Chapter 681

Chapter 681: The Mountain Gate Opens

When Lolan Hill arrived at the marketplace, it was still morning, and there weren’t many people around.

Some disciples looked curiously at the girl holding a bird with light yellow feathers. Many members of the sect kept beasts or strange creatures, but they were mostly of the beast or dragon kind. It was rare to see someone raising birds.

“Lacey, I’m here.” Stepping into the shop, she didn’t see anyone at the counter. The young girl called out softly and walked toward the back of the shop, since Lace usually sat there.

As she put it, sitting in that spot allowed her to quietly drink tea and read books, take naps secretly, and not be seen by passersby. If someone entered the shop, she could notice, so there was no worry about losing anything.

After turning past several wardrobes, Lolan Hill reached the back of the shop and saw the witch in a red dress dozing off against the back of a chair. Her long golden hair hung down from her waist, swaying slightly in the breeze from the window. Outside was a noisy world under the scorching sun, while inside it was much more peaceful, with only the faint sound of the wind rustling the curtains.

The girl didn’t immediately wake up the witch but instead sat on another chair next to Dai Ju, looking curiously at the open book on the table.

This book did not discuss cultivation but introduced many insights into dye mixing. Judging from the paper, it wasn’t made from the yellow mulberry paper produced in Huilu Continent but rather from white pages with a slight green tint.

“Plum green, eggplant purple, sappanwood red, sky water blue, mugwort green,” Lolan Hill silently recited the names of these colors, growing increasingly curious.

Among them, the ingredients for dyeing were diverse, and the methods varied greatly, with some even requiring specific timing and temperature.

While she was reading the words on the page, Lacey also woke up.

The beautiful witch yawned, glanced at Lolan Hill, and gradually regained her senses after a moment.

“Oh, it’s Little Lace. Are you interested in dyeing? Would you like to work for me? I can teach you.”

“I don’t want to work,” the girl shook her head and continued, “But I can help.”

After all, having received gifts from her, Lolan Hill was indeed interested in dyeing.

“Really?” Lacey was surprised; this girl agreed so easily today.

With their increased mutual communication, she had come to understand Lolan Hill a bit. Though young, this witch’s descendant saw through many things clearly and had little desire, always appearing calm and composed.

“Yes, I’ve spun yarn before. There were no dyes then, just white. Although I love white, after wearing it for a long time, I sometimes want to try other colors,” Lolan Hill said.

“Lace knows how to spin yarn. That’s wonderful,” Lacey seemed to find a kindred spirit, sitting up straighter.

“Can I see the yarn you spun?”

“It’s not available right now. Maybe in a while, when I find suitable materials,” she thought for a moment, needing to find the right cotton for improvement.

In the following days, Lolan Hill stayed with Lacey, learning how to dye fabrics using various flowers, roots, and leaves.

Time slowly passed, and the brief autumn quickly came and went. The weather gradually turned colder, and winter solstice was approaching.

“Jialan, can you help?” One day, Lolan Hill was at Lacey’s shop when Su Ye ran over.

“What’s wrong?” She looked up at her senior sister.

“Today is the day the mountain gate opens. Many new arrivals are expected to join, and I can’t handle it alone. Can you assist?”

Su Ye had been mostly staying in the marketplace for the second half of the year, assisting Senior Sister Lian Yin with various tasks until the end of the year. Recently, with the mountain gate opening, visitors had increased, making her and the other disciples busy.

“Sure,” Lolan Hill nodded and then bid farewell to Lacey and Su Ye before leaving.

“Hold on,” as she was about to leave, Lacey stopped Lolan Hill and handed her two pale ribbons.

“What are these?” Lolan Hill looked curiously at the ribbons.

“Put them on your wrists. They’ll be useful in critical moments. These are my special concoctions,” the witch winked after saying this, emphasizing the special part.

“Also, I will be away for some time. I need to meet an old friend far away,” the witch waved goodbye to Lolan Hill.

Looking at the two ribbons resembling thin strings, one light red and the other light blue, Lolan Hill nodded at Lacey and wished her well, “Wish you a safe journey and return safely.”

Although Lacey was a witch, her current strength was only at Sequence 6, and it wasn’t necessarily safe for her to travel.

“Thanks for your good wishes,” Lacey smiled and then remembered something.

“I’ll give you a gift later. You’ll know soon,” after saying this, the witch lifted her skirt and bowed, gradually fading away into the dim shop.

Watching the witch say goodbye, Lolan Hill felt a sudden unease, as if recalling a scene from her memories.

“Hold on, Senior Sister Su Ye.”

She stood still, her eyelashes trembling slightly, eyes closed.

After a long while, the girl reopened her eyes, with brilliant stars still shimmering in her pupils, and the uneasy feeling slowly subsided.

“Alright, we can go now. Don’t make others wait,” after handling the matter, Lolan Hill felt much better and turned to walk toward Su Ye under the shade of the trees.

“Seeing you stand there for a while, are you missing Lacey? But yes, you both come from the Western Continent, so you’re more familiar with each other and have a deeper bond,” Su Ye comforted Lolan Hill, thinking she was saddened by the separation.

“In a while, when the sea routes resume and you advance to a higher rank, crossing the endless sea will be much safer,” Su Ye added.

“Mm-hm, I’m not that sad anymore. Let’s go,” Lolan Hill assured her, and Su Ye felt relieved.

The two headed towards the foot of the mountain. The early winter sunlight shone on the forest, though it was already winter, the Xiangyu Sect remained warm as spring, except for the snow falling in the distant wilderness below.

The stone steps wound through the mixed forest of green and yellow. As they approached the lower mountain gate, a long trumpet sounded, echoing throughout the mountains, its sound like an elephant’s roar, heavy and grand. When the three long notes slowly faded, the large gate at the foot of the mountain began to open slowly.

The massive stone gate, towering like a mountain, trembled slightly as it turned, giving a sense of pressure, followed by the cold winds and snow pouring into the warm mountains.

One young man after another, dressed in colorful attire, stepped through the ancient gate, climbing the stairs step by step.

Most of them were elite disciples from various factions in Huilu Continent, with some geniuses from other regions. Today, they climbed the mountain to be the first to join the Scorching Sun Xiangyu Sect.

They had been preparing for this day for a very long time.

About the Western Continent, everyone doesn’t need to rush. I’ll occasionally talk about it.

End of Chapter