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Chapter 1: A LianA Lian determinedly stood in the golden rays flickering through the clouds and mist curled around the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion. Although she had previously undergone a great deal of mental preparation, she still felt somewhat intimidated by the extravagance in front of her.
It truly was worthy of being called the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion!
The Ninth Heavenly Pavilion was the Holy Land of the best cultivated Immortals in the Three Realms. Originally it was only for recruiting the children of the Celestial Realm, but since the Three Realms now lived in harmony, it gradually became available to those from outside, to the extent that even Demon Realm scholars could be recruited. Even so, these circumstances were appropriately demanding, and for a demon, stepping through the entrance of the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion was a big step towards becoming an immortal.
A Lian was a silver carp from Dongze Lake. The number of scholars the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion accepted from the outside were always very few in number. So when it came to the tiny region of Dongze Lake's turn, the quota to be filled was no more than two.
A Lian had merely 300 years of cultivation. She was just a small fish with negligible cultivation, she had not even lived at Dongze Lake for a thousand years, only five hundred.
When her best friend, A Pang, found out that she wanted to sign up for the examination, of course she tried dissuading her. In A Pang's words, as a fish, she was so white and plump that she was a prime target, yet she had still managed to live until now, so why would she want to lower her chances of survival by going to such a place. A Pang thoroughly understood that this foolish fish was an unusually stubborn being. If she there was something she wanted to do, nobody would ever be able to stop her.
A Pang, a freshwater crab with only 500 years of cultivation, was her only friend. She was very beautiful and often relied on her looks to get her way. And as a consequence, she didn't get along well with the other residents of Dongze Lake. As for A Lian, she lacked friends because not only was she timid and cowardly, but because she also rarely went outside.
In regards to that, she used to have friends, but one after the other they had all been caught by fishermen and cooked into Chinese food. As the days went by, A Lian slowly but surely turned into the last one left. As a result, a rumor went around that she was unlucky, because any fish that came in contact with her would get itself caught and eaten, and she alone would still be perfectly fine.
A Lian had been deeply hurt when she'd heard these words. And even though she felt wronged, she also quietly thought to herself that it seemed sensible. Afterward, she no longer tried to make friends in order to avoid bringing harm to the other fish.
Similarly, when A Pang met her, she considered it fate.
That day, A Pang was trapped between two large stones, fiercely brandishing her claws. Hesitating a bit, she went up and asked if it was okay for her to help free her.
A Pang had advised her not to go to the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion many times, but seeing that she still would not listen and stubbornly insisted on her own ideas; she just as well let her have her way with it. Who would have thought that a small fish, no matter what, would actually succeed by using zeal and passion to overcome all difficulties, and, at the end, thrillingly seize a spot!
Even though a spot in Ninth Heavenly Pavilion was unexpectedly seized in the end, in that competition, A Lian had also suffered. Originally a healthy fish with a fair-complexion, she turned into a creature on its last gasp of air. There was not even one spot from head to toe that was without damage, leaving A Pang utterly distressed and resolutely scolding her.
Only after one full month of self-cultivation, did she manage to restore her vitality. During the time she was injured, A Lian was almost caught, but was lucky enough to have a broken net, and barely managed to escape.
A Pang sighed many times, she was still the same old foolish fish, with truly the same old foolish luck.
A Lian regained her composure, took a deep breath, and then carrying her little book bag she energetically stepped into the blessed Holy Land.
When she entered a fellow senior brother and senior sister came to receive her. The one who had come with her today, was a white male sturgeon. This white sturgeon was a born threat, and was known as a bully in Dongze Lake. Such a fierce creature as him, was something A Lian would never want to provoke, and so during the entire journey, she tried to maintain a distance from him as much as she could.
The senior brother led the white sturgeon away. And the tall and delicate senior sister with hair combed into a luoji[1], in a light green ruqun[2], lead her to female disciples' residence.
This senior sister was born with correct features and good looks. A Lian remembered A Pang's words, 'when away from home, remember to be polite and smile,'and so she said,
"Senior sister is very beautiful, what should I address her as?"
Although the senior sister that came to get A Lian was beautiful, her face was emotionless, and she only coldly and indifferently gazed at A Lian in response.
In fact, one could not blame the senior sister, because at this time the new disciples they received were usually second generation celestial immortals, or ones who had a prominent background. But contrary to her expectations, they'd been sent to receive these small fish demons who came from some remote place. Now, hearing these words the senior sister became unhappy. No one ever liked to hear empty words of praise, but if the obvious flattery was extremely blunt, in that case, it could only count as undisguised mockery and satire.
A Lian was a bit embarrassed, but she knew that the disciples of the Ninth Pavilion, were not only the descendants of divine immortals, but elites from various races. Each and every of them were above her, so not liking her was something A Lian could understand.
Remaining silent for a long time, A Lian then cautiously said,
"Senior sister, I've heard that High God Rong Lin comes over here to teach….."
The senior sister was not very responsive, but hearing A Lian ask her something she paused her steps, and slowly turned her head to look into that pair of big beautiful, watery eyes.
"You want to meet High God Rong Lin?" she asked softly.
High God Rong Lin, was the Heavenly God of War, he was naturally just and honest and incomparable.
The senior sister originally at once did not have a good impression of her. Now hearing her ask about High God Rong Lin, the look in her eyes held even more contempt.
High God Rong Lin did not like to go out, the only visitors who had a chance to see him were at the Ninth Pavilion.
This was not the first female disciple she had received, they too had asked her about the presence of High God Rong Lin. It was not an exaggeration to say that the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion had the greatest number of girls all of whom were trying to meet with High God Rong Lin.
In the presence of this….
The senior sister has carefully sized her up, and also had to acknowledge that this big-headed fish had several points of beauty. High God Rong Lin was the same as the light breeze and clear moon[3], an elegant and incomparable master. How could she let this small demon have her way to keep thinking such blasphemy? Immediately her eyebrows pinched and she declared,
"High God Rong Lin has never taught new disciples, even us senior disciples rarely get to see him……I advise you to think it over from now, do not waste your time."
Although the manner of speaking was not good, she had at least answered her question. Upon hearing her senior sister's remark, A Lian's appearance saddened slightly, when all was said and done, she felt a sense of disappointment inside.
She had come to the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion, indeed because of High God Rong Lin. However he didn't teach new disciples, and so it was hard to avoid feeling disappointed by this.
Then in a respectful manner A Lian said,
"Many thanks senior sister."
Seeing her like this, the senior sister only listened. However what she had just said had not been false, it was true that High God Rong Lin did not give lessons to the new disciples. They had indeed entered school for a year now, and had only seen High God Rong Lin from a distance. As for getting lectures, that was only wishful thinking.
A Lian still had many doubts, and even though she seemed simple minded, she was not without at least the slightest of insights so she very well understood that this senior sister did not like her, or rather, did not like her asking about seeing High God Rong Lin. Because of this she immediately took the desire to ask more questions and kept it in her mind.
Once she entered the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion there would be plenty of opportunities to meet High God Rong Lin in the future.
Footnotes:
[1]Luoji – Spiral hair coil
[2]Ruqun – Traditional Chinese garment consisting of a blouse and a wrap around skirt.
[3]Idiom meaning noble and benevolent character.
All names with A + something sounds like Ah-something. A Lian -> Ah Lian
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Chapter 2: LongingThe senior sister took A Lian to the arranged accommodation.
The Ninth Heavenly Pavilion treated all new disciples in the same stringent manner. Newly entered disciples, no matter what background, had no right to live alone in a house, and so most of them were divided between the rooms in groups of four. However, someday, she would become a senior sister of the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion, and naturally, there would be no need to worry about this type of treatment, and she could live on the Island of Immortals alone.
Dongze Lake was relatively far from the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion, causing A Lian to arrive late. When she arrived, the three other roommates had already been living there for three days.
The senior sister lead A Lian inside, and soonafterwards the three girls residing in the place, politely greeted her. They looked as though they would be easy to get along with. However, after the senior sister left, except for a slightly darker-skinned timid young girl, the other two tall and exquisite ones held back a smile.
The one wearing a dark green dress, indifferently glanced at her then opened her mouth to speak,
"So late, I even thought it would be some divine, but it turned out to simply be a bighead carp."
A family of silver carps[1], definitely did not like the nickname 'bighead'. But A Lian had a good temperament. Besides, when she was around an excited A Pang, she did not stop excessively calling her ‘bighead', so A Lian did not take it to heart.
Generally, A Lian's appearance seemed like someone who was easily bullied, but contrary to expectations, the two girls were not interested in bullying and quickly glanced at her before leaving. A Lian slowly leaned to the side to look at those two people's silhouettes, with naturally graceful and gently wavering postures of incomparable beauty, one could see right away that she, a silver carp from a little lake was unlike their kind.
These two people were difficult to get along with. The young round faced girl who was shorter than A Lian, greeted her with a wary look.
The young girl was named Tian Luo, she was a river snail with four hundred years of cultivation. Tian Luo grew up in a pond, but as for the two with arrogant postures, they came from the East Sea—one of the most high-end aquatic places. Although they were all aquatic types, the environment in which they grew, decided the level of status; it was no wonder that those two people did not want to talk to her.
Knowing that A Lian was from Dongze Lake, and also looked easy to get along with, Tian Luo turned towards the wronged, with big watery eyes, and complained,
"Clearly we are all aquatic types, but these girls from the sea always look down on us from lake neighbourhoods…."
Looking at Tian Luo's appearance, it could be assumed that for several days she had suffered at the hands of the sea clan women's bullying.
A Lian, although she looked foolish, did not have a muddled brain. Eh, but how can those from the lake or pond, be allowed to come anywhere near the vast and mysterious sea? Furthermore, this East Sea was a land worth an inch of gold[2], and also produced numerous famous people. All of those from Dongze Lake with some future prospects, each and everyone of them, had all crushed their scalps trying to go to the East Sea.
Tian Luo listened in bewilderment, with eyes as big and wide as a copper bell as she curiously tilted her head,
"Aren’t they afraid of being unacclimatized? How can freshwater fish live in the sea?"
A Lian, whilst eating the local specialties brought by Tian Luo, with cheeks bulging with flour noodles, unhurriedly replied,
"The reason why we have many fish, is so we can urinate and let them eat more salt when they are developing their offspring. Because my tastes are heavier, someday I'll be able to settle down in the sea, and quickly adapt."
Tian Luo listened, only slightly understanding.
Tian Luo had been in high spirits ever since arriving at the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion, but recently, those two sea clan women had given her a big blow. Because she was alone, the days were especially hard. But today, after meeting the agreeable A Lian, she would be completely devoted to her and was anxious to always cling to her.
Tian Luo knew that A Lian had gained her spot by relying on her own abilities, causing her to admire her incessantly.
As she listened to Tian Luo, her face reddened with embarrassment. Actually, A Lian thought that since Tian Luo had come to the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion, she naturally had abilities. Besides, she had cultivated one hundred years longer than her.
"…If it depended on me, where in this Ninth Heavenly Pavilion could I go ah, yes…..it was my dad who paid for it."
Money will make the devil turn millstones[3], however, the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion was excessively lofty in A Lian's heart, now that she'd heard these words, inevitably some of that image collapsed. At the same time, she ate some snacks.
A Lian did not speak, causing a somewhat worried Tian Luo to whisper,
"A Lian, you…you won’t despise me, ah?"
Although the feeling in her heart was unpleasant, A Lian did not look down on her.
Nowadays, it was the way of the world to rely on one’s father’s wealth to get ahead. She had no father or mother, and had to depend on herself, because there was no other way. Tian Luo was very different, even though she was from a small place, she had a parvenu dad and was naturally treated like a little princess. Naturally, she was reluctant to suffer even the slightest injury, and had the way paved for her early on.
Hearing A Lian say no, Tian Luo was relieved, and once again, muttering to herself she said,
"I was thinking about my cousin….before leaving, he was already worried that once I came to the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion, after seeing the world, I would not see him."
Tian Luo was a confabulator. This older male cousin, A Lian had heard her mention being close to many times, the two childhood sweethearts, were waiting on Tian Luo to cultivate into an immortal, to be able to get married and have children.
As Tian Luo thought about her cousin, she tilted her head curiously and lowered her voice and asked A Lian,
"What about you? Do you have a man you like in mind?"
She ah. A Lian thought, then nodded a little, but did not blush as Tian Luo had. Instead, she laughed and said,
"There is, ah…."
She who was originally fair and beautiful, became even more charming when she smiled, lowered her voice and said,
"That's why I came to the Ninth Heavenly Pavilion."
Footnotes:
[1]Specie of carp, the Hypophthalmichthys Nobilis, also called the bighead carp, hence A Lian's nickname.
[2]Idiom meaning a place that is worth a lot.
[3]Idiom meaning with money one can do anything.
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