Like a lion, the Elder descended. Behind him, two disciples clothed in simir orange kasayas held a mix of khakkhara sceptres, vajras, and bells. Coupled with the awakening morning sky and gentle temple music behind them, Yuan Xia found himself overwhelmed.

  Feet lightly tapping on the clouds, Elder Jing walked up to the board-bearing man.

  Dong Zhi, what happened?” He turned his golden eyes to Deng QiuShi, then to Shuang, before resting them on Yuan Xia. A trace of understanding fshed on his face. “Is it… Hua ChunMing?”

  The overworked man named Dong Zhi nodded his head. Elder Jing responded with a sigh. Standing before Yuan Xia, he reached his hands out, intending to pce them on the boy’s shoulders… but a quick sp from Deng QiuShi made him pull his hands right back to his sides.

  Hearing Deng QiuShi’s fury, Yuan Xia tugged on her pel. He gazed up at her with an expression that asked not for her rashness. The anger in her heavy breaths subsided, evening out.

  Elder Jing looked at a loss for words. To Yuan Xia’s surprise, the proud, lion-like Elder began to shuffle about, like a sika deer stumbling over its own feet. After a pause, he tried reaching out again. Feeling pity for the Elder, Yuan Xia leaned forward.

  Deng QiuShi didn’t interfere this time, but she watched the Elder with eyes like a hawk’s.

  Bringing his hand up, the Elder straightened Yuan Xia’s Dark Clouds. Then, he tucked a loose strand of blond hair behind the boy’s ear.

  “I apologize on behalf of Hua—Righteous Leader Hua.” Elder Jing’s hands were rge, so his soft voice created a stark contrast. “I’m gd to see you’re unharmed.”

  Yuan Xia squinted, scrutinizing the Elder from behind his sungsses.

  Over anything, Elder Jing looked kind. He held a glint of na?ve trust in his eyes, and Yuan Xia found himself subconsciously forgiving Hua ChunMing. This Elder was trying so hard; he must have held a lot of respect for the Righteous Leader.

  Deng QiuShi, on the other hand, still had lots of words unsaid. Seeing the anger boiling within the woman at the mention of Hua ChunMing, Elder Jing jumped onto his feet. He grabbed Dong Zhi’s head full of bck hair and forced the both of them into a bow.

  “I apologize on behalf of this disciple as well. He’s currently working under Hua ChunMing as an intern of the Immortal Goddess and doesn’t quite understand everything yet.” Elder Jing dropped his upper body 90-degrees, his voice full of sincerity.

  “Elder Jing of the Temple of Beneficence is apologizing….” The people in line began to murmur again. “That panda-man must have made a big mistake. I wonder what it was.”

  Hearing the whispers of the crowd, Deng QiuShi felt a bit more settled. She set Yuan Xia down on the clouds and held her arms akimbo, narrowing her eyes at the Elder and the intern.

  “As long as you understand. No matter how someone looks or what disabilities they have, you should always treat everyone well.” A huff.

  Before the Demon Queen gifted Yuan Xia his citrine earring, he had faced many hardships. Even now, although he’d resurrected, children still came at him with buckets of sopping dirtwater, and suspicious twins tried to kidnap him in broad daylight. Seeing Deng QiuShi’s valiant figure standing up for him, Yuan Xia’s heart warmed.

  “You are wise, miss.” Elder Jing pulled Dong Zhi’s arm this time and forced him into a bow again.

  With no way to resist against the Elder’s enormous strength, his expression fell.

  “Please come with me. I’ll take you to the testing site in advance.” In a perfect customer service voice, Dong Zhi picked up his registration board basket and bared his teeth in an attempt to smile. “It’s the least we can do as an apology, we hope you’ll accept.”

  Satisfied, Deng QiuShi nodded. She lifted Yuan Xia into her arms again. Though he stiffened, after being manhandled so many times, Yuan Xia had an inkling of a thought that he might be able to get used to it.

  “Let’s not waste this chance.” Whispering to Shuang, Deng QiuShi motioned towards Dong Zhi and Elder Jing. “We’ll go with you.”

  Shuang stood, stunned silent by the entire exchange, then came to his senses and chased after the departing Deng QiuShi.

  —

  Elder Jing had a habit of chatting. He talked the entire way, sometimes about the politics between the Orthodox Sects, sometimes about the other Elders and their factions.

  “Heaven’s Law Sect has a rich history. I’m gd you came to visit.”

  “We all call him Righteous Leader Hua, but he’s been drinking his days away. If he hadn’t come to his senses…. Just one more year and us four orthodox factions would have repced him for sure.”

  “I actually came down to Heaven’s Law Sect because I heard Hua ChunMing exited his secluded cultivation. But where is he??”

  Without a break, Elder Jing talked all the way to the registration desk. Deng QiuShi and Shuang had zoned out halfway, Deng QiuShi in particur holding Yuan Xia closer to her chest, absent-mindedly stroking his blonde hair.

  When Elder Jing stopped, all Yuan Xia could make out was the back of his head—a fiery mane of orange. The man then turned around, revealing a grand registration desk that spanned as far as the eye could see.

  “This is it.” His mouth shut, and the world fell silent for the first time in hours. “I hope we can meet again past this gate.”

  Hopping atop a passing cloud, Elder Jing flew straight back up to the heavens without even a goodbye. Deng QiuShi and Shuang froze in shock, while Yuan Xia wondered after a minute where the loud Elder had gone. A cultivator had mentioned something about a Temple…. Perchance, there could be other sects past this pathway of clouds!

  Shivering at the thought, Yuan Xia’s focus turned to the registration desk. Amidst towers of paperwork, a single girl sat, assessing him with an assured smile on her lips. She had long, turquoise hair wrapped in two whimsical side-buns, and wore an aqua-coloured qipao.

  “So you want to cut in line.” The girl raised her chin, smirking.

  “Not at all.” Shuang stepped out from Deng QiuShi’s shadow, meeting the girl’s gaze head-on. “Li Dong, I didn’t know you worked here.”

  A moment passed as Li Dong scrutinized Shuang from head-to-toe. In realization, her eyes widened. She hopped out from her desk and cupped her hands in greeting, refusing to meet Shuang’s eyes.

  “So it was you who Elder Jing brought.” Moving aside, the girl let the trio past the desk. “Since it’s you, I’ll let this transgression go. Please move quickly; I have paperwork to do.”

  Shuang strutted forwards, gesturing to the surprised Deng QiuShi and Yuan Xia.

  “Do you know that girl?” Deng QiuShi asked, a bit hesitant. Shuang hadn’t revealed anything about himself this entire time. Perhaps he was actually a big-shot in the JiangHu?

  “No. I’ve never seen her in my life.” Shuang stared at Deng QiuShi, lying through his teeth with a solemn expression, before he finally broke out into a smile. “No, I do know her. Just as an acquaintance, though.”

  Many questions remained, but this answer sated Deng QiuShi and Yuan Xia’s curiosity, and they continued to walk harmoniously down the glittering path.

  As the trio left the young girl’s line of sight, she let out a faint sigh and colpsed onto the desk. In the blink of an eye, she transformed from a whimsical child into a beautiful immortal, with hair like ocean waves and a turquoise hanfu with delicate pink ribbons fluttering in the wind.

  She gnced with a weary expression at the departing figure of Shuang.

  —

  Meanwhile, passing through arches of clouds and pathways of light, Shuang hummed a small tune to himself. Coupled with his elegant yet nasal voice, he sounded like a young schor on his way to master the four arts.

  Shuang led his two companions to a grand pavilion. Constructed simirly to the statues at the pathway, the rooftop’s different quartzes shined rays of multi-coloured light onto the pavilion floor. Deng QiuShi sucked in a breath, nervous, but to Yuan Xia who saw the world as blurry as always, he didn’t feel much of an impact. Everything just felt… bright.

  “I think this is it.” Shuang pointed at the pavilion.

  A crowd of Elders sat around in a semicircle, talking amongst themselves. Upon hearing Shuang, a couple of them perked up, their gazes fierce.

  “Welcome to your first test.” Another Elder in orange beckoned towards them. Though he wore the same colours as Elder Jing, Yuan Xia knew they were different people from their distinct voices.

  Intending to brave the trials first, Deng QiuShi let Yuan Xia down from her arms.

  “If I don’t come back, keep Yuan Xia safe.” She gnced back at Shuang, who nodded back in reassurance.

  As soon as she stepped onto the pavilion pte, a mist of red and gold enshrouded her, whisking her away into the unknown. Yuan Xia quivered, knowing she’d gone somewhere safe, yet still harboring trepidation.

  “Double Fire and Earth spiritual root—send her to testing site one. Next!” The orange-robed Elder tapped his fingers on his seminar desk, his eyes never once leaving Shuang.

  Unnerved, Yuan Xia turned towards the boy. They stared at each other for a moment. Shuang broke the silence first with a sigh, only for him to pce a hand on Yuan Xia’s shoulder and push him forward.

  A brilliant white mist hugged Yuan Xia, who staggered towards the centre of the pavilion, wide-eyed in betrayal. The Elders’ eyes flew open, and some of them even stood up, trying to get a closer look.

  “P–Pure Heavenly Root….”

  “Send him up to Hua ChunMing!”

  “Immediately! He can skip the remaining tests!”

  And without any expnation, Yuan Xia disappeared into a flurry of light.