The following day, the five of them set off down the mountain towards Lutai Mountain. Representatives from the other four sects took their leave or stayed as guests, simply awaiting the return with the flowers so the Flower Pinning Conference could officially begin.
As for the departure, all disciples saw them off at the sect gates, all except Linglong. Punished by Zhe Lei by not being allowed to step out of the back courtyard, she really didn't show up out of spite. Only He Danping was left to worry, anxious for her younger daughter on one hand and heartbroken for her elder one on the other, while also busy tending to the conference affairs. Indeed, the role of a devoted wife and mother is no easy feat.
Since Xuanji and Zhong Minyan hadn't mastered Object Control Flight yet, Chu Yinghong and Dongfang Qingqi each took one with them. Clasping them in front, they flew swiftly and steadily. Minyan was alright, as he had secretly practiced flying himself, but Xuanji was truly experiencing it for the first time. Chu Yinghong, concerned that the young girl might be afraid, held her tightly with both hands and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Aunt Hong is here, you absolutely won't fall down."
Looking down at Xuanji, Chu Yinghong saw that her eyes were wide with curiosity as she gazed at the clouds wafting like thin gauze beneath her feet, showing not the slightest hint of fear.
Chu Yinghong inwardly marveled. She knew well that the Sect Leader's two daughters, one lively and one calm, had very different temperaments. She was more familiar with Linglong, who clung to her every day for conversation and training, a vibrant and quick girl with a talent for martial arts. Xuanji, however, had barely crossed paths with her, only hearing the Sect Leader lose his temper over her laziness and irresponsibility, leading her to think the girl was nothing more than a spoiled brat. Now, with closer contact, she realized it was not so at all.
Seeing Xuanji looking so engrossed, she smiled and said, "You're not afraid? It's your first time flying so high."
Xuanji shook her head, saying, "You won't let me fall."
Chu Yinghong found her quaint and precocious confidence amusing and teased her, "So sure of yourself? I'm not your parents," she said.
Xuanji, though, ceased to speak and merely lowered her head to watch the rolling green mountains beneath, draped in a milky fog that resembled the light veils on a beauty.
Chu Yinghong quietly observed her, suddenly recalling a time when her brothers in arms had gathered for drinks, and Huan Yang, perhaps a bit too intoxicated, laughed and clapped his hands. "You are always saying that Brother Chu's elder daughter, Linglong, is a once-in-a-century genius. But I beg to differ! Has anyone seen the younger one, Xuanji? Never mind anything else, just that unflustered and dust-free air about her indicates she's cut out for great things!"
Chu Yinghong had always thought it was just drunken blabber and hadn't taken it to heart. But now, as she remembered those words, "unflustered and dust-free", they somehow seemed apt.
Chu Yinghong suddenly burst into laughter and hugged the puzzled Xuanji close to her chest, saying, "Hey, want to try something fun?"
Without waiting for an answer, she stomped her left foot forward, and the Swallow Cloud Sword beneath them took off like an untamed horse, soaring and diving until finally, with a sudden release, plummeted straight down from the sky. Just as they were about to crash to the ground, the sword, like a Dragon, deftly banked, skimming past the treetop of an elm tree. Broken branches and leaves scattered behind them in the sword's wake.
A lark resting on the tree, caught off guard, barely managed to flap its wings before Chu Yinghong, with a flick of her sleeve, caught it neatly in her hand.
"Here you go. Is that fun?" she asked, grinning as she placed the lark into Xuanji's sleeve, all the while deftly handling the Swallow Cloud Sword, skimming just over the treetops. The leaves, upon meeting the razor-sharp Sword Qi, parted to the sides with a rustle, like waves of green. They seemed to cut through the dense foliage as if sailing through sea foam.
Xuanji found everything very novel.
The feeling of Sword Flight, seeing the world from above, the wind blowing unfettered on her face, and the soft, trembling sensation of the lark nested in her sleeve, carrying the vulnerability and tenderness of a small creature. Suddenly, everything seemed crystal clear to her; even the tips of her hair seemed to savor the taste of freedom. It was a sensation entirely different from the cloistered days on the back mountain of Shaoyang Peak. She felt as if she understood something more, yet couldn't put it into words.
So when Chu Yinghong asked if she enjoyed the fun, she nodded without hesitation. Chu Yinghong patted her head, smiling, "If you like it, then you should learn to fly on your own. Only when you can fly by yourself will you truly grasp the pleasure in it."
Xuanji nodded in bewilderment, suddenly feeling that practicing martial arts wouldn't be such a nuisance after all. For the first time, she had the desire to learn Object Control Flight.
She liked that sense of freedom, the openness and the absence of all constraints.
Of course, she didn't know that later that evening at the inn, Chu Yinghong approached Zhe Lei to make a request.
"Sect Leader, I would like to have Xuanji come to Yuyang Hall to study with me. What do you think?"
Chu Yinghong's request came as both a shock and delight to Zhe Lei. He was surprised that she had chosen Xuanji; he had thought she would take Linglong as her disciple. The delight was because she was a talented and knowledgeable master, and Xuanji would certainly learn much under her guidance.
He immediately replied with a smile, "If so, it would indeed be a fortuitous opportunity for my daughter. Xuanji has always been lethargic since childhood, I hope Junior Sister will push her to work hard, for without strictness, one cannot excel."
Chu Yinghong, however, spoke seriously, "Sect Leader Brother, some children need heavy pressure to succeed, but some shouldn't be pressured at all. Everyone has their own method of cultivation. I think Xuanji is doing just fine; given time, she will surely achieve greatness."
Although Zhe Lei harbored his doubts on his Junior Sister's peculiar views, he did not argue, simply saying, "I will entrust my daughter to Junior Sister's instruction. Shall I call her over to perform the disciple induction ceremony?"
```
Chu Yinghong hastily smiled and stopped her, "Don't rush. Let's talk about it after the Flower Pinning Conference is over."
She had her own calculations in mind. Xuanji was lazy by nature but extremely smart. Such a person must not be forced to do anything. Xuanji had her own ideas, and Chu Yinghong could only guide her, tempt her, and make her interested in practicing martial arts. Fortunately, Xuanji was still young, else it would have been even harder to teach her. If the matter of taking her as a disciple was made clear now, it would only provoke a rebellious reaction, so it was better to wait.
While Chu Yinghong and Zhe Lei were upstairs discussing the matter of mentorship, Xuanji and the other two were having tea downstairs. Dongfang Qingqi ordered more than a dozen dishes in one go and then slapped Zhong Minyan on the shoulder, laughing, "This kid is not bad, managing to hold on until now. It's not easy. "
With a heavy pat from his big palm, Zhong Minyan was smacked onto the table and couldn't move. Xuanji, seeing his face turn black and looking even more bitter than a bitter gourd, gently asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
He shook his head but before he could speak, Dongfang Qingqi laughed, "He's just tried the unique skill of Fuyu Island, 'Dancing Like a Swallow,' and he did quite well. Some of my disciples are much older than him yet they faint at this move! This lad is something!"
Xuanji blinked her eyes; she didn't understand.
Zhong Minyan spoke weakly, "The Dongfang Island Master took me up and down, left and right, and then spun in place for one hundred and eight circles... I...ugh... I'm dying..."
Xuanji sympathetically looked at him, "Then you should go to sleep. We still have to travel tomorrow. "
Zhong Minyan shook his head, "I've endured up to this point. I'll just sit here a while..."
Dongfang Qingqi burst into laughter, "That's the spirit! I like it! It's not easy to hold on until this point! Brother Chu's disciple is indeed different, much better than those useless disciples of mine! How about you come back with me and become a disciple of Fuyu Island? I'll talk to Brother Chu."
Zhong Minyan became anxious upon hearing this, just as he was thinking of how to refuse, he heard Zhe Lei's laughter behind them, "Brother Dongfang is jesting. The disciples of Fuyu Island are all exceptional, how can they be compared to my unruly disciples?"
As he spoke, he and Chu Yinghong came over together, took their seats with a smile, and said, "Sorry to keep everyone waiting."
Dongfang Qingqi again said, "Brother Chu is truly fortunate. Shaoyang Sect is full of talented individuals, I'm quite envious."
Zhe Lei was lifelong friends with him and was used to his straightforward and unrestrained way of talking. He laughed, "What are you talking about! Aren't there many outstanding people on your island? Just Pian Pian and Yu Ning alone, they're enough to make you proud. I heard they recently cut down a Manman Demon in Lantian and came to me saying they were poor. They'll attend the Flower Pinning Conference, won't they?"
Dongfang Qingqi, when hearing about his two proudest disciples, couldn't help his pride and nodded, signing, "How could they not attend the Flower Pinning Conference... These two kids, they are indeed good talents. I will be at peace once I pass Fuyu Island into their hands."
After finishing, he patted the pale-faced Zhong Minyan and said, "This kid is also good! At such a young age, he managed to withstand my 'Dancing Like a Swallow.' Impressive! At the next Flower Pinning Conference, it's their generation who'll stand out! Brother Chu, stop pretending to be poor with your big brother!"
Everyone burst into laughter, but then there was a thud, and Zhong Minyan, still unable to hold on after being smacked three times, fainted onto the floor.
Chu Yinghong quickly helped him upstairs to rest, entrusting Xuanji to take care of him and gave her detailed instructions before she went back downstairs.
The sounds of laughter and the scent of wine drifted up from below. Xuanji sat stiffly on the stool, starving, and eager to go down and listen to their fun stories. Turning back to look at Zhong Minyan, she saw him asleep on the bed, looking peaceful but pale, which made her think that the 'Sword Control Technique' must be terrifying indeed.
Facing darkness due to hunger, she was relieved to see some food on the table, left by Chu Yinghong for the two of them. Unable to wait for Zhong Minyan to wake up, she started to eat by herself.
While she was eating, she suddenly felt someone watching her. Turning around, she saw that Zhong Minyan was staring hard at her with wide eyes. She swallowed her food and hesitantly asked, "Do you... want to eat some?"
Zhong Minyan, once again having his inner thoughts read by her, blushed and shook his head, whispering, "I feel dizzy, just eat by yourself."
Xuanji said "oh" and continued to eat.
Seeing that the food was almost all gone, Zhong Minyan couldn't help but speak again, "Um... can you finish that soup by yourself...?"
Xuanji finally understood that he actually wanted to eat, and so she sighed, "If you're hungry, just say it. There's still a bit of food left, don't be shy, come and eat."
Zhong Minyan was initially too proud to ask her for food, but after feeling dizzy and having vomited everything he could, he was extremely hungry and reluctantly pushed aside his quilt to get out of bed. However, his legs felt soft as cotton, and he almost fell as soon as he set foot on the ground. After a moment of bewilderment, he suddenly turned back and lay down on the bed again, muttering, "I'm not hungry, I won't eat."
No sooner had he spoken than, as if defying him, his stomach let out a long, loud groan.
```
He froze.
Xuanji was dumbstruck.
After a moment, she walked to the bed, pushed him, and said, "Hey, time to eat."
Zhong Minyan pretended to be asleep, ignoring her.
She pushed again, "Eat. We still have to travel tomorrow."
Agitated, he sat up abruptly and said urgently, "I won't eat!"
When he turned around, he saw Xuanji holding a large bowl with rice soaked in soup, topped with some greens. She sat on the bed, mashed the rice with a spoon, and said, "Let me feed you, open your mouth." She scooped up a spoonful of rice and soup and brought it to his lips.
Zhong Minyan stared at the spoon as if it were some devil, his eyes wide with round fury, his body radiating murderous intent.
"Open your mouth." Xuanji coaxed like one would with a child.
Zhong Minyan's face flushed red with humiliation and anger, frustration and shame mingling within him at the thought of being reduced to being fed by a young girl. Even more pitiful, he was actually enticed by the aroma of the food, uncontrollably opening his mouth to swallow it.
Um, delicious.
But that wasn't the point!
He vented his anger on Xuanji, glaring at her viciously, swallowing the rice as if he had a grudge against it.
"Does it taste good?" Xuanji, oblivious, didn't notice his murderous look and kindly asked him.
Zhong Minyan didn't respond, his mouth so full of food that he ate ferociously. The allure of food was indeed powerful; now, he even found the girl gentle and cute—probably because he was satisfied with a full stomach.
He noticed her long eyelashes, like little fans, thick and dense, casting two curved shadows on her fair, translucent face. Her eyebrows curved like new moons, said to be a sign of a broad-minded person. True enough, she seemed to be free of worries, eternally aloof.
She and Linglong were twin sisters, very alike in appearance, but Linglong was far more dazzling and charming. As for Xuanji, he had hardly any memory of her before; if not for overhearing some senior brothers discussing the female disciples one day, his impression of her would still be a blank slate.
The senior brothers said Linglong was like a rose, bright and charming, destined to grow into a beauty—a spicy one, with thorns.
They then mentioned a few other female disciples, renowned beauties of the sect. Finally, someone brought up Xuanji, saying: "Now, she is a true beauty. That character and temperament, give her a couple more years, and I bet we'll all be smitten. The others you're talking about, none can be considered delicate. You should know that a real beauty is refined and elegant. If Sister Linglong is a rose, then Sister Xuanji is a Liuli beauty, whose charm requires careful appreciation to be brought out."
Liuli beauty.
Seeing her crystal-clear cheeks for the first time, he felt the title was perfectly fitting for her. Of course, it would be even better if she could change her lazy and stubborn temperament.
Xuanji fed him the last bite, and suddenly noticing his face as red as if dripping with blood, she asked, "Are you not feeling well? Could you be getting a fever? I'll call my father to have a look!"
She dropped the bowl and was about to go downstairs to call someone, but he grabbed her wrist in haste, saying, "No need!"
His hand was as hot as a branding iron, and Xuanji was startled, only able to stare at him blankly.
Zhong Minyan quickly withdrew his hand, covered his head to sleep, and whispered softly, "I'm fine, just want to sleep for a while. You go down, and tell master not to worry about me."
Xuanji, knowing his mood swings from hot to cold, didn't say much, blew out the candle for him, and went downstairs.
Indeed, the next day Zhong Minyan acted as if nothing had happened at all and was even colder towards her than before. Had it not been for Zhe Lei's arrival, he probably wouldn't have even deigned to greet her.
Xuanji simply took it that he feared the Dongfang Island Master would test him again with another "Dancing Like a Swallow" challenge and didn't make much of it. Conveniently, Chu Yinghong was discussing the demon incidents at Lutai Mountain, which completely captured her attention.
"Just these past few days, five more people have been devoured at Lutai Mountain. I refuse to believe that those two demons are so formidable!" Chu Yinghong spread the intelligence report she had just received that morning on the table, leaving the three adults looking at each other in silence.
After a while, Dongfang Qingqi finally spoke, "We must pick up the pace and hurry over there, or there will be even more victims."
Zhe Lei grunted in agreement and said, "That means we no longer need to go to Zhangtai Mountain. We head straight west to Lutai Mountain. Yinghong... visiting your aunt will have to wait until next time."
Chu Yinghong nodded and responded, "Of course, vanquishing demons is the top priority."
The group quickly discussed their division of labor, and after eating breakfast and preparing to leave, they saw a row of people in green robes with Shura masks on their faces slowly entering the inn—it was the delegation from Lize Palace.
Seeing their attire, Xuanji was taken aback, feeling as if she had seen it somewhere before.
The group hadn't expected to encounter people from Lize Palace here and were somewhat surprised. Yet they saw the green-robed guests enter the inn first, meticulously wiping down tables and chairs in the corner with handkerchiefs, then taking out a set of white porcelain teaware, a set of bamboo wine utensils, two white jade bowls, and a pair of silver chopsticks to place on the table. Their unusual and grandiose behavior attracted the stares of everyone in the inn, but they seemed unperturbed by the attention.
Shortly after, someone called out, "The Vice Palace Master has arrived."
Then, they saw four green-robed guests carrying a bamboo chair coming in from outside, upon which sat a person with long hair flowing like clouds and a slim and frail figure—who was none other than the Vice Palace Master of Lize who had given them advice on demon hunting atop Shaoyang Peak the other day.
Seeing this situation, Zhe Lei's party knew they couldn't pretend to ignore it and proceed on their journey, and they were about to go greet her when two young children in blue approached and said in unison, "Sect Leader Chu, Dongfang Island Master, Hall Master Chu, Zhong Xiaoxia, Miss Chu. The Vice Palace Master invites you." Their orderly manner mentioned all five people by name.
The group followed the children over, where the Vice Palace Master was already standing by the table waiting for them. When they arrived, she greeted them with cupped hands and a smile, "My apologies, my apologies, I didn't expect to encounter everyone here. I had intended to return quietly."
Zhe Lei returned the greeting and asked, "Does the Vice Palace Master have urgent matters that require a quick return to Lize Palace?"
The Vice Palace Master sighed and replied, "By rights, I should be at Shaoyang Peak assisting with the preparations for the Flower Pinning Conference, but yesterday I suddenly received an urgent message from the palace regarding some personal matters that I had no choice but to attend to hastily. I have already taken my leave from your esteemed wife, and I hope Sect Leader Chu does not take offense. Once my affairs are settled, I will rush back to Shaoyang Peak immediately without delay."
Everyone reassured her, "Don't worry about it, the Palace Master's business is important."
After some more small talk, the Vice Palace Master insisted on inviting them to drink together. Seeing the time, Chu Yinghong got up with a smile and said, "We are in a rush to Lutai Mountain to exterminate demons, I'm afraid we cannot stay to drink to the Vice Palace Master's content. On the day of the Flower Pinning Conference, we will surely drink three cups with the Palace Master!"
Hearing about their mission, the Vice Palace Master didn't press them to stay any longer and simply smiled, "Fine! If I didn't have pressing matters, I would accompany you all there. However, my disciple Si Feng has some skills and is adept at dealing with demons. If you take him with you, the task of plucking flowers will be much easier. He certainly won't slow you down."
Zhe Lei was about to decline, but considering that the Vice Palace Master was known for having an odd temper, outright rejection of her goodwill might cause further discomfort, so he agreed.
The Vice Palace Master clapped her hands and said, "Si Feng, you will accompany Sect Leader Chu and the others on the demon hunt. After it is done, you may return directly to Shaoyang Peak, there's no need to rush back to Lize Palace."
As soon as she finished speaking, a slender young man in a green robe seemed to appear out of nowhere and knelt in front of the Vice Palace Master, bowing his head and saying, "As the disciple commands."
Xuanji felt the name was very familiar. Si Feng... Si Feng... where had she heard it before? She tried hard to recall, and suddenly as the young man turned around and greeted her father with a bow, she noticed the Shura mask on his face and the gold-traced flower pouch hanging from his waist. She suddenly remembered and couldn't help pointing at him, exclaiming, "Ah, it's you!"
The Vice Palace Master laughed, "Miss Chu knows my unworthy disciple? It must be that he has offended you before. My disciple has an odd temper, you shouldn't take it to heart."
Xuanji shook her head and said, "No, it's not that..."
Si Feng gave her a brief bow and nodded without saying anything. His cold yet polite demeanor was quite different from the last time, making Xuanji feel she might have mistaken him for someone else.
The Vice Palace Master exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then everyone finally took their leave and flew towards Lutai Mountain on their swords.