"Good morning!" She trotted all the way to the Chixiao Mountain Gate. Her face, beaded with fine sweat under the rising sun, looked tender and dewy like an apple, her slightly panting mouth exhaled a fragrance that was enticing, leaving the two gatekeepers staring dumbfounded, unable to understand why Xiao Xian looked different from usual today, exceptionally attractive.
"Ah... good morning." One of them, quite smitten, foolishly replied.
"Hmph!" She inwardly sneered, See that? Granny here is also very charming. It was only after noticing the expressions of the two gatekeepers that she felt she had vented the frustrations from last night.
Next, she entered a time for investigation, first heading to the sect's kitchen and busied herself for half of the morning.
The incident from yesterday had spread throughout the whole sect and everyone knew of her good relationship with Dahu, so she received many consolations and sympathies. In order for the next part of her plan to go smoothly, she could not show too much grudge or indifference, but had to look genuinely upset.
"Acting, Ning Xiaoxian, bring out your acting skills!" Luckily, she truly was upset, and without much effort, she got everyone to sigh and moan with her, making Elder Shan who was in charge of meals even assign several helpers to share her workload on the spot. This way, she had more time and opportunities to observe.
At lunchtime, Huo Zhenghua indeed came with his Fierce Beast to eat. Seeing that she wasn't serving food in the hall, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, apparently afraid that she would mix something into the food for revenge. How he underestimated her! Her revenge would not be as gentle as a fine rain!
She hid in the kitchen, peeking for a long time, not forgetting to fix her Demon Eye on the Fierce Beast.
As a minor character like her, if everything in the sect ran routinely, she would have no opportunity for revenge. Thankfully, God was not too heartless this time.
Tomorrow, an intermediary from the Chaoyun Sect would climb Chixiao Mountain.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, there must be changes, and this slight change might just be her opportunity.
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The first chirp of the skylark outside the window awoke Mei Wanting from a night of sweet dreams.
The maid had been standing outside the door with the golden basin for a long time. Hearing Mei Wanting's call, she tiptoed in and carefully helped her wash her face.
The meticulous task of grooming and dressing up was left to Mei Wanting's personal maid. She tried several hairstyles that Mei Wanting usually favored, but none satisfied her until the maid deftly made a hanging hair split bun, and then the beloved daughter of the Chi Xiao Sect's Sect Leader lazily nodded her approval. This hairstyle was elegant and poised, yet lively, and it was the favorite styling for young girls meeting their lovers.
Therefore, she knew that Miss's mood today was exceptionally different from usual.
Mei Wanting was indeed overjoyed because he was coming. This "he" was none other than the Sect Leader's top disciple from the Chaoyun Sect, Quan Shifang, who ranked third on the list of immortal heroes at just 22 years old!
At the grand martial gathering three years ago, Miss Mei laid her eyes on Quan Shifang for the first time. The lad who stood elegantly behind the Sect Leader of Chaoyun Sect, with a stature as magnificent as a luminous star, appeared utterly indifferent to the adoring gazes from the ladies below. His innate genteel and otherworldly demeanor put his male peers to shame. From that moment, Miss Mei's heart was secretly tied to Quan Shaohua.
She later made inquiries and learned that Quan Shifang was indeed a man of deep emotions and honor. When the Chaoyun Sect disciples encircled the demon den at Yellow Wind Ridge, they were outnumbered. It was Quan Shifang who firmly guarded the entrance of the cave where his junior brothers took refuge, slaying any demon that came—one by one, pair by pair—for three whole days and nights, not allowing a single demon to breach the cave until help from their sect arrived. It was said that when a fisherman's daughter was kidnapped by demons, he traveled through the night to save her, leaving immediately after returning her home without even taking a sip of water. Many such tales spread Quan Shifang's good name far and wide.
Back then, she could only gaze at him from afar amid a crowd of love-struck girls; but today, she had blossomed into an elegant eighteen-year-old maiden, boasting a beauty that was praised by everyone in the sect. Now that Quan Shifang was representing his sect on a visit, she, as the only daughter of Sect Leader Mei, had plenty of opportunities to interact with him! Whether her wishes would be fulfilled or her heart shattered depended on this day.
After her maid carefully adorned her with the Cloud Pearl Scroll Vine Hairpin, she instructed her young maid: "Bring me the Layered Pearl Gauze Pink Silk Skirt that has been ordered." She had personally chosen the style of this dress, which with its pink hue, complemented her fair skin beautifully. After the dress was retrieved from the bottom of the mountain the day before, it was carefully ironed, sprinkled with Cloud Flower Fragrance Dew, and hung outside to air.
She waited calmly, repeatedly telling herself: "Don't be nervous."
However, after a short time, the young maid came back from the outer sect tumbling in a panic, her face drained of color.
"Miss, the dress... the dress is gone!"
"What?" Mei Wanting's hand trembled, and her tea spilled all over the table.
On the morning of the Chaoyun Sect guests' arrival, the prized garment of Sect Leader Mei's daughter had been stolen! What a disaster this was!
Miss Mei, with tears in her eyes, rushed into her father's residence. In response, Sect Leader Mei immediately issued a strict command: Investigate!
Those in the know could guess that if Mei Wanting could display her charm and capture Quan Shifang's heart, then the Chi Xiao Sect would gain a powerful ally. As a result, Mei Wanting's affair became the affair of the entire Chi Xiao Sect.
With less than two hours remaining before the arrival of the Chaoyun Sect members at Chixiao Mountain, the sect was in chaos; disciples from every peak were in action, turning Chixiao Mountain upside down. Fortunately, at last, the dress was found.
It lay in the lair of Huo Zhenghua's spirit beast—a Fierce Beast. When everyone discovered it, the Fierce Beast was hugging the dress, licking and rolling over it with ecstatic and frenzied delight, resembling a person who haven't had a proper meal for ten years finally feasting on braised pork. A bold disciple approached, attempting to pull the dress from under its paws, only to be met with a roar from the beast that nearly crushed half of his chest.
Mei Wanting personally chased into the lair with her Golden Whip. This magic treasure, a gift from Sect Leader Mei to his beloved daughter, had powerful rending effects when used to lash at enemies. Mei Wanting merely intended to get the beast to let go of the dress and to vent her anger, but after two strikes, the already agitated Fierce Beast—pain-stricken—revealed its claws and lunged at her.
Miss Mei, who had always been treated like a coddled princess on the mountain, had never experienced the terror of being attacked by a giant beast. In that instant, her mind went blank, and she couldn't summon any of her spells.
(Author's note: Hehe, can any reader guess what made the Fierce Beast so wildly ecstatic? This thing exists in real life too; Shui Yun just exaggerated its effects a bit.)