Chapter 11
In the East Sea.
Ying Cunxin sat on the edge of a coral reef, fiddling with the Chaos Mirror. Her attendant spoke to her, conveying the displeasure of the East Sea Dragon King, but she ignored it all. After Chu Yi agreed to her request, she didn’t even bother pretending to listen. With a flick of her sleeve, she swept all the irrelevant people out of her palace.
She was interested in befriending Chu Yi, so naturally, she couldn’t refuse her kind invitation. Thus, she channeled her consciousness into the Ethereal Spirit Realm, her illusory form appearing face-to-face with Chu Yi. Although Ying Cunxin admired strength, she also appreciated beauty. She gazed at Chu Yi intently, her eyes filled with admiration.
Chu Yi: “…”
She felt uncomfortable under Ying Cunxin’s intense gaze. She pursed her lips and put on a serious expression. Raising her hand in a gesture of courtesy, she said, “Let’s begin.”
After Ying Cunxin returned the gesture, still unsure of what to expect, Chu Yi immediately summoned her magic sword and slashed at her. Ying Cunxin was startled but quickly realized that Chu Yi wanted to spar. Although she wasn’t fond of fighting, she was willing to humor Chu Yi when she was in a good mood.
However, Chu Yi never treated combat as a game. She showed no mercy, her heart as hard as iron. Within two quarters of an hour, she had defeated Ying Cunxin, ignoring her accusing gaze as she gracefully left the Ethereal Spirit Realm. The discomfort caused by those strange rumors vanished, replaced by a sense of exhilaration. She felt like laughing out loud. Moreover, during her fight with Ying Cunxin, a brilliant idea had struck her.
Whether Feng Chiyue was truly capable or merely benefiting from Ming Jian Su’s legacy, wouldn’t a test in the Ethereal Spirit Realm reveal the truth? Ignoring Ying Cunxin’s subsequent complaints, she sent a request to exchange name seals with Feng Chiyue, her hand trembling slightly. However, the next moment, the name seal shattered before her eyes. This meant that her request had been rejected.
Chu Yi was so angry she almost fainted. She gritted her teeth, utterly baffled by Feng Chiyue’s thought process. Did she think that rejecting her name seal exchange would stop her? With a cold laugh, Chu Yi sought out an immortal official from the Heavenly Mechanism Department. Every immortal in the Immortal Realm, regardless of their status as a Human Immortal or a Heavenly Immortal, had to register and leave their seal with the Heavenly Mechanism Department. Back when Ming Jian Su was still around, she had naturally taken care of Feng Chiyue’s registration properly.
In the Dharma Hall of Dong’e Mountain.
Feng Chiyue tossed and turned on her bed. “Understanding” hadn’t been repaired yet, and she was getting impatient. Just as her frustration peaked, wisps of spiritual energy emerged from the Chaos Mirror. She picked it up and saw that it was a message from the Heavenly Mechanism Department. With a sigh of annoyance, she channeled her consciousness into it. The next moment, Chu Yi’s face, bearing a triumphant smirk, appeared before her.
“Feng Chiyue, I know you’re in a bit of a bind right now. If you agree to meet me in the Ethereal Spirit Realm, win or lose, I’ll take care of everything for you. I’ll protect Dong’e Mountain and make sure those officials don’t bother you again.” Chu Yi spoke quickly, afraid that Feng Chiyue would get impatient and refuse to listen.
Feng Chiyue: “…” She neither turned off the Chaos Mirror nor responded to Chu Yi. A heavy silence fell over the hall, the atmosphere thick with unspoken tension. Finally, Feng Chiyue spoke. “Repeat what you just said.”
Chu Yi’s fists itched to punch something, but she held back. After all, Feng Chiyue in the Chaos Mirror looked dazed, as if she had just woken up from a dream. Perhaps she really hadn’t processed what was said. Uncharacteristically, she indulged Feng Chiyue and repeated herself slowly.
Upon hearing her words, Feng Chiyue’s confusion deepened. “Did the Heavenly Emperor pass away? Why haven’t I heard the funeral bell?”
Her disrespectful words made Chu Yi’s face darken. Cracks appeared on the mirror screen between them, as if it might shatter at any moment.
Feng Chiyue, however, paid no attention to Chu Yi’s darkening expression. She smiled sweetly and said, “If the Heavenly Emperor doesn’t die, how can the Emperor’s daughter ascend the throne? And if she doesn’t ascend the throne, how can she protect my Dong’e Mountain?”
Chu Yi was so furious that she immediately cut off the connection. Why did she even bother trying to talk to Feng Chiyue?
Feng Chiyue’s mood remained unaffected, her emotions as still as a stagnant pond. But the next moment, Zhu Wan approached with the black box in her hands. It was as if a thousand thunderbolts had struck the still surface of the pond, setting off towering waves. Feng Chiyue didn’t even register what the black box said. She eagerly pulled “Understanding” into her grasp.
She channeled her magical power into Understanding, and subtle fluctuations of energy emanated from the black box. Then, Ming Jian Su’s voice rang out through the hall.
It wasn’t her usual cold and indifferent tone, the one that sounded like she wanted to kill a hundred immortals. Instead, it was a voice filled with longing and affection, as if whispering sweet nothings between lovers, a voice that could bewitch the soul.
Zhu Wan felt a chill run down her spine.
Chang Huai, who arrived a moment later, only caught the last part of the message: “Thinking of you is like seeing you before my eyes, making me wonder if it’s you or the plum blossoms I see.”
Her expression went through a series of changes before settling into one of deep unease. She retreated, retracting the step she had taken forward.
What was this thing? Was this something she was supposed to hear? After the repairs were complete, she had tried to activate the black box, but it had been completely unresponsive. She had begun to suspect that she had made a mistake somewhere, or perhaps Zhu Wan had suggested letting Feng Chiyue try it first before making any adjustments. Now it seemed unnecessary. This black box was shielded from her, no, from everyone, meant only for Feng Chiyue.
Hearing the voice she had longed for, Feng Chiyue’s restlessness and anxiety vanished. A smile bloomed on her lips, so captivating and alluring that it lived up to her reputation as the most beautiful woman in the Immortal Realm. She belatedly remembered that there were still a few irrelevant presences outside. She was in a good mood and feeling generous. Glancing at Chang Huai, she said, “You can have the extra dragon scales and tendons.”
Chang Huai’s heart skipped a beat. She had been working herself to death every day just to earn a few measly Cinnabar Jade. Now, she was suddenly rich! She couldn’t suppress the grin that spread across her face. So what if Feng Chiyue had a bad reputation? Anyone who could make her rich was like her own parents! “If you need anything else, Master, you can come find me again. I may just be a minor immortal in the Dragon Cauldron Palace, but I believe my skills are superior to those master craftsmen!” Chang Huai declared confidently.
Feng Chiyue responded lazily without even looking up, her gaze glued to the Understanding she had finally recovered.
Zhu Wan spoke up. “Master, what about that Vermilion Bird? Should we pay him–”
Feng Chiyue waved her hand dismissively. “Tell Danxue Mountain they can get their clansman back early, but they’ll have to pay a ransom in Cinnabar Jade.”
So, not only did he have to suffer through providing fire, but Danxue Mountain also had to pay for it.
However, Zhu Wan didn’t feel the slightest bit of sympathy for Zhu Huai Xuan. Thinking of his smug face, she wanted to shout, “Serves you right!”
The flames in Danxue Mountain continued to rage, even as night fell.
The Vermilion Bird clan was covered in soot and ashes. In the end, they had no choice but to call upon Chang Li, who extinguished the raging fire.
However, many buildings and plants had been burned to the ground.
“She’s a Phoenix. Perhaps she triggered some ancient formation,” Chang Li said calmly, her hands clasped behind her back.
“Ancient formation? We rebuilt Danxue Mountain. Don’t tell me it wasn’t completely cleansed?” the Vermilion Bird Elder asked, horrified.
“If it weren’t for that incident, would Danxue Mountain have fallen into your hands?” Chang Li glanced at the Elder, her tone meaningful. Everyone said they, the Vermilion Birds, were traitors, but were they the only ones? Everyone had taken a step down that path. It was just that some continued forward, while others, for various reasons, chose to turn back. But did turning back mean they weren’t guilty?
The Vermilion Bird Elder seethed with anger. Just then, news arrived from Dong’e Mountain, adding fuel to the fire.
“She kidnapped Huai Xuan and now she wants us to pay a ransom? How outrageous!”
Chang Li frowned slightly. “Surely, Elder, you don’t want to be the laughingstock of the other immortals?”
The Vermilion Bird Elder: “…” “Are we just going to let her get away with this?”
Chang Li said, “The Supreme Palace and the West Sea are both unhappy. There will be consequences soon enough. Be patient.”
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