Chapter 35 Moonheart Peak Was a Terrible Place for Someone Like Tang Hui

Tang Hui knew the evening was cursed the moment she stepped onto Moonheart Peak and immediately saw cloud cranes circling above the main terraces.

Cloud cranes.

Actual cloud cranes.

Not ordinary birds.

Elegant spiritual beasts specifically cultivated for important sect occasions and dramatic scenery.

Tang Hui stopped halfway up the jade stairway and stared upward blankly.

“…This mountain has a budget.”

Beside her, Lin Qingyue nearly laughed.

“It’s only prepared this way for major gatherings.”

“That sentence somehow makes it worse.”

The final Lantern Reflection Festival gathering had transformed Moonheart Peak into something almost unreal beneath the night sky. Floating lantern arrays drifted between ancient pavilions while silver spirit streams curved gently through the mountain gardens like living ribbons of light.

Music echoed softly from distant terraces.

Inner sect disciples moved through the gathering in elegant robes, calm conversations flowing around them beneath flowering moon trees.

Everyone looked refined.

Graceful.

Powerful.

Tang Hui suddenly felt extremely aware that she once tripped over a chicken while carrying steamed buns through the outer market.

This environment clearly belonged to a different species of cultivator.

“You’re thinking too loudly again,” Luo Ming remarked from somewhere behind her.

Tang Hui did not turn around.

“I dislike that you can tell.”

“It’s becoming easier.”

Dangerous statement.

Tang Hui finally glanced back.

Luo Ming stood near the lower stair rail in dark robes threaded with subtle silver embroidery, entirely at ease within the elegant atmosphere surrounding Moonheart Peak.

Naturally.

Men like him probably emerged from mountain mist already looking socially composed.

Beside him, Qin Yue looked equally suited to the gathering, crimson robes softened by the lantern glow drifting through the terraces.

Tang Hui’s eyes narrowed automatically.

Again.

Together.

At this point even spiritually blind disciples would notice the pattern.

Professional observation only.

Absolutely nothing more.

“You’re staring,” Luo Ming said pleasantly.

“I’m judging.”

“Cruel.”

Correct.

Tang Hui continued climbing the stairs before he could become more annoying.

The moment she reached the upper terrace, however, several nearby conversations quieted unexpectedly.

Tang Hui immediately became suspicious.

Inner sect disciples glanced toward her openly now, expressions ranging from curiosity to recognition.

Ah.

No.

She hated this already.

One disciple murmured quietly:

“That’s Tang Hui?”

“The matchmaking pavilion owner?”

“I heard she resolved six festival disputes personally.”

Tang Hui wanted everyone to stop describing her like an emerging spiritual phenomenon.

Before she could escape deeper into the gathering, Elder Shen himself approached from the central pavilion terrace.

The surrounding disciples straightened instinctively.

Tang Hui followed several seconds later out of survival instinct.

Elder Shen’s gaze settled on her calmly.

Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.

“You came.”

Tang Hui blinked once.

“…I was invited very persuasively.”

A faint chuckle escaped the elder.

Nearby disciples looked spiritually shaken already.

Apparently elders did not laugh casually often.

Excellent.

Tang Hui somehow caused abnormalities across every social layer of Qingyun Sect now.

Deeply concerning achievement.

Elder Shen’s eyes moved briefly over the blue robes before nodding once.

“The attire suits the occasion.”

Tang Hui immediately suspected everyone coordinated against her in advance.

Still—

a strange warmth flickered briefly in her chest anyway.

Because for the first time since entering Qingyun Sect, she did not feel like someone barely tolerated within the sect.

She felt… welcomed.

The realization unsettled her enough that she changed topics immediately.

“The festival gathering seems larger than expected.”

“Because this year’s atmosphere differed from previous years,” Elder Shen replied calmly.

Tang Hui hesitated slightly.

“…Differed badly?”

“No.”

The elder’s gaze drifted toward the lantern-lit terraces surrounding them.

“People relaxed more this year. Outer and inner disciples interacted more naturally. Fewer conflicts emerged.”

Tang Hui followed his line of sight quietly.

Laughter echoed softly through the gardens nearby where disciples gathered beneath moonlit trees. Music drifted from the western pavilion while groups moved easily between terraces without the rigid social tension she remembered from earlier sect events.

Lighter.

Like Qin Yue said before.

Elder Shen looked back toward her.

“Your pavilion influenced that.”

Tang Hui almost denied it automatically.

But the words stopped halfway.

Because pretending otherwise felt dishonest now.

Not entirely her alone.

But still—

the pavilion had changed things.

A little.

The realization lingered quietly between pride and disbelief.

Before Tang Hui could respond, another elder approached from the central hall with visible curiosity.

Ah.

More important people.

Wonderful.

The elder studied her thoughtfully.

“So this is the famous Tang Hui.”

Tang Hui physically resisted the urge to look behind herself for another person.

“I’m becoming increasingly alarmed by the word famous,” she admitted.

Several nearby disciples choked on laughter.

The elder himself smiled faintly.

Interesting.

Apparently even elders found her entertaining now.

Social survival chances improving slightly.

As conversations resumed around the terraces, Tang Hui slowly relaxed enough to observe the gathering properly.

And unfortunately—

her matchmaking instincts remained active automatically.

Near the eastern pavilion, two disciples kept pretending not to stand beside each other.

A formation instructor watched one particular music cultivator whenever she laughed.

Three separate sword cultivators were clearly trying to impress the same woman through increasingly aggressive spiritual techniques.

Hopeless.

Absolutely hopeless.

Tang Hui sighed softly.

Moonheart Peak contained stronger cultivators than the outer sect.

But emotionally?

No improvement whatsoever.

“You’re analyzing people again.”

Tang Hui turned slightly.

Qin Yue stood beside one of the moonlit railings overlooking the distant mountains, crimson sleeves stirring softly in the night wind.

“I can’t stop noticing things anymore,” Tang Hui admitted.

Qin Yue’s expression shifted faintly.

“Dangerous profession.”

“You have no idea.”

For a moment, the festival noise faded slightly around them.

Lantern light drifted across the terrace gardens below while clouds rolled slowly beneath the mountain cliffs in silver waves.

Beautiful view.

Dangerously peaceful atmosphere.

Tang Hui leaned lightly against the railing beside Qin Yue.

Then paused.

Because across the terrace—

Luo Ming was watching them.

More specifically—

watching Qin Yue.

And when Qin Yue unconsciously glanced back several seconds later—

their eyes met immediately.

Ah.

There it was.

Not obvious.

Not dramatic.

Just quiet familiarity.

The kind built gradually through repeated attention.

Tang Hui suddenly felt like she accidentally spotted a spirit beast emerging from fog.

Rare.

Subtle.

Easy to miss unless someone looked carefully.

Unfortunately for everyone involved—

Tang Hui looked carefully by profession now.