The food at the noon banquet was indeed just like that plate of snacks—conventional and without any warmth. Cai Zhao disappointedly filled her stomach. Cai Xiaohan, with the mindset of having to eat vegetarian food for several months, binged. In the end, he collapsed before a porcelain tureen of red-braised crystal trotters, sighing in regret at the sight of them. Cai Zhao had to find a servant to get some dried tangerine peel soup for him to aid his digestion.

Even after rubbing Cai Xiaohan's belly until it no longer hurt, the siblings still hadn't seen their parents return. Fan Xingjia returned from the main hall, his head covered in sweat. He picked up a freshly filled bowl of rice and began to wolf it down, sweeping through the leftovers on the table like a tornado. Cai Zhao, being very generous, pushed the untouched trotter into Fan Xingjia's bowl, causing Chang Ning to frown deeply.

"...Thank you, Junior Sister Cai. I haven't had a bite to eat or a drop to drink since this morning. It's more tiring than training. Thankfully, Master told me to come find you, so I could finally catch my breath. Poor Eldest Martial Brother, he still can't rest." Fan Xingjia's cheeks were puffed out from eating, almost smoothing out his dimples. He chattered on while eating, "Junior Sister, Junior Brother, don't wait for Valley Master Cai and the others. No one from your Falling Blossoms Valley has come out for so many years. Now that you're here, many seniors want to catch up with your esteemed father and mother. Never mind now, they might not even be able to get away tonight."

Cai Zhao quickly asked what she and her brother should do now. Fan Xingjia replied, "It's chaotic outside right now, with disciples from all the sects bustling about. You don't know anyone, so to avoid any conflicts, Eldest Martial Brother said you should just stay in the guest rooms in the side hall of Twilight Palace for now. After the ceremony is over, you can go settle into the 'Lodge of Longevity' that Master prepared for Junior Sister."

Cai Zhao nodded repeatedly, and was about to drag her foolish brother off for an afternoon nap to soothe the damage from the past two hours, but Chang Ning grabbed her by the sleeve. She asked, puzzled, "What is it now?"

Chang Ning: "If you leave, what about me?"

"What do you mean 'what about you'? Didn't I promise to protect you?" Cai Zhao felt that her promise was worth a thousand gold pieces.

Chang Ning said with a straight face, "You're going to the guest rooms, and I'm going back to the Apothecary. What if they come looking for trouble with me? Even if you break their bones to make soup afterward, Junior Sister, I'd still have already suffered. So, was the promise you just made not to protect me completely, but to avenge me in front of my memorial tablet after the fact?"

Cai Zhao's eyes widened. She didn't think it was that serious.

Chang Ning stared back at her unceremoniously, indicating that it was indeed that serious.

In the end, Cai Zhao threw in the towel. "Fine, fine, let's go together. Senior Brother Fan, can Senior Brother Chang Ning stay in the guest room next to mine?"

Fan Xingjia's heart skipped a beat when he met Chang Ning's cold gaze. The other person was clearly a frail youth who had lost all his martial arts, yet he still felt like a little bunny being stared at by a venomous snake. He quickly said it was possible.

With each person lost in their own thoughts, the group followed Fan Xingjia towards the side hall of Twilight Palace. Seeing that neither the new junior sister nor the poison-sore junior brother were peace-loving individuals, this time, Fan Xingjia was very careful to avoid the crowds. They finally arrived at the side hall peacefully.

Looking at the two clean, interconnected guest rooms with bright windows, Cai Zhao thanked him sincerely, "You've worked hard, Senior Brother Fan. I wonder if freeing up two adjacent guest rooms was too much trouble? After all, guests are thronging the gates these days, if there aren't enough rooms..."

"Not at all," Fan Xingjia said with a smile. "The guest rooms in the hall have actually been quiet these past few days. That's because Eldest Martial Brother has arranged for the disciples of the various sects to stay in separate courtyards, to avoid... to avoid..."

"To avoid 'misunderstandings'," Chang Ning finished for him. His eyes curved into a beautiful smile. "People in the Wulin are very prone to 'misunderstandings'. Eldest Martial Brother and Senior Brother Fan have been very thoughtful."

Fan Xingjia gave a wry smile and wiped his sweat. He quickly ordered the servants to bring over the belongings of Cai Zhao, her brother, and Chang Ning.

While Fan Xingjia was busy directing people to arrange the guest rooms, Cai Zhao sidled up to Chang Ning and whispered, "Can you stop provoking people? Don't you know that harmony brings wealth? It wasn't Senior Brother Fan who had a 'misunderstanding' with you, why are you prodding him?"

Chang Ning turned his head in astonishment, a hurt look seemingly in his clear eyes. "You've only known Senior Brother Fan for half an hour, while we've known each other for an hour and a half, yet you're scolding me for his sake?!" After speaking, he angrily flicked his sleeves and stepped into the room.

Cai Zhao stood rooted to the spot. "..." 'Is there really a big difference between half an hour and an hour and a half?'

Chang Ning walked up to Fan Xingjia and made a long, deep bow, which startled Fan Xingjia. He quickly said, "Junior Brother Chang Ning, what is the meaning of this? There's no need for such a grand gesture!"

Chang Ning straightened up and said, "Senior Brother Fan, please understand. I don't matter, but Junior Sister Cai is a newcomer. She offended Senior Sister Qi entirely because of me. I must trouble Senior Brother Fan to keep a close watch, and don't let any 'misunderstandings' happen with the food and drink that's sent over."

Cai Zhao's ears twitched, and she caught up in a few steps. "Senior Brother Fan, have the people who bully Senior Brother Chang ever tampered with his food?"

Fan Xingjia said awkwardly, "Uh, yes, two or three times—but Master immediately punished those who harmed Junior Brother Chang severely! After that, there were no more... uh, no more 'misunderstandings'."

Chang Ning glanced at her and frowned. "And the medicinal soup. I have to drink it several times a day, and they've messed with that too."

Cai Zhao turned her head again to question him. "Senior Brother Fan, are they insane? They dare to tamper even with the medicinal soup for healing and detoxification?!"

Fan Xingjia waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no, it wasn't poison. They just added some... filthy things, like... like..."

"Like grasshoppers and bedbugs and such," Chang Ning said with a smile.

Cai Zhao's face fell. "Senior Brother Fan, isn't this going too far?"

Fan Xingjia looked troubled. "It only happened once or twice, and Master punished them twice as severely. Now, Junior Brother Chang Ning's medicinal soup is sent directly from the Apothecary overseen by Martial Uncle Lei, so something like that won't happen again."

Chang Ning seemed quite pleased and pressed on. "When I was sleeping at night, they even threw scorpions and venomous snakes on my bed..."

"This is too much!" Cai Zhao slammed the table and stood up. This time, she spoke before Fan Xingjia could. "Senior Brother Fan, don't just say Master has punished them severely. As long as the main culprit isn't dealt with, these lackeys will never stop!"

Fan Xingjia forced a smile. "Master was also furious, but Senior Brother Chang managed to avoid it every time and wasn't actually harmed. So, the Master's wife stopped Master from imposing heavy punishment, saying it was just children being naughty..."

Cai Zhao disagreed with this and said loudly, "Senior Brother Fan, you're mistaken. Not succeeding in harming someone is completely different from not trying to harm them! Is there no justice in this Qingque Sect?!"

Fan Xingjia looked at Chang Ning, then at Cai Zhao. After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "Over these matters, Master and his wife have quarreled fiercely. Now... now they are living in separate courtyards."

Cai Zhao was speechless.

She finally understood why her own mother always found Qi Yunke disagreeable. Her future master was certainly a good person, but he clearly lacked decisiveness and authority. He was often manipulated by others due to concerns for face and personal feelings, which really infuriated her.

"The Sect Master's wife says it's just children being naughty, is that right? Fine." Cai Zhao narrowed her eyes and said word by word, "Naughty is as naughty does. After I join the sect, I'll be the youngest one here. I suppose if I get naughty, I won't be heavily punished either."

Fan Xingjia understood her meaning and said apprehensively, "...It would be best not to harm the harmony between martial siblings."

Cai Zhao said with a beaming smile, "Don't worry, Senior Brother Fan. The bond between siblings, you know, grows stronger the more they fight." Although she craved comfort and convenience, the more than ten years of Cai Pingshu's influence had not been completely wasted on her. She still possessed the basic chivalrous heart that pitied the weak and hated evil.

Fan Xingjia wiped the sweat from his forehead and chuckled foolishly.

He had just heard from Zeng Dalou about the skill Cai Zhao had displayed in front of everyone. Coupled with Qi Yunke's protection, if a real conflict broke out, Qi Lingbo would likely be the one to suffer. But if Qi Lingbo suffered, the Master's wife would definitely not let it go. There would be endless trouble within the sect in the future.

He was born into a wealthy and harmonious family, and thus developed a cheerful and optimistic disposition.

Originally, he was just an Outer Sect Disciple fooling around. He had planned to bask in the prestige of the world's number one sect for a few years before returning home to be a carefree, wealthy man. Who knew that he would actually have a talent for concocting medicine and refining qi, and be muddle-headedly accepted into the inner sect. 'Ancestors of the Three Religions, Amitayus Buddha, I only pray that when they start fighting, they don't accidentally injure an innocent person like me!'

Once the servants had finally settled the two guest rooms, Fan Xingjia uttered a few polite words and hastily fled.

When they were alone, Cai Zhao dropped her smile and said to Chang Ning with a serious expression, "I've thought of the third rule for our agreement. From now on, you are not allowed to provoke anyone who doesn't bear you ill will. Can't you just let harmony bring wealth? Otherwise, you'll end up offending everyone!"

Chang Ning: "Then why aren't you being harmonious with me to bring wealth? You're always pulling a long face at me."

"Even if I were a shopkeeper, you wouldn't be my customer. What harmony or wealth is there to be had?"

"Then what am I?"

"A debt collector."

...

Cai Zhao rolled her little brother three or four times in the dry, soft bedding, and the dough-like Cai Xiaohan fell asleep.

Chang Ning, perfectly satisfied, also went to take an afternoon nap. With his wish fulfilled, he immediately became all smiles. Even the poison sores on his face seemed somewhat pitifully charming. Before sleeping, he even reminded Cai Zhao not to forget to call him for dinner.

The side hall was quiet. Cai Zhao held up a fist-sized Night-Luminous Pearl and looked up at the high, vaulted ceiling of the room. On the ancient, silent roof beams were coiling patterns of strange beasts, some deep and some shallow. Their faces were ferocious and their forms fierce, yet everyone called them auspicious signs.

Whether they were auspicious signs or fierce beasts depended solely on popular lore. So in the end, the one who lives to the last is the winner, and good and evil are just a matter of words.

A faint, elegant scent of incense and candles filled the air. The winding palace corridors isolated them from all the noise and clamor of the main hall in front. Cai Zhao slowly returned to the room, tucked her little brother in, and then sat alone at the table, lost in thought.

Of the Six Sects of Beichen, the Qingque Sect of Jiuli Mountain was the most respected. Below it were the Vast Heaven Sect, Peiqiong Mountain Manor, Siqi Sect, Grand Beginning Abbey, and finally, Falling Blossoms Valley.

For two hundred years, the world was in turmoil. Each of the Six Sects had its own talented individuals, many of whom were exceptionally gifted. However, the reason the Qingque Sect was always able to remain at the head of the Six Sects was its practice of promoting talent without sticking to one pattern. Other sects could pass leadership from father to son or uncle to nephew. But every time the Qingque Sect selected its next Sect Master, they had to choose the one with the most outstanding martial arts and intelligence under the watchful eyes of all.

For this reason, no matter how selfish the previous Old Sect Master Yin Dai was, when the obscure Outer Sect Disciple Qi Yunke broke through the meridional shackles of the 'Sky Fire Dragon' and began to distinguish himself, he had no choice but to make an exception and accept him as his personal disciple.

—However, according to Ning Xiaofeng, Qi Yunke's meteoric rise to inherit the position of Sect Master was greatly aided by the Demonic Cult's troublemaking. As the saying goes, a nation in peril yearns for loyal ministers. If not for the great calamity at hand, Qi Yunke's abilities would not have been so apparent.

Beyond the Six Sects, the righteous path of the Wulin was not without its own powers—foremost among them were the Evergreen Monastery at Qingxi Hollow and the Xuankong Nunnery at Yinxiu Stream.

The former was built one hundred and sixty years ago—yes, precisely when the first-generation demoness of Falling Blossoms Valley caused a monumental disaster in the Wulin. It was said that the Six Sects were about to gather their forces to clean up their own house. But it was Master Lingtai, the first abbot of Evergreen Monastery, who mediated the conflict. In the end, everyone muddled through it, and the matter was dropped.

Since then, Falling Blossoms Valley and Evergreen Monastery formed a deep friendship. It is said that the eighteen oldest and thickest towering pines and cypresses in Evergreen Monastery today were planted with the help of Falling Blossoms Valley, and they are known as the Eighteen Arhat Pines.

Xuankong Nunnery was built a few years later, and from the day of its founding, it remained reclusive, not participating in the disputes of the Wulin. This lasted until one hundred and twenty years ago, when a stunningly brilliant cult master emerged in the Demonic Cult. In his teens, he had all the elders of the Demonic Cult under his thumb. By twenty, he was like a clap of spring thunder and six soaring dragons, suppressing all the masters in the world with no one able to match him. He killed without restraint and was unstoppable.

In those days, the influence of the Demonic Cult was everywhere, not even allowing Yinxiu Stream to remain withdrawn. Xuankong Nunnery had nowhere to hide and was forced to join the righteous alliance led by the Six Sects of Beichen.

"What happened then?" ten-year-old Cai Zhao listened with relish. "Did a great hero from the righteous path emerge and kill that villainous cult master, just like how Aunt killed Nie Hengcheng?"

Cai Pingshu scratched her head and smiled wryly. "I'm not sure about that either. It seems the Demonic Cult had some internal strife, which gave us an opportunity. Aiya, who can remember things from over a hundred years ago clearly?"

Cai Zhao still remembered her disappointment at the time—sometimes, the big villain isn't killed by a great hero; they might just kill each other or die from their own stupidity.

In the bedding, little Cai Xiaohan let out a burp and rolled over. His rosy little lips smacked a few times, and he fell back into a sweet sleep. However, there was no movement from the room next door; it seemed he hadn't even turned over.

Cai Zhao slowly moved the door between the two rooms. Holding the Night-Luminous Pearl, she walked into the inner room. She saw Chang Ning lying on his side, a light-colored inner garment visible beneath a thin, navy blue blanket, revealing a snow-white neck and a chest like a jade disc, his skin delicate yet firm.

Young Lady Cai Zhao very primly averted her gaze—storybooks said that lechers would get beaten up.

So she put down the Night-Luminous Pearl and, as if treating little Cai Xiaohan, very properly pulled the blanket up for Chang Ning. The slender body, somewhere between a youth and a young man, was breathing evenly, deep in a sound sleep. It seemed he had not slept so soundly and without worry for a long time.

Cai Zhao sighed softly, and holding the Night-Luminous Pearl, she slowly backed out.

Besides the Six Sects of Beichen and the one temple and one nunnery, the Jianghu also had a smattering of other sects. Most rose to prominence for a time, only to vanish like meteors, rarely remaining glorious for more than a century. For example, Cai Zhao's maternal family, the Ning Family, was once renowned in the Wulin for being masters of both medicine and the sword. Following the death of Cai Zhao's maternal grandfather, with one son becoming a monk and one daughter marrying out, the Ning Family was soon forgotten.

"Is fame really that important?" Looking at the lonely little girl, Cai Pingshu smiled gently. "What is the prophecy of our Falling Blossoms Valley?"

"Flowers bloom and fall in their own time. Let everything follow its natural course, do not force it."

"Right, let everything follow its natural course. If there are people who remember you, then they remember you. If no one remembers, then let it be. These things are not what's important."

"Then what is important?"

"It is that we have lived in this world, that every day we lived was clear and happy, and that we can look up to heaven and down to earth with a clear conscience. The Ning Family will perish, the Cai Family will perish, but 'we' will never perish."

—Cai Zhao awoke from her memories, glanced back at the sleeping Chang Ning, and gently slid the door shut.

The Chang Family was the same.

The Chang Clan of Wu'an had only risen for a few decades. The young Chang Haosheng achieved success in his cultivation at the age of twenty and began to travel the Jianghu. He gradually built a reputation as a great hero of his generation. During this time, he befriended Cai Pingshu and a group of brothers, some reliable and some not, and later married his fiancée and had a child.

Having witnessed the cruel methods of the Demonic Cult, he had hidden the Chang Family Fortress so well that it was impenetrable. But unexpectedly, after escaping the overwhelming power of Nie Hengcheng, his entire family was inexplicably annihilated seventeen years later.

Cai Zhao closed her eyes, leaned against her chubby little brother, and feigned sleep under the covers.

Before drifting into a drowsy sleep, she thought that she should at least protect Chang Ning until his injuries healed. His entire family had been killed, so it was understandable that his temperament was perverse and strange. If it were her, forget about her whole family being killed—that year someone stole the pork belly she was planning to make into cured meat for the New Year, she had wanted to go on a killing spree. For a full three months, she was filled with unspeakable grief and indignation, seeing everyone as a thief.

So, it would be better to treat Chang Ning more kindly in the future.

On the bed in the inner room of the adjacent chamber, the person who should have been sound asleep listened to Cai Zhao's breathing, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.