The few times I met with Audrey before, we were always with other songstresses, and we never really caught up with each other. This rare occasion of being alone together led the conversation to lighter, nostalgic topics.
"By the way, I'm curious, is Audrey's hair naturally white as snow?" Tilan wondered.
"Ah, it really is," Audrey replied, reaching behind her head to gather her hair and bring it to the front.
"It seems to be due to the practice of the Hong Hu Lineage heritage. Since a certain ancestor, it has turned into this color."
"Naturally white hair is indeed rare, the only other species would be the Ice Spirits."
"If you look closely, there are still differences. The hair color of the Ice Spirits carries a faint silver-white hue, while our Hong Hu Lineage is more pure," Audrey explained as she delicately ran her fingers through her hair, allowing Tilan to come closer for a better look.
After feeling Audrey's hair, which seemed very nice to the touch, Tilan took a while before letting go. Then, the two of them began talking about the state of the various Factions of the Five Phoenix Lineages.
"As far as I know, with the Crane Lineage heritage, Tilan is currently the only branch," she said.
"Our Hong Hu Lineage, the main branch that I belong to, has some assets in the Flying Feather Star Domain; our developments are fair but not prominent, just a middle-level Faction. The other branches are also distributed in some star systems and gather every ten years to exchange information," explained Audrey.
"The Yuan Chu Lineage heritage is quite prosperous, but their style differs greatly from the other Lineages, resembling more of a business with similar spiritual pursuits, like 'Sienna Script Workshop,' 'Ink Rhyme Workshop,' 'Return to Prosperity Artifice,' and 'Xuanming Dragon Ship.' These are all highly reputable manufacturers in various fields. If it weren't for the occasional promotional activities, one might think they have forgotten that they are the successors of the Yuan Chu Lineage," she continued.
"The Crane Lineage is still sparse in members, without a dedicated Faction. A small part is said to have been absorbed by the Court of Judgment, becoming one of its institutional departments."
"At present, the most flourishing is still the Red Phoenix Lineage," Audrey elaborated slowly.
"In many of the Star Domains of the Eastern Federation, especially where people from The East congregate, you can see hanging red phoenix lanterns and fenghuang patterns on the Zhim bell," she said.
"In communities where Easterners gather, they often have shrines for the worship of the phoenix, where not only is there the sacred name of the ancient Seven Radiant True Flame Lord's Splendid Colors, portraits of the Five Virtues Phoenix, but also the portrait of the Sovereign of the Blue Phoenix, which is what people commonly refer to as the Three Generations of Phoenix."
"Currently, there are no definitive leaders among the Five Phoenix Lineages; it's a more general concept. If you believe you are one, then you are; if you don't believe, no one will force you, it's roughly ," Audrey explained at length.
"So that's how it is…" Tilan pondered, feeling somewhat surprised but also finding it quite reasonable. After all, nearly ten thousand years have passed since the Third Era. That people still remember is impressive enough, and to expect worship similar to that in ancient societies was a bit out of place.
After talking a lot about the Five Phoenix Heritage, Audrey suggested she'd like to practice swordplay with Tilan.
"I've specifically watched Tilan's competition videos, and I know you're strong," Audrey acknowledged the difference in their strength.
"It's not about winning; I just want to practice. It's been a long time since I fought anyone, and I hope Tilan can give me some advice." Tilan could feel Audrey's eagerness.
As they became more familiar with each other, this young mistress of the Hong Hu Lineage stopped maintaining her ladylike image and began to resemble more closely the image of Feng Jianxue from Tilan's memories.
"No problem," Tilan said, as she and Audrey stood up and then moved to the fourth underground level of the mansion, which contained a spacious combat area surrounded by protective barriers to prevent damage to the building.
Under the curious and expectant gazes of the maids, the two entered the arena. Audrey had changed into a light white dress for mobility, and Tilan wore a similar style.
"Let me prepare first; don't just force me to leave the stage right away," Audrey said with a bit of coyness after positioning herself opposite Tilan, having witnessed Tilan's one-sword quick victory.
"Alright," Tilan replied with a hint of amusement, seeing that Audrey really lacked confidence.
With Tilan's agreement, Audrey started to prepare. She slowly drew her faintly glowing longsword. Its blade glistened like white silk. Then she closed her eyes slightly and ran her fingers over the blade, causing a phoenix pattern to light up on the Sword Edge.
Afterward, Audrey began to slowly perform a sword dance, which seemed less like combat and more like some sort of ritualistic dance, much like what Gu Yongrong had previously shown.
Her sleeves and Sword Edge flowed like water, twirling with the grace of fish through the currents. As Audrey danced, her aura became ever more ethereal, while the underground combat chamber gradually filled with vapor.
In ancient times, this would have been a rain-invoking dance, thought Tilan.
Wind Priest, Fire Priest, Rain Priest, Mountain Priest—among the four Priests, the Hong Hu Lineage also featured "Rain Priest" and "Rain Master," both critical in ceremonial activities.
However, as Tilan was caught up in her thoughts, a hazy figure formed behind her, and then, without a sound or shape, a Sword Stab thrust forward like mist.
Clang, the clear sound of colliding blades echoed through the combat chamber.
As the Sword Stab shot forth, Tilan's body spun, her silver Sword Edge whirling to clash with the incoming blade. Then water splashed everywhere, revealing Audrey's figure, and the previously dancing figure on the other side gradually vanished.
Having missed with her attack, Audrey no longer hid herself, and instead, her sword strikes rained down like a sudden downpour. Her faintly glowing Sword Edge flickered in and out of sight through the mist, its weight shifting unpredictably as she thrust downwards.