Chapter 3: (01) How the Engagement Came to Be
About 15 Years ago.
Sounds of birds chirping and of people talking could be heard as the sun started to rise. A few cultivators had already woken up earlier and were silently training by themselves in order to grow stronger and prepare for the upcoming competition between the sects that only happened every decade.
In particular, the sounds of a swinging sword could be heard in a private manor within the Moon Sect. A female cultivator that looked like she was in her late teens could be seen, moving in quick motion as she swung a beautiful silver sword, taking multiple steps and using her flexible body to avoid invisible attacks.
Her dark eyes followed the movement of her sword and one could feel the heavy pressure that was released from her body. Every step looked light as a feather, but the swiftness of her sword was lethal. Sweat dripped from her face to the ground as she made a final swing, emitting a powerful blow that could barely be seen as it hit the ground and created a dent.
She took a breath and released it, sheathing her sword. It was a habit of hers to train the way of the sword every morning after meditating with her inner chi; however, lately Wu LiJing has been waking up before dawn in order to increase her training time.
Wu LiJing is a direct disciple of the Moon Sect leader, so she must train harder to not disappoint her master. She has been waking up earlier than usual to prepare for the competition since her master had informed her that she would take part in it due to her absence in the previous competition.
Taking light strides towards the table a few feet away from her, she grabbed and used the clean towel to wipe her sweat. As she took a sip of water, she looked at the dent on the ground where she stood earlier and frowned. It seems she had to get the tiles fixed again.
When she trained, she greatly controlled the amount of chi she released with every attack to prevent destroying her backyard because this was a great way to practice control. Still, sometimes she couldn't help it because she usually concentrated greatly on her moves, and there were moments when her body would be in a prime state, which would cause her to subconsciously release a slightly increased amount of inner chi with her attack.
Wu LiJing drank the rest of the cup of water, peered over to the left when she heard light footsteps, and called over her servant.
"ChunHua. The floor needs to be repaired."
Cheng ChunHua was a decent petite-looking maid, looking to be around her late teens, dressed in a light blue uniform to show her status as the personal servant of a direct disciple. Like all uniforms, on her sleeves was the symbol of the Moon Sect. She possessed bright and optimistic eyes and carried a neutral expression as she walked over.
Wu LiJing liked to be independent, so Cheng ChunHua only looked after her manor and did not enter her room. As a direct disciple, Wu LiJing was allowed two servants to tend to her since direct disciples usually had a different training regimen and also went on missions once they were strong enough.
When the sect leader finally accepted her as his disciple, she had the privilege to live by herself in her own manor, so someone needed to keep it clean while she was away. She only felt the need for one servant to look after her manor since she wasn't too picky and hired Cheng ChunHua for the job. It was only recently that she was allowed to have her cousin come live with her after her cousin finally became an inner disciple.
Cheng ChunHua let out a small, hopeless sigh when she got a better look of the dent. Then she moved her attention back to her casually dressed master. "I will have it fixed by tomorrow, Master." She would have to remember not to trip because of it. There were times when the backyard had to be repaired because whenever Wu LiJing returned from the outside, she mainly focused on her training inside her manor. At this point, Cheng ChunHua was used to it and realized accidents were bound to happen when one had a master that lived her life concentrating on cultivating only.
Wu LiJing took a quick bath and put on her dark purple robes, a uniform showing her status as a direct disciple. The inner robes were thin and black in color. Her dark purple outer robes were decorated with simple designs of the stars and moon on the sleeves and collar, using white and silver thread. A beautifully made white tassel hung on the side of her sash alongside a pendant carved with the symbol of the Moon Sect. She quickly tied half of her long hair up and braided it into a bun before securing it with a simple silver hair ornament. Just as she grabbed for her silver sword, she heard a knock on her door.
"What is it?"
"Master, Sir Mo is here," Cheng ChunHua replied politely behind the door.
Wu LiJing paused and after a moment ordered, "Invite him in for breakfast."
"Yes, master."
Wu LiJing could hear the footsteps slowly get softer. After making sure she was ready to go, she took her sword that laid on her bedside and walked out the door to her courtyard. As she neared her courtyard, the sword from her hand vanished.
Mo ShiLan was already there when she entered. He wore neat yellow robes that had simple black designs and stood with a gallant aura. A smile appeared on his handsome face when he saw her and he greeted her politely. "LiJing, I hope I didn't intrude on your time."
Wu LiJing showed a small smile for the first time and shook her head. "Of course not, ShiLan. Join me for breakfast." She sat down and he sat across from her. Cheng ChunHua entered the courtyard, carrying a tray of foods. She placed the simple dishes down on the table and then left, knowing they liked their privacy.
"Today, we have some shrimp for breakfast. Please enjoy." Wu LiJing knew from observing some time ago that Mo ShiLan liked to eat shrimp. That's why if he ever came over and they had shrimp on the menu, she would have Cheng ChunHua bring some extra for them. All of the disciples had the same menu to choose from. But because Cheng ChunHua liked to cook, she allowed Cheng ChunHua to cook her food.
Mo ShiLan chuckled. "You know me," he said. He put some shrimp into her bowl before he put some in his. He reached out and gently held her hand. "I also brought some snacks for you. I know you enjoy eating snacks when you read. I already gave them to Cheng ChunHua to give you later."
Wu LiJing nodded. "Many thanks." Mo ShiLan liked to bring gifts whenever he visited. Last time, he changed it up a bit and bought her a few hair pins.
Mo ShiLan sighed. "There you go again. There is no need for thanks; we are engaged, remember?" He looked around and then asked, "Where is QiaoHua? Is she not having any breakfast?"
Wu LiJing smiled. "That girl is still asleep. She is probably tired from yesterday's training. The teachers have been more strict than usual due to the upcoming competition. Since today is a rest day, she is probably trying to get the best out of it."
Mo ShiLan nodded and expressed his concern, "She didn't get injured, did she?"
Wu LiJing chuckled. "No. She is doing well, though I might have been a bit strict with her lately as well."
"But you treat your cousin so well," he said with a slight sadness in his voice that she didn't catch. "It's good she lives in your courtyard so you can look over her training from time to time."
"Well... there's only me and her left," she said with a warm smile.
He squeezed her hand warmly.
"How are you?" he asked as they ate peacefully. "Don't train too hard. The competition isn't until a few years from now."
She drank some water and replied, "My training has basically been the same." If Cheng ChunHua was there, she would stare with big eyes, not believing her master one bit.
"Are you preparing anything for the competition?" she asked and turned to him. "Is your master strict with your training?"
Mo ShiLan smiled. "My master may be the sect master, but he's quite lenient as long as I do well. Though he has been more demanding as of late."
Wu LiJing nodded. "Master is the same. He is barely here these days though."
Mo ShiLan slightly frowned out of worry. "Is everything alright? If you need any help, I can ask my master."
Wu LiJing shook her head. "It's nothing serious. I think Master is having those moments again, traveling around for fun."
"Then that's good. You can slack off a little."
Wu LiJing paused and smiled. She put some more shrimp into his plate and scooped some of the soup into her bowl. "Master is not too strict on me," she said. "Working hard is good too."
He sighed. "Master has been asking me to train some more and I know it's good to train. But I need a break too. That's why I came to see you." He smiled warmly towards her.
Once both were done eating, Wu LiJing stood up. "ChunHua, come clear the dishes." She gestured towards the road to her garden, "Would you like to take a walk?"
Mo ShiLan nodded and stood up. He stretched and followed her. They have already been engaged for four years and gotten much closer than before. It took them two years before they talked informally to each other without addressing each other with honorifics since they were basically strangers then.
Mo ShiLan looked at the side profile of his fiancé as they walked in a peaceful silence. As he got to know her, he also came to admire her. That was why he tried his best to return her affections and treat her well.
Wu LiJing looked up at him who was slightly taller than her. "What is it?"
"Nothing," he quickly answered. "It's just... you're pretty." He smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed.
She blinked and showed a smile. "Really? I've not heard that in a long time."
His eyes slightly widened. "Are you joking?" It was well known that the second direct disciple of the Moon Sect had extraordinary talent and was also quite beautiful. She was known to be a cold and aloof beauty, not liking to talk much and always treating others with a cold shoulder – but he had never seen her that way so he couldn't relate.
Wu LiJing suddenly stopped walking and stared at the peach blossom tree in front of them. Mo ShiLan plucked a flower and put it on top of her ears. He grinned. "There. Now you look even lovelier. If you want, I can compliment you all the time."
Her smile softened and she looked into his bright eyes. After a moment of silence, she hesitated but reached for his hand. Mo ShiLan stiffened slightly since Wu LiJing has never really initiated direct contact between them. He looked down and said in a quiet voice, "Is something the matter?"
Wu LiJing nodded. "I need to talk to you about something important." Mo ShiLan paid attention and listened. She stared at his smiling face.
She knew; Mo ShiLan has always been respectful towards her and was willing to take small steps with her so their relationship would improve. Wi LiJing was always busy, but he always found time to come to her. Now their relationship could be considered quite good. She didn't mind the peaceful atmosphere they had around them because she liked it. He treated her well and even liked to send her gifts to show his affections. He's a good man.
She remembered when they first met – they were strangers to each other even if they were engaged since birth. She didn't know until she was thirteen and found evidence of her engagement to Mo ShiLan, who came from a big clan.
His clan wasn't part of the powerful and prominent top four clans – but his clan could be considered influential compared to many others and was top of the mediocre clans. Her parents were great friends with his parents and decided to engage their first-born children. Mo ShiLan was probably only one year old at that time and she wasn't even born yet.
Back then, she had already been admitted as her master's disciple for a few years when people suddenly came to look for her. She remembered the sudden announcement that made her confused and wary.
"Sect Master, someone who claims to know Eldest Senior Sister came to meet her. It is a woman and a teen boy. She said she knew Eldest Senior Sister's parents and claimed to have important matters to discuss."
Wu LiJing was confused because she did not know any of her parents' past acquaintances, so her body was tense. Sect Master Wang glanced at his disciple and nodded. "Then let's go see."
When they entered the room, a woman who was well-dressed well and obviously from a rich family hurriedly walked towards Wu LiJing to hold her hand. But Wu LiJing quickly evaded and stood behind her master.
"Who are you?" she asked, vigilant. Wu LiJing was already nineteen at that time and matured quite a bit.
The pretty woman showed a sorrowful face. "You look just like your mother," she whispered. She sighed and took a moment to control her feelings before she showed a smile. She took a step forward and bowed. "Please forgive my rudeness, Sect Master Wang."
Sect Master Wang nodded. "All is fine. It seems Madam Shao of the Mist Clan knows my disciple?"
The woman nodded. "Yes. I was friends with Wu LiJing's parents before they passed..." She looked at Wu LiJing with wet eyes.
"Why don't we sit down before we discuss everything?" her master suggested. Wu LiJing kept her guard up as she stared with deep eyes at the madam.
"MingZhu and YangYi were friends of ours from a long time ago. Back then, they hadn't settled down yet and were still traveling the world. After going through life and death together in the Mountain of Beasts, we thought it would be fun to be in-laws and have our children marry." She laughed a little as she was reminiscent of the past. Then she looked at the young man beside her and smiled.
"Introduce yourself," she said.
Wu LiJing finally looked at the boy who had been sitting beside his mother. He looked around her age and was handsome, probably popular among his peers as he showed a polite smile. He saluted. "I am Mo ShiLan, first son of the Mist Clan and a direct disciple of the Bright Venus Sect. Nice to meet you."
Sect Master Wang's eyes slightly widened. "Are you saying LiJing and your son have been engaged since young?"
The Madam nodded. "Yes. I have the proof here." She quickly took out a paper hidden within her sleeves and showed it to Sect Master Wang, knowing he was now Wu LiJing's guardian.
Wang WeiYue took a good look at it for a moment before he nodded. Indeed. The papers stated that both parties were engaged and had the signature of all four parents - Wang WeiYue could confirm that it was legit.
"It is the truth," he said. He felt a bit conflicted and looked at the young Wu LiJing. Wu LiJing had kept the same face from start to finish, not showing any emotion. She simply glanced at the paper and then looked down for a moment. It was silent as they all observed her.
Madam Shao smiled sadly. "Wu LiJing, I know that you may not trust me. After all, I suddenly appeared with news that you are engaged... and I and my husband also did not come to see you or was able to attend your parent's funeral when they passed. However, we have been trying to find you. We were supposed to meet and introduce you to my son two years ago."
She sighed. "However... when we arrived, there was only an empty house. We asked around and found out that MingZhu and YangYi had passed away." She choked on her feelings for a moment before she quickly calmed down. "We asked around, but no one knew where you two went. Then we just recently found out you were recruited to become a disciple of the Moon Sect. So we finally rushed over. I hope... you can find it in your heart to try and trust me." The madam's eyes were slightly trembling.
Wu LiJing looked at the madam for a moment and spoke in a soft voice, "I know." Madam Shao blinked confusedly. "Mother and Father... they actually left a paper behind as well. I already saw it. I apologize if I was rude." She slightly bowed her head. When she saw the paper, she felt that it was unbelievable since her parents never told her. But they were probably waiting for her to mature more.
Madam Shao's eyes brightened. "Really?" She smiled. "It's alright! It's good to be careful. They taught you well." She laughed a little and quickly told her to sit straight and relax. "Does that mean you accept the engagement?"
Wu LiJing was only silent and did not answer. "I don't know," she finally replied.
Madam Shao took her hand and Wu LiJing felt herself stiffen but did not pull away. Madam Shao patted her hand softly. "It's alright. Actually, when we signed these papers, no other party witnessed it. We agreed to keep it a secret and only make it official should both of our children accept the engagement. We still have time. Why don't you chat with ShiLan and get to know him first? Once you both decide on it, we can make it official."
Wu LiJing was silent for a moment before she nodded. She knew her parents wouldn't force her to do anything she wouldn't like, especially if it determined the rest of her life. But she was still surprised at how kind Madam Shao treated her. The madam's kindness was probably what attracted her parents, allowing them to become good friends. She also knew that her parents liked to travel a lot before they had her so the madam was probably telling the truth.
"I'm sorry my husband couldn't make it. He had to deal with some matters pertaining to the clan. But he wanted to meet you too," Madam Shao said with a regretful tone.
Wu LiJing nodded. "It's alright."
After they exchanged a few more words, Madam Shao smiled. "Alright. Why don't I leave you to chat with ShiLan so you can get to know each other?" Before Wu LiJing could reject or agree, Madam Shao left excitedly.
Both were left alone with her master looking a little reluctant to leave. It was a little awkward for Wu LiJing and Mo ShiLan as they stared at each other.
"Please excuse my mother," Mo ShiLan said, feeling embarrassed. "She and my father were excited when they found your whereabouts."
"It's alright. I understand." She could see what kind of person Madam Shao was. Her face showed her true expressions and she was a caring person.
Then it was quiet for a moment.
"I'm sorry about your parents," Mo ShiLan said, sounding apologetic.
"It has passed. I am alright now."
It was silent again and Mo ShiLan fidgeted in his chair.
"Sir Mo, are you alright with this engagement?" She broke the silence and spoke right to the point. She noticed he didn't react much when they talked about the engagement earlier.
He smiled. "My parents think it's a good thing for me. So I've nothing against it."
Wu LiJing nodded and was still for a moment before she finally asked, "You're the direct disciple of the Bright Venus Sect?"
From there, they chatted about many things. She simply wanted to have an idea of who he was and how he was like as a cultivator before deciding anything. And she also felt a bit overwhelmed. At first, she wasn't sure if she wanted this engagement because already felt so busy. But then she saw how kind Madam Shao was and Mo ShiLan also wasn't too bad himself.
In fact, at that time, he had also reached the Second Tier and was only one stage lower than her even if he was one year older. She could tell at one glance what his cultivation level was since she was of higher level than him. But she didn't look down on him because being a high-stage second tier cultivator at his age already made him very talented.
Most cultivators around his age usually have just reached the second-tier or at most have reached mid-stage; and passing one stage can take years. It's just she found it hard trying to get closer to a stranger, so he did most of the talking and she appreciated that.
Madam Shao and Mo ShiLan stayed for the night and planned to leave the next day in the afternoon. So Mo ShiLan and Wu LiJing were able to spend a little more time together.
Before they left, Wu LiJing stared at Mo ShiLan and Mo ShiLan blushed a little, having been gazed at by a beautiful girl. His impression of her was quite good. It was just that she didn't smile much and had very indifferent eyes so he was a bit startled. He began to feel flustered when she looked away and stayed silent for a long time.
When she finally spoke, she showed a real smile for the first time, making him a little stunned.
"Alright," Wu LiJing said in a soft voice. "If Sir Mo does not mind, then the engagement can continue for now."
Mo ShiLan smiled as he looked at the lovely girl in front of him. "Alright then. Can I visit when I am free?" She nodded. It was good if they got to know each other further since they were engaged.
She paused. "I am going on a mission with master's orders and won't return for a few days. Sir Mo can visit me then. Just inform me ahead of time."
Mo ShiLan grinned. "Mother and Father would be very happy with the news."
When Madam Shao left, she told Wu LiJing to inform them if she ever needed anything with a wide smile on her face. She could tell her parent's friends were sincere people, so she decided to accept the engagement. It wasn't too late to break it off if Mo ShiLan turned out to be a cretin.
Now four years have passed, and she is already twenty-three. Normal girls her age would already be thinking about marriage and those with cultivation lower than Second Tier would already be married and may even have children running about. Now, everyone was already aware of the engagement between the direct disciples of the two sects who are part of the top ten.
She wondered if he was going to ask her to marry him soon.
Wu LiJing presently stared at Mo ShiLan's patient face as he waited for her to tell him what she wanted to say. She touched the flower on her ear, hesitated, and then decided against it. "Next time, I'll tell you," she said with a smile.
He nodded and held her hand back as they walked. Wu LiJing glanced down at his hand that was holding hers for a moment before she looked back on the road.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
PJwrites
PJwrites What do you think Wu LiJing wanted to tell Mo ShiLan?
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone