Chapter 3: Rainbow Alliance Origin
Anji spent the entire day indoors with her mother as the household servants and sect disciples hustled to prepare for the arrival of esteemed guests who journeyed from distant lands. The Rainbow Alliance banquet, a grand affair held once a decade at the leader's sect, was a celebration to commemorate the glamour and prestige of the founders.
Nearly thirty years prior, Zhao Mingfeng was appointed as the alliance's leader, a position he earned through his unparalleled contributions in dismantling the demon-worshipping sects. Since then, the Celestial Dragon Sect basked in the glory of its illustrious past, while assuming the weighty responsibilities that accompanied its elevated status. Tonight, as the Rainbow Alliance banquet approached, the sect was poised to showcase its strength and unity under Zhao Mingfeng's leadership. There could be no mistakes tonight.
"Mother, can you tell me the story of the different sects in the Rainbow Alliance again?" Anji smiled cheekily as her mother combed her hair. She was dressed in expensive clothes for the banquet and adorned with cute accessories.
Zhao Wanting, the Madam of the Celestial Dragon Sect, chuckled fondly at her daughter's keen interest in tales of old war heroes. As she wove the story, memories flooded back to when her husband was still an active traveller beyond the mountain's confines. She vividly remembered the moment they first met, a day etched in her memory when blood rained down from the sky during the final battle with the demon-worshipper sects.
"Back then, your father was a handsome young hero without any grey in his hair. Mother was also a young warrior maiden from a small cultivation family whom the demon worshippers captured. The demon worshippers sacrificed my family, and I was prepared to die when your father appeared..."
With that blood-drenched evening's memory vivid in her mind, Wanting delicately braided her daughter's hair, her expression a mixture of nostalgia and pride. The recollection of that fateful night when lightning danced across the sky as the Murim heroes launched their assault on the demon-worshipper sect's stronghold was etched deeply in her memory. Mingfeng, an unknown young hero, charged fearlessly into the heart of the enemy's encampment, his sword gleaming under the moonlight. Although he was wearing dark fabric, it did nothing to hide the scent of blood he was drenched in.
The only thing Wanting remembered as she knelt on the sacrificial altar amid chaos and danger was Mingfeng's eyes burning with an unwavering determination to uphold justice, even at the cost of his life. She couldn't help but fall for him at that moment, her heart swelling with admiration and hope as he faced off against the demonic cult's founder atop the castle's rooftop. Mingfeng was only a Radiant Core cultivator back then. However, he stood against the formidable Transcendent Core demon-sect leader despite the odds seemingly stacked against him. The air crackled with tension as they clashed repeatedly countless times, matching each other's moves without missing a beat, a testament to their skill and determination. Yet, Mingfeng's inferior cultivation level became his disadvantage in a drawn-out battle. Wanting's heart fell when the demon sect leader pushed him back.
"However, your father wasn't alone," she reminded Anji, who listened intently. Her hair was braided neatly into two pigtails. "Although he was a vagabond cultivator at that time without a sect to back him, he made many powerful friends along the way upholding justice."