Chapter 79 The Beauty Kidnapped by the Empress (20)
Phoenix Cries on High Hill
"The person closest to you in this world is not your royal sister, nor your master, but me, Wanqi Yanjing."
Wanqi Yanjing sighed in Jiang Yiqing's ear, then drifted off to sleep, seemingly satisfied.
Jiang Yiqing traced the phoenix flower pattern on her forehead, gazed at her exquisite face, opened the immortal book to study for a while, and then couldn't help but fall asleep.
In her dream, she and Wan Qiyan held hands tightly, and she had that dream again.
When the game of chess ended, she saw Jiang Xian also resting against the phoenix tree, while Wan Qi Sang Yan took two steps alone towards the outer side of the Mingjing Terrace.
She bent down and picked up a small, crimson fruit from a crack in the rocks. It shone with a dazzling cinnabar light, and Jiang Yiqing stared at her in astonishment.
"Yan'er?" Jiang Xian got up, looked around, and saw her back. She asked, "What are you doing there?"
"It's incredible that this divine tree fruit has appeared here," Wanqi Sangyan said. "It must be fate. Xian'er, I have some business to attend to in the Di Kingdom. Would you like to come with me?"
Jiang Xian hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I no longer concern myself with matters of the mortal realm. Why does Yan'er still want to go?"
"Let's find a home for this fruit," Wanqisangyan said. "I'll be right back."
Jiang Xian watched her retreating figure, a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
Wanqi Sangyan left Mingjingtai and found her friend Jiang Mengran from the Zhai Kingdom. She still ascends the throne several times.
"The sacred parasol tree was destroyed by the Fusang fire back then, leaving only this Vermilion Fruit. I never expected it to appear on the Mingjing Terrace. This must be fate," Wanqi Sangyan said. "Meng Ran, I'd like to entrust it to you for safekeeping?"
Jiang Mengran took the vermilion fruit from her hand, looked at it, and said, "Why did you come to me for something so important?"
“Since ancient times, the phoenix has perched on the sacred parasol tree. Without the sacred tree, even if we, the Wanqi clan, become immortals, we cannot escape the fate of wandering and drifting. We must immerse our bodies in the Nine Heavens Phoenix Pool and die so that our descendants can be reborn. If the sacred tree still exists, we would not have such a fate.” Wanqi Sangyan said, “If only you could cultivate it well.”
"You want me to help you cultivate this Vermilion Fruit into a new Divine Tree? How is that possible?"
“I know all of this is just wishful thinking. If it can’t be done, then let the reincarnation of Zhu Guo destroy our Wanqi clan.” Wanqi Sangyan said, “I don’t want to see her worrying about me day and night anymore.”
“Sang Yan, in the thousand years since you left Qin Kingdom, the people of Qin Kingdom have said that it was a demoness from our Zhai Kingdom who bewitched you and made you forget your homeland. Their hatred for Zhai Kingdom has intensified day by day. Our Zhai Kingdom has only managed to survive with great difficulty because of my constant rebirth. However, my body is old and can no longer withstand the wear and tear of these merciless years. I can hardly say what will happen next.”
“I know, I will give everything an explanation,” Wanqi Sangyan said. “I will invoke the power of reincarnation, return to a thousand years ago, and sacrifice myself at the Nine Heavens Phoenix Pool, so that the new emperor of the Qin Kingdom can guide all of this.”
"She must be very sad." Thinking of Jiang Xian, Jiang Mengran sighed. Back then, she was still the Crown Princess, about the same age as the two of them. Who knew that so many incredible things would happen later?
“…Unless the Divine Tree reappears in the world, we cannot stay together forever.” Wanqi Sangyan seemed to have figured something out and said, “I have a trace of phoenix blood in the Vermilion Fruit. If the Qin Kingdom attacks your Zhai Kingdom in the future, let me use my remaining power to bury my descendants. I cannot bear to see my descendants repeat the fate I have experienced.”
"You always act impulsively. Phoenixes are the fire-controlling race. If you perish, the world will be in chaos again. I have also put my power into it. If your race does anything untoward, it will serve as a deterrent. Most importantly, it will give it the power to protect itself and those around it."
Jiang Mengran stored a trace of her power in the Vermilion Fruit. Unexpectedly, the Vermilion Fruit was very intelligent and immediately absorbed her power.
Because Jiang Mengran was born without spiritual roots, this power also covered Zhu Guo's innate divine spiritual roots. Only when her power was enough to overthrow Jiang Mengran would she reveal her true form. At that time, the Wutong Divine Tree would be completed.
"But how should it be cultivated?" Jiang Mengran said, "The phoenix tree is a precious tree, and it needs the owner's full love to nurture it to grow."
In front of Jiang Mengran, Wanqi Sangyan took out her myriad threads of affection and sealed them in a jade pendant she carried with her. She said, "I will irrigate this pendant with the affection of my clan. I will name this pendant the Strange Bone Langhua Pendant. From now on, the emotional threads of the descendants of the Qin Kingdom will be sealed within it. One day, when this pendant touches the divine tree, it will be able to sense the predestined love within it, and perhaps, it will also know about our conversation today."
...
Jiang Yiqing and Wanqi Yanjing spent several days in passionate lovemaking. When she was awake, she practiced immortal techniques. She had initially worried that the environment and her cultivation partner would affect her cultivation. Unexpectedly, during their cultivation, she not only easily integrated Wanqi Yanjing's spiritual power, but also did not experience any rejection from the contents of the immortal book.
Aside from some inner unease, her cultivation level increased rapidly.
When Jiang Yiqing woke up that day, she saw Wan Qiyan sitting beside her with black hair.
"Yi Qing, are you willing to be with me?" Wan Qiyan asked, his eyes filled with a hint of sadness.
Jiang Yiqing was a little confused. How did she suddenly revert from her demonic state back to her original self? Wan Qiyanjing said, "Until the demonic nature is completely eliminated, I can only maintain this state for six hours."
Jiang Yiqing nodded reluctantly. After all, the contract had been signed, and besides, as long as she didn't have to worry about anything too complicated, being with Wan Qiyanjing wasn't so bad.
Recalling the events of her dream, she found it unbelievable. Time travel was already incredible, but the events in her dream were even more distant from her. Was the vermilion fruit they spoke of her? If so, were she and the original Jiang Yiqing the same person from different time periods? Then why did this time-space intersection occur?
"Yiqing, I'm sorry to have wronged you." Wan Qiyanjing held Jiang Yiqing's hand, looking at her with tender and affectionate eyes. Having gotten used to her nasty side, Jiang Yiqing was still a little unaccustomed to it.
But the engagement seemed to have a great effect on her. Perhaps because of this, Wanqi Yanjing not only stopped caring about their complicated past, but also genuinely loved her as his wife.
"...What's wrong with you?" Jiang Yiqing asked, puzzled.
“I don’t have any sisters. Actually, I’ve always wanted someone to be with me since I was little, and you are such a wonderful person… I have no other wishes. My only remaining wish in this life is to stay with you,” Wan Qiyan Jing said.
"...?" The words sounded rather sad, but Jiang Yiqing didn't suspect anything and asked her, "Isn't your wish to unify the four kingdoms?"
"That will kill a lot of people, Yiqing, do you agree?"
"Of course I don't want that," Jiang Yiqing said earnestly. "I don't want you to fall into demonic ways either, but I hope that one day you can become an immortal."
Wanqi Yanjing smiled and said, "I want to take you somewhere."
"where?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wan Qiyan Jing's figure transformed into a phoenix shimmering with flames, so large that it almost filled the entire room.
"Is this your true form?"
"good."
Wanqi Yanjing, who had transformed into a phoenix, spoke in an ethereal voice. Her eyes were like glass reflecting the glow of the sunset, and the crimson downy feathers covering her body shimmered with the color and outline of flames. Her back feathers were layered, and as they spread out, they seemed to have the dynamic feeling of soaring straight to the heavens. Jiang Yiqing had never seen such a splendid and beautiful creature before, and she stared at it in a daze.
The phoenix let out a urging cry, its voice clear and melodious like the clinking of jade stones, yet carrying the majesty of the king of birds.
Jiang Yiqing paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you want me to go up?"
The noble woman lowered her head, as if to indicate her agreement. Jiang Yiqing felt a sense of disbelief, but she still carefully pressed herself against the phoenix's neck, then climbed up the first feather on its back, trying her best to sit firmly on the phoenix's back.
The phoenix flapped its wings, instantly producing a sharp, piercing sound. In the blink of an eye, Jiang Yiqing was a thousand meters above the ground.
Clad in white, a phoenix, gracefully cleansing away the dust.
Jiang Yiqing was so frightened that she immediately fell onto her back and grabbed her tough feathers.
The phoenix carried her, sometimes through mountain gorges, sometimes soaring high into the sky, giving Jiang Yiqing a panoramic view of the vast landscape.
After her initial fear, she began to adapt, trying to prop herself up and boldly look out at the surrounding scenery.
"Yi Qing, I've always wanted to take you somewhere." Her clear voice echoed through the valley.
At this moment, Jiang Yiqing felt that things weren't so bad after all.
At least, in the entire world, she couldn't find another person who would transform into a phoenix and take her on a journey of thousands of miles in a single day.
Where is it?
"Feathertail Hill."
“I’ve heard that name before,” Jiang Yiqing said. “You’ve mentioned it.”
"Yes, that's our Phoenix Clan's secret base. She also wants to take you there and hide you away forever."
Jiang Yiqing blushed shyly and said, "Wanqi Yanjing, if it weren't for the fact that the timing of our meeting was a bit off, I might have really fallen deeply in love with you."
"Yi Qing, I will make you fall in love with me."
After an unknown amount of time, Phoenix finally stopped on a green hill, where there was an endless expanse of lush green grass and a vast, azure lake. Phoenix perched on the high ridge of the hill.
Jiang Yiqing couldn't help but recite an ancient poem from the Han Dynasty.
"The phoenix sings on the high hill, but its wings do not allow it to fly easily. How can we know the phoenix's virtue, for its rare appearance is so precious?" (1)
Along with her clear voice, Wanqi Yanjing also cried out twice in response. Jiang Yiqing saw many birds being summoned by her, and Wanqi Yanjing transformed into human form.
She gently put Jiang Yiqing down from her arms and said, "Everyone, it's been a long time."
"The Empress is still too busy; she only thinks of us once every few years," Jiang Yiqing said, seeing a girl who had transformed from a white crane into a human.
She was also wearing a white hat with the character "crane" written on it, which made Jiang Yiqing chuckle.
The girl then asked, "Who is she?"
Wan Qiyan introduced, "She is my wife, Jiang Yiqing."
"Ah, the descendants of the phoenix have found partners!" said the crane girl. "You really are incorrigible! The guy who came here before we went to the Nine Heavens Phoenix Pool last time drank with us for three days and three nights. Your fate is truly pathetic!"
Jiang Yiqing's smile also stopped upon hearing this.
"Let's not talk about that now," Wan Qiyanjing said, waving his hand.
"Are you two married?" the white crane girl asked curiously.
"A contract has been formed, after all."
"That won't do. If you don't mind, let's hold the wedding here. We have fine wine and food to serve you."
"Isn't this troublesome?"
"What's the big deal?"
"Alright then."
[Author's Note]
(1) Quoted from ancient poems
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