Her Past (I)

Chen Wentian observed the whole transaction through his shadow anchor while sitting at a nearby restaurant.

After the spiritual contract was signed by both parties, Han Baohu did not stay around the Blue Moon Tower. He took his newly acquired concubines and left the city. The man was no doubt anxious about making children as soon as possible with his two slave concubines.

"Cheh… what a crazy guy." Chen Wentian muttered.

He waved his hand in the air. He withdrew the shadow anchor, having already seen enough. He wasn't interested in another man's private activities. 

Han Baohu's choice was cowardly to Chen Wentian but it was also reasonable. The talent of one's descendants was rarely guaranteed. It depended on the specific immortal Dao but more importantly, it depended on the father as well as the mother.

Immortal disciples were not the same as immortal children. The bond between master and disciple was strong but it was still a bit lacking compared to that between parent and child. The allure of immortal children was too much for a country bumpkin like Han Baohu.

But Chen Wentian still felt a wave of stirring anger from the situation. The Seven Potentates of Jiannan were too intolerable. They could bully a proud and independent immortal so easily. They were able to force a deal that was far more profitable for them than Han Baohu.

His Sacred Daughter, Zhao Linmei, had a definite potential to reach the immortal realms. That fact in itself was priceless. She could not be compared to two Sacred Daughters stuck at the mortal realm. Even ten more such women could not be compared to one Zhao Linmei at the Spirit Lord Realm. Although the investment would be high, the payoff for the Seven Potentates in the future could not be measured.

Han Baohu surely knew this as well but there was nothing he could do. He dared not fight back against a preeminent power of the Martial Brilliance Continent. He could only capitulate and become their obedient dog.

Shah!

Chen Wentian crushed the teacup in his hand.

These people wanted Long Yifei even more. He wasn't going to let them have her. It was simply an impossibility.

He wouldn't let them humiliate him either. He didn't care about the Blue Moon Tower or any other second-rate auction houses that were owned by the Seven Potentates. His target from the beginning was the Golden Basin Auction House, the best in the continent and which bowed to no one.

As the lord of the soul realm, as the inheritor of the legacy of the blue dragon, he wasn't going to back down from threats against himself or his disciples. If these dirty men continued to push him, he would wipe them out entirely.

---

While Chen Wentian was fighting for gifts for the upcoming Gift Giving Ceremony, Long Yifei was also hard at work. Every day was filled with studying, training, and more studying. After the basic lessons of the four classics wrapped up, the new students began practical lessons in each specific classic.

"Well done, that's enough for today!" The Spirit Lord instructor said, clapping her hands.

Long Yifei and four other Sacred Daughters let out sighs of relief. Some rubbed their weary feet while others wiped the sweat from their brow and neck.

It had been several arduous hours of dancing practice. It was part of her chosen classic, song and dance. There wasn't enough time in the day to learn all four so she could only practice one.

She looked around at the other students. They were not a part of her regular group. They were similar to her, with no background in dancing. They all had to start from the very beginning, with the most basic aspects of dancing such as body control, steps, and rhythm. Others who had an early introduction to the subject could take advanced lessons. Some even had over a decade of experience and could directly cultivate immortal-level dance choreographies.

"Sister Long, are you tired, hungry? I'm starving! do you want to go to dinner?" A Sacred Daughter popped in front of her and asked.

Her name was Su Yaoci. She was the friendliest out of the bunch. She had a messy head of curly brown hair that framed her oval face and delicate features. She was small and petite, more cute than beautiful. Her origin was ambiguous but it didn't stop her from trying to be friends with everyone regardless of their talent or status.

Long Yifei greeted her warmly. Su Yaoci reminded her of the twins, Su Xue and Su Yue. "Sister Su, my apologies. Next time, I will definitely accompany you. I am too busy tonight. I have to go to the library."

Su Yaoci pouted, "Library? Hehe, don't joke! Are you going to secretly practice more after lessons? Yaoyao won't be able to keep up with you anymore if you work so hard. Your talent is much better than mine!"

Long Yifei smiled lightly. They had all started at zero but their progress wasn't the same. Her fearsome talent as a divine daughter wasn't a joke. She had been able to complete three months' worth of dance instructions in only a week. Su Yaoci wasn't bad but she was already falling behind.

"But, Sister Long," Su Yaoci said, her expression turning more serious, "Having innate talent towards a particular classic is important but having good gifts is more important. The usefulness of these fundamental lessons that the Order provides will soon diminish. You must make sure that you get good dance choreographies at the immortal realms or else your progress will inevitably stagnate."

Her tone was a surprise. It made it seem like she knew a lot more than her usual demeanor indicated. There were crouching tigers and hidden dragons everywhere in the Order. This Su Yaoci was certainly a person with a strong background.

"Mmm, I understand. Thank you, Sister Su, for your concern." Long Yifei said. "I promise we can have dinner together next time.

"Alright, next time!" Su Yaoci said.

She returned to her original playful self and bounced away.

Long Yifei shook her head and headed out of the classroom. She walked across the campus alone and headed into the library. She hadn't lied to Su Yaoci. She did have important business here.

She had finally located something important, something she had been searching for since the day she came here. She found it just yesterday, a historical record of the Great Falls Province, a province within the Martial Brilliance Continent. In order not to arouse suspicion, she dared not borrow the tome and could only study it within the library.

She hoped that it could illuminate her still-forgotten past; the Kingdom of Silver Cascades, how it met its doom, and how she became its last survivor. The immeasurable amount of time in the dream array as a reward for the Monster Fighting Competition had been useless for her cultivation but she had been able to unlock more memories from her childhood before she had arrived at Glacier Palace.

She had to know… the reason behind her insatiable desire to be strong, the mystery of her physique that protected her virginity. She had to find out the truth about her past. It was one of her main goals for joining the Order.