Chapter 82 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: The Secret Realm. (Three Chapters Combined)
"I forgot, I need to make some arrangements for Ayu." Yu Jing said as she walked to her desk, spread out paper and pen, and began to write something.
Seeing that Yu Jing was writing so diligently, the Night Wanderer went over to take a look. Yu Jing left a large sum of silver to distribute to everyone in Cining Palace, especially A Yu, and instructed that A Yu be released from the palace and that someone be sent to escort her to Guizhou to take care of her family and relatives.
"The fairy is truly loyal and righteous!" Night Wanderer exclaimed after reading it.
Yu Jing picked up the paper, blew on it, and replied, "I wouldn't say I'm particularly loyal or sentimental, but Ayu is truly devoted to me, and I certainly can't let her down."
She stood up and placed the paper on the dressing table. Then she put on the red agate magnolia flower, the wooden hairpin Xie Xuan had carved for her, and the earrings that were on the dressing table.
"Night Wanderer, wait for me, I'll be right back."
Before the Night Wanderer could even react, Yu Jing had already vanished. Now that she possessed immortal magic, she naturally no longer needed the Night Wanderer's help. Yu Jing made a hand seal and instantly arrived at the Zhongshu Mansion, in Su Siyang's bedroom. Although visiting a man's bedroom at night was indeed inappropriate, Yu Jing was now an immortal and naturally didn't need to adhere to the formalities of mortals.
The bedroom was filled with the scent of sandalwood. Yu Jing tiptoed in, took out the pair of red agate earrings, and placed them on his desk.
After doing all this, Yu Jing returned to the outer corridor of the Cining Palace, where A Yu was sitting, half-asleep. Yu Jing used an invisibility spell to walk up to A Yu and look at her intently. In truth, A Yu was just a young girl, but she had done so much for her; she was truly a remarkable young woman. Yu Jing reached out and gently embraced A Yu. She couldn't do these things when she was the Empress Dowager, but now she was Yu Jing, and no one could control her.
Yu Jing held A Yu for a while before getting up. Looking at A Yu, she sighed softly, "If we meet again in the future, we must be good friends."
“Fairy Yu Jing.” The Night Wanderer emerged from the darkness at the right moment. “It’s time to go. If we don’t leave now, it will be dawn, and I will have to finish my shift.”
"Okay." Yu Jing stood up. "Let's go."
Yu Jing walked to the side of the Night Wanderer, who conjured a whisk and waved it towards the horizon. A white crane leaped out from the sky. The crane stopped in front of Yu Jing and the Night Wanderer, and Yu Jing glanced at the Night Wanderer.
The Night Wanderer stretched out his hand: "Fairy, there's no need to be afraid. This is my mount."
Yu Jing knew this was his mount, but she had never ridden one before and found it somewhat magical. Yu Jing sat on the white crane's back, and the crane flapped its wings, the wind carrying snow whistling past them, which was quite thrilling.
As dawn approached, Ayu went into the hall to add charcoal. Feeling the hall was terribly cold, she unconsciously added more than usual. Habitually, she tiptoed into the inner hall to check if Yu Jing was properly covered. Upon reaching the inner hall and seeing Yu Jing, she realized something was amiss.
Yu Jing lay quietly on the couch, a plain white peony pattern cascading down the low couch, above which hung her fair wrists. A glass bottle lay rolled on the floor. Ayu's heart suddenly pounded, and she slowly walked towards the couch. Before she even reached it, the scene before her made her weak in the knees. Yu Jing's face still bore the makeup from before, but blood stained the corner of her mouth—bright, glaring blood.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Ayu called out, her voice trembling. She pushed herself up from the ground and rushed to the bedside, reaching out to check Yu Jing's breath. Ayu couldn't believe it and gently nudged Yu Jing again.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!" Ayu's voice was already trembling with sobs.
"Sister Ayu".
A flustered voice came from outside the door. Then came a series of hurried footsteps. The maid entered the inner hall, and as if she understood something, she froze in place, too frightened to go forward. She stammered as she told Ayu the news that had just come from the prison: "Sister Ayu, news just came from the prison that Lord Xie is dead."
Upon hearing this news, Ayu turned to look at Yu Jing. Only now did she fully understand the meaning behind Yu Jing's attire. She wasn't mourning Xie Jin at all; she had already planned it out, and this outfit was for Xie Xuan and herself.
As dawn broke, the snow fell silently, and the Cining Palace gradually came alive. Hurried footsteps and faint sobs rose up, mingling with the cold wind and snow before dissipating into the distant horizon.
Before long, they arrived at the Zhelan Palace. Yu Jing had just dismounted from the white crane when Zhelan's voice came from inside the palace: "You're finally back, little girl."
The Night Wanderer bowed to Zelan, who was approaching from afar, and said, "High God."
The white crane beside her seemed pleased to see Zhelan, flapping its wings. Zhelan looked at the Night Wanderer: "Night Wanderer, thank you for your trouble."
"You're too kind, Your Majesty. I have other matters to attend to in the mortal realm, so I'll take my leave now."
"Hmm." Zhelan responded casually, and walked a few steps to Yu Jing's side. "Your favorite osmanthus cake has been prepared in the palace."
Although Yu Jing's mood had calmed down, Xie Xuan's image kept lingering in her mind. She had been distracted while riding the crane, and now that she was back in Heaven, that feeling of sadness welled up again. Seeing Yu Jing's slightly furrowed brow, Zhe Lan smiled and asked, "You used to run inside laughing and joking whenever you heard about osmanthus cakes, what's wrong with you now?"
"High God." Yu Jing looked at Zhe Lan, took a deep breath, and finally asked, "Xie... has the Heavenly Lord returned?"
"Yes, he drank the immortal water of Laozi and is sleeping in Yuqing Palace now." Zhelan said, tilting her head to think for a moment. "I heard that when he came back from the mortal world, he looked like he had lost his soul, and his face was very pale."
"Even Laozi praised you for doing a good job."
"Did you drink the immortal water of Laozi?" Yu Jing murmured softly, "Then what about the mortal world?"
“Having returned from this ordeal, one should naturally forget the mortal world,” Ze Lan replied casually.
Upon hearing this, Yu Jing felt a sudden pang in her heart and touched it. Seeing this, Zhe Lan looked at her with concern: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yu Jing frowned and replied truthfully, "I don't know why, but I always feel a strange discomfort in my chest."
"Having experienced so much in the mortal realm, you must be tired," Zhelan said, reaching out to take Yu Jing's hand. Since leaving her with the Old Man of the Moon, Zhelan had rarely made such intimate gestures with her; this was the first time. Zhelan had raised her, and she was just like her father, except that her appearance didn't seem to have anything to do with the word "father."
Zhelan led her into the hall, where osmanthus-flavored sweet cakes and a pot of wine were laid out on the table. Yu Jing sat down and took a piece of sweet cake to eat. Zhelan then poured a cup of wine and handed it to Yu Jing.
"Osmanthus wine," Zhelan said. "It was just dug out yesterday from under the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace. It's fragrant and sweet, have a taste."
Since Zhelan had said so, Yu Jing had no reason to refuse. She reached out, took the sip, and found it to be fragrant, slightly sweet, and with a faint osmanthus scent. She looked up at Zhelan with some surprise.
Zhelan smiled, pursed her lips, and poured her another glass, instructing Yu Jing as she poured, "Remember, if someone else pours it for you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Jing interrupted him: "You can't drink casually."
Zelan chuckled and changed the subject: "I've already had your bedchamber cleaned. Go and get some sleep after you're done."
"Okay." Yu Jing didn't have much of an appetite. She ate two pieces of sweet cake and only drank some osmanthus wine.
When she returned to her bedchamber, the osmanthus wine had already taken effect, and Yu Jing felt her steps were slightly unsteady. She lay down on the couch and fell asleep in no time.
"Yu Jing." Hearing the familiar voice, Yu Jing frowned, trying to wake up from her sleep.
"Yu Jing." That sweet voice called again, and Yu Jing opened her eyes with some difficulty, turning her head to look. Li'er was lying by her bedside watching her. Seeing that she was awake, she gave her a sweet smile and reached out to poke her cheek. "You've been sleeping for a long time. If you keep sleeping, the Old Man of the Moon will probably come to Zhelan Palace with the red thread looking for you!"
As Li'er spoke, she puffed out her cheeks. She was a carp from the Osmanthus Lake in the Moon Palace. Because she was nurtured by the immortal energy of the Moon Palace and ate many osmanthus flowers that Chang'e nurtured with her immortal spirit, she became a spirit.
"Did I sleep for a long time?" Yu Jing got up and rubbed her temples, feeling a bit dizzy.
"Hmm." Li'er nodded vigorously, turned around and fiddled with the food at the table. "I brought lotus flower pastries to look for you the day you came back, but Goddess Zhelan told me that you had not woken up. So I have been coming to check on you every day. This is the third day now."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Yu Jing turned her head in surprise and stared wide-eyed at Li'er: "You just said how long I slept?"
“Three days.” Li’er turned around, holding the lotus flower pastry, and placed it in front of Yu Jing. “You must be hungry after sleeping for so long. Try my lotus flower pastry.”
Yu Jing felt like she hadn't had Li'er's lotus flower pastries in a long time. She took a bite and found them to be sweet, crispy, and incredibly fragrant: "Li'er, your lotus flower pastries are definitely the best!"
Yu Jing sighed contentedly, and Li'er smiled at Yu Jing, saying, "I'm glad you like it."
"Oh, by the way, I heard from Fairy Chang'e that Yan Zheng, the eldest son of the Su Hu clan chief, is getting married in a few days. The invitation has already been sent, but I don't know what kind of gift to send."
"Since you spend most of your time in the Marriage Palace, the Fairy Chang'e wanted me to come and ask her about it."
Upon hearing Li'er mention You Su, Yu Jing suddenly remembered the inner core of the You Su fox clan that the Old Man of the Moon had given her. She glanced at it and, sure enough, it was still there. She'd return it to the Old Man of the Moon when she went to the Marriage Hall later.
"Since it's a wedding, it would be nice to give small gifts like combs, mirrors, jade ruyi, or love locks."
"Alright, I'll go back and tell Fairy Chang'e." Li'er replied with a smile. Before she could finish speaking, she heard the voice of the Old Man of the Moon outside the door.
"My good disciple."
Li'er turned to Yu Jing with an expression of expectation: "Look, the Old Man of the Moon has come knocking on our door."
As Li'er spoke, she walked to the palace gate and opened it: "This humble fairy greets the Old Man of the Moon."
"Oh! Li'er is here too." The Old Man of the Moon was pleasantly surprised to see Li'er.
"Master." Yu Jing stood up, walked to the table, and called out to the Old Man of the Moon. The Old Man of the Moon looked at Yu Jing: "You've been resting in the Zhelan Palace for a few days, why do you look thinner?"
“You haven’t eaten for the past few days, so naturally you’ve lost weight,” Li’er said before Yu Jing could speak.
"How are you? Are you feeling better now? The red threads in the Marriage Hall are piling up like a mountain. If you don't come and help, the red threads on the Marriage Tree will start fighting each other," the Old Man of the Moon said mournfully.
"My disciple is much better now. Let's go to the Marriage Hall." After saying a few more words to Li'er, Yu Jing followed the Old Man of the Moon to the Marriage Hall.
Halfway there, Yu Jing suddenly remembered that there was a Su Fox Clan inner core. He took it out and handed it to the Old Man of the Moon: "Master, I just remembered that there is a Su Fox Clan inner core that has not been returned."
The Old Man of the Moon glanced at the inner core lying in Yu Jing's palm and smiled meaningfully: "Keep this thing. It's useless to an old man like me."
"Oh." Yu Jing responded, putting the bead back on her wrist. She thought about what the Old Man of the Moon had said carefully, and felt that there was something strange about it. It seemed that there was no use for her to keep this thing.
"By the way, Master, there's Su's wedding banquet. Will you go?"
"We've already received the invitations, so of course we'll go." The Old Man of the Moon raised an eyebrow. "You've just returned from the mortal realm, why don't you come with us? It'll be a good way to relax."
As the Old Man of the Moon spoke, he suddenly remembered something and paused: "I heard that the Heavenly Emperor will also be going."
Yu Jing's brow twitched. Hearing Xie Xuan's name now gave her a strange feeling, even though her mission was already over. Before she could respond, the Matchmaker jokingly added, "What? Still shy?"
"No way," Yu Jing replied stiffly, her steps quickening unconsciously. Upon arriving at the Marriage Hall, Yu Jing looked at the hall filled with red ropes and felt a headache coming on. Although the red ropes would automatically form knots, many still required them to tie them manually.
"My dear disciple, I've tried my best. You know all your senior brothers and sisters have gone off to train. This old man can't possibly finish all this work by himself," the Matchmaker explained earnestly.
Yu Jing knew this, so she said nothing and began to tie the knot. After finishing their work with the Old Man of the Moon, it was already late at night. Heaven also has day and night, but Heaven's night, compared to the mortal realm, is like autumn and winter. Perhaps because she had slept so much since returning, Yu Jing didn't feel sleepy at all. Having not visited Heaven for two days, Yu Jing decided to go out for a walk.
At that time, Yuqing Palace.
"Your Majesty." Mu Qing pushed open the door and placed the teacup beside Xie Xuan.
Xie Xuan was looking at the backlog of official documents from the past two days when he saw the teacup Mu Qing handed him. He picked it up, skimmed off the foam with the lid, and took a sip. The faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms spread between his lips and teeth. Seeing Xie Xuan raise an eyebrow, Mu Qing explained, "The osmanthus trees in Guanghan Palace have been bearing a lot of blossoms lately, so Chang'e sent some over."
"Hmm." Xie Xuan responded calmly, continuing to read the official documents without showing any emotion.
Mu Qing felt the hall was deserted, and then said, "Your Majesty, Fairy Yu Jing has already woken up today."
As soon as Mu Qing finished speaking, Xie Xuan put down the official document in his hand and looked at Mu Qing with a serious expression. Mu Qing saw Xie Xuan looking at him and asked, "She has already gone to the Marriage Hall today. Should we send someone to summon her?"
After Xie Xuan woke up, he went to a bedroom in the Zhelan Palace for several days in a row, which Mu Qing found strange at first. Until one day, he was caught red-handed by the God of Zhelan.
"High God," Xie Xuan greeted Zhe Lan first.
"Your Majesty," Zhelan replied with a smile, glancing at Yu Jing's door, "Why didn't you let me know you were coming? I could have had someone brew a pot of tea and wait for you."
Xie Xuan slightly curled his lips: "I was just about to come and find the High God, but I didn't expect such a coincidence."
Mu Qing was standing right next to Xie Xuan at the time, and she hadn't expected Xie Xuan to lie so smoothly. What Xie Xuan had just told her was clearly that he wanted to return to Yuqing Palace.
Zhelan seemed unconcerned, replying, "The little girl has probably suffered in the mortal realm and hasn't woken up yet. The girl I raised is just like me, carefree and oblivious. If Your Majesty has heard any rumors and has offended you in the mortal realm, it was all to help Your Majesty with your love tribulations. Please don't take it to heart."
Upon hearing Ze Lan's words, Mu Qing instantly understood. He had seen the Heavenly Lord's appearance after his tribulation; he was no longer recognizable as human. He had heard the Supreme Lord Lao praise the Old Man of the Moon's female disciple, never imagining that it would be this one from Ze Lan's palace.
Although Xie Xuan drank the immortal water of Laozi, many fairies still discussed the matter after his tribulation. Mu Qing had already heard several different accounts of the severity of Xie Xuan's heartbreak in the mortal realm. Since Mu Qing had heard them, Xie Xuan naturally had as well. For a dignified Heavenly Lord to be so severely wounded by a mere minor fairy was a disgrace to the Heavenly Lord. Xie Xuan probably wanted to settle the score.
So he had someone keep an eye on Zelan Palace. He heard today that she had woken up and gone to the Marriage Palace, and thought he would tell Xie Xuan about it.
"No need," Xie Xuan replied. Mu Qing found it strange, but dared not ask any further questions, and then withdrew.
After Mu Qing left, Xie Xuan stared blankly at the green lamp on the table. After thinking for a moment, he made a hand seal and instantly arrived in front of the Marriage Hall.
Xie Xuan entered the Hall of Marriage. Inside, it was very quiet. A huge Marriage Tree stood in the center of the hall, its branches lush and verdant, with red ropes intertwined and knotted together, like fireworks blooming in the mortal world—a truly magnificent sight. Xie Xuan had never been to the Hall of Marriage before and was seeing this for the first time. He stared at the tree full of knots, lost in thought.
The Old Man of the Moon sensed the divine presence and floated out from the inner hall. When he saw Xie Xuan, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. Xie Xuan stood under the tree, dressed in a long robe of dark, gold-embroidered moonlight satin, his black hair tied up in a crown, his figure tall and handsome beyond compare. It seemed that Xie Xuan had experienced a love tribulation in the mortal realm, and he appeared more human than before. The Xie Xuan of the past was aloof and distant, unapproachable, appearing mature beyond his years and devoid of any vitality.
"Your Majesty?" the Old Man of the Moon called out to Xie Xuan, and walked up to him. "I wonder what brings Your Majesty here?"
As the Matchmaker was speaking, he noticed Xie Xuan's uneasy gaze, as if he were searching for something. He instantly understood and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty is late. Yu Jing just went out."
A couple of days ago, Yue Lao heard from Zhe Lan that Xie Xuan had been bullied too badly in the mortal realm and was thinking of coming to settle scores, asking Yue Lao to keep an eye on him. However, judging from Xie Xuan's appearance, Yue Lao didn't think he was there to settle scores. But, thinking it was better to be safe than sorry, Yue Lao still said to Xie Xuan, "Your Majesty."
Xie Xuan raised his eyebrows in confusion and looked over, only to hear the Old Man of the Moon say, "The Heavenly Lord is undergoing tribulation, which is the way of Heaven. My disciple is merely following the way of Heaven. I hope the Heavenly Lord will not blame him."
So they all thought he was there to settle scores with Yu Jing? Xie Xuan chuckled lightly: "So in the eyes of the Old Man of the Moon, I am such a petty and narrow-minded person?"
Upon hearing Xie Xuan's words, the Old Man of the Moon hurriedly waved his hand and explained, "No, no, Your Majesty has misunderstood."
"It is now late, so I shall return to the palace."
"Your Majesty, please take care." After seeing Xie Xuan off, the Old Man of the Moon stood under the Marriage Tree, puzzled. If Xie Xuan hadn't come to settle scores with Yu Jing, then what was he doing here? Having drunk the immortal water of the Supreme Lord Laozi, he should have forgotten all worldly affairs. Yu Jing was just a minor fairy in his Marriage Palace. What could Xie Xuan possibly want with her?
When the Old Man of the Moon turned around and looked at the marriage tree, a bold idea suddenly popped into his head: "Could it be that this Lord is so deeply in love that even the immortal water of the Supreme Lord Laozi is useless to him?"
"No, no, Laozi's immortal water has never made a mistake."
"So where exactly did things go wrong?" The Old Man of the Moon scratched his head. "Never mind, let nature take its course."
Yu Jing wandered aimlessly for a long time until she reached a palace. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, she realized she had gone quite far. Just as she was about to cast a spell to return to the Marriage Palace, she inadvertently caught sight of the palace's plaque and froze.
"Yuqing Palace," Yu Jing murmured softly, "How did we end up here? I wonder how Xie Xuan is doing now?"
Before she could finish speaking, she was startled by a noise behind her and quickly made a hand seal to hide. Seeing the person who had arrived, Yu Jing felt her heart pounding in her chest. It was Xie Xuan! But the Xie Xuan she saw now was completely different from the one she knew in the mortal realm. In the mortal realm, he was a carefree and dashing young man, dressed in crimson robes, flamboyant and dazzling. But now, he wore a dark, gold-embroidered moonlight satin robe, his expression cold, looking indifferent and aloof, utterly unapproachable.
Yu Jing had considered going out to greet Xie Xuan, but then she remembered that Xie Xuan had drunk the immortal water of Laozi, and to him, she was nothing more than an insignificant fairy. A sense of loss washed over her. In the blink of an eye, Xie Xuan had already entered the Jade Purity Palace. Yu Jing watched Xie Xuan's retreating figure and sighed deeply. During the days she slept, she dreamt of Xie Xuan—happy, sad, and thrilled.
Yu Jingjue stood there for a while before returning to the Marriage Hall. The Old Man of the Moon hadn't yet returned to the inner hall when he heard the commotion and turned around to see Yu Jingjue. He thought it was quite a coincidence; Xie Xuan had just left, and Yu Jingjue had already returned. He opened his mouth, about to speak to Yu Jingjue, but then thought better of it. Just as he had told Xie Xuan, it was best to follow the will of Heaven and not interfere in their affairs.
Seeing that Yu Jing's complexion was not good, the Old Man of the Moon asked, "What's wrong?"
“Master, I just saw the Emperor.” Yu Jing said honestly, “I don’t know why, but when I saw him, I felt a strange, bittersweet feeling in my heart.”
Upon hearing this, the Old Man of the Moon frowned and clicked his tongue: "Would you feel a pang of sadness and pain if you saw him?"
"Hmm, she's probably too tired, or perhaps she still feels guilty towards him," Yu Jing replied, then said to the Matchmaker, "Master, if there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room first."
As the Old Man of the Moon watched Yu Jing's retreating figure, he muttered to himself, "My dear disciple, could it be that you've really fallen for the Emperor?"
"Your Majesty is indeed handsome, but his temperament is rather cold, and he is busy with many affairs every day, so he doesn't have much time to spend with her. He is not my first choice," the Old Man of the Moon said, shaking his head.
"It seems that with Su Yihang around, it's time to choose a good son-in-law for my good disciple."
"My dear disciple, are you done yet? We should go." The Old Man of the Moon's voice came from outside. Yu Jing hesitated for a moment, then put the magnolia hairpin in her hair. "It's ready, I'll be right there."
As Yu Jing spoke, she pushed open the door and went out. The Old Man of the Moon immediately noticed the magnolia hairpin in Yu Jing's hair and praised her with a smile, "Your hairpin is quite nice, it looks very festive."
Yu Jing raised her hand and patted it: "Let's go, Master, Goddess Zhelan must be getting impatient."
Both the Marriage Palace and the Zelan Palace have Yu Jing's bedroom, but Yu Jing works in the Marriage Palace year-round, so he usually lives there.
Before they even reached the Zelan Palace, Zelan couldn't wait any longer and came over. After verbally complaining a couple of times, the group headed to the Yousu Secret Realm.
Mount Yousu exists in the mortal realm, but ordinary people cannot see or enter it, so Mount Yousu is also known as the Yousu Secret Realm.
At this time, spring has arrived, and the vegetation on Su Mountain is lush, birds are singing and flowers are blooming, the atmosphere is quiet and refreshing, and everywhere is full of vitality.
Upon reaching the entrance to the secret realm, they were stopped by a small fox with fox ears and a tail. The little fox glanced at them and then said in a childish voice, "Please show your credentials, immortals."
Ze Lan handed the invitation to the matchmaker. The little fox took it, sniffed it, and reached inside. Yu Jing looked in the direction he pointed and saw a water mirror.
"Pass through that mirrored door, and you'll find the Banquet Hall. I hope you immortals will enjoy yourselves." The little fox clumsily stuffed the invitation into the cloth bag in front of him, then bowed to them as a form of greeting.
"Thank you." Zelan turned around, nodded slightly, and smiled at the little fox.
Several people passed through the mirrored door. Inside, the scene was completely different from the outside. It was a large manor, filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, and red curtains hung everywhere. The festive atmosphere was palpable even from outside the manor. In front of the manor gate stood several older men. Upon seeing Zhelan, they took two steps forward and approached her, saying, "Your Excellency, the God of Love, and the Fairy, your presence truly brings honor to our humble abode."
Zhelan smiled and said, "If this is a humble abode, then there truly is no such thing as a humble abode in the world."
“Yu Jing, this is your Uncle Yan.” Zhe Lan said, turning her head to call out to Yu Jing.
"Uncle Yan," Yu Jing called out sweetly.
Yan Qin had noticed Yu Jing earlier. This young girl looked quite young, yet she was very composed. She wore a long, wide-sleeved robe in a light blue color, and the red agate magnolia flower in her hair was eye-catching but not overpowering. She gave off an impression of being knowledgeable, gentle, and innocent.
Yan Qin had no daughter, only a son, and he was quite pleased with Yu Jing's appearance. He couldn't resist asking, "And this is?"
“My little maid in the palace,” Zhelan said casually.
Yan Qin had heard before that Zhe Lan had personally raised a maid, but he had never seen her. Now that he had seen her, she was indeed extraordinary.
"I've heard that the little fairy is a disciple of the Old Man of the Moon?"
"Yes, he is my last disciple," the Old Man of the Moon replied.
Upon hearing this, Yan Qin looked at Yu Jing with a hint of admiration.
As the group was talking, the mirror door moved again. Yu Jing turned her head and immediately saw Xie Xuan.
"Your Majesty." Everyone present, except for Zhelan, bowed to Xie Xuan.
Xie Xuan's gaze lingered on the red agate magnolia hairpin in Yu Jing's hair for a moment: "Get up."
The group rose and escorted Xie Xuan inside. Yu Jing followed behind, staring blankly at Xie Xuan's retreating figure. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name.
"Yu Jing".
Yu Jing turned her head and saw Li'er. She was wearing a red and white dress, her hair was tied into two small buns with little tassels hanging from them, and she was hopping around, looking very lively. Yu Jing waved back, glanced at Zhe Lan, and after getting Zhe Lan's permission, lifted her skirt and ran towards Li'er.
"Yu Jing, why are you so late? I already had a round of tea with Fairy Chang'e and Sister Jade Rabbit." As Li'er spoke, she noticed Yu Jing's magnolia hairpin. "Did you bring this hairpin back from the mortal world? It's so unique."
"Hmm." Yu Jing nodded, touched the hairpin, and subconsciously glanced back at Xie Xuan walking under the corridor. Dressed in butterfly-wing blue with shimmering silver water ripples, his cold features made him look even more aloof.
"Let me tell you, there are some delicious desserts at this banquet, as well as peach blossom wine. You must try the peach blossom wine here. It's fragrant and mellow, even better than the osmanthus wine in the Moon Palace."
"Really?" Yu Jing had just tasted osmanthus wine a few days ago, so she naturally knew how it tasted. This was even better than osmanthus wine, and Yu Jing was somewhat tempted.
“Of course,” Li’er replied, and then tried to pull Yu Jing to drink. Yu Jing paused, and Li’er looked up at her in confusion, “The High God doesn’t allow me to drink.”
"We're currently in the You Su Secret Realm, and all those attending the banquet are immortals. Besides, the High God and the Old Man of the Moon are here too, so having a little won't hurt. Otherwise, I'll go find the Immortal Chang'e," Li'er whispered, trying to persuade her.
Yu Jing found Li'er's words reasonable and went with her.
The backyard was bustling with activity. Yu Jing saw many beautiful fairies. Li'er took a pot of wine and snuggled up with Yu Jing in a corner to eat snacks, while listening to people gossip.
"Hey, I heard that Yan Zheng's wedding banquet has invited many people, even people from the Demon Realm came."
"The Demon Realm and the Heavenly Court have coexisted peacefully for tens of thousands of years, so it's not surprising."
"I heard that the person who came from the Demon Realm this time is the young prince of the Demon Clan."
"The Demon Clan's young prince? Wasn't he supposed to be undergoing tribulation?"
Yu Jing felt a headache coming on when she suddenly heard the words "trial by tribulation".
“He should have come back soon. A day in heaven is a year on earth. He’s been gone for almost a month, more than forty years. It’s time for him to come back.”
"When I went to the Demon Realm on business before, I heard that the Demon Prince was handsome and captivating at first sight. I wonder if it's true or not?"
"Didn't you say he was coming? Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we see him."
"That's true."
"Your Majesty and the High God of Zelan have also come today. The Suhu Clan is truly impressive. The High Gods of Heaven and the royal family of the Demon Clan have all come, allowing us lowly immortals to broaden our horizons."
"By the way, didn't Your Majesty just return from your tribulation?"
"Hey, have you heard something?" As they spoke, their voices lowered.
"What?"
Yu Jing noticed that their voices had lowered and they had moved closer.
"The Heavenly Emperor was deeply hurt by a mere fairy during his love tribulation."
"Wasn't the Heavenly Lord the one who went through a love tribulation with the Third Princess? How come he's become a minor immortal now?"
"I don't know why he suddenly changed his love tribulation partner, and now he has nothing to do with the Third Princess anymore."
"That little fairy is quite capable, able to make the Heavenly Lord so infatuated and hurt him so deeply."
"Who can argue with that? After the Heavenly Lord returned to the Jade Purity Palace, he recuperated there for several days and is only now feeling better."
Hearing their earlier remark, Li'er puffed out her cheeks in anger and muttered under her breath, "What do they know? They're just talking about you behind your back!"
Fearing trouble, Yu Jing pulled Li'er away. They walked along the winding corridor for a while until they reached a quiet place before speaking, "Let them talk. Anyway, they don't know who I am. Besides, getting angry with them will only hurt your health. It's not worth it."
As Yu Jing spoke, her breath felt slightly warm. Li'er noticed that Yu Jing's face was a little red and reached out to touch it: "Did you drink too much just now? You look a little drunk now."
"It's alright, just a little dizzy," Yu Jing replied. The peach blossom wine was sweet and not too strong in alcohol, but she didn't expect to feel a bit tipsy after only a few cups.
"Then you sit here, I'll go to the kitchen and get you a bowl of hangover soup," Li'er said, helping Yu Jing sit on a bench by the railing of the porch.
"Okay, sure." Yu Jing replied obediently, watching Li'er head towards the kitchen.
"This way, Your Highness." The attendant led Qianhe down the corridor, explaining as they walked, "The wedding banquet will last for three days. The first two days are for entertaining guests, so Your Highness is free to wander around Yousu Mountain. The guest rooms have been arranged and are located at the back of the estate. If Your Highness doesn't know the way, you can summon a firefly to guide you."
"If the young prince wants to rest in the manor, he can freely enter any of these rooms under the eaves if there is a white sign hanging in front of the door; if it is red, it means that someone is already inside."
Upon hearing this, Qianhe smiled and said, "Your rules must have been learned from mortals."
Although it was a question, the tone was absolutely certain. The servant was taken aback when he heard this, then replied with an awkward smile, "Yes, there are many convenient and easy ways in the mortal world, as well as many ingenious gadgets. If the young prince has time, he can go and have a look around the mortal world. Once you leave the Mirror Gate, you can go down the mountain."
The crane replied, "I have only recently returned from the mortal realm. No matter how interesting it may be, I don't want to go there anytime soon."
As the group was walking, Qianhe looked up and saw a familiar figure sitting under the eaves. Her heart skipped a beat, and when she saw the magnolia hairpin in her hair, she immediately stopped in her tracks.
"Young Prince?" The attendant, noticing Qianhe had stopped, followed his gaze with some confusion. A beautiful woman sat on the veranda, her long, light blue robe trailing on the ground. Her jet-black hair was half-up, half-down, adorned with a red magnolia flower. Only her profile was visible; her cheeks were rosy.
"No need to follow," Qianhe said to the attendant, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes." The attendant responded and withdrew.
Yu Jing kept her head down, and when she noticed someone in front of her, she saw a pair of snow-white boots. Slowly raising her eyes, she saw an extremely familiar face.
The man crossed his arms, looking quite relaxed, and greeted her with a smile: "Shenghua."
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