Chapter 4

The autumn wind of August rustled, carrying a faint scent of osmanthus. Ziye sniffed the air, finding the light, refreshing fragrance mingled with the cool breeze quite pleasant, yet she couldn't recall when osmanthus trees had ever grown near Purple Cloud Lake.

Closing her eyes to sense her surroundings, she realized it was because last year, those youngsters like Ling Yu had planted a few new saplings by the lakeside. That was actually a nice idea.

"Big Sis!"

"Sis Ye!"

Xiaoxue and Yushan, chatting animatedly all the way with their arms linked, only turned to find Ziye lagging behind them. They hurried back, and Ziye quickened her pace to meet them, walking side by side. Yushan, who had just finished whispering secrets with Xiaoxue, now turned to probe Ziye for gossip.

"Big Sis, what have you been tinkering with lately? We never see you. A few days ago, Brother Tong held a magic duel, and you weren't there. And before that, the Wan family invited you for a discourse..."

Ziye looked at the non-stop Yushan with a helpless smile, raising a hand to signal her to pause. "Alright, alright, Shan'er, take a breath first. Let me sort through these questions one by one."

Seeing her elder sister's troubled expression, Xiaoxue laughed and came to her rescue. "Yushan! Did you know? My sister actually found the Mystic Sound Zither for me."

"The Mystic Sound Zither! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Quick, quick, let me see Ancestral Lady Xuanji's personal battle artifact."

Seeing Xiaoxue had taken over the conversation and the two were chatting happily, Ziye paid them no further mind, continuing to enjoy the beautiful lakeside scenery.

The three of them walked on, stopping and going, following the tree-shaded lakeside path until they reached a more open area. They had intended to rest at the pavilion ahead, but saw a crowd gathered there, some standing, some sitting.

Seeing many unfamiliar faces, Ziye couldn't help but feel curious. After all, for Dongyang—a remote little town with magical restrictions—the sudden influx of so many strangers was indeed odd. Failing to figure it out on her own, she turned to ask Yushan, the know-it-all.

"Why are there so many strangers up ahead? I noticed many outsiders on the streets a few days ago too. Could it be they're planning to hold a magic duel?"

She received no reply for quite a while. Turning her head, she saw the two of them blinking at her, their expressions full of confusion. Ziye felt a bit flustered, raised a hand to touch her neck, and hesitantly asked, "Did I... miss something... again?"

Xiaoxue tugged at her sleeve and asked softly, "Sis, you... really don't remember?"

Ziye had no idea what she was supposed to remember and could only shake her head awkwardly. Helpless, Jiang Yushan prompted, "Once every thirty years, every five years?"

Ziye tilted her head in thought, but after a good while, she was still at a loss. Xiaoxue couldn't hold back and was about to blurt out the answer when she saw a strange smile curl at the corner of Ziye's lips. Sensing something, she forcefully swallowed her words. Sure enough, a voice suddenly exploded from behind.

"The Immortal Grand Assembly! Ah, A'Ye, how can you be so dense? Did your brain get scrambled from traveling these past few years?"

"Qin Bing!" Yushan exclaimed in shock! She was genuinely startled by the person who had suddenly jumped down from the tree behind them. "What are you doing here?"

Xiaoxue, however, ignored him, looking at her sister with an expression of admiration and envy. "Sis, how did you detect him? Why didn't I sense anything?"

Hearing this, Qin Bing realized he'd been tricked and pointed at them angrily. "You tricked me?"

Ziye shrugged, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "Not exactly. I really didn't remember very well. You were just too impatient."

Only then did Yushan grasp the situation. Pointing at Qin Bing, she laughed and scolded, "Qin Bing, you rascal! Sneaking after us again—what are you up to?"

Xiaoxue, recalling the events of a few days prior, asked, "Exactly! Not long ago, you snatched the spirit artifact my sister bought from the Myriad Saints Workshop and tricked me out of my Mystic Sound Zither. Now you're sneaking after us again. Looking for a beating, are you?"

Seeing himself about to be dragged into a war of words, Qin Bing immediately pleaded for mercy. "Wrongfully accused! If I'd known the buyer was A'Ye that day, I wouldn't have even considered it. A misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! And I sent all of A'Ye's things back. Alright, alright, it's been so long, let's not talk about that. I followed you for a proper reason."

Qin Bing waved his hand, dismissing the matter, and suddenly turned serious. "In three days, Big Brother Zhongtong invites you all to gather at Dongyu Tower. It's been years since we've all been together. With this Immortal Grand Assembly, almost everyone who was out traveling or studying under masters has returned. It'll be a great chance for everyone to catch up."

"So that's what it is. Alright, we know." After hearing this, Xiaoxue exchanged a glance with Yushan and agreed without a second thought. Qin Bing, however, ignored her and looked only at Ziye. "So, A'Ye... you? Will you go?"

Only then did the two remember that Jiang Yushan's brother, Jiang Xuanfeng, would certainly be attending as well.

Ziye turned back around and walked ahead, lost in thought for a good while before answering. "To be honest, I'd rather not go. But..." The others followed closely behind. Hearing her reluctance, they were just thinking of how to persuade her when the word 'but' signaled a possible change of heart. They immediately straightened up and listened intently.

Seeing their focused, expectant expressions, Ziye couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. She cleared her throat and continued, "Fine, I'll go. Otherwise, you'll all keep thinking I have some grudge against him. I just find him annoying and can't be bothered to see him, that's all."

Seeing her sister state this so matter-of-factly, Xiaoxue felt inexplicably embarrassed. She lowered her voice to advise, "Sis, Brother Xuanfeng is always perfectly respectful whenever he sees you. Why must you dislike him so?"

Jiang Yushan, however, didn't see it that way at all and responded cheerfully, "Sister Ye, if you're willing to go, I'll make sure my brother stays tucked away in a corner. He won't disturb you in the slightest."

Ziye adopted a knowing look. "Then there's nothing more to say. Time flies, doesn't it? The Immortal Grand Assembly is coming around to our Dongyang again so soon?"

Seeing that Ziye didn't intend to pursue the matter with him, Qin Bing simply joined the trio's lakeside stroll, following them as they bypassed the pavilion and continued forward. He found it hard to believe Ziye was unaware of this. "Logically, the last Immortal Grand Assembly was held in the mortal realm. Counting the years, that was right when you were out traveling. How could you not know?"

Ziye was at a loss for words and looked to her sister for help. Xiaoxue guessed immediately that she didn't want to discuss it and prepared to answer for her.

"My sister has never been one for such crowded events, so she never paid attention to the news about them."

Qin Bing shrugged, not quite buying the excuse. "Even if you don't pay attention, you couldn't have missed all news of something this big."

Ziye sighed helplessly, knowing Qin Bing's curiosity was piqued and wouldn't be easily quelled.

"The mortal realm is vast, and news has always traveled poorly there. Moreover, tensions between the Three Realms have been high for a long time. I probably just happened to have entered the demon realm at that time, so naturally, it was hard to keep track."

"I see." Qin Bing suddenly understood. He hadn't visited the mortal realm much himself and knew little about it, so this explanation satisfied him.

Seeing he believed it, both Ziye and Xiaoxue let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.