Besides, all this dual cultivation business... well.
"Well?" Bai Ning prodded.
"I'm not going," Wei Zian said.
"What do you mean 'I'm not going'?" Bai Ning said cautiously.
"Just what I said," Wei Zian replied. "I'm skipping the whole ceremony. As luck would have it, I'll have an alchemy accident and need to recover in my quarters for the evening."
It was perhaps a bit obvious, but whatever. Wei Zian had already found a particularly tricky elixir that was supposed to make a person more outgoing and sociable, something that was entirely plausible for him to attempt to make, that would make a person quite ill when done incorrectly but wouldn't actually cause permanent damage. If he did it right, it would seem like an honest mistake instead of a way to avoid the ceremony.
"Oh come on!" protested Bai Ning, and Wei Zian had to pinch him to make him lower his voice. The last thing he needed was to have Senior Sister Yun overhear him. "It's the Phoenix Renewal Festival! A special Phoenix Renewal Festival, with the whole... celestial... convergence..."
"Great Celestial Convergence," Wei Zian offered.
"Whatever. The point is that you have to be there. Everyone who is anyone is attending!"
"I'm a nobody."
Bai Ning sighed. "No, Wei Zian, you're not. Look, Wei Zian, we're both from merchant clans, right?"
"I don't like where this is going," Wei Zian warned.
Bai Ning ignored him. "I know you don't want to hear this but-"
"Don't. Just don't."
"-you have a duty to your family to maintain appearances. Your behavior reflects on them, you know."
"There is nothing wrong with my behavior," snapped Wei Zian, aware that he was attracting stares from nearby disciples but not caring at the moment. "You're free to go wherever you want, but leave me out of it. I'm nobody important. A third son of a minor merchant clan from the edge of nowhere. People here don't give a damn about me. They don't even know who I am. And I prefer it that way."
"Alright, alright!" protested Bai Ning, gesturing wildly. "Brother Wei, you're causing a scene..."
"Whatever," scoffed Wei Zian. "Just leave me alone."
The nerve! If there was anyone who should consider the impression they were making, it should be Bai Ning! The irresponsible leech would have been relegated to a tier three group if it wasn't for Wei Zian's constant help, and this is how he repays him? Why was he even spending time with that person?
He scoffed, trying to calm down. Stupid Phoenix Renewal Festival and stupid ceremony.
The ironic thing is that unlike most people who hate these kinds of events, Wei Zian wasn't actually bad at them. He knew the proper ritual movements, he knew how to conduct himself appropriately, and he knew how to interact with people at these gatherings. He had to know these things, because his parents used to drag him along with them to such events, and they made sure he knew how to behave himself properly once there.
But he hated it. He had no words to describe how much gatherings like these disgusted him. Why should he be forced to attend something he despises when the sect had absolutely no right to demand it of him?
No, they had no right at all.
⋆⋆⋆
Hesitantly, Wei Zian knocked on the door to Senior Sister Yun's chamber, wondering why she called him here. There is no way...
"Enter."
Wei Zian stepped inside and was promptly told to take a seat while Senior Sister Yun calmly sat behind her desk, drinking something from a jade cup. Probably spirit tea. She looked calm and composed but Wei Zian could detect an undercurrent of disapproval in her posture. Hmm...
"So Wei Zian," Senior Sister Yun began. "You've been performing quite well in my class."
"Err, thank you Senior Sister," said Wei Zian cautiously. "I do my best."
"Indeed, one could say you're one of the best disciples in your group. A disciple I intend to take under my guidance after this whole festival rush subsides. An example to everyone, and just as much a representative of your cohort as Disciple Ao Jiao."
Oh, this is bad.
"I don't-"
"So, excited about the ceremony this Saturday?" asked Senior Sister Yun, seemingly changing the subject.
"Yes I am," Wei Zian lied smoothly. "It sounds like a meaningful experience."
"That's good," Senior Sister Yun said happily. "Because I heard that you plan to avoid the event. It was rather disappointing, I must say. I was quite clear that attendance is mandatory, I believe."
Note to self: find some terrible technique to use on Bai Ning. A curse that causes the target's tongue to feel like it's burning, or maybe searing pain in the lower dantian...
"Just malicious rumors, Senior Sister," Wei Zian said smoothly. "I would never dream of deliberately avoiding the ceremony. If I am unable to attend-"
"Wei Zian," Senior Sister Yun cut him off.
"Senior Sister, why is it so important that I attend anyway?" asked Wei Zian, a bit of irritation seeping into his voice. He knew it was a bad idea to speak disrespectfully to a senior disciple, but this whole thing was infuriating! "I have a cultivation issue, you know? Large gatherings disrupt my qi flow."
She snorted. "They disrupt my qi too, if that makes you feel any better. I can give you a talisman for that. The fact is I'm one of the organizers of the ceremony, and if too many disciples are absent I'll have a black mark on my record. Especially if someone as notable as yourself were to not attend."
"Me? Notable!? I'm just an average disciple!" Wei Zian protested.
"Not nearly as average as you believe," Senior Sister Yun said. "Just reaching this level requires extraordinary talent and dedication, especially for someone from a non-cultivation family like yourself, who wasn't exposed to spiritual energy your entire life. People pay attention to disciples like you. Also, you're Wei Dai's younger brother, and we both know how renowned he is."