"How come you're here?" Rong Ning tentatively asked.
Li Mingjian turned his head from left to right, taking in all the people present in the room. "Did any of you follow proper procedures while leaving the sect?"
Heads turned. Liu Yue and Xiao Ming gave a wry smile at the attention directed at them. "You see…" Xiao Ming's mind raced faster than it had ever raced before. "The situation was a bit urgent and the chances of getting permission were very small. So…" she trailed off, nudging Liu Yue at her side.
"So, we thought that we could just explain our situation after getting back. A little punishment was nothing compared to the well-being of Rong Ning." Liu Yue finished with such confidence that it was hard not to trust her. Alas, the people in the room had been burned by the duo several times already.
Rong Ning's hands shot out, twisting the ears of the two unruly girls, who could only let out whimpers of pain under the glares of the surrounding crowd.
"The Peak Master had said that if I got caught in something big my evening snacks would be stopped." Lingling seemed on the verge of tears. Xiaomeng gently patted her head in a reassuring manner. That was the least of their current problems.
"You didn't answer me, how come you are here?" Rong Ning asked again. "Weren't you in a closed-door seclusion?"
"I was." Li Mingjian nodded. "The sect was a little too hectic due to the preparations of the upcoming secret realm exploration, so they did not have any Nascent Soul Elder lying around."
"But that was no reason to disturb your seclusion," said Gu Da with a puzzled face. There must be a number of others who could be sent to bring us back.
"I was never the first choice." Li Mingjian's voice turned grave. "They had asked Tian Yao to come."
Hearing his words, everyone in the room flinched and took a few steps back. Xiaomeng felt her hand, which was caressing Lingling's soft silky hair, touch empty air. Her gaze turned to her right where everyone had formed a small circle with their backs to each other. They were on full alert, their qi circulating over their bodies as if preparing for a gruesome battle.
Time continued to pass in a slow trickle. Xiaomeng was puzzled. Exactly what had happened in the time she was asleep. Sure, Tian Yao could be a little scary at times, but this level of vigilance seemed really excessive against her. When no attack came for quite a while, Li Mingjian said, "She said she had some things to attend to and refused to come and I was sent in her place."
"You should have said so in the beginning!" Xiao Ming roared between gritted teeth.
"I am exhausted." Li Mingjian shrugged. "It is hard to speak after travelling for a whole day." Nobody bought his words. From the way he was speaking before, he didn't seem even a little bit tired. More like he was enjoying at their expense.
At that moment, the door to the side opened and a man—his face five parts similar to Gu Yichen—entered the room. Looking at the standing crowd, he solemnly asked, "Was there some inconvenience?"
"The reception was impeccable." Rong Ning stepped ahead of the group and bowed slightly. "We were just playing around a little."
"Are you sure?" From his wary look, Gu Yichen's father didn't seem to have accepted this response, but what else could he do in this situation. The young ones here were all guests brought by his son and moreover they were also members of the Jade River Sect. No matter how much he hated their Sect Master, he couldn't deny that their strength was real. Not getting the desired answer, he made his way to the conspicuously decorated chair placed a little apart from the other seatings.
"Please take a seat," Gu Yichen said as he settled down beside his father who took a seat at the head of the table, a seat reserved for the person with the highest authority in the gathering.
"Let me introduce you to the current family head of the Gu Family." Gu Yichen gestured toward his father. "The nineteenth Patriarch of the Gu Family, Gu Heng."
"My son told me that you all were assigned a special mission from the sect." Gu Yichen's father, Gu Heng, took it from there. "Though not much, my Gu clan has certain influence in this area. If any of you need any help, just ask. And…" he turned his attention toward Rong Ning. "I had heard that the Rong Princess was supposed to get engaged today. I take it that something must have happened."
"The engagement is not happening," Rong Ning replied bluntly, without the slightest bit of fluctuation in her voice. Gu Heng's brows furrowed in understanding.
After the initial friction was soothed over, the discussion continued in an orderly fashion. They talked about the Gu family, though no important details were shared, and about the life at the Jade River Sect. The mission that they were 'supposedly' on was tacitly left out. Li Mingjian also didn't expose them, only saying that he was here to help. He also mentioned getting the help of the signs left behind by Gu Yichen while making his way through the Mengling Mountains.
As the night dawned, several dishes were brought forth by the maids and served. There was an excellent blend of various spices, most of which Xiaomeng hadn't tasted yet, scattered throughout the large table at the center.
Gu Heng got up from his seat and made his way out. "You will not be joining us?" Rong Ning asked while looking at his back. Stopping at the doorway, Gu Heng answered, "My wife is still waiting for me. Please enjoy yourselves, I will be taking my leave now. Your accommodations have already been arranged properly." Leaving those words behind, he stepped out, his figure disappearing into the night.
Everyone happily enjoyed their meal, except for three people. Xiaomeng had felt something off about Gu Heng from the first time she had laid eyes upon him. She was just not able to place her finger on what. He was a peak core formation cultivator on the verge of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, and yet there was a certain kind of desolation about him.
Ever since entering the estate, an instinctive dread was washing over Zhao Feng. He wasn't able to tell where it was coming from, who it came from, or what was the reason for it. He just felt it. His instincts, unconsciously honed by constantly suppressing the Gate of Nihility inside him, were the sharpest among everyone present, its only flaw being his own lack of experience. Sitting at an inconspicuous corner of the table, he filled his mouth with different dishes without even properly tasting them, not knowing when he will get to eat such good food again.
The third one was the remnant spirit. Boy, are you sure your clan does not have a Soul Transformation cultivator secretly protecting you? Gu Da nearly threw out the food from his mouth. Grandpa, do remnant spirits also go senile? He shot back in his mind. How many times must I tell you, for several hundred years, not a single person from the whole family has been able to break through to the Soul Transformation realm. The strongest one in the whole clan is the Grand Protector who is only at Nascent Soul seventh layer.
The old cultivator did not say anything in return, but Gu Da was sure that he was not completely convinced. However, if there really was such a strong person in their family, they would not have restricted themselves to this one mountain.
After the meal was over, the maids led everyone to their accommodations. The guesthouse had several rooms recently cleaned and arranged for their stay. One by one everyone filed up to take one for themselves. Zhao Feng had already disappeared from among them, tailing Gu Yichen to get to the bottom of the dread he was feeling since arriving here.
Xiaomeng's room had a large bed, a table beside it, and a wardrobe at the side. Moonlight streamed from the open window beside the bed, the crescent moon clearly visible at a single glance. With a wave of her hand she extinguished the lamps, drowning the room into a faintly white haze. She threw her body on the bed, ready to sleep.
Sometime later, just when her mind was about to drift off, a small click came from her door, followed by a faint thump. "Xiaomeng".
Someone whispered her name in a deliberate voice. Getting off the bed, she noiselessly approached the door, her steps silent and her body tense. It was definitely not the maids, or even someone from the Gu Residence, since there was no need for them to be so discrete, unless they were planning something sinister. Reaching the door, her left hand gently gripped the handle and her right fist was covered in qi. Whoever stood outside was not going to get away with disturbing her peaceful sleep.
She turned the handle and pulled the door inside. Her right hand punched out with as much force she could muster. As it collided with the soft sensation in front, Xiaomeng felt as if she was hitting a feather pillow. "Shh, shh, shh." Standing in front of the door, Lingling had caught her fist. The young girl hurriedly gestured with her other hand to maintain silence. Xiaomeng narrowed her eyes and stepped aside to allow the little girl to come in.
"Why are you here?" she asked while walking to the bed.
"Well…" Lingling's eyes darted around the room as she stood beside the closed door.
"Go on." Xiaomeng glared at her.
"Hik. The Senior Sisters always told me stories whenever I was not able to fall asleep." Lingling finally confessed. Xiaomeng just gave her a deadpan look. She felt that as Lingling's age grew, her head was just as quickly reverse aging to that of a child. Or was it the effect of the Senior Sisters. Those female cultivators should never be allowed to raise children going ahead or else the whole Jade River Sect will turn into a large nursery a few generations down the line.
Xiaomeng parted her lips, but before any words could be spoken, another faint knock came from the door. She gestured at Lingling, who walked to the door and opened it. "Why am I not surprised?" Xiaomeng murmured to herself. Liu Yue and Xiao Ming entered the small room, making it more cramped.
"And what are your reasons for being here?" Xiaomeng gave the two newcomers a deep look. "Don't tell me you also need to listen to a nighttime story. Wait. Maybe it's a lullaby in your case?"
"Oh, I just saw Lingling come here and thought something fun was going on," Xiao Ming said cheerfully.
"I would prefer stories to lullaby. So, which one are you telling? The one about the three-headed demonic serpent becoming a spiritual beast? Or the one about the one-eyed spiritual bird who stole a king's heart?"
Xiaomeng pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are already…" Wait!Were they really adults? Xiaomeng was perplexed.
Right, they were barely adults. If it was the upper realm, they would still be called children. With this realization, all her anger suddenly cooled off. Yes, they were still children. Sometimes it was easy to forget this fact since they were all very talented and their cultivation realms matched other adults, but at the end of the day, they were still quite young.
Their eyes were shining, compelling her to submit to their wishes. Under the duress of three stares burrowing into her, Xiaomeng finally bent. "Okay," she finally said. "Today I will tell the story of the cat who ate the moon."
"Xiaomeng, even if stories are not real, they should at least be a little believable." Liu Yue chided.
Xiaomeng was baffled. This was a real incident that had happened in the upper realm! "You can listen if you want, or you are free to get out of this room." She wasn't going to indulge them too much, she already knew the consequences of doing so.
"Fine. You win." Liu Yue plopped down at the corner of the bed and pulled the blanket over herself. "Let's hear how the cat ate the moon." The two other girls huddled beside her, their legs stretched out, leaving Xiaomeng only a corner at the opposite end of the bed.
Letting out a sigh, under the luminous moonlight, Xiaomeng started narrating. "When the Heavenly Tomb…"
***
Later in the night, the door to Xiaomeng's room was opened from the outside. A tall silhouette inched closer to the bed, stopping beside it.
Rong Ning looked down at the four girls sleeping, their hands and legs sprawled over one another, their breaths even and stable with blissful faces shining under the moonlight. Core Formation cultivators didn't need much rest, but after flying for two continuous days, even they would get exhausted. She turned her attention to the moon that was like a sickle of nature hanging in the dark sky. Would the cat have even liked the taste of it, she thought. She didn't intentionally hear the story. The noise was just too loud, even piercing through the sound isolation arrays engraved on the walls. Retracing her steps, she exited the room and closed the door after her. Then she once again started the disabled arrays and returned to her own accommodations.
The next morning, before the sun had risen and the fog still clung to the grass, one of the maids who had come to check on the guests found Lingling's door ajar and the girl absent from her room. At first, the maid had thought that Lingling had woken up early and gone out for a walk. But by the time the sun's light covered the whole estate, when there was still no sign of her, the maid panicked and informed the others, leading to the frantic search going on in the manor.
Slowly the maids discovered that not a single one of the female guests had woken up. What if they had all disappeared? Soon, the lady of the house, Gu Yichen's mother herself, came and opened the doors locked under the arrays. The first room belonging to Lingling was empty. So was the second one beside it. The first room opposite them both was also empty. When she opened the next door, she came face to face with the tired face of Xiaomeng; three girls clinging to her. One pulling her hand. The other pulling her leg. And the last one taking her as a body pillow.
"You can all go back," Lady Gu gestured to the maids. "The guests were just discussing dao in the wee hours of the morning." Her body covered the opening of the door, shielding the situation inside from all her servants. The maids bowed at her and made their way out of the guesthouse, their steps silent, wary of disturbing the important discussion going on.
"Can I get some help?" Xiaomeng's voice was meek. Lady Gu approached the bed, her long black hair trailing behind her, nearly touching the floor. One by one, she untangled Xiaomeng from the clutches of the people clinging to her. It took some time since the grips of the children were quite strong, but she was able to accomplish it in the end. She was, in her own right, a Core Formation cultivator.
Xiaomeng's limbs were covered with red markings, the likeness of the people holding onto her quite visible. "You should take a bath," said Lady Gu from the side. Xiaomeng nodded in agreement. She followed Lady Gu who took her to another part of the large manor, different from the bathhouses yesterday. On the way they met Gu Yichen.
"Where are you going so early in the morning?" Lady Gu asked.
"Yesterday, a few of the arrays in the Mountains were damaged," Gu Yichen replied. "I already talked with father and he allowed me to take care of them."
"Take care when you are out there." Lady Gu's voice was tinged with concern. "There are a few peak Core Formation demonic beasts hiding inside."
"Don't worry mother. I would never do something I wasn't sure about." Gu Yichen assured with confidence. Giving Xiaomeng a once-over he went his way.
"That child…" Lady Gu's words hung in the air. She continued to lead Xiaomeng to the private inner bath. After a few turns, and walking through the sprawling corridors for a while, they finally reached their destination. This manor was far too large compared to what could be seen and estimated from the outside.
"Take your time," Lady Gu said, pointing to the white door beside them, and walked away. She still had to perform her daily duties.
The new bathroom was a lot more spacious, nearly thrice as large as the ones yesterday. White tiles covered the floor, and the ceiling, as well as the four walls. There were two tubs, quite large, both filled with water. Xiaomeng dug her hand in the right one. It was warm, just the right temperature. Her other hand was enveloped in coldness just as she submerged it in the left tub. No need for cold water when the hot water was there. By the time she had freshened up and returned to her room, the other three girls had also woken up and were sitting on the bed. Their attention turned toward her just as she entered the room.
"What are you three gossiping about?" Xiaomeng asked, looking at the three heads closely lowered.
"No… Nothing," Lingling hurriedly replied. Xiaomeng narrowed her eyes but didn't press further.
At that moment, Rong Ning appeared at the door, silencing the room with just her presence. "We will be leaving in the afternoon. Be ready by then." She had disappeared even before her words fell.
The tense silence was finally broken by Xiao Ming. "Does this mean we have a free morning on our hands?"
"Seems like it." Liu Yue jumped from the bed. "Let's see who could chart most of the manor." She dashed out of the room.
"Wait for me." Xiao Ming rushed after her.
Left behind, Lingling asked Xiaomeng, "What do we do now?"
Xiaomeng thought for a moment before replying. "Since we're already here, let's take a look around. I don't know whether we will get another chance to come here again."
"Sounds good." Lingling agreed. The two made their way out of the guest accommodations. Just as they reached the front entrance, they encountered Gu Da leaving the Manor.
"What are you up to so early?" Lingling asked him from behind.
Gu Da turned and looked at the two girls walking hand in hand. "I am going to meet my grandmother," he replied, "do you want to come along."
"Won't it be too crowded?" Xiaomeng gave him a questioning look.
"No." Gu Da shook his head. "Grandmother actually likes it when lot of people come to visit her."
"Okay then." Since they did not have anything important to do for now, the two girls followed him. Maybe they will get to see more of the Gu Estate today? Sadly, something like that did not happen. The streets were still desolate with, what, only a handful of people roaming about who could be counted on one hand.
"Why do the people here seem so…" Lingling was not able to find the right word. Was it desolate? Numb? Gloomy? It fell more like a mixture of them all, something she could not put into words.
"Not really," Gu Da replied from the front. "The people in the family just like to keep to themselves. The people here are like a big family, with the main branch and the side branches living together." From his words, he really seemed to believe that this was normal.
The remnant spirit could only sigh to himself. He had felt that there were some changes in Gu Da since coming here. The boy was using his head less and less as time passed and was even unable to sense the reality of the situation. It was as if something was forcefully lowering his intelligence. The other kids, at least for now, seemed unaffected.
Walking down the winding streets to a corner nearly at the border leading to the forest, the trio came across a small wooden house, smoke rising from behind it. An old woman with a wrinkled face, her white hair tied back haphazardly, was stirring a ladle in the heating pot, a sweet aroma wafting from it. She turned toward the newly arrived crowd.
Gu Da shot forward, like an arrow from a string, and nearing the old woman, knelt down, his forehead hitting the ground. "This unfilial grandson is back."
The old woman helped him to his feet and hugged him. "You are not unfilial. My Da'Er is not unfilial. You just had to go find your path."
While the grandmother and grandson were celebrating their reunion, the two girls just observed from the side. Nobody had told them this situation would be so awkward. The grandmother noticed them from the corner of her eyes and separated from Gu Da. "Come in with your friends. Just yesterday I prepared some pastries." She hurriedly put out the fire with the water bucket at the side and went inside the wooden house.
"Ehm. Ehm." Xiaomeng lightly coughed, drawing Gu Da's attention. "Ah, yes." He scratched the back of his head. "Let's go inside. Grandmother's pastries are the best I have ever eaten. Even better than those in the sect." He led the two girls inside the small house.
It was small with only three rooms: the front room, the kitchen, and the bedroom. The trio seated themselves on the chairs surrounding the table at the center. Grandmother arrived just as quickly, carrying two large plates. She placed them on the table. One had soft white pastries and the other had a little rougher and harder green pastries.
"Come on. Come on. Eat up." She gestured at the two girls, taking the remaining seat at the table.
For Xiaomeng and Lingling, her words were persuasion enough, though the milky sweet scent coming from the pastries did force their hands. They picked one in each hand and took a bite.
"Grandma!" Lingling suddenly exclaimed. "These are too delicious. Would you like to come and work as a chef in the sect? I will persuade my peak master."
The grandmother gave a smile at the open praise. "I am only skin and bones. What am I going to do at a sect at this age. Since you like them this much, I will pack the remaining ones for you."
"What about you grandma?" Xiaomeng asked.
"I have eaten them my whole life." Grandmother had a melancholic look on her face. "Now, just looking at you all pleasurably eating them brings me far more happiness."
"When are you going back again?" Grandma looked at Gu Da with a hint of expectancy.
Gu Da hesitated for some time, till the two girls had stuffed their mouths with half of the pastries on the table, before saying, "We will be leaving in the afternoon."
Hearing his words, grandmother's face became downcast. But a moment later, it once again cheered up. Getting up from her seat, she went inside, and brought back several large boxes packed in even larger cloth pieces. "Take these with you. In the last four years, I tried some preserved sweets. I got too carried away and now, even after giving them away to the estate kids, quite a few sweets still remain. They will be helpful in your journey."
Gu Da could only silently accept them. Strangely enough, the remnant spirit was silent all this time. Normally he would have said something or chided him. This silence felt very strange.
While eating the pastries, Xiaomeng felt her cultivation surge rapidly. She had to forcefully slow down her eating speed to keep herself in check. This didn't prevent Lingling from devouring her share. Finally, only one white pastry remained. Just as she reached out for it, it was already gone. She turned her head and glared at Lingling who was looking back with blinking innocent eyes. Let it be.
"Grandma—" Xiaomeng's words were cut short. A huge burst of qi suddenly radiated from the floor. Her body moved on instincts as she jumped, but it was not able to save her. Black threads shot out of the arrays that had spread beneath their feet at some time, their dark glow darker than the night. They captured her limbs and dragged her in the ground. Her vision faded.
When she came to, only darkness surrounded her, extending on all sides. What happened? One moment she was eating happily, and the next, she was here, in this empty place devoid of any light.