Midsummer, Waiting for the Lotus to Bloom

On a cloudy morning at summer's end, dark clouds hung low, as if they might press down at any moment.

Thick mist swirled along the banks of Brightmoon Lake, still shrouding half its surface.

The other half lay smooth as a mirror, reflecting the murky gray sky.

In a lakeside pavilion, Hu Keke, Feng Yanran, and Murong Wan'er had arrived early. They brewed a pot of tea and waited in silence.

The crow sprawled across the table without a sound.

Everyone's gaze remained fixed on the middle of the lake, waiting for the once-in-a-century miracle to appear.

Hu Keke was twelve now. The once-scrawny boy had grown taller and filled out, becoming much sturdier.

The crow tilted his head and said quietly, "Young master, do you think those lotus seeds are really that miraculous?"

Hu Keke stroked the crow's head and smiled. "At a time like this, you're still asking that?"

"They're golden lotus seeds that appear once in a hundred years. Legend says they can remake a person from the ground up, even help them break through a cultivation realm. If we can get even one today, we'll have struck it rich."

Feng Yanran sat nearby in a pale purple dress.

The hem fluttered lightly in the breeze, and a silver sash was tied around her waist, lending her an especially graceful and ethereal air.

At that, she turned her head slightly and looked toward the mist-veiled heart of the lake.

She said gravely, "The lotus seeds are precious, but plenty of people have come today. We must be careful."

Murong Wan'er wore a plain white dress, its hem embroidered with several delicate lotus blossoms.

Unlike usual, she carried no sword. Instead, she held a jade flute, its crystalline surface seeming to reflect her thoughts.

She sighed softly. "You're