Chapter 53: CH-53: Bumping and jumping

Her proposal was measured and reasonable.

She did not promise extravagant rewards or threaten consequences if the elders refused to support her. Instead, she emphasized the importance of cooperation and mutual respect.

The elders listened carefully.

Some of them appeared thoughtful, while others remained difficult to read.

After all, even if they agreed with her principles, that did not automatically mean they should support her succession. A ruler’s intentions were important, but so were their capabilities, influence, and chances of actually securing the throne.

Supporting a worthy candidate who ultimately lost could still bring considerable trouble to the sect.

And the Cloud Piercing Sect had no particular desire to become an unfortunate casualty of the imperial family’s internal disputes.

...

After Qian Yinyin finished explaining her proposal, Elder Hui folded his hands and considered the matter.

"Your Highness, your intentions are commendable. However, the Cloud Piercing Sect has no desire to interfere in the imperial succession. We have maintained a peaceful relationship with the Qian Kingdom for generations, and we believe that remaining neutral is the most appropriate course of action under the current circumstances."

Qian Yinyin’s expression remained composed, though a faint trace of disappointment appeared in her eyes.

She had anticipated that the sect might refuse, but hearing the answer directly still left her feeling somewhat discouraged.

"I understand, Elder Hui. I appreciate your willingness to hear me out."

"The sect will continue to respect the imperial court and uphold its existing obligations to the kingdom. However, we cannot promise support for any particular heir."

It was a polite refusal, carefully worded to avoid offending the princess while making the sect’s position unmistakably clear.

Qian Yinyin nodded.

She had failed to secure the sect’s support, but at least the elders had treated her fairly.

Compared with the nobles who had refused to meet her, this was almost a pleasant experience.

After a little more discussion, the meeting gradually came to an end. Elder Hui arranged for the princess to be escorted to a guest residence, allowing her to rest before departing.

The Cloud Piercing Sect would not prevent her from staying for a short while, but neither would it offer her the support she had come seeking.

Once the princess had left the reception hall, one of the elders finally spoke.

"She is certainly persistent. Given her current position, I imagine securing support from the noble families has been difficult."

"Most likely," Elder Hui replied. "However, persistence alone is not enough to determine the next emperor. The imperial family is already divided, and the kingdom cannot afford to be dragged into an unnecessary conflict."

Another elder nodded in agreement.

"Besides, if we support the second princess and one of her siblings succeeds instead, we may create difficulties for the sect for years to come. Remaining neutral is the safest course."

The discussion continued for a while, with the elders exchanging their thoughts on the current situation.

None of them knew what the final outcome of the succession struggle would be, but they agreed that there was no reason to rush into a decision.

For now, the Cloud Piercing Sect would continue observing the situation from a distance.

It was a sensible choice.

Unfortunately, sensible choices did not always produce the most interesting outcomes.

And somewhere within the sect, Gu Changsheng was still enjoying his peaceful life, completely unaware that an imperial princess had just arrived seeking political support.

If he had known, he might have been interested.

Not because he cared particularly about the imperial succession, of course, but because an imperial princess was precisely the sort of person who might become involved in unusual circumstances.

And unusual circumstances sometimes led to fortuitous encounters.

Unfortunately for Gu Changsheng, he was still only in the seventh stage of Qi Refinement.

For now, the imperial princess’s visit had nothing to do with him.

Which, considering his recent history, was probably for the best.

The second imperial princess, Qian Yinyin, stood in the courtyard of her temporary residence and gazed at the scenery surrounding her.

Cloud Piercing Sect was considerably different from what she had imagined. She had expected the elders to be arrogant and dismissive, perhaps even using her visit as an opportunity to demand political concessions. Instead, they had received her politely, listened to her proposal, and rejected it with the same politeness.

It was almost as though she had gone to a restaurant, ordered an expensive meal, and been told that the restaurant wasn’t serving food today.

The only difference was that nobody had charged her for the trip.

Qian Yinyin sighed and looked towards the distant mountain peaks. Since the elders had already made their position clear, staying here any longer would accomplish nothing. She still had several noble families to visit, and time was not exactly her ally.

However, she had not explored the sect yet.

Considering that she might never get another opportunity to visit Cloud Piercing Sect, taking a short walk before departing did not seem unreasonable. After all, she had already traveled a considerable distance to get here. Leaving without even looking around would make the entire journey feel even more disappointing.

With that thought, she left her residence and began wandering through the sect.

The scenery was beautiful, the spiritual energy was abundant, and the disciples she encountered appeared considerably more relaxed than the cultivators she had seen in the imperial capital. Some were practicing their techniques, others were discussing cultivation, and a few were carrying baskets of what appeared to be spiritual herbs.

One particularly enthusiastic disciple was running down a path while holding a chicken.

Qian Yinyin stopped and watched him disappear around a corner.

She wondered whether the chicken was a spiritual beast, an ingredient for someone’s meal, or perhaps the disciple’s sworn enemy.

Unfortunately, she had neither the time nor the inclination to investigate.

Continuing her walk, she eventually arrived near a quieter section of the sect, where the sound of laughter reached her ears.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she followed the sound until she spotted two figures in an open grassy area.

One was a young woman wearing simple cultivation robes. She had bright eyes and a cheerful expression, and she was currently crouching on the grass with a small white swan standing in front of her.

Dong Mulan held a small piece of pastry between her fingers.

"Dodo, if you can catch this, I’ll give you another one!"

The little white swan tilted its head.

Then, with the solemnity of an ancient cultivator preparing to comprehend a heavenly law, it stared at the pastry.

Qian Yinyin watched from behind a nearby tree.

The swan suddenly flapped its wings and lunged forward, snatching the pastry from Mulan’s fingers before retreating several steps.

"Ah! You cheated!" Mulan exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the bird. "I said you had to catch it after I threw it!"

The swan swallowed the pastry.

Its expression suggested that the distinction between catching and stealing was a philosophical matter that ordinary humans were simply too ignorant to understand.

Mulan narrowed her eyes.

"Fine! Let’s play something else. This time, you have to find the snack I’ve hidden!"

She produced another pastry, waved it in front of the swan, and then tucked it inside her sleeve.

Dodo Duckling immediately stared at her sleeve.

Mulan froze.

"You’re not supposed to look there!"

The swan continued staring.

"Look somewhere else!"

It looked at her other sleeve.

"That’s still my sleeve!"

Qian Yinyin pressed a hand against her mouth to suppress a laugh.

She had spent the past several days listening to nobles argue about alliances, resources, and the future of the kingdom. Every conversation had felt like walking through a field of hidden traps, with each smiling face concealing at least three different intentions.

Watching a young woman argue with a swan over a pastry was unexpectedly refreshing.

For a brief moment, she even forgot the burden resting on her shoulders.

Mulan eventually gave up hiding the snack and handed it to Dodo Duckling, who accepted it with an air of dignified generosity, as though she were graciously permitting a mortal to offer tribute.

"You’re really greedy, you know that?" Mulan muttered.

The swan blinked innocently.

"Don’t give me that look. Gu says you’re going to become a fat little ball if you keep eating like this."

Dodo Duckling paused.

A faint glimmer passed through her eyes.

That human brat had been spreading slander about her behind her back again.

She would remember this.

Of course, the fact that she had already eaten several pastries that morning was entirely irrelevant to the matter.

Mulan leaned forward and whispered something to the swan, who responded with a soft call. The two of them soon returned to their game, seemingly oblivious to everything around them.

Qian Yinyin watched for a little longer before quietly stepping away.

She had no reason to disturb them. Besides, she had already seen enough to realize that not everyone in Cloud Piercing Sect was obsessed with cultivation or political affairs.

Perhaps that was why the sect felt so peaceful.