Rain-seeking platform
The clamor of the rain-summoning ceremony hadn't yet subsided when Su Qing, clutching the rain-summoning talisman, headed towards the back mountain. The elder had commented that while her qi control was steady, her finishing stance lacked a certain fluidity; she wanted to take advantage of the twilight to practice a few more times against the mountain breeze. The wind through the pine forest carried a refreshing coolness. She found a spacious stone platform and had just assumed the starting stance for her rain-summoning spell when footsteps sounded behind her, accompanied by a familiar yet unfamiliar soft call: "Junior Sister Su?"
She turned around abruptly, her heart skipping a beat—the newcomer wore a moon-white Taoist robe, a jade belt buckle around his waist, and a simple silver hairpin in his hair. His face was handsome, and the contours of his eyes and brows were exactly the same as those of her beloved Jing-gege. It was Cong Jing! She almost blurted out "Jing-gege," but then bit her lip—though the person before her hadn't changed in appearance, his eyes had lost their former gentleness, instead seeming veiled in mist, concealing a depth she couldn't fathom.
Cong Jing was also looking at her, his expression first showing surprise, then returning to calm. He slowly stepped forward: "Junior Sister, I clearly saw your rain-summoning technique at the rain-praying ceremony just now. Your control of your qi was precise, truly remarkable." His voice was no different from before, but the word "I" felt like a fine needle, pricking her heart with pain—back in the capital, he always called her "Sister Qing," never with such formality.
"Senior brother, do you recognize me?" Su Qing clenched her sleeve, her fingertips touching the silver hairpin hidden inside. It was a gift from Congjing's mother, given to her by hand years ago, who said it would be part of their betrothal when they grew up. Congjing's gaze fell on her sleeve, a faint, strange glint flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it, smiling, "Just now I heard someone call Junior Sister 'Su Qing,' and observing your magical techniques, they do resemble an old acquaintance of mine."
The words "old friend" brought tears to her eyes, but also made her more wary—if he really was Brother Jing, why didn't he acknowledge her? If not, how could he look exactly like Brother Jing? Just as she was about to ask again, Cong Jing suddenly changed the subject: "Junior Sister, are you practicing the technique for ending your stance? Actually, there's no need to be deliberately tense when ending your stance. Just gently guide it back along the flow of Qi. I'll demonstrate for you."
Having said that, he raised his hand and made the finishing gesture of the Rain Summoning Technique, with strands of energy flowing from his fingertips, which was indeed more agile than her movements.
Su Qing tried to imitate him several times, but something always felt off—Cong Jing's hand gestures seemed correct, but the angle of his qi induction was slightly off. If he practiced like this for a long time, it might lead to qi and blood disorder. Her heart sank. She remembered the mountain god saying that "Qinglang Mountain also has spies." Looking at the undisguised strangeness in Cong Jing's eyes, she suddenly realized: the person in front of her might really be Brother Jing, but he was no longer the boy who would share half a cornbread with her and protect her.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother," Su Qing stopped what she was doing and deliberately distanced herself. "It's getting late, Junior Sister will take her leave now."
As she turned, she heard a very soft sigh behind her, sounding like regret, or something else entirely. As she quickly walked out of the pine forest, the blue mark between her brows suddenly burned. The mountain god's voice was grave: "That person just now possessed an evil aura hidden within his energy channels; he was no ordinary disciple. He was both surprised by your appearance and deliberately concealed it. You must be more vigilant in the future; he may be plotting against you."
Su Qing clutched the silver hairpin tucked into her clothes, her fingertips icy cold—she couldn't believe that her beloved Jing-gege, whom she had longed for day and night, would appear like this upon their reunion, and might even try to hinder her. Yet, his strange gaze and deliberately misleading magical gestures in the pine forest forced her to believe it. Back at the bamboo hut, Tong Que noticed her pale face and quickly asked what was wrong. Su Qing shook her head, only saying, "From now on, if you see a senior brother named Cong Jing wearing a moon-white Taoist robe on the mountain, don't get too close to him." Although Tong Que was puzzled, he still nodded in agreement.
At night, Su Qing sat under the lamp, taking out the silver hairpin. Moonlight fell on the hairpin, reflecting her reddened eyes. She remembered her brother Jing saying, "After I finish repairing the river, I will ask Uncle to allow us to marry." She remembered how he shielded her from falling flowers, smiling and saying "It doesn't hurt" even though his arm was scratched. But now, he stood against her, and might even hinder her from clearing the Yin family's name.
“Immortal Master,” she asked softly, “why did he become like this? Is it…is it because he suffered some hardship after the Yin family’s incident?” The mountain god’s voice, tinged with uncertainty, carried a gentle warmth from the blue lines between his brows: “The evil aura on him seems to be controlled by someone. Perhaps he has his reasons, perhaps he is no longer in control of his own destiny. What you can do now is to focus on your own cultivation, and when the time is right, investigate his background.” Su Qing nodded, carefully hiding the silver hairpin close to her body.
She knew that the road ahead would not only involve facing Jin Jing's difficulties, but also guarding against the obstruction of this "Brother Jing". But she would not back down - for the sake of the Yin family's injustice, and to find out the truth behind Brother Jing's change, she had to win first place in the apprenticeship ceremony, and she had to get closer and closer to the capital, closer and closer to the truth of what happened back then.
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