Receiving the Red Pavilion

and sleep," Yun Qianmo glanced at the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone on her table as she spoke to those outside the room."Yes, Miss, then please rest well tonight." Cai Lian yawned; she had been so...Chapter 22 Receiving the Red Pavilion

Yun Qianyue looked at the seven people, listening to their resolute and decisive words. Her thoughts immediately became complicated.

Her grandfather told her that her mother left a message saying she wouldn't have to come to Cloud Mist Mountain to pay respects after one zodiac cycle. Now they were saying they would wait for her here and await her orders based on their master's will. This meant the master they referred to was her mother, and these people were her mother’s legacy to her

These seven individuals had a consistent aura, indicating that they practiced martial arts in unison and underwent special training. In Yun Qianyue's opinion, they weren't inferior to Rong Jing's eighteen black-clothed bodyguards. Clearly, her mother was not only mysterious but also formidable!

Now she needed people at hand, and if these individuals could truly be used, it wouldn't be a bad asset in her struggle against the old emperor!

She hadn’t expected to find such a pleasant surprise today.

Yun Qianyue tugged at the corners of her mouth and gave a faint smile. "You can get up and talk!"

"Thank you, young mistress!" The seven people stood up together.

"Did my mother instruct all of you to wait for me here after one zodiac cycle" Yun Qianyue asked.

"That's right, young mistress! That is how the master instructed us," replied the woman who had spoken earlier.

"My mother has been gone for twelve years. Back then, how old were you Could you remember my mother’s instructions" Yun Qianyue looked at them; the oldest female appeared to be around twenty years old, while the youngest seemed only a few years older than her, likely fifteen or sixteen. Twelve years ago, the youngest among them would have been three or four years old—could they have already started remembering things This was beyond Yun Qianyue’s comprehension.

"Young mistress! The master instructed seven elders to hand over the Red Pavilion to Miss twelve years later. The seven elders chose us seven people as their successors to protect young mistress. Before leaving, the master met us briefly. Even though we were very young at the time, we can still remember her," said the woman who had spoken earlier.

So it was like this! Yun Qianyue looked at the woman, "Are the seven elders here"

"Young mistress, currently, the seven elders are on Green Cloud Mountain. After each young mistress takes over the Red Pavilion, the preceding elders retreat to Green Cloud Mountain and no longer concern themselves with matters of the Red Pavilion," replied the woman immediately.

Green Cloud Mountain Yun Qianyue searched her memory but found nothing about this mountain. She had never heard of it before; perhaps it was just a small, obscure mountain. Not wanting to dwell on it further, she nodded and said, "I don't remember my mother’s departure. Since you are here at my mother’s behest and will follow my orders, tell me something about your situation so I can get to know you better."

"Yes!" The woman immediately nodded.

Seeing a few rocks not far away, Yun Qianyue walked over and sat down. She waved her hand at the others. "You all sit too! Let's sit down and talk calmly." Since she wasn't in any rush to leave the mountain, there was no need to be formal.

"Young mistress please sit, we can stand!" The seven people shook their heads.

"I am not one who is overly concerned with etiquette. I believe you have heard of my situation before as well. If possible, I think it would be better if we could spend a long time together and act more casually in front of me," Yun Qianyue said looking at them.

"Thank you, young mistress!" The seven people looked at each other and walked over to sit down. They appeared visibly more relaxed.

"Let's start by introducing yourselves individually so that we can get to know one another better," Yun Qianyue began with the woman who had spoken earlier, she was clearly in charge among them.

"Servant Hua Sheng!" The woman immediately said.

"Servant Hua Luo!"

"Servant Ling Lian!"

"Servant Cang Lan!"

"Servant Yi Xue!"

"Servant Feng Yan!"

"Servant Feng Lu!"

Yun Qianyue repeated the names of each individual in turn and suddenly asked curiously, "What is your relationship with the Ten Great Families that went into seclusion a hundred years ago"

She remembered seeing a book about the Ten Great Families from hundreds of years ago at Rong Jing's place. The surnames seemed to match—she had taken special note and memorized them: Hua, Hua, Ling, Cang, Yi, Feng, Feng, Chu, Mo, Lan. It was said that these ten families were once a force to be reckoned with; they far surpassed the current Ten Great Families like the Qian family. Mo Li came from the Mo Family.

"Young mistress is truly clever. From our surnames alone, you’ve made connections to the Ten Great Families who went into seclusion a hundred years ago," Hua Sheng smiled and said with a nod: "We indeed come from the seven great families. However, these seven great families have long since gone into seclusion. Back then, when the master wanted to select guardians for young mistress, the seven elders were unsatisfied with ordinary people's abilities, so they sought out members of the seven great families and chose one person from each generation. That is how we became who we are today."

"So it's like this!" Yun Qianyue smiled and nodded, "Since the ten great families have gone into seclusion, were you given to them when Seventh Elder went to retrieve people back then"

"Back then, naturally, the family head wouldn't agree. The ten great families withdrew from worldly affairs once they went into seclusion. But the seven elders persisted with soft and hard persuasion as well as all sorts of measures until they forced the family head to agree. However, there was one point: us seven were taken away by the seven elders, and we have since departed from the seven great families. Therefore, we are no longer part of the seven great families now. But when the seven elders asked for titles back then, the master kept our surnames but only gave new names," Hua Sheng shook his head.

"So it's like this! So are the seven elders really powerful" Yun Qianyue smiled and asked.

She remembered that the last sentence at the end of the records about the ten great families said, "From then on, the ten great families went into seclusion and no longer appeared." The record was compiled by a remarkable person when Heavenly Sage Emperor founded his dynasty a hundred years ago. Several decades later, another unusual figure revised it again. Ten years ago, Duke Wenhou who had outstanding talent also made adjustments to it; they all added that sentence at the end without any prior agreement. One could imagine how secretive and thorough their seclusion was, completely withdrawing from worldly life. Even Mo Li, a descendant of one of the ten great families, had also left those families like these seven people here, only not changing surnames, but no longer being part of the ten great families.

"The seven elders were originally from the seven great families as well; even though they later departed from the seven great families, there was still some connection," Hua Sheng smiled. "Indeed, the seven elders are very powerful. Back then, they were outstanding figures among the seven great families, and it's said that when they took us seven out, no one in their families could match them. The skills we now possess were all taught to us by these seven elders."

"Oh Were the seven elders originally from the seven great families" Yun Qianyue was taken aback.

“Yes!” Hua Sheng nodded.

“Have the seven elders always been with my mother” Yun Qianyue asked again.

“Yes!” Hua Sheng nodded again.

"Then where did my mother come from" Yun Qianyue asked once more.

“Subordinates don’t know where the master came from; the seven elders never mentioned anything about the master to us subordinates. In Red Pavilion, besides the seven elders, no one knows the master’s origins.” Hua Sheng was stunned and shook his head: “We originally thought that Young Master knew the master’s origins, but it turns out he doesn’t know either.”

“Yes, I don't know either. My mother left when I was more than two years old; at that time, I couldn't even remember anything,” Yun Qianyue recalled that back then, if she had arrived in this world earlier and could have remembered things already, it would be forgotten now. She looked at Hua Sheng. “Then do you know how the seven elders followed my mother”

“This I know; the seven elders often tell us.” Hua Sheng glanced at the other people, seemingly discovering that Yun Qianyue was easy to deal with and his tone became more relaxed as he said: “Back then it’s said that when Master was young and inexperienced, she somehow investigated the whereabouts of the ten great families. She challenged seven great families single-handedly and later made the seven elders follow her.”

“So” Yun Qianyue blinked. Was her mother this powerful But she didn’t understand; how could she have such a mother while marrying her father, that licentious, womanizing, incompetent, useless man with numerous concubines!

"Indeed! Young Master doesn't know this: Seventh Elder often says that if it weren't for you causing too much trouble and getting dragged back by your family, he would have challenged the ten great families. We in Red Pavilion wouldn’t just have seven elders but ten,” Feng Lu took over the conversation with a smile. She was the youngest of them.

“What a pity!” Yun Qianyue glanced at Feng Lu. The young girl looked very innocent, but she believed that those who could sit here today weren't like Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and Ting Yu, who were inexperienced with worldly affairs.

"Third Elder also always says this is a pity," Ling Lian smiled as well.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ling Lian. She was slightly younger than Hua Sheng; although she didn’t look as steady as him, her posture was upright and her attire meticulous, with no trace of inharmony anywhere on her body. No doubt she was someone meticulous and cautious. She smiled back at her.

"Miss Yun Qianyue smiles just like Master’s portrait hanging inside our Red Pavilion," Yi Xue suddenly said.

Yun Qianyue looked at Yi Xue. She was about the same age as Ling Lian; she sat on the outermost side now, occasionally looking around during her conversation with Hua Sheng to be vigilant of anyone coming up the mountain, clearly a very meticulous and cautious person. She smiled at her: "Really I look like my mother"

"Yes! Young Master looks exactly like your mother!" The four women nodded in unison.

Yun Qianyue looked at the other three men, Hua Luo, Cang Lan, and Feng Yan. Apart from greeting her earlier, these three hadn’t spoken a word since. They were about the same age as well, without exception all having good looks; although they didn't match Rong Jing in appearance, they were still rare to see. She recalled rumors about the ten great families, that Huo, Cang, and Feng families specialized in producing handsome men. It seemed these rumors weren’t false after all. Smiling at them, she asked: "Are you three embarrassed around me"

The trio were momentarily stunned; then their faces reddened simultaneously as they shook their heads and said together: “We don't have!”

“Then why haven’t any of you spoken in such a long time” Yun Qianyue tilted her head to smile at them.

"Young Master didn't ask about us!" Their faces reddened further.

"Does the Huo, Cang, and Feng families specialize in handsome men" Yun Qianyue asked Hua Sheng with a smile.

Hua Sheng glanced at them and couldn’t help but laugh: "Replying to Young Master, yes."

“Young Master, they’re not embarrassed; they were delighted to see you.” Feng Lu’s face bloomed in a flower-like smile. “At this time last year these three wanted to come up Mount Yunwu to see Miss, but they were stopped by Hua Sheng Sister. Not long ago when we heard that Miss was in danger at Lingtai Temple and later faced an assassination attempt from over a hundred elite killers, they couldn’t sit still any longer! If it weren't for Hua Sheng Sister and Ling Lian Sister warning us that if we appeared suddenly before Young Master, it would cause trouble for him, then they’d have come long ago to look for you!”

“Little girl, isn’t this your own doing wanting to see Young Master the most How did it become us three” Hua Luo blushed as he scolded Feng Lu.

"Hua Luo Brother was indeed called out by Young Master; he’s really embarrassed!" Feng Lu laughed. "Although I wanted to see Young Master, my martial arts skills won’t let me leave Moutaintop Cliff, so I can only talk about it. The three of you actually left Moutaintop Cliff at that time and came to the capital city; if Hua Sheng Sister hadn't produced the master’s orders, would any of you have listened You were already impatient waiting for a chance to see Young Master!" Finished speaking, she turned to Hua Sheng. “Hua Sheng Sister, is this correct”

"Mm-hmm, that's right!" Hua Sheng smiled and nodded.

"Young Miss, if you don't believe me, you can ask Sister Ling Lian and Sister Yi Xue. I'm not lying," Feng Lu said again.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ling Lian and Yi Xue, who both smiled and nodded.

"That's because we want to follow Young Miss earlier in order to protect you!" Hua Sheng glared at Feng Lu and warned her: "Little girl, do you talk too much If Young Miss doesn’t like you and kicks you out of the Scarlet Pavilion, will you cry Now that you haven't even mastered your martial arts skills yet, how can you protect Young Miss"

Feng Lu immediately shrunk back her neck and quickly looked at Yun Qianyue. Seeing Yun Qianyue smiling at her, she immediately whispered in a small voice: "Young Miss, I'm young! They are all older than me. Although my martial arts skills aren't good, I am very proficient with throwing weapons! That bunch of people from the Jin Family definitely isn’t my match. I can protect you."

"Hmm!" Yun Qianyue smiled and nodded: "That’s not bad!"

Feng Lu immediately looked delighted and showed a smug smile to Hua Luo, saying: "Young Miss won't kick me out!"

Hua Luo turned his face away as if he hadn’t seen it.

Yun Qianyue smiled softly, and the others also laughed along with her.

Looking at these seven people, Yun Qianyue felt that her mother had given her a great gift. Regardless of how powerful the Scarlet Pavilion was or whether these seven individuals were martial artists who possessed unique skills, regardless of what they could bring to her in terms of surprises, just by looking at their young faces and smiles, she already felt happy deep down.

Since coming to this world, she had never had a partner; she was alone. Although Yun Jiong and she were very close now, he couldn’t be considered as a companion. Night Qingran was friendly with her, but there was still some debt between them. Yun Muhan was her elder brother, but she often forgot about having such an older brother. Nan Lingrui was too mysterious for her to fathom. The same went for Ye Qian and herself; their personalities were similar, yet different. She had only met him once or twice, so they couldn’t be considered close companions. As for the Seventh Prince, Night Tianyi, regardless of what kind of relationship he might have with her, it was sealed away in her memory now, making him a complete stranger to her.

These people were different from these seven individuals. It was their first time meeting each other; they also had never met Yun Qianyue before. However, they sat together on this mist-covered mountain peak and chatted as if they had been acquaintances for ages. Although there might have been a slight sense of unfamiliarity at the beginning, it vanished completely in their laughter.

Yun Qianyue stopped laughing and asked them seriously: "Did you say just now that you were waiting here to follow me according to my mother’s will From today onwards, are you going to obey my orders"

"Reporting to Young Miss, yes!" The seven people also put away their smiles, all bowing respectfully.

Yun Qianyue looked at the seven people and remained silent for a moment. She then said in a clear and serious voice: "I believe in my mother’s judgment as well as that of the Seven Elders who chose you after much consideration." After pausing, she continued slowly: "However, since this is the last will of my mother and I don’t know whether the Seven Elders asked for your consent when they chose you, I would like to ask now if any of you are willing to follow me"

The seven people all looked nervously at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue stared at them seriously: "Are you following me because my mother ordered you to, or is it your own will If it's just because of the order from my mother and if there are any of you who aren’t willing but had to follow orders out of duty, please step forward. I believe in voluntarism and wouldn't force anyone against their will. Regardless of whether this is my mother’s last wish or an instruction from the Seven Elders, what I say today counts. If someone truly doesn’t want to follow me, they can leave."

The seven people were shocked; they all knelt down at once and said: "The subordinates are willing to follow Young Miss's orders with heart and soul! Please let us stay!"

"You've only seen me once. Are you really willing to follow me" Yun Qianyue looked at them, wondering what kind of person her mother was that she could have such loyalty from others twelve years after her death. Who were these Seven Elders who had spent twelve years cultivating the seven people for her What sort of organization was the Scarlet Pavilion However, none of this mattered at the moment; the current priority was to win their hearts and make them serve her.

"Reporting Young Miss, back then when the Seven Elders went to select us from the seven great families, although we were young, they still asked for our opinions. We willingly followed the Seven Elders out of those families at that time. Afterward, after only seeing Lord and Lady once, we also willingly entered the Scarlet Pavilion. Over the past twelve years, the Seven Elders trained us to be loyal to you, Young Miss. Although we’ve never seen you before, every year there are pictures of you sent back from the Seven Elders for us to see. This is our first time meeting Young Miss today, but we’re already familiar with her; we all willingly follow by your side!" Hua Sheng lowered his head and spoke in a solemn tone.

"We will die protecting Young Miss! If not, the five thunder gods shall punish us, and countless arrows shall pierce our hearts! Please take us under your wing!" The other six people said together. Their voices formed a single line as they all looked serious, no longer like their teasing demeanor before.

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue nodded with approval. Ancient people valued oaths the most; this could be considered a lethal oath. She was moved by it and calmed her tone to say warmly: "Since you are willing of your own accord, and my mother has shown such care for me in leaving these seven people behind, I will accept them."

"Thank Young Miss!" The seven people were overjoyed.

"Although I’m still young and not well-reputed outside, I am not a truly arrogant or harsh person. You may call me Young Miss, but I won’t treat you as subordinates. Instead, I will trust and care for you like my brothers and sisters." Yun Qianyue said to them. These people were left behind by her mother for her to rely on; from now on, she wouldn't only have her own shadow behind her, but seven other individuals. Of course, she also hoped that they would trust her.

"We believe in Young Miss! We are grateful for your kindness!" The seven people were moved and nodded together.

"You may stand up now; the floor is cold here. From now on, we’re not strangers anymore and don’t need such formalities toward me," Yun Qianyue waved her hand softly, a strong force lifting them all up gently.

The seven people were forced to rise and looked at Yun Qianyue in amazement.

Hua Sheng was surprised: "I heard that Young Miss lost your martial skills when you fell into the underground temple of Lingtai Temple recently. I thought you didn’t have any martial arts, but you’ve already reached the realm of illusion!"

"It just recovered yesterday," Yun Qianyue smiled faintly; she had deliberately wanted them to know about her martial arts.

"Congratulations! Now that Young Miss has regained your martial skills and achieved such a high level, it’s probably not much worse than the previous Lord’s cultivation." Hua Sheng said happily.

The others also looked at Yun Qianyue with smiles on their faces.

"I was thinking that if you didn’t have any martial skills, we would follow Young Miss closely from now on! But I didn’t expect your martial arts to recover!" Feng Lu pouted; she was the only one among them who wasn’t satisfied.

"Since I have martial arts skills, you can also follow me!" Yun Qianyue smiled at Feng Lu.

"Does the mistress really mean it" Feng Lu was delighted.

"Mm-hmm." Yun Qianyue nodded and added, "However, probably not now."

"The mistress is making fun of me!" The smile on Feng Lu's face faded as she pouted again.

"You little brat! We will follow the mistress’s orders from now on. Your martial arts skills are so poor; how can you hope to be by her side If you don’t hone your martial arts, I think it’s best not to dream about it," Hua Luo scolded Feng Lu.

Feng Lu's expression instantly became dejected.

"While martial arts are important, they're not always the most crucial thing." Yun Qianyue patted Feng Lu reassuringly with a smile. When she saw Feng Lu smiling again, she smiled at everyone and said, "Since you have my portraits every year, I assume you know quite a bit about me already; therefore, there's no need for me to introduce myself. Come, sit down, let’s talk about Red Pavilion and your matters. This will help me understand more about you, as well as make our future collaborations easier."

"Yes!" The seven people nodded and sat back down.

After sitting down, they all turned to Hua Sheng, signaling for her to start. Hua Sheng smiled and began slowly explaining the story of Red Pavilion and their group to Yun Qianyue; the other six occasionally chipped in with supplementary information.

Yun Qianyue listened attentively. This was her first encounter with an ancient organization, so she paid close attention to every detail without missing any part. She would ask questions from time to time, all pertaining to key points, which earned the group’s admiration in addition to their affection for her.

From midnight until dawn, Hua Sheng finally stopped talking.

Yun Qianyue had a rough understanding of Red Pavilion and its seven members.

The story began when Yun Qianyue’s mother founded the Red Pavilion. Back then, she was said to have somehow tracked down all ten secret families, challenged seven of them alone, displaying both martial arts prowess and talent that astonished everyone. The heirs of these seven families were so impressed they willingly abandoned their positions as family heads to follow her. At the time, there were three men and two women who had been thoroughly convinced by Yun Qianyue's mother. It was said this act enraged the heads of the seven secret families but in the end, they allowed the seven members to leave with her. The reason why other members did not join was that Yun Qianyue’s mother was recalled back to her own family due to some matters and never returned afterwards.

After following her mother, the seven elders joined forces to establish Red Pavilion.

The main pavilion of Red Pavilion is situated on Mt. Mogtian.

Mogtian Peak was known to Yun Qianyue as a towering mountain peak located at the border between Western Liang and Heavenly Capital, stretching for hundreds of miles; the highest point being called Mogtian Peak.

Mogtian Peak is about 1,000 miles from the capital city and 800 miles from Western Liang.

The Red Pavilion was not as powerful as Yun Qianyue imagined. Unlike the legendary Beggar Clan, it did not have a large number of members but rather had meticulously selected individuals who were outstanding in their respective fields. Although small in numbers, they covered every corner of the country and each member managed to accomplish tasks usually handled by ten or even a hundred people. They all took a blood oath to be loyal to Red Pavilion.

The master of Red Pavilion was treated like an emperor’s decree; below him were seven elders who oversaw seven small pavilions respectively—intelligence, espionage, spy networks, martial arts, law enforcement, finance, and surprisingly, they also had their own army. Though there were only ten thousand troops, this still amazed Yun Qianyue.

She knew that the royal family did not allow civilians or organizations to privately maintain an army. Even regional princes couldn't have real military power; their soldiers would be under the command of a general stationed in their territory and directly controlled by the emperor, as a measure against potential revolts.

This made her wonder what kind of person her mother was that she could keep such an army

After her mother's passing, the seven elders sought out replacements to take over; these were Hua Sheng and the other six. As the leader, Hua Sheng managed intelligence while the others reported daily on various intel from across the country. Hua Luo was in charge of espionage, Ling Lian managed spy networks, Cang Lan had the highest martial arts skills among the seven and was responsible for martial training; Yi Xue handled law enforcement, Feng Yan oversaw finances, whereas the youngest member, Feng Lu, took command over the army.

Yun Qianyue filtered through the information she received in her mind before pondering deeply. Her mother must have held an extraordinary status to set up Red Pavilion’s main pavilion at Mogtian Peak, right on the border between Heavenly Capital and Southern Liang; there had to be a reason behind this decision.

The seven individuals watched Yun Qianyue as she was lost in thought. No one interrupted her, although they had long known that those rumors were wrong, and their mistress could not possibly be an unruly ignoramus who acted arrogantly. Today’s encounter with Yun Qianyue exceeded their expectations; while respecting her, they felt a deeper sense of closeness and fondness.

After some time, Yun Qianyue looked up at Hua Sheng and asked, "Do you have any records about Red Pavilion these past years"

"Reportedly, Your Highness! There are indeed. However, they were left in Mogtian Peak when I rushed here earlier; otherwise, I would have brought them along. I once read through them so can give a general summary if you like." Hua Sheng looked at Yun Qianyue.

"It’s not necessary. Bring it back to me whenever convenient." Yun Qianyue glanced at the sky and put her night pearl into a brocade box before asking, "When did you all come to the capital Where are you staying"

"We arrived in the capital two days ago; currently we're staying at Peony Courtyard!" Hua Sheng replied.

"Peony Courtyard That Peony Courtyard where Su Su works" Yun Qianyue was surprised.

Hua Sheng nodded, "Peony Courtyard is a mixed bag of people, making it easier to keep things under wraps. We all disguised ourselves as customers there. Additionally, Peony Courtyard belongs to Red Pavilion so we feel safer staying here."

Red Pavilion also ran brothels! Yun Qianyue thought and realized that brothels were indeed the best place for gathering intelligence because of their mix of people, making it easy to hide activities there. She wondered, "Is Su Su a member of Red Pavilion"

"Reporting to the young miss, yes!" Hua Sheng nodded.

"What's going on with Nan Lingrui and SuSu" Yun Qianyue didn't expect that the SuSu whom Nan Lingrui kept talking about was actually from Red Pavilion. She was very puzzled by Nan Lingrui at this moment.

That day in Drunken Fragrance Tower, she saw the fan that Nan Lingrui held was said to be painted by a famous painter in the world. However, two days ago, at the entrance of Xi Feng Garden, she saw that jade fan with her own painting style. At first, she thought it was due to poor sight before, but now she realized otherwise. Her eyesight wasn't bad; she could remember everything she saw clearly. Moreover, Nan Lingrui's fan was undoubtedly the same fan! This was what puzzled her.

Could that fan actually have both sides painted One side with a famous painter's style and another with hers

"The Crown Prince of Southern Liang suddenly went to see SuSu without reason! Every day, he only listens to SuSu singing and playing the zither. I've also asked SuSu about this; she doesn't know what the Crown Prince means by doing so!" Hua Sheng said.

"Has SuSu mentioned anything different about Nan Lingrui's fan" Yun Qianyue asked again.

"She hasn't said anything." Hua Sheng shook his head.

Yun Qianyue frowned.

Hua Luo looked at Yun Qianyue and asked, "Young miss, what's wrong with the Crown Prince of Southern Liang Is it because he's against you"

"No! It's just that there are some things related to me that Nan Lingrui is doing which I don't understand for now! Not a big deal. I'm just asking." Yun Qianyue shook her head and looked at the others, "How long do you plan to stay in the capital"

Hua Sheng was taken aback, "Young miss doesn't want us to stay by your side"

"Not yet. There are too many people watching me already; everyone around me is familiar. If suddenly we appear by your side, it will definitely attract attention and be secretly investigated. It's not good for you to follow me at this time. I don't want others to know about our relationship." Yun Qianyue said.

The seven of them nodded in unison. Hua Sheng said, "We'll do as the young miss says!"

"How long have the Seven Elders retired How long have you taken over Red Pavilion" Yun Qianyue asked.

"The Seven Elders retired last year. After we seven left from the Seven Great Families, we've always been studying martial arts under the Seven Elders and were familiar with the affairs of Red Pavilion since childhood. The Seven Elders aren't settled individuals; they spend most of their time each year taking us around everywhere, rarely staying at Heavenly Peak Cliff. However, the Seven Elders have never brought us to this Celestial Saint Capital." Hua Sheng said.

"Oh" Yun Qianyue looked at Hua Sheng, "You've never come to this Celestial Saint Capital before"

"Yes! The elders haven't set foot in the Celestial Saint Capital since their master's passing." Hua Sheng said.

Yun Qianyue nodded. She thought that the Seven Elders must be afraid of seeing places that reminded them of painful memories. Since these seven have been with the Seven Elders from a young age and are familiar with Red Pavilion, it means they now control everything in Red Pavilion. They no longer need to get reacquainted with it. After considering this, she said, "Alright then! Although you can't follow me around, you can stay in the capital for some time; in a few days there will be the Qiqiao Festival, and after that will come the old emperor's fifty-fifth birthday, which should be quite lively. You might as well enjoy yourselves."

"Great!" Feng Lu immediately smiled brightly.

Although Hua Sheng and the others didn't cheer like Feng Lu did, they all nodded with a hint of joy in their eyes.

"Let's go! I'll burn paper for my mother first, then we can leave this mountain!" Yun Qianyue stood up and dusted herself off.

"Young miss doesn't need to burn paper. You don't know that the Seven Elders moved her coffin away from Cloud Mist Mountain the day after she was buried here in the past. Her grave isn't actually on this mountain at all!" Hua Sheng said, "Making you come every year for twelve years is so no one would suspect and think of sending people to look for young miss."

"Huh Then where's my mother's coffin On Heavenly Peak Cliff" Yun Qianyue hadn't thought about this.

"No, it isn't in Heavenly Peak Cliff. There is only a portrait of the master on Heavenly Peak Cliff. The Seven Elders haven't told us anything either and we don't know where it actually is." Hua Sheng shook his head.

The others also shook their heads simultaneously.

"So, I've been burning empty paper these years," Yun Qianyue tugged at the corners of her mouth with a smile. After that, she took out Empress Dowager's embroidered prayer talisman and waved it around as she sighed, "It's such a pity about my auntie's good intentions! Also, several young maids worked hard to embroider these prayer talismans; how can I waste them Since my mother’s grave isn’t here, but today is her忌日, let me burn the paper here anyway!"

With that said, she took out a flint stone from her pocket and lit several of the prayer talismans.

The seven people immediately lined up in a row, bowing collectively towards the burning prayer talismans!

Yun Qianyue quietly watched as the prayer talismans turned into ashes before saying to the seven, "Let's go, we're leaving this mountain."

"Yes!" The seven people nodded in unison.

Yun Qianyue lightly touched her toe and used lightness kung fu to glide down the hill along the path they came up. The seven immediately looked at each other with admiration, then quickly followed behind her using their own lightness kung fu skills.

Everyone says it's easier to climb up a mountain than to descend, but Yun Qianyue now feels that descending the mountain is incredibly easy and her mindset differs greatly from when she came. This trip to Cloud Mist Mountain has brought her significant gains, not much different from her joy when she forced the old emperor to abolish an ancestral precept outside the Meridian Gate.

Half an hour later, Yun Qianyue led the way down Cloud Mist Mountain. She didn't leave immediately but waited for the seven people behind her.

An incense stick later, the seven people gradually descended the mountain.

The first was naturally Cang Lan with the best martial arts skills, followed by Hua Luo, then Hua Sheng, fourth was Feng Yan, fifth and sixth were Ling Lian and Yi Xue side by side, and finally there was Feng Lu.

From this comparison, Yun Qianyue immediately identified their levels of martial arts. Smiling, she nodded at the few people then was about to leave again when Hua Sheng suddenly grabbed her sleeve and whispered, "Lady, someone is down below!"

"Hm" Yun Qianyue's eyes narrowed.

“It’s a black carriage, seems like it belongs to Prince Jing of the Honor王府.” Hua Sheng said.

Yun Qianyue looked in the direction Hua Sheng was pointing at and indeed saw a carriage in the northern corner of Cloud Mist Mountain. Through the mist, she couldn't see clearly; the carriage stood still, and if not for Hua Sheng's reminder, it would be difficult for her to notice. She furrowed her brows. How did Rong Jing’s carriage get here Didn’t he already welcome Prince Seven back to the capital She waved at the few people and whispered, "You guys leave later, I'll go take a look! Wait until I leave first before you all leave separately."

The few people exchanged glances and nodded.

Yun Qianyue took steps towards the northern foot of the mountain. As soon as she stepped out, Hua Luo suddenly whispered, "If Lady ever… goes out again in the future, it would be better to wear a veil…" The sentence was split into two parts; upon finishing her words, he immediately turned his head away, his face slightly red.

Yun Qianyue first froze before realizing that she must still have lingering kiss marks on her neck. She thought of the night when she held the Night Pearl and bathed herself in its light to ensure it shone brightly around her for three feet; the few people must have seen the marks clearly on her neck. Her face immediately blushed, as she looked at them: Cang Lan, Hua Luo, and Feng Yan all turned red and avoided looking at her. But Hua Sheng, Ling Lian, Yi Xue were smiling at her, while Feng Lu was clueless. She instantly glared at Hua Luo with embarrassment and said resentfully, "Hua Luo, I’ll remember this!"

With that said, she did not hesitate any longer; she lightly stepped on the ground and floated out of the mist clouds towards Rong Jing’s carriage using her lightness skills.

Hua Luo's body trembled as his red face immediately turned bitter. He muttered to himself, "Finished!"

"You deserve it for your big mouth," Cang Lan glanced at Hua Luo.

“Even the Lady dares to tease you; you really deserve it!” Feng Yan had an expression of schadenfreude.

“Knowing and not telling is different, are you looking for death” Ling Lian looked at Hua Luo with pity.

“Everyone who saw didn’t say anything. Do you think your eyesight is better than others’ ” Yi Xue glared at Hua Luo.

"What were you all talking about We seven people are here, why did the Lady only remember Hua Luo It's too unfair! What did you mean by that sentence just now" Feng Lu was still clueless.

“Idiot!” Hua Luo scolded Feng Lu.

Feng Lu was about to be angry when Hua Sheng immediately pulled her and whispered, “Don’t make a fuss. Look at the person. Is he the ‘Heavenly Sage’s number one genius’ in the rumors, with 'Fine clothes and snow-like beauty, a smile can captivate all under heaven' Prince Jing of the Honor王府”

“Ah He's Prince Jing Hua Sheng Sister, Prince Jing is so handsome. Even more beautiful than Hua Luo!” Feng Lu’s anger immediately dissipated as she followed Hua Sheng's gaze and whispered in awe.

"Otherwise how does he deserve the description 'Fine clothes and snow-like beauty, a smile can captivate all under heaven' "Hua Sheng watched Yun Qianyue roughly lift up the curtain to the carriage, say something angrily to the person inside, then even kick the carriage frame hard. The person in the carriage stuck half their body out, tilted their head, and looked at her with a gentle smile; she lowered her voice and said, "Prince Jing seems to have an unusual relationship with our Lady."

“It’s not just unusual. The mark on the Lady's neck isn't something she can make herself,” Hua Luo added.

The few people fell silent for a moment.

Feng Lu only realized what was going on belatedly, “Oh, I understand now, the red powder marks on the Lady’s neck that look like plum blossoms are…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Hua Sheng covered her mouth and whispered, "Lower your voice. Do you also want to be remembered by the Lady just like how she remembers Hua Luo"

Feng Lu immediately stopped talking.

The seven people didn't say another word as they watched Rong Jing's carriage. They saw that Rong Jing must have said something because an enraged Yun Qianyue suddenly broke through the mist clouds and laughed, then she jumped onto Rong Jing’s carriage; the curtain fell down as the carriage left for the capital.

"No wonder he is Prince Jing!" Feng Yan praised him.

The few people nodded in unison. One sentence to placate someone enraged, they couldn't learn that skill no matter how hard they tried. At the same time, they sighed with feelings of sympathy and said, "Indeed, no one can match Prince Jing!"smile turned mocking. "But Ye Tianyi, I never let you return easily. There must have been a reason why I wanted you back at the capital. But because of your concerns about the northern frontier, it wa...