Chapter 2: Fuling, the girl who confesses her love to Master Xu.
One month ago
Zhou Fuling woke up in the morning light.
Her fingers touched the lilac blossoms.
Flower buds and green grass brushed against her ears, and the bright, clear sky of Tianji Gate came into view.
She has rarely had such a quiet time since she was born.
She slowly rose to her feet, her waist-length braid woven from a light green silk ribbon, and two green pearls, sent from the mountain gate pavilion, stuck to her earlobes.
She stepped on the damp grass, shook her head, and felt as if she had shaken away the dampness.
"Miss Fuling".
When Shu Mingjian arrived, Zhou Fuling had just stood up, shaking her boots, with her crumpled homework books beside her.
The girl's hair was softer than that of ordinary boys and girls, with glossy black braids adorned with flower buds. Her skin was also cooler, but not the whitest.
But her delicate skin, small nose, and thick eyelashes give her a cool yet gentle temperament, like a lily of the valley hidden under a warm flower stand in winter.
Her boots kicked at the grass, and her pale hands held the flower stand.
Shu Mingjian's voice sounded impatient: "Are you leaving?"
"Of course we're leaving. But there's still half an hour left, isn't there?"
Zhou Fuling said.
On the stone steps, Zhou Fuling's snow-white boots trod on the flowers. But as soon as she stepped out of the barrier, a blizzard swept over her, fluttering onto her green skirt and the jade tablet in her hand.
Shu Mingjian glanced at her:
Well, here we go again, this old lady, to greet the whole mountain gate with gossip.
*
Recently, Zhou Fuling has indeed been the subject of gossip.
There is no other reason.
Because she was the junior sister of Xu Qingning, the young master of Tianji Sect, she asked Xu Qingning for a partner, but was rejected.
This incident caused a huge sensation within the Tianji Sect.
The first gate of the Immortal Realm, in the Eastern Continent, is the Tianji Gate.
This is one of the three great gates of the Immortal Realm. The mountain gate is a thousand feet high, rising into the heavens.
On the green steps, the disciples, who were moving about in an orderly fashion, all had their eyes on a pavilion.
"Is that Junior Sister Zhou Fuling?"
"Yes, who else could it be but her?"
"Tsk, she really has ambitions that are way too high."
No one understands what Zhou Fuling is thinking.
Ten days ago, they were so shocked when they heard that Zhou Fuling had confessed her love to Xu Qingning that their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
You need to know, what kind of person is Xu Qingning?
A unique individual in the entire Eastern Continent.
Today, the Immortal Sect has three major families: Longtan in the Central Continent, Tianji in the Eastern Continent, and Yunning in the Southern Continent.
Xu Qingning is the only living second-generation member of Tianji Sect, and is the undisputed and universally respected next leader of Dongzhou.
He must be calm and composed, possessing genius, decisiveness, and intelligence.
His legend has continued since his youth.
Legend has it that his swordsmanship was unparalleled, and since his youth, whenever his name appeared, he was almost always at the top.
He also made sure his name appeared at the top of the list.
However, his life was full of misfortunes. After losing his mother, he suffered the pain of being trapped in the Heavenly Abyss, the slaughter of his relatives, and the loss of his physical strength. Yet, after experiencing these unbearable pains, he was able to rise again with powerful means and a ruthless will.
He is one of the youngest leaders of the three sects today, and also the most promising cultivator.
Because of his outstanding appearance and abilities, the fairies of various immortal sects all wanted to marry him in order to share in the power of the Eastern Continent.
Who is Zhou Fuling?
The wild girl Xu Qingning met when she was down on her luck, for whom she had been kind, was also favored by the young sect leader. She was pretty, but just plain pretty.
But she had neither family background nor cultivation level!
How dare she speak to the young sect leader? And even propose marriage?
"And I've heard that she's really beyond help..."
"Yes, the young sect leader showered her with countless immortal herbs and personally trained her, yet she still couldn't reach the ninth rank—the lowest rank! Isn't that a waste?"
"It's already a miracle that she even came to one of the three major sects, how could she possibly be thinking of being with the young sect leader? To dare to say such a thing to Young Sect Leader Xu, she's really crazy!"
...
Zhou Fuling was already used to being spoken to like that.
Today, she gracefully walked up to the mountain pavilion, the sunlight falling on the green silk on her head. As if she hadn't heard these words, she sat in the pavilion, holding a hand warmer, peeling oranges.
Her delicate eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips were pressed tightly together, as if the rumors from earlier had somewhat affected her mood.
Beside her, Shu Mingjian stood with his hands behind his back, looking very dissatisfied.
Shu Mingjian, a captain under the Immortal Sect, was rescued by Xu Qingning during the demonic calamity and assigned to Zhou Fuling as her bodyguard.
In addition, Xu Qingning assigned a considerable number of people to Zhou Fuling's side. A total of twelve assistant officers were given to Zhou Fuling.
Seeing Zhou Fuling lingering in front of the mountain gate, Shu Mingjian took a deep breath:
“Miss Fuling… The young sect leader said long ago that he is busy with matters on the main peak and will not be returning to Bingjian Peak for the time being, so that you can rest well. He did not say it explicitly, but I think that the young sect leader does not want to see you until you have thought it through.”
"Why don't we go back? It doesn't look good to stay here."
"..." Zhou Fuling glanced at him.
His eyes were like autumn water, which made Shu Mingjian's heart skip a beat for some reason, and he felt a moment of dizziness.
After glancing at him, Zhou Fuling lowered her eyes again, roasting oranges on the stove and peeling them segment by segment.
Shu Mingjian couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration: "..."
Zhou Fuling was always like this. She was usually polite and nice to him, but when he tried to persuade her, she would become stubborn and vain, and sometimes she would simply pretend not to hear him.
She is indeed quite beautiful.
He thought to himself, with Zhou Fuling's status, she'd be lucky to even be a concubine to a fourth-rank cultivator. What's with her being so arrogant?
Shu Mingjian felt a surge of anger. He had considered telling Young Master Xu about these things, but for some reason, he didn't dare to say them to the Young Master.
Just then, they heard the Vermilion Bird sing. Everyone looked up, but Shu Mingjian couldn't help but grit his teeth.
"Miss, the people from Yun Ning Sect have arrived."
"What happened to Yun Ning Sect again?" Zhou Fuling asked.
"The people of Yun Ning Sect have never liked you. Why don't you give way?"
However, it was too late. A voice echoed through the valley, rushing towards them:
"Oh my, isn't this Miss Zhou? And... is this the dog that Young Master Xu asked her to raise... no, the person he assigned to her?"
Below the mountain gate, a group of people filed out. They were all dressed in red robes with gold buttons, carrying white swords or gold knives on their backs, and golden flutes and crow-shaped pipes hanging from their sleeves. The leader had a fierce face and an arrogant demeanor.
...Ning Chengsong. The Immortal Official Shu Mingjian gritted his teeth.
He was a spy sent by the Yun Ning Sect to the Tian Ji Sect, and an elder of the Yun Ning Sect, another major sect.
Among the various sects of the Immortal Clan, there is a system called "Huanci". The leader of the Immortal Alliance, "Xian Shang", and the powerful sects of other continents personally send immortal officials to various places to supervise and inspect. They are arrogant and domineering, and the neighboring continents have long suffered from them.
Ning Chengsong is a prime example of this.
He was a confidant of the Lord of the Southern Continent. After coming to the Eastern Continent, which was under the control of the Tianji Sect, he took advantage of the Eastern Continent's decline after the great disaster and acted tyrannically.
But the thought of this person made Shu Mingjian feel as if he had a thorn stuck in his side, and this person never gave Shu Mingjian a friendly look.
Because the person Shu Mingjian was with was Zhou Fuling.
This Ning Chengsong is a confidant of the "Danhuo Fairy" of the Yun Ning Sect. The "Danhuo Fairy" of the Yun Ning Sect is named Ning Chaoxue. She is the only daughter of the Yun Ning Sect's leader and a renowned noblewoman of the immortal sects.
But she had admired Xu Qingning since childhood and had long wanted to marry him.
Zhou Fuling stood there, seemingly somewhat wary, her lips pressed tightly together: "...Elder Ning, please do not speak recklessly."
"Oh dear, who's speaking? It's the esteemed Miss Zhou Fuling—"
Elder Ning said sarcastically, "You're just going to wait there with a fourth-grade cultivator for your senior brother? But don't wait anymore, you're just wasting your time."
Zhou Fuling: "What?"
Elder Ning seemed to have no intention of getting entangled with Zhou Fuling. He glanced at her contemptuously and turned to leave.
A disciple behind him understood and shouted:
"Our Fairy Danhuo is about to marry Young Master Xu."
The man shook his head and said with great pride, “Three months ago, at the Yunning Sect’s Yunzhu Pagoda Dharma Assembly, a prophecy was carved on the Lianghuo Sacred Stone: ‘Qingxu and Huoning will form a good marriage, and Taiyun and Xianchang will bring prosperity to the country’—this saying indicates that the Xu and Ning families will definitely be united by marriage in the future, and will be able to step onto the throne of the most glorious position together, and rule over the land between immortals and mortals. It is an auspicious omen.”
"Today, we have come to finalize this matter."
"Miss Zhou, please make way."
As the Yun Ning Sect disciple departed, he deliberately flicked his sleeves to create a gust of wind.
"The Tianji Sect didn't teach you any manners. As a mortal, you should show deference to high-ranking cultivators and not voluntarily enter their territory. If you do encounter them, you should curtsy. If you don't understand, then don't embarrass yourself!"
The wind suddenly brushed against Zhou Fuling's shoulder.
In reality, this was just an ordinary wind technique released by the lowest-ranking disciple.
However, even with Fu Zuo blocking her way, Zhou Fuling seemed to lose her balance and crashed into the corner of the stone table, which drew another round of snickers.
Good heavens, someone like her, still wants to be with Young Master Xu...
The attendant beside Zhou Fuling was furious.
Just as he was about to retaliate, Zhou Fuling said, "Wait."
The Yun Ning Sect disciple turned and left. Zhou Fuling stared at his back and suddenly threw a rock at his back.
That person was a low-ranking disciple who was being used to humiliate Zhou Fuling by giving her meaningful glances, so he wasn't on guard against Zhou Fuling.
As if someone were helping her, Zhou Fuling's stone suddenly hit her disciple's face again.
"Grandma, what are you doing?!"
Shu Mingjian's face turned green, and he put away his amused mood.
Zhou Fuling's face was stubborn, and her brows and eyes held a hint of anger.
Shu Mingjian tried to drag her away, but his accompanying officer slapped his hand away and stood in front of Zhou Fuling to protect her.
Zhou Fuling shook her head and pushed away the officer's hand, "It's nothing."
Everyone was incredulous, and Elder Ning's face turned ashen:
"Zhou Fuling, how dare you do this?! A person of no rank, attacking a fifth-rank cultivator under the tutelage of Tianji Mountain?!"
"Let me tell you, even if Elder Master Xu came today, he couldn't protect you!"
Zhou Fuling seemed not to listen to anything he was saying, and under Shu Mingjian's anxious glare, she lowered her head and pursed her lips.
Elder Ning shouted and lowered his head to chant the incantation.
Suddenly, a fire dragon shot out from the sky, its imposing presence and roar piercing through the clouds.
The flames seemed to scorch the eyes of every disciple present.
However, the fire did not touch Zhou Fuling.
Accompanied by waves of suffocating pressure, many Tianji Sect disciples turned pale and lost their footing.
But his magic did not actually hit anyone.
This is also acting in accordance with the rules of the immortal sect. He can use his power to suppress people and he can also make excuses that he has "disordered energy" and that others are just mistakenly entering the sect when he is suppressing his cultivation.
Elder Ning's expertise lies precisely in "Qi".
The source of immortality for cultivators in this place is the solar energy of the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
The wind howled, and the waves scorched.
Zhou Fuling held onto the stone table, as if she were about to fall because she was too weak to support herself.
Shu Mingjian belatedly set up the sword formation, even though he had just wanted to see the joke, he dared not neglect his duty.
But Elder Ning's control over vital energy was exceptionally skillful and outstanding.
Shu Mingjian struggled helplessly to maintain the sword formation, and just when everyone thought Zhou Fuling was about to flee in a sorry state, a resounding bell rang out from the sky.
Clang, clang, clang—
The sound of jade and gold resonated, piercing through green peaks and fields, through thousands of trees and leaves, swirling and vibrating, causing the trees to rustle—
Above the azure sky, it was as if someone had unfurled a scroll, and a stream of clear blue spiritual energy, with vigorous strokes, drew a massive lightning-controlling array.
Boom—
The magic array bore the inscription in clerical script: "The essence flows brightly east of the Jade Pool, the Holy One of the Alliance is named Qing Tong." Spiritual energy flowed from the characters to the center, and azure lightning pierced through the center of the flowing clouds like a swift flame, tearing through the sky and striking Elder Ning Chengsong with a deafening roar.
The deafening roar seemed capable of splitting the heavens and earth.
If Ning Chengsong's previous oppressive aura had made many disciples pale and tremble, then the power of this lightning array now caused many disciples to crash into the stone wall and tumble down the steps.
But then a gentle, golden wind formation rose up, protecting the disciples and blocking Zhou Fuling's way.
The celestial official beside him said, "The young sect leader has arrived!"
Just like when Elder Ning attacked Zhou Fuling, this lightning bolt did not directly strike Elder Ning, but instead hit a nearby rock. However, its oppressive force, as if capable of overturning mountains and seas, and splitting the heavens and earth, pressed down fiercely in front of Elder Ning.
Snap!
Elder Ning was actually knocked against the mountain wall, slammed so hard he was like a limp lump of dough, coughed up blood, and trembled for a long time before he could stand up.
He seemed incredulous, unable to believe that Xu Qingning would actually make a move.
The disciples on the side stared in astonishment at all this, while some looked up at the lightning array in the sky.
Is that the magic from the young sect leader who rose and fell three times and broke through to the first rank twice?
Such a skill of the highest rank could be so perfect.
Then came the clear cries of phoenixes, and a celestial carriage appeared in the clouds. Celestial mist descended, and the carriage stopped in front of the mountain gate.
Many people knew that Xu Qingning had arrived, and immediately knelt down.
"Greetings, Young Sect Leader!"
The person who stepped out of the carriage was Xu Qingning's deputy, named Hao Cheng. Several officers followed behind him, waiting respectfully.
A hand wearing a snow-white deerskin glove lifted the curtain slightly.
One person revealed his vague appearance.
Inside the car was a person dressed in a snow-white Taoist robe and a crane-feather cloak. Their demeanor was aloof and noble, like a sharp sword with hidden edge, making people only dare to admire them from afar and not dare to approach them.
The snow-white, gold-embroidered curtain obscured his features, but from his long, slender, and strong fingers, and from the frost-covered sword he held, one could tell that he was a refined and aloof young master, as exquisite as jade.
Everyone respected Xu Qingning greatly and immediately bowed in respect.
The official approached Zhou Fuling and said respectfully, "Miss Zhou, the young sect leader requests that you come up for a talk."
A note from the author:
----------------------
I'll try adding some paragraph comments to this book.
And this book should have been written before or immediately after it went premium, until the author's true identity was revealed.
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