Chapter 222: The Little Mirror Master Arrives

Immortals arriving at the Sages' Garden continued without pause, already forming a throng.

What had been vast and nearly empty at dawn was now packed with figures everywhere, filling the mountains, lakes, pavilions, and terraces.

Immortals who, like Ji You, had arrived early were now strolling, discussing the newly arrived noble families, while some with kinship ties exchanged bows and greetings.

Just then, Ji You, still unsuccessful in his venture, reached near the Lake Heart Isle and heard a clattering sound, prompting him to turn his head.

A military unit clad in iron armor, wielding long sabers, marched forward in perfect formation along the white marble road, their faces expressionless.

As they advanced, their armor plates clanked together, emitting a chilling aura that caused other immortals to halt and watch.

Though the Great Xia had many soldiers, none could match this aura except the Zhenbei Army.

The sunlight, still bright, glinted off their polished armor, blindingly bright.

"So, the Zhenbei Army is also coming to compete."

Ji You had heard this from Kuangcheng before arriving, so he wasn't surprised.

After all, the Zhenbei Army was the only place outside noble families and immortal sects that allowed commoners to cultivate.

As the Zhenbei Army passed, dozens of carriages followed.

Ji You saw Chong Wang, Zhao Yunyue, and Wei Rui among these carriages.

Wei Rui waved lightly at him; Zhao Yunyue frowned deeply and quickly turned her gaze away.

Ji You was used to this—he figured this was the pressure his looks deserved…

He turned his eyes to the rear, spotting a golden carriage coiled with dragons, guarded by countless imperial guards; its occupant could only be the Emperor of Great Xia.

The emperor, secluded deep in the palace, likely had little to do—coming to join the festivities was only natural.

When he read "Kangxi's Secret Inspection," Kangxi himself went to mines to join the fun and played with stones.

Next came officials from the Imperial Immortal Supervision.

As he watched, Ji You's eyes lit up—he spotted Kuangcheng riding in the same carriage as Deputy Supervisor Peng Dongyang.

Kuangcheng saw him and waved enthusiastically: "Brother Ji."

Ji You looked up at him: "You're staying at the Sages' Garden too?"

"Yes. The Imperial Immortal Supervision oversees this Heavenly Dao Assembly; I'll reside with my colleagues in Taiping Garden. After I settle my luggage, I'll come find you."

"If you can't find me, go to Rusheng Garden."

Peng Dongyang, also in the moving carriage, bowed slightly and raised his hand: "Welcome, Young Master Ji, to Taiping Garden."

Ji You nodded in greeting, watched them depart, then heard a sudden clamor nearby and turned back.

A massive black carriage, towering like a mountain, rolled over the white marble road, its banner bearing the characters "Xuan Yuan."

The carriage was veiled in gauze, within which sat a man, cross-legged.

From the murmurs around him, Ji You learned the occupant was Chu Xian, the outsider disciple of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion.

The carriage's design and aura matched the rank of a deputy sect leader.

This made Ji You think of Yuanchen, his own disciple—he didn't even have a carriage, forced to ride with his sect brothers because his sister kicked him out, yet they were both direct disciples. The disparity was staggering.

But then again, it made sense.

Yu Danzong had no combat strength and never sought attention—it naturally avoided such ostentatious travel.

At this moment, He Lingxiu and others arrived from Rusheng Garden, approached Ji You, and stared at the carriage.

Direct disciples of immortal sects were true elites—even they, as direct disciples of the Immortal Halls, had to look up, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Tian Shu Academy had no direct disciples, so naturally lacked such prestige.

Then came a carriage from the Chen Clan Immortals, its banner fluttering with an engraved stone stele—their sacred artifact, the Dao Stele.

Inside sat the dragon-phoenix direct disciples competing this time: Chen Luo and Chen Xi.

He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and others studied them closely, even secretly deploying their spiritual senses to sense the aura radiating from the sisters.

Because these two direct disciples would compete—they might very well meet.

"Their aura is strong… troublesome."

"Not that we're afraid before fighting, but we hope not to face them early."

He Lingxiu nodded solemnly, then turned to Ji You: "Brother Ji, why are you here?"

Ji You sheathed his sword: "I planned a low-cost business, but no one showed up."

He Lingxiu didn't care what he did—she didn't dwell on the business but changed the subject: "The Qiu family has arrived too. They just sent me a message saying they'll visit tonight. You're free anyway—why not come with me?"

"Why are you bringing this up again?"

"Yuan isn't here, and during this journey, she's been very obedient to you—she won't stop you from taking a concubine."

He Lingxiu had indeed observed Ji You and Yuan Caimei's interactions—from departure, to meals on the road, to their parting.

To be honest, she was surprised.

She'd never seen Yuan Caimei with Ji You before; she assumed that as a daughter of Yu Danzong, even if fond of him, she'd carry an innate pride.

But she hadn't expected Yuan Caimei to be so meek before him—she obeyed every word.

Her behavior didn't resemble a lawful wife—it was more like a quiet, uncomplaining concubine.

So He Lingxiu thought: if the lawful wife was so gentle and virtuous, perhaps the Qiu family's proposal wasn't entirely hopeless.

For immortal noble families, reproduction was always top priority—especially since Ji You's family had only him. He'd surely take concubines, and not just one.

Most men in the world were like this—no matter how serious, a few more persuasions would make them yield.

Besides, Brother Ji's body is exceptionally strong… giving Yuan Caimei a sister would surely make her grateful.

And since the Qiu family is allied with our He family, if this succeeds, we gain not only a prodigy likely to reach the Ying Tian realm, but also a deeper bond with Yu Danzong through sisterhood.

Crucially, rumors about Ji You's constitution being heritable could be verified through the Qiu family.

If true, He Lingxiu herself wanted to carry his seed—centuries later, another super-noble family, rivaling immortal sects like the brilliant Chu family, would rise.

Ji You chuckled at her words, thinking: Yuan Caimei is obedient, alright—but Sister, stop meddling. You don't know how close my own big one is coming.

I'm already at risk of being stabbed to death—you're not matchmaking—you're scribbling my name on the Book of Death.

He Lingxiu, seeing his silence, wasn't worried.

The Heavenly Dao Assembly would last a long time—there'd be plenty of chances to bring them together. Between men and women, once they met, things always became easier.

She silently mused, then saw several cultivators approach and bow before her.

"Immortal He."

A man with a jade-like crown held a folding fan and smiled faintly.

He Lingxiu looked up: "Master Xu, long time no see."

The Xu family was an in-law clan of Shanhai Pavilion, holding higher status than ordinary noble families.

Both families wished for them to become cultivation partners, but He Lingxiu was still considering it—Master Xu's strength still lagged behind hers, and his breakthrough to Rong Dao seemed distant.

But low strength had its advantage: easier to control.

Besides Master Xu, others also came to greet Shi Junhao, Xiao Hanyan, Chai Ze, Yu Shiliu, and others.

But as they chatted, they noticed all the uncles and aunts gathered earlier at Rusheng Garden had now arrived here, staring toward the gate arch.

"Why have all the uncles and aunts come out?"

"The Lingjian Mountain's little Mirror Master has arrived."

"?"

Ji You, bored and about to leave, heard this and turned toward the gate arch.

The Lingjian Mountain's little Mirror Master's departure time wasn't secret; her arrival could be calculated.

She was the only direct disciple who held a sacred artifact—her status was indistinguishable from that of a sect leader.

Especially since she had just entered Wujiang realm, attention was inevitable.

He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and others glanced around and realized many more people had appeared around them—figures once unseen now stood here, all staring toward the Sages' Garden.

Kuangcheng and Wei Rui had come too, but not for this—they were here to find Ji You.

Yet as they reached Ji You's side and saw everyone staring in one direction, they too turned to look.

"Brother Ji, what are you looking at?"

"The moody ghost has arrived."

"?"

As the setting sun slanted, a carriage from Lingjian Mountain finally appeared before the gate arch, slowly entering the white marble road.

The carriage was entirely red, draped in gauze, its wooden railings intricately carved with flowing, powerful lines.

Through the hanging gauze, everyone could see a clear silhouette inside—sitting cross-legged, faint and indistinct, like previous direct disciples.

But everyone knew: the occupant was the newly ascended little Mirror Master.

As the carriage rolled along the white marble road, all eyes followed it until it reached the Tian Shu Academy group.

Wei Rui stood between Ji You and Kuangcheng, gazing upward like the others.

She wasn't a cultivator, but she'd heard of the Lingjian Mountain's little Mirror Master—naturally curious. Yet as she watched, her beautiful eyes suddenly froze.

Because the shadow within the carriage looked strikingly familiar.

After a long pause, the Wei family's daughter turned to look at Ji You.

He Lingxiu, too, stared intently at the silhouette, her eyes filled with reverence and longing.

The Lingjian Mountain's little Mirror Master was the ideal every female cultivator in the world aspired to be—prodigious talent, profound realm, wielding a sacred artifact—even He Lingxiu was no exception.

So were Xiao Hanyan and Yu Shiliu.

As the towering carriage rolled past, the silhouette drew nearer, lofty and hazy.

But as He Lingxiu watched, she suddenly noticed the figure inside the gauze had turned its head slightly—as if deliberately glancing toward their direction.

Ji You leaned against the stone railing, quietly watching the scene.

Since the beginning of the New Era, half a year has passed; this figure has grown slimmer, likely because she was too absorbed in her cultivation breakthrough to care about eating.

Now that she has finally entered the Boundless Realm, she estimates she can finally breathe easier.

Besides watching that figure, he also glanced at a dark shadow in the corner of the carriage.

It was a flowerpot, with a stalk of wheat growing from it; from the shadow alone, one could tell the wheat was the same size as ordinary wheat—not nearly as exaggerated as Yuan Caimei's cultivated strains.

Yan Shuyi isn't professionally suited to this task; given her restless nature, keeping it this vigorous is already remarkable.

Ji You watched her pass by, then saw the figure quietly turn her head back.

Behind the carriage came the Lingjian Mountain disciples—contestants and attendants combined, numbering over a hundred.

Among them were familiar faces, such as Yan Shujing and Zhuang You, who had struck down two direct disciples during the Questioning at the Heavenly Book Academy that day.

Some were entirely white-haired; one was especially familiar to Ji You—Qi Zhengyang, the Chief of Sword Dao at Lingjian Mountain.

Another was a man with long, loose hair, walking along the eastern side of the crowd.

He had originally been holding a great sword, expressionless and aloof, his posture surpassing all other disciples.

But upon seeing Ji You and Kuangcheng by the roadside, he couldn't maintain his composure, coughed once, and glanced away.

Ji You narrowed his eyes, thinking: Gongshu Qiu, that fool, must be here collecting material again…

Damn it, I still haven't settled the score with him over that tail incident.

Lingjian Mountain's disciples also stayed at Rusheng Garden, so their return route matched Ji You's, but they weren't the only ones returning—other garden cultivators had come too, all looking like they'd come just to watch the spectacle.

After passing the stone stele inscribed with "The Sun Rises in the East," the Lingjian Mountain disciples all headed toward the western courtyard of Rusheng Garden.

The crowd halted at the fork between the eastern and western courtyards, watching as the carriage slowly came to a stop before the pavilion.

In their sight, a woman clad in a bright red immortal robe, wearing a lustrous celestial crown, lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down onto the ground before the pavilion.

Everyone held their breath, expecting her to walk straight into the pavilion without looking back—but instead, she suddenly paused, turned her head toward the crowd, then stepped into the doorway and vanished.

Seeing that backward glance, everyone froze, then looked at each other, eyes filled with confusion.

The only exceptions were Wei Rui, stunned with shock, and Kuangcheng, grinning with bared teeth.

Yan Shuyi could erase all traces of herself from the Heavenly Mirror, making her undetectable to anyone below the Spirit Traveling Realm.

That's why, despite spending the entire winter at the Heavenly Book Academy, wandering out often, shopping around, she was still only vaguely known among others as "a woman in Ji You's courtyard."

But no one knew she had made a bold decision.

She had not erased Kuangcheng and Wei Rui's memories—she had made them remember her clearly.

Kuangcheng had some preparation, unlike Wei Rui, who had been completely stunned—but recalling that moment when all eyes were on her, he still couldn't stop his heart from trembling.

A beautiful body really does conquer the world—she'd pulled off something this huge…

Ji You watched him silently, gestured for him to take Wei Rui and leave, and the three returned to Ji You's residence.

After sitting down, Wei Rui was still shaken; after a long silence, she spoke: "Young Master Ji, was that Sister Yan?"

Ji You nodded: "Yes…"

"The Lingjian Mountain's Young Mirror Master?"

"Mm."

Wei Rui grabbed Kuangcheng's collar and looked up at him.

Kuangcheng involuntarily held his breath—not because of the Lingjian Mountain's Young Mirror Master, but because Wei Rui, after hearing it, had nearly burrowed into his arms.

Ji You poured tea for both of them: "Don't go blabbing. Even if you did, no one would believe you."

"Young Master Ji is being too cruel."

"What's wrong?"

Wei Rui tugged Kuangcheng's collar: "Not knowing is one thing—but now that I know, I can't help wanting to tell everyone! Why did Sister Yan want me to know this?!"

Ji You poured them more tea: "She has her reasons."

Meanwhile, Lingjian Mountain disciples kept arriving and departing in the eastern courtyard, figures constantly moving.

The Heavenly Book Academy disciples all stood in the western courtyard courtyard, watching silently, tea cups in hand, saying nothing.

The relationship between Lingjian Mountain and the Heavenly Book Academy had always been poor—everyone knew that. Now sharing the same garden, even if not in the same area, the atmosphere was subtly tense.

He Lingxiu: Why did the Lingjian Mountain's Young Mirror Master just look at me?

Shi Junhao: Why did she glance at me?

Xiao Hanyan: Did she look at me specifically to analyze my combat strength?

The group sat at the tea table for a long time, and after that, they never saw the Lingjian Mountain's Young Mirror Master appear again—though they did spot two graceful women standing at the railing of the western courtyard's small pavilion.

"The Mirror Master still wants people to know about the Young Master…"

Beneath the lantern light of the western courtyard pavilion, Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao had prepared themselves; now standing on the second floor, they gazed across at the opposite courtyard, recalling the Mirror Master's deliberate pause and turn to face the crowd.

Zhuo Wanqiu pursed her lips: "It's natural for a woman to want the whole world to know when she's fallen for a man for the first time—wasn't that exactly what happened last time, when she came back with a bitten lip and a proud grin?"

Ding Yao couldn't help sighing softly: "But it's still risky. There are so many cultivators in Xianxian Garden—someone might notice eventually."

"It wouldn't be surprising—if they never met, maybe, but do you really think the Mirror Master can resist going to see the Young Master, especially…"

"Especially what?"

Zhuo Wanqiu lowered her voice: "Especially the Mirror Master loves excitement."

Ding Yao nodded, then suddenly paled: "Oh no—I need to go watch over the Mirror Master."

Zhuo Wanqiu turned to her in shock: "?"

Ding Yao's expression turned serious: "Too many eyes were on her today. Everyone was watching her—I'm afraid she'll go to the Young Master tonight."

Zhuo Wanqiu glanced at her: "The Mirror Master isn't stupid."

"Once a woman falls for someone, she's likely to become foolish—the Mirror Master is no exception."

"Senior Sister Ding, if the Mirror Master is determined to go, can you really stop her?"

"She can't go until after midnight—it's not even dark yet."

(End of Chapter)