"Sister Long, ready?"
"Mmm." Long Yifei nodded after glancing at herself with a pocket mirror one last time.
"Let's go!"
She followed her usual group of new students. They left the dorms together and headed for the Spring Rain Hall which was just a short walk away. They were all dolled up to the limit with stunning makeup and jeweled accessories, each woman an image of vivacious virginity and peerless beauty.
Tonight, they were attending an event called the Gift Exhibit. It was an opportunity for them to see actual gift items from the Gift Register on display, where they would be able to feel the power and auras of items they were interested in first hand.
For the past week, since the Gift Register was released, the topic of gifts remained a feverish topic in the minds of the new students. It was all they talked about all day and all night. There was no sense of exhaustion as it dealt with their future.
Long Yifei found herself drawn into the subject against her will. With the level of competition between the Sacred Daughters and how hard everyone worked to improve themselves, she couldn't ignore the gifts and what they meant. She even found herself browsing the Gift Register in her spare time, taking careful note of ones that interested her. Tonight was finally her opportunity to see them with her own eyes. She couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Her group reached the Spring Rain Hall and entered swiftly. The Gift Exhibit was already in full swing. The entrance hall was packed with people. There were hundreds of Sacred Daughters and a slightly lesser number of prioresses and acolytes. Those that knew each other were already gathered in small groups, chatting gaily while partaking in snacks and refreshments.
"Here are the maps." Wei Shuangshuang said loudly, gathering their attention.
Ever the bossy woman, she had taken upon herself to retrieve a stack of maps from a nearby attendant.
She continued speaking as she handed them out to the group, "Study it and identify the gifts you are interested in. I suggest you head there quickly as the popular ones are certain to get mobbed. You may have to wait in line to even get a peek at those if you delay."
Zhao Linmei turned to Long Yifei, "Sister Long, did you have somewhere in mind? We can go together!"
Long Yifei shook her head, "I am heading to the song exhibit. Sister Zhao, Sister Wei is right. You should go for the gifts you are most interested in first."
Zhao Linmei pouted for a while and nodded. "Alright, we will meet back together later!"
"Alright!"
Long Yifei left the crowded lobby and headed down a hallway. She saw various items on display in glass cases, each one a gift.
Spring Rain Hall had been transformed for tonight. The entire building was filled with a vast array of gifts. Smaller items were put on stone plinths. Larger items were placed in the classrooms and lecture halls.
She passed through the popular instrument exhibit and then the painting exhibit and arrived at her target, the song exhibit. There were much fewer people here as singing was difficult and relied more on natural gifts of the voice than hard work. She saw a familiar figure here and quickly approached them.
"Sacred Daughter Long Yifei, greets Prioress Xuan." She said with a bow.
The person in front of her was Immortal Winter Hymn Xuan Xina, one of the instructors and a specialist in singing.
"Yifei, I was expecting you. Welcome to the song exhibit." Xuan Xina said.
Her voice was soft and melodic. The air around her trembled with spiritual energy. This close to her, Long Yifei felt every bit of the prioress' musical aura and was deeply impressed.
"Prioress Xuan, you were expecting me?" Long Yifei asked after raising her head.
Their heights were similar, with Long Yifei slightly taller. Their physiques were also a mirror of each other though Long Yifei's curves were a little more pronounced and alluring.
Xuan Xina smiled, "Out of all the new students this year, you're the only one that had caught my eye. I knew from the very beginning that we had many things in common."
Long Yifei returned her smile, "Thank you, Prioress Xuan, for your praise. Are you in charge of the song exhibit tonight?"
"Indeed I am. If you have any questions, just ask." She looked around the large lecture hall which only had a few people, "It looks like I won't be very busy."
"That's perfect, I actually had many questions." Long Yifei blurted uncharacteristically, feeling quite excited, "I don't have a lot of experience with singing but my master tells me that my voice is special. I was wondering out of the beginner songs in the Gift Register, which one would best suit me."
Xuan Xina covered her mouth with her long sleeve and giggled, "Your acolyte is Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian, right? He certainly has good judgment. Your voice is indeed perfect for the Dao of song. From just conversing with you now, I can already tell this for certain. You have come to the right place. As for the beginner songs, I have a few that suit you perfectly. Follow me."
Xuan Xina led Long Yifei to a long, flat glass case that displayed several scrolls. Written on each one was a powerful, unique song that contained profound understanding and insights into the Dao of song.
Long Yifei's eye's widened as she saw the descriptions on the placards, "These… weren't on the Gift Register!"
"Hehehe, no, there weren't. I prepared them just for you. They come from my personal collection." Xuan Xian glided her finger across the glass and named each song, "Winter Winds, written by Mengwu and Sons. Let Go, written by myself. Roses from Snow, written by the Emei Clan. Ice Wonderland, written by an unknown genius songwriter. And many more… Yifei, I heard that you cultivated an ice-type Dao growing up, is that true?"
"Yes, prioress."
"Mmm. Ice is an excellent cultivation path for virginal yin, not as good as the four classics but still formidable. These songs will suit you perfectly as they can utilize your existing cultivation base and understanding of snow and ice. This will aid you in understanding the secrets of singing. They will allow you to advance quickly in the Dao of song."
"Thank you, prioress!" Long Yifei said but then noticed something else, "But… these don't have a listed price, unlike the other displays."
"That's right. The other songbooks belong to their authors or the various auction houses but these belong to me. I can do with them as I please and I am choosing to give them to you."
Long Yifei kept her expression even but all kinds of alarms rang in her mind. She wasn't acquainted with this Xuan Xina and neither was her master. There was no reason for a prioress of the order to treat a new student so generously, unless…
"You guessed correctly," Xuan Xina whispered, "I know about your special secret. How? My master is Immortal Dawn Euphony Li Shishi. In this world, she is the dearest person to me and she is like a mother to me. Imagine my surprise when she told me about you. I couldn't wait to meet you. Now that you're in front of me, I am even more excited. You are just like me when I was your age!"
Long Yifei felt slightly indignant at the comparison but replied in an even voice, "It is an honor to receive your praise. However, I cannot receive such a heavy gift as these songs for free. My master also cannot. If prioress is willing to offer a fair price for them, then I am fully willing to buy them from you. But for free, I definitely cannot accept."
Xuan Xina straightened her back and frowned, "These songs aren't cheap. They are unique or limited edition works by famous songwriters on the continent. Although some of them are not at the Spirit Lord Realm, they are all at various lesser realms and will greatly aid you in taking the first steps toward immortality."
"I understand, but I am still willing to pay."
Xuan Xina snorted, "It's not your money you are spending but your acolyte's. Is he willing to spend as much you want? How much money does a Spirit Lord from a subcontinent have? Can he afford it?"
Although the prioress was badmouthing Chen Wentian, Long Yifei felt personally attacked and responded sharply, "Prioress Xuan, my master is my world. I have the utmost faith in his ability to support me. I'm sorry, I cannot accept your gift!"
Xuan Xina studied Long Yifei for a while and finally answered, "Very well. I should have expected as much. Loyalty is a precious and rare trait these days anyway. I will place some of these songs with the Golden Basin Auction House and your acolyte can obtain them fair and square. There will be no favoritism or special treatment from me."
"Thank you, prioress." Long Yifei bowed.
Xuan Xina's expression softened and there was a tinge of melancholy in her eyes. She sighed heavily before speaking again, "Why did you have to be so similar to me? Clinging to your acolyte like that with such devotion… The folly of youth… don't regret it later..."
She trailed off absentmindedly, mumbling a few more inaudible words.
"Prioress?" Long Yifei asked.
"Ah! It's nothing. You can go look at the other displays for any songs you may like. Mine aren't the only good ones here." Xuan Xina waved her hand dismissively.
Long Yifei watched the immortal walk away with more confusion than anything. If she had to guess, Xuan Xina used to have an acolyte but then broke it off with that person and instead came to solely rely on the Order. The reason must have been heart-shattering for her to react like that by simply reminiscing. It was difficult to fathom what a man could have done to cause such obvious pain.
Each person's path toward immortality was different. It was a long and difficult journey, with the constant risk of falling and never getting back up. Long Yifei could only hope that along her path, she wouldn't have to go through whatever Xuan Xina had to go through.
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