Just as he spotted the winged horse flying toward the main courtyard, the folding fan in his hand clattered to the ground. "My mother! It really is a divine being!"
"Brothers, look quickly—a divine being!"
His hand swept across the battlefield of black and white pieces locked in fierce conflict, and in an instant, the game that was about to be decided became a chaotic mix, black streaked with white, white mingled with black.
"Fei Wu, I'm going to..." The words died in his throat, because the white player, who was about to win the game, also looked up and saw the luminous carriage in the sky, pulled by the winged horse.
By then, Yue Fuguang's carriage was less than a hundred meters above the ground, and more and more people below were spotting the flying chariot in the sky.
Soon, someone noticed He Jin standing on the carriage shaft, looking down.
Someone couldn't help shouting excitedly, "Look quickly! Is that my niece He Jin standing up there?"
"You're right, that's my niece He Jin, no mistake!"
"What do you mean, 'your niece'? Are you even surnamed He to call her that?"
The members of the He clan immediately objected.
"Where's Qisha? Where's my brother Qisha!" Someone started searching for the manor's master, He Qisha.
"Yes, yes, go find Brother Qisha, tell him to come out quickly and welcome the Divine Maiden!" The speaker's voice cracked with excitement.
"Divine Maiden?" someone wondered. How did she become the Divine Maiden?
Smack! A young man with a bewildered expression and a face full of question marks was slapped on the back of the head by his father. "You fool! With abilities like that, and with your cousin attending her closely—who else could it be besides the Divine Maiden?"
His father hissed through clenched teeth, frustrated at his son's lack of insight, "Hurry up and go find your Uncle Qisha!"
Then, still unsatisfied, he kicked his son in the backside, sending him stumbling five or six meters away.
He muttered curses inwardly, 'This clueless idiot. If I hadn't prompted him, he wouldn't even catch on to hot food!'
The already lively Seven Swords Manor instantly erupted into an uproar at the sight of Yue Fuguang and her companions in the sky.
He Qisha, the master of the manor, was at that moment in the wine cellar with his eldest son He Heng, selecting fine wine for the upcoming banquet.
He Heng watched his father hauling jar after jar of wine and couldn't help saying, "Father, please drink less tonight."
"You brat! Just because your sister isn't here, you think you can boss your old man around?" He Qisha grumbled, sounding displeased.
"Son isn't trying to boss you, but don't forget—you have to set out for Xinzhou tomorrow. If you're late, you might miss the Junior Preceptor and your sister!"
His father had held his birthday feast a few days early precisely so he could go to Xinzhou to pay respects to the Junior Preceptor.
"Don't let wine ruin your plans!"
He Qisha realized his son had a point. Compared to drinking, meeting the Junior Preceptor was far more important.
"Fine, this is enough!" He patted the seven or eight wine jars on the floor. "These will suffice for my old brothers to drink!"
Father and son each picked up a five-jin wine jar. Before they even left the cellar, they heard a commotion outside—words like "divine being" and "winged horse" drifting faintly to their ears.
"Something's happened outside?" He Qisha's expression turned serious. He couldn't help thinking this, given that over the past year the Seven Swords Manor had been secretly targeted by several factions. Only the Junior Preceptor's influence had allowed him to resolve these issues one by one.
"These scoundrels only dare to trip us up in secret," he muttered. Everyone knew he had Junior Preceptor Yue backing him—whether they were local officials or wealthy merchants, they all treated him with respect and deference.
Only the Nether Blossom Society, Rock-Solid Mountain, and Wind and Rain Pavilion dared to cause him trouble.
He Qisha drew the blade from his waist and strode outside, with He Heng gripping his sword and following closely behind.
Before he reached the wine cellar door, it was flung open from the outside. "Uncle! Uncle, come out quickly!"
The first to rush in, He Ming, ignored He Qisha's raised blade that nearly struck him and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the door while shouting, "Uncle, hurry! The Divine Maiden is here, and Cousin He Jin is with her!"
"What? The Divine Maiden is here? And Jin'er is back too?"
He Qisha let himself be pulled along by He Ming, asking between breaths, "Where are they? Jin'er too—if the Junior Preceptor was coming, why didn't she tell me beforehand?"
"Uncle, the Divine Maiden is in the sky. Cousin Jin probably didn't have time to tell you!"
"In the sky? What sky?"
He Ming was taken aback. "The sky is the sky!"
In a few seconds, they reached the main courtyard. Without needing He Ming to point it out, He Qisha looked up and saw the carriage hovering directly above.
"It really is in the sky!"
Standing on the carriage shaft, He Jin spotted her father and older brother rushing from the main courtyard, and her sister-in-law Tian Yurou being helped from the side courtyard.
Under the crowd's blazing gaze, the carriage slowly descended into the main courtyard just as He Qisha arrived.
He solemnly straightened his slightly rumpled clothes, strode quickly to the front of the carriage, stopped, and bowed respectfully. "He Qisha, together with my son He Heng and daughter-in-law Tian, welcomes the Junior Preceptor to our humble manor! I failed to greet you from afar; I hope you will not hold it against me, Your Excellency!"
His eyes, slightly lowered, caught sight of the winged horse's lower body, its shimmering starlight gradually fading and its back wings slowly folding.
As He Qisha spoke, the crowd gathered behind him followed his example and bowed respectfully, each announcing their status—from minor officials to commoners, youths to scholars, wives to maidens. Clearly, He Qisha had a wide circle of friends and a diverse array of guests.
Yue Fuguang walked slowly out of the carriage and stood on the shaft, looking down. She raised her hand slightly. "Manor Lord He, there's no need for such formality. I have come unbidden and intruded upon your gathering."
He Qisha's face flushed red with excitement. Hearing Yue Fuguang's words about intruding, he quickly shook his head. "Your Excellency's visit to our humble manor is the greatest honor and privilege the Seven Swords Manor and I could ever hope for. There is no question of intrusion."
He made a gesture of invitation. "The rain outside is heavy; please enter."
Mention of the heavy rain made everyone realize that this carriage and its occupants had remained completely dry from start to finish, unlike the rest of them drenched like drowned rats.
Indeed, the Divine Maiden was truly divine—even the rain avoided her.
No wonder it had been raining here today. So the Divine Maiden was passing through.
As she stepped slowly down from the carriage, Yue Fuguang saw all the guests, soaked through, still striving to maintain respectful and courteous poses.
She swept her wide sleeve, and everyone felt a cool breeze brush over them. Their summer clothes, which had been clinging wetly and uncomfortably to their skin, instantly became dry and fresh after that breeze passed.
"This..." someone stared at their dry clothes, eyes wide, momentarily speechless.
"Thank you, Junior Preceptor!" He Qisha was the first to react.
"A small matter," Yue Fuguang said. She had put on another modest show, but in her heart, she was feeling immensely pleased.
The thought flashed through every mind there: The Junior Preceptor truly is a divine being! It turns out that Qisha's everyday boasting about how extraordinary the Divine Maiden was wasn't exaggerated flattery—it was an understatement!