Rong Zhenren realized something had gone wrong.
The situation seemed to be slipping out of control.
She had thought that with Zixi's ethereal, otherworldly disposition, she would never fall for anyone in her lifetime, and would simply accept her fate—but she never expected there to be a freak like Mo Hua in this world.
The relationship between these two, senior and junior sister, was clearly beginning to change.
On the surface, they still addressed each other as "Senior Sister" and "Junior Brother," and generally observed propriety, not doing anything too transgressive.
But Rong Zhenren could sense that their auras were slowly converging.
Their gazes seemed to blend like milk and water; once they met, they merged together.
As someone who had experienced such things herself, Rong Zhenren's heart raced at the sight, and she knew it was over.
She wanted to say something to warn them, but didn't know how to bring it up.
The measure and scale of her words were hard to gauge.
These two children were not ordinary people.
If she spoke too lightly, it would be irrelevant and useless; if she spoke too heavily, their rebelliousness might flare up, making things worse.
Rong Zhenren, a Feather Transformation senior qualified to control the Small Blessed Land, was driven to serious anxiety by this troublesome pair of senior and junior siblings.
But if she did nothing and just let things go, she would certainly be blamed.
She couldn't explain it to the Old Matriarch either.
Rong Zhenren reviewed recent events in her mind, thought it over repeatedly, sent a message to the Earth Sect to obtain an invitation, and then came to the small courtyard in the Blessed Land.
The small courtyard was as peaceful and quiet as ever.
Mo Hua and Zixi sat at the table, one gentle and handsome, the other pure and ethereal, like a perfect pair, looking at the same formation diagram together, occasionally speaking softly.
Little Orange held a fan, a melon in her mouth, squatting by the stove brewing tea.
This scene was beautiful and heartwarming; Rong Zhenren almost couldn't bear to disturb it.
But this scene was also extremely dangerous, so she had to break it.
Sighing inwardly, she stepped into the courtyard.
Mo Hua and Zixi were surprised to see her and rose to bow.
Little Orange started, pretended not to see Rong Zhenren, and continued munching on her melon.
Rong Zhenren glanced at Little Orange, then looked at Mo Hua and handed him an invitation, saying, "This is an invitation for you from the Earth Sect."
"Earth Sect?" Mo Hua was surprised. He took the invitation, glanced at it, then looked up at Rong Zhenren. "A Lantern Festival?"
Rong Zhenren nodded. "The Earth Sect is holding a Lantern Festival, inviting the high-level members of the major noble families in Kun Prefecture, as well as the prodigies of each family, to view the lanterns and enjoy themselves together."
Mo Hua was puzzled. "At this time of year, they're throwing a Lantern Festival?"
In Tongxian City, such a grand lantern fair was usually held only during festivals like New Year, Lantern Festival, or the specific Demon Hunting Festival.
But now, it wasn't New Year and there was no festival—it didn't fit the schedule. Why hold a lantern fair all of a sudden?
Mo Hua looked at Rong Zhenren suspiciously.
Rong Zhenren said, "This is the Earth Sect's arrangement. It's for—"
Rong Zhenren hesitated.
But Mo Hua suddenly understood—he wasn't unaware of the situation in Kun Prefecture. He said, "For marriage alliances with the noble families?"
Knowing she couldn't hide it from Mo Hua, Rong Zhenren nodded. "More or less."
A thoughtful look appeared in Mo Hua's eyes.
He had heard too much about the Earth Sect's marriage alliances before, and he knew the scale of this one far exceeded previous ones.
Now it seemed the Earth Sect's grand marriage alliance plan was reaching a critical juncture.
The reason for holding this Lantern Festival was probably to let the Earth Sect's direct line disciples and the talented young men and women of the major families meet and socialize, thereby advancing the marriage alliance process.
Many marriage alliance arrangements that had been made earlier would start to be implemented through this event.
On the surface, it was a Lantern Festival "shared with the people."
But in reality, it was a huge "marriage alliance fair."
Thinking about it this way, Mo Hua understood.
"But—why did the Earth Sect suddenly send me an invitation?" Mo Hua asked. "I'm not a member of a Kun Prefecture noble family."
Rong Zhenren asked back, "What do you think?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Because I'm a formation genius?"
Although Rong Zhenren felt that Mo Hua was a bit brazen in praising himself, when it came to the facts, it was undeniable.
As a direct disciple of the Taixu Sect and the top in both Qianxue and Formation Dao, if that didn't count as a formation genius, then who in the world dared to call themselves a genius?
Rong Zhenren sighed. "More or less."
In fact, the Earth Sect hadn't intended to invite Mo Hua at first.
First, Mo Hua was indeed not a member of a Kun Prefecture noble family.
Those not of our family are bound to have different hearts; the local families in Kun Prefecture were quite xenophobic.
Second, Mo Hua was too mysterious—the Earth Sect couldn't fathom his background and didn't dare provoke him rashly.
This invitation was one that Rong Zhenren had personally requested for Mo Hua.
Mo Hua still had concerns. "But I don't want a marriage alliance—"
Rong Zhenren said, "Even if you don't want a marriage alliance, it would be beneficial to go to the Lantern Festival to relax and make some connections with the Earth Sect's direct disciples and the direct descendants of Kun Prefecture's major noble families—"
On your outing, it would be best if you happened to meet a few beautiful noble family girls, change your mind, and marry into the family—that would save me the worry.
Lantern Festival, making connections with Earth Sect direct disciples and Kun Prefecture noble family descendants—
It sounded reasonable enough.
Mo Hua thought it over, then turned to Bai Zixi and asked, "Senior Sister, are you going too?"
Bai Zixi hadn't spoken yet when Rong Zhenren said, "Zixi is not going."
Mo Hua asked, "Can't Senior Sister go?"
Rong Zhenren nodded. "Zixi's identity is special, and her bloodline is unusual; that kind of occasion—it's easy for trouble to arise."
Mo Hua asked, "What if she disguises herself?"
Rong Zhenren shook her head. "No. With so many people and sharp ears, and everyone being from major noble families, even in disguise, she'd be too conspicuous—"
Moreover, sending you off to the lantern fair was to prevent you two from falling in love. If I sent both of you together, wouldn't I be aiding and abetting evil?
Rong Zhenren thought to herself.
Mo Hua was also pondering.
Visiting the lantern fair and making connections with the direct disciples of the major sects and noble families would allow him to understand the relationships and movements of the Earth Sect and the various families.
Actually, it was a good thing.
But this lantern fair was held for marriage alliances.
So going alone was a bit inappropriate.
Mo Hua wasn't interested in marriage alliances, and he always felt that Rong Zhenren had "impure motives"—
So Mo Hua shook his head. "Then forget it. I won't go either."
Rong Zhenren said, "You're really not going?"
Mo Hua nodded. "I'm not going."
Rong Zhenren urged, "This is a good opportunity to make connections with Earth Sect direct disciples and noble family prodigies, to expand your network."
Mo Hua shook his head. "It's fine. They're just direct disciples and family prodigies—"
Whether I befriend them or not doesn't matter much.
Back when he was at the Taixu Sect, he had befriended plenty of direct disciples and prodigies from various prefectures; he didn't lack one or two more.
Rong Zhenren subtly advised a few more times, but she couldn't persuade him. Mo Hua was stubborn; no one could force him to do something he didn't want to do.
In the end, Rong Zhenren had to give up and sighed. "Fine."
After that, Rong Zhenren said nothing more, glanced at Little Orange, and got up to leave.
Little Orange felt a chill down her back. Only after Rong Zhenren left did she breathe a long sigh of relief, quickly gulped down the melon in her mouth, then picked up the teapot to pour tea for Sister Zixi and Mo Hua.
At the same time, she mumbled, "Mo Hua, you're not going to the Lantern Festival?"
Mo Hua smiled. "Is the Lantern Festival fun?"
Little Orange nodded. "There are flowers, lanterns, lots of people, and it's lively—of course it's fun."
"Have you been there before?" Mo Hua asked.
Little Orange shook her head. "Rong Zhenren won't allow it, and I can't go out—" because she had to accompany Sister Zixi.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Then next time there's a lantern fair, I'll take you."
Little Orange's face lit up, but then her eyes dimmed slightly as she looked at Bai Zixi with a hint of expectation.
Bai Zixi said gently, "I'll go too."
Little Orange immediately brightened, her eyes sparkling.
Mo Hua also smiled slightly, turned to look at Bai Zixi, his heartstrings trembling, and couldn't help secretly pulling his Little Junior Sister's hand.
Bai Zixi's soft, creamy palm moved slightly but didn't refuse; instead, she relaxed her hand and interlaced her fingers with Mo Hua's.
The two held hands, silently gazing at each other.
Little Orange, a bit oblivious, just focused on eating the fruits on the table.
Some things, though Mo Hua didn't care about, others took very seriously.
Two days later, the Earth Sect's Lantern Festival began grandly in the center of Houtu City in Kun Prefecture.
The Earth Sect's high-level members presided over it, direct descendants of the major noble families gathered, and prodigies and beauties were as numerous as clouds.
Faces—some noble, some handsome, some pure, some graceful, some spirited, some breathtakingly beautiful—shone and reflected each other.
—
Beneath these stunning beauties, human desires also flowed in secret.
Handsome young men admired beauties, and graceful ladies were sought by gentlemen.
The crowd was like a sea, spectators like waves, eager to catch a glimpse of these young masters and beauties.
The brilliant lights, like sunset clouds, burned the night sky red; even in the secluded Small Blessed Land, one could see the grand spectacle from afar.
It was a lantern fair that seemed prosperous and splendid on the outside, but held profound significance beneath.
Sitting in the Small Blessed Land, Mo Hua looked at the dazzling lights in the night sky from afar and could clearly feel the magnitude of this grand event.
Only, he was an outsider.
The marriage alliances of the noble families had nothing to do with him.
As for those beauties—plump and slender—he didn't actually see what was beautiful about them; they were no match for even a single finger of his Little Junior Sister.
But Mo Hua could faintly sense that some vast plan of the Earth Sect seemed to be taking shape.
After the Lantern Festival ended, the atmosphere of Houtu City changed entirely.
On the surface, it still seemed bustling with people and blooming with flowers.
But his intuition in heavenly secrets kept telling Mo Hua that all of this was an illusion; the situation had become completely different—
Mo Hua frowned, his mood heavy.
But in the face of such a behemoth formed by the combination of major sects and great noble families, he was alone and weak, and couldn't find an entry point into the situation.
He could only focus on his own affairs for now.
And take advantage of the fact that the situation wasn't yet severe and the heavenly secrets hadn't deteriorated, to spend more time with his Little Junior Sister.
The future was uncertain.
Meanwhile, Rong Zhenren was also worrying.
That kid Mo Hua was really too difficult to handle.
He couldn't be killed, couldn't be beaten, couldn't be deceived, and couldn't be tempted by others or things—
He wasn't tempted at all.
Not to mention that the kid himself was proficient in karma; his karma techniques were even better than hers, so she couldn't scheme against him.
But if she just let things go, the situation would only get worse.
Because of Mo Hua, Rong Zhenren grew more and more anxious.
Until three days later, she received another invitation.
This invitation used gold-flecked paper, a cloud-pattern brocade envelope, and on the front was a jade-colored, gold-embossed, richly luxurious large peony, like the queen of flowers, looking down upon all others.
The moment she saw the invitation, Rong Zhenren's face darkened, her gaze cold as ice. She muttered, "What kind of filthy business dares to send to my pure Small Blessed Land—these beasts are increasingly out of line. Do they think I wouldn't slaughter them?"
Rong Zhenren's fingers twitched, intending to burn the invitation, but then she glanced at the heading and paused.
The heading read: "Respectfully inviting Young Master Mo—"
"It's for Mo Hua—"
Rong Zhenren's mind wavered several times, but in the end she sighed, wrapped the luxurious yet filthy invitation in white paper, held it in her hand, and took it to Mo Hua.
In the bamboo room, Mo Hua and Zixi were still reading formation books together.
Seeing them like this, Rong Zhenren grumbled inwardly, "What's so great about formations? Day in and day out, learning endlessly—"
Of course, she knew it was a prejudice.
For cultivators, besides cultivation, studying formations was the most important and closest thing to enlightenment.
Rong Zhenren pretended not to see their intimacy, handed the invitation to Mo Hua, and said, "For you."
Mo Hua was startled. "Another one for me?"
Rong Zhenren nodded.
"Who sent it?" Mo Hua asked.
Rong Zhenren said, "See for yourself."
Mo Hua unwrapped the white paper and discovered an extraordinarily lavish invitation he had never seen before: jade patterns, gold engravings, silver threads—every stroke and every thread was executed to perfection, exuding a romantic charm amidst the beauty, and emitting a faint, luxurious fragrance.
But what surprised Mo Hua even more was the content of the invitation.
As Mo Hua read, he frowned.
The invitation was naturally asking Mo Hua to be a guest; the words were respectful and polite, the phrasing gentle and elegant.
However, the signatory was someone Mo Hua had never expected: "Yu Nujiao, Flower Queen of the Jade Fragrance Pavilion."
Bai Zixi beside him couldn't help leaning over to look at the invitation. Seeing the signatory, she looked at Mo Hua with curiosity and asked in a clear voice, "You—when did you get involved with the Flower Queen?"
Mo Hua said helplessly, "How is that possible? How could I—"
How could I have gotten involved with the Flower Queen?
But halfway through his words, Mo Hua suddenly paused, as if recalling something from the past, and fell into thought.
Bai Zixi keenly sensed Mo Hua's mood and said with slight surprise, "You really have been involved?"
Mo Hua felt inexplicably guilty. "Probably—no—"
Bai Zixi's clear, crystalline eyes silently gazed at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua conceded defeat and sighed. "This—it's a long story—I'm not sure either—"
Bai Zixi asked, "Then are you going?"
"I—" Mo Hua hesitated, then suddenly asked, "Senior Sister, do you want to go together?"
"I—" Bai Zixi was about to speak, but then looked at Rong Zhenren.
Rong Zhenren shook her head. "No."
Bai Zixi said, "I went last time."
Rong Zhenren said, "Last time was last time, this time is this time. Last time you could go, this time you can't."
Bai Zixi was clearly unhappy. "Why?"
Rong Zhenren sighed. "Last time, you were in disguise, and no one paid you much attention. But if you go this time, it will be different."
"Besides, this time you're going to meet the Flower Queen. Do you have no idea about yourself?"
You two, senior and junior sister, are already breaking enough 'taboos.'
If by chance the Flower Queen, while having ambiguous relations with Mo Hua, is also attracted by Zixi's bloodline and falls for her at the same time, this relationship would be a complete mess—
Just thinking about it gave Rong Zhenren a splitting headache.
"No, you absolutely cannot go!" Rong Zhenren said sternly.