Chapter 49

"So... even if the result is already decided, we can't just do nothing, Father!"

"Can you still not understand that strengthening our foundation is the priority?"

What are we lacking, Danmoxian wanted to shout, but in the face of her father's stern gaze, she ultimately lowered her head.

"…I plan to take on a new disciple."

At these words, Danmoxian, who had been sulking with a resentful look, suddenly lifted her head.

Her eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

"But you said you wouldn't take on any disciples for a while?"

"The situation has changed. Now we need to send a message to the collateral line and make preparations. Can you handle that?"

"Of course!"

Danmoxian's face brightened as she exclaimed. Although Danmoxuan clicked his tongue, Danmoxian didn't care at all and eagerly stood up, only to sit back down again as something occurred to her.

"Leave if you're done!"

"I have one more question."

"You're just going to ask something pointless, aren't you?"

"It's not pointless. I heard that the rumor has spread throughout Zhejiang Province. That Father has gained new enlightenment…"

Seeing her daughter ask if this was true, Danmoxuan shook his head.

"Are you only asking about this now?"

"Is it… really true?"

"Can't you tell by looking?"

"If I could tell by looking, I'd be the leader of the Messenger Sect!"

"How well you know your own limitations."

Despite Danmoxuan's words, Danmoxian didn't blink and continued speaking her mind.

"Really gained enlightenment? Father, you're going to be the best in the world again…!"

"I've already given that title to the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance. Leave it be. If I have the strength, fame is like the wind blowing through reeds."

Danmoxian clamped her mouth shut.

"Father! Could it be that you've become even stronger than before? Could it be, perhaps, an injury as well?"

"Raising you has been a great burden."

"No, no, Father."

Shiban'an quickly shook his head and smiled, but Danmoxian, reading a positive response from her father's unexpected rebuke, was openly delighted.

"Let's go back to the Jin Family Manor, Father."

"…What are you saying?"

"Go back and crush those people to pieces, and show them clearly who the master of Hangzhou is…"

Danmoxian, half excited, spoke without much thought, but upon receiving her father's piercing gaze, she sat back down. However, the light in her eyes didn't fade.

"Lady… even in front of Father, could you please…"

"Master is just upset because he hasn't seen those people's faces yet. He should have dealt with them long ago."

"That matter is settled, so don't bring it up again!"

"Father…"

* * *

The whole family had gathered for the first time in a long while. Danmoxian looked pleased after her meeting with Danmoxuan. Lian was gently fanning herself in the corner.

'Hmm.'

Danmoxian

Traits: Peony-like / Loving / Eldest daughter by nurture / Strong-willed / Companion bird

Twelve Swords of Luocheng: 8 stars

Infinite Treasure: 7 stars

Meteor True Art: 5 stars

Qualities and Five Elements: Medium-Medium (中-中)

Concerns: Methods to revitalize the family, ways to secure a position in the Messenger Sect, the order and method of taking on a new disciple, things to do for Cheng

Advice: What if you put down the burdens you've shouldered?

Lian's eyes widened. It was a bit unexpected.

'Companion bird…'

She had seen this trait in several people before. It was a trait that only those who spend their lives with one partner possess.

She thought Danmoxian had married for the sake of the family's prosperity, but it seemed there was a deep trust between the couple.

'By the way, what is the Messenger Sect? Ah, didn't the Martial Arts Alliance establish the Messenger Sect around this time?'

This was something Danmoxian had tried to secure a position for in the Danmu family, but it hadn't gone well.

"Lian, Bi. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Danmoxian looked at the siblings with a slightly unfamiliar expression.

Beside her, Danmocheng, with a haughty and composed look, glanced at the two before being pushed forward by her father, Shiban'an.

She was a girl with a cold appearance, her long, smooth black hair tied up high without a single strand out of place.

Danmoxian cleared her throat softly.

"Cheng was born in January, and Lian in February, so there's not much difference in age. Get along well."

Danmocheng only nodded slightly with her haughty, cat-like eyes.

"…Hello, Lian. Hello, Bi."

"Lian, Bi. Play with Cheng."

Shiban'an smiled gently and gave each of the siblings a trinket.

Among them, Lian's was a rare item, a gourd-shaped carving made from milky yellow amber.

Gourd-shaped carving made from amber: Spirit capacity 9

You can now store spirit energy.

Despite its small size, the amber had a spirit capacity of 9, making it an excellent high-quality item.

Although Shiban'an's family, the Fenglin Hall, was so wealthy that banknotes were more common than weeds, it wasn't something he would readily give to a distant niece.

"Uncle, this…"

Even Lian, who would flip out for anything that could store spirit energy, felt a bit burdened to accept it.

Noticing her hesitation, Danmobi also hesitated with her trinket. Shiban'an, surprised at first, then closed his eyes and smiled.

"Cheng and I chose it together, so please accept it without worry."

Shiban'an then headed towards where the adults were gathered.

Lian glanced at Danmocheng, who stood silently. She noticed a small trinket hanging from her waist.

It was the same amber trinket as hers. When Lian stared at it, Danmocheng turned her head away.

An awkward silence fell between the children.

'Danmocheng…'

Lian quietly observed her cousin, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

Her haughty eyes, full of pride, and her straight nose reminded Lian of what she would look like when she grew up.

Lian thought of the future after her death.

— Danmobi, you can't deny that you're my sister!

Amidst the torrential rain, blood flowed down, staining the mountains and rivers red, and the monsters from Xuelagou were closing in.

With her hair drenched, either from rain or blood, Danmocheng could barely open one eye.

At that moment, lightning struck, and Danmocheng staggered. Shocked, Danmobi tried to support her, but Danmocheng took the opportunity to strike Danmobi's pressure points.

At the same time, her eyes, which had been wide open, closed, and her body collapsed. The family's warriors quickly caught Danmobi. Danmocheng shouted firmly.

— Take the young master and go. Hurry!

— But, Miss…

— I've never won against the rain in my life, but I won today for the first time. That's enough. Go.

The rain continued, and the monsters from Xuelagou returned, but all Lian saw was red.

Lian stopped her thoughts and, after a moment's hesitation, spoke first.

"Um… you said you came from Henan Province? Is it interesting there? What's the Martial Arts Alliance like?"

Danmocheng smoothed her clothes, looked at Lian and Bi, and then spoke.

"Various things. Everything is big, tall, and shiny."

"Various things?"

"The market and the Martial Arts Alliance are huge. There are so many people that there are always long lines, no matter which shop you go to."

Danmocheng briefly described the scenes of the Martial Arts Alliance in Henan Province, which she often visited.

Lian nodded and listened attentively to Danmocheng's story.

At first, Danmocheng seemed reluctant to talk to Lian and Danmobi and spoke briefly, but as Lian listened quietly and added a few words here and there, the conversation gradually became longer. Eventually, her cheeks even flushed slightly.

Listening to Danmocheng's story, Lian felt something strange.

'She didn't have any friends there, either, I guess?'

The largest and most famous sect in Henan is Shaolin, and the most populous place is the Beggar Sect.

Both places are unlikely to have peers for Danmocheng.

"There's this really delicious mooncake shop there. They sell them in sets of eight. They're best when they're freshly made…"

As Danmocheng explained, spreading her arms, she noticed that Lian and Bi were listening intently and stopped.

"Well, next time, I mean… next time, I can buy them for you. You probably haven't had them before, so I'll buy them for you."

Danmocheng concluded and turned her head, as if she had said all she needed to say.

It seemed that the young Danmocheng hadn't realized how much Lian was earning now.

Lian found the still somewhat childish Danmocheng a bit unfamiliar but didn't show it.

Before she died and returned to this time, Lian didn't often have much to talk about with Danmocheng.

Lian thought Danmocheng looked down on her for being sickly and rarely initiated conversations.

Occasionally, Danmocheng would visit out of duty and mention the latest trends outside, but these conversations never developed into meaningful exchanges.