The sun shone brightly. In the side courtyard, seven dancers swayed their long sleeves, their graceful figures practicing the dance.
The ancient flowering tree was in full bloom, petals drifting down to carpet the ground. The long-haired dancers moved with supple grace, whirling through the falling petals. Their long sleeves fluttered, their spinning skirts blossoming like flowers. Their scarlet costumes seemed to reflect the flourishing splendor of the Great Tang, while their jade fingers, slender as scallions, drew every eye.
When an arm swung left, the body carried a pulling force to the right, displaying the movement's rounded fluidity and lingering charm.
The motion's direction clearly veered sharply downward from the left before turning right. Her soft body shifted through countless transformations, elusive as mist and shadow, making onlookers turn their heads.
The fluttering dance seemed to eclipse even the fragrance of the flowering tree...
The final pose was even more supple. Six dancers knelt facing the beautiful lead dancer in the center, their long sleeves and arms spreading to both sides, their upper bodies bending backward to reveal the softness of their waists. The seven of them formed the shape of petals, portraying the beauty of a crimson flower.
The matron in charge nodded.
"Not bad. Rest for a while. Only diligent practice will make you proficient. Yujun, you've improved greatly."
Faced with the praise, she did not know whether to be pleased or depressed. A perfectly good cultivator had somehow ended up dancing as a performer. Luckily, no one had made her sing, or that would truly have been impossible to live down.
The dancers sat together in twos and threes, chattering away. Gathered in the center was the lead girl, the one who danced best.
Any girl who came to the Pear Garden as a performer came