Chapter Sixty: Qian’er Appears

Sister Qian, why didn’t you wait for me!

A little girl came running over, her skin fair, hair tinged with gold, lips like cherries, and a tiny nose—altogether irresistibly cute. She wore her hair in two ponytails that bounced as she ran.

Here, for you—a skewer of candied hawthorn. The bright red glaze was still warm, sticky syrup clinging to her small fingers.

The veiled woman gently stroked the little girl's head, her face full of affection.

"You little short legs, you actually run pretty fast. But I’ll pass on the candied hawthorn today—you eat it. I don’t have any appetite right now."

As she spoke and began to let go, the little girl refused, reaching out to swat at the woman. But the woman’s arms were longer; with one hand she held the girl’s head at bay. No matter how the girl struggled, it was all in vain. Soon exhausted, the little girl simply started eating the candied hawthorn herself.

"Xue’er, be good today, don’t cause trouble, or I’ll have to send you away," the woman said, releasing her hold at last.

"Sister Qian, why did you come all the way out here? You didn’t wait for me while I was shopping, and then you bullied me. If this keeps up, I won’t play with you anymore, hmph!"

The little girl pouted, her lips pursed in a show of petulance, as if daring the woman not to comfort her, lest she go off in a huff.

"Xue’er, do you know what river this is?"

The little girl shook her head, indicating she didn’t know, though her sulky expression lingered.

"This is the Clearwater River. It’s connected to the Clearwater Stream, which flows all the way to Daojia Town, passing not far from my family home. When I was young, I often played in the water there. My parents would watch from the bank as Sansheng and I splashed about—he and I would make mischief, and they would laugh."

"Today is the anniversary of my parents’ passing. Ever since I came to the Violet Immortal Palace, I visit every year on this day to honor their memory."

As she spoke, the entire veil became damp with tears. A group of young men nearby grew anxious, scrambling to offer handkerchiefs, afraid the young lady might run out.

Earlier that morning, Zichen Yu had just woken. Reaching out, he found himself alone and reluctantly got up. Judging by the sun, breakfast was long past.

A maid approached the bed; just as he reached to pull her close, she deftly dressed him instead.

"Steward Liu is waiting at the door, sir. He says there’s something urgent to discuss." She moved to fetch his shoes and put them on for him.

"I said last night, don’t bother me—why don’t you ever listen? I’ll break that servant’s legs for defying me!"

Shoes on, he flung open the door, ready to unleash his anger at the steward waiting outside.

"Young master, today is Miss Qian’s spring outing to the Bluestone Bridge. I imagine she’s already there by now."

No sooner were the words spoken than the anger vanished from Zichen Yu’s face, replaced by panic.

"Why didn’t you say so earlier? You’ve wasted so much time—just wait till I get back, I’ll settle this with you!"

He dashed off to wash up. Before long, a spirit beast carriage pulled up in front of the Violet Estate—a stunning conveyance, drawn by a massive, dark-blue three-headed dog, its gleaming fangs bared menacingly, so fierce that cultivators of lesser strength dared not meet its gaze.

This was a fifth-rank spirit beast. Normally, only a cultivator at mid-Foundation Establishment would dare face such a creature in the wild. Now it was pulling a carriage for someone else, attracting quite a crowd at the gate.

Zichen Yu ran out and boarded the carriage in haste. Steward Liu took the reins and sped off toward the river.

"Steward Liu, has Tu Tianxiong replied yet? Did he say when he’ll send over that peerless female disciple from Icefire Peak? And what about what he told you—have you checked? Is Dao Sansheng really Dao Qian’s brother?"

Inside the carriage, the young master fired off a barrage of questions. Steward Liu, guiding the spirit beast through the throng, dared not lose focus. Only after they’d cleared the crowd did he respond.

"Reporting, young master: Tu Tianxiong said he’ll send her whenever you wish. As for Dao Sansheng, he truly is Dao Qian’s younger brother. According to Tu Tianxiong, if you force Dao Sansheng to his limits, Dao Qian would likely agree to marry you in desperation."

Zichen Yu’s face lit up with delight at these words, unable to contain his glee.

"Sister Qian, it was me who made you sad. It’s my fault—I won’t be naughty anymore, I promise I’ll behave."

Woof...

A sharp bark shattered the quiet. The crowd around Qian all turned to look. The imposing spirit beast carriage silenced any murmurs.

Zichen Yu disembarked and strode directly toward the assembly, while Steward Liu began to turn the carriage around.

"So it’s you, the Violet family’s good-for-nothing young master. What brings you here today? That’s rare."

Zichen Yu took no offense at the mocking words. He was, after all, known as the wastrel of the Violet family—poor at cultivation, infamous for his idle pleasures, a notorious playboy in Violet Immortal City.

"Senior Brother Zicai Tang, though we’re not family now, we once belonged to the same clan. No need to hit below the belt—we’re still friends, aren’t we?"

"Enough, I’m done with you. I’d rather talk to Qian."

Zichen Yu approached the slender figure leaning against the Bluestone Bridge—the drifting hair, the willow waist. He reached out to embrace her.

But as his arms closed, the figure was already gone. He grasped only empty air.

She now stood to the side, holding the little girl, her fingers playfully twirling the girl’s ponytail.

"Zichen Yu, don’t take it the wrong way, but with your cultivation, you couldn’t lay a finger on Qian. She’s already broken through—she’s at mid-Foundation Establishment now. You haven’t a chance."

Zichen Yu’s face darkened at these words. He turned, pointing at Zicai Tang.

"So I’m not worthy, am I? Ha! That’s the world’s biggest joke. Just you wait. And you too—" he turned to Qian. "One day, you’ll come begging me. That day isn’t far off. You’ll see."

With that, he leaped onto the spirit beast carriage and sped away.

The moment seemed frozen, but soon laughter and conversation resumed, as if nothing had happened.

Dao Sansheng and Chao Xiong returned to the construction site, where the carpenters had already begun work, though much was left unfinished for lack of guidance. The two entered; Dao Sansheng soared up to the twentieth floor and, from the rooftop, explained the situation. Soon enough, the workers understood. Dao Sansheng drew up a plan and handed it to the master carpenter.

"Just follow this plan for each floor. If you have any problems, come to me directly."

The master carpenter nodded repeatedly, and Dao Sansheng left with Chao Xiong.

"Keep an eye on things. I need to go back and consolidate my cultivation. Send me a message if anything comes up, but don’t interrupt my training otherwise."

Chao Xiong nodded. "Don’t worry, Brother Dao—with me here, nothing will go wrong. Leave it to me."

Dao Sansheng hurried off. Having just advanced, he hadn’t yet stabilized his cultivation, and needed to seize this moment—there would be little opportunity later.