The cherry blossoms of Xia City fluttered down from their branches, carried by the chilly spring breeze. It is said that Xia City's spring is the most beautiful in the world and many would make the trip down to enjoy the beauty and festivity of the city during the season. The cherry blossom wine is another local delicacy offered by Xia City. Its unique, sweet mellow taste could only be produced from the cherry blossoms that bloom in the city, no other place in the world can it be replicated. Xia City has many brewers that produce and sell cherry blossom wine and the booming business has never faltered due to the enthusiasm of its locals and visitors. It was said that almost every household stores a few jars of cherry blossom wine in its warehouse for personal enjoyment during other seasons and also to entertain guests.
Si Shen, however, was someone who could not handle alcohol. He sighed as he leaned against the window of his inn, overlooking the bustling streets of Xia City. It has been so many years since he last stepped into this city and the feeling of home has not changed. He glances back in his room, at the two other companions he brought along with him to Xia City, savoring the cherry blossom wine in his room.
"This wine is marvelous," Nan Ling smiled blissfully, downing his second cup.
"Indeed, the famous cherry blossom wine from Xia City did not disappoint." Nan Liu agreed as he went for a third refill.
"Can't believe it's been so many years and I am still being bullied like this," Si Shen shook his head and turned to look back out the window, his eyes with a trance of resentment.
"What do you mean by bullying? We offered you and you rejected," Nan Ling retorted.
Si Shen was on the verge of snapping. It wasn't that he wanted to drink the wine; he was simply exasperated by the pungent scent of alcohol permeating his room. They knew he disliked alcohol, yet they had chosen to drink it right in his space. It felt as if they were deliberately trying to irritate him.
"What are you even here for?" Si Shen muttered, rolling his eyes.
Nan Ling held up the bottle of cherry blossom wine and grinned foolishly. "The alcohol?"
If not for Nan Liu holding him back, Si Shen would have thrown all the alcohol in the room at Nan Ling.
Shaking his head, Si Shen left the room. The twins, Nan Ling and Nan Liu had accompanied him to the human realm to assist with his task but the way Si Shen sees it, they are treating this as a vacation. Well, not Nan Liu—he was too gentle and sweet to leave Si Shen to handle everything alone. But Nan Ling, on the other hand, is being a menace.
Twirling his umbrella in his hand, Si Shen slowly made his way down the street. If his memory serves him right, there should be a tea house at the end of that street. He remembers how he often would visit this tea house with his younger siblings, spending hours there after school to avoid going home.
Ah, the good old days.
Si Shen was delighted to find the same old tea house was still standing strong. Dusting one of the empty seats, he ordered a pot of tea and settled among the other patrons. The waiter soon returned with his teapot and some complimentary snacks, which Si Shen appreciated. Picking up the small cake, Si Shen paired it with a sip of tea and nodded to himself.
It was exactly as he remembered. The subtle sweetness of the cake and the bitterness of the tea meshed perfectly. Si Shen was glad that he took up the task of visiting Xia City this time. He had never really picked up his courage to come back to Xia City, not after what had happened before. He just wasn't ready to face it, to face the people and his past.
Si Shen was feeling all nostalgic when suddenly a commotion broke out behind him.
"I dare you to say that to me again!"
"I'll say it as many times as you want, you are a piece of scum."
The sharp, angry exchange drew Si Shen's attention. He turned to see two men locked in a fierce grip, each holding the other by the throat. One wore green, the other turquoise blue.
The Xia Sect and the Li Sect.
Interesting…
Si Shen sipped his tea leisurely, watching the unfolding drama from his seat. Such a good show the moment he sat down, how could he miss it?
"I am one of the disciples of the Xia Sect and you dare to insult me in Xia City! What do you take us for?" The man in green shouted, his voice echoing through the open door of the tea house. Outside, a crowd began to gather, their curiosity piqued by the commotion.
"What is so great about the Xia Sect? Ye Family has been haunted for so long and yet the Xia Sect could not resolve it. It has been a month and Madam Ye is still hearing the sobbing of a female ghost at night. Is your Xia Sect even doing their job?"
The one in turquoise yelled back, unfazed by the threat.
"This haunting is unusual which is why we invited other Sects to have a look at it, what is so wrong with that?" The Xia Sect disciple retorted back, his arms crossed.
"It's just a haunting, what is so unusual about it? Could it be that Xia Sect is lacking in talent that they require the help of other Sects?"
The two other Li Sect disciples stood behind their senior as he taunted the Xia disciple whose face was reddening with anger. He looked as if he was one second away from settling this argument with violence instead of words.
So young…
Si Shen shook his head at their impulsiveness. From the conversation, it was clear that the Xia Sect had difficulty in handling this particular haunting and had invited other Sects to Xia City to help them. The Xia Sect could not openly invite them for this as it would mean they were announcing to the whole cultivation world that they could not resolve a haunting in their territory so they invited the Sects under the pretense of the cherry blossom festival. Yet, these Xia disciples are causing a ruckus in a teahouse.
First, it throws the dignity of the clan. Troubling common folk was not only considered ill-mannered but also disgraceful.
Second, their public dispute will spark rumors that the Xia Sect was incompetent. Although that may not be true, if enough people repeat it, it will be perceived as the truth.
Third, their altercation can imply that the Xia Sect and Li Sect are not on good terms. While the Li Sect might not match the Xia Sect's fame in martial arts, they were renowned for their expertise in medicine. Offending them was unwise, and revealing such discord was detrimental to the Xia Sect's reputation.
If the elders were around, these kids might very well be thrown off the cliff for being idiots. Si Shen chuckled to himself at that thought. Truth to be told, he has been thrown off the cliff many times when he was younger. Maybe it is just a rite of passage that every young man needs to endure.
"Young Master Xia, Young Master Li, please calm down. We are all here for the cherry blossom festival, let's not make things difficult for each other."
Si Shen saw a young lady standing between the hot-blooded young men, attempting to mediate. She was dressed in white and her hair was braided into two tails. Dressed in white with her hair braided into two tails, she had woven white ribbons into her braids, giving them an illusion of added length. Her face, though sharp from the tension between the two men, retained a touch of youthful innocence. She appeared to be about fifteen, a young cultivator. Si Shen noted her snow-white robes, signifying that she belonged to the Xue Sect which specializes in ice techniques.
The Xue Sect is one of the big four Sects in the cultivation world. They are even bigger than the Xia Sect and for them to come down for this haunting, whatever that is happening in the Ye Family must be significant.
"Lady Xue, is not that I want to fight openly with this Xia Hao Ran but he was being too much. It was his Sect that invited us here but he is kicking us out of this tea house. Is this how a host should act?" The Li disciple stood his ground and glared at Xia Hao Ran.
"This tea house is operated by civilians, you are not allowed to be here." Xia Hao Ran huffed as the other Xia disciples nodded in agreement with what he said.
"The cherry blossom festival is held in a specific area and this is the civilian area. Guest cultivators are not allowed to be in the civilian areas, this is the rule of the Xia Sect."
"You Li disciples should have read the note on the invitation sent to your clan which states which area is off limits. It's not our fault that we must enforce our Sect rules and kick you out of a civilian teahouse."
"We were simply heading down towards the festival and stopped by this teahouse for some tea, what is so wrong about that?" The Li disciple could not understand it at all, the rule sounded ridiculous. Although what Xia Hao Ran had said was correct, he did remember his father telling him about the civilian areas being off-limits but how would he know which part of the street was the civilian area? Is he supposed to memorize the entire map of Xia City?
"Young Master Xia, since they only intended to have tea and will be leaving for the festival, it's best not to escalate this. It would be unwise for our elders to hear that there was a dispute between our Sects during the cherry blossom festival," Lady Xue interjected.
Her words seem to have done the trick as both Sect disciples backed off. Xia Hao Ran could report the trespassing of the Li Sect but the Li disciples have done no damage to the teahouse. From the start, the only reason why the Xia Sect separated the city into civilian areas and neutral areas was to prevent any damage done to the civilian areas from any fights or conflicts. The Li Sect disciples only came to get some tea and cannot be considered to have done any damage. The Xia elders might even overlook this incident so as to not sour their relationship with the Li Sect.
The Li Sect disciples also do not wish for this to reach their elders since it was their fault for not reading the invitational card properly. Trespassing onto another Sect's civilian area can be taken seriously if the Sect were to really pursue this issue and they cannot guarantee the Xia Sect would not take this chance to make the Li Sect owe them a favor.
Both disciples cupped their hands in agreement to Lady Xue.
"Lady Xue's words are correct. Since it is just stopping for tea, I would naturally not insist on this small matter."
"This humble disciple thank Lady Xue for her help. It is my oversight, I will remember to not enter the civilian areas in the future."
With their apologies exchanged, both groups departed the teahouse, leaving Lady Xue alone. Si Shen's gaze lingered on the young woman. Both Sect disciples addressed her as Lady Xue and not disciple Xue which can only mean that this Lady Xue is a direct descendent of the Xue Clan. The white ribbons adorning her braids were not for decorations then, it is the symbol of the Xue Clan's direct bloodline.
But whose daughter could she be?
Si Shen searched his memory of the Xue Clan and recalled only one male of suitable age—Sect Leader Xue.
But isn't Sect Leader Xue unmarried? Is she an illegitimate daughter or could it be she is adopted?
Si Shen frowned in thought. The Xue Clan was known for its strict adherence to bloodline purity, making adoption unlikely. However, it had been over a decade since he last engaged with the cultivation world. Much could change in that time, and his information might be outdated.
He hadn't realized he'd been staring until he noticed Lady Xue's pale blue eyes locked on his. Startled, he quickly recovered, raising his teacup in a gesture of acknowledgment before downing its contents in a single gulp. Lady Xue's expression remained impassive, but she nodded back before leaving. For her age, she handled the situation with remarkable composure. Clearly, the Xue Clan knows how to cultivate its heirs well. With her evident talent and poise, she could very well be a future Sect Leader.
But then again, the people produced by the Xue Clan are always outstanding.
Setting everything aside, the happenings of the Ye Family have piqued his interest. The Xia Sect, Li Sect, and even the Xue Sect are involved. Si Shen hummed to himself as he slowly poured another cup of tea. Nan Ling and Nan Liu are probably out of commission after all that drinking, looks like it will just be him snooping around the Ye Mansion tonight.