When Cai Zhao awoke, it was nearly dusk. Fan Xingjia came personally to call them to the evening banquet.

After a good sleep, Chang Ning was particularly affable. He even personally poured Fan Xingjia a cup of water. Fan Xingjia was so flattered he nearly drank the water up his nose. One must understand that ever since this embittered orphan of the Chang Clan arrived at Myriad Waters Thousand Mountains Cliff, he had never shown a pleasant expression to anyone besides his master, acting as if everyone owed him the deeds to eighteen grand, three-courtyard mansions and were refusing to transfer them.

"Martial Brother Fan, you've worked hard. While we were resting here, you were busy bustling about like a grasshopper on a hot pan, not resting for a moment..." In just one afternoon, Chang Ning seemed to have become a different person, full of warmth and concerned chatter, though his metaphor was a bit off-putting.

"Senior Brother Chang, it's not a grasshopper, it's an ant on a hot pan," Cai Han interjected, rubbing his eyes.

Chang Ning lovingly patted the little boy's head. "Be good, Xiaohan, how can you say Martial Brother Fan is an ant? You could casually step on and kill dozens of ants, but can you step on and kill Martial Brother Fan? Therefore, Martial Brother Fan is definitely not an ant."

Cai Han stopped rubbing his eyes. "But... but Martial Brother Fan isn't a grasshopper either, because... because..."

"Forget killing a grasshopper, you couldn't even step on one, because grasshoppers can jump."

The little Cai child was baffled. The logic seemed sound.

"Both of you, stop it. Martial Brother Fan is neither a grasshopper nor an ant, he's a person!" Cai Zhao, a little dizzy from her nap, slammed the table and made her conclusion.

Fan Xingjia held the cup. "..." 'Please, just stop talking.'

The three of them, led by Fan Xingjia, entered the main hall in the rear of Twilight Palace, which had been redecorated once again.

...or rather, a side hall.

The entire Twilight Palace was built with a symmetrical central axis. On both sides of every main hall were attached east and west side halls.

This time, Fan Xingjia had taken precautions, arranging for Cai Zhao and the other two to be seated at an extended table by the window in the west side hall. To their left, at the head of the table, sat two young monks from Evergreen Monastery, who were the martial nephews of Cai Zhao's uncle, Great Master Juexing. To their right, at the lower end of the table, was a thin, frail little girl who sat with her head down, not speaking. Her name was Yang Xiaolan, the daughter of the sect master of the Siqi Sect. She was extremely shy, not even daring to look up when greeting others.

The former were amiable, the latter harmless. As for Qi Lingbo, Dai Fengchi, and the others, they were arranged to dine in the east side hall, separated by a bustling main hall in between. Forget any "misunderstandings," even if one side were to shout a folk song at the top of their lungs, the other side wouldn't be able to hear it clearly.

Amitayus Buddha, surely there would be peace now. Temporarily relieved, Fan Xingjia let out a long sigh, pulled over a square stool, and sat down to chat with them.

Cai Zhao's gaze quickly found her parents in the crowd. The Cai Pingchun couple was seated at the lower end of Vast Heaven Sect's Sect Leader Song Shijun's table. Both husband and wife wore blank expressions, dealing with the comings and goings of their Wulin peers without any emotion.

Cai Zhao couldn't help but ask, "Martial Brother Fan, the grand sacrificial ceremony is tomorrow. Has everyone arrived?"

Fan Xingjia thought for a moment and replied, "Everyone has arrived, except for Venerable Fakong, the abbot of Evergreen Monastery, and the party from Grand Beginning Abbey."

"I know about Venerable Fakong. His senior brother, Venerable Fahai, just passed away, so he has to stay behind to chant scriptures for his salvation and said he would be a step late. But why is Grand Beginning Abbey also delaying until tomorrow morning?" Cai Zhao was puzzled.

"Naturally, it's to make a grander entrance," Chang Ning lowered his voice. "Three years ago, when your aunt passed away, all the heroes of the Wulin went to offer their condolences. My father said that Grand Beginning Abbey was the last to arrive that time, too. What a spectacle they made."

"I was sick then, so I didn't know anything," Cai Zhao also lowered her voice. "If arriving last makes one seem grandest, then wouldn't they seem the absolute grandest if they simply didn't come at all?"

Fan Xingjia also leaned his head in. "It's the anniversary of the Grandmaster's death. If Grand Beginning Abbey really didn't show up, they would be at fault. In recent years, Qiu Yuanfeng, the sect master of the Taichu Sect, has been riding high. He wants to have a hand in everything in the Jianghu. He's quite something!"

"Does no one comment on Grand Beginning Abbey acting like this?" Cai Zhao asked softly.

"Of course they do," Fan Xingjia chuckled softly. "It's just..."

"Brother Yunke." Song Shijun of the Vast Heaven Sect sat imposingly in the seat just below the head of the hall. As usual, he wore a golden crown and was covered in golden embroidery, but his expression was quite displeased. "The Grandmaster's memorial ceremony is early tomorrow morning. For Grand Beginning Abbey to not be here yet, isn't that a bit out of line?"

He deliberately circulated his inner energy, and his voice was loud and resounding, each word drilling into the ears of everyone in the hall. For a moment, all eyes turned towards the head seat.

Qi Yunke, who was seated at the head, said amicably, "Sect Master Qiu stated in his letter that there were matters within the abbey to attend to and that he would arrive a step late. In any case, he will arrive before the ceremony tomorrow morning."

Song Shijun grinned. "Brother Yunke, I know you have a gentle nature, but on some matters, you need to show some authority. Venerable Fakong is a guest; it is a kindness for him to come, and no great matter if he doesn't. But we Six Sects are the Grandmaster's descendants. It's one thing to put on airs in other matters, but for something as important as the Grandmaster's two-hundredth death anniversary, someone actually dares to be negligent and disrespectful. Does the Qingque Sect have nothing to say?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings grew even quieter, everyone waiting to see how Qi Yunke would react.

Although the Six Sects of Beichen claimed to be united and share all fortunes, internally they each managed their own affairs without interference. Only when uniting against the Demonic Cult was it necessary for the leader, the Sect Master of Qingque Sect, to give orders. However, times changed. Sometimes, when the Sect Master of Qingque Sect was strong, he could cross the boundaries between sects to discipline the disciples of other sects.

For Song Shijun to suddenly single out Grand Beginning Abbey at this moment was clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for Qi Yunke.

Cai Zhao said softly, "Isn't Sect Leader Song deliberately making trouble? What does he expect Uncle Qi to say? If he says, 'It's fine, it's fine, being a little late is no matter,' he'll surely accuse Uncle Qi of disrespecting the Grandmaster's memorial. But if Uncle Qi flies into a rage, is he supposed to immediately gather people to go and deal with Grand Beginning Abbey? I don't know if the other sects would laugh at the joke, but the Demonic Cult would surely laugh their heads off."

Chang Ning: "Nonsense. Of course he wants to put the Sect Master in a dilemma. That's what making trouble is. Otherwise, why would he say all that for nothing? But they have no grudge against each other. Why would that man surnamed Song make things difficult for Sect Master Qi?"

The two of them turned their gazes to Fan Xingjia's face. Fan Xingjia sighed and said, "In recent years, the Vast Heaven Sect has been recruiting heroes from all over the world, its prestige rivaling that of our sect. Previously, Sect Leader Song suggested to Master that this two-hundredth memorial ceremony for the Grandmaster be held at the Vast Heaven Sect. No matter how good-natured Master is, he couldn't agree to that. Fortunately, with the unwavering support of Peiqiong Mountain Manor and Falling Blossoms Valley, the matter was settled. Sect Leader Song failed to get his wish, so I suppose... I suppose he must be unhappy."

"Pah," Cai Zhao spat lightly. "Jiuli Mountain's Twilight Palace was where the Grandmaster cultivated in seclusion. It makes no sense to move the memorial ceremony elsewhere. He's just taking advantage of Uncle Qi's honesty!"

Chang Ning said with interest, "Third Senior Brother Song Yuzhi is Sect Leader Song's son. For him to stir up trouble so openly, isn't he afraid his son will suffer grievances in the sect in the future?"

Fan Xingjia sighed, "Master is a kind man. He deals with matters, not people. No matter what Sect Leader Song does, he won't take it out on Third Senior Brother. Besides, besides..."

"Besides, there's still Madam Sulian. Her older sister, Lady Qinglian, was Sect Leader Song's deceased wife. No matter how much of a fuss he makes, who in the sect would dare to give the madam's own nephew a hard time?" Cai Zhao pouted. "In the end, he's still bullying an honest man like my uncle."

"Mom is speaking, everyone look," little Cai Han suddenly said. Fan, Chang, and Cai all turned their heads to look.

Ning Xiaofeng had suddenly raised her voice, but her internal energy was insufficient to make her words resonate like Song Shijun's. The crowd had to become even quieter to hear her clearly.

"...Even blood brothers, after separating their households, live their own lives. Although the Qingque Sect is the head of the Six Sects, it can't be controlling the other five sects in every little thing. As long as Grand Beginning Abbey doesn't delay tomorrow morning's memorial ceremony, it can't be considered a fault." Ning Xiaofeng had found Song Shijun disagreeable for over a decade and was not about to be polite now.

"I said back then, one must be deaf and mute to be a good parent-in-law. This role of Qingque Sect's Sect Master is truly difficult. It's fortunate that Big Brother Qi is by nature sincere, kind, and honest, and never bothers with trivial matters. Otherwise, if a truly imposing figure were to throw his weight around, we five sects below would have to listen to the Qingque Sect's orders for every little thing. Wouldn't we be crying endlessly then?"

Although the analogy was a bit plebeian, it made a lot of sense. If there were truly a Grand Sect Master who haggled over every last penny and acted all high and mighty, the other sects would have a hard time. Thus, everyone present nodded in silent agreement. With Song Shijun's level of skill, how could he not hear the quiet discussions below? His face tightened even more.

A middle-aged hero sitting opposite Song Shijun saw his unpleasant expression, smiled faintly, and said in a loud voice, "Xiao Feng's words are well said. Everyone says the Qingque Sect is the number one sect in the world, but they don't know how hard it is to be the Sect Master. It's thanks to Brother Yunke's magnanimity and his reluctance to argue with others that the Six Sects of Beichen can be as close as brothers. Brother Song was also acting with good intentions today, but he has always been a quick and direct speaker. We are all family here, so let's not fuss over it."

Ever since Song Shijun had opened his mouth, Yin Sulian had been caught in a dilemma. On one side was her husband, on the other, her brother-in-law. Now, hearing this refined and handsome middle-aged hero smoothing things over, she quickly said, "Brother Zhizhen... ahem... Manor Master Zhou is absolutely right. We are all family, let's not quarrel. Someone, serve the wine and food, quickly!"

The person who had just spoken was the Manor Master of Peiqiong Mountain Manor, Zhou Zhizhen. He was known in the Wulin for being gentle, elegant, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. For a time, everyone began to jest and joke, intending to gloss over the matter.

Song Shijun's anger had not dissipated, so he shot a look at Yang Heying, the sect master of Siqi Sect, who was sitting beside him. The two of them had always been on good terms. Song Shijun's meaning was 'It's your turn.'

But Yang Heying thought to himself, 'You, Song Shijun, personally tried to make trouble for Qi Yunke and failed. If I rashly speak out, how can I expect to fare any better? Why bring humiliation upon myself?' His eyes darted around and fell upon the Cai Pingchun couple nearby. A plan suddenly formed in his mind, and he said in a loud voice, "Valley Master Cai, it has been many years. Have you been well recently?"

Cai Pingchun was slightly startled, then said, "I've been well, I've been well."

Yang Heying smiled and said, "Alas, Heroine Cai Pingshu's heroic bearing and smiling face are still vivid in my mind. Back then, at such a young age, her skills surpassed the entire Wulin. She stormed demonic dens, treaded on bandit strongholds, and acted chivalrously. There was no one in the Jianghu who did not admire her. Now that she has passed, I see that Valley Master Cai has much of your esteemed sister's style. At last, Falling Blossoms Valley has a successor. This is truly worthy of congratulations." These words were ostensibly reminiscing about Cai Pingshu, but they subtly implied that without Cai Pingshu, Falling Blossoms Valley had lost its former glory.

Chang Ning frowned. "Why does this person speak in such a strange, sarcastic way?"

"Not only does he speak sarcastically, he acts sarcastically too," Cai Zhao ground her small canine teeth. "I met this person when I was a child."

Chang Ning and Fan Xingjia were both surprised.

Little Cai Han interjected, "Then how come I've never seen him?"

Cai Zhao cursed softly, "You idiot, I was four years old then. When I was four, you didn't even exist. Don't interrupt, eat your pastries!"

After pushing her younger brother's head down, she continued, "That year, some 'Three Heroes of the Sandy River' came, claiming they wanted to befriend us through martial arts and challenge my father—ahem, I don't even know how they got into the valley. Those three were so shameless. They said that even against a hundred people, the three brothers would fight together, so against my father alone, the three brothers must also fight together."

Chang Ning sneered, "If it were me, I would have really found a hundred people to fight the three of them. I'd tire them to death. I wouldn't rest until their internal energy and essence were completely depleted."

"What happened then? Did Valley Master Cai win?" Fan Xingjia pressed.

"Is there even a need to ask? Of course, Valley Master Cai won. Otherwise, this incident would have long spread throughout the Wulin," Chang Ning snorted lightly.

Fan Xingjia was stunned. "What do you mean?"

Chang Ning: "When Nie Hengcheng was alive... the Demonic Cult was insufferably arrogant. In several great wars, many experts from the Six Sects of Beichen were killed or injured, with Falling Blossoms Valley suffering the most. This matter was clearly those three scoundrels taking advantage of the situation. Seeing that Valley Master Cai's uncle and sister were dead and injured respectively, and that Valley Master Cai himself was young and unknown, they thought to gain an advantage. If the three of them had won, they would have certainly proclaimed it to the world, boasting of defeating the Valley Master of Falling Blossoms Valley and Heroine Cai's younger brother. Since no one knows of this matter, it naturally means Valley Master Cai won."

Cai Han was stunned. "Wow, Senior Brother Chang, you're so smart. Elder Sister, is that what happened?"

Cai Zhao shot Chang Ning a look. "That's right, just as Senior Brother Chang said, Father won. Alas, Mother said that in those years, Father trained day and night precisely to prevent this kind of thing from happening."

Fan Xingjia also praised, "Junior Brother Chang is intelligent. I am far inferior."

Chang Ning couldn't be bothered with him and continued to ask, "What does this have to do with Yang Heying?"

"Actually, two years before those three scoundrels came, Father had already achieved a major breakthrough, so dealing with those three good-for-nothings was not difficult. What's hateful was that Yang Heying. He hypocritically claimed he wanted to uphold justice, but he just stood aside watching the show. When the Three Heroes of the Sandy River attacked Father, he didn't move or speak. But when it looked like Father was about to cripple the three scoundrels, he intervened, saying things like 'among Wulin peers, stop before it goes too far.' Pah!" Cai Zhao said resentfully.

Chang Ning: "Hmm, it seems this Yang Heying went to probe your father's true strength."

Cai Zhao was confused. "Probe his strength? Yang Heying? Why would he probe my father's strength?"

Chang Ning: "Your aunt, Cai Pingshu, became famous throughout the world like a clap of thunder from the nine heavens. She roamed the Jianghu, invincible. She obtained many good things, like rare treasures, famous medicines, and secret manuals. Powerful major sects like the Qingque Sect and the Vast Heaven Sect wouldn't be envious, and those who considered themselves aloof, like Peiqiong Mountain Manor and Grand Beginning Abbey, would disdain to act. But what about the Siqi Sect? Hmph, their rules are archaic, they're conservative and refuse to change. Now, their talent has withered, and they've been in decline for generations. How could they not covet those things?"

Hearing this, Cai Han couldn't help but interject, "Actually, Mother said that before Aunt, Falling Blossoms Valley had also been in decline for several generations..."

"If you say one more word, you won't get any late-night snacks!" Cai Zhao wished she could sew her little brother's mouth shut.

Chang Ning smiled. "Yang Heying went to probe his strength. If your esteemed father's cultivation was profound, he would shut up and get lost. If your esteemed father's cultivation was lacking, he would have an opportunity. If I'm not mistaken, he was the one who let those Three Heroes of the Sandy River into Falling Blossoms Valley. After you changed the formations at your valley entrance, few people were able to get in, right?"

Chang Ning spoke with eloquence. Seeing Fan Xingjia, with his charming dimples, placing food on Cai Zhao's plate, he changed his tone and said pointedly, "Even with Sect Master Qi protecting Falling Blossoms Valley, distant water can't quench a nearby thirst. As long as Valley Master Cai can't stand on his own, scoundrels will always find a gap. Junior Sister, don't you agree?"

Cai Zhao lowered her head and said nothing.

Chang Ning, having lost his audience, felt quite displeased. "Why aren't you speaking?"

Cai Zhao seemed to be thinking about something else. "Your esteemed father, Great Hero Chang Haosheng, also roamed the Jianghu for many years, even more years than my aunt. It's rare to hear of him being defeated. So, did the Chang Family also accumulate many rare treasures, famous medicines, and secret manuals?"

Fan Xingjia's eyes lit up. It seemed no one had ever thought of this question before. He quickly looked at Chang Ning.

Chang Ning stared at Cai Zhao. "That's right. My father indeed accumulated a great deal. I can't speak for famous medicines and secret manuals, but there was no shortage of treasures and wealth, and they are hidden in various places. Now, only I know where they are."

Fan Xingjia was a straightforward person and immediately felt a sense of reverence for the wealthy.

Cai Zhao felt a sour taste in her mouth. Her aunt, Cai Pingshu, treated wealth like dirt. Whenever she went on adventures, she only collected strange and peculiar items. They were good items, but they couldn't be exchanged for much money.

Chang Haosheng was different. He was old for his age and knew how to live well. Gold bars, silver ingots, luminous pearls, and precious gems—he welcomed them all. This was all according to Ning Xiaofeng's idle chatter.

Chang Ning was delighted to see the change in Cai Zhao's expression and said with a smile, "Next time, I'll buy you pearl flowers to wear. Junior Sister, do you prefer eastern pearls, southern pearls, or jadeite?"

Cai Zhao snorted and proudly turned her head away.

She would not bow down for five pecks of rice, because if pushed, she would just open her own rice shop.