Chapter 33: Recollection · He Cen’s Birthday Grand Ceremony (Part 1)

Twenty years ago, in the Southwind Immortal Kingdom.

Today was a special day. 

He Shu had woken up early. 

After washing up, she took out an exquisite box from her cabinet.

She opened the box. Inside lay eleven pill-like white pearls.

She took one out and placed it in her mouth. 

Then she picked up a cup of water, took a sip, and swallowed it.

After putting the box back in the cabinet, He Shu couldn’t help but sigh.

These pills that suppressed her sensitive constitution were extremely precious. 

Each one cost a full two high-grade spirit stones, and their effect only lasted twelve hours. 

Normally, she was reluctant to take them.

But when she thought about what she had to do today, the corners of He Shu’s mouth lifted slightly. She couldn’t let her body’s condition delay her plans.

Today was her elder sister He Cen’s sixteenth birthday. 

Their mother, He Xiu, had organized a grand ceremony for her. 

Many families, sects, and powers had sent representatives to attend.

Although she hadn’t received an invitation, that didn’t stop He Shu from sneaking in. 

She had successfully done it several times before and had already mastered the tricks.

She possessed a genuine He Clan identity token, and her bloodline could withstand inspection. 

As long as she was careful, she wouldn’t be discovered.

He Shu was now nine years old, but her height was far below that of her peers. 

She was only ninety-three centimeters tall—not even one meter.

Even He Shu herself didn’t know why she was so short. 

She looked younger than four years old. 

She had even suspected it was due to long-term malnutrition.

She changed into her cleanest set of clothes and left home early, heading toward the venue where He Cen’s birthday grand ceremony was being held.

He Shu’s small courtyard was located in the inner city of the immortal city. 

Only those with He Clan bloodline could reside there, so the distance to the ceremony venue wasn’t far. 

Even though the journey wasn’t long, by the time He Shu arrived she was already panting from exhaustion.

Looking at the magnificent palace building before her, He Shu’s eyes sparkled with delight.

She cautiously approached the side entrance. 

Using her identity token and a string of sweet words, she successfully deceived the guards and slipped into the ceremony venue.

The palace hall was enormous, large enough to accommodate over ten thousand people. 

The venue was packed with guests who were busily exchanging pleasantries.

He Shu stealthily made her way to a long table filled with exquisite pastries. 

She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve.

So many delicious things…

The whole reason He Shu had gone through so much trouble to sneak into the event was to eat these delicacies. 

The pastries on the table were free for guests to take as they pleased. 

Without hesitation, He Shu reached out, grabbed one from a plate, and stuffed it into her mouth.

These were all spiritual foods prepared by the chefs from Jade Dew Hall. 

They each possessed wondrous effects that aided cultivation.

Just the flower cake He Shu had eaten was worth at least a dozen high-grade spirit stones outside.

He Shu only received ten high-grade spirit stones as her monthly allowance. 

Normally, taking even one bite would bankrupt her.

But today was different. 

She could enjoy them for free and without limit.

Like a little hamster, He Shu scurried around snacking and drinking. 

Not only did she eat on the spot, she also secretly stored some away in her storage bag.

Last year, when she had snuck into He Cen and He Ying’s birthday ceremonies, she had made a small fortune by reselling these unwanted little pastries. 

That was how she had built up her own little stash of savings.

“Mmm…” After swallowing the pastry in her mouth, He Shu began calculating. 

These should sell for around sixty high-grade spirit stones. 

I’ll take a bit more this year. 

Soon I’ll have enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill. Hehe.

Imagining her bright future, the corners of He Shu’s mouth curved upward.

The price for Foundation Establishment Pills for clan disciples was generally between thirty to fifty high-grade spirit stones. 

That was the internal cost price, meant to strengthen the family’s power.

But He Shu was different. 

Her public identity was only that of a collateral branch of the He Clan. 

She had no close relatives, and because she was frequently bullied by the Second Princess He Ying, everyone kept their distance from her. 

Naturally, she had no way to purchase pills through official clan channels.

Her situation was similar to that of a rogue cultivator. 

Since she couldn’t refine pills herself, she could only buy Foundation Establishment Pills sold by various medicine halls. 

The average price was more than ten times higher.

Suddenly, the noise in the hall quieted down. Soon it completely disappeared. For a moment, one could have heard a pin drop.

All eyes focused forward as the crowd instinctively parted to both sides.

The grand doors of the main hall slowly opened. Three figures appeared on the red carpet.

He Xiu stood in the center. 

Her waist-length white hair was half-tied back with a dark jade hairpin, the rest cascading down her back. 

She wore a purple wide-sleeved immortal robe. Her steps were unhurried. 

Despite her young and beautiful appearance, she gave off an aura of looking down upon the world and towering above all.

He Shu hid behind a pillar. 

She poked her small head out and stared from afar at her mother’s peerless beauty. 

She became completely dazed. The lotus pastry in her hand fell to the ground. 

Only after snapping back to her senses did she quickly pick it up and stuff it into her mouth.

While chewing the lotus pastry, He Shu’s gaze remained fixed on He Xiu’s figure. 

She couldn’t look away no matter what.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen Mother’s face…

The last time had been at He Ying’s birthday banquet last year. 

Just like now, she had snuck in and watched from a corner in the distance.

Behind He Xiu followed two young girls who looked seventy percent similar to her. 

They were He Cen and He Ying—He Shu’s elder sister and younger sister.

Walking in front was He Cen, the Eldest Princess of the Southwind Immortal Kingdom, He Xiu’s eldest daughter, and the star of today’s ceremony.

He Cen was wearing an elegant moon-white long dress. 

She walked forward without glancing sideways, her temperament cool and aloof. 

She had the same white hair as He Xiu and the same purple eyes, though her features still carried a trace of youthfulness.

Following behind He Cen was He Ying, the Second Princess of the Southwind Immortal Kingdom and He Xiu’s third daughter. 

She was a full ten years younger than He Cen, so she was much shorter.

Unlike He Cen’s cool demeanor, He Ying was quite lively. She had beautiful long green hair and a pair of emerald-green eyes. 

At the moment she was wearing a pure white dress, curiously looking around at the people with an innocent and carefree gaze.

On the surface she looked pure and innocent, but He Shu knew very well just how wicked her younger sister truly was on the inside. 

It was because of her daily bullying that He Shu was not acknowledged by the clan.

A wave of congratulations rose inside the hall. 

The guests flocked toward He Xiu and her two daughters like stars surrounding the moon.

He Shu was pushed back several steps by the crowd, retreating into an even darker corner.

No one noticed her. 

Squatting under the table, He Shu felt like a mouse, hiding in the shadows and secretly watching other people’s brilliant lives.

After swallowing what was in her mouth, He Shu quietly watched as her mother was escorted by the crowd onto the high platform. 

She watched He Cen and He Ying sit on either side of their mother.

She lowered her head to look at the storage bag in her arms, then reached out to grab a few more pastries from the table and stuffed them inside.

Clearly these were enough to exchange for a lot of spirit stones. 

She should have been happy.

But why couldn’t she smile?

A faint sourness rose in her chest. He Shu’s eyes grew slightly red, and her vision quickly blurred.

She instinctively reached out a hand. Tears fell silently into her palm.

She also wanted to throw herself into her mother’s arms and act spoiled. 

She wanted to sit beside her mother just like her sisters.

But why could she only hide under the table and secretly wipe away her tears?

Why could her sisters enjoy such a dazzling life while she could only curl up in a dark corner like a lowly insect, sobbing alone?

Perhaps she shouldn’t be so greedy. 

There were many people in this world who lived worse lives than her, weren’t there?

But… I really feel so unwilling.

She was clearly also her mother’s daughter. 

So why was there such a massive difference in their status and treatment?