Jinshui Lake Competition (3)

Chen Shangying, it turned out, was from Yixiang Tower, and like her, she also used a false name. The world of human cultivation truly is as the Master said – the secret lines laid out by the Tianshu City Lord have been planted everywhere. It’s unknown what the Lord’s ultimate goal is.

Lin Qianshuang smiled at Chen Shangqing, saying, “Childhood events are long forgotten. No wonder I felt you looked familiar from afar.”

She shyly looked at Xu Zheng, saying, “Consider this our first meeting. My name is Lin Qianshuang, and I’m a disciple of the Penglai Immortal Sect. It’s a blessing to meet you here, Mr. Chen.”

Xu Zheng gazed at Lin Qianshuang with admiration, saying, “So you are the eldest daughter of the Lin family. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s better to see you than to hear about you. Miss Lin, you truly are beautiful and talented.”

He tentatively invited, “Nanling Luochuan is famous for its peonies. Would you be interested in joining me for a stroll to admire the flowers, Miss Lin?”

Lin Qianshuang pondered. Her name was on the Tianshu City Lord’s death list. Yixiang Tower, a place brimming with experts, must be aware of this list.

And she was one of the seven nominal masters of Yixiang Tower, as well as a target on the city lord’s kill list.

Xu Zheng couldn’t be foolish enough to believe she was actually Lin Qianshuang. Everyone in Yixiang Tower knew she was a demon cultivator sent to infiltrate the Penglai Immortal Sect. He must want to question her about assuming Fairy Jinghua’s first disciple identity and her motives for infiltrating the sect.

However, she had other matters to attend to and now wasn’t the right time.

Lin Qianshuang feigned shyness, her face turning red, and declined his invitation, “I have to accompany Junior Sister Xiao today. Tomorrow is the competition between your Lingxiao Sword Sect and our Penglai Immortal Sect. Let’s meet again at the Jinshui Lake then.”

Chen Shangqing’s voice reached Lin Qianshuang’s ears alone, “Senior Sister Lin, I’ve already made the arrangements according to your plan.”

Lin Qianshuang’s expression faltered. She swallowed the last bite of candy and licked her dry lips. Chen Shangqing was moving quickly. Had he finally figured things out?

A wave of guilt washed over Lin Qianshuang. Chen Shangqing was clearly devoted to Xiao Lanle, but Xiao Lanle might not reciprocate his feelings. Lin Qianshuang was on a mission and wouldn’t miss this opportunity to gain favor with her target.

Lin Qianshuang regarded Chen Shangqing with cold eyes. He wasn’t as transparent as he seemed. He must have ulterior motives for trying to match her with Chen Shangying.

Observing Xu Zheng casually fanning himself, Chen Shangqing suggested to Lin Qianshuang, “Tonight is the peony flower festival, and my younger brother is alone. Why don’t the four of us go together?”

Noticing the young man beside Chen Shangqing conversing with Lin Qianshuang, Xiao Lanle felt a pang of unease. She approached Lin Qianshuang, took her arm, and smiled politely at the young man before turning to Lin Qianshuang and saying, “Senior Sister Lin, you seem quite familiar with this gentleman. Perhaps you could introduce us?”

Chen Shangqing introduced Xiao Lanle and Xu Zheng, “This is my younger brother, Chen Shangying. Shangying, this is Xiao Lanle, the daughter of Sect Master Xiao.”

“Xiao Lanle?”

Xu Zheng repeated the name softly, his eyes flashing. He then leaned in to whisper to Chen Shangqing, “Brother, is this the one you constantly talk about, the one you can’t eat or sleep without thinking of?”

Combining his earlier observations of Chen Shangqing and Lin Qianshuang, Xu Zheng opened his folding fan and remarked, “Brother, are you planning to use the blooming peonies and the burning incense at the Yuelao Temple to declare your love for her?”

Chen Shangqing, his usually stoic face shifting slightly, glanced at Xiao Lanle and cautioned, “Keep your voice down, Junior Sister Xiao is right there.”

Xu Zheng, watching Lin Qianshuang and then Xiao Lanle who was holding her hand and never taking her eyes off her, waved his fan and said in a worried tone, “Brother, I advise you to give up this idea. This Miss Xiao is already engaged and betrothed to someone else. If you interfere like this, even Yue Lao won’t bless you.”

Chen Shangqing knocked Xu Zheng on the head with his sword and said, “Don’t talk nonsense, or I won’t help you with this.”

Xu Zheng, with a nonchalant expression, said, “Anyway, the old man from the Chen family has already decided on the girl from the Lin family. Do you still need to pull the strings? She will marry me sooner or later. I’m just worried that if this person looks crooked, now that I’ve met her, I feel relieved.”

Xiao Lanle, watching the two Chen brothers chat happily, took Lin Qianshuang’s hand and walked forward.

Turning her head, her eyes sparkling with a special kind of light, she said, “Senior Sister Lin, I heard that the Yuelao Temple here is very spiritual. Why don’t we go and take a look?”

Lin Qianshuang looked ahead and saw a long, dark queue in front of the Yuelao Temple. Some people were holding incense candles that were half a person’s height, crowding the queue. The whole scene was noisy and chaotic, much like the crowds of people rushing forward during promotional activities and sales, giving those with claustrophobia a feeling of suffocation.

“There are so many people, maybe we should go back and see the sea of peonies.”

Lin Qianshuang shuddered at the thought of being squeezed into the crowded throng, surrounded by the smell of sweat and limbs. She turned to leave, but when she looked back, Xiao Lanle was being pulled by an aunt, who was persuading her to buy the half-person-tall incense candle.

“Miss, let me tell you, this incense candle is very spiritual. If you burn it in front of the Yue Lao statue, you’ll be sure to give birth to a fat and healthy son next year!”

The aunt, brimming with enthusiasm, took Xiao Lanle’s hand, holding out the incense candle towards her.

Xiao Lanle’s face flushed with embarrassment. She tugged her sleeve free and stepped aside, but without any anger. With impeccable grace, she said, “Mother-in-law, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not yet married, but there is someone I love. However, I don’t know if she… feels the same way about me.”

“Girl, then you should try this. It’s guaranteed to work.”

The aunt picked up two marriage tokens and placed them in Xiao Lanle’s hand. Pointing to the conspicuous Matchmaking Spirit Tree in the sea of peonies not far away, she said, “Take your sweetheart and tie these marriage tokens together with the red thread on the tree. If you are truly destined, the two tokens will light up together. If you are lucky, this spiritual tree will act as a matchmaker for you and bring good things to fruition.”

Xiao Lanle listened to the aunt’s words with a mixture of doubt and hope, holding the two tokens in her palm.

Senior Sister Lin’s attitude towards her had always been ambiguous, distant yet alluring. If she were to give her this token, according to what this person said, could she truly get a glimpse into her heart?

Xiao Lanle’s palms were slightly sweaty, her heart filled with uncertainty. She worried that the outcome would disappoint her.

“Two marriage tokens together cost a string of copper coins. She truly is the sect leader’s daughter, rich and powerful. She’s willing to spend money on such a deceitful thing.”

Xu Zheng had appeared beside Xiao Lanle at some point, watching her marriage token with a look of amusement.

Xiao Lanle glanced at Xu Zheng, ignoring him, and walked to Lin Qianshuang’s side.

“Senior Sister Lin, let’s not go to the Yuelao Temple. There are too many people. I feel suffocated just looking at them.”

Lin Qianshuang felt a bit overwhelmed by the crowd still pushing and shoving. She worried that they might be squeezed into noodles and faint before they even reached the temple.

Xiao Lanle thrust a marriage token into Lin Qianshuang’s hand.

“What kind of sign is this? Did you draw it, Senior Sister Xiao?”

Lin Qianshuang picked up the token and flipped it over. The word “marriage” was engraved on both sides, a simple design. She thought about how Chen Shangqing was trying to express his feelings for Xiao Lanle at that moment. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. A smile spread across her face as she said to Xiao Lanle, “Marriage token, Senior Sister. Maybe you’ll have some good luck tonight. This is a lucky sign.”

Xiao Lanle pulled Lin Qianshuang’s hand to the side, away from the two Chen family members they had been with. Her eyes sparkled with an unreadable emotion as she said, “Senior Sister, these two are lucky charms for marriage. They say that if you hang them on the Matchmaking Tree, you can ask for a good match. Want to hang them together?”

Lin Qianshuang didn’t believe in such superstitions. Though gods and spirits were common in this world, and these charms might actually work, she didn’t belong here. Without a cause, there could be no effect.

She saw the hopeful look on Xiao Lanle’s face and considered it. If she agreed, maybe she could gain some favor or something.

“Host.”

The system suddenly spoke.

Lin Qianshuang was startled. “What’s wrong?”

The system silently observed the favorability interface, where Xiao Lanle’s avatar was surrounded by a bar overflowing with 1% favorability. Considering the host’s slowness, it said:

“Friendly reminder: The favorability interface for rescue missions and character statuses will constantly change. Don’t forget to check the interface in your spare time, xoxo”¹

Lin Qianshuang was speechless after hearing “xoxo” wondering if the system had been upgraded, as it was even acting cute.

She held the marriage token in her hand.

Smiling, Lin Qianshuang said to Xiao Lanle, “Okay, even though I don’t believe in this, there must be some truth to the rumors. Maybe if I hang it up with you, Junior Sister, a peach blossom will actually bloom.”

“Senior Sister, your peach blossom is me,” Xiao Lanle thought. “It has to be me.”

Xiao Lanle’s bright black eyes curved gently, her gaze filled with longing as she mirrored Lin Qianshuang’s smile. The pear dimples at the corners of her lips floated slightly, sweet like refreshing rice wine tinged with the fragrance of flowers, hinting at a strong emotion she couldn’t express.

Lin Qianshuang and Xiao Lanle walked through the sea of peonies, arriving at the Matchmaking Tree.

The peonies swayed gracefully in the wind, their flowers and leaves dancing like a flurry of scorching blossoms, their vibrant colors dazzling the eyes. The green and lush Matchmaking Tree, with its tangled roots, stood tall amidst the flowers. Red silk adorned its branches, holding countless marriage tokens. Some had fallen to the ground and rotted in the soil, others floated alone, many broken in two, and only a few remained intact.

So many others have hung their marriage tokens here, could it be that all these couples have become lovers?

Feudal superstition isn’t trustworthy, after all. Xiao Lanle has cultivated the path of immortality, yet she actually believes the nonsense of mortals. Was she heartbroken by the male lead, so she wants to see her marriage line? ²

Lin Qianshuang absentmindedly took a red ribbon from the branch and tied on the marriage token. Her eyes searched the sea of flowers for Chen Shangqing, wondering where he had gone.

She keenly sensed someone watching her quietly from the flower sea.

Lin Qianshuang turned her head and saw Xu Zheng meditating in the distance. He held a folding fan and a white peony. With a flick of his thumb, the petals fluttered off, leaving only a bare stem.