Amidst the wave of countless people, the red-cloaked cultivator walked past the doorway. From him, the young woman caught a light whiff of sweet, pleasant flowers and maple that reminded her of autumn. It was highly nostalgic.

Soon, like a dream, the person vanished.

There was a loud click of tongue, hinted with annoyance.

What happened next was a tall black shadow stepping into Mei Ying’s bright view.

“Did you hear what I was saying?!” snapped the young man, cocking his head. A long, braided ponytail hung over his left shoulder. His sharp eyes held no sliver of softness for her. However, for some enigmatic reason, his attention was fiercely fastened onto the veiled maiden. “Young Miss!”

W-Was he talking to me? Confused, the white-cladded cultivator blinked.

A young man, dressed in a long, dark cloak, stood before the entire group. The hood covered most of his crow-black hair, but it did not hide the arrogance in the person’s seemingly all-knowing demeanor. His presence was not as strong as the one that Mei Ying had sensed before; however, it was not one that she should overlook.

Pulling at her broad white sleeve, Xia Qi brought the younger huntress back under her wing. Promptly, both their male friends flanked either side of the two stunning beauties.

“You did not have to scold her…” Li Qin growled—only to close his mouth when Shixiong glared in his direction.

“This one apologizes for our rudeness, but can you please repeat what you had just said?” Xia Qi cupped her hands together and bowed her head. The others, including Mei Ying, followed as well. “You have our full attention now.”

Scrutinizing over the veiled maiden, the hooded person folded his arms. Shortly, the servant’s piercing eyes came to an abrupt halt. He stared at the small red birthmark that laid in between the young woman’s brows. Its shape was much like a bright crimson flower, beautiful even. This…

Remembering the objective, the juvenile cultivator cleared his throat. He then began, “It has come to my Young Master’s attention that these noble hunters have nowhere to sit or eat. He has sent this servant to invite you all to join him in his reserved dining area upstairs among the major cultivation sects…” The servant paused, as though he was restraining himself from rolling his eyes. “What do you say to this offer, Young Miss?”

“…And who is this Young Master of yours?” asked Mei Ying. She quietly hoped that it the red-hooded young man that she saw earlier. It seemed that she was the only one who had noticed him. “You must be strong…for him to send you here all alone.”

“Hmph.” Turning at his heel, the youth glanced over his shoulder. His long, dark cloak flowed back like passing black clouds. “Of course! The only one whom he needs is me!”

Oddly enough, the veiled maiden felt a bit moved by the servant’s loyalty and trust to the mysterious person. Her eyes were large and bright. Such a master-servant relationship was highly admirable. The eyebrows were raised slightly.

“I’m not hearing a refusal.” said their guide.

Exchanging glances with her hungry friends, Mei Ying then nodded. “Yes, if your Young Master truly does not mind our intrusion, we would all like to take part of his reserved dining space.”

“Follow me then.” Gesturing to the white-robed huntress, the youth proceeded to stride back into the fine restaurant.

With a nod to the bulky guards, both doors were kept opened for the cloaked cultivator and the group to pass through. He did not even stop for others, weaving in and out of the stream of people like it was a mere game. Quickly, the young man turned right. He breezed his way toward the soaring gold staircase that led upstairs.

To them, the youth called out, “Hurry!”

“That little shit needs to fix his attitude before I fix his face.” Li Qin glowered, with gold sparks reigniting at his fingertips.

The servant’s hurry left Mei Ying and her group feeling a bit awkward as they shambled around the crowded floor. Once more, the tall, hefty doors closed behind them.

“It’s that servant again…” murmured some passing people. “Rude as ever.”

Curious, the veiled huntress listened as she and the rest barely brushed shoulders with the gossiping strangers. The whispering cultivators were heading out to the back courtyard, opposite of where Mei Ying and the others were headed.

“You should really watch your mouth.” said another, shaking his head. “His Young Master is the new owner of this establishment, after all.”

Also hearing this, Xia Qi averted her attention to Mei Ying and studied her for a bit. She turned to her childhood friends, creasing her brows together. “It has occurred to me just now… Was that servant only acknowledging Mei Ying the whole time?”

❁❁❁

Lifting her long white veil, the young woman sipped the warm fragrant tea from the cup. It was softly sweet from the chrysanthemum infusion and rock sugar. There was also a subtle sour aftertaste due to the brewing of wolfberries. Mei Ying gently set the cup down on the wide tabletop. She casted her eyes downward before letting go of her veil. Drinking while trying to not get the cloth wet was still rather uncomfortable…

Next to her, the other three hunters had already drunk their hanju floral tea. They sat quietly in their gold-and-jade chairs. The many white bowls of hot and sour soup were a bit too warm to drink, still, slowly steaming the room with spicy peppers and sour vinegar.

Though that entire table had already ordered from the menu, their mysterious host remained silent. All meals would be paid for by him despite the hunters’ insistence to pay.

Across from the group was the agitated servant. Then, sitting before Mei Ying was a young man, hidden by red opaque curtains that wavered back and forth. Though he too was wearing a cloak like his servant, the person’s hood was down. Aside from the long hair and half-ponytail, the veiled maiden was unable to distinguish the Young Master’s hazy features.

On both ends of the long table, there were lucid silk lanterns, both shaped like dragon pearls. At the doorway was a long screen of red sheer fabric, and outside, were two large cultivators, twins to be exact.

While the intentions seemed harmless, the white-robed huntress did not know why she was made to sit in front of the person. She glanced over at Xia Qi, who also seemed wary. But the woman did not look her way at all, maintaining a calm façade.

Xia Qi, isn’t it strange for me to sit before the host? Mei Ying asked her friend through the Spiritual Communication Channel. I am facing the Young Master even though I do not know him. Regardless, he seems familiar with me.

To be frank, the veiled maiden was used to being ignored or rendered as invisible. She did not want to be responsible for any mishaps. It would have made better sense if the older huntress were sitting in her current place, someone from a more respectable sect.

The other began to massage against her temples, When in Jianghu, one cannot move freely... If the servant has chosen your seat for you, then, his Young Master must have taken an interest in you and no one else. He was acting in according to the person’s orders.

…Huh? The young woman tried to recall if she had done anything miraculous recently.

If you do not recall him in memory, then, maybe he must be from a sect that followed the Red Omen Prophecy at your birth… Xia Qi paused, dipping a spoon into the red soup for day lily buds and tiny bamboo shoots. …waiting for chaos to bring down the cultivation world to grab the top seat.

A sense of unease fell over Mei Ying. Maybe the stranger wants to curry favor with her?

No…that would be outrageous. It was a conceited thought.

The young woman could not relax. Her thoughts were swarming wildly with near infinite possibilities of the two people’s ulterior motives, going as far as aiding the Song clan in taking her back to the village.

Truth be told, the huntress had left Cheng Xiu Village after the death of Shaman Xia’s protégé without notifying anyone.

The escape was simple—with an emergency One-Step Migration spell that nearly expended all the young woman’s spiritual energy. This is because traveling through space and time are both acts against the Heaven realm, a power that should not have been given to mortals; thus, it is more straining on the fragile body. It may even cause internal injuries or possibly suck the cultivator dry of qi.

But to a Heaven Immortal, such a feat was as easy as flipping over one’s hand.

While the One-Step Migration spell was a bit extreme, the young woman could not afford to attract the worst and most attention—by breaking Cheng Xiu Village’s magical barrier…

The young woman sighed. It was futile to make any wild assumptions now.

Hey! Li Qin had chimed into the Spiritual Communication, startling the huntress out of her dazed state. To the others, he was blinking furiously. Someone needs to say something. The awkwardness is super unbearable, ah!

“Is there something wrong with your eyes?”

Mustering a stiff smile, Li Qin met the youth’s flat expression. “…No.”

The servant went silent. He glanced over to the Young Master, seated at his own gold-and-jade chair.

Slowly, Nian Zu leaned over and set his elbow against the tabletop. His long black hair laid evenly past his wide shoulders. Hovering by the lantern’s light, the silver-robed cultivator furrowed his dark, thick eyebrows. While he was handsome, his expression was too stern for most women’s liking. It was especially true since he rarely smiled at all.

The Young Master and servant pair’s cultivation auras were tactfully concealed, and Nian Zu did not like it. Not an ounce of spiritual energy could be detected. There was no telling what cultivation rank they were at. The room’s aura was a bit uncertain for the hunter’s own comfort.

The shixiong was about to speak, opening his mouth when—

“This tea…” Though it was a start, Mei Ying decided to break the deathly silent atmosphere. It was clear that since she had caught the person’s eye, the least that she could do was be a good guest to someone who offered to share his space with them. “…has a lovely clear, yellow hue to it. The Young Master has taken good care to select such high-graded leaves for the lowly woman here and her friends. Thank you.”

Immediately, the dark silhouette, seated at his own gold-and-jade chair, shifted behind the towering red curtains. A moon-porcelain hand shifted through the lengthy hazy curtain and rested against the tabletop.

“Does the Young Miss like hanju chrysanthemum tea?” To the surprise of all but the servant, the Young Master had finally spoken, and it was rather gentle toward the veiled maiden. His words were heartfelt and warm like embers of a fire melting the ice. “…If you would like something different, then, I can request for the royal Da Hong Pao tea or whatever else that you may prefer.”

Observing this, the other hunters became quiet. Evidently, they did not exist.

Aiya! Da Hong Pao tea is the most expensive tea in the entire Mortal realm! There was no need to be so extravagant, especially when the young woman did not have any high status or direct affiliation with a top-seated cultivation sect. What is the use of a nickname like Child of Red Omen? It is hardly worth any spirit stones at all!

If the nickname were worth anything, would Mei Ying be as pitiful and broke as she is now? Even with the spirit stones from the past recent mission, the young woman did not know how long it would last her until the next paid hunt.

Still… The huntress stared at the mysterious figure sitting across from her. Somehow, she felt his kind gaze through the rippling curtains.

The young man’s voice was clear and smooth. Though it was not too deep, the white-robed huntress thought it held a hint of youth, filled with a velvet charm that could make women everywhere blush.

Oh. The speaker might be a bit younger than her… Thinking this, the maiden had to admire how brave the Young Master must be to face four mid- to high-ranked cultivators alone, saved for one servant.

Then, would it mean that the servant is younger than…the Young Master himself?

There was an itch of remorse in Mei Ying’s heart. The hunters should not bully these two!

“No, no, this one’s favorite tea is the hanju chrysanthemum one!” said the white-cladded huntress, smiling. She did not want to owe anyone so much early on in her travels, especially someone of unknown background. “But…it reminded me that I do carry my own special variety of it. Please wait for a moment…”

Reaching into a magical storage bag, the naïve maiden hummed a slow, merry tune. Before anyone could stop her, Mei Ying fished out a small white sachet with a long red tassel, also decorated by brightly embroidered flowers. Her eyes seemed to shine, crinkling around the edges. The sight was enough to display her cheery mood despite her smile being concealed by the long, white veil.

“Little Ying!” hissed Xia Qi, her eyes large. “You…!”

“What?” The clueless young woman tilted her head.

Ah, the dumb huntress did not understand the meaning behind her next action: giving a floral sachet to a man whom she had just met. Paying no heed to the strange expressions, even that on the servant, Mei Ying reached across the tabletop. She gestured for the Young Master to accept the pouch.

“I have the ability to manifest crimson flowers from my spiritual energy!” explained the white-robed cultivator, excitedly. “Recently, I found that I can brew the red spiritual hanju chrysanthemum petals into tea. Please accept this gift of friendship from me to you.”

MEI YING, WHY ARE YOU EXPOSING YOUR POWERS TO A F*CKING STRANGER?! It was the frantic male duo, Nian Zu and Li Qin, screaming into the shared Spiritual Communication Channel. MOREOVER, HE IS A PIECE OF SHIT FOR IGNORING US!

He does not have any evil intent toward us. The huntress responded, smiling. He could have separated us if he had wanted to.

At that moment, it was as though the host had grown hesitant. Both his jade-like hands stirred slightly on either side of his own cup of warm tea. “You…do not even know this person’s name, but you’re so quick to give away a prized object to him. I am from a lowly background; yet you offer it to me. I cannot take this.”

The Young Master’s response was a bit startling. However, it did not deter the naïve maiden’s persistence at all.

Truly, the young man seemed a bit pitiful to Mei Ying, who could not help but feel moved.

Are you crazy?! Xia Qi shouted through the younger huntress’ headspace. Not even one candlestick of knowing the guy—and you’re already giving him your sachet?!

Hearing this from her senior, Mei Ying tried to remember the customs of the cultivation world apart from her reclusive Cheng Xiu Village. Ah, how could this be misunderstood…when she clearly said for it to symbolize their friendship?

It is just tea, ah. The young woman replied. You are all overthinking this.

Despite the awkwardness, there was something great about whoever was sitting behind the red curtains. Mei Ying knew that while the others were wary and concerned for all the right reasons—her intuition could not be wrong.

“Let this gift from me to you represent our friendship, ah! Does the Young Master not take me as your friend?” Slowly pushing the scented sachet toward him, the veiled maiden waited for the silhouette to lean closer. “Though you do not feel comfortable to show your face, it does not change how I feel.”

Snapping his attention to the young woman, the servant seemed a bit intrigued by what she was about to say. Yet he remained still and quiet.

The white-cladded huntress went on, “You have a good heart. Otherwise, why else would you invite us up to your private space despite your lack of comfort with strangers?”

At that moment, one of his pale hands twitched. Perhaps, it was a trick of the eye—but Mei Ying thought that the young man’s hand almost curled up into a fist.