A faint smile played on Shen Qingci's lips. She showed no signs of taking offense, nor did she use the opportunity to curry favor or claim close relations.
“It is but a remote countryside location. I am afraid you have never heard of it, Elder,” she brushed it off lightly.
Zhou He's fingers stroking his beard paused slightly, and he felt even more certain in his heart.
“It is this old man who was impolite,” he smiled. With a flick of his sleeve, he took out two warm jade plaques and handed them over.
The jade was a lustrous white, with the flowing cloud patterns of the Azure Cloud Sect carved on its edges, cool to the touch. “These are this old man's transmission jade plaques. Miss Shen, since you have come from afar, if you encounter any inconvenience within the sect, feel free to send a message to me. This old man is Zhou He, and I humbly manage the affairs of the outer sect.”
Shen Qingci accepted them with both hands and said, “Thank you, Elder Zhou.”
Zhou He nodded, his gaze sweeping over her shoulder once more.
Shen Hanzhou stood in place without even a blink of her eyelashes, as if the Nascent Soul elder before her was no different from a pebble on the side of the road.
The smile on Zhou He's face deepened, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out. “There is no need for a spiritual root test. Miss Shen, you may go directly to the core candidate area to wait.” He stepped aside to clear the path and raised his hand in a welcoming gesture.
“Nurtured by the orthodox cultivation techniques passed down by a great family, your aptitude will certainly not be poor.”
Shen Qingci curtsied and thanked him once more, then turned to lead Shen Hanzhou deeper into the square.
Standing in place, Zhou He watched the two figures—one in starlight blue and the other in dark green—vanish into the crowd, and the smile on his face slowly faded.
“Elder Zhou,” Deacon Sun crept over and asked in a low voice, “What is the background of this Miss Shen? To think you would personally come down to greet her?”
Zhou He glanced sideways at him, stroking his beard with his right hand as he said unhurriedly, “Pass down the word. No one is allowed to block that Miss Shen and her companion anywhere, nor are they allowed to pry. Attend to them carefully, and make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Deacon Sun was startled, then quickly bowed in agreement. “Yes, this disciple will go give the orders right away.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhou He slowly paced back to the high platform. Having lived for over six hundred years and held the position of outer sect elder for nearly three hundred years, he had seen at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, noble descendants and royal scions from all over the world.
Some wore gold and jade, glittering with treasures, yet their every movement betrayed a hidden timidity. Others put on grand airs and spoke in affected tones, terrified that others wouldn't notice their noble status.
Yet this Miss Shen spoke very little, never saying a single superfluous word from start to finish. Her aloofness was genuine, and her composure was equally real. Her conduct was perfectly measured in every interaction.
Such temperament could not be faked. Having lived to this age, he still possessed this bit of discernment.
After walking a few steps, Shen Qingci suddenly asked, “Hanzhou, what do you think of that Elder Zhou from just now?”
“A clever person,” Shen Hanzhou replied, sparing no extra words.
Shen Qingci curled her lips slightly. Indeed, he was a clever person. From initiating the conversation to probe her to handing over the jade plaques and letting them pass, his timing and manners were precise, not causing the slightest annoyance.
Unable to see through their depths, he chose to offer a step and forge a good relationship first. This neither lowered his own status nor cut off his retreat.
Her fingertips stroked the flowing cloud pattern on the jade plaque, the cool sensation seeping into her skin.
Testing spiritual roots was merely a formality anyway.
Compared to the aptitude tested by the spirit-testing stone, the background these people imagined for her was far more useful.
...
The candidate area was located directly in front of the spirit-testing platform, cordoned off from the bustling crowd outside by thirty-six blue jade tiles.
At this moment, seven or eight people were scattered inside, a few more than before. The youngest looked to be only twelve or thirteen, while the oldest was around eighteen. Most of them were accompanied by one or two attendants, though according to the rules, the attendants had to wait outside the area.
When Shen Qingci led Shen Hanzhou into the area of the blue jade tiles, the guards of various families waiting on the side looked over in unison. Their gazes swept across Shen Hanzhou's shoulders before falling back onto Shen Qingci's face, sizing them up quickly. Throughout the process, no one dared to speak up to stop them.
The scene of Elder Zhou personally leading the way earlier had been witnessed by everyone.
The young men and women in the candidate area also stopped their conversations.
Shen Qingci found a spot near the edge and stood still, with Shen Hanzhou standing behind her like a shadow. Her expression was indifferent; she did not look around, nor did she have any intention of starting a conversation, simply waiting quietly.
It was as if this place were a familiar spot she had frequented since childhood, so intimate that she did not need to spare it a second glance.
This silence did not last long.
A youth in fine silk on her left was the first to speak. He looked about fifteen years old, with a high-quality warm jade hanging from his waist. When he smiled, he revealed a mouthful of bright white teeth.
“I am Zhao Yu, the Third Prince of the Zhao Kingdom in the Southern Region.”
He spoke politely and kept his posture low, completely different from the aloof attitude he had shown when talking to the others earlier.
What a joke. This was someone Elder Zhou had personally escorted in. Even if he had ten times more courage, he wouldn't dare to be negligent.
Shen Qingci turned slightly and nodded. “Shen Qingci, of the Northern Region's Shen family.”
Zhao Yu's eyelids twitched.
The Northern Region!
To be able to have an outer sect elder personally lead the way, and to have a guard whose depth even he could not probe, the weight of the name “Shen family” was probably heavier than the title of his Zhao Kingdom.
“So it is Miss Shen. Forgive my lack of manners,” he cupped his hands, showing her the utmost respect.
Just as his voice fell, a young girl moved forward a couple of steps. She wore a goose-yellow dress, her collar adorned with a ring of tiny moon-glow stones, making her look extraordinarily noble.
“The Shen family of the Northern Region? I have flipped through the Registry of Great Families of the Four Regions, but this is the first time I have heard of a great family surnamed Shen in the north. It must be a truly secluded noble clan.” She tilted her head, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. “I am Gu Qingyi, of a branch of the Cangwu Gu family.”
“Speaking of secluded families, our Gu family can be considered half of one. We have been huddled in the deep ravines of Cangwu County for several thousand years. My father said that if we didn't come out to catch some fresh air this time, the younger generation of our clan would go stir-crazy.”
These words flattered the “secluded” nature of the Shen family while clearly explaining her own background, even adding a touch of self-deprecation, which was not off-putting at all.
Shen Qingci gave her an extra glance.
The Cangwu Gu family had been mentioned briefly in the original novel. They were indeed a secluded family, and several Void Refining experts had emerged from their clan. They held high prestige in the Southern Region, acted low-key, and rarely participated in the disputes of various factions.
“Miss Gu is too polite.”
“The Shen family indeed does not often interact with the outside world. This is my first time leaving home for training, so I still have to slowly familiarize myself with the customs and sights of the Southern Region.”
She spoke neither fast nor slow, explaining why the “Shen family” was unknown while positioning herself as a newly departed direct descendant of a great family—logical and without a single flaw.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the young men and women around them all showed expressions of realization.
So she was a direct descendant of a secluded family walking the mortal world for the first time. No wonder she was a fresh face.
This also explained why she had such a grand entourage and why her guard's cultivation was so high. Secluded families had always been the most protective of their direct descendants.
“Since this is Miss Shen's first time in the Southern Region, we will be fellow disciples when we cultivate in the Azure Cloud Sect in the future,” a tall and slender youth said.
He wore dark blue martial robes, with a handsome face and a heroic air of a military family between his brows.
“I am Xiao Yan, the eldest grandson of the direct line of the Great Zhou's Xiao family in the Southern Region. Our Xiao family has some say in the Southern Region. If Miss Shen needs any help, please do not hesitate to ask.”
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