Chapter 112: Beauty within and without

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They moved away from the estate, their pace light and easy.

The night sky shone with its usual auroral hues, though the jade colours were less oppressive that night, for the mountain was lit bright in lanterns, songs, and festive cheer.

The celebration of the Beheaded Phoenix Sect was in full swing, for the arrival of the Split-Headed Carnivore Sect had prompted even greater cheer and festivities. The distant light of fires and the fading melodies of musical instruments could be heard even all the way up the mountain, where Feng and Lianshi slowly made their way towards the peaks.

“And here I had thought you would have me dancing with the crowd below,” Lianshi teased, shaking her head. “Dare I even ask what illicit intentions you might have secluding me away so far from public eye?”

“I ensure the lady my intentions are mostly pure,” Feng grinned. “Though if it worries you, I had already informed your handmaidens on where I planned to take you away for the night. Dai is similarly aware. They know where to get us should the need arise, but save for the worst emergencies, we will not be disturbed.”

They made their way through the forest and up the mountain slopes. Though their attire was ill-suited for a hike, the path ahead was surprisingly clear and smooth, and cultivated dexterity covered for any hindrance their apparel might give.

“Now I am very curious,” Lianshi muttered. “I don’t think I have been in this part of the Phoenix Mountain before. And this path… Too smooth to be natural. Did you make this?”

Feng laughed sheepishly. “I might have had help. Brother Dai and Elder Jun offered their aid, as did Sister Shao when she tagged along over the last few days. In their words, it was their Sect-given duty to make sure the Young Master successfully courts the Young Miss without making her trip over every stone or pebble.”

“That’s nice of them,” Lianshi laughed with him. “I suppose a smooth trek through the woods like this is nice.”

“Young Miss, I am wounded,” Feng mockingly placed a hand over his heart. “You did not think me so inept at courtship that I would have you jaunt through the mountain all night as my idea of a romantic tryst, did you?”

Lianshi smiled at him, and the warmth in them caught him off guard.

“I would be happy as long as I am with you, Feng,” she said, voice free of sarcasm or falsehood. “Whether it be in good times or bad, blessed or ill-fortuned, so long as I can walk beside you, I am the happiest woman alive.”

He was stunned wordless for a moment. The sheer sincerity in her words made his steps falter. Lianshi’s grip on his hands steadied him.

“I really don’t deserve you,” he whispered. 

Lianshi’s hand was warm. Her fingers interlaced with his. “Idiot. It has always been the other way around.”

They kept walking together, the mood made soft by compassionate silence and the warmth of each other’s company.

Soon, however, the silence of the mountains was broken by the rustling of leaves in the wind and the rushing of water.

“Are we approaching a river clearing?” Lianshi murmured.

Feng grinned eagerly and tugged her along. The Young Miss obliged his pace and followed him, her expression shining with anticipation.

The forest cleared away, and when presented with the sight before her, Lianshi gasped.

The mountain opened up with a breath, revealing a secluded glade cradled by ancient trees, veiled in mist and falling sprays. At its heart, a waterfall cascaded from a jagged cliff of pale stone, silver streams tumbling into a crystal river below.

The air was sweet, fragrant with the scent of fresh running water and wild orchids. The sound of the gushing stream and the rush of the river against its bed of smoothed stones was a soft, endless song. The water, so clear it seemed woven from glass, shimmered with the reflected colours of the auroral night sky — jade green, soft silver, hints of pale lights where the fractured moon filtered through the clouds above. 

Mossy rocks lined the riverbed, their edges worn by centuries of erosion. White willows bent low at the water’s edge, their branches trailing like fingers over crystal silk. The temperature was cool, the clearing by the riverside thick with the hush of untouched grass. 

The lands of the 103rd Outer Province held many places of beauty. Scenic vistas were common closer to the Four Mountains, and so naturally, disciples were wont to grow bored of even the most awe-inspiring displays of nature.

But here, it was as if time felt reluctant to pass. It was the sort of place whispered about in mortal taverns and the halls of monasteries alike — hidden sanctuaries of spiritual richness, where celestial maidens might descend to bathe, or where lone cultivators could sit in peaceful meditation, the world falling away with each breath.

It was beautiful. It was, in its way, a freedom from the monastery and all the burden it entails.

Lianshi was quiet. When Feng tugged her hand a little, she startled. He chuckled a little at her awed look and teary eyes. 

“C’mon, no sense in standing around. I have prepared a spot for us.”

Lianshi stumbled for a moment, but soon a wide grin took over her expression. She followed him at first, walking over the smooth grass in the clearing, but soon she had taken off her shoes, laughing as she felt the soft mud under her toes, or the rushing of clear water beneath her feet as she danced upon the river’s shallow banks.

“You are going to get your robes wet!” Feng laughed, though he soon removed his shoes and joined her.

They played around, laughing as pale droplets flew as they kicked and splashed the cool water at each other under the silver moonlight. The river ran fiercely, but not so much as to overwhelm the cultivators, whose powerful standings more than suffice in suppressing the natural rush of the stream. The temperatures of the water were cool, rather than freezing, for the geothermal veins beneath the Mountains — courtesy of the fiery Dead Divine — heated the upper springs to a more comfortable tolerance before they rained down with the waterfalls.

Feng’s freshly bought robes and shirt rapidly turned wet, though he did not care as he splashed the rushing river towards his Fiancée, cornering her into the falls. Lianshi pulled her hair free from its elaborate holding once the crystal water showered over her head, laughing as her midnight tresses shone a magnificent blue under the open night skies.

It was only several minutes later, with the pair considerably more drenched and their robes soaked through, that they finally reached the spot Feng had prepared.

Beside the river, just beyond the curve of a low-hanging tree, a small clearing of grass had been carefully arranged. A modest fire pit was dug out, ringed with river stones paired between lumps of ashen-crackled rock. Dry wood and kindling were already nestled within, needing but a spark to ignite. The scent of fresh earth spoke of how recently it was made, and the even darkness of the wood hinted at a nature foreign to the forest around them.

Nearby was a pile of stacked firewood, coupled with hand-shaped lumps of charcoal resting in a clay dish. Both were placed neatly under a silk oilcloth to keep dry. A bronze tripod stood over the pit, ready to hold a blackened kettle or hanging pot. Next to it, a bamboo basket lined with lotus leaves cradled thin slices of all manner of marinated meat, their deep red hue glistening faintly with oil and spices.  Fish, lamb, venison, and other less natural sources of Spirit flesh… The skewer rack lay ready, hand-carved from bamboo and unmarred by any previous use.

A folded woven mat and lacquered wooden box — glossy black and decorated with patterns — sat nearby, filled with a variety of supplies. Dried herbs, rice, vegetables, tea leaves, and a pouch of mountain salt. Clay jars held fresh water and wine. Porcelain bowls, cups, and steel knives rested atop folded cloths, ready for use. 

It was nothing extravagant — not when compared to the grandeur afforded to those of wealth within the Sect, certainly — yet the quiet elegance in its arrangement, the clean simplicity of it all, spoke of deliberate care and attention, reflective of the Young Master’s nature.

Lianshi’s grin, almost childlike in her excitement, made the effort all worth it. 

“You prepared all this? For me?” she asked. 

“I had some help,” Feng admitted. The wraith was the one who directed the setting. She helped him find the best spot and sourced the best material and goods from the markets for him to purchase.

But the plan was his, as were the careful efforts in arrangement and preparation.

“A moonlit picnic by the river… I take back everything bad I said about you. You know how to properly court a girl, Young Master Feng,” Lianshi teased.

“I do my ancestors proud this day,” he replied, a touch dramatic. 

Lianshi’s smile was guileless and carelessly given. It was a smile that would have stolen the heart of any man or cheered even the most tearful of babes. The Split-headed Carnivores were reputed to be sensual predators that knew no equal, but when blessed with their genuine joy, those privileged few witnessed a sight they would never forget.

Beauty within and without. No scene of heaven could compare to Lianshi’s happiness at that moment.

Feng’s heart, silent for so long, finally stirred.

He did not notice.

“C’mon, let's get warm and cook something up,” the Young Master smiled. “I hope you are hungry, Young Miss, because I prepared only the best for you tonight.”