"Young Hero Pei, could you tell me what exactly the Heart of the Western Court is? How does it connect with heaven's authority?" She looked at the youth. "Heavenly Mountain has sought it for centuries, yet all we know comes from broken sentences and fragmentary texts."
Pei Ye shook his head. "I don't quite understand. Everything I know came from Platform Master Li. Let's discuss it in detail after Heavenly Mountain has met with him."
"All right."
Pei Ye looked at her. "You still haven't told me who's behind you, Miss Shi."
"Let us learn a little more about the situation in the Divine Capital first, and then we'll tell you, Young Hero Pei."
Pei Ye thought for a moment. "I heard that taking the Western Court's throne and truly becoming its master ultimately comes down to the lands of the Western Realm. Heavenly Mountain presumably knows about this? What's the process?"
Shi Zanxue smiled. "I don't quite understand that either. Let's leave the details for another day."
Pei Ye laughed, lowered his head, picked up the cup from the table, and raised it toward her.
Shi Zanxue clinked hers against it, and they tipped back their heads and drained their cups.
The breeze from the pond brushed his face. The spring day was languid. Pei Ye stretched his arms high, rose, and drew back the gauze curtains, letting the bright spring sunshine spill inside.
Leaning against the railing, he said, "Miss Shi, thank you for your hospitality. This is the best wine I've ever had. I never used to like drinking."
"You've grown up, Young Hero Pei. There's nothing wrong with having some wine."
Pei Ye laughed. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Let me know before you leave, Young Hero Pei. I'll fetch you another two