Mengli in danger
Inside a side hall of the Xuan Palace, the fairy in charge was sitting on a yellow wooden armchair, holding a plate of green fruit. She would occasionally pick one up and put it in her mouth, making a crisp chewing sound.
That plate of fruit was a gift from the Heavenly Emperor. All the lesser immortals who came to the banquet, even those of lower rank, could receive such a plate of green fruit. Green fruit was produced by the divine tree in the celestial realm and had the effect of enhancing spiritual power and helping to improve cultivation. Although it was the lowest-grade immortal fruit in the celestial realm, it was still a very important supplement for low-ranking fairies like them.
When the fairy maiden from the Xuan Palace went to the foot of the mountain to retrieve the fruit sent by the celestial messenger...
"Man?? Do you see clearly? This Xuan Palace is remote and secluded, and it's sealed off by a barrier. How could an outsider possibly get in?"
The fairy on the grand chair slowly put down the plate, her expression somber as she asked the fairy who had come to deliver the message.
“Sister Xuanzhi, I saw it clearly. The man was wearing a dark black robe, and his face... his face was handsome. He was holding Mengli so tightly…” The fairy who was replying suddenly stopped, as if she realized that she had said something wrong, and quickly made up for it: “On my way back from getting the fairy fruit, I did see a strange man holding that bitch in the main hall.”
In the morning, the little fairy was ordered to retrieve the fruit sent by the celestial official at the foot of the desolate mountain. On her way back, she saw a strange man holding Mengli by the cliff, and the two seemed quite familiar with each other. She hurriedly returned to report to the presiding fairy, Xuanzhi.
Xuanzhi was the earliest fairy in the Xuan Palace. She had been entrusted with the care of Mengli since she was still an infant. She originally thought that if she raised the young fairy to adulthood, she could also attain enlightenment if the child inherited a celestial position in the future.
But just a few days after accepting the assignment, she heard about the baby's ominous origins. Forget about ascending to immortality with her; even leaving this desolate mountain became a luxury. Her entire life would be ruined here. As time passed, resentment grew within her, and she blamed everything on Mengli.
"That lowly thing, she must have hooked up with some celestial official at the banquet in the Heavenly Realm last month." A fairy waiting nearby glanced at Xuanzhi's gloomy face and then said.
Xuanzhi sneered, "Ha, a celestial official? She's not worthy of the title. Maybe she's some kind of demon from the mountains who's been bewitched by him."
The fairy beside her said with a flattering tone, "Sister Xuanzhi is right. That restless slut is just as despicable as her traitorous mother. But shouldn't we report this to the Heavenly Realm? Let the Heavenly Emperor order someone to kill her directly."
"Heh, isn't that letting her off easy? Because of her, I've been imprisoned in this desolate mountain for three thousand years. The spiritual energy here is thin, and there are no elixirs or immortal herbs to help me improve my cultivation. So even though I've cultivated for three thousand years, it's only about the same as a celestial fairy's three hundred years of cultivation." Xuan Zhi frowned, her eyes becoming increasingly fierce: "All of this is because of her. I must make her pay the price."
Xuanzhi placed her hand on the table beside her, tapping her fingers on the surface. After a moment, her brows relaxed, and she let out a cold snort, as if she had a brilliant plan. She then turned and walked out.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The Xuan Palace was peaceful. Mengli still slept for a week after eating the immortal herb. Before eating the immortal herb each time, she would secretly leave 1-2 fruits from the tree on the cliff for Guannan.
Guan Nan stopped bullying the fat carp, because every time Meng Li fell asleep, only the fat carp would transform into human form to keep him company through the boring days and nights in the desolate mountains.
"How did that little fairy survive ten thousand years of such boring days?" Guan Nan asked, staring blankly at the fruit in his hand.
"I don't know, I didn't arrive a few days earlier than you. And I'm much more bored than you. At least you have some freedom, while I can only hide in this pool, getting injured all over, and having to apply that bone-corroding poison day and night." As Dizang spoke, he glanced at Guan Nan and then pursed his lips.
Guan Nan rolled his eyes at the other person and sighed. He didn't want to care about what the bald man said anymore, because the days and nights in the desolate mountains, especially the week when Meng Li was sleeping, were just too long for him.
"When are you going back to Wuliang Mountain? But Wuliang Mountain is considered a semi-immortal sect, so why send you to keep an eye on a nobody like you?"
“It is difficult to disobey a master’s orders. As disciples, we should just follow our master’s instructions. How can we ask for the reasons? Besides, I don’t know when I can go back. If nothing goes wrong, I may be trapped here for the rest of my life.”
"Something happened?" Guan Nan pressed, "What could possibly happen here?"
"It's not that something happened here, it's that Meng Li. She has an ancient artifact. It's called an artifact, but it's actually a weapon of destruction. Over time, while it kills enemies, it has also become tainted with a lot of demonic energy. It has existed since the time of the gods. It is the artifact of the ancient creator god. It has killed countless demon armies since ancient times, and in the end, even the demon god was killed by it."
"Since the gods have all fallen, it has been planted in Phoenix Cry Mountain where the gods have fallen, and has never been subdued by anyone in the Heavenly Realm. But suddenly one day, it took the initiative to recognize this little fairy who has no spiritual power as its master. My master from Wuliang Mountain once saw a strange phenomenon and predicted that the Heavenly Realm would be brought a great calamity because of this girl, so he sent me here to keep an eye on her."
Guan Nan snorted coldly: "Hmph, and what's the result? You've been here for months, and you haven't figured anything out."
Ksitigarbha could also tell that this was the other party's strange tone, but he could not disobey his master's orders, so he could only stay here and guard: "I didn't see anything. I also often examine Mengli's spiritual consciousness. She really has no spiritual power, which is why she cannot summon the Guishui Nine Difficulties Slash."
Suddenly, a slight noise came from the side room; it was the sound of someone turning over in bed.
Guan Nan gave Dizang a wink, signaling her to quickly return to the pool, and then transmitted a message to Dizang's consciousness: "Go back quickly, she's about to wake up."
Sure enough, Mengli yawned, pushed open the door, and walked towards Xiaochi while rubbing her eyes.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, and in its reflection, a plump golden carp was mixed in with the moon's shadow. Mengli had to search around for a long time before she finally found the plump carp hiding there.
"Hmm, that's good. That guy hasn't bullied you anymore."
Mengli slowly sat down by the pond, watching the fat carp swim around in the water. This guy seemed to be hiding from her. Ever since Mengli discovered him hiding in the moonlight, he had been changing positions, as if avoiding Mengli's gaze.
Mengli didn't notice that a pair of eyes nearby were following her gaze, and she unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth.
The next morning, Mengli, carrying an empty bamboo basket, was off to gather immortal herbs in the desolate forest once again.
"Do you absolutely have to eat that?"
Hearing the sound of the side room door opening, Guan Nan immediately pushed the door open as well, rolled his eyes at Meng Li, and asked.
"Then what am I supposed to eat? I've been eating this for ten thousand years," Mengli said disdainfully.
That's poison from the celestial realm. Guan Nan's lips twitched, but he didn't know how to explain it to her. However, since she was eating without any problems, he simply let her eat it. Perhaps this stuff wasn't poisonous to people without spiritual power.
"Alright then, are you going to pick fruit again today?" Guan Nan seemed to remember something and asked again.
"Yes, of course you have to pick them, otherwise what will you eat?"
"You...I...."
Guan Nan originally wanted to say that he came from the Immortal Realm and didn't need to eat, but it was true that not eating every day would be tasteless. Moreover, eating one of those fruits could nourish one's spiritual power for a thousand years. Guan Nan had improved his cultivation a lot these days, which should all be due to eating that fruit.
"What I mean is, if you can't reach it, don't pick it, otherwise you'll fall into the Heavenly Pool and be completely destroyed."
When Guan Nan said this, he turned his back to look at the fat carp in the pond, so when Meng Li wanted to answer him, she could only run up to him, smile, bend down, look at his face, and nod gently: "Mm!"
The other person didn't say anything more, only turned their face away and looked in another direction. Mengli didn't mind, picked up the bamboo basket and walked towards the desolate forest outside the palace.
The courtyard returned to silence. A golden light flashed, and Ksitigarbha materialized and sat down beside Guan Nan.
"Your Highness, how long do you intend to hide here?" Dizang looked towards the palace gate, confirming that Mengli was no longer there, and then said, "I just received a message from my master that he is on his way to the Heavenly Realm."
Guan Nan frowned: "The Immortal Venerable of Wuliang Mountain? What's he doing here?"
He was not unaware of why the Celestial Venerable had come. The Celestial Venerable was most skilled in divination using the Six Lines method, so it must be that the Heavenly Emperor and the other immortals could not find him and had no choice but to invite the Celestial Venerable to deduce and calculate his location.
"What else could it be? The prince is exceptionally intelligent, he must have already guessed it." Ksitigarbha casually picked up a small pebble and threw it into the pond, splashing up a few water droplets.
Guan Nan remained silent, turning the last fruit from the cliff tree in his hand, his brow furrowed.
"Having spent time with that girl these past few days, I think she's quite nice. His Highness the Crown Prince hasn't yet established a principal wife, so perhaps..."
"Shut up!"
Guan Nan placed the fruit on the table and left in a huff.
The Heavenly Emperor believed the predictions of the God of Fate, who said that he was facing a heavenly tribulation and had to go down to the mortal realm to avoid it. Wuliang Mountain also said that Mengli was an ominous sign. Haha, how could the Heavenly Realm possibly let her become his principal wife?
Besides... the principal wife? What are you talking about? She's just a wild fairy I've known for only a few months.
Guan Nan was somewhat impatient and walked straight out of the palace gate.
Deep in the desolate mountains, Mengli, who had just finished picking a basket of immortal herbs, was carrying a bamboo basket towards the edge of the cliff.
Half a month later, the fruit tree on the cliff has become lush and full of leaves, and upon closer inspection, several round fruits are quietly hanging among the leaves.
"Sister Xuanzhi, I knew that bitch would come here. Let's push her off the cliff while she's climbing the tree," the little fairy in the side hall of the Xuan Palace said obsequiously in the desolate forest.
"Ha, wouldn't it be too easy for her if we just let it go like this? I've wasted three thousand years of my life, I'll settle this score today."
As Xuanzhi spoke, she rushed out of the desolate forest and strode towards the edge of the cliff.
Mengli had just put down her bamboo basket and was about to climb the tree when Xuanzhi, who had rushed over, grabbed her hair and pulled her down. Caught off guard, she stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Fairy...Fairy sister. Did Mengli do something wrong? Or does sister also want the fruit on this tree? If sister wants it, I will pick it and give it to you."
Mengli spoke with tears in her eyes, saying that she didn't understand why the fairies were always targeting and bullying her, even though she seemed to have never offended them.
"Pah! Who wants your lousy fruit? We threw away the fruit you gave us last time. Who knows if you poisoned it?"
Xuanzhi's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He slowly stepped forward, raised his hand, and signaled the surrounding fairies to shut up: "Don't waste your breath on her. Go, sever her tendons, break her bones, and throw her into the Heavenly Pool."
"....yes"
The leading fairy paused, clearly not expecting Xuanzhi to be so ruthless, but as her subordinate, she still had to obey orders.
A flash of golden light appeared, and the leading fairy summoned her magical artifact. It was a meteor hammer, a low-level artifact, but it was more than enough to deal with a minor fairy like Meng Li who had no spiritual power to protect her.
Without hesitation, the fairy swung her hammer straight at Mengli's chest. Her frail body could not withstand the full force of the magical weapon's blow. With a crack, she seemed to hear the sound of her ribs breaking.
"Don't stop, keep hitting him." Xuanzhi walked slowly to the tree, found a flat stone, brushed the dust off it with her sleeve, and gently sat down.
Mengli lay on the ground, reaching out to Xuanzhi, seemingly trying to defend herself, but as soon as she opened her mouth, blood gushed out.
The leading fairy was so frightened by the sight that she stood frozen in place, but because of Xuanzhi's angry shouts urging her on, she continued to swing her hammer.
With a resounding crash, another powerful hammer blow struck Mengli's leg, sending waves of excruciating pain through her body, causing her to cry out, "Ah!!"
Mengli's cries were heart-wrenching, accompanied by a constant flow of blood from her mouth, which triggered a violent cough. With each cough, her shattered ribs pierced deep into her flesh and internal organs, signaling that she was likely not far from death.
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