People from the major sects and families of the Four Great Regions arrived from all directions, gathering at the Taixuan Platform. Looking out, a dark, dense mass stretched as far as the eye could see, countless and bustling, a veritable sea of humanity.
There was still a long time before the Dao lecture was set to begin. Everyone waited, chatting amongst themselves while also craning their necks to gaze toward the Taixuan Platform.
Although Su Hua Fairy had yet to appear, one influential figure after another from the Four Great Regions made their entrance in succession, which genuinely excited the crowd.
It must be known that it wasn't every day one could see the Ten Hidden Dragons and Phoenix Hairpins of the Four Great Regions, nor the Ten Lesser Hidden Dragons and Phoenix Hairpins. Moreover, nearly all of the Ten and the Ten Lesser were present. Such a grand occasion had rarely been seen since the Great Cataclysm a century ago; one could count the occurrences on one hand.
The others were either sect heads, heir apparent disciples, clan patriarchs, or family heirs.
It wasn't necessarily to deliberately join the bustle. Most were sect heads bringing their heir apparent disciples to pay their respects and exchange greetings.
At the very least, Shui Yunruo was like this. Although Taixing Cave was a reclusive place, it didn't mean they had no contact with others. The proper courtesies still had to be extended to certain seniors of the Four Great Regions. Even with Shui Yunruo's naturally aloof disposition, she had no choice but to follow the elders of Taixing Cave in paying respects to these seniors one by one.
If even the reclusive Taixing Cave was like this, needless to say for Lan Feier's Fengyun Branch Hall. Putting aside other matters, today, many seniors from the Four Great Regions' four major branch halls—Huoyun, Fengyun, Dianyun, and Leiyun—had come. After arriving at the Taixuan Platform, Lan Feier hadn't had a moment to rest, constantly following the Hall Master of the Fengyun Branch, who was also her master, to pay respects and greet other seniors.
As a junior, paying respects to elders was only proper. After all, they were all from the Four Great Regions; they would see each other often in the future. A bow was never excessive. Even when encountering seniors with little connection to the Fengyun Branch, Lan Feier would still bow to them.
However, when bowing and encountering Huo Wu Chenyue of the Phoenix Family, Hall Master Xiao Danrou of Yunxin Hall, and Valley Master Qingzhu of Little Immortal Valley, Lan Feier felt incredibly awkward. The scene from the Black Raven Secret Realm would involuntarily flash into her mind.
She could never forget the events of that day, nor the embarrassment after being affected by the Harmony Breath.
Lan Feier and Shui Yunruo were relatively familiar, so knowing each other's embarrassing secrets didn't feel like much. But with Huo Wu Chenyue, Xiao Danrou, and Qingzhu, although they had known each other before, it was merely an acquaintance at best, nothing more than a nodding friendship.
Since leaving the Black Raven Secret Realm that day, the women had not seen each other again.
Now, meeting once more, the awkwardness wasn't limited to Lan Feier. Qingzhu, Xiao Danrou, and Huo Wu Chenyue were also immensely awkward. They had witnessed Lan Feier and Shui Yunruo in the throes of passion, and likewise, Lan Feier and Shui Yunruo had seen them in the same state.
Fortunately.
After meeting, no one brought up the matter.
What made them even more relieved was that this matter was known only to themselves and hadn't leaked out. None of the five women could imagine how they would face the world if this incident were ever exposed.
Especially Huo Wu Chenyue. At the time, consumed by passion, she had offered herself proactively, only to be rejected. She was arguably the most embarrassed of the five.
These past few days, Chenyue had been in a daze, with no appetite, unable to sleep, and in no mood to cultivate. Closing her eyes, the hateful figure of Gu Qingfeng would fill her mind.
Chenyue had always wanted revenge, to teach that fellow a harsh lesson. But she had already failed once. At Liuren Mountain, seeking revenge had not only cost her a priceless bottle of Sea-Blue Moon but also made her perform a seductive dance and give that fellow a massage...
The more Chenyue thought about it, the angrier she became. Yet, faced with the mysterious and bizarre Gu Qingfeng, she was utterly helpless.
Remembering what happened at Liuren Mountain, the Twelve Chixiao People kneeling before him, Ancestral Patriarch Jiangzhu being scared insane on the spot...
He was truly scared out of his mind. A few days ago, when she went to Jiangzhu Mountain to visit Xia Pan’er, she personally witnessed Ancestral Patriarch Jiangzhu hiding alone in a secret chamber, looking utterly lost, muttering 'impossible' over and over...
As for why Ancestral Patriarch Jiangzhu had become like this,
Chenyue didn't know. What 'impossible' thing the Ancestral Patriarch was talking about, she had even less idea.
"Xiao Lian, is your Ancestral Patriarch still like that?"
Xiao Lian was Xia Pan’er's childhood name. She had come today as well. Because Ancestral Patriarch Jiangzhu had been scared into paralysis at Liuren Mountain, others from Jiangzhu Mountain felt too ashamed to show their faces. Only Xia Pan’er had secretly come alone with Chenyue.
"Still the same. The Ancestral Patriarch has locked himself away, refusing to see anyone, not even me..." This wasn't Xia Pan’er's first time attending Su Hua Fairy's Dao lecture, but she was still very excited. Her excitement wasn't because she could listen to the fairy's lecture, but because she could see the Elder Sister Su Hua she admired in her heart again.
A few years ago, when Su Hua resided in the Four Great Regions, Xia Pan’er had followed her almost every day. When Su Hua left, she had been longing to see her again. Now that this day had finally arrived, she couldn't wait to see Elder Sister Su Hua quickly.
"Xiao Lian!
Xiao Lian!"
Suddenly, hearing someone call her name, Xia Pan’er lifted her head and looked around.
Beside her, Chenyue was also curious, wondering who else knew Xia Pan’er's childhood name. While puzzled, she looked over and saw Shui Yunruo and Lan Feier not far away. The one calling Xia Pan’er's childhood name was a little girl of twelve or thirteen beside them. Chenyue recognized her; she was Xia Pan’er's good friend and also Shui Yunruo's junior sister, Mu Xiaoyou.
"Xiaoyou, so you're here too!"
Seeing Mu Xiaoyou, Xia Pan’er also appeared extremely excited.
Jiangzhu Mountain and Taixing Cave had considerable dealings, and since the two were similar in age, Mu Xiaoyou and Xia Pan’er naturally became friends.
The two little girls were overjoyed to see each other and ran toward one another.
The Taixuan Platform was packed with countless people. Fearing something might go wrong, Chenyue had no choice but to chase after them. However, running into Shui Yunruo and Lan Feier, her inner turmoil was imaginable. She nodded to the two of them. Shui Yunruo and Lan Feier also nodded back to her. Perhaps because all three felt extremely awkward, they merely exchanged greetings and said nothing more.
In contrast, after Mu Xiaoyou and Xia Pan’er met, they held hands and chattered incessantly.
"Xiao Lian, have you seen Elder Sister Su Hua?"
"No, I haven't. Xiaoyou, have you seen Elder Sister Su Hua?"
"I haven't either. I heard that on the first day Elder Sister Su Hua arrived, she went to Chiyan Ridge to pay respects to Lord Chixiao, but by the time I rushed over, she had already left..." "Hehe, me too. But! That dead girl Xiao Jin is so lucky. It seems she met Elder Sister Su Hua on the very first day. Maybe she's been with Elder Sister Su Hua all these days."
"I heard that too. Wasn't it at Yunxia Sect?
Hmph! That damned little girl. Since she saw Elder Sister Su Hua, she didn't even notify us. When we see her later, let's teach her a lesson together!"
"Alright, it's settled then!"