A marriage alliance

At dawn the next day, Xu Xuan had spent the entire night sitting motionless, lost in thought for rather too long. Facing the morning glow, he began his breathing exercises, circulating qi through his body.

The formation outside the mountain gate stirred, as though someone had come to visit.

Xu Xuan was so on edge that he saw snakes in the shadows of bows. Assuming an enemy had come, he hurried down the mountain with his sword.

Two female cultivators stood quietly outside the gate, one older and one younger. The older woman wore an embroidered robe of sky-blue satin. Her features were lovely, and she was dressed like a noblewoman.

Standing quietly behind her was a girl of barely sixteen in a royal-blue silk skirt. She had delicate features, and when she saw Xu Xuan coming down the mountain, she greeted him first with a bow and a charming smile.

Visitors from the Autumn Gourd School?

Xu Xuan recognized them at a glance. They were from the Autumn Gourd School, which occupied Treasure Gourd Mountain west of Green Luo.

Most members of this school were women. They made their living crafting enchanted robes and were not skilled in magical combat. Xu Xuan had met the older cultivator before: she was Wen Xiuyun, the Autumn Gourd School's leader, with a cultivation at the third level of Qi Refining.

"Greetings, Abbot Xu."

Seeing Xu Xuan come out to welcome her personally, Wen Xiuyun felt rather overwhelmed by the honor and broke into a smile.

"Please come in, fellow Daoist. Let us speak inside."

Xu Xuan could not quite tell why the Autumn Gourd School had chosen to visit now. The school sheltered under the Great Red Abbey's protection and sent over a Qi Refining-grade enchanted robe every few years.

Xu Xuan's [Sleeping Locust Shade], Wang Xiwei's [Manifestation of the Hairy Head Sun], and Wen Si'an's [Colorful Cloud Guest] had all been custom-made by the Autumn Gourd School. They had also maintained close ties while Chongyangzi was alive. Still, Black Wind Valley had attacked only yesterday, and here they were today. That was rather interesting.

They made their way to Clear Thought Hall, the reception hall on Colorful Cloud Peak, which was under Wen Si'an's care. Since she had spent the past several years on Everbright Mountain, however, the peak had gone untended for some time.

With visitors on the mountain and her injuries somewhat improved, Wen Si'an came out of the pill chamber to receive them alongside Xu Xuan.

They sat down in Clear Thought Hall. Wen Si'an brewed spirit tea, holding the pot in her fair hands as she filled each person's cup.

"Excellent tea. It has been so long since I last tasted Green Luo's [White Mist Bud]. The last time I drank it, I was only at Fetal Breath. My master brought me here to pay my respects to Sword Immortal Chongyang."

Though Wen Xiuyun spoke admiringly, a wistful sorrow threaded her voice, as though she were remembering an old acquaintance.

"School Leader Wen, surely you did not make this special visit merely to drink tea?"

Xu Xuan raised his brows. His listless face regained its brilliance, his piercing presence compelling.

"Abbot Xu, you must have heard something of the situation on the Great Scenery Plains."

"Indeed. The Zhu and Chen Households seem to be locked in a covert struggle. The situation on the Plainlands is changing, and unification appears imminent. But you reside in Green Peaks, School Leader Wen. What does this have to do with you?"

"Once that great figure of the Chen Household falls, I fear Xie Shu of Black Wind Valley will no longer sit still. He is powerful. When the time comes, perhaps only Abbot Xu will be able to keep him in check."

Wen Xiuyun turned her lovely eyes toward Xu Xuan, showing a vulnerable, pleading charm as she said softly:

"Our school has always sheltered under the Great Red Abbey's protection. But now Black Wind Valley seems to be making a move, and Rejuvenation Mountain has established ties with the Plainlands. Our school alone stands isolated. We truly are afraid, and only hope to draw a little closer to your abbey."

"Shen Shu, come forward and pay your respects to your seniors."

The girl waiting behind Wen Xiuyun immediately stepped forward. Smiling, she softly greeted Xu Xuan and Wen Si'an in turn.

"If any of your peaks has someone of a suitable age, this disciple of mine is still unmarried. Our two schools could form a marriage alliance and renew our bond."

Wen Xiuyun was a little nervous, but she still explained why she had come. Back when Wen Fufeng was around, she would never have dared entertain such an idea. But times had changed. Perhaps her good fortune had finally arrived.

Wen Si'an drew Shen Shu over, took her hand, and studied her closely. The girl seemed quite bright and gifted. A Middle Fetal Breath cultivation was already respectable.

After some consideration, Xu Xuan thought the idea workable. But whom should he choose?

He thought it over and over, only to find that Wang Qiyun seemed to be the sole suitable candidate.

The True Disciple under Wen Si'an was a female cultivator who normally cultivated and tended medicinal plants on Everbright Mountain.

Aside from Wang Qiyun, Wang Xiwei did have another, older disciple. But he had long since married, and his cultivation was stalled at late-stage Fetal Breath. He oversaw mining on White Stone Mountain.

As for Liu Xiaowen, he was too young and still had a child's disposition. It was not yet his time.

"Among our disciples, only Qiyun is of a suitable age. I shall have him brought here so the two of them can meet and talk."

With that, Xu Xuan sent a white sparrow flying toward Cloud-Sweeping Peak to deliver a message to Wang Qiyun.

Wen Xiuyun readily agreed. Before coming, she had already inquired about the Great Red Abbey's disciples and had expected the choice to be Wang Xiwei's son.

Before long, Wang Qiyun was brought into Clear Thought Hall. Seeing his sect-leader martial uncle and his martial aunt Si'an both looking at him with smiles, he felt rather puzzled.

Isn't this the leader of the Autumn Gourd School? What brings her to our mountain?

Though confused, Wang Qiyun paid his respects to each of them and quietly waited for Xu Xuan to speak.

He looked up to see his martial aunt Si'an holding a girl's hand. The girl had a slender waist and a fair neck, and she seemed to be studying him.

Their eyes met. A little shy, Shen Shu lowered her head, like a tender willow.

What a puzzling girl. Why is she looking at me? And Junior Brother Xiao Wen said yesterday that he would come help out on my peak, yet there's still no sign of him. Ah well.

"Qiyun, this is a True Disciple of the Autumn Gourd School. Take her around Green Luo and show her the sights. Be sure not to neglect her."

Wang Qiyun could not make sense of it, but he obeyed all the same, stepping forward to lead Shen Shu out.

"If some affection develops between them, I will ask my senior brother. If he agrees, the matter will be settled. I shall write you a letter, choose a date according to the proper rites, and arrange the marriage as soon as possible."

"That would be excellent."

Hearing this, Wen Xiuyun breathed a sigh of relief. At last, she had renewed her school's personal ties with the Great Red Abbey.

At noon, the leader of the Autumn Gourd School took her leave. Before departing, she presented a low-grade Qi Refining enchanted robe called [Fire Splitter], saying it was a gift for Qiyun. The robe contained thirty-six [Small Fire-Control Formations], allowing it to manipulate flames and kindle fire. It had been made specifically for artifact refining.

"She certainly put some thought into this."

Xu Xuan called Wang Qiyun forward and handed him the enchanted robe, explaining that it was a gift from Wen Xiuyun before laying out the purpose of her visit.

"Qiyun, do you like Shen Shu?"

Wang Qiyun hesitated, then merely answered, "I leave it entirely to you and Father."

Xu Xuan sighed and sent him back to Cloud-Sweeping Peak. He planned to visit Longbright and ask Wang Xiwei's opinion. It would be best to settle this matter sooner rather than later.

Wen Si'an remained beside him, brewing tea and silently refilling his cup. Dressed in a plain white satin robe, she seemed lost in thought.

"Qiyun has a good temperament and some talent for artifact refining, but he is rather slow when it comes to romance. Xiao Wen, now—he might turn out to be a born lady-killer. He could awaken to such things before his senior brother does."

Xu Xuan turned toward his junior sister, whom he had seen little of lately, and smiled as he teased their disciples.

Yet Wen Si'an's expression scarcely changed. Her eyes, like an autumn lake, narrowed slightly-deep and cool, leaving her thoughts impossible to fathom.

"You are also of marriageable age, Senior Brother. Have you never considered taking a Dao companion?"

Wen Si'an's sudden question, delivered in an even tone, left Xu Xuan rather flustered. He merely said a few things about putting the sect first, and the atmosphere in the hall grew awkward.

A short while later, Wen Si'an closed the hall and sent Xu Xuan away, saying she needed to recuperate.

Why does it feel as though I've done something wrong?

This strange surge of emotion actually unsettled Xu Xuan. He silently circulated his qi, and the Dark Flood Dragon in his Consciousness Sea seemed to grow a little more solid.

I had better speak to Senior Brother Wang about this marriage and see how the formation repairs on Longbright are coming along.

Having decided, Xu Xuan rode a cloud toward Longbright.

The tightly shut rosewood doors of Clear Thought Hall opened a sliver, as though someone within was gazing after that red cloud in the sky.