Chapter 163 – Snowcloud Pavilion

  The Snowcloud Pavilion lay a short distance beyond the outskirts of Yunlai city, close enough that it could be glimpsed from the high walls of the city on a clear day. Yet, despite its proximity, it was unmistakably separate from the bustle and dust of the city.

  It was nestled against a lake that was dark and grey, the Snowcloud Lake that gave the Pavilion its name.

  The body of water was still all year-round, untouched by the wind, and its surface was smooth as polished stone. Mist clung to it constantly, like layers of drifting clouds that pressed low against the earth.

  It was a beautiful sight, but it was also incredibly useful for cultivation. The lake was saturated with Yin Energy, dense and potent enough to chill the bones of anyone who touched it. Ordinary mortals and beasts avoided it entirely, and even Cultivators without the proper techniques for cultivation felt the intense Yin energy suppressing their Qi.

  When the founders of the Pavilion, three wandering Core Formation sisters famed for their grace and beauty, discovered the lake thousands of years ago, they recognized its potential instantly. The Yin energy was perfect for the cultivation methods they practiced, one that excluded men from learning.

  They built their first residence on the eastern side of the lake, and over time, they gathered Disciples. The Sect grew around them, and the Snowloud Pavilion was born.

  The Pavilion maintained a cordial and mutually respectful relationship with the City Lord’s Mansion, one built on trade, information and protective cooperation. But it always stood proudly independent.

  Its main source of strength came from its Sect Master, a woman known for her peerless elegance, beauty, and talent. She had reached the Peak of Core Formation, and her knowledge of the Snowcloud Pavilion's techniques was deep enough that even the neighbouring Sects tread carefully around her.

  But the Snowcloud Pavilion rarely came into conflict with anyone. They were first and foremost diplomats and allies of the Orthodox Sects.

  Their Disciples were welcomed wherever they went, and unlike many other Sects, the women of Snowcloud Pavilion were encouraged to mingle with their peers and form relationships to benefit their Sect.

  The ground of the Snowcloud Pavilion lived up to its poetic name. Pale, refined structures and buildings were built from white stone that gleamed softly beneath the sunlight and glowed brightly under the moon.

  Veils of mist from the lake regularly drifted across the pathways, giving the entire Sect a dreamlike tranquillity, as though it hovered between the mortal world and the untouched realm of snow and cloud.

  The air was fragrant with the smell of orchids and plum blossoms, and the spiritual energy in the air was gentle and pure for those who could make use of its strong Yin essence. Clear streams of water from the lake ran between buildings, tinged with trace amounts of cold spiritual Qi that chilled the surroundings even in the summer.

  Only women walked the grounds of the Snowcloud Pavilion; Disciples dressed in white robes that were as pristine and perfect as the morning frost. Their manner was sophisticated and graceful, as they were trained in etiquette as much as cultivation.

  The Pavilion’s cultivation methods emphasized the clarity of the heart to prevent the formation of Inner Demons, the beauty of form to enhance the opinion of others during diplomacy, and providing a steady foundation in which to build future breakthroughs.

  The cultivators of the Snowcloud pavilion were peaceful, beautiful and well-regarded across the continent.

  Shen Lianxue swept through the outer gates of the Snowcloud Pavilion with far more force than grace, her normally light and calm steps stiff with indignation. The soft mist that curled along the pathways clung to her white robes as she strode forward, while her expression was as dark as the lake that gave the Sect its name.

  Several Junior Disciples, recognizing her immediately, offered Lianxue warm greetings.

  “Senior Sister Lianxue, you’ve returned?”

  “Senior Sister, how was your visit to Yunlai City? I hope your family is well.”

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  But Lianxue brushed past each of them without so much as a glance. Her lips were pressed together into a tight line, while her cheeks were flushed with unrestrained rage and embarrassment. Her fellow disciples who called out to her were left blinking in confusion as she swept through the Sect like a furious wind.

  Lianxue’s blue-black hair bounced with each step and swept behind her back at her brisk pace. The elegant serenity of the Pavilion only seemed to irritate her further as she ascended a small stone staircase that led to the Sect Master’s residence.

  It was a refined building perched beside the edge of Snowcloud Lake, with mist so thick that it obscured the surroundings like veils of silk.

  Whatever remained of Lianxue’s composure fled from her face at the final step. Her eyes shimmered with tears, while her lower lip trembled with righteous outrage as she clenched her fists. Without waiting for permission, she opened the door to her Master’s home and marched inside.

  “Master! Master, Disciple has been bullied!” Lianxue cried out, her voice pitched into a high, quivering whine. Her words echoed throughout the resistance, breaking the tranquil aura within.

  For a heartbeat, she stood there, pouting and indignant, forcing tears into her eyes, as she waited for her master to find her and make everything right.

  The air in the room stirred, and Lianxue’s master appeared from a soft swirl of cold mist.

  Shui Hanruo was a name that was whispered in admiration throughout the region, and although she appeared to be no older than Lianxue, her true age already surpassed a century. She was a woman whose presence was as striking as the moon over Snowcloud Lake.

  Her skin was as pale as fresh snowfall, contrasting sharply with her long, black hair that was intricately braided like a dark ribbon down her back and pierced with a white hairpin that shone brightly with spiritual energy.

  Shui Hanruo wore pristine white robes, embroidered with silver patterns that caught the light like twinkling stars in the night sky. Her movements were fluid, and each of her steps was accompanied by a drifting ripple of cool air.

  Yin energy pooled and curled around her, shimmering faintly as evidence that Lianxue had interrupted her during her cultivation. The temperature of the room dipped at her presence, and the air turned crisp and chill.

  The moment she saw her Disciple, her eyes widened in shock, and the unmistakable pressure of someone at the peak of Core Formation, a single step from Nascent Soul Stage, erupted from her.

  “Xue’er, who has dared to upset you so greatly?” Shui Hanruo asked softly, but there was a weight to her voice that was almost physical.

  Shen Lianxue threw herself dramatically into her master’s arms and buried her face in her white robes while crying loudly. Shui Hanruo immediately wrapped her youngest Disciple in her embrace and comforted her.

  “Master! Disciple has suffered the greatest injustice!”

  Shui Hanruo didn’t speak, but she stroked Lianxue’s back softly, and she took that as permission to continue. She took a deep breath and began her performance.

  “It was my terrible cousin, Shen Ruolan! And that shameless Shen Weifeng, whom we were all called to greet. Master, they were in the Clan Compound boasting about some grand competition they are hosting in the Tranquil Mountain Sect, one that will host their most talented Disciples.” Lianxue sniffed, exaggerating her misery.

  “But they said clearly, with the entire Shen Clan listening, that the Snowcloud Pavilion wasn’t invited to attend. They would not even allow any of our Disciples to watch!”

  Lianxue pressed a hand to her chest as though she were mortally wounded by the insult.

  “Master, they said it directly in front of me, with hundreds of Shen Clan members as witnesses! It was as if our Pavilion, your Pavilion, was not worth acknowledging!”

  Lianxue’s voice rose, trembling on the verge of breaking, as she continued her tale.

  “And I only reminded Ruolan that you have always valued harmony and cooperation between Sects, and that you are greatly respected and admired by countless cultivators!”

  “But, when I told her that, she rolled her eyes at me, Master! Rolled her eyes as if I were speaking nonsense! And then she said that the competition wasn’t for the likes of the Snowcloud Pavilion!”

  “Master, to speak of us like that in public, they truly showed us no face! Not even a single shred! I only went to greet her kindly, as family should, but they were heartless and cruel! I could endure it if it were just directed at me, but I can never accept their scorn of the Pavilion!”

  Linaxue bowed her head dramatically.

  “Master, please uphold justice for your pitiful, bullied Disciple!”

  Sect Master Shui Hanruo listened in silence, her expression calm and collected as her Disciple begged for justice.

  “So, they would deny my Snowcloud Pavilion even the courtesy of observation.” Her tone remained soft, but there was a hard edge beneath it. Even if her Disciple was embellishing her recount of events, the fact remained that Lianxue had been denied attendance at the Tranquil Mountain Sect.

  The Snowcloud Pavilion prided itself on being welcome at every Orthodox Sect. By denying her Disciple, it was a slight against the entire Sect.

  Shui Hanruo continued to stroke Lianxue’s back gently, as she considered the situation.

  “Do not fret, Xue’er. Your master will make things right. I have a long-standing relationship with Sect Master Lu Qingchen. He is not the type to approve of our exclusion. Someone may be acting without his knowledge…” Shui Hanruo thought of someone in the Tranquil Mountain Sect who had a grudge against her.

  “Mu Yanyu…that woman has always enjoyed meddling in my affairs.” Shui Hanruo whispered softly, so low that even Lianxue had trouble hearing her words.

  “The Snowcloud Pavilion will not be brushed aside. We will not only observe this grand event, but should circumstances permit, we may even participate. I will speak with Lu Qingchen at once.”

  With her face obscured by her Master’s white robes, Shen Lianxue’s pout blossomed into a triumphant grin.

  “Thank you, Master.”