Hidden Abyss Valley is different from Ascension Immortal Mansion. The Ascension Immortal Mansion is built atop an Immortal Mountain, whereas Hidden Abyss Valley is built on the shores of East Lake. It may be called a valley, but it actually resembles more of a manor. The reason it's named Hidden Abyss Valley is due to the phrase "heart as spacious as a valley."
What sets Hidden Abyss Valley apart from other Immortal Cultivation Sects is its construction by the water, not isolated from human settlements. According to the founding ancestor of Hidden Abyss Valley, the mountain scenery is always the same, whereas East Lake offers beautiful vistas: misty spring rains, blooming lotus flowers in summer, wistful water waves in autumn, and snow-covered winter landscapes.
Thus, Hidden Abyss Valley is located on the shores of East Lake.
In front of Hidden Abyss Valley's gates, Wen Ran looked at Shen Wu who was incessantly shaking a red rattle drum, feeling annoyed and agitated, "Can you stop shaking that?"
Previously, to avoid embarrassment, Wen Ran had to turn back and buy the rattle drum from a vendor. Shen Wu played with it the whole way, attracting many people's stares.
Shen Wu remarked, "No, I haven't yet experienced it."
"Experienced what?"
"What makes it fun."
Wen Ran's eyes showed surprise, "So you think it's not fun either, yet you play with it for so long?"
He didn't speak for a moment, probably frustrated at not finding joy in this little toy.
Earlier, they handed the letter from Wen Xun to the gatekeeping disciple. The disciple went inside, and soon a young man with elegant demeanor emerged.
"So it's Master Shen and Miss Wen, truly bringing glory to our Hidden Abyss Valley."
Wen Ran glanced at this man. Although his attire was considered simple compared to other Hidden Abyss Valley members, the yellow fabric was mixed with gold thread.
She looked again at Hidden Abyss Valley's gold and gem-encrusted gate, thinking to herself, if this is an ordinary gate, then their Ascension Immortal Mansion is just a beggar's hut.
The man looked at Shen Wu, who wore a reed hat, holding the rattle drum, displaying a bizarre expression, "What's Master Shen up to?"
Wen Ran explained, "My senior brother caught a cold, so it's inconvenient for him to be exposed to the wind."
"I see, then what about what's in Master Shen's hand?"
Before Wen Ran could respond, Shen Wu spoke first, "Ranran has a child's heart; she wanted to play, so I bought it for her."
He shoved the rattle drum into Wen Ran's arms, saying coldly, "Ranran, keep it safe."
Under the "still so young and naive" looks from others, Wen Ran held back her impulse to punch him.
The man chuckled, "My adopted brother recently went to Buddha Sound Temple to see an old friend. But rest assured, Elder Bai already mentioned in the letter to assist you in repairing the sword."
Hidden Abyss Valley is a family-run business, with influential figures mostly from the Qiu Family. However, one exception is this non-Qiu man in front of them.
He's the Valley Master's sworn brother from earlier years, Ye Sui, responsible for handling various affairs in Hidden Abyss Valley. Everyone respectfully calls him Mr. Ye.
Before coming to Hidden Abyss Valley, Wen Xun made sure to brief them, mainly fearing Wen Ran causing offense, about the interpersonal relationships within Hidden Abyss Valley.
At this time, Shen Wu didn't act crazy. He clasped his hands in greeting, politely saying, "I trouble you, Mr. Ye."
"No trouble at all, Hidden Abyss Valley and Ascension Immortal Mansion have always had a strong friendship and together serve the righteous path, so mutual assistance is only right."
Ye Sui was amiable, approachable, and led Shen Wu and Wen Ran through the gates; disciples greeted him along the way, and he responded to each.
Suddenly, a rushing disciple broke the harmony, "Mr. Ye! Miss and Young Master are fighting again!"
Ye Sui helplessly massaged his brow, appearing quite troubled. He apologized to Shen Wu and Wen Ran before swiftly leaving with the reporting disciple.
Wen Ran watched Shen Wu, who was eager to follow, grab hold of his hand, "This is a family matter, us getting involved seems inappropriate."
"We're just occasionally passing by and happened to witness their quarrel, how's that interfering?"
Wen Ran disagreed, "You're being unreasonable."
Shen Wu chuckled, "Aren't you curious? Hidden Abyss Valley is so wealthy, maybe during the fight, some gold will fall off."
Wen Ran's resolve shamefully wavered, so with a moment's carelessness, she was pulled by him in the direction Ye Sui left.
People in Hidden Abyss Valley have a strong preference for gold-like yellow. The eaves hang lanterns painted with gold powder, even trees planted in the manor are maple trees with leaves yellow year-round.
At first glance, it all felt distinctly golden!
Wen Ran hid behind a sturdy trunk of a maple tree. She discreetly peeked out, with Shen Wu above her. They both, rare in their harmony, watched the lively scene intently.
The petite girl in yellow, strikingly beautiful, wielded a heavy sword taller than herself and many times heavier, but wielded with vigor. Each blow left a pit in the ground.
Observing the young man in yellow, with some facial resemblance to the girl, although male, he possessed a feminine appearance with a soft look. He dodged the incoming heavy sword and used a light sword to deftly deflect its force, shouting, "Qiu Shui! Are you serious!"
"If I'm not serious, are we playing house?" Despite her gentle-sounding name Qiu Shui, her personality was the opposite; with beautiful eyes glaring, she swung the sword weighing a thousand pounds, but her hand was suddenly grabbed.
The young man instantly backed several steps to maintain a safe distance from the girl.
Qiu Shui furrowed her brows, angry, "Ye Sui! Let go of me!"
Ye Sui sighed, "Qiu Shui, Qiu Shan is your cousin, siblings should..."
"Siblings should indeed compete to see who's superior to gain respect!"
Ye Sui was at a loss for words.
The distant Qiu Shan shouted back challengingly, "Clearly it's your sword casting problem, losing to me, refusing to admit defeat, insisting on fighting me!"
"What's wrong with my sword casting? I said it needs to forge in the Sword Casting Furnace for thirty-six hours, but you took it out after thirty-five! Of course, it has flaws!"
"Thirty-six hours? That's just your excuse for not admitting defeat!"
Ye Sui realized, "So you made another bet."