Chap 2: The Heart of Tianjian Sect

 

"Young Master, once you finish your meditation and leave the sea, head east for ten thousand miles. In twelve days, you'll reach the Tianjian Sect," said the young man dressed in white, his fan waving gently as he stood on a cliff, gazing into the distance. He explained the upcoming journey to Hua Xiangwan, who stood beside him in formal attire. "We've already sent word to the Tianjian Sect ahead of time, informing them of our arrival. Their people set out six days ago, and we agreed to meet in Zuixiang Town. We've arrived a day early. If nothing goes wrong, they'll enter 'Death Gorge' tonight."

"And then?" Hua Xiangwan idly twirled a lock of hair around her fingers as she glanced at the landscape, seeking more details.

A young girl in red immediately stepped forward, pointing to two large rocks looming over the canyon entrance. "We have spies waiting ahead. As soon as they arrive, we’ll receive word. Once the disciples of the Tianjian Sect enter the gorge, we’ll activate the magic circle, drop the rocks, and block their escape."

"Then," the young man in white continued, producing a small booklet and handing it to Hua Xiangwan, "our men, disguised as assassins, will rush in. I’ve already gathered information on the disciples coming to meet them. They're young, barely at the Nascent Soul stage, with no real combat experience. Our elite forces from the Hehuan Palace will easily overwhelm them."

"Wait." Hua Xiangwan raised her hand, frowning. "Are you here to kill them or help me arrange a marriage?"

The question made the young man and the girl freeze for a moment. Realizing their misstep, they quickly composed themselves. The young man in white cleared his throat and spoke more seriously. "Of course, we’re helping you with the marriage proposal. This is just the first step to put them in a bind. Once they’re in danger, you’ll swoop in and rescue them. With your grace and charm, you’ll captivate those little Taoists. Even if they don’t fall for you immediately, they’ll owe you a favor."

The girl in red chimed in, taking the booklet and placing it in Hua Xiangwan’s hand. "It’s best to target one of the more promising ones. Get hurt while saving him, make him feel guilty, and he’ll treat you with extra care. Build a bond on the way to the Tianjian Sect, and by the time we arrive, everything will be settled. The elders won’t be able to refuse the marriage."

As they elaborated on the plan, Hua Xiangwan listened quietly. She tucked the booklet into her sleeve and nodded. "It’s a decent strategy, but make sure it’s flawless."

She glanced at them sharply. "Don’t let things backfire and let the Tianjian Sect catch on to us."

"Don’t worry, Young Master," the girl smiled confidently. "Those young disciples have never ventured out of Yunlai. Once you make your move, we’ll withdraw, leaving no trace of the trap."

"Good."

Hua Xiangwan gave a satisfied nod. "But if anything goes wrong..." She gently patted both of their heads, her tone turning icy. "You won’t need to use your little brains anymore."

The two swallowed nervously, dropping to their knees in a hurry. "We promise, Young Master, everything will go according to plan!"

"Fine." Hua Xiangwan waved them off. "Go prepare. I'll wait here."

They scurried off to set the trap, while Hua Xiangwan found a comfortable spot to sit cross-legged. She pulled out a spiritual bead from her pouch, turning it thoughtfully in her hand as she gazed into the distance.

Half a month ago, she had been in the Western Territory—a land completely different from Yunlai. The two regions were separated by the vast Dingli Sea, and they rarely had dealings with each other. Yunlai, led by the Tianjian Sect, was a land where sects followed the Immortal Alliance's laws, with its monks defending against demons and the people living in peace.

The Demon Lord was chosen from among the Three Palaces and Nine Sects in the Western Territory, or occasionally, a strong cultivator capable of suppressing them all. The current Demon Lord, known as the Blood God, was once a rogue cultivator who rose to power through sheer force, defeating the Three Palaces in a bloody conflict. Although his rule brought great prestige, his control remained fragile. To stabilize the region, he selected heirs from the Three Palaces and Nine Sects, promising that when the time came for him to step down, a successor trial would be held. All heirs would compete, and the new Demon Lord would be chosen from among them.

Hua Xiangwan, the young master of the Hehuan Palace, had once been a prime candidate for this role. Her palace was once the most powerful of the Three Palaces, and she was the youngest cultivator to reach the Incarnation stage in the Western Territory. The position of Demon Lord seemed all but guaranteed.

But two hundred years ago, disaster struck. The Western Territory's defenses were breached, and a horde of 100,000 demons laid siege to the Hehuan Palace. In the aftermath, the palace's elite forces were decimated, and Hua Xiangwan's golden core was severely damaged. Since then, her cultivation had stalled, and she was forced to rely on spiritual beads to supplement her power—a fragile and temporary solution at best.

As Hehuan Palace declined, Mingluan Palace rose to prominence. To maintain balance in the Western Territory, the Demon Lord arranged a marriage between Hua Xiangwan and Wen Shaoqing, the young master of Qingle Palace. This alliance was meant to counter the growing influence of Mingluan Palace.

Then, three months ago, the situation took a turn for the worse. News arrived that the Demon Lord had fallen critically ill. Amid the power struggles that followed, Wen Shaoqing abruptly broke off the engagement and announced his marriage to Qin Yunyi, the young master of Mingluan Palace. Shortly thereafter, Mingluan Palace proposed the commencement of the Demon Lord's successor trial.

The alliance between Qingle and Mingluan Palaces left Hehuan Palace isolated, and it became clear that the upcoming trial was nothing more than a scheme to eliminate Hua Xiangwan. If she were to die during the competition, there would be no successor from Hehuan Palace, and it would only be a matter of time before the other two palaces joined forces to destroy them.

In response to this looming threat, Hehuan Palace devised a plan: they would seek a marriage alliance with the Tianjian Sect.

This strategy had multiple benefits. Not only did the Tianjian Sect's cultivation techniques complement those of Hehuan Palace, but after dual cultivation, Hua Xiangwan could nourish her damaged golden core while also sharing her partner’s cultivation. More importantly, bringing a Tianjian Sect disciple back to the Western Territory would give Hehuan Palace a powerful ally. The strength of the Tianjian Sect, the leading sect in Yunlai, could serve as a deterrent to the other two palaces, even if they hesitated to involve themselves in Western Territory disputes.

Although the plan seemed sound, Hua Xiangwan was not entirely convinced. She wanted to rely on her own abilities to change her fate, but the elders of Hehuan Palace had little faith in her solo efforts. Reluctantly, she agreed to the plan but insisted on one condition: she would not be forced into marriage with someone she found truly unsuitable.

"What exactly do you mean by 'unsuitable'?" one of the elders had asked her.

After a brief pause, Hua Xiangwan replied, "I had a lover there once."

The room had fallen silent, but the elders had nodded knowingly. In the world of cultivation, many senior members of their sects had unresolved romantic entanglements. They understood her hesitation. Love, when handled well, led to harmonious unions. When handled poorly, it created lingering karmic ties.

Still, the chances of her encountering that person again were slim. Among the tens of thousands of disciples in the Tianjian Sect, the odds were next to nothing. The elders had dismissed her concerns and moved forward with the plan.

Hua Xiangwan knew the Tianjian Sect wasn’t naïve. They would surely see through Hehuan Palace's true intentions and likely reject the proposal. Thus, she hadn’t put much stock in the marriage idea from the beginning.

Nevertheless, after a polite exchange of gifts and greetings, Tianjian Sect’s reply had been courteous but noncommittal. They returned the gifts with a statement: “It all depends on the will of our disciples.”

This was, in effect, a refusal, but Hehuan Palace pressed on. They traveled to Yunlai, hopeful for a match. Hua Xiangwan was indifferent. Marriage was just a matter of convenience to her now. As long as the match didn’t involve “that person,” she was willing to accept any sufficiently talented and attractive disciple from the Tianjian Sect.

After all, a marriage alliance would still benefit Hehuan Palace.

The palace had made elaborate arrangements for this journey. They knew that the Tianjian Sect was sending disciples to meet them in Zuixiang Town. Their plan was to identify a disciple willing to return to the Western Territory with Hua Xiangwan, then report back to the sect leader. With their vague promise that “it depends on the will of the disciples,” it would be difficult for Tianjian Sect to refuse.

However, securing a disciple’s affection within the six days it would take to travel from Zuixiang Town to Tianjian Sect was a daunting task. Could Hua Xiangwan make someone fall for her in such a short time?

It seemed unlikely—unless you were from the Hehuan Palace.

Hua Xiangwan had been raised in the art of dual cultivation. With her natural beauty and powerful charm, it wasn’t difficult to enchant an inexperienced disciple who had rarely interacted with women. While she personally wasn’t eager for this task, everyone in Hehuan Palace was confident in her success.

Still, Hua Xiangwan remained skeptical. After all, the disciples of Tianjian Sect...

“Someone’s coming!” a voice called out, breaking her thoughts. It was one of their spies stationed ahead.

Lingnan and Lingbei immediately sprang into action, directing everyone to hide.

Hua Xiangwan, sitting calmly atop the mountain, propped her chin on her hand as she gazed at the bright moon. In the distance, she saw a group of young men flying in on their swords, streaking across the sky like shooting stars.

For a brief moment, a figure flashed in her mind—someone from her past. He was nothing like these lively young men. He had always worn a simple blue robe and jade crown, carrying his sword with a calm dignity, like an unwavering pine tree.

May the Hehuan Palace be fortunate...

A wry smile tugged at the corners of Hua Xiangwan’s mouth as her temples fluttered in the night breeze. With a hint of sarcasm, she thought to herself—of all the men in the Tianjian Sect, it had to be the most unyielding one.

She shook her head at the thought. Reaching into her Qiankun bag, she pulled out a wine gourd and took a sip. From her sleeve, she retrieved Lingbei’s roster, which listed the names and details of the disciples who had arrived. She needed to get familiar with them—after all, even if she had to pick a random disciple, it had to be someone decent-looking and with some potential.

Flipping open the roster, she found the first page revealed a young man with a handsome yet distant expression. Hua Xiangwan grimaced. Two hundred years ago, this cold, aloof type of swordsman would have been her ideal. But after getting involved with someone with such an unyielding heart, she had learned to scoff at men like him.

When it comes to matters of the heart, warmth is what matters. These types of men expect you to chase after them—what’s the point in that?

Still, out of respect for her mission, she took another swig from her gourd and dutifully examined the details next to the portrait.

"Xie Wushuang, 32 years old, Nascent Soul stage, Heart-Searching Sword lineage, master is..."

Her eyes paused on the next seven words, her hand tightening slightly around the wine gourd: "Qingheng Shangjun, Xie Changji."

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