The Earth Sect's... Senior Sister?
Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly. He opened the invitation, let his gaze sweep over the dignified, elegant gold-inlaid seal-script characters, and paused at the end, where a name was noted:
Earth Sect, Jiang Yingluo.
"Jiang Yingluo..." Mo Hua repeated the name, then looked at Bai Zixi. "She's the Earth Sect's Senior Sister?"
"Mm." Bai Zixi nodded.
Mo Hua said, "Isn't her name Zhao Zhao?"
Bai Zixi said, "Zhao Zhao is her childhood name."
Mo Hua was startled. "Senior Sister, you even know her childhood name?"
Bai Zixi nodded. "My mother cultivated in Kun Prefecture for a time back then and was acquainted with some of the Earth Sect's elders. I saw Zhao Zhao when I was little, and whenever I happened to visit the Earth Sect, I'd drink tea and read with her."
"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded, but felt that something was a little off.
"Then this Zhao Zhao..." Mo Hua started to ask.
Bai Zixi gently tugged Mo Hua's sleeve and said,
"Don't call her by her childhood name. If she hears you, she'll get angry. And don't spread it around."
"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded again.
After a moment's thought, he continued, "Then this... Jiang Yingluo—her surname is Jiang?"
Bai Zixi nodded. "Mm."
"Jiang..." Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled and murmured, "That seems to be... the surname of a great clan in the Central Dao Prefecture?"
During his journey to the Great Wilderness, especially when vying for the opportunity at the Dragon Pool, he had come into contact with the various great clans of Dao Prefecture and had even met people from the Jiang family.
Among the several Zhenren who, together with Zhuge Zhenren, had entered the abyssal depths of the Great Wilderness to suppress his Senior Uncle, there had even been a 'Jiang Zhenren.'
"The Jiang surname should be a prominent clan in Dao Prefecture?"
Bai Zixi nodded and explained, "The great clans of Dao Prefecture have long histories, and many are not limited to a single branch. The Jiang family is the same; it has branches scattered throughout all Nine Provinces."
"Among all the Jiang family's branches, the two largest are one in the Central Dao Prefecture, and the other in the Earth Sect of Kun Prefecture."
"Even the original homeland of the Jiang ancestors is in Kun Prefecture."
"However, because the Central Dao Court and the Earth Sect are at odds and have had many disputes through history, there is still a clear rift between the Jiang family of Kun Prefecture and the Jiang family of Dao Prefecture; they are not as close as other branches of the same clan."
Mo Hua slowly nodded and asked, "If the Jiang family is split into two branches, both becoming great clans, does that mean their status is quite special?"
"Mm," Bai Zixi inclined her head slightly, her gaze complicated. "The Jiang family has historically... produced many Dao Prince Consorts and Dao Consorts."
Mo Hua faltered, looked at Bai Zixi, and his gaze flickered. "Dao Prince Consort..."
Bai Zixi lowered her eyelids slightly, parted her lips, and spoke with a complicated tone, "Qian and Kun are the Dao. Qian is the sovereign, Kun is the empress."
"Kun possesses the virtue of Houtu, so traditionally, Dao Prince Consorts are first chosen from the families of Kun Prefecture."
"The Jiang family is a great clan of Kun Prefecture, upholding the virtue of Kun. Thus, among the women of the Jiang family, any who are outstanding in virtue and talent are often selected to enter the Dao Court, to compete for the position of Dao Prince Consort and become the Dao companion of a Dao Prince."
"Dao Prince..." Mo Hua asked slowly. "Is he the Dao Sovereign's offspring?"
"Mm," Bai Zixi lowered her gaze and nodded. Then her thoughts turned, and she raised her head, her icy, beautiful eyes looking at Mo Hua as she spoke.
"A Dao Prince is a child of the Dao Sovereign. The Dao companion of a Dao Prince is the Dao Prince Consort."
"If the Dao Prince ascends the throne and becomes the Dao Sovereign, the Dao Prince Consort becomes the Dao Consort."
"If a Dao Sovereign of any generation has exceptional achievements, he may, by the mandate of Heaven, be titled 'Emperor.' If a Dao Consort of any generation possesses virtue that exemplifies the world, she may, by the blessing of Houtu, be titled 'Empress.'"
"This is the highest authority and the most honored status in the Central Dao Court within the Nine Provinces."
Mo Hua, gazed upon by Bai Zixi's peerless eyes, seemed to have guessed something. His thoughts, like drops of water into oil, stirred up ripple after ripple.
Bai Zixi also looked openly back at Mo Hua, though her gaze was somewhat complicated.
The two looked at each other, each lost in thought, and fell into a long silence.
Until a crisp voice broke the silence, "What are you two staring at?"
Little Orange looked at Mo Hua and Bai Zixi with a puzzled expression.
Mo Hua and Bai Zixi were momentarily startled, only then realizing that Little Orange was still there.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly, peeled a segment of orange, popped it into Little Orange's mouth, and smiled gently, "It's nothing."
Little Orange, with the orange segment stuffed in her mouth, furrowed her brow slightly. She felt that between Mo Hua and Sister Zixi there was a strange, indescribable something.
But she was young, simple-minded and couldn't figure out what was strange.
Moreover, the orange segment in her mouth was sweet, and as she chewed, it made her forget to think.
Mo Hua then looked up at Bai Zixi and pondered, "So... will this Senior Sister of the Earth Sect marry into the Dao Court and become a Dao Prince Consort?"
Bai Zixi shook her head. "It was so before, but now it may not be. At present, the relationship between the Earth Sect and the Dao Court is not very good."
Mo Hua thought briefly and understood. "So the Earth Sect intends for her to marry for political alliance?"
The Earth Sect's Senior Sister, gifted in both looks and talent, was originally a favored daughter of heaven who might have been qualified to become a "Dao Prince Consort." For any great clan outside the Dao Court, she held immense attraction—the superior choice for a matrimonial alliance.
"Then... whom will the Earth Sect's Senior Sister marry?" Mo Hua was a bit curious. "Has it been decided?"
"Not yet," Bai Zixi said. "If it were decided, Zhao Zhao would probably tell me."
Mo Hua asked curiously, "Does she tell you everything?"
Bai Zixi said, "At least she'd mention the marriage."
Mo Hua frowned, puzzled. "Then why did this Earth Sect Senior Sister... send me an invitation?"
Bai Zixi reached out, took the invitation from Mo Hua's hand, glanced over it with a sweep of her beautiful eyes, and saw that it was filled with the usual pretty words:
It said Mo Hua was a "favored child of heaven," "clear-spirited and elegantly boned," "of peerless talent," "with heaven-given comprehension," and that "given time, he would surely be an unprecedented genius in the Dao of formation arrays, with unlimited potential on his path of cultivation"... and so on.
At the end, it said that she wished to invite Mo Hua to a flower-viewing gathering, to meet friends and discuss the Dao.
As Bai Zixi read, her expression turned strange. She asked Mo Hua, "Do you truly not know Zhao Zhao?"
Mo Hua nodded. "In Kun Prefecture, I don't actually know many women."
Bai Zixi: "Oh..."
Mo Hua asked again, "Then is this Earth Sect Senior Sister a good person or a bad person?"
Bai Zixi thought for a moment and answered honestly, "For me, Zhao Zhao is certainly a good person. But for you, Little Junior Brother, that's hard to say."
People's attitudes toward others are naturally different.
Mo Hua frowned in thought for a moment, then said, "Forget it, I'll toss this invitation."
With that, Mo Hua was about to take the invitation from Earth Sect Senior Sister Jiang Yingluo and throw it into the pond to feed the fish, but Bai Zixi stopped him.
Bai Zixi deliberated and said, "I've thought about it. You should still go."
Mo Hua shook his head. "I don't even know her."
Also, the Earth Sect had just cut off his source of income, and Mo Hua had already marked a grudge against the Earth Sect in his heart.
Bai Zixi then asked, "Zhao Zhao is the Senior Sister of the Earth Sect and the top of Kun Prefecture's Ten Great Beauties. Don't you want to go see her?"
Mo Hua was a bit surprised. "Senior Sister, how do you also know about... this so-called Ten Great Beauties of Kun Prefecture?"
Bai Zixi said matter-of-factly, "Xiaosheng told me."
This ranking was made by Bai Xiaosheng himself.
When Little Grandaunt Bai Zixi asked, how would Bai Xiaosheng dare not answer?
Even the paintings of Kun Prefecture's Ten Great Beauties, Bai Xiaosheng had all "respectfully offered" to her.
"This..." Mo Hua hesitated.
A complicated flicker passed through Bai Zixi's eyes. She said to Mo Hua, "Little Junior Brother, go take a look. Zhao Zhao... is a good girl."
Mo Hua didn't detect the complexity in his Little Junior Sister's tone, but since she had said so repeatedly, he thought it over and nodded.
"All right, I'll go take a look."
It wasn't as if he had anything else to do now. He couldn't earn spirit stones, and he couldn't rob tombs either, so Mo Hua had quite a lot of free time.
He also wanted to see just what this Earth Sect Senior Sister was scheming.
And the Earth Sect...
They had blocked his income first, then sent him an invitation—what exactly did the Earth Sect intend to do to him?
Mo Hua asked again, "Senior Sister, do you want to come along?"
Since his Little Junior Sister had known this Earth Sect Senior Sister since childhood, it should be fine for her to come along; Rong Zhenren probably wouldn't stop her.
Bai Zixi, however, shook her head, her gaze dimming slightly. "You go."
Mo Hua was suddenly unable to discern his Little Junior Sister's intentions. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright, then I'll go meet this Earth Sect Senior Sister."
"Mm." Bai Zixi said softly.
...
An invitation from the Earth Sect's Senior Sister was a matter of utmost importance for any talented cultivator in Kun Prefecture.
This invitation, edged with yellow cong jade, woven from earth-spirit silk, and inscribed with gold-inlaid seal script, was no less precious than the great peony invitation of the Flower Queen Banquet.
However, Mo Hua held no expectations.
The women in this world often lacked good intentions, and the more beautiful they were, the more so.
Such was the case with Yu Nujiao, the Holy Maiden of the Union Sect.
This Earth Sect Senior Sister was probably not much better.
Mo Hua still cultivated as usual, studied formation arrays, and felt no ripple in his heart.
Three days later, when the time came, he finally set out.
No sooner had he left the Small Blessed Land that an Earth Sect carriage was waiting at the gate.
A disciple of the Earth Sect was respectfully greeting Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly, but he said nothing and directly boarded the carriage.
After traveling for nearly half a day, the carriage went straight into the depths of the Earth Sect.
The Earth Sect's palaces were magnificent, its roads intricate, its buildings vast as the sea.
The carriage moved through the Earth Sect like a shuttle through endless imperial palace halls.
Among jade towers that rose like a forest, the carriage traveled another half hour before reaching its destination.
The destination was a garden with an elegant moon gate, above which hung a plaque reading "Kunhua Garden."
Entering the courtyard, one was met with an equally boundless view: spirit herbs carpeted the ground, beautiful flowers bloomed, rocks were artfully arranged, and spirit springs murmured and flowed.
This spirit spring was a true "spirit spring."
Mo Hua walked closer to look and could discern that the spring in the courtyard was made by melting spirit stones into "water" to create it.
This spring was simply spirit stones in liquid form.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly and shook his head involuntarily.
After entering Kunhua Garden, before he had walked far, a beautiful maidservant came to welcome Mo Hua and said with a graceful smile:
"Young Master Mo, please follow me."
Mo Hua nodded.
The Earth Sect did have some bearing after all. Though it had cut him off financially, its hospitality left nothing to be desired.
The beautiful maidservant led Mo Hua through Kunhua Garden for another half hour, passing pavilions, towers, spirit springs, jade bridges, exquisite flowers, and green grass, until they arrived at a courtyard full of splendor.
In the courtyard, luxurious moonlight flowers were in full bloom, their petals falling like rain.
Though it was broad daylight, these moonlight flowers emitted a soft bloody glow, casting the courtyard in a cool, tender beauty.
At this time, quite a few disciples were already seated in the beautiful and lavish courtyard—men and women, all wearing the orthodox robes of the Earth Sect. The men were elegant and graceful, the women were beautiful and charming. Each sat before jade tables in the courtyard, talking and admiring the flowers.
At the center, on the highest spot, stood a tall pavilion.
Within the pavilion, pearl curtains hung on all sides, and gold-thread canopies were suspended, so it was hard to see clearly. One could only make out the blurred figure of a woman seated within.
Even her silhouette was exquisitely beautiful, unforgettable at a glance.
Mo Hua guessed that this woman was likely the Senior Sister of the Earth Sect, Jiang Yingluo.
"Young Master Mo, please." The maidservant bowed to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua nodded. He had just intended to find an empty jade table nearby to sit down when a dignified, beautiful voice came from the high pavilion, "Mo Hua, come over here."
Mo Hua was startled.
All the other direct disciples of the Earth Sect, both handsome men and beautiful women, turned to look at Mo Hua, their eyes showing shock and astonishment.
Of course, there was also jealousy and hostility.
Not only the men were jealous—even the women shot envious glances.
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, but still, under the sharp and jealous gazes of the crowd, he walked slowly up the high platform, sighing inwardly.
Although it was said that being envied was proof of ability, hadn't he been envied a bit too much these past days?
A woman wholly unconnected to him could still drag a pile of hatred and jealousy onto him.
Mo Hua walked step by step straight up to the high platform, which was screened by moon-bright pearl curtains and gold-thread canopies.
As he hesitated, the moon-bright pearls shone, the jade curtain rolled upward, and the gold threads parted like flowing water to both sides.
Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly, and he continued forward into the platform.
Once inside, it was another world entirely.
Amid the interweaving moonlight and gold threads, a serene world was carved from heaven-ice jade. The floor and surrounding walls were covered with engraved jeweled garland patterns—gorgeous yet elegant. Though they were only carvings, they seemed alive, blossoming here and there and emitting a soft, lustrous sheen.
In the midst of this beautiful scene sat a woman of stunning beauty, wearing a palace gown of dark gold silk with a woven treasure-flower pattern. She wore no makeup, yet she was dignified and imposing, her brows and eyes carrying authority.
This was an unconventional beauty rarely seen.
Even Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.
The Earth Sect Senior Sister looked at Mo Hua's actual appearance, which was even more "clear-spirited and elegant-boned" than in his portrait, and her gaze also froze for a moment. Then she gave a slight nod and said, "Sit."
Her voice had a woman's clear timbre, yet also carried a hint of magnetism, revealing a strong nature.
Mo Hua said "Mm," found a jade table for himself, and sat down, still several yards away from the Senior Sister.
Jiang Yingluo, the Earth Sect Senior Sister, gave Mo Hua a somewhat authoritative look and said directly without beating around the bush:
"Mo Hua, do you want a Dao companion?"
Such a blunt question truly stunned Mo Hua. "Dao companion?"
"Mm," Jiang Yingluo nodded. She tapped the table with her jade-like finger, and a jade slip flew in front of Mo Hua.
"Choose whichever girl you like from the jade slip."
"Whoever you fancy, I can make the decision to have her become your Dao companion. Within a month, you can bow to heaven and earth, marry, and enter the bridal chamber."
"Then you will become one of my Earth Sect's people. From then on, no one in the entire Houtu City will dare to trouble you."
Jiang Yingluo's tone was calm, yet it carried a domineering undertone. "You are Zixi's junior brother, and therefore... you are also my junior brother."
Mo Hua's expression could not help but turn subtle.