Chapter Sixteen: The Aftermath of the Wager

As dawn approached, Hongjian finally managed to doze off for a while, and when she awoke, she immediately realized she had overslept. Hastily, she dressed and washed, and had just finished tidying herself when Qi Xiuning, who lived next door, came knocking, intent on going with her to the sect’s main hall.

Qi Xiuning’s face was frosted with displeasure. As soon as Hongjian stepped out, she remarked with biting sarcasm, “Hurry up, will you? Senior Sister Yao isn’t in her room. I suppose she disdains to join us novices and has already left.”

Hongjian fell silent. Yao Zhen’s recent inexplicable distance was surely linked to her so-called stroke of fortune. Hongjian had no desire to pry into Yao Zhen’s secrets, but she couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. It was rare to find a confidante, and yet, here they were, drifting apart.

The disciples chosen from Dan Cliff Sect gathered at the foot of Scarlet Wheel Peak, the main mountain of their sect. Zhang Yu, Fang Zheng, and the others were already waiting. Fang Zheng beamed widely at his sister when he saw her.

Hongjian smiled at her brother, signaling for him to stay calm. With a sweep of her gaze, she suddenly sensed something amiss. Most of the group had arrived, but Yao Zhen was nowhere to be seen. She counted—indeed, fourteen were present, but the one missing was none other than Yao Zhen, the top-ranked Water Spiritual Root.

How strange. This was an important event, and Senior Sister Yao had prepared for it well in advance—how could she be late at such a crucial moment? She wasn’t in her quarters, nor was she here, so where could she be?

Hongjian felt uneasy. Meanwhile, Fei Chengji, the Golden Core elder leading them up Scarlet Wheel Peak, could not hide his displeasure. Yan Changqing from Evening Tide Peak was absent today, leaving Fei Chengji with no one suitable to vent his frustration on except for Qu Changhe. He snapped, “What’s going on with your Water Spiritual Root disciples? On an occasion like this, you don’t even have a single sixth-level Qi refiner. Are you trying to make a laughingstock of our sect in front of the others?”

Qu Changhe replied coolly, “This generation of disciples is unsatisfactory, as you well know. There was a female disciple who barely made it to the sixth level, but it seems she’s not here. I suppose she’s given up her chance to meet the Grand Elder.” Although he normally paid little mind to female disciples, Qu Changhe knew the three girls lived together. Since the elder asked, he glanced toward Hongjian and Qi Xiuning and inquired, “Where is Yao Zhen?”

Before Hongjian could answer, Qi Xiuning dutifully replied, “Master, we went to invite Senior Sister Yao on our way here, but her quarters were empty.”

Fei Chengji snorted and addressed the disciples, “Let me explain what today’s about, so you’re not all blindly walking in. The Grand Elder and Sect Leader Dai of Talisman Chart Sect have made time to meet the younger generation of every major sect. Do well, for if you catch the eye of either of these Nascent Soul powerhouses, it could change your fate for generations. Don’t think you can slack off just because you share a sect with the Grand Elder. Judging by the performance of the other sects, your strength is the weakest. Wipe those arrogant, ignorant looks off your faces.” With that, he paid no heed to their varied reactions, swept his sleeves, and barked, “Let’s go!”

Hongjian opened her mouth, but in the end did not dare to plead with them to wait for Yao Zhen. She had little standing; speaking up would only annoy the others. Neither Fei Chengji nor Qu Changhe, both seasoned elders, would pause for her sake. As for the other disciples, perhaps they were secretly glad to have one less competitor.

The group formed two lines and followed Fei Chengji in silence. Hongjian, walking at the rear, kept glancing back, hoping Yao Zhen would appear.

“Sister Fang! Fang Shimei!”

Startled, Hongjian realized Zhang Yu was beside her.

Zhang Yu glanced at Fei Chengji up ahead. Despite the elder’s sternness today, he usually treated Zhang Yu, a fellow Wood Spiritual Root, quite well. Zhang Yu was not afraid of him. He winked at Hongjian and whispered, “So, Sister Fang is now the top-ranked Water Spiritual Root? Remarkable for someone so young.” Ever since Hongjian won her wager against Xianyun Sect’s disciples, Zhang Yu and the others had abandoned their former aloofness and now frequently sought her out.

Only then did Hongjian notice the strange outcome. Chen Zaizhi was injured during the selection, Zheng Jin was overage, and Yao Zhen was still missing. She, a mere fifth-level Qi refiner, had become the lead in their group—a fact that explained Fei Chengji’s darkened expression.

Looking behind her, Hongjian saw Qin Shangyi, ranked fourth in the sect selection, and then Qi Xiuning. Their faces were flushed with anticipation. She searched the Wood Spiritual Root line and spotted Fang Zheng. Strangely, standing at the head of the group, a position everyone coveted, filled her with a vague sense of unease.

Scarlet Wheel Peak was the highest in Dan Cliff Sect, its main hall—Huanhua Hall—perched amid the sea of clouds at its summit. When the sun set, crimson light bathed the eaves, dazzling in brilliance against the blue sea and sky below, like a celestial abode.

Such a renowned hall in the cultivation world was reserved only for the greatest occasions. Despite having spent years in Dan Cliff Sect, Hongjian could count on one hand the times she’d climbed Scarlet Wheel Peak, and she’d never once stepped into Huanhua Hall—let alone the other sects’ Qi-refining disciples.

Dan Cliff’s group was not early. Outside Huanhua Hall, several sects had already assembled their disciples into neat ranks, waiting quietly.

Hongjian estimated that there were over a hundred people, none familiar to her. Dan Cliff’s group stood in the center, facing directly toward the grand hall’s main doors. To the left, a group of fourteen or fifteen youths, all clad in black robes embroidered with golden cloud patterns, exuded both vigor and an air of mystery.

Following Hongjian’s gaze, Zhang Yu whispered, “That’s Talisman Chart Sect.”

Talisman Chart Sect—the sect of Nascent Soul master Dai Mingchi.

The arrival of Dan Cliff’s disciples drew many eyes. A stir passed over the square, but the Talisman Chart disciples all wore solemn expressions, not even whispering among themselves—strikingly proud amid the various sects.

Hongjian watched as Fei Chengji greeted the Talisman Chart Sect’s leader with great courtesy, and realized that the young-looking Talisman Chart elder must also be a Golden Core cultivator.

She wondered how skilled their Qi-refining disciples were. Fei Chengji’s disappointment in his own sect’s disciples suggested the others were strong. Surely, there were many sixth-level Qi refiners like Zhang Yu and Senior Sister Yao among them. Talisman Chart was a famous, prestigious sect—perhaps they even had seventh-level disciples. After all, even Xianyun Sect had two at the seventh level; it made no sense that Talisman Chart would be any weaker. Forcing down her anxiety at suddenly finding herself at the head of the group, Hongjian’s mind buzzed with wild thoughts.

“Oh no!” Thinking of those two youths from Xianyun Sect, Hongjian suddenly realized something she had overlooked. “This is bad. I’ve been so busy these past few days, I completely forgot about Shi Qingxiang. The wager isn’t even a month old—if that boy keeps pretending to be mute, might he miss his chance today? His talent is among the best here. If he’s not chosen because of our bet, that would create a real grudge. I need to find him and tell him the wager is off—today, we all rely on our own abilities, and I won’t take advantage of him or Zheng’er.”

At the time of the bet, Hongjian had found those two boys from Xianyun Sect thoroughly disagreeable, and had done her utmost to torment them. Yet after the wager, her impression of Shi Qingxiang had changed completely. In fact, that “Weak Rain Pill” made her feel indebted to him. Anxiously, she scanned the crowd. There were so many people—Lesser Yingzhou, Immortal Glow Cave, disciples from every sect, all waiting in perfect order. How could she possibly send a message to the Xianyun Sect group, separated by dozens of yards? Hongjian began to sweat with worry.