Chapter 26 Su Yuyao Returns to the Immortal Mountain

The sky is clear and boundless, the thin clouds have dispersed, the green hills are layered, the silver ribbons are wrapped around them, the peaks are clustered together, the smoke from cooking fires rises, the thatched cottages have low eaves, and laughter fills the air.

"Wow! How beautiful!" Su Yuyao exclaimed, riding on the crane's neck.

The crane circled around and landed on a wide open hillside.

"Yao'er!" Qi Men stood on the hillside, waving and calling out to Su Yuyao, "Welcome home!"

"Hahahaha!" Su Yuyao jumped off the crane excitedly and ran towards Qimen, "Uncle! Uncle!"

"Hahaha..." Qi Men pulled Su Yuyao around, looking her up and down, and said with a smile, "This is the best, Yuyao! Come on, Uncle will show you where you live!"

"good!"

Xuanfeng, carrying his luggage, watched the old man and the young girl laughing and running up the hillside. He felt a little disappointed. This brat, she wasn't even this happy when I went to pick her up!

"Lord Xuanfeng, let me help you carry some..." Bai Er said, looking at Xuanfeng who was covered in luggage.

Xuanfeng said in a low voice, "No need, you should go and check on your accommodations too..."

"Thank you, sir!" Bai Er quickly replied, turning to chase after Su Yuyao, "Miss Yao'er! Wait for me!"

Xuanfeng sighed and turned to the crane, saying, "You too..." He was even more disappointed to find that the crane had already flown away.

"Is it here?"

"Absolutely! I saw it clearly! That child was so cute! So chubby!"

"Was it really Lord Xuanfeng who had a child with another woman outside...?"

"Oh dear! That's hard to say! Otherwise, why would Fairy Flying Flowers have broken off the engagement? Maybe she found out!"

"That's quite possible! Who would willingly raise an illegitimate child for their man?"

"Hahahahaha..."

A group of gossipy women chattered and gossiped about Xuanfeng as they passed by him.

Xuanfeng's residence could not be called a courtyard, or even a yard. It was just a few thatched huts built against the mountainside on a clearing.

The slightly larger room, containing a bedroom and a study, should be Xuanfeng's room.

Su Yuyao toured the room. The bedroom was spotless, while the study was filled with books and some calligraphy copybooks that Xuanfeng had written.

Su Yuyao dared not move, so she stretched her head to take a look. Xuanfeng's handwriting was vigorous and powerful, as graceful as a dragon, flowing like clouds and water, and majestic!

That stinky bastard actually wrote something pretty good!

"Yao'er! Yao'er! Come and see your room!" Qi Men called out.

"Coming!" Yao'er replied as she ran out.

To the east of Xuanfeng's room was Su Yuyao's thatched hut. The room was a bit small, with only a side couch and a desk besides Su Yuyao's bed. The desk was fully equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study.

Su Yuyao pointed at the desk and pouted, saying, "Why are you giving me this? I don't need any of these! Give me a table that I can use for eating..."

Qi Men stroked his beard and said with a smile, "You're eating in Lord Xuanfeng's room. We've specially reserved a desk for you in this room, so if you need to write anything as punishment, you won't have to do it under Lord Xuanfeng's nose..."

Although Su Yuyao was unwilling, she reluctantly accepted it.

Bai Er looked excitedly at her and Su Yuyao's residence. The side couch under the window was her bed. Touching the brand-new straw mat and quilt, she asked in surprise, "Lord Qimen, did you make this for me?"

"Of course! We specially made new ones for you all! This room was also newly built for you!"

Bai Er quickly stood up and curtsied to Qi Men, saying, "Thank you, Lord Qi Men!"

Qimen smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I'm glad you don't mind how simple the house is!"

"How is it shabby!" Su Yuyao kicked the desk in a huff. "There's a desk here!"

Seeing Su Yuyao's sullen expression, Bai Er quickly went over to coax her, "Miss Yao'er, why are you kicking the desk? Lord Xuanfeng is skilled in both literature and martial arts, so naturally he will prepare everything for you. It's not like he said you have to use it!"

“That’s true…” Su Yuyao cheered up again and ran out of the house. Opposite the thatched hut was a wide valley with no bushes or trees.

Standing on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the distant verdant peaks and stone ridges, Su Yuyao exclaimed, "Wow! How beautiful! I love this place!"

"Here she is! Here she is!" The group of gossipy women blocked Su Yuyao's way.

"Oh! Girl, you must be Yao'er? You're so beautiful..."

How old are you?

"Has Lord Xuanfeng visited you a few times before?"

"This doesn't seem like Lord Xuanfeng at all!"

"That means you look like your mother! Miss Yao'er, don't you look like your mother?"

Surrounded by the women, Su Yuyao was held by the hand, touched on the face, and asked all sorts of random questions, making her feel very uncomfortable.

"Are your branches all too idle?" Xuanfeng put down his luggage and said, "Why don't you shut down a few of them?"

"Oh! Lord Xuanfeng is back?"

"We...we just happened to be passing by and had a look..."

Su Yuyao finally escaped the onslaught of gossipy women and hid behind Xuanfeng, pulling on his sleeve to cover her face, too ashamed to show herself.

The gossipy women's eyes lit up again, and they exchanged glances.

"Have you finished reading?" Xuanfeng asked.

"I've finished watching it, I've finished watching it, it's really good..."

"Aren't you leaving yet? Do you want me to ask the Stele Kings of each hall to come and pick you up personally?" Xuanfeng asked again.

"No need! No need! We're leaving now!"

Su Yuyao gently brushed aside Xuanfeng's sleeve, watched the gossipy woman turn back every few steps and leave in a rustling voice, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What do these aunties do? They kept saying a lot of strange things to me..."

Xuanfeng raised his arm and looked at Su Yuyao, who was hiding under his armpit. "Little girl."

"Hmm?" Su Yuyao tilted her head back, her eyes wide, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Looking at Su Yuyao's face, Xuanfeng suddenly felt a tenderness he had never experienced before.

He shifted his gaze to Su Yuyao's thatched hut and said, "The conditions here are rather harsh..."

"It's not tough at all!" Su Yuyao crawled out from under Xuanfeng's arm, tugged at his sleeve, and said excitedly, "I love it here! It's so beautiful! What's the name of this mountain?"

Xuanfeng looked at the innocent and naive Su Yuyao and said with a smile, "This place is called Hidden Deer Mountain."

"Hidden Deer Mountain? That sounds beautiful! I love this place!" Su Yuyao ran into the house, pulled Bai Er out who was packing her luggage, and said, "Bai Er! Let's go out for a walk!"

"Girl! Wait a minute," Xuanfeng walked towards Qimen, "Immortal Master, is it finished?"

Qimen nodded and took out a cloth bag from his wide sleeve and handed it to Xuanfeng.

Xuanfeng took out a silver collar from the bag. Two silver chains hung from the collar, with a lock-shaped silver plaque hanging from the chains and two silver bells hanging below the plaque.

Xuanfeng walked up to Su Yuyao with the collar in his hand and gently put it around her neck, the silver lock resting neatly on her chest.

"This is... that longevity lock? Wasn't it broken?" Su Yuyao asked, holding the longevity lock in her hand.

“It’s fixed now,” Xuanfeng said, straightening Su Yuyao’s collar. “These two bells are the Heart-Fulfilling Bells. Only I can hear them, so I’ll know where you are.”

"Huh? Don't you find it noisy?"

"It's noisy, but that way I won't lose you."

Su Yuyao giggled as she fiddled with the bell, saying, "It's amazing, I really can't hear it!"

But in Xuanfeng's heart, the clanging, clanging, clanging sound was striking his heart again and again.

...

At the foot of the sacred mountain, in the icy pool, her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, contrasting with her swaying, fair figure.

Suddenly, the water surface stirred, and a delicate face emerged from the water.

"Xianming, why are you hiding here?" Chaoxi squatted by the icy pool, gently splashing the cold water with her hand, and asked.

Xianming turned her head slightly, water droplets clinging to her pointed nose, her cold eyes glistening with moisture, and her fair cheeks adorned with damp, black hair. Her lips parted slightly as she softly said, "I wasn't hiding, I was just... healing here..."

"Healing?" Tide frowned and asked, "I haven't been here for so long, where...where did you get these injuries?"

"You said it yourself, you haven't come for so long, what kind of injury did I heal?" Xianming said as she slowly emerged from the water.

Chao Xi stared at the water droplets on Xian Ming's cheeks sliding down her neck to her chest, then watched as Xian Ming turned slightly, lifted her bottom, and sat on the rock by the pool.

Xianming did nothing, yet it seemed to awaken Chaoxi's instincts. Chaoxi's eyes were glazed, his throat trembled, and the hot blood in his body surged and gathered in one place.

"Xianming!" Chaoxi crouched down, placed her hand on Xianming's shoulder, and whispered in Xianming's ear, "You're such a vixen!"

Xianming turned her head to look at Chaoxi, her breath coming in soft gasps, her eyes filled with affection, "Chaoxi... why... did you only arrive now?"

Chao Xi could no longer bear it. He picked up Xian Ming with one arm and lifted his robe with the other...

Xianming wrapped his arms around Chaoxi's neck and his legs around Chaoxi's waist. He frowned, his eyes were glazed, and he was biting his lip...

"Xianming," Chaoxi asked, looking at Xianming's gradually flushed cheeks, "Are you alright? Do you have anything to ask me?"

"What do you want me to ask?" Xianming asked, tilting her head back and blushing.

"Xuanfeng's engagement has been dissolved, and Feihua has been betrothed to Zeyuan. Don't you want to know why?" Chaoxi observed Xianming's expression and carefully sensed the subtle reactions in Xianming's body.

Xianming, however, paid no attention to Chaoxi's question, and instead tried to find something that made her tremble with joy...

"Ugh!" Chao Xi knelt on the ground, holding Xian Ming, and got goosebumps all over her body.

As the fairy tea gradually calmed down, it released the tide, and a warm current washed away the tide's weakness.

Xianming ran her cold fingers along Chaoxi's waist. "Chaoxi, what did you just say?"

Chao Xi's mind went blank. He had never experienced such feelings with Yi Mu before. He could only please Yi Mu and never dared to seek his own pleasure. But Xian Ming made him experience the exhilaration of being a man.

"Xianming...do you really...not care about Xuanfeng?" Chaoxi asked breathlessly, lying on top of Xianming.

"Hmph, Chaoxi, tell me, how can I care about him?" Xianming lifted Chaoxi's face and said resentfully, "His birth was not my wish, and his mother never let me participate in his upbringing. Every time I secretly went to see him, his mother would severely reprimand him. How can I care about him?"

"Xianming, don't you hate her?" Chaoxi asked with heartache, looking at the pitiful person in front of her.

"What's the use of hatred?" Xianming kissed Chaoxi's lips. "I have nothing, what can I do? All I can do now is be with you..."

"Xianming..." Chaoxi wanted to say something, but Xianming's tongue had already silenced her.

The icy pool was cold, yet it could not dampen the warmth of love flowing within. The tides cherished the fairy tea, and the fairy tea clung to the tides.

After several rounds of lovemaking, Xianming sat by the icy pool washing her body, while Chaoxi sat beside her silently watching her.

"Hmm? Why aren't you leaving yet?" Xianming turned around and saw Chaoxi, asking curiously.

Chao Xi stood up, gently picked up Xian Ming's clothes, and said, "I'll take you back."

Xianming lowered her head, smiled slightly, and said, "No need, you should go now."

Chao Xi draped the clothes over Xian Ming, kissed her cheek, and whispered, "I'm sorry about before..."

Xianming's eyes trembled, and tears gradually welled up.

“Xianming, Feihua has already been betrothed to Zeyuan. It was Baiyan Fairy who begged for it... not me…” Chaoxi seemed to want to explain.

"I've heard that Fairy Baiyan kowtowed until her head was bleeding before Mother Yi finally agreed. But..." Xianming turned to look at Chaoxi and said seriously, "Isn't it a bit too much for Mother Yi to hold a marriage ceremony for Zeyuan? Logically speaking, a Heavenly Lord of the Dao can only marry one person. This marriage ceremony is too strange! Is it targeting Zeyuan or Feihua?"

Looking at the innocent-looking Xianming, Chaoxi smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about the Marriage Festival. Although we didn't ask for the flying flowers, we did ask for the Marriage Festival."

"You guys? When Xuanfeng was the Heavenly Lord of the Way, he was so busy that he didn't even have time to get married. You actually have time to hold a marriage festival? I think you're the one who wants to find someone!" Xianming pushed Chaoxi aside, adjusted her long robe, and got up to walk towards the Nevernight Lodge.

Tide smiled helplessly and chased after her, "What am I looking for? With Mother Yi above and you watching over me below, how dare I look?"

Xianming retorted angrily, "What's there to be afraid of?! Aren't you coral? Don't you have many stems? Zeyuan will never be allowed to take concubines; they'll all end up benefiting you, you old coral!"

Seeing Xianming's jealousy, Chaoxi suddenly became happy. He put his arm around Xianming's waist and laughed, "Jealous?"

Xianming suddenly woke up with a start, "Am I jealous?"

"Aren't you jealous?" Chao Xi hugged Xian Ming and whispered, "It's so nice to see you jealous..."

Xianming pushed Chaoxi away abruptly and strode towards the Nevernight Lodge. "I only used my body, why would I have developed real feelings?"

As Chao Xi gazed at Xian Ming's retreating figure, she thought, "Xian Ming, you really are a fairy!"

"Immortal Lord Ming, Lord Xuanfeng has returned to the Immortal Mountain, and he has brought Su Yuyao back with him!" Longjing reported.

Xianming fiddled with her teacup, thinking about how she felt jealous today. Although she felt a little sour, the tide coaxed her, and she felt a tingling sensation all over her body...

"Xianming Jun! Xianming Jun!" Longjing called out to Xianming.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Xianming asked, snapping out of her daze.

"Lord Xuanfeng has taken Su Yuyao back to the Immortal Mountain. The matter of the Eight Generals resigning has also made progress. It wasn't at Lord Xuanfeng's behest, but rather the Eight Generals had someone cut off their future prospects. It's said... it was Su Yuyao who cut them off!"

"Su Yuyao?!"

"Furthermore, rumors are circulating that... Su Yuyao is Lord Xuanfeng's... illegitimate daughter..." Longjing said cautiously.

“Ridiculous…” Xianming said with a cold laugh.

"Furthermore, Lord Zeyuan wanted to hold a marriage ceremony because he had taken a fancy to Sa Ningbao, the eldest daughter of the wolf clan, and wanted to recruit her into the Heavenly Palace as a maidservant."

"Nü'e? How could he even come up with that idea!"

“Coincidentally, Sa Ningbao is Su Yuyao! Your humble servant has confirmed that Sa Ningbao, whom Lord Xuanfeng and Consort Qingyue went to Xuanhuang Valley to bring back, is the previously missing Su Yuyao.”

"What?! This is getting more and more interesting!" Xianming smiled thoughtfully.