A Birthday Crown and Lingering Dreams

Deep into the night, the bright moon shone luminously.

Feiluo lay slumbering on her large bed, the pure white moonlight streaming through the window to bathe her face, lending her an air of sacred etherealness.

Suddenly, Feiluo’s delicate nose twitched, her elegant brows subtly arched, and faint murmurs seemed to escape her lips.

“Brother, didn’t you promise to play hide-and-seek with me today?”

“Ugh, hide-and-seek is such a hassle. I’d rather just laze around at home.”

“Come on, come on! I’m so bored all by myself.”

“Fine…”

‘Brother? Could they be talking about me? But I’m clearly a girl, shouldn’t they be calling me ‘sister’?’

“Brother, Mother and I are back! Here are the snacks you wanted.”

“Arigato, Imouto-san.”

“…? Brother, you’re speaking those incomprehensible words again.”

“It means ‘thank you’.”

“Oh, okay. You’re welcome then.”

‘A younger sister? When did I get a younger sister?’

‘Am I dreaming?’

“Brother, this is a Holy Land mission. Go and complete it.”

“No.”

“No, you must go. You haven’t undertaken a contribution mission in ages. People are already starting to say that you’re an incompetent First Disciple of the Holy Land.”

“It won’t be too late to go after I finish this issue of ‘The Overbearing Spirit Sword Fairy Falls in Love with the Demonic Saintess’.”

“Now, immediately, at once, go!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll go, won’t I? Don’t push me!”

‘What peculiar dreams. Why am I having such strange nightmares?’

In the bright morning, Feiluo slowly opened her hazy, sleep-filled eyes.

“Ah-woo~”

She sat up and stretched, her flat, slender abdomen momentarily exposed to the air with the movement.

Feiluo scratched her slightly disheveled, sleep-tousled hair as her groggy consciousness gradually sharpened. She felt as though she had experienced a particularly bizarre dream last night. Though she couldn’t recall the specifics, she vaguely remembered a girl calling her ‘brother.’

‘Haha, dreams truly are illogical.’

‘How could someone call such a cute and beautiful girl ‘brother’?’ Feiluo thought to herself as she dressed.

Stepping out of her room, she entered the living room. The sight of the living room’s decorations caused her mouth to gape into an ‘O’ shape in astonishment.

Streamers and balloons adorned the upper sections of all the surrounding walls, while the central wall proudly displayed a red cardstock sign proclaiming ‘Happy Birthday, Feiluo’. Dozens of colorful balloons floated near the ceiling, from which a continuous shower of petals drifted down. Sofas, coffee tables, screens… even these furnishings were festooned with vibrant streamers.

Numerous other spots had been decorated in similar fashion, but it all boiled down to one word:

‘Beautiful!’

She begged forgiveness for her momentary lack of words, for she truly could not conceive of a more fitting description.

“My good disciple, are you awake?” Moxi, seemingly in the midst of crafting something, waved a hand towards the utterly astonished Feiluo. “My good disciple, come quickly and see if this fits.”

Feiluo closed her slightly agape mouth, settled beside Moxi, and asked with curiosity, “What am I trying on, Master?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” Moxi teased, placing the item she held onto Feiluo’s head.

Feiluo felt a circlet-like object settle upon her head; it was somewhat heavy and cool, seemingly crafted from metal.

Moxi surveyed Feiluo with the item on her head, then nodded in satisfaction. “It looks quite good. It seems my craftsmanship isn’t so bad after all.”

“What is it, Master, really?” Seeing Moxi’s demeanor, Feiluo grew even more curious about the object.

“Hmph hmph~ Prepare to be amazed~!” Moxi retrieved a small, antique mirror from her spatial pouch; judging by the signs of wear, it was likely one she frequently used. She held the small mirror up to Feiluo’s face.

Upon seeing her reflection, Feiluo froze in stunned silence. Adorning her head was a golden crown. Golden threads wove intricate patterns of feathers and clouds, a phoenix spread its wings upon it, its tail embellished with golden pearls. The phoenix’s eyes seemed to hold a starry sky, and the blood amber at its center appeared to emit a crimson glow.

“Th-this… what is this?” Feiluo gazed at Moxi in astonishment, her eyes brimming with unspoken questions.

“Amazing, isn’t it! I meticulously crafted this all by myself, you know!” Moxi’s tone was brimming with pride.

“And these decorations too?” Feiluo gestured towards the balloons and streamers.

“Of course!” Moxi put her hands on her hips, puffing out her modestly developed chest, and declared, “I spent ages yesterday picking out the materials for all of this, and then stayed up all night to prepare it especially for you, my good disciple!”

“Wuu~ Master~” Feiluo embraced Moxi, nuzzling her head against Moxi’s chest, and said with deep emotion, “Thank you, Master, for preparing all of this for me.”

“You are my good disciple, after all! Isn’t it only right that I do these things for you?” Moxi gently patted Feiluo’s head.

“Ding-dong.”

After a harmonious exchange of affection between master and disciple, the doorbell suddenly chimed.

Feiluo rose from Moxi’s embrace and exclaimed, “It must be my senior and junior sisters! I’ll get the door!” With that, she scurried towards the entrance.

“Coming, coming~” Feiluo opened the entrance to the dwelling, her face alight with expectation. Upon seeing the visitor, she exclaimed in delight, “It’s Senior Sister Yan! Come in, come in quickly!”

She reached out to take Yan Kongqing’s arm, intending to lead her into the dwelling. Yet, Yan Kongqing deftly sidestepped, evading her grasp.

“?” Feiluo tilted her head, looking at Yan Kongqing with a puzzled expression.

Yan Kongqing scratched her head and offered an awkward smile. “My apologies, Junior Sister Fei, but I won’t be able to attend your birthday banquet this time.”

Feiluo paused, then asked, “Eh? Why not?”

Yan Kongqing retrieved a neatly wrapped gift box from her spatial artifact and handed it to Feiluo, explaining, “It’s to prepare for the upcoming Saintess Grand Selection.”

“But Senior Sister Yan, didn’t you say you weren’t going to participate in the Saintess Grand Selection?” Feiluo inquired.

“Plans often change, don’t they?” Yan Kongqing replied. “Just yesterday, the rewards for the Saintess Grand Selection were announced. There are not only high-grade spirit artifacts and Dharma robes, but also many seventh and eighth-grade elixirs, and a large pile of top-grade spirit stones.”

Her tone was filled with excitement, her words brimming with a longing for the rewards. “What’s more, the top three can even enter the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm to cultivate!”

“The Spirit Abyss Secret Realm? Is that the cultivation secret realm rumored to grant a month’s worth of progress for every day spent inside?” Feiluo asked, astonished.

“Precisely, it’s that very Spirit Abyss Secret Realm,” Yan Kongqing affirmed with a nod.

“But isn’t that a reward for the top three? Senior Sister Yan, you…”

‘Your combat prowess probably isn’t enough to achieve such a ranking, right?’ Feiluo didn’t voice these words, but Yan Kongqing understood her unspoken meaning.

“It’s worth a try, isn’t it? There’s nothing to lose, and who knows, I might just get lucky and snag a spot in the top three.” Yan Kongqing added, “Besides, the participation prize allows you to choose any mid-grade spirit artifact, along with a cultivation elixir advancement set. It’s definitely something worth trying for.”

She then paused, turning to Feiluo. “Junior Sister Fei, are you truly not going to participate? I heard there’s also a mysterious grand prize for first place.”

Feiluo shook her head. “I think I’ll pass. Fighting and such isn’t really my style.”

“Alright then,” Yan Kongqing sighed with a touch of regret. “If Junior Sister Fei were to participate, I wouldn’t dare say top three, but a spot in the top ten would surely be yours.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Yan Kongqing waved goodbye and departed.

Returning to the living room, Feiluo placed the gift box on the coffee table, then settled onto the sofa, propping her chin in her hands with a sigh.

“My good disciple, why the sighs of sorrow?” Moxi gently ruffled Feiluo’s head as she inquired.

“Senior Sister Yan said she can’t attend my birthday banquet,” Feiluo said, pointing to the gift box on the coffee table. “She said she needs to diligently prepare for the upcoming Saintess Grand Selection.”

“Speaking of which, yesterday was the day the rewards were announced, wasn’t it?” Moxi made a fist with her right hand and lightly struck her palm. “My head was so full of birthday preparations yesterday, I almost completely forgot.”

“Wuu~” Feiluo embraced Moxi’s slender waist, nuzzling her head against her, and whined mischievously, “Master, why did you have to set up such amazing rewards? With prizes that good, I bet all my other senior and junior sisters will go prepare for the Saintess Grand Selection instead of coming to my birthday!”

“These rewards weren’t all decided by me,” Moxi said, pressing down on Feiluo’s head with a resigned sigh. “Only the mysterious grand prize for first place was my decision. As for the other rewards, I entrusted the other elders of the sect to decide them.”

Feiluo remained silent, merely nudging her head against Moxi’s abdomen once more.

Time quickly advanced to noon, the sun shining brilliantly outside the window, a day so perfect anyone would praise the beautiful weather.

Despite the lovely weather, Feiluo’s mood was overcast with gloom. For she had just received yet another gift from a senior sister, accompanied by their apologies.

“Ugh~” Feiluo let out a sigh, her gaze drifting to the coffee table. Several gift boxes now rested on the coffee table. These gift boxes, varying in color and size, were piled into a small mound. Among these presents, one was nearly the size of a dining table, standing amidst the others like a giant who had wandered into a human realm.

“Wuu~” Gazing at the presents, Feiluo let out a mournful cry. All the senior and junior sisters she was close to had already visited, yet not a single one had stayed to celebrate her birthday with her.

Moxi emerged from the kitchen, wiping water droplets from her hands on her apron. Seeing Feiluo’s crestfallen expression, she removed her apron, walked over, and embraced Feiluo.

“It’s alright, don’t I still have Master here to keep you company?” Moxi gently patted Feiluo’s back, offering soft words of comfort.

“…You’re right.” Feiluo hugged Moxi tightly. “At least I still have Master with me!”