Chapter 28

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 28: Coming-of-Age Ceremony

The sky stretched endlessly, a sea of blue with clouds drifting lazily. Qing Shi Town’s Su Clan was alive with activity; outside the clan gates, a steady stream of cultivators moved to and fro, while inside, servants bustled about, their tasks executed with precision. The courtyard gates were festooned with vibrant decorations, radiating a palpable sense of joy.

"Tell me, who is this fifth daughter of the Su Clan? How does her coming-of-age ceremony warrant such grandeur?"

"You’re out of the loop!" The speaker gestured grandly, exuding an air of self-importance. "Though she’s from a branch family, the fifth daughter has caught the eye of the Sect Master of Liu Yun Sect. Now, she’s an inherited disciple there—her status is beyond question."

"An inherited disciple of Liu Yun Sect?" A nearby cultivator inhaled sharply. "No wonder the ceremony is so lavish."

Guided by servants, the guests took their seats, their eyes drawn to the girl in blue standing at the heart of the Su Clan hall. Their gazes were a mix of curiosity and envy, with a hint of reverence lurking beneath.

Ming He faced the crowd with unshakable composure. She was clad in a pristine blue silk robe, her dark hair tied high, a white long sword held firmly in her hand. Her posture was erect, her expression cool, though a faint trace of impatience flickered in her eyes.

She had approached Su Cheng Feng, hoping to expedite the ceremony and return to the sect sooner, but he had declined. He insisted that the coming-of-age ceremony was a significant event, not to be rescheduled lightly. Besides, the invitations had already been sent out with the designated time.

Ming He was unimpressed but chose not to press the matter. It was only a few days, after all, and she could spend the time reading indoors. As an inherited disciple, she had access to numerous jade slips in the library. Previously occupied with her cultivation, she had neglected them. Now, she could use this time to broaden her knowledge.

"The time has come; let the ceremony begin!" With the elder’s clear announcement, the coming-of-age ceremony for the Su Clan’s fifth daughter officially commenced.

Ming He stood tall, her demeanor neither submissive nor arrogant. Her delicate features were calm as her biological parents—the current clan leader, who had reached the fifth level of the Xuan Wei Realm—placed a small silver crown upon her head.

What followed was a series of elaborate, ritualistic procedures. Ming He suppressed her inner emotions and followed the guard’s instructions meticulously, performing each step with precision.

As the sun began its descent, Ming He’s gaze shifted to the elegant woman seated in a position of prominence within the Su Clan and the middle-aged man occupying the third high chair to her left. Their eyes, filled with wariness, met hers. She responded with a faint smile, as if their concerns were trivial, which only served to irritate them further, though they could do nothing about it.

The lady of the Su Clan and the third elder. Since her return, every visible disturbance seemed to trace back to these two. Though, in truth, these incidents had no real impact on Ming He—they were little more than theatrical displays.

One was preoccupied with her son’s standing, fearing that Ming He’s newfound status and cultivation might threaten his position as the Su Clan’s Young Master. The other was likely driven by a misguided sense of pride.

Ming He recalled the group of youths in the courtyard, who shared her bloodline yet had sought to provoke her. She also remembered the young cultivator sent by the third elder to intimidate her, only to flee in panic at the mere tremor of her hand on the sword’s sheath. She felt nothing but disdain.

Qing Shi Town was small, its inhabitants content with their sheltered lives, oblivious to the vast, mesmerizing world beyond. They were fixated on the immediate, tangible gains before them.

In comparison, Su Cheng Feng was a step ahead. He had ventured beyond Qing Shi Town to Liu Yun Sect, catching a glimpse of the world’s grandeur and allure. Yet, even that was not enough.

Ming He’s gaze settled on the young man approaching her, his smile enigmatic. He wore a deep blue silk robe, similar in hue to hers but with a distinct elegance. Where Ming He was reserved, Su Cheng Feng exuded warmth and approachability. He regarded her with the affection befitting an older brother. "Xiao He, it’s been a while since you returned to the clan. You must be unfamiliar with the other members?"

Noticing Ming He’s perceptive smile, he paused briefly before continuing, "This is the second young master of the Lin Clan."

"Greetings, Su Clan’s fifth daughter," the second young master, Lin, said with a respectful bow, his demeanor reflecting the deference owed to someone of higher cultivation.

"And this is the seventh elder of the Ye Clan."

“Greetings, Su Clan’s fifth daughter.” The speaker did not bow, but his tone was filled with respect.

They had more experience than the lady of the Su Clan, so they knew that even though their cultivation level was higher than the girl’s at the moment, her future would far surpass theirs, making them hesitant to show any arrogance.

The status of an inherited disciple from Liu Yun Sect was unfathomable in their eyes.

“This is…”

“Greetings, Su Clan’s fifth daughter.”

Su Cheng Feng introduced Ming He to the influential figures from various families in Qing Shi Town, trying to expand his family’s influence by leveraging her identity as an inherited disciple of Liu Yun Sect.

Ming He saw his fleeting dark gaze and immediately understood his intentions, but a mere remark didn’t affect her, so she didn’t deliberately refuse.

Such an occasion was likely what the original owner had dreamt of? A chance to shine, finally making her mark and wowing everyone.

Ming He smiled but did not speak. She actually enjoyed such gatherings, though she thought it should be on a different stage.

If that stage were this grand space, she would undoubtedly feel invigorated and proud.

At eighteen, Ming He had these thoughts, waving at the middle-aged man beside her, who had lowered his head in greeting. Her demeanor was distant yet polite.

“Xiao He, this is Zhao Zhi Yuan, the fourth young master of the Zhao Clan, and also an inner sect disciple of Wu Ji Palace,” Su Cheng Feng introduced eagerly.

The Zhao Clan and Su Clan were two of the four great families of Qing Shi Town, known for their comparable strength, with their clan leaders always competing for dominance. No one could claim to be the top among the four while the other existed.

With the clan leaders and elders unable to see a winner, the competition passed on to the younger generation.

Though the Su Clan had two members in Liu Yun Sect and had Su Cheng Feng as an inner sect disciple before Ming He rose to prominence, overall strength and territory still put Liu Yun Sect below Wu Ji Palace.

Not to mention, Liu Yun Sect even lagged behind the Glass Pavilion and Qing Shan Sect, making the Su Clan disadvantaged in this regard.

But now, things were different.

Now, with an inherited disciple from Liu Yun Sect, the Su Clan was certainly not inferior to a mere inner sect disciple from Wu Ji Palace.

After all, regardless of the sect’s strength, the status of an inherited disciple was unmatched by that of an inner sect disciple. Even if Liu Yun Sect were weaker than Wu Ji Palace, its inherited disciples eclipsed those of Wu Ji Palace.

Su Cheng Feng proudly introduced the young man dressed in black, his voice brimming with family pride, almost overflowing with emotion, giving a sense of triumph and relief.

Ming He didn’t know how Su Cheng Feng felt, nor did she care much. She simply met the probing gaze of Zhao Zhi Yuan, the young man in black, feeling an uncomfortable sensation of being closely watched.

Her heart skipped a beat, and after exchanging a few words, she declined Su Cheng Feng’s further introductions, pulling her robe to find a seat, her mind pondering over the identity of this young man.

Zhao Zhi Yuan, the fourth young master of the Zhao Clan, an inner sect disciple of Wu Ji Palace, twenty years old, at the Spirit Guiding Fourth Level, sharing the same realm as her.

This person felt different to her.

How could he be only at the Spirit Guiding Fourth Level, merely an inner sect disciple?

Ming He noticed the hard smile on his cold face and felt an intense sense of incongruity. If he was truly just at the Spirit Guiding Fourth Level, why would he cause her heart to race so?

At twenty, reaching the Spirit Guiding Fourth Level counted as a genuine genius in Liu Yun Sect.

Even if Wu Ji Palace was stronger than Liu Yun Sect, one wouldn’t expect it to be far off from the name of a sect that could rank among the ninth prefecture of the Eastern Region.

Therefore, Zhao Zhi Yuan posed a problem.

What kind of problem could it be?

Ming He ruminated but couldn’t come up with an answer. Perhaps she was overthinking; maybe he was indeed a true prodigy?

Prodigies were never ordinary; any unusual traits were reasonable.

However, the original storyline did not mention the name Zhao Zhi Yuan. When Su Yu rose, he had not encountered any obstacles from the Zhao Clan, including this Zhao Zhi Yuan. Had he died or perhaps gone to a broader world?

Ming He rubbed her forehead, unable to find answers, and decided not to dwell on it. Her goal was merely to cultivate and grow stronger, and Zhao Zhi Yuan’s uniqueness was of no concern to her.

With this thought, she comfortably set aside her momentary doubts and turned her attention back to Su Cheng Feng. The coming-of-age ceremony had concluded, and her relationship with the Su Clan, barring any surprises, would remain distant and indifferent.

To her, that was perfectly fine. The feeling of kinship was indeed new, but she had never needed it.

Ming He curled her lips into a cool smile, content to walk alone in this vast world.

With more people around, it felt cramped.

“Is there something wrong with her?” A guard brought by Zhao Zhi Yuan, lurking in the dark corner of the Su Clan hall, whispered to his young master, who was fixated on Ming He.

“There is.” A barely perceptible smile of relief appeared on Zhao Zhi Yuan’s lips. “She carries the aura of the Left Envoy; she has met the Left Envoy.”

“The Left Envoy?” The guard became visibly excited, but after receiving a glare from Zhao Zhi Yuan, he restrained himself. “I’ll go capture her and interrogate her about the Left Envoy’s whereabouts. That way, we won’t have to endure humiliation before those guys any longer.”

As for how to extract that information? Naturally, they had methods, and if all else failed, there were soul-searching techniques or truth-telling pills…Cultivators had many ways, especially they did.

“Fool.” Zhao Zhi Yuan scoffed, showing no intention to explain to the confused guard. “Do not engage her; send someone to keep watch from afar and report to me at all times.”

“If you dare act on your own and miss the chance to find the Left Envoy, I will destroy your spirit.” He lowered his voice, the calm and gentle tone of his body hiding a chilling edge.

“Yes.” The guard shivered, suddenly reminded of Zhao Zhi Yuan’s status under the Left Envoy before the latter’s disappearance. His methods were cruel, even surpassing those of the Left Envoy.

“Master, should we retract the net we cast earlier?” After taking a few steps, the guard seemed to recollect something and turned back to ask quietly.

After all, they had a lead on the Left Envoy, and surely the days of taking charge wouldn’t be far off.

In the old days, when the Left Envoy was present, they had enjoyed a prosperous time, which was incomparable to the torment they had faced over the past few thousand years.

The guard thought of their glorious past and the promising future ahead, his excitement clearly visible on his face.

“Let’s not worry about that now; we’ll decide once the Left Envoy returns.” Zhao Zhi Yuan replied, and after the guard left, his gaze deepened, and his heart grew slightly heavy.

The guard didn’t think it was so simple. The Left Envoy had been missing for over a thousand years; the family’s situation had long changed.

Hopefully, when the Left Envoy returned, he could restore order and bring them back to their former glory!

Now, with the leader still young and the Right Envoy… If the Left Envoy still had the power of those days, it wouldn’t be impossible for the clan leader’s position to change hands.

And the key to everything lay with Su Ming He.