Banquet (1)

Jiang Shiqin relaxed his previously tightened grip on the reins.

"Sorry, brother Qin." Su Wei glanced at him apologetically. "Falling Stars Sect is famous for its rare and unique treasures. The scent that was released into the air just now was for calming people down, since a gathering of so many people with different alliances and purposes usually fans the flames of conflict. Of course," he smiled slightly, "this treasure have already been examined by elders of the other four sects and proven harmless."

Jiang Shiqin thanked him in return and mentally noted down the boy's sensitivity towards others' emotions. It was only by then could he fully appreciate the enthralling scenery displayed like a feast of the highest caliber in front of his eyes.

A vast expanse of grass colored his sight in a mesmerizing shade of green, from the spot whereby they were standing to the far end of the land. White-tipped mountains rose into the blue, the softness of snow melting into cotton clouds as if they were gently embracing the sky goddess. In the middle stood a mansion, no, an entire palace with crimson curved roofs and pillars of deep vermilion that proudly held the exquisite architecture up and proud. As they approached the building, the outlines of various bells and talisman hanging neatly on the walls grew clearer. Jiang Shiqin felt faint auras of qi radiating from them that seemed to form an overlapping barrier protecting the palace.

As they dismounted, a few lower-ranked outer disciples took the reins from Jiang Shiqin and led his mount towards the forest.

"We're still early," said Su Wei when he saw that there were only a few people around aside from their group. "We can either enter the banqueting room to wait or explore the surrounding areas. Which one would you prefer?"

From the excited glint in the younger boy's eyes, Jiang Shiqin could immediately tell that Su Dai's younger martial brother was definitely not the type to sit still in peace. "I'm a little tired, so I'll enter the building first. It's alright for you to go around and explore." He smiled reassuringly.

Su Wei lowered his eyes. "But Sect Master Su said to take care of you."

Jiang Shiqin laughed. "How old are you this year?"

"Sixteen."

"I'm twenty-four, as a matter of fact. What do you think?"

Su Wei finally looked a tad more convinced. "Still..."

Jiang Shiqin resisted the urge to pat the boy's head. "Go and have fun with your friends," he said in a light tone. "If you're worried, you can leave one of the sect's disciples to accompany me."

Su Wei looked at the horizons with almost ravenous desire, and a smile bloomed on his face. "Well then, Gong Yin, you stay here." He pointed at an intelligent-looking teenager, one of the three outer disciples with the highest cultivation among the group. "Brother Jiang, I'll be going then."

As Jiang Shiqin and the selected disciple strolled towards the palace, blades of grass rustling under their heels, Jiang Shiqin suddenly voiced a strange phrase.

"Authority is absolute, influence a close second, and familial bonds surpass both."

Before the other person could speak out a single word in reply, he quickly continued in a hushed tone. "We're being watched. Smile and try to look as if I'm telling you an interesting story."

The half-frozen indreculous look on the disciple's face smoothened into a laughing expression. Cocking his head in a casual manner, he said in an almost excited tone.

"There's no abnormal movement within the Thousand Lotus Sect that I could detect, but I don't have access to those higher-tier missions or information that only inner disciples are in the know. The only incident was when some of the outer disciples were ordered to look for a few specific herbs in the mountains. The mission itself was quite rushed. Elder Sister Su Dai, the one who gave us the order, said it's for Sect Master Su's pill concoctations, but the entire matter seems a little suspicious to me."

Jiang Shiqin glanced at him, who quickly explained.

"The sect's medicinal herb storage should have been adequate for the usual concoctations, yet those herbs that we were ordered to find were all only slightly rarer and should have definitely been available to Sect Master Su. Furthermore, we only had two hours maximum, and us outer disciples and Elder Sister Su Dai barely made it. Why not call on other inner disciples then?"

The building's enormous figure grew nearer. Jiang Shiqin asked in deliberation, "Was it a secret mission?"

"She didn't exactly forbid us to speak of the matter itself, but Elder Sister Su Dai hinted on such."

Fifteen steps to the porch of the palace. Upon Jiang Shiqin's request for the herbs' names, Gong Yin effortlessly recited the list, causing the older man to give him an additional appreciative look. The soft whispering of grass silenced as they climbed the stone stairway.

"In the near future, I'll ask you to do something. When that day comes, be prepared to leave Thousand Blooming Lotus Sect."

Gong Yin nodded in reply. Their was neither sadness nor confusion on his face, merely acceptance of the obvious.

A good seedling, thought Jiang Shiqin as they parted their ways, him to join the long table whereby inner disciples and foreign guests were placed and Gong Yin to join the table for outer disciples. The smooth, slightly cold sensation at the tips of his fingers as he sat down on his designated chair according to the instructions from one of the organizer's outer disiciples told him of the richness that their sect, Falling Stars, possessed. It was trimmed rosemary wood of the finest quality that the dining table was made of - comparable to the wealth displayed in the royal court's annual festivals.

A light smile decorated his face as he surveyed the magnificent hall, crystals and sapphires lining the silk-draped walls. Sects aren't that removed from the mortal world, it seems, meaning not that removed from mortal weaknesses either. During the banquet, all of the inner disciples of the five great sects, important persona in the city, representatives of the elite families as well as various people with power would gather here, in this hall. Surely some of the trailing mist that veiled these mountains and grasslands would dissipate in the whispering of food and wine, would it not?