Wangshu spent two years developing peacefully. On the day she turned five, the simulator marked it as a milestone on her path to genius.
That day, her family formally submitted her name to the Dao Palace, naming her the recommended candidate of the Chu family of Yingzhou, the prestigious seal-bearing clan.
Also known as a seeded candidate.
The Chu family had two recommended candidates: her, and Chu Qinghe.
This meant that the Chu family had confirmed the two of them as the most promising juniors of their generation, and believed their aptitude could withstand the trials of the Dao Palace and the outside world.
When a seal-bearing clan formally established its recommended candidates, it sent a signal to the world—“our family has successors.” Within the clan, this was good for morale. Outside it, it meant the family would not likely decline soon, making them worthy of connection and alliance.
“If you pass the Dao Palace's review, they'll send you Essence Nourishing Fluid every month—one bottle per person,” Chu Daixi said.
She and the Grand Elder found Wangshu and Chu Qinghe in the plum garden behind the junior academy.
This place had become their secret base. They'd built several swings, set up iron training dummies for sparring, and the Third Elder, who oversaw spirit plant cultivation, had planted a few spirit-gathering arrays at the garden's center.
Now the red plum blossoms bloomed here all year round.
Wangshu sat on a swing, toes brushing the ground to keep herself gently swaying. Her expression was calm as she said, “That sounds like there's a catch. Nothing ever comes with benefits and no drawbacks.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Chu Qinghe agreed. She was far wilder—standing on her swing, propelling herself with spiritual energy, swinging back and forth high into the air.
The clan had grown used to Wangshu's way of speaking. The Grand Elder said, “The drawback is that once you become a recommended candidate, people will come specifically to challenge you. Winning is naturally expected. But if you lose, the family's reputation takes a serious hit, and those who defeated you will climb to fame on your name.”
“Understood,” Wangshu said, stopping her swing. She looked up. “So the family sets up a shop sign. It looks good to have one, but there's always the risk of having that sign smashed.”
Hearing this, the Grand Elder and Chu Daixi both laughed. Chu Daixi even bent down to pinch Wangshu's slightly rounded cheek affectionately. “Always so clever with words, aren't you?”
When Wangshu was three, she'd been an adorable little dumpling. Now that she was a bit older and had cultivation lessons, she'd slimmed down slightly, but her cheeks still had some softness. She looked like a finely crafted little doll.
“So, will our Wangshu be the Chu family's recommended candidate?” Chu Daixi pressed.
Wangshu climbed off the swing, planted both feet firmly on the ground, and fixed her dark, bright eyes on Chu Daixi. Her voice was clear and resolute: “Yes.”
She was a staunch believer in shining as a genius.
If she gave up being lifted up by her family—gave up the chance to step into the spotlight—just because she feared failure, she felt it would lower her genius rating.
Beside her, the Grand Elder asked Chu Qinghe as well: “Qinghe, what about you?”
Chu Qinghe braked her swing with spiritual energy, gripping the ropes on both sides. Her eyes rolled playfully. “Can I say no?”
The Grand Elder smiled. “No.”
Tch. Chu Qinghe jumped off the swing with a thud, hands on her hips. “Well, that settles it, doesn't it?”
She'd been saying no her whole life, but no one ever listened. Chu Qinghe was long used to it. Fortunately, she was smart—she'd found herself something to look forward to.
She shot a smug little glance at Wangshu, who curved the corners of her mouth.
Two days later, the Dao Palace officially sent someone to test Wangshu and Qinghe, the two recommended candidates.
A recommended candidate wasn't just anyone the family picked on a whim. After all, the Dao Palace allocated real resources every month, so of course they'd send people to verify.
Wangshu asked, “What are the Dao Palace's criteria? We're not going to get rejected, are we?”
“The Dao Palace has its own way of judging people. They've never published their standards,” Chu Daixi said. Because they were receiving Dao Palace officials today, she was dressed rather formally—wide-sleeved robes, and an ornate golden crown.
Wangshu had noticed this, of course. She knew why. The Dao Palace, in a sense, was the supreme governing body for all seal-bearing clans.
The Dao Palace was something like the “official government” of this cultivation world—not merely a school or a sect.
It held more authority than any school and wielded more governance than any sect.
No school or sect could make every genius across the continent report to them at a certain age—but the Dao Palace could.
The one sent to test Wangshu and the others was a Court Lord.
Before this, Chu Daixi had already explained to Wangshu that the Dao Palace had twelve Court Lords, with authority and status equal to that of seal-bearing clan heads. Of course, due to the Dao Palace's overall authority, in public recognition, they were even considered a rank above clan heads.
The Grand Elder furrowed his brow, seeming to think this was not a good sign: “Court Lords tend to have stricter standards.”
But the fact that a Court Lord came personally was, in itself, a sign of respect to the Chu family—there was no ground to refuse.
The Court Lord didn't put on airs. He arrived at the Chu estate right on time. Chu Daixi and several elders went out to receive him, but Wangshu and the others didn't have to go.
“The Court Lord will come to you on his own. That's the Dao Palace's rule—they want to see you in your most natural state.”
So Wangshu and the others waited in the plum garden.
There were three of them: Wangshu, Chu Qinghe, and a young girl named Xu Miaoying.
She wasn't a member of the Chu family. She was a rare genius awakened with a spirit seed, discovered by the Chu family among ordinary households within their Yingzhou jurisdiction.
The Chu family held ruling authority over Yingzhou, and thus was responsible for preliminary talent selection in the region—that was the job of the Chu family's junior academies.
They held a general screening once a year and a major screening every five years. Children had to be registered by age five, and each level of the Chu junior academies would send people to test aptitude.
Xu Miaoying had been selected through this layered process.
Wangshu and Qinghe had seen her before. Once a person was selected, the Chu family was responsible for their education and management. That was the duty of a seal-bearing clan.
Since awakening her spirit seed, Xu Miaoying had been attending classes at the Chu junior academy. Occasionally, she'd even joined the “special training classes” that Wangshu and Qinghe attended, making her more like a classmate than a stranger.
Xu Miaoying being here today carried particular significance.
If Wangshu and Qinghe were the Chu family's recommendation, then Xu Miaoying was something like a representative of folk geniuses from Yingzhou.
The Dao Palace teemed with geniuses. If Xu Miaoying went through the common path of a folk academy into the Dao Palace, she would be drowned among the crowds of talent there.
But if she went through the Chu family's channel—with the Chu family putting her forward—she would get a chance at a personal audience with a Court Lord.
This was the Chu family's investment in Xu Miaoying.
Such investment opportunities weren't available to just anyone. Wangshu knew that Yingzhou, as vast as it was, didn't have only one awakened spirit seed genius—the Chu junior academy even had a boy with a green-grade spirit seed.
Yet in the end, only Xu Miaoying had been brought to the plum garden.
Wangshu looked at the delicate plate of peach blossom cakes before her. Ever since they'd met at the junior academy, Xu Miaoying had made a habit of bringing her small gifts—nothing precious, just a few pastries or a little handmade grass-woven trinket.
She seemed to have the "closest" relationship with Wangshu and Chu Qinghe.
Wangshu stuffed a peach blossom pastry into her mouth, cheeks puffed out as she chewed. She thought to herself, this was probably Miaoying's cleverness.
When she studied someone, her eyes would unconsciously fix on them, like a kitten staring intently out the window.
Xu Miaoying had her hands clasped together, originally nervous, but when she felt Wangshu's gaze—those round, bright eyes—she couldn't help but laugh a little, saying, "What's wrong?"
Wangshu took out three bamboo cups, each filled with spirit milk. She pushed one cup toward Xu Miaoying, took one for herself, and Chu Qinghe, without needing a word, reached over and grabbed his.
Wangshu said, "Don't be nervous. When the Order Lord asks you something, just answer truthfully. Someone of that stature can see right through anything at a glance. If you can't answer, just smile—like this—"
Wangshu softly curved up both corners of her mouth.
Chu Qinghe gulped down the spirit milk in big swigs, slammed the bamboo cup down, and wiped his mouth, saying, "Not everyone has your talent for glossing things over. If Miaoying actually smiles at the Order Lord while she's that nervous, her mouth might twist wrong, and the Order Lord will think the kid is making faces at her for no reason."
"Better if you go up and smile... ah, right, just like how you're glaring at me right now—glare at the Order Lord like that. She'll definitely be drawn to the mark on your forehead, and maybe she won't pay attention to the two of us."
Hmph. Wangshu retracted her glare at Chu Qinghe, took a steady sip of spirit milk, and said, "That's not out of the question either."
At the main gate of the Chu family, Chu Daixi saw that the visitor was an old acquaintance. She raised an eyebrow slightly, but still followed protocol, saying, "I welcome the Order Lord."
She hadn't expected the Order Lord sent by the Dao Palace to be her. Of the twelve Order Lords of the Dao Palace, some were deeply involved in its affairs, while others stayed detached from worldly matters. This one was among the deeply involved—the head of the Heavenly Court, one of the four courts of the Dao Palace: Yao Xiru, a woman wielding considerable power.
Of course, she also held a insignificant title: Chu Daixi's peer from the same year.
Yao Xiru and Chu Daixi had entered the Dao Palace in the same cohort, once rivals competing for rankings, stirring up storms in the Dao Palace. Later, Chu Daixi left the palace to return to her clan and succeed as clan leader, while Yao Xiru stayed in the palace to teach, eventually rising to the position of court head.
Yao Xiru's first words to Chu Daixi were: "I heard you gave birth to a daughter. I've come specially to see her."
"Also, the Chu family's recommendation—she should be on it, right?"
One sentence made Chu Daixi raise an eyebrow. She crossed her arms, her once free-spirited, spirited bearing showing no sign of fading.
She smiled and replied with two words: "Take a guess?"
In the plum garden, Wangshu finally met the Order Lord.
This was a woman in a plain gray Daoist robe, with a pair of jade rings hanging from her waist, the right ring adorned with a red tassel—a dash of flair. Gray was a color that tended to age a person, but worn by this woman, it came off as elegant.
As she entered the garden, her gaze swept over the three girls and finally settled on Wangshu.
She locked eyes with Wangshu. Wangshu blinked.
The woman smiled, stopped in front of Wangshu, and bent down: "I'd guess she's your daughter?"
Chu Daixi, standing behind, said proudly, "How could you tell?"
"Intuition," Yao Xiru replied.
Though she was speaking to Chu Daixi, her gaze remained on Wangshu. As she looked, her pupils began to shimmer gold.
Whoa!
Wangshu took a step back.
"Hey, don't scare my daughter," Chu Daixi said, steadying Wangshu, with a note of displeasure.
Yao Xiru laughed and straightened up. Her gaze at Wangshu was warm yet profound. She tapped lightly on her palm, pondered for a moment, then said, "Your innate divine ability is connected to the essence of creation."
Chu Daixi raised an eyebrow: "Xiru, it's been years, and you've started peddling those same vague tricks. Don't tell me you didn't notice the mark on her forehead. If a mark appears, it naturally involves the essence of creation."
Yao Xiru's smile remained unchanged: "When her ability awakens, you'll know what I mean."
She turned her head and found Wangshu still looking at her. Those clear eyes—lucid, frank, and open.
Yao Xiru's smile softened, she crouched down again, and couldn't help asking, "What's your name?"
"Wangshu," Wangshu replied.
Wangshu... Yao Xiru's hand lightly brushed Wangshu's cheek, then quickly withdrew. Standing up, she said to Chu Daixi, "You've given birth to a fine daughter."
Chu Daixi responded with a look that said, "What did you expect?"
After looking at Wangshu, Yao Xiru's gaze naturally turned to the other two girls. Without any introduction, her eyes settled on Chu Qinghe, and she said softly, "I'd guess you're also a Chu?"
This was an Order Lord of the Dao Palace, so Qinghe was inevitably nervous, but she calmly lifted her chin, gave a slight nod, and said, "In response to the Order Lord, I am Chu Qinghe."
Yao Xiru smiled, her eyes flashing gold again. This time, her judgment came quickly, with almost no pause.
Yao Xiru said, "Your talent requires walking alongside the strong. The stronger they are, the stronger you become."
She looked last at Xu Miaoying.
Xu Miaoying had pink peach blossoms pinned to both sides of her hair, looking fresh and adorable. When the Order Lord's gaze fell on her, her hands couldn't help but clutch the hem of her skirt.
To be chosen by the Chu family and recommended before the Order Lord, Xu Miaoying had put in a great deal of effort.
She was very nervous, wanting badly to impress, yet unsure how to go about it.
At that moment, Xu Miaoying remembered Wangshu's words. Perhaps in front of someone so great, any attempt I make would seem immature or clumsy.
Xu Miaoying ultimately let go of her nerves, mimicked Wangshu's smile, curved the corners of her mouth, and said obediently, "Greetings, Order Lord, my name is Xu Miaoying."
Her obedient smile was different from Wangshu's. When Wangshu smiled at people, her eyes would lock straight onto them, and anyone who saw it would know this child had a mind of her own—it was the "smile of a stubborn one."
Xu Miaoying's obedient smile looked genuinely obedient. Her face was slightly pointed, a classic oval shape, with drooping eye lines and naturally prominent lower eyelids.
When she smiled, people would think she was truly well-behaved, and it made one's heart soften involuntarily.
Yao Xiru's smile did indeed become softer, yet it wasn't because of Miaoying's obedient demeanor—it was because she could see that this child was trying to please her.
She needed to relax her bearing so the child wouldn't feel so tense.
Yao Xiru reached out and gently patted Xu Miaoying's head twice. A golden light flickered in her eyes. She was silent for a moment, then looked at her and said, "Your talent lies in facing others with a more composed and safer posture; that is how you will grow stronger."
"But..." Yao Xiru began that word, then suddenly stopped.
Wangshu and Qinghe, hearing nothing more, both glanced over curiously.
"But it will also be easier to lose yourself. You need to find an anchor—to be true to yourself, honestly and openly." These words sounded alone in Miaoying's mind.
Chu Daixi raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing Yao Xiru had used a mental transmission.
Xu Miaoying's body froze, her eyes widening.
After all three girls had been examined, Yao Xiru turned back to Chu Daixi. Chu Daixi crossed her arms, not waiting a single beat, asking directly, "So, what do you think, Order Lord, about our three children here?"
Yao Xiru gave a light smile: "I hope to see their figures when the next Dao Palace opens."
That should mean they passed. Wangshu thought to herself, how convenient—the Order Lord's talent. I wonder what my own talent will be.
Her gaze clung to the Sect Master, impossible for him to ignore.
"I should return to the Dao Palace to report my mission," Yao Xiru said to Chu Daixi, but her eyes were on Wangshu.
There was a startling directness in this girl's gaze. She made no attempt to conceal herself.
After a moment's thought, Yao Xiru reached down and pulled the red tassel from her waist, crouching in front of Wangshu. She looked at her and said, "This red tassel, in certain settings, can stand in for me. It carries a certain weight. I wish to give it to you. Will you accept it?"
Chu Daixi raised an eyebrow. She had never told Wangshu the meaning of the red tassel.
Wangshu looked at the red tassel, then back at the Sect Master. Things with weight were never easy to take.
But even a gaze carries weight. All things in this world—their weight could only be more or less, never zero. Wangshu thought calmly to herself, even the crowning of glory was a form of weight.
At last, Wangshu lifted her eyes and said softly, "Whatever I receive, it is because I wanted it."
"Thank you, Sect Master. Wangshu wants it."
Wangshu raised both hands and solemnly accepted the red tassel.
