Without a sound, Zhenwu Sect had already begun to take action.
To the outside world, Zhenwu Sect appeared to be thriving, but what they didn't know was that the sect had already begun quietly selecting and hiding away sparks of hope. All of this was done in secret—aside from a few individuals, no one else knew a thing.
Of course, this was only one layer of precaution.
Their greater efforts were focused on delaying the movements of the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance. Sending the secret letter to the Northern Suppression King had been one such step.
In addition, Daoist Longshan was actively seeking information regarding the headquarters of the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance.
Over the past few days, Jiang Baishan had taken Lin Ruhua to meet many of his senior and junior brothers. He knew his master had made up his mind, and he couldn't change it. Though it pained him inside, all he could do was treasure these last days together.
Just as Daoist Longshan had said—it was truly a difficult choice.
After careful thought, Lin Ruhua came to the same conclusion. She had previously only considered that the Demonic Sect's strength far exceeded Zhenwu Sect's and that her mother might not personally handle things. But what if her mother really ended up facing off against Zhenwu Sect, against Daoist Longshan—how would she handle herself then?
The two of them thought deeply and eventually had to admit that Daoist Longshan's arrangement was the best course.
Even so, Lin Ruhua still felt guilty in her heart.
She felt that going into hiding with Jiang Baishan was letting down Zhenwu Sect, but she couldn't think of a better option. So, before completely cutting ties with the Demonic Sect and disappearing, she decided to gather as much intelligence as she could about how the sect was trying to produce a Martial Saint.
This was the most valuable thing she could do—and a way to ease the guilt she and Jiang Baishan both carried.
…
In the blink of an eye, the day of the Zhenwu Peach Blossom Festival had arrived.
Today, Seeking Dao Courtyard was especially lively.
Because this year's festival had two new faces.
One was the Eleventh Disciple, Li Ling. The other was Lin Ruhua.
Over the past year, Li Ling had heard so much about the Zhenwu Peach Blossom Festival from Zhuang Chen that his ears had nearly grown callouses. Now he finally had the chance to take part, and his face was flushed with excitement.
What he cherished was the warm camaraderie among senior and junior disciples—something he could never experience back at the Northern Suppression King's palace.
Ever since he joined Zhenwu Sect, his sense of belonging had grown day by day. By now, he fully saw it as his second home.
"This cup's for our Little Eleven!" everyone laughed and raised their glasses.
Li Ling quickly stood up. He had brought many rare delicacies from the Northern Suppression King's household, adding even more splendor to the festival.
"Thanks to Ninth Senior Brother for the peach fruit, and Third Senior Sister for the peach blossom brew—this is the best fruit and wine I've ever had in my life!"
Hearing this, Ye Qinghe grinned so wide it looked like her smile might split her face.
"Little Eleven has good taste. If you ever want to drink again, just tell your senior sister—I'll make a private batch for you!"
Her brewing skills had advanced drastically. Now specialized in peach blossom brew, she was already on par with White Ape.
Everyone had seen her growth and progress. Her example showed that with enough passion, even someone lacking talent could still accomplish great things.
"This cup is for our 'traitor' Xiao Wu—and for Ruhua!"
The moment Luo Wentian said it, the crowd laughed even more heartily.
Among all the inner disciples, Jiang Baishan was the first to find a Dao companion. The rest hadn't even glimpsed a potential partner.
Everyone's eyes were filled with laughter and blessings. Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua were now inseparable, like two parts of one whole.
Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua stood up. They looked at each other and saw the same resolve in one another's eyes.
"Thank you, senior brothers and sisters!"
"Today, we ask you to bear witness—we, Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua, are now husband and wife!"
Jiang Baishan's voice was strong and unwavering.
In their final days here, they wanted the blessings of those closest to them.
They had already met with Daoist Longshan the night before and received his approval. Now it was time to share the good news with the rest of the sect.
Even if they couldn't hold a wedding for now, it didn't matter—what mattered was the bond they had declared.
In a way, it was also their vow to live and die together.
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Then came waves of joyful surprise.
None of them cared about ceremonial fuss—if the two had truly chosen each other, then from this day forward, they were married.
"Wow, Xiao Wu—never thought you had it in you!"
"Pulled this off so quietly! It's so sudden we didn't even have time to prepare gifts!"
"Fifth Senior Brother, we want wedding candy!"
Everyone laughed and joked.
Jiang Baishan was deeply moved.
"We already got the wedding candy ready!"
He and Lin Ruhua handed out sweets they had bought from Zhenwu City.
Everyone munched happily, but also with a hint of sadness.
As they chewed, silence slowly crept in.
They all knew Lin Ruhua's identity—and that Jiang Baishan would be leaving the mountain today.
They might not see him again for years.
No one had mentioned it until now, but after Jiang Baishan's announcement, the sadness returned to their hearts.
Ning Qi smiled.
He'd been thinking a lot these past days.
He had become more determined than ever—he would never let the Demonic Sect or the Southern Alliance threaten the ones he loved.
He would stop all of it.
And so, he didn't believe he would never see Jiang Baishan again.
To him, Baishan was just going out on a few years of training—and he would return.
Ning Qi broke the silence with a smile.
"Since none of you prepared a wedding gift for Fifth Senior Brother, I did."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"Well, well—look at you, Xiao Jiu. Quietly getting it done all by yourself!"
They were curious what Ning Qi had prepared.
Everyone had begun to sense just how extraordinary Ning Qi was.
Though they didn't know—as Luo Wentian did—that he was Heavenly Sword Master, they still knew he wasn't ordinary.
The peach fruit this year proved it.
After years of cultivation, those fruits had absorbed some of the Light Fruit and Enlightenment Tea Tree essence, becoming extraordinary spiritual produce.
Compared to last year, the effects were much improved—they could fortify one's foundation and strengthen the body.
Just imagining the reactions of disciples when these fruits were handed out at the end-of-year competition brought a smile to their faces.
They had simply grown used to eating them, so they no longer made a fuss.
But for Li Ling and Lin Ruhua, the fruit was still a marvel.
At this moment, Jiang Baishan was even more touched.
He had watched Ning Qi grow step by step. He didn't care what the gift was—only the thought behind it.
Lin Ruhua, meanwhile, was intrigued.
Though only a few days had passed, her keen intuition—and the way others treated Ning Qi—told her this Ninth Junior Brother was far from simple.
Ning Qi didn't keep them guessing.
He stood and went inside, then returned with a small jade box.
All eyes turned toward him.
He opened it, revealing a pair of green jade mandarin duck pendants—so lifelike they looked like real birds.
He picked them up and solemnly placed one in Jiang Baishan's hand and the other in Lin Ruhua's.
"I crafted these pendants myself," he said. "May Fifth Senior Brother and Sister-in-law be forever joined in heart and soul—through mountains and rivers, returning unchanged."
His words carried deeper meaning.
Only Luo Wentian caught the undertone—his heart trembled slightly and sighed.
Jiang Baishan said gratefully:
"Thank you, Xiao Jiu. We both love it."
Ning Qi smiled lightly:
"Then you'd better wear them close to your body."
Without hesitation, Jiang Baishan took Lin Ruhua's pendant and fastened it at her right waist.
Lin Ruhua did the same for him on his left.
Everyone looked on.
A faint green glow from the jade wrapped around the couple, making them look like a divine pair—envied by all, even more than immortals.
But not only that—
The moment they wore the pendants, they both felt a jolt of energy and clarity through their bodies.
They exchanged surprised glances.
The pendants weren't just beautiful—they were powerful artifacts.
Ning Qi let out a small breath of relief.
These were no ordinary trinkets.
Ever since he learned the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance had allied, he had felt a sense of danger.
He wasn't worried about himself—he was worried they would go after his brothers.
After all, they couldn't hide inside Zhenwu Mountain forever.
So he had been working on ways to give them some self-defense.
The Qi-Origin Sword Seed was one such method.
It allowed him to store a portion of his Qi Force and sword intent to unleash in times of danger.
Though lacking the power of heavenly resonance, it could still block some Heaven-Man Realm attacks.
It was a great concept—but incredibly difficult.
Qi Force, once separated from the body, was hard to preserve.
The breakthrough came after he killed Wenxin Sword.
Wenjian Pavilion sent over many compensations—among them a rare mineral called "Concentration Stone," which could store the Sword Seed.
That allowed Ning Qi to finally perfect the technique.
With it, the sword intent could explode when needed.
Not only that—he could also vaguely sense the pendant holder's location.
The jade also helped focus the mind.
Knowing Jiang Baishan would be leaving soon, he crafted the pair first—he'd make more for the others later.
With this gift, the lingering sorrow was swept away.
The future was uncertain—but they would enjoy the present.
Everyone laughed and joked.
Lin Ruhua blended in effortlessly.
Ye Qinghe pulled her aside and whispered gossip, eventually spilling all of Jiang Baishan's embarrassing stories—like how she almost chopped his arm off.
Their bond had been forged in battle—fighting, surviving, falling in love.
It was clear Lin Ruhua was no demure girl.
She'd threatened to gouge Baishan's eyes and cut his tongue on several occasions.
Everyone listened in delight, amazed.
Li Ling shrank back and muttered:
"If I find a Dao companion someday, she has to be gentle and sweet."
Ye Qinghe smacked him on the head, laughing:
"Cheeky brat! You're barely grown and already thinking about Dao companions? Clearly, your training is too easy—I'll ask Master to toughen you up! And are you calling your Fifth Sister-in-law fierce?"
Facing Lin Ruhua's amused gaze, Li Ling immediately chickened out and hid behind Ning Qi.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Jiang Baishan gave him a helpless look.
After the laughter subsided, Ning Qi looked up. The moon was full, and the Peach Blossom Festival was nearing its end.
"Tiansheng, go bring out the tea."
White Ape nodded and turned to head inside.
The Enlightenment Tea had been steeping for days—its spirit fully infused into the water.
At Ning Qi's words, everyone's eyes lit up in anticipation.
They had heard that the tree had produced a few leaves, but hadn't seen the tea today. They thought they wouldn't get to taste it—yet Ning Qi had saved it for last.
Of course, they all knew—Enlightenment Tea Tree had been cultivated solely by Ning Qi.
Even if he didn't share, no one would blame him.
Soon, White Ape returned with a jade cup in hand, walking slowly and carefully, afraid to spill it.
The cup was made of fine white jade, which could suppress the tea's aroma.
Now Ning Qi lifted the lid—
And an unbelievably rich fragrance wafted out, curling around everyone's nose.
Just smelling it made them feel lightheaded, as if on the verge of enlightenment.
Of course, that was an illusion—the sudden scent was putting them into a semi-meditative state.
"Good tea!" Luo Wentian exclaimed.
Lin Ruhua's eyes were wide.
As the daughter of a deputy sect leader, she had seen many rare treasures—but this was her first time encountering Enlightenment Tea.
She had heard legends about the tree—never imagined she'd see one atop Zhenwu Mountain.
Jiang Baishan whispered that it had been revived from a dead seed by Ning Qi—
She was astonished.
This Ninth Junior Brother was truly mysterious.
Her curiosity deepened.
Ning Qi smiled and said:
"Let this tea be my blessing to all senior and junior brothers and sisters—may your martial path be smooth, your journey clear."
He raised his cup.
He was curious, too—perhaps the tea would help him somehow.
But even if it didn't, he wouldn't mind.
The process of cultivating the Enlightenment Tea Tree had already brought him great insight.
Especially watching the sprout break through the soil—it deepened his understanding of the path of life.
Someday, that insight would erupt.
The others were even more excited.
After offering their blessings—
They all raised their cups and drank in unison.