TDFM Chapter 112

Phoenix 

“What did he mean? He wanted us to go to the capital to see him? Was he in the capital?” Fu Xue asked.

Yun Qing’s mind once again showed the scene from her dream – the cage where her master was held was indeed hanging at the edge of a garden, with magnificent palaces in the distance.

Could it have been in the imperial palace?

Jiang Baiyu said, “So Qiguang Zi also suspected that Yun Qing was Goddess Shen Xi?”

Yun Qing nodded. “I thought that should be the case. At least, he also felt I had some connection to Goddess Shen Xi…” As she spoke, she looked at Shi Feijia. “Clan leader, how much do you know about Qiguang Zi?”

Shi Feijia regretfully shook her head. “I knew very little about the immortals’ world. I only knew that Qiguang Zi had two great skills in his lifetime – one was the Art of Riding the Wind, and the other was Dream Weaving.”

Ci Li asked, “We’ve already witnessed the Art of Riding the Wind. What was Dream Weaving like?”

Shi Feijia shook her head. “I didn’t know.”

Yun Qing suddenly answered, “Dream Weaving should have been pulling people into dreams. To be honest, I had experienced some things before.”

Then she told everyone about her experience in the dream in the outskirts of Guangling City that day. After finishing, she explained:

“I had always suspected that Qiguang Zi was secretly monitoring us, so I never dared to speak about it. Now it seemed that Qiguang Zi wasn’t omnipotent. If he could really monitor others at will, he would have first monitored everyone in Shenle Valley.”

Shi Feijia said, “You meant he could pull people into dreams without any warning?”

“Yes, at least I didn’t notice any abnormalities before I was already in the dream. Everything in the dream was very real, completely different from the dreams we usually had.”

Dark clouds gathered in their hearts, and the room fell silent. After a while, Fu Xue said, “What was there to fear? That Blood Wave Triple Surge was so impressive, yet wasn’t it still split apart by my senior sister’s sword!”

****

That day, the rain in Shenle Valley never stopped. By the second half of the night, the rain gradually lessened.

Yun Qing sat on the roof, hugging her knees.

The wounds on her shoulders and legs were still aching, but she had gotten somewhat used to it.

The sky was black, and the earth was black too. The humid air carried a faint bitter scent of maple leaves, and the surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of rain could be heard. Rain fell on the tiles, rain fell on the leaves, rain fell on people.

Suddenly, the rain no longer fell on her.

A familiar lotus fragrance rose to her nose, covering the bitterness of maple leaves.

Yun Qing turned her head to see Jiang Baiyu sitting beside her, holding an umbrella. He tilted the umbrella canopy toward her direction, then pulled her hand over, wrapping his palm around hers while saying, “Why didn’t you use an umbrella?” As he spoke, he formed a hand seal to dispel the moisture from her body.

“Mm, I didn’t like to.”

Jiang Baiyu looked at her silently.

“Baiyu, do you have wine?”

“Your wounds haven’t healed yet. It’s not suitable to drink wine.”

Yun Qing shook her head. “It didn’t hurt any vital areas. It’s just a small matter.” Moreover, this time she hadn’t overexerted herself like in Linglong City, so she felt she was recovering at a decent pace.

Jiang Baiyu released her hand and took out a piece of malt candy. She smelled the sweet fragrance of the malt candy and said, “That’ll do.” She reached out to take it.

But he avoided her hand and fed the malt candy directly to her mouth.

Yun Qing was delighted, opened her mouth, and took the malt candy. Then she rolled the malt candy around in her mouth with her tongue, trying to let every corner of her mouth feel this sweet taste. She asked him, “Baiyu, why do you always have malt candy?”

“Mm, because I like it.” As Jiang Baiyu spoke, he lowered his palm and held her hand again.

Neither of them spoke after that, and raindrops fell on the umbrella surface, making pattering sounds.

After a while, Jiang Baiyu said, “Yun Qing, are you afraid?”

“Well, if I said I wasn’t afraid at all, that would definitely be false.” Yun Qing answered. “Actually, I was much more timid when I was little than I am now. Back then, it seemed like I was afraid every day.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid that I couldn’t do things well. It seemed like no matter what I did, I was always afraid I couldn’t do it well and would disappoint my master. Do you know what my master said to me later?”

“What did he say?”

“He said, ‘Can’t do it well’ – these three words were invented just to scare people. Actually, there was no such thing as ‘can’t do it well’ in the world.

Because doing itself was good. No matter what you did, as long as you did it, that was good. It’s just that sometimes the results were unpredictable.

But what did that matter? Fate was elusive and unpredictable – who could truly control destiny?”

“Your master was absolutely right.” Jiang Baiyu smiled. He thought of himself. When he was fearful, desperate, and in pain, had he ever predicted that such a girl would walk into his life?

Perhaps when fate was about to hand over the most important gift to someone, it always had to be harsh for a while first.

“But Baiyu,” Yun Qing continued, “compared to fear, I actually felt more confused. Clan leader Feijia said I had a relationship with Goddess Shen Xi, and Qiguang Zi actively sought me out because he suspected I was Goddess Shen Xi, but I wasn’t her.

So who was I really? You said you left Huayang Mountain back then to find the answer to who you really were. You were lucky to find it later, and I really envied you.

Because from the age of four, this question had lived in my life. I didn’t know when I could find the answer, or perhaps I might have to spend my whole life searching for this answer. Who am I really?”

“You are Yun Qing.”

Yun Qing looked at him.

“You are Yun Qing,” he repeated. “Kind, brave, intelligent, sincere, lovely, and sometimes melancholy.

You could be strong and also vulnerable, you cared about your friends’ feelings, you stood up for justice, you shone wherever you went, and the more people knew you, the more they liked you…

In short, this was who you were. No matter what happened, this wouldn’t change. You were the most unique Yun Qing in the world.”

Her heart was burning hot, and so were her eyes. Yun Qing used laughter to hide that urge to cry, saying, “Baiyu, thank you.”

Jiang Baiyu smiled. “What are you thanking me for? I should thank you.”

Yun Qing was a bit puzzled. “Then what do you want to thank me for?”

Jiang Baiyu didn’t answer, only looked at her quietly.

After a while, he suddenly asked her, “Yun Qing, are you cold?”

Yun Qing was startled. “I’m not cold. Are you cold?”

“Yes, I’m very cold.”

Yun Qing thought that Baiyu had probably overexerted himself treating everyone’s injuries. So she held his hand in return, wanting to transfer her cultivation to warm his body.

Jiang Baiyu called her a “silly girl” and pulled her into his embrace.

Yun Qing lay in Jiang Baiyu’s arms, listening to his strong heartbeat.

“Baiyu, after we rescue master, shall we get married?”

“Alright.”

****

This rain continued for three days. Three days later, Yun Qing’s wounds had scabbed over and weren’t much trouble, so the group set out for the capital.

All the people of the Shenle clan came out to see them off.

Walking out of Shenle Valley, the outside world was a vast expanse of white, dazzling to the eyes.

It turned out that Liuyun Mountain had received a heavy snowfall. The mountain peaks were clothed in snow like a continuous range of jade peaks. The snow accumulated on the tree crowns was so thick that some large trees had actually been crushed by the snow.

Yun Qing looked out at the undulating white mountain ranges, thinking that with such heavy snow, the roads would be difficult to travel, and there might even be avalanches. They would have to be careful.

Shi Feijia walked up to Yun Qing with a sword held in both hands.

Yun Qing recognized this as the Compassion Sword she had drawn that day. The sword was entirely dark gray, with an ancient and simple design and almost no decoration, only some hibiscus petal patterns carved on the guard and pommel.

It was about the same width as Hundred Years of Sorrow, but had a higher ridge, thicker blade surface, and the edge wasn’t as bright as Hundred Years of Sorrow.

At first glance, it was really an unremarkable sword. Who would have thought this was actually a divine sword!

Shi Feijia held the sword and seemed a bit embarrassed. She said, “These past few days, I had originally thought to choose a scabbard for it, but it didn’t like any of them.”

Yun Qing was startled and asked uncertainly, “Who… who didn’t like them?”

“It.” Shi Feijia said, lifting her arms slightly as she held the sword. “After putting it in a scabbard, it would always run out by itself in the middle of the night.”

Yun Qing smiled. “That’s quite cute.”

Cheng Suiyan, listening nearby, thought: Where was that cute? Wasn’t that just haunted…

Shi Feijia said, “Yun Qing, although I couldn’t guess your relationship with Xi, since fate mysteriously brought you to Shenle Valley, that was destiny. Take this sword with you. I think it will definitely like you.”

Yun Qing didn’t hesitate and accepted the Compassion Sword. “Thank you, Clan leader. I will definitely treasure it.”

As soon as the cold sword body fell into Yun Qing’s hands, even though there was no wind or scabbard, the blade actually let out a clear “zheng” sword cry.

Yun Qing had never encountered such a situation before. She tried extending her divine consciousness, and her divine consciousness smoothly settled on the sword. This wasn’t unusual – cultivators at a certain level could more or less control swords with their divine consciousness.

But what was magical was that this sword seemed to have its own consciousness too. She could feel that her divine consciousness had received a response.

This was truly a very mysterious feeling.

She lovingly stroked the blade and muttered to herself, “If you don’t like scabbards, how should I carry you?”

The Compassion Sword moved a bit, gently breaking free from her hand and floating upright beside her.

Cheng Suiyan said gloomily, “We have no objection, but if you walk on the road like this, won’t everyone who sees you say ‘haunted’?”

Yun Qing nodded. “Yes, it wouldn’t be good to scare people.”

The Compassion Sword then turned horizontal.

Cheng Suiyan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Changing position makes it not haunted?”

Yun Qing laughed. “How about this – you stick to my back and pretend you’re hanging on me, wouldn’t that be fine?”

The Compassion Sword indeed did as she said.

Cheng Suiyan watched in amazement, thinking that even raising a dog wouldn’t be this obedient.

Shi Feijia smiled slightly and took out that familiar small wooden box. Opening it, the Wish Power Pearl in the box emitted a faint white glow.

“Yun Qing, this is also for you.”

“Ah? Clan leader, this won’t do.” Yun Qing had always been one to never refuse treasures, but she knew the weight of the Wish Power Pearl, so she dared not accept it now. She steadied herself and said:

“I’m going to find Qiguang Zi. What if the Wish Power Pearl accidentally falls into his hands? Then—”

“Listen to me,” Shi Feijia shook her head to interrupt her. “Shenle Valley’s location has been exposed, and the Mountain-Moving Formation has ended. Shenle Valley can no longer move.

If Qiguang Zi had already obtained Xi’s inheritance, he would have come here in person long ago. Now that he hadn’t come but instead lured you to the capital, I thought it must be because he had never obtained the inheritance, and the key to the inheritance was in you.

Since that was the case, you might as well take the Wish Power Pearl. At least it could give you another bargaining chip.

Ever since Xi appeared twenty years ago to control the floods, her reputation among mortals had been unprecedented. Over these twenty years, enormous power had accumulated in the Wish Power Pearl. If you could obtain this power, perhaps you could contend with Qiguang Zi.”

Yun Qing nodded and solemnly accepted the small wooden box, saying, “Clan leader, I understand. I will definitely guard it with my life.”

“Yun Qing, no matter what happens on this journey, I only hope you will all take care of yourselves. If needed, the Shenle clan will come at your call.”

“Yes!”

Everyone then bid farewell to the Shenle clan members one by one. Although they hadn’t stayed in the valley for long, everyone was reluctant to part. Fu Xue even cried while embracing Shi Ruibin.

When Yun Qing walked up to Shi Qingshang, she saw that his eyes were again covered with silk.

“Yun Qing, extend your hand.”

Yun Qing curiously spread her hand in front of him.

Shi Qingshang raised his hand and placed something in her palm. Yun Qing looked closely and saw it was a Hundred Seed. The emerald green seed reflected jade-like light in the sunlight.

“Sister Muyu mentioned that you wanted a Hundred Seed.”

Yun Qing shook her head. “Qingshang, I can’t—”

“Take it. I still have many.”

“…”

Shi Qingshang added, “If you don’t like it, just give it to someone else.”

Yun Qing slowly closed her fist, gripping the Hundred Seed, and said softly, “I won’t. I like it very much.”

Shi Qingshang nodded, then removed the Weeping Rain from his waist. With a thought, the qin expanded to normal size.

Holding the qin, he said, “The mountain roads ahead are high and treacherous. We’ll accompany you partway.”

The Shenle clan members all took out their instruments, and suddenly pipes and flutes played together while qin and se harmonized. The iron flute raised clear qi while copper drums stirred turbid wind. The long road ahead – who would journey together? In this vast universe, I would share it with you.

Yun Qing’s heart floated up and down with this music.

Gradually, that familiar phoenix cry came from the horizon.

The phoenix cry grew closer and closer.

This day was talked about by people for many years afterward, because in the long-chaotic Liuyun Mountain, a phoenix had actually appeared.

Yun Qing looked up and saw a brilliant shadow rapidly approaching from the horizon.

This phoenix was truly beautiful, with feathers mainly of fiery red and gold, while its tail feathers were a colorful array, long and flowing in the wind like several brilliant ribbons.

It flapped its wings very slowly, but flew particularly fast. Before long, Yun Qing felt a dark cloud had covered the sky above her head.

It was really, really, really huge.

With wings spread, it was at least over ten zhang wide. When it circled overhead, the wind it stirred up roared thunderously, making it impossible to keep one’s eyes open.

Jiang Baiyu held Yun Qing’s hand, Fu Xue grabbed Yun Qing’s arm, and Cheng Suiyan grabbed Fu Xue’s shoulder to steady themselves.

Only Ci Li stubbornly hugged his arms alone, keeping a straight face and gritting his teeth as he struggled against this world-overturning gale.

Cheng Suiyan shouted loudly, “I haven’t seen much of the world – are phoenixes really this big?”

Yun Qing and Fu Xue had seen a phoenix once before, but indeed had never seen one this large. Fu Xue said, “Maybe it ate well.”

The phoenix cried clearly again, its enormous call resounding through the sky. Although it was a bit noisy, Yun Qing could tell the call was quite joyful – the phoenix seemed quite happy.

This time, Shi Feijia and the others all stopped playing, leaving only Shi Qingshang, who continued calmly playing the qin.

The phoenix circled twice in the sky, then slowly landed.

Shi Qingshang pressed the qin strings and said, “Get on.”

Fu Xue was stunned. “Get on where?”

“The phoenix’s back. It will take you to the capital.”

Like in a dream, Yun Qing and the others leaped into the air and jumped onto the phoenix’s back. Its body was huge and its back was broad – sitting a few people was more than enough. Based on Yun Qing’s observation, probably even dozens of people could sit without problem.

“Hold on tight,” Shi Qingshang said.

The group obediently sat down, leaning against each other.

The qin music sounded again. Then the Shenle clan members all joined in the ensemble.

The phoenix cried once, as if bidding farewell to Shi Qingshang. It slowly flapped its wings and thus flew into the sky.

Feeling their bodies rising higher and higher, with mountains sinking beneath their feet and the sky growing closer, Fu Xue couldn’t hide her excitement. “Senior sister, we’re riding a phoenix! Wow, I’ve never been this impressive in my life!”

Cheng Suiyan also laughed. “I wouldn’t dare dream this big in my dreams.”

Yun Qing smiled happily and waved at the Shenle clan members below, even though they couldn’t see her.

The music grew fainter and fainter until it could no longer be heard.

The phoenix flew very fast, ascending at extreme speed. The mountains below grew smaller and smaller. Looking down from the sky, Shenle Valley’s location seemed to be shrouded in mist, unclear to see. If one hadn’t been there, one really wouldn’t notice anything unusual about it.

Yun Qing also saw Mengliang City, square and small, embedded in a corner of the mountains like a small ornament.

Soon, they began flying over cloud layers, with large masses of clouds passing by them. They seemed to be traveling through dense cotton wool, overwhelming and endless.

Beyond the clouds, the sun became more dazzling and the sky became a purer blue. The mountains and cities below could no longer be seen, replaced by a sea of clouds rolling to the horizon, layer upon layer, wave after wave – a magnificent sight.

Though cultivators could also fly through the air, they had never flown to such heights, nor seen the world from this angle.

Fu Xue and Cheng Suiyan discussed excitedly, finding everything fresh and new. But soon, neither of them could laugh anymore.

The high-altitude wind felt like it would split their faces, and it was so cold!

After all, their cultivation levels were low, so they couldn’t well resist the severe cold of high altitude in winter. Fu Xue hugged her arms and shivered, her teeth chattering.

Yun Qing feared her junior sister would be blown away by the gale wind, so she kept holding Fu Xue’s wrist. Fu Xue originally wanted to hug her senior sister for warmth, but she saw Baiyu with one hand resting on her senior sister’s shoulder.

She pouted and hummed. Jiang Baiyu turned to glance at her and drew his hand around Yun Qing’s shoulder.

Fu Xue had no choice but to shamelessly poke Ci Li’s arm. “Hey, little cat.”

“What?”

“Why don’t you turn into a little cat?”

Ci Li looked at her strangely. “Whether I transform or not, what business is it of yours?”

“I’m cold! If you turn into a little cat, I can hold you to warm up. Right now, with you as a big living person, I’m a bit hesitant to make a move.”

Ci Li rolled his eyes. “Crazy.”

Fu Xue then shook his arm. “Transform for me, kitty.”

“What did you call me?”

“Kit—”

“Shut up!” Ci Li irritably shook off her hand, rolled on the phoenix’s broad back, and transformed into a small black cat.

Then the black cat’s body suddenly expanded, growing to over a zhang in length.

The giant cat crouched on the phoenix’s back, watching as four humans squeezed against its chest. Yun Qing and Fu Xue even disgustingly buried their faces in the fur on its chest and rubbed around – they really looked perverted.

Cheng Suiyan also wanted to follow suit, but was slapped by Ci Li’s paw until his head buzzed.