Chapter 32 Tang Hui Receives Her First Official Invitation

Tang Hui should have known peace would not last.

Success inside cultivation sects always attracted two things eventually:
attention,
and administration.

She preferred neither.

Unfortunately, both arrived together the following afternoon.

The matchmaking pavilion remained crowded from morning onward. Consultation slips covered nearly every table while disciples filled the surrounding market street with constant conversation and festival gossip.

Tang Hui had not sat down properly for over two hours.

“…No, if she says ‘do whatever you want,’ that does not literally mean do whatever you want.”

The nervous disciple across from her looked devastated.

“But then what does it mean?”

“It means she’s upset and testing whether you care enough to notice.”

Several nearby disciples started writing this down immediately.

Tang Hui pointed at them sharply.

“None of you are allowed to weaponize this knowledge.”

The crowd looked suspiciously guilty already.

Hopeless sect.

Before Tang Hui could continue the next consultation, a shadow fell across the pavilion entrance.

The surrounding conversations softened instinctively.

Tang Hui looked up—

and immediately spotted the inner sect attendant standing outside.

Ah.

Trouble.

The attendant bowed respectfully.

“Junior Sister Tang.”

Tang Hui sat straighter automatically. “Yes?”

“I’ve come on behalf of Elder Shen.”

The entire pavilion went silent.

Not ordinary silence either.

The dramatic kind where everyone suddenly pretended not to listen while obviously listening harder than before.

Tang Hui herself felt immediate concern.

Elder Shen again?

This could not possibly lead anywhere comfortable.

The attendant extended a folded invitation card carefully sealed with Qingyun Sect’s inner crest.

“Elder Shen requests your presence at tomorrow evening’s inner peak gathering.”

Several disciples nearly inhaled their own spiritual energy from shock.

Tang Hui blinked slowly.

“…Inner peak gathering?”

“Yes.”

“…As in the actual inner peaks?”

The attendant looked politely confused. “Correct.”

Tang Hui accepted the invitation with the expression of someone handed a highly decorative death notice.

Around her, the pavilion disciples already looked moments away from exploding into rumors again.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

The attendant bowed once more before departing quietly through the market crowds.

The moment he disappeared—

the pavilion erupted.

“INNER PEAKS?!”

“Senior Sister Tang was invited personally?!”

“That’s where the elite disciples gather!”

Tang Hui raised both hands immediately.

“Everyone calm down.”

Nobody calmed down.

Old Chen leaned halfway into the pavilion looking spiritually exhausted already.

“You really climbed from failed outer disciple to inner peak guest in under a month.”

Tang Hui pointed at herself.

“I still live beside leaking roof tiles.”

“Spiritually irrelevant now.”

Disturbingly accurate.

Tang Hui unfolded the invitation slowly while the pavilion crowd leaned closer with horrifying synchronization.

Elegant black ink flowed across pale silver paper.

[The Lantern Reflection Festival concludes tomorrow evening upon the Moonheart Peak.]

[Junior Sister Tang Hui is invited to attend the final gathering in recognition of her contributions toward this year’s festival harmony.]

Tang Hui stared at the words.

Festival harmony.

That sounded dangerously official.

More importantly—

recognition.

Actual sect recognition.

A strange feeling settled briefly in her chest before she suppressed it immediately.

Dangerous emotional territory.

Before Tang Hui could recover properly, Lin Qingyue arrived carrying fresh consultation records from earlier festival activities.

She noticed the atmosphere instantly.

“…What happened?”

Thirty disciples answered simultaneously.

“Senior Sister Tang got invited to Moonheart Peak!”

Lin Qingyue’s eyes widened immediately.

“Oh.”

Tang Hui looked at her weakly. “That reaction inspires no confidence.”

Lin Qingyue sat beside her while carefully reading the invitation.

“This is significant,” she admitted softly.

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

Moonheart Peak.

Tang Hui had only seen it from a distance before.

One of Qingyun Sect’s most beautiful inner peaks, reserved mainly for formal gatherings, elder discussions, and important sect events.

In simpler terms:
a place where outer disciples absolutely did not belong casually.

And now she had been invited there personally.

The realization felt deeply suspicious.

Before Tang Hui could spiral further into anxiety, another familiar voice drifted from the pavilion entrance.

“You look troubled.”

Luo Ming entered lazily as though he owned the market itself.

Qin Yue followed several steps behind him.

Tang Hui immediately narrowed her eyes.

Again.

Always together lately.

Professional observation only.

Absolutely nothing more.

Tang Hui gestured dramatically with the invitation card.

“I’m being socially promoted against my will.”

Luo Ming accepted the card casually before scanning its contents.

Then his smile deepened slightly.

Dangerous sign.

“What?”

“This is more important than you realize.”

Tang Hui nearly collapsed spiritually.

“No.”

Qin Yue stepped forward and answered instead.

“Moonheart Peak gatherings are usually limited to core disciples, instructors, and invited guests.”

Tang Hui looked at her blankly.

“…I sell relationship advice beside roasted chestnuts.”

“Yes,” Qin Yue replied calmly. “And yet here we are.”

The pavilion disciples looked increasingly awed by the second.

Tang Hui hated all of them.

Luo Ming handed the invitation back while studying her expression with visible amusement.

“You’re nervous.”

“I’m practical.”

“You’re afraid everyone there will judge you.”

Tang Hui opened her mouth automatically—

then paused.

Because unfortunately, he was correct.

Not entirely afraid.

But wary.

The matchmaking pavilion worked here in the outer sect because people already knew her.

They understood the ridiculousness naturally.

The inner peaks were different.

Older disciples.

Stronger cultivators.

Sect politics.

Expectation.

Tang Hui suddenly felt very aware that she still possessed terrible cultivation talent and exactly zero elegant immortal dignity.

Qin Yue watched her quietly for a moment before speaking.

“You’re overthinking this.”

Tang Hui looked at her immediately.

“I entered Qingyun Sect five years ago and failed every advancement expectation possible.”

“And?”

Tang Hui blinked.

Qin Yue folded her arms calmly.

“The invitation was not sent because of your cultivation level.”

Silence settled briefly across the pavilion.

Simple sentence.

But it landed harder than expected.

Because she was right.

Tang Hui had spent so many years measuring herself against cultivation standards that part of her still instinctively believed weakness erased everything else.

Yet now—

people noticed her anyway.

Not despite who she was.

Because of it.

The realization lingered quietly in her chest.

Warm.

Uncomfortable.

Real.

Before Tang Hui could respond, Luo Ming suddenly smiled again.

Another dangerous development.

“What now?” she asked suspiciously.

“You’ll need proper robes for Moonheart Peak.”

Tang Hui froze.

“…Wait.”