There was a lot that went into choosing attire for someone’s sixteenth birthday. No matter who you were, whether you were from a clan or just a normal family, someone turning sixteen was an auspicious occasion. It was tradition for the entire family to celebrate, but of course, celebrations differed greatly if you were from a clan.

Whenever someone turned sixteen in the Wu Clan, the entire clan would gather together and celebrate that person’s entrance into adulthood. This was especially true if the person turning sixteen had a measurement of over five thousand on their previous strength test, since someone who achieved such strength had a good chance of breaking through to the Hunger Realm.

When it was a person like that who turned sixteen, the whole clan would gather in the testing grounds and encourage the young man or woman who was attempting to break through. If they succeeded, a huge party was held in honor of their success.

This was a world that celebrated strength.

There was a lot of pressure placed on those who were attempting to break through. Success or failure meant the difference between someone who was honored and someone who was shamed. While those who failed were not kicked out of the clan, it wasn’t unusual for them to be ignored in favor of those who succeeded. A person’s entire life basically hinged on whether or not they could break through to the Hunger Realm. They only had one chance.

Of course, this was only for people who belonged to clans.

The strength of a nation lay in the strength of its foundation, and the strength of its foundation lay in the strength of its clans and sects.

Weak countries were often mercilessly taken advantage of. Some were even subsumed by larger, more powerful nations. Any nation that wished to avoid such a fate needed to be strong.

This was also why strength was revered and weakness disgraced. Any clan or sect worth their weight in spirit stones knew better than to waste precious resources on a failure.

Since the person whose birthday they were preparing for was Zhou Lihua, the heiress of the Zhou Clan, nobody except Wu Jian, Wu Meiying, Hou Jingshu, and the elders and head of the clan were involved. This did not mean their preparations were any less thorough. If anything, they were even more thorough than if this party was for someone inside of the clan.

“Are you sure I need to wear something so stuffy?” asked Wu Jian.

“I’m positive. I’m sure all the members of the Zhou Clan will be wearing something similar. I hear they hail from the Ten Kingdoms Alliance. This is the latest fashion from there… or so I heard,” Mother said.

“Or so you hear,” he sighed.

Wu Jian looked at himself as he stood before a large mirror while his mother helped him put on his clothes, which consisted of several layers of black and red fabric. The inner layer was black. The outer red. All of it was tied together with a golden sash. Not only were there two layers of clothing, but both layers were considerably thicker than what he normally wore. It felt like he was being tied down with led weights.

He did not like these clothes. They were too stuffy, too warm, and the style seemed to er on the pompous side. He looked like a peacock.

His mother was adamant, however, and so he had no choice but to comply.

“There. All done.” Mother stood up, stepped back, and cupped her chin, releasing a thoughtful hum. “Yes, I think you look very dashing in this. Maybe we should make it your casual attire.”

“Let’s not,” Wu Jian said with a sigh.

Since he was done getting dressed, Wu Jian made his way out of his bedroom, his mother following close behind him, and traveled toward his father’s reception room. There he found Father already dressed for the occasion. His father looked even more stern than usual, but Wu Jian thought his sour expression might have something to do with the man’s current attire. It was the same as Wu Jian’s, but his was purple and black.

For just a moment, he and Father shared a look of understanding. It was like their minds had somehow connected on an intrinsicate level that only men who were suffering the same circumstances could understand. This was perhaps the first time in his life that Wu Jian felt so close to his father.

“I see you’re already dressed as well. Is Taohua with Meiying and Jingshu?” asked Mother.

“She is,” Father said.

Mother clapped her hands and smiled. “In that case, I think I’m gonna go help Taohua get those two dressed. Then we must also dress ourselves. It will probably be awhile, so just wait here. And remember, no peeking.”

Mother’s last words made Father scowl, but she fled the room before he could come up with a suitable reply, her tinkling laughter echoing even after she was gone.

Wu Jian stood uncertainly in the center of the room. What should he do now? Out of curiosity, he glanced at his father and found the man smiling as he stared at the doorway Mother had walked through. He saw Wu Jian’s look and coughed into his hand.

“Your mother is very free-spirited,” he said.

Wu Jian nodded. “I know. That’s why you married her, right?”

“Er. Well, yes. Yes, it is.” It seemed admitting as much embarrassed Father. The man looked away. His cheeks were red. “I have always been a man with traditional values and done my best to lead the Wu Clan with honor, dignity, and strength. However, your mother couldn’t care less about any of that. Her only concern is making sure the people she loves are happy. I have always appreciated that side of her. Marrying her was my one selfish decision.”

He had heard a little bit about this before, but it was interesting to hear those words come from his father. It lent them an entirely new weight.

“I hope… you will be willing to tell me about how you and Mother fell in love at some point,” Wu Jian said slowly, carefully, as if afraid of rocking the boat.

“… I suppose it would not hurt, though the story is not too interesting,” Father said after a long pause.

Wu Jian felt a little warmth blossom in his chest. Ever since his surprising strength test when he was eight, his father had been treating him much better, but they were still not what he’d call close. Now, however, it felt like the gap between them was growing smaller. Perhaps someday he would even be able to look at his father with love instead of just pride.

The wait for the girls was very long, making Wu Jian realize why they had begun getting dressed so early in the morning even though the party was to be held later tonight. Wu Jian had entered the reception hall when the sun was still low in the sky. Now it was hanging above their heads, a sign of afternoon, and the girls still weren’t present.

Father must have been feeling impatient too. His arms were crossed, eyes closed, and expression composed… but he was tapping his foot against the floor, a sure sign of impatience.

The doors eventually slid open, four people stepped into the room, and the words that had been on Wu Jian’s lips dissolved before he could utter them.

As a growing boy, Wu Jian had become more enthralled with Wu Meying and Hou Jingshu as time went on. He had even begun having dreams about them. These dreams often featured all three of them in a bed together. They were erotic dreams the likes of which he would never admit to having, for fear of dying from embarrassment.

In that moment, however, even those dreams paled in comparison to what he saw.

Wu Meiying and Hou Jingshu had donned tight-fitting dresses that flattered their figures. Wu Meiying’s was a dark crimson. White flower imprints danced along the front to create an interesting color contrast and draw the eyes from the hem to her collar bone. On the other hand, Hou Jingshu’s was a light blue and possessed far more colors. It looked like someone had painted cherry blossoms at sunset across the fabric, creating a splendidly beautiful scene that complimented her cuteness.

Mother and Wu Taohua were wearing more traditional hanfu, which he guessed was because they were older and wanted to have a more mature appearance. Whatever the case, Wu Jian could hardly even be bothered to look their way. He only had eyes for the two in front of him.

“Wha… wow… you two look amazing. What kind of outfit is that?” he asked.

While Hou Jingshu merely flushed pink and wrapped her arms around herself, Wu Meiying grinned and placed her hands on her hips. “They’re called cheongsam. Apparently, these outfits are very popular in the Ten Kingdoms Alliance among women right now.”

“Is… that so? Well, I can’t say I don’t see why. They do look incredible on you both,” Wu Jian muttered, eyes traveling up and down as if he was trying to burn the sight into memory.

“P-Please stop staring! You’re making me embarrassed!” Hou Jingshu shouted.

“Sorry,” Wu Jian looked away.

“I don’t mind if you stare, Jian. Feel free to stare at me as much as you want.”

“Mei! How can you be so shameless?!”

“What’s wrong with wanting the man I love to admire me?”

“Well… nothing… I guess… b-but even so! There’s a time and place for this!”

“That’s news to me.”

Wu Meiying was chuckling as Hou Jingshu, flustered beyond belief, stammered out something about propriety. She didn’t seem to realize that her friend was just having it on with her.

I guess that’s all par for the course though. Jingshu is so straightfoward and honest. That must be why her father decided to have her live out in the countryside. She would be destroyed by whatever political machinations her brothers came up with.

“Ahem. Since all of us are dressed, I believe it’s time we left,” Father said, interrupting Wu Meiying and Hou Jingshu’s banter.

“Oh?” Mother raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you bring up a good point, my darling husband, but don’t you have something you would like to say to us?”

The very obvious cue was something even Wu Jian recognized for what it was. His father couldn’t have possibly missed it, and yet a cold sweat broke out on the man’s forehead. He looked at Wu Taohua, but she was merely staring at him with the same expectancy, causing him to grumble and blush.

“You two look both ravishing, truly paragons of beauty. I doubt there will be a single man at the party who will be able to keep their eyes off you,” Father muttered. He looked so embarrassed.

Wu Jian’s jaw dropped. Wu Meiying giggled. Even Hou Jingshu wore a satisfied grin at seeing the leader of the Wu Clan get teased by his wife.

“Much better.” Mother nodded several times as Wu Taohua broke out into a small smile. “Now that we have been properly complimented, let’s go. I wouldn’t want to miss my chance to congratulate the birthday girl.”

The carriage that waited for them was the most expensive one they possessed, something they only used during important events.

Father, Mother, and Wu Taohua entered first and sat on one side. Wu Jian, Wu Meiying, and Hou Jingshu followed them in, sitting on the other side.

While the carriage was spacious, Wu Meiying decided to sit so close she practically melded into Wu Jian’s side. He didn’t complain. Not even the stern look Father gave them would make him budge on this.

Hou Jingshu looked like she also wanted to be close, but she lacked the courage, and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by forcing her to do something she wasn’t ready for.

The driver cracked the reigns, the horses whinnied, and the carriage soon began moving. Wu Jian looked at the sky. The sun had yet to set, but it wouldn’t be long before the sky was painted with a cornucopia of colors.