Anji spent the entire day indoors with her mother as the household servants and sect disciples hustled to prepare for the arrival of esteed guests who journeyed from distant lands. The Rainbow Alliance banquet, a grand affair held once a decade at the leader's sect, was a celebration to commorate the glamour and prestige of the founders.
Nearly thirty years prior, Zhao Mingfeng was appointed as the alliance's leader, a position he earned through his unparalleled contributions in dismantling the demon-worshipping sects. Since then, the Celestial Dragon Sect basked in the glory of its illustrious past, while assuming the weighty responsibilities that accompanied its elevated status. Tonight, as the Rainbow Alliance banquet approached, the sect was poised to showcase its strength and unity under Zhao Mingfeng's leadership. There could be no mistakes tonight.
"Mother, can you tell the story of the different sects in the Rainbow Alliance again?" Anji smiled cheekily as her mother combed her hair. She was dressed in expensive clothes for the banquet and adorned with cute accessories.
Zhao Wanting, the Madam of the Celestial Dragon Sect, chuckled fondly at her daughter's keen interest in tales of old war heroes. As she wove the story, mories flooded back to when her husband was still an active traveller beyond the mountain's confines. She vividly rembered the mont they first t, a day etched in her mory when blood rained down from the sky during the final battle with the demon-worshipper sects.
"Back then, your father was a handso young hero without any grey in his hair. Mother was also a young warrior maiden from a small cultivation family whom the demon worshippers captured. The demon worshippers sacrificed my family, and I was prepared to die when your father appeared..."
With that blood-drenched evening's mory vivid in her mind, Wanting delicately braided her daughter's hair, her expression a mixture of nostalgia and pride. The recollection of that fateful night when lightning danced across the sky as the Murim heroes launched their assault on the demon-worshipper sect's stronghold was etched deeply in her mory. Mingfeng, an unknown young hero, charged fearlessly into the heart of the enemy's encampnt, his sword gleaming under the moonlight. Although he was wearing dark fabric, it did nothing to hide the scent of blood he was drenched in.
The only thing Wanting rembered as she knelt on the sacrificial altar amid chaos and danger was Mingfeng's eyes burning with an unwavering determination to uphold justice, even at the cost of his life. She couldn't help but fall for him at that mont, her heart swelling with admiration and hope as he faced off against the demonic cult's founder atop the castle's rooftop. Mingfeng was only a Radiant Core cultivator back then. However, he stood against the formidable Transcendent Core demon-sect leader despite the odds seemingly stacked against him. The air crackled with tension as they clashed repeatedly countless tis, matching each other's moves without missing a beat, a testant to their skill and determination. Yet, Mingfeng's inferior cultivation level beca his disadvantage in a drawn-out battle. Wanting's heart fell when the demon sect leader pushed him back.
"However, your father wasn't alone," she reminded Anji, who listened intently. Her hair was braided neatly into two pigtails. "Although he was a vagabond cultivator at that ti without a sect to back him, he made many powerful friends along the way upholding justice."
Here, Anji grinned. She rembered the nas of the six other heroes who helped her father punish the great evil.
"I know who they are!" the young princess jumped from her chair while her mother applied rogue to her high cheekbones. "The six heroes co from the Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Heavenly Phoenix, Mystical Qilin, Vermillion Bird and White Tiger Sects! You told that Sect Leader Liu from the Heavenly Phoenix Sect is the current sect leader's maternal aunt. Sister Yanxia only beca the sect leader of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect three years ago, the sa ti I was born."
Gently pinching Anji's chubby cheek, Wanting couldn't help but laugh. Her daughter was undeniably bright, very different from the third young master of the Zhao family. Anji possessed a remarkable mory, retaining everything she was taught with just a single ntion. From the mont she was born, Anji had displayed a brilliance that captivated everyone. Despite being blessed with four children, Anji was the apple of the Celestial Dragon Sect's eye.
With her quick wit, Anji absorbed knowledge effortlessly and treated everyone respectfully. Her kind heart and infectious energy lted even the coldest hearts. Yet, amid the pride Wanting felt for her daughter's accomplishnts, a nagging sense of regret gnawed at her heart. She couldn't shake the thought that Anji's exemplary behaviour might stem from an underlying desire to compensate for her lack of cultivation abilities.
"That's right," Wanting continued the story. The six heroes quickly made a na for themselves after that legendary battle, slaying the great evil demonic sect founder. The leader of the Vermillion Bird Sect founded a sect of her own. The matriarch of the Mystical Qilin sect secluded herself from the world to focus on cultivating behind closed doors and finally attained the Divine Core. Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise sect leaders started their families as your father did. The Heavenly Phoenix sect leader retired and handed her leadership position to her talented niece. anwhile, the sect leader of the White Tiger clan road the Murim world for many years to perfect his sabre technique, abandoning his sect duties to your father for a while before returning as the strongest Murim warrior."
Anji listened to the tales of the legendary heroes of the Murim world countless tis, but now, she could finally see them in person! According to her father, Yan Ping, the leader of the Mystical Qilin sect, was absent from the last Rainbow Alliance eting. Hence, this would be the first ti anyone outside her sect would see her after twenty years.
Of the seven sects in the Rainbow Alliance, Anji held a special admiration for the enigmatic Qilin sect, second only to her allegiance to the Celestial Dragon sect. She heard nurous stories about the Qilin sect's clairvoyant abilities and their exclusive training regin, where fewer than a hundred disciples secluded themselves in the sect until they achieved the Enlightened Core. Only then would the sect master grant them permission to explore the world beyond the mountain. Renowned as the most knowledgeable cultivator in the Murim world, Anji harboured hope that Yan Ping would know sothing about her Heavenly Eyes.
"Madam, the banquet is ready. Shall I escort you and the young miss now?" a servant called from outside the rice paper door.
Rising gracefully from her chair, Wanting held out her hand to Anji, who grabbed it imdiately. Feeling slightly nervous but more excited than nervous, Anji followed the servant to the banquet hall, holding her mother's hand tightly so she would not trip over her new dress and fall. It was an important occasion, so the young princess schooled her expression. She had to make a great first impression in front of these important elders!
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