The crown of the Jade Parasol Tree.
Tushan Xue's expression changed several times in the space of a single breath.
At last, the frost on her face melted as though brushed by a spring breeze, turning in the blink of an eye into a gentle smile.
She rose from her seat and inclined her head slightly toward Ji Yuan.
"So you're Senior Zhegu's esteemed disciple. Forgive my disrespect. My eyes failed me just now, and my words were offensive. I hope you won't take them to heart, Fellow Daoist Ji."
With that, she turned to Dong Qian, a perfectly measured hint of reproach entering her smile.
"Little sister, why didn't you tell me you had such a Dao companion? You let me make such a fool of myself."
Dong Qian's expression shifted.
She looked at Tushan Xue's smiling face, fell silent for half a breath, then said softly, "You didn't ask."
Tushan Xue's smile froze for an instant. Then, as though she had heard nothing, she turned back to Ji Yuan.
The springlike warmth of her smile had not faded in the slightest.
"And what is your name, Fellow Daoist?"
Before Ji Yuan could answer, Dong Qian answered for him.
"Ji Yuan."
Tushan Xue nodded, her smile deepening.
"Brother Ji is both Senior Zhegu's esteemed disciple and someone so deeply bound by fate to my sister Tushan. That makes you an honored guest of the Heavenly Fox Clan."
"Why don't the three of you sit here and enjoy today's grand gathering of the Pill Way with us?"
Ji Yuan cupped his fists in thanks, then took a seat with Xu Youxia and Chen Xin on the Heavenly Fox Clan's raised platform.
He sat right beside Dong Qian, with less than a foot between their arms.
On the platform at the