Chapter 81: Invitation to the Grand Assembly
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. The twentieth of the first lunar month.
At Lotus Tranquility Peak.
Gu Qingqing had just completed the month’s outer sect chores. As she returned to Lotus Tranquility Peak, she happened to encounter Liu Yuechan.
“Sister Liu, what did Elder Xu call you for?”
“Next month is the Flower Festival at North Watch Mountain. Longquan Prefecture has invited us to dispatch disciples to participate.”
Liu Yuechan explained to Junior Sister Qingqing: “North Watch Mountain falls within the jurisdiction of the Sun-Shooting Sect. The Sun-Shooting Sect is on good terms with our Eastern Abyss Sect.”
“The Flower Festival is a grand assembly held once every three years. They have always invited us in the past.”
“On one hand, they invite us to assist in management and support the festival proceedings. On the other hand, it also strengthens the bond between the two sects.”
As if remembering something, Liu Yuechan mentioned: “The Yan family of the Sword Forging Manor in Longquan Prefecture has also rendered us considerable service in the past.”
“The flying sword magical artifact you received from the sect may well have come from the Yan family’s hands.”
Gu Qingqing let out an “Oh,” then corrected: “Qingqing doesn’t use a flying sword magical artifact, but Senior Brother Song’s flying sword might well be from there.”
“Senior Brother Song?”
Liu Yuechan was taken aback: “You mean Song Yesheng?”
“Yes.”
Liu Yuechan pondered briefly, seemingly searching her memory.
With the New Year just passed, the sect missions she needed to distribute and dispatch were simply too numerous. She feared she might confuse them.
“Let me think…”
“This Junior Brother Song appears to be on the support roster for this mission.”
“Ah?”
Gu Qingqing was envious: “Senior Brother Song is really lucky… He gets to go out and tour the mountains and waters.”
A support mission for the Flower Festival could hardly be called dangerous.
They said it was assisting with festival proceedings, but what would people like them know about such things?
North Watch Mountain had been holding this festival for so many years. Could something possibly go wrong?
Thinking about it, in the past it was just admiring flowers, eating, drinking, and having fun.
“The personnel for this mission, as determined by Elder Xu, are…”
“Senior Brother Lin Qing, who recently advanced to inner sect, will lead the team. From the outer sect: Song Yesheng, Li Qingfeng, and Junior Sister Yuerong.”
Liu Yuechan deliberated for a moment: “However, there may have been an oversight when Elder Xu first drew up the list. Junior Sister Yuerong has just entered the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and she hasn’t even been in the sect for two years.”
“It doesn’t quite follow regulations.”
“Although the Flower Festival indeed poses no danger, considering the risk, I was actually planning to replace her.”
“Ah?”
Gu Qingqing felt somewhat distressed, secretly feeling sorry for her good sister.
Such an opportunity that was virtually risk-free and offered a legitimate chance to tour the mountains and waters came only once every three years.
However, these regulations existed after all to protect the sect’s disciples.
Upon close scrutiny, there was nothing to be said.
“If nothing comes up on the fifteenth of next month, you can take Junior Sister Yuerong’s place and participate.”
“Me?”
Gu Qingqing of course wanted to go. Whether it was Senior Brother Song or Senior Brother Li, they were all good friends.
Touring the mountains and waters with good friends—that would be a wonderful thing.
“I don’t think so, Senior Sister.”
However, she still felt a bit uneasy and declined this pleasant assignment.
She felt that doing so would be “snatching” her good sister’s opportunity.
“Since Elder Xu made this decision, he likely had his considerations.”
“Junior Sister Yuerong has already entered the fourth layer of Qi Refining, and the Flower Festival poses no danger.”
“It would be just the right opportunity for her to broaden her horizons.”
Liu Yuechan nodded after hearing this: “Mm, that does make sense.”
“But the final decision still lies with Senior Sister.”
“Alright.”
…
Eastern Abyss Sect, Taiping Peak.
Song Yan and Li Qingfeng stepped into the Mission Hall together.
Several hours prior, the two of them had received a voice transmission from Senior Brother Lin Qing.
It roughly stated that in the middle of next month, there was a sect dispatch mission that appeared to head north to Longquan Prefecture.
The two of them came to the Mission Hall of one accord to check the situation in advance.
“Old Song, isn’t the Flower Festival a mortal festival? In Longquan Prefecture, do cultivators also celebrate it?”
“How would I know?” Song Yan’s gaze swept across the jade wall.
During the same period, there were no shortage of sect dispatch missions going out.
For instance, he had just seen postings for garrison duty at Changping and handover at West Qi River…
It took considerable effort before he found the mission related to the Flower Festival.
He had also been prudent, double-checking that this was a mission issued by the sect, not some nonsensical commission.
Sect Support Mission.
Location: Longquan Prefecture, North Watch Mountain.
Inner Sect Disciple: Lin Qing. Eighth layer of Qi Refining…
Outer Sect Disciples assigned:
Song Yan, Li Qingfeng. Sixth layer of Qi Refining…
Yang Yuerong. Fourth layer of Qi Refining.
Inside the mission jade slip, there was also an invitation from the Sun-Shooting Sect.
“To the honored fellow Daoists of the Eastern Abyss Sect, from North Watch Mountain:”
“The Flower Festival draws near. The ceremony revives ancient rites. We humbly request that you dispatch elite disciples to assist in security and related affairs.”
“Our mountain kitchens have newly opened their stored hundred-flower honey brew. Once the grand assembly concludes, we wish to share a drunken revelry beneath the blossoms with you all.”
“With respect, Wu Duo of the Spirit Flower Valley, North Watch Mountain.”
“The twenty-sixth of the first lunar month, Year of the Serpent.”
North Watch Mountain…
Song Yan mulled it over.
The first people he thought of were the couple Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo.
After their joint venture into the cultivator’s cave dwelling, the two had once mentioned that the Wu clan resided at North Watch Mountain.
“What a coincidence.”
Should he actually pay them a visit?
But thinking it over, the Flower Festival was such a grand assembly that even two giants of the Chu Kingdom’s cultivation world—the Sun-Shooting Sect and the Eastern Abyss Sect—would participate. The Wu clan was surely inextricably linked to it.
Perhaps this Wu Duo of the Spirit Flower Valley was even a scion of the Wu clan…
Let it be as fate wills.
What truly made Longquan Prefecture famous was not the so-called “Wu Immortal Clan,” which had not even materialized.
It was the Yan family of the Sword Forging Manor, renowned throughout the Chu Kingdom.
“Northern Yan, Southern Qin.”
This Longquan Prefecture family, famous for artifact forging, was the undisputed foremost among the four great cultivation families of the present day.
Their overall strength likely surpassed that of some minor sects.
If there was leisure time during this trip, he might as well visit the Yan family.
Song Yan was very interested in the forging materials of the “Untethered Vessel” and had been wanting to find someone to discuss it with.
The two studied it for a long while before Li Qingfeng was the first to arrive at a conclusion: “Old Song, this is a damn fine assignment!”
“Touring the mountains and waters! Admiring flowers and the moon!”
Song Yan did not see it that way.
He could not help it. He had been burned too many times.
Starting from the Silent Valley venture.
He remembered how Senior Brother Lu Ziye had kept telling them at the outset: “Easy and effortless,” “Completely without danger.”
And what happened? They nearly did not make it back.
Then there was Peach Blossom Wharf. At first, they had thought it would just be a matter of clearing out some small fry.
And what happened? They nearly became blood food for the enemy.
Sometimes he wondered whether these missions really were originally easy and relaxing.
It was just that because of his own wretched, lone-star fate, every ordinary mission ended up perilous and fraught with danger.
“Hey, you think everyone’s like those bastards from the Profound Abyss Sect?”
Li Qingfeng tapped the duplicated mission jade slip in his hand: “The Sun-Shooting Sect has an elder overseeing things, and our sect has already made arrangements in advance.”
“Nothing will go wrong.”
He sidled up to Song Yan with a mischievous grin and whispered: “Xiao He, you get to go out and play!”
From within his sleeve came Xiao He’s muffled, muffled echo.
“Going out to play~”
…