Chapter 173: Successor Rituals
It took almost two months for the Mystical Qilin Sect to clean up its act. Yan Ping proved her efficient leadership by arranging the internal arrangements needed to accommodate visitors from the other sect.
While the change was exciting, Anji was too busy to help with anything. In fact, she had the most important role in the martial arts exchange program. As the youngest daughter of the Celestial Dragon Sect and the official successor to the Mystical Qilin Sect, Anji had to act as the Rainbow Alliance’s representative and give a speech to initiate the exchange program. However, before that, she had to first make her debut as Ci Wang.
Preparing for the successor’s debut ceremony was more gruelling than Anji thought. For a sect that supported innovation, they were surprisingly traditional regarding rituals.
For a week before her debut, Anji was subjected to all types of cleansing treatment. For seven whole days, Anji would follow the strict regime of meditating, bathing in cold water and eating vegetarian food. In addition to these rituals, the girl had to memorise the sect rules and memorise her oath speech during the succession vows. There was no time to waste, and Anji felt more exhausted than the time she had to do all the chores in Researcher Yang’s messy lab. Even so, the young girl persevered.
Yan Ping watched as Anji grew thinner daily. Although the girl was not sickly because Doctor Yun checked on her daily alongside Aunt Wine, who ensured that Anji ate only the most nutritious vegetarian food, it was difficult for the adults to watch Anji subject herself to the seemingly inhumane succession rituals.
"Make sure to pamper her a lot once this is all over," Yan Ping mentally transmitted her order to Aunt Wine, who was leaving the hut.
Aunt Wine was initially surprised to receive a direct order from the sect leader. However, her surprise soon melted into joy. Nodding to the leader, who was hidden from sight, Aunt Wine bowed twice and left with her basket of dirty dishes.
By now, Anji must have finished her dinner and shower. Yan Ping chose to enter the isolated hut at this time. It would be her first time seeing her chosen successor in over six days.
"Child, are you still awake?" Yan Ping asked at the door, not wanting to enter the hut carelessly. Even if she was the sect leader, rules had to be observed. Anji could not leave her isolation until the day of the ceremony tomorrow.