After spending several more hours enjoying the fair, Su Yang and Su Lan escorted Yi Luwei back to the Yi Family residence.
When they reached the gates, Yi Luwei turned toward them.
"Thank you for today."
Her gaze unconsciously settled on Su Yang.
"And… thank you for the gifts, Brother Su Yang."
Su Yang smiled.
"As long as you like them."
"I do."
Yi Luwei's cheeks reddened slightly.
Su Lan noticed the exchange and slowly rolled her eyes.
"Alright, alright. We should leave before the two of you stand here staring at each other until tomorrow."
"Sister!"
Su Yang looked embarrassed.
Yi Luwei's face became even redder.
"Elder Sister Su Lan!"
Su Lan laughed.
"Goodnight, Luwei'er."
"Goodnight."
Yi Luwei hurried through the gates.
Before disappearing completely, however, she glanced backward once more.
Her eyes met Su Yang's.
She smiled.
Then she disappeared inside.
Su Yang stared after her.
Smack!
"Ow!"
He rubbed the back of his head.
"Why do you keep hitting me?"
Su Lan continued walking.
"Because apparently someone has to remind you how to move whenever Luwei'er is around."
Su Yang hurried after her.
"I was just saying goodbye!"
"Of course."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
Her teasing smile said otherwise.
The siblings continued home.
The streets were still crowded with people returning from the fair, and colourful lanterns illuminated the road.
Su Lan enthusiastically recounted some of the performances they had watched.
Su Yang listened while occasionally teasing her.
Then—
Su Lan suddenly stopped.
Her nose twitched.
Su Yang nearly walked into her.
"What?"
No response.
"Sister?"
Su Lan slowly turned her head.
Across the street stood a pastry shop.
Warm light spilled through its windows, while the sweet fragrance of freshly baked pastries drifted through the evening air.
A sign outside advertised several treats.
But Su Lan's attention had already locked onto one.
Osmanthus Cake.
Her favourite.
Su Yang looked at her.
Then at the shop.
Then back at her.
Her eyes practically sparkled.
"Do you want some?"
Su Lan immediately regained her composure.
"I wasn't looking at it."
Su Yang raised an eyebrow.
"You've been staring at that shop for nearly ten breaths."
"I was observing."
"Your mouth is watering."
Su Lan quickly wiped her lips.
Su Yang burst into laughter.
"You liar!"
Su Lan glared at him.
"Are you buying it or not?"
"Fine."
Su Yang entered the pastry shop.
Su Lan happily waited outside.
Then—
A thought suddenly entered Su Yang's mind.
He remembered the previous night.
The innocent-looking gift box.
His curiosity.
And—
PUFF!
Black ink covering his entire face.
Su Yang slowly smiled.
Dear Sister…
Did you really think I had forgotten?
Several minutes later, Su Yang emerged carrying a beautifully wrapped pastry box.
Su Lan's eyes immediately brightened.
"You bought plenty?"
"Of course."
She reached for it.
Su Yang pulled it back.
"What's the magic word?"
Su Lan stared at him.
"Give."
"Wrong."
"Now."
"Also wrong."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Su Yang."
He immediately handed it over.
"Here."
Su Lan smiled triumphantly.
"Good little brother."
Su Yang smiled even more sweetly.
"Enjoy it."
Had Su Lan paid closer attention to that smile, she might have realized something was terribly wrong.
Unfortunately—
All she could smell was osmanthus cake.
When they finally returned home, Su Mei was already preparing to rest.
"You two stayed out this late?"
"The fair was crowded," Su Lan explained.
Su Mei shook her head.
"Go wash yourselves and sleep."
"Yes, Mother."
Su Lan immediately headed toward her room with the pastry box held protectively against her chest.
Su Yang noticed.
"Sister."
She stopped.
"What?"
"Are you going to share?"
Su Lan looked at the box.
Then at him.
"No."
Su Yang stared at her.
"I bought it."
"And you gave it to me."
"At least give me one."
"No."
She hurried toward her room.
Su Yang almost laughed.
Perfect.
Inside her room, Su Lan locked the door.
She placed the box on her table and rubbed her hands together.
"Finally."
She opened it.
The familiar fragrance of osmanthus filled the room.
Her eyes brightened.
She eagerly picked up the first piece.
Then she noticed something underneath it.
A smaller package.
"Hm?"
Su Lan frowned.
Perhaps Su Yang had bought another flavour.
She opened it.
PUFF!
Green ink exploded across her face.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Su Lan slowly lowered the package.
Her face was green.
Her nose was green.
Even several strands of her hair had turned green.
Her expression gradually transformed.
Then—
"SU YAAAAAANG!"
Her furious scream shook the house.
Inside his room, Su Yang immediately burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
BANG!
His door flew open.
Su Lan stood there.
Her face covered in green ink.
Su Yang laughed even harder.
"You—!"
She pointed at him.
"You did this!"
Su Yang struggled to breathe.
"Sister… your face…"
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
Su Yang immediately activated his movement technique.
Azure Dragon Chasing the Waters!
His body blurred.
Su Lan grabbed empty air.
"What?!"
Su Yang appeared outside the room.
He grinned.
"Too slow!"
"GET BACK HERE!"
The peaceful courtyard instantly descended into chaos.
Su Yang ran.
Su Lan chased.
"Stop running!"
"Stop chasing me!"
"You put ink in my cake!"
"You put ink in my gift!"
"That was different!"
"How?!"
"Because I did it first!"
"That doesn't even make sense!"
They raced around the courtyard like children.
Su Lan grabbed a broom.
Su Yang's eyes widened.
"Sister, that's cheating!"
"Come here!"
"Put the broom down first!"
"COME HERE!"
Su Mei eventually stepped outside.
She stared at her children.
Su Lan was covered in green ink and wielding a broom.
Su Yang was hiding behind a tree.
Both were shouting over each other.
Su Mei closed her eyes.
For a brief moment, she wondered whether having two children had truly been a blessing.
Then she smiled.
"Enough! Both of you!"
They immediately stopped.
Su Lan pointed accusingly.
"Mother, he—"
"She started it!"
"Yang'er!"
"She did!"
"You two are grown cultivators," Su Mei said helplessly. "Yet you're running around the courtyard fighting over ink?"
Neither answered.
"Go clean yourselves."
Su Lan glared at Su Yang.
"This isn't over."
Su Yang grinned.
"Whenever you're ready."
She raised the broom.
Su Yang disappeared.
"SU YANG!"
The Next Morning
News travelled quickly in a small town.
And gossip travelled even faster.
By sunrise, almost everyone had heard about what happened at the fair.
Su Yang had fought Hao Ran.
More accurately—
Su Yang had humiliated him.
The same Su Yang who had spent years enduring mockery had effortlessly avoided Hao Ran's attack, slapped him hard enough to break bones, and sent him flying with a kick.
People gathered in restaurants, tea houses, market stalls, and street corners discussing the matter.
"Did you hear what happened yesterday?"
"Of course!"
"Su Yang defeated Hao Ran!"
"I thought the story about Fu Yancheng was exaggerated."
"So did I."
A middle-aged cultivator frowned thoughtfully.
"Once could be coincidence."
The people around him quietened.
He continued.
"When Su Yang struck Fu Yancheng at the inn, everyone assumed Fu Yancheng had simply been careless."
Someone nodded.
"That made sense."
"But now Hao Ran as well?"
The man shook his head.
"Twice is no coincidence."
That sentence quickly spread.
People began remembering things they had previously ignored.
Su Yang had been stuck at the Second Level of the Spirit Realm for years.
Yet he had somehow avoided Fu Yancheng's attacks.
Then he had caught his fist.
Now he had defeated Hao Ran publicly.
Questions began emerging.
"Has Su Yang been hiding his cultivation?"
"Impossible."
"Then explain what happened."
"Maybe Healer Su gave him some powerful pill."
"Would a pill suddenly give someone combat experience?"
Another cultivator leaned forward.
"I was at the fair."
Everyone looked toward him.
"I saw his movement."
"What about it?"
The cultivator's expression became serious.
"It wasn't ordinary."
The conversations became quieter.
"For a moment, I couldn't follow him with my eyes."
Someone laughed nervously.
"Su Yang?"
"Yes."
The man nodded.
"His movement technique was definitely unusual."
Rumours multiplied.
Some claimed Su Yang had encountered a hidden expert.
Others said Su Mei had secretly been training him for years.
One ridiculous rumour even claimed Su Yang had discovered an ancient cultivator's inheritance inside the Seven Rings Forest.
Ironically—
That version was closer to the truth than anyone realized.
By midday, one question had spread throughout the town:
Had Su Yang ever truly been trash?
Meanwhile, the person at the center of all the rumours sat peacefully beneath the Spirit Ginkgo tree.
His eyes were closed.
His breathing was calm.
He neither knew nor cared that the entire town was discussing him.
His feet shifted.
One step became two.
Two became four.
His figure suddenly blurred between the falling leaves.
Azure Dragon Chasing the Waters.
Su Yang reappeared several meters away.
He smiled.
The Heavenly Lightning Saber Sect's disciple admission examination was approaching.
Let the town gossip.
Let them speculate.
Su Yang had something far more important to do.
He needed to become stronger.