The persimmon tree in the courtyard of Miaokong Hall had bloomed.
The flowers were tiny dots of tender yellow, not as fresh as pear blossoms nor as delicate as peach blossoms, dotting the branches and leaves like scattered stars, carrying a sparse warmth.
On the willow trees below the mountain, however, were wrapped bundle after bundle of colorful lanterns. The lanterns were only fist-sized, reflecting the river waters on both banks in flickering brightness, even livelier than during the day.
The business at Huajin Tower remained as prosperous as ever, with the hall packed to capacity. Today, Shopkeeper Jin had acquired a batch of new treasures and was holding a competitive auction in the main hall, creating a very lively atmosphere.
A handsome young man carrying a silver spear passed by absentmindedly, his crimson hair ribbon cutting a brilliant streak through the night, until he bumped into a fragrant breeze. The alluringly dressed proprietress hurried over, fanning herself and laughing: “Yingying, you’re punctual.”
Gu Baiying ignored her pleasantries and got straight to the point: “Where’s the stick?”
“After not seeing you for so long, you don’t even know how to show some concern, just thinking about your stick.” Jin Feicui sighed affectedly: “Men do turn outward when they grow up—” Seeing that Gu Baiying was about to explode, the female shopkeeper quickly restrained her smile: “You go sit upstairs first. Wait for me a moment while I fetch it for you.”
The guide boy led Gu Baiying to an elegant seat on the second floor overlooking the river. Today, no wine was served, only a pot of clear tea in snow-white porcelain cups, the liquid a clear blue-green.
When he had drunk his second cup of tea, the pearl curtain was lifted, and Jin Feicui walked in carrying a long wooden box.
The beauty placed the wooden box on the table and smiled while nudging her chin toward Gu Baiying: “There, it’s all here. This craftsman cost me a fortune to commission through connections, just to melt and reforge a sword into a stick. The craftsmanship fee was considerable. All things considered, I, Jin Feicui, have made a losing transaction.”
Gu Baiying said nothing and opened the wooden box.
The bottom of the wooden box was lined with a layer of snow-white silk, and on the white silk lay an azure long stick. This stick was dripping with emerald color, as lively as green bamboo. Upon touching it, it felt slightly cool, like an evening breeze passing through a bamboo forest, with life flowing smoothly throughout. The stick’s craftsmanship was outstanding, with perfect curvature, smooth and translucent, and at the handle was a small crystalline frost flower.
“The master craftsman said the frost flower carved on the original sword was exquisite, and it would be a pity to melt it down, so he preserved it. I thought that since Miss Yang is a woman, there’s no harm in making her personal spirit artifact more beautiful, so I agreed.”
This stick was crafted to perfection, both refined and natural. Perhaps some talismans had been redrawn on it, as yuanli surged within it. Even within the Taiyan Sect, this was a rare top-grade spirit artifact.
Indeed, there was nothing to criticize about it.
Gu Baiying closed the box lid and looked at Jin Feicui: “How many spirit stones did you lose? I’ll make up the difference.”
“Forget it, forget it.” Jin Feicui pressed down his hand that was reaching for his Qiankun Bag, chiding: “You rarely ask me to do something, so why be so polite? But I notice your complexion is much better than last time. What’s the matter—any happy news recently?”
Jin Feicui was unaware of Gu Baiying’s damaged spiritual meridians. Naturally, she also couldn’t know that since returning from the treasure land, Li Danshu had already given Gu Baiying one of the pills refined from the Sacred Tree fruit, which had some benefits. His spiritual meridians were gradually being repaired, and the yuanli he had previously restrained no longer needed to be constrained, naturally making him appear to have improved another level.
“Just the usual, nothing good.” Gu Baiying glanced outside: “It’s getting late, I should head back.”
“You just arrived and you’re leaving already,” Jin Feicui asked. “Won’t you look at anything? I just acquired several treasures today…”
“No,” the young man refused bluntly: “They’re all old, worn-out things, nothing fresh.”
Upon hearing this, Jin Feicui’s willow eyebrows stood on end, and she spoke with a cold laugh: “Gu Baiying, do you have any shame? Who was it that rolled around in my Huajin Tower warehouse as a child and refused to leave, even crying when Xuan Lingzi called you back to the sect? Now you’re disgusted that my place is too small? Let me tell you, Huajin Tower has quite a reputation even in the cultivation world. Those odds and ends in your sect—I, Jin Feicui, wouldn’t even look at them.”
“Shopkeeper Jin,” Gu Baiying couldn’t stand her nagging and couldn’t help interrupting: “It’s not that the things in your building aren’t good, it’s me, it’s my problem, alright? I don’t have anything to buy. I’ll come to support your business next time, okay?”
“What do you mean you don’t have anything to buy?” Jin Feicui glared at him: “You’re just going to give this stick directly to Miss Yang?”
“Otherwise?”
“With such a charming face, how can you be so obtuse?” Jin Feicui scolded him: “Can’t you buy some other things to give her along with it? When others give gifts to young ladies, how could they directly give spirit artifacts? This isn’t like paying respects to a master.”
“Give things?” The young man was baffled: “We’re neither relatives nor close friends—what would I give?”
“Give flowers, give lanterns, give stars, buy jade, buy gold, buy hairpins!” Jin Feicui pointed at his forehead in frustration: “If you don’t do anything, I think you’ll remain ‘neither relatives nor close friends’ with her for life.”
Gu Baiying’s face darkened as he stood up and placed a handful of spirit stones on the table: “Giving things for no reason would be even stranger.” He picked up his silver spear and the wooden box from the table: “I’m leaving first. I’ll come to support your business next time.”
The young man’s figure quickly disappeared outside Huajin Tower. Jin Feicui was too late to catch him and could only prop her chin on one hand, gazing at the brilliant river flow and sighing deeply.
“Mother and son are both the same—makes others anxious watching them.”
…
When Gu Baiying left Huajin Tower and returned to the sect, it was already very late. He didn’t go to Miaokong Hall, just put away the azure stick, deciding to give it to Zanxing the next day.
The next day was sunny. Gufeng Mountain had entered summer. Though the mountain wasn’t as hot as below, the days had grown longer, and when the sun came out, there was a faint, sultry heat. The flowers and plants outside the hall were wilted by the afternoon sun, but in the early morning, they were especially lively.
Mendong went to Xiaoyao Hall early in the morning and encountered Tian Fangfang carrying a box of peanut crisps at the entrance.
“Junior Brother, Junior Brother!” Tian Fangfang called to him from behind.
Mendong stopped in his tracks and dissatisfiedly picked at his ears: “Senior Brother, why are you so loud? I can hear you.”
Tian Fangfang stuffed the exquisitely wrapped peanut crisps in his hand into Mendong’s hands: “Junior Brother Mu asked me to bring this to you. He went to Chuhong Terrace early this morning and entrusted me to give this to you. I figured you’d come to Master Uncle’s hall, so I’ve been waiting here for half an incense stick’s time.”
Mendong took the box and looked it over, opening it to see the peanut crisps made very beautifully, small pieces that looked exactly like real peanuts at first glance. Mendong nodded with satisfaction: “Peanut crisps from Pinxiang Studio—not bad. The young man is very sincere, and my efforts weren’t wasted.”