Chapter 23: Into the Imperial Territory
Because she had won her token by skill, Yun Ruoyu raised her head high, a proud expression on her face.
Compared to the three of them, Yun Ruoyan appeared abnormally calm.
As soon as she raised her head, she met her father’s praising gaze. She hesitated for a moment before lowering her head once more.
Yun Lan’s emotions were somewhat complicated. After all, Yun Ruoyan had once been his favorite daughter—before her mother, Lin Yuemei, had yet passed away, before her birthmark had grown as repulsive as it now was, and before she had lost her prodigious talent.
When Yun Ruoyan turned one, Lin Yuemei had suddenly died of mysterious causes, and her birthmark began to spread.
Ever since then, there had been persistent rumors that Lin Yuemei had been cursed by Yun Ruoyan. Naturally, Yun Lan didn’t believe in such ridiculous claims, and the rumors were suppressed after relieving a few servants of their duties.
But Yun Ruoyan’s face was almost identical to that of her late mother’s, and as the birthmark slowly distorted Yun Ruoyan’s face, so too did Yun Lan’s feelings toward Yun Ruoyan begin to distort.
By the time Yun Ruoyan had somehow lost her talent, his liking had turned to hate.
Unexpectedly, however, the daughter that he had already given up on had actually managed to obtain an admissions token into the imperial territory on her own.
“Tomorrow, you’ll all be heading out for the second round of Kongming Academy’s selection process.” Yun Lan stood up and signalled one of his servants.
The aged servant brought a plate containing four porcelain bottles to the four girls.
“Within each of these bottles is a pill of life quintessence, one for each of you. If you get hurt on your expedition, consuming the pill will allow you to recover your vitality and qi rapidly.”
Everyone’s faces shone. Pills were a very valuable commodity, and four such pills would have been a grand gesture even for the Lins, who were famed for their pillmaking talents.
Pillmaking consumed pillmasters’ spiritual qi so quickly, and there weren’t that many of them around. With the expedition to the imperial territory impending, pills had been in particularly short supply.
“Since you’ll all be leaving tomorrow, have a good night’s rest tonight.” Once Yun Lan dismissed the four girls, they bowed and left.
“Sister,” Yi Qianying called out to Yun Ruoyan from behind, and Yun Ruoyan turned back toward her.
“Sister, please take care of us tomorrow.” Yi Qianying made an earnest, supplicating expression.
Beside her, Yun Ruoyu laughed disdainfully. “Qianying, don’t fuss so much! Aren’t I here too? I’ll be sure to shield you if danger arises!”
Yi Qianying quickly asked for her assistance tomorrow as well.
By this time, Yun Ruoyao had long since hidden her displeasure, and she walked over with a smile. “We sisters will surely take care of each other and make our family proud.”
Yun Ruoyan couldn’t stand the absurdly fake conversation any longer. Coolly, she stated, “Sisters, thank you for your generosity. But since the three of you are surely enough to deal with whatever troubles may come, I’m sure you won’t need me.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly walked away. She could hear bouts of laughter from Yun Ruoyu behind her. “What, does she think she’s all that just because she’s a wife-born daughter? That ugly wench!”
After returning to her rooms, Yun Ruoyan looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand and thought back to the black-clad youth. What sort of person could simply hand over five such pills as a gift to a stranger?
“Someone instructed me to visit you, and those pills are also from that person.” The youth’s cheerful voice spoke from her memories. Ah. Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought of something. Could it be him?
The heavily wounded man who had ended up at her residence, the one who had forcefully kissed her.
Before he left, he did say he was going to help her find an antidote. Were those five pills also his doing?
Thinking about this, Yun Ruoyan suddenly stood up. My goodness, five pills of life quintessence! How could she have returned them just like that?!
At the very least, none of her sisters disturbed her that night.
The next morning, the four Yun sisters rode a family-chartered carriage up the Yueli Mountain, a sacred mountain in the Li kingdom.
This was to be the stage of their expedition.
“Look, Ruoyao!” Yun Ruoyu shouted excitedly, “Look at how many carriages there are!”
Yi Qianying flung open the blinds of the carriage and looked at the view outside with Yun Ruoyao. Yun Ruoyan glanced outside: on the road up the mountain were no less than a hundred carriages, forming what seemed like a long centipede slowly climbing its way up.
Yun Ruoyao, who had been resting quietly as soon as she stepped on the carriage, said coolly, “Kongming Academy’s recruitment and the opening of the imperial territory are both momentous events, so naturally there’ll be a large turnout.”
She appeared far more calm than her two sisters.
Kongming Academy recruited students once every three years, and the imperial realm was opened to the outside world once every three years.
The four large kingdoms of the Chenyuan continent, Li, Yue, Mo, and Chen, would each send a team of elites in hopes of recovering some supreme treasure, and even some of the smaller kingdoms would send out expeditions in hopes of being granted access to the territory.
Becoming a student at Kongming Academy was the biggest dream that any child able to cultivate could have.
“I need to pass the second round and become a student at Kongming Academy. This is the most important step for changing my life!” Yun Ruoyan murmured to herself firmly.
While she was deep in thought, she suddenly heard voices calling out to her. Upon drawing the curtains on the other side of the carriage, she saw Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen.
The sisters were currently waving at her through their carriage, and Yun Ruoyan quickly waved back.
She expected that it would have taken a large amount of effort to find them, but there they were!
Naturally, she had to take good care of the Lin sisters.
About an hour later, their carriages finally reached the top of the mountain. Ignoring everyone else, Yun Ruoyan walked straight up to the Lins’ carriage.
“So cold to her own sisters, yet so friendly to them,” Yun Ruoyu looked at Yun Ruoyan’s back as she muttered resentfully. “She’d better not blame us if we don’t help her out if she’s in danger.”
“Forget it, ignore her.” Yun Ruoyao pulled on Yun Ruoyu’s sleeve. “We’re just about to start queueing up to enter the realm, so let’s not get separated now.”
Yi Qianying glanced at Yun Ruoyan’s back, a cold smile hidden by the corners of her lips.
The Yuns and Lins were both rather illustrious families, and they were naturally near the front of the line. After each girl showed their token to the guards, they stepped into the realm as a large group.
They had initially expected that the entrance would be a majestic set of doors, but in truth, it was simply a small, dark cave that looked as though it extended quite far into the mountain. Adorning the walls of the cave were faint sources of light, giving off a surreal atmosphere.
Yun Ruoyao strode into the cave, followed quickly by Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying. Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen walked at their back, and behind the six of them were a pair of unfamiliar youths.
The cave was dark and dim, and cold gusts of wind blew out from the interior. Yun Ruoyan held hands with her sisters, simultaneously nervous and excited.
“Brother, what a mysterious light! I wonder what it is?” A young woman’s voice came from behind her.
“I’m unfamiliar with it myself. Be careful, sister, walk behind me and don’t get lost.”
“Che! What kind of country bumpkin doesn’t know about moonstones?” The wind brought Yun Ruoyu’s voice back from the front.
“Brother, someone’s calling us country bumpkins...” The young girl muttered quietly.
“Ignore those superficial girls, sister. Once we get into Kongming Academy, no one’s going to look down on us!”
Yun Ruoyu was just about to rebuke them when Yun Ruoyao stopped her. Honestly, she was so rash and impetuous that minding her gave Yun Ruoyao a headache.
“Ruoyan,” Lin Qingxue said quietly, “I don’t think what’s embedded on these cave walls are moonstones.”
“They’re not,” Yun Ruoyan answered her. “Rather, it’s a type of fluorescent ore with spiritual energy. It only glows when there are people around.”
In her past life, when Pei Ziao had brought her through this cave, she had indeed thought the walls were embedded with moonstones until Pei Ziao corrected her.
“We’re at the exit!” Someone shouted in excitement, and the crowd looked to the front as one. Sunlight permeated through the entrance.
Not long after, the crowd finally exited the mountain tunnel, and their eyes shone as they took in their new surroundings.
It seemed to be an idyllic clearing filled with lush greenery and wildlife. There were large trees separated by a flowing stream. Many unfamiliar plants dotted the landscape, sporting lush and luxuriant growth.
“What a beautiful flower!” Lin Qingxue pointed at a pink flower and called out excitedly.
“That one’s poisonous, don’t touch it!” Yun Ruoyan warned.
“Yes, sister.” Lin Qingxue nodded obediently. Yun Ruoyan had already provided them with information regarding the territory, but in her excitement, Lin Qingxue had momentarily forgotten to be careful.
“Vibrant plants and creatures are the most poisonous—are you sure you should be entering a place like this if you don’t even understand such a simple concept?” Yun Ruoyu made barbs at every opportunity.
“We truly aren’t as bright as you are, sister,” Yun Ruoyan responded coolly. “Why don’t we go our separate ways now? Otherwise, you might get bogged down by us.”
Having said her piece, she and the Lin sisters split up with them at the next fork in the road.
“If Ruoyan doesn’t go with us, if there’s danger, won’t Uncle blame us? After all, she is the sole wife-born daughter of the Yun family...” Yi Qianying murmured.
“Pei! Don’t worry about her, Qianying, she’s useless!” Yun Ruoyu pulled on Yun Ruoyao as she said these words. “In my heart, Ruoyao’s the most talented and accomplished.”
Yun Ruoyao said nothing upon hearing this praise, but her features brightened and she held her chest upright. “She’s the one who wanted to split up, so if there’s truly an accident, she can’t blame us.” Yun Ruoyao steered her two sisters in the opposite direction.
Finally having split off from the Yun sisters, Yun Ruoyan brought Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen to a grassy knoll to talk.