Pingjiang.
Seeing me dazed, Cheng He reminded me, "Miss Su, please proceed to the viewing platform." Only then did I remember that we were being treated as elite disciples. We would likely be seated closer to the Crown Prince’s procession—and thus closer to Wei Qingming. Beaming, I followed my senior brothers and sisters.
According to martial world status, the first to arrive were the smaller sects participating in the Constitutional Change or the Tianshan Meeting, their various uniforms creating a kaleidoscope of colors. The Tianjun and Moyu Sects arrived later than us, both in uniform attire, looking solemn and composed, not daring to joke. The elite disciples of the Wujing Sect followed closely behind the Tianjun Sect, led by the eldest disciple, Qiu Zhengshan. A group of ethereal, elegant, and high-spirited immortals—both men and women—slowly took their seats. I stared shamelessly at Wei Qingming, who walked with her head lowered. She was at the very back of her age group, just ahead of Yu Niannian. How modest!
Their attire differed from that of the ordinary disciples. It was made of luxurious jade-green fabric that shimmered slightly in the morning sun, with silver-bordered ribbons embroidered with cloud patterns and matching waistbands, looking even more refined and exquisite. The female disciples also wore three-petaled peach blossom marks on their foreheads and a petal at each corner of their mouths—floral ornaments and "dimple dots" that made them look as radiant as peach and plum blossoms, a sight of breathtaking beauty. I looked at Wei Qingming’s bare face and mentally applied the makeup to her; for no reason at all, I felt like rolling on the ground with joy... I’d have to find time to drag her over and paint it on her myself!
As if sensing my gaze, Wei Qingming slowly raised her head and sent an ambiguous look my way. It instantly made me flush and fidget, wishing I could run to her side right then and there!
The First Seats finally appeared. The Wujing disciples rose to pay their respects, and we guests followed suit with a bow. Sect Leader Lu Hongshu kindly raised a hand to signal them to stop, and the crowd silently sat back down on their mats. The attire of an ordinary Canxia Master was black and white with cloud patterns; the First Seats wore three-colored auspicious clouds, while the Sect Leader wore five-colored celebratory clouds.
The event at Purple Cloud Tower hadn't featured a formal procession, so only now did I realize how complex imperial etiquette truly was. It began with five types of exotic flying beasts entering the airspace above the square. The entire procession took nearly half an hour to march in and take their positions. Finally, a grand guard of honor escorted His Highness the Crown Prince as he gracefully ascended the viewing platform. Everyone knelt and kowtowed, including Sect Leader Lu. Anchi Nalong and his party, seated at the side as state guests, merely rose and placed their hands over their hearts in greeting.
The head eunuch accompanying the carriage was actually Eunuch Cui Rongyuan, whom I had met in Pingjing. The secretary unfurled a scroll and, following protocol, read a lengthy proclamation on behalf of the Crown Prince. Using my illusory vision, I saw the Prince clearly. The little boy who used to scramble up and down, demanding to be carried or hugged, had become a steady youth. His face was still tender, but his demeanor was exceedingly mature.
The reading of the proclamation took another fifteen minutes. I was so bored I nearly yawned, and Zhu Yixin—who had played like a madwoman last night and hadn't slept since returning—simply closed her eyes...
Then came the audience with the Wujing Sect. Starting from the First Seats, the Masters were announced one by one and performed their kowtows. The Crown Prince nodded to each, exchanging a few pleasantries with a smile, making sure not to repeat himself too much. Watching his small head, weighed down by a heavy jade crown, constantly nodding made my own neck ache in sympathy... When it came to the disciples below the stage, we were mentioned only in passing. The elite disciples of the three major sects were introduced as a group, with a few famous disciples singled out for individual bows. Wei Qingming’s status was ranked low, and she wasn't mentioned in the introduction. She spent the entire time playing the part of a "quail," remaining as invisible as if she were a nameless nobody. Being a secret agent wasn't easy! Or rather, her mental discipline was truly extraordinary.
Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince raised a small hand and pointed at the back of her lowered head. "That little Daoist over there looks quite familiar."
Eunuch Cui relayed the message for him: "Raise your head so His Highness may look upon you." Though the words were firm, the speaker was smiling and spoke softly, maintaining the imperial dignity without offending the Sect Leader.
I lowered my head and bit my lip, trying hard to stifle a laugh. Wei Qingming straightened her back with perfect posture and lifted her face, her eyes level for a brief moment to let the Prince see her clearly before respectfully lowering her lashes again.
"I remember you. Your surname is Wei," the Prince said proudly. "Wei..."
Sect Leader Lu politely added, "Wei Qi."
"Wei Qi." The Prince’s expression flickered with a hint of confusion, likely feeling that wasn't the right name, yet he agreed with a profound and composed air. He paused for a moment with great presence before continuing, "Six years ago, during the Sacred Birthday Festival, we met once. Daoist Wei’s martial skills were excellent; I remember them to this day."
"This subject is honored."
Sect Leader Lu smiled and said, "Since you are acquainted with His Highness, we shall assign her to accompany the carriage for this trip. What does Your Highness think?"
"Good."
Wei Qingming offered her thanks and expressed her honor before retreating with a bowed back and lowered eyes. I thought back carefully—wait, that’s not right. That day when Wei Qingming went on stage to kill the ghosts, the Crown Prince should have been under Lu Kaifeng’s illusion and fallen asleep. Even if he had met her during the formal audience, how had he seen her martial skills?
Even a Daoist sect that claimed to be untainted by the world had to provide some entertainment, such as a group dance by beautiful women like Yan Xiangjun, a sword dance by male disciples including Martial Uncle Wei, and a display of treasures from Lingbao Pavilion. The most transcendent performance was the offering from the Spirit Plant Courtyard of Qingwei Pavilion. Everyone carried green peach branches, and under the power of the sun’s radiance, the peach blossoms bloomed one by one. Needless to say, the only person in the entire sect with such skill was none other than Martial Uncle Wei...
There was Wei Qingming, her handsome face indifferent, mixed in among a group of peach-pink "fairies," silently casting her spells and trying her best not to be noticed... but she was simply too much taller than those around her; it was impossible not to notice her...
Zhu Yixin and I were clutching each other’s hands, nearly suffocating from suppressed laughter. Zhu Yixin patted her chest while laughing, and once she finally caught her breath, she leaned into my ear and whispered, "Do you know why? It’s all because of that peach blossom sword strike! Who did she borrow the branch from? Xue Yunyu, the First Seat of Qingwei Pavilion! Master Xue loves that lonely, desolate Zen aesthetic. At the start of spring, during her first inspection of the peach grove, she personally and meticulously broke off nine branches and had her maid take them back to her grotto. But then—ha!—this one made them all bloom, and even broke one of them! Master Xue punished her by making her work in the Spirit Plant Courtyard, and it doesn't even count toward her sect contribution points! Hahahaha..."
No wonder she had hurried off to the peach grove after the rain that day to help the young girls protect the flowers!
The two of us giggled. Lu Kaifeng and Qiao Songlin looked over helplessly, but it was Lu Lingfeng who was truly ruthless—she had her ghost manifestation pinch both our waists, scaring us into silence instantly.
The Crown Prince was indeed very interested in Wei Qingming. He clapped sincerely during the performances she was in and even bestowed gifts upon Qingwei Pavilion. It was usually a quiet, overlooked department, and the disciples were all overwhelmed by the unexpected favor...
The ceremony dragged on until the afternoon. Although cultivators didn't mind skipping a meal, I started to feel hungry on the Prince’s behalf. Finally, we made it to the evening banquet. Donghua Palace had arranged things quite well; knowing that the Prince, though a prince, was still a child, they had added dozens of young elite disciples from various sects to sit among the hundreds of elderly masters to chat and entertain him. As a Canxia Master, Lu Kaifeng already had a seat, but strangely, the four of us "small fry" also had invitations. This was undoubtedly another of Wei-daren’s designs.
After enduring the Prince’s toast from the high seat and the responses from the First Seats below, Eunuch Cui announced the end of the formal rites. Today’s empty formalities were finally over. The Prince stepped down from his golden seat and walked around happily. Yu Niannian and a few other fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds were closest to him in age, and they quickly became acquainted. But the Prince, like me, seemed a bit disappointed at not seeing Daoist Wei yet, glancing around from time to time.
I rested my chin on my hand and pouted, watching the people in the hall to pass the time, when I heard Wei Qingming’s indifferent voice behind me: "Who are you looking for?"
I turned around and gave her waist a playful pinch. "No one. I was thinking of Martial Uncle Wei."
Only then did the corners of her mouth twitch upward before she quickly returned to her calm, water-like composure. I pulled her into the seat I had kept empty for her, scooped some soup, blew on it to cool it, and gave it to her. I then rested my head on the table, smiling foolishly as I looked up at her face.
As I watched, I suddenly heard a sound from her left sleeve, and something fell out, rolling a few times on the floor. I was sitting on her right, and since we were all sitting cross-legged at low tables, I curiously crawled over her lap to pick it up. Halfway there, Wei-daren suddenly flipped my body over, supporting my back with her hand to lift me up. She lowered her face and, using her wide sleeve as a screen, easily and accurately pressed a kiss to my lips. Then, with perfect composure, she let go, acting as if nothing had happened as she raised her sleeve to take a sip of wine...
I froze right there, lying back across her lap, eyes wide and face flushed, staring at her in disbelief. I saw my lip rouge staining her lips; blurred by the wine, she swallowed it, leaving only a faint, lingering trace...
"Aren't you going to pick it up?" Having drunk the wine, she squinted and smiled as she reminded me.
I now highly suspected she had dropped the item on purpose. I was a bit afraid to pick it up, but more than that... well, once certain things start, the addiction only grows. How could one kiss be enough?
I looked around guiltily. Wei-daren was far too bold; this was a state-level banquet, how could she be so reckless? Fortunately, everyone was busy with their own things—the elders were toasting and chatting, the juniors were wandering about, and the Prince was surrounded by a crowd, his back to us. He couldn't possibly have seen.
With great effort, I retrieved the small object. It was an ancient-looking peach wood hairpin, lacquered black, with four or five tiny peach blossoms on it, though I couldn't tell what material the flowers were made of. The more I looked at it, the more I loved it, so I asked Wei Qingming where it came from.
Wei Qingming smiled. "I took a branch from my own peach tree and asked Lingbao Pavilion to craft it."
"Your peach tree?"
"Yes," she said. "Every disciple who enters the sect may personally plant a peach tree. I have been in the sect for twelve years, and by rule, I was allowed to take a piece of the wood to make a memento."
I was moved beyond words. Such a precious memento, and she had used it on me... I gave the hairpin to her and asked her to put it in my hair. She looked from side to side, carefully chose a spot, and gently tucked it in.
Leaning against her, I said, "When you have time, will you take me to see your little peach tree?"
"I will."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
太和宫 | Taihe Palace | The central palace of Wujing Sect, seat of the Sect Leader.
净乐宫 | Jingle Palace | Palace managing mundane affairs and finance.
东华宫 | Donghua Palace | Palace managing foreign and imperial relations.
建福宫 | Jianfu Palace | Palace managing sacrificial rites and rituals.
神霄殿 | Shenxiao Hall | Hall focused on combat and defense.
重阳殿 | Chongyang Hall | Hall focused on formations.
长春殿 | Changchun Hall | Hall focused on medicine.
丹书殿 | Danshu Hall | Hall focused on talismans.
灵宪阁 | Lingxian Pavilion | The sect's academy/library.
天心阁 | Tianxin Pavilion | Pavilion for disciple selection and training.
灵宝阁 | Lingbao Pavilion | Pavilion for artifact and pill refining.
清微阁 | Qingwei Pavilion | Pavilion for spiritual plants and beasts.
天明峰 | Tianming Peak | The peak where Taihe Palace is located.
吕鸿枢 | Lu Hongshu | The Sect Leader of Wujing Sect.
魏晵 | Wei Qi | Wei Qingming's formal/sect name.
崔荣元 | Cui Rongyuan | The Chief Eunuch.
矞云 | Auspicious Clouds | A decorative pattern on robes (specifically three-colored for First Seats).
庆云 | Celebratory Clouds | A decorative pattern on robes (specifically five-colored for the Sect Leader).
花钿 | Floral Ornaments | Decorative patterns applied to the face (makeup).
笑靥 | Dimple Dots | Makeup dots applied near the corners of the mouth.
薛韫玉 | Xue Yunyu | The First Seat of Qingwei Pavilion.
灵植院 | Spirit Plant Courtyard | A department within Qingwei Pavilion.
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Dreams of the Ancient Mountain: The Cat's Masquerade | Chapter 97 | The Peach Wood Token | Novela.app | Novela.app
