Spring used to mean peach blossom. Now spring meant the calm before the storm.
Taohua sect was also the perfect summary of spring.
Everywhere was a beautiful scene. But, it was written on everyone's face that they were already preparing for the worse. From the tale of the demon king from thirty years ago, it had the capability to instill fear in people's hearts. After all, the battle that lasted for five years took away most of the cultivation world's best heroes. Legacies only remained and the latter generation was suddenly doomed with the fate of their late ancestors. No one felt it any less than the elders and young masters of Taohua.
Not one of the generations had come close to ascending to immortal and here we were talking about defeating a being as powerful as the heavenly emperor. Fortunately, it was assumed that he was only able to return half of his power from being suppressed for many years. Otherwise, he wouldn't resort to hiring lackeys killing and sacrificing people left and right.
There was at least one progress to sigh in relief: no more kidnapping. Sect leaders were determined to set that in motion. Aside from the Yin Dragon Sect in the south, the other two sects are building fortified walls. Groups of disciples would be assigned to guide key locations of the city.
Sometimes they would catch suspicious activities and sometimes they would catch a devil cultivator.
Taohua caught one. Shi Lihua volunteered to investigate however failed because they would always slip away through a suicide mission.
Later Master Cui went into seclusion with more lines on his face than in winter. Shi Lihua has also handled the responsibility of training Lai Yun Peak.
Wu Huan had been hanging out more and more with the three devils of a friend he had, but regularly would watch his shixiong dishearteningly because he was being neglected yet again. Even with the difficulty to call out his sword, he could never attract much attention to himself.
And suddenly, one day it all changed. Shi Lihua was on his doorstep with his polished peach rope and neat hair. He didn't look at Wu Huan when he began to speak, "I have a request."
"Shixiong? What request?" He hated that he sounded too excited. He was just surprised. Not excited.
"Find me a branch of sweet osmanthus flower."
Wu Huan watched his adam apple bobbing up and down. His usual face of masked aloofness was lightly sweating in embarrassment.
"Osmanthus what?"
Shi Lihua was definitely walking on a short temper. He had already turned to leave. "Please bring it to the kitchen once found."
Let Wu Huan tell you how impossible it was to find a singular branch of this flower in a whole city of peach blossom. He was sure that this shixiong of his wasn't able to find one himself after much search and came to rely on him. Imagine how serious this task was for him to come to Wu Huan. Nonetheless, the training session has ended so he was free to roam around.
He ended up visiting the 100 Fragrance Peak. Elder Zhao was busy preparing sachets of pill in the 100 Season Hall that disciples would come and go for their medicines and supplies.
"Wu Huan?" He called after noticing the tall figure. "Goddess, have you run out of pills again?" He put aside the sachet and moved to open the nearest drawer.
"Greetings, Elder Zhao. I didn't come here for the pills. I have something to ask if Elder doesn't mind."
His old eyes widen in question.
"Do you know where I can find a sweet osmanthus tree around the Sect?"
"Osmanthus?" He looked down contemplating.
"That's a hard one to find. But, we do receive some in the monthly supply. Why don't you go ask my disciple? She handled the restock of the Sect."
"Elder means Wan Qiang Shijie?"
He gave a low laugh, "Who else could it be? She has just returned from the South Sect."
"Thank you so much, Elder...Hold on, how do I find her?"
He rubbed his chin, "Probably around the spirit tree."
It has been a while since he has visited the spirit tree ever since the last time Shi Lihua came to him. But, he wasn't so excited to meet the Shijie. Everyone knew she was a scary one. She was ranked right after Shi Lihua in the list of the one of the best disciples. Maybe bothering her would trigger a series of scolding.
[You're just projecting Shi Lihua onto her.]
He remarked at himself.
[Not all seniors are scary.]
He had only realized how much he had missed out when he finally set his eyes on the scene he once only viewed in winter. A butterfly wagered passed his dumbstruck face and even the color of its wings wasn't enough to describe the landscape.
"Shijie Wan Qiang?" He greeted despite having his eyes still attached to the colorful plants and the abundance of green spirit leaves.
The woman who was crouching down picking at a plant, rose her head and raised a perfect brow. "Who might you...be?"
Of course, she didn't know him. She had just come back from the South.
"I'm Wu Huan, a junior disciple of Lai Yun Peak. Please to meet shijie."
Her face lit up in an 'Oh' and she brushed her hands before standing up. "That's right. I have heard about you from Master's letter. There is no need to be formal."
"Thanks, shijie. I didn't mean to bother you but I was told to find you here. There is something shijie can help me with." Thinking about it, he made it sounded so serious. Couldn't help it. He was nervous. When she smiled lightly for him to continue, he scratched his nose, "I need to find a sweet osmanthus branch, but as you know, there is not even one around. And..."
"And?" she pressed curiously.
"I need it urgently."
Wan Qiang sighed with her a light chuckle. She seemed amused for some reasons.
"Is there something wrong?" Wu Huan had to ask.
"No, it's just...you have become your shixiong's errand pet, haven't you?" She grabbed her waists, "Every spring that Shi Lihua always came to me for osmanthus. I guess he sent you instead this year so he doesn't have to deal with me." Wan Qiang waved her fingers for him to come after her and they left to the Sect's storage room not far from the 100 Season Peak.
Disciples were arriving with full baskets of herbs and flowers. Wan Qiang left into the wide-open door and inquired someone to retrieve her a batch. Sooner, she came out with a coil smile, "Tell your shixiong to come and get it himself next time. Or else, he will get nothing."
Wu Huan reached out to receive the sachet of flower but something else in his mind propelled him to ask, "Why does shixiong need this, shijie?"
He received a slap on his shoulder, "Well, you'll find out soon enough. Now stop bothering me Lai Yun Sect disciple."