Chapter Ten
Before the guests on Phoenix Tree Island could even bask in the morning sun, news spread like wildfire: the youngest disciple of High Lord Dong Hua had gone missing, the immortals of Great Marsh Mountain had pleaded with the Phoenix Sovereign to search the entire island, and Immortal Lord Gu Jin was eventually found in the Phoenix Tree Forest, sleeping soundly on his back… By early morning, Gu Jin had already become the laughingstock of the immortals, the subject of their post-meal gossip.
For an immortal, it must be said that this highly senior figure from Great Marsh Mountain made quite an embarrassing debut.
Meanwhile, in the Phoenix Emperor Hall, the old Dragon King of the Southern Sea, who was enjoying tea with Feng Ran, overheard the Celestial Emperor’s response to the news of the young troublemaker who had stirred up chaos on Phoenix Tree Island. Instead of punishment, the Celestial Emperor merely dismissed it with a light reprimand: "Don’t bother with him. He’s always been fond of mischief." This left the old Dragon King pondering.
Could it be that because High Lord Dong Hua was on good terms with the Celestial Emperor, even his young disciple had earned the Celestial Emperor’s favor?
The old Dragon King was sharp. As soon as he left the Phoenix Emperor Hall, he instructed his disciples and followers to keep their mouths shut and avoid gossiping about Gu Jin. Everyone has their connections, and by noon, the subtle hint of the Celestial Emperor’s protection for Gu Jin had been thoroughly understood by the immortals on the island.
Taking the hint, Gu Jin, who had been dispirited all morning, perked up upon learning that Hua Shu lived just next door in the Flowing Cloud Pavilion. He cheerfully dashed over to visit, completely unaware that his absurd antics from the previous night had already been reinterpreted by the immortals as the unrestrained, innocent exuberance of youth.
The Flowing Cloud Pavilion had been quiet and elegant for days, but today was different. The ladies gathered on Phoenix Tree Island had all chosen to visit Hua Shu on the eve of the final banquet. Meeting in the outer hall, they exchanged awkward smiles and silently agreed to forget their conversations from the previous night.
With a smiling face, Hong Que invited the ladies to take their seats, served them tea, and then went to the inner hall to fetch Hua Shu.
Pushing open the door to the inner hall and catching sight of Hua Shu changing behind a screen, Hong Que’s smile grew more pronounced and smug. "Your Highness, all the female immortals on the island have come to pay their respects. They are waiting in the outer hall now. Last night, they were all trying to curry favor with the Little Phoenix Lord of Phoenix Tree Island, but now they have to rely on Your Highness’s reputation to secure a place at the banquet."
In past Immortal Realm banquets, any lady who accompanied Hua Shu was always regarded with higher esteem by other immortals.
"That’s because they weren’t sure whether the Little Phoenix Lord undergoing Nirvana Rebirth today would be male or female. If it turns out to be a female phoenix lord, once she grows up, the privileges I once enjoyed may no longer exist."
Hua Shu emerged from behind the screen, a faint, almost imperceptible depth flashing in her eyes. "Just like when Jing Zhao resided in the Heavenly Palace back then."
Hong Que fell silent, her expression shifting slightly as she recalled an incident from those days.When Princess Hua Shu was born, auspicious clouds gathered over the North Sea, sea creatures rejoiced, and mermaids sang in celebration—truly a wondrous event in the Immortal Realm. The Emperor cherished the princess like a precious jewel, and on Hundred Birds Island, she was doted upon by all, naturally developing a proud temperament. Two hundred years ago, at the Heavenly Palace's Peach Banquet, the princess had just come of age and accompanied the Emperor to attend the feast. At that time, whispers in the Immortal Realm already claimed that the princess, once grown, would not be inferior to Princess Jing Zhao, the daughter of the Celestial Emperor. For that banquet, the princess had her attendants prepare a gown woven from thousand-year silkworm silk and feathers and wore the Peacock Clan's supreme treasure, the Peacock Feather Crown. Yet, at the banquet, Princess Jing Zhao, clad only in a golden dragon-embroidered bright yellow royal robe, captured the attention of all the Immortal Lords. While the immortals admired the princess's beauty, compared to Princess Jing Zhao, they lacked genuine respect for her.
During the banquet, when an Immortal Lord mentioned Hua Shu of Hundred Birds Island, Princess Jing Zhao, seated beside the Empress, merely cast a half-glance and remarked to the princess: "Truly living up to the rumors, possessing celestial beauty and the grace of a peony."
A light, casual compliment, as if bestowed upon the princess merely at her whim. In Princess Jing Zhao's eyes, the proud and self-assured princess was reduced to nothing more than a beautiful Immortal Lord who relied on her looks, no different from ordinary people.
Centuries of the princess's efforts seemed to crumble in an instant, rendered insignificant.
The daughter of the Celestial Emperor, born to stand above the Nine Heavens, seated beside the imperial throne—an insurmountable gap.
It was at that banquet that the princess first laid eyes on the rising Lanfeng Supreme Lord. Love at first sight, unforgettable for a century.
The cycles of the world are unpredictable, and fate is ever-changing. After that banquet, the princess's temperament underwent a profound change. She devoted herself wholeheartedly to cultivating Immortal Power and secluded herself on Hundred Birds Island. Yet, who could have foreseen that in the following century, everything in the Three Realms would shift? The Celestial Emperor transformed into a stone dragon, the Empress was punished by the Ancient True God, and the once supremely noble Princess Jing Zhao vanished without a trace.
To speak out of turn, if Princess Jing Zhao were still present, the princess would indeed find it difficult to enjoy the glory she has today. But alas, barely a century later, Phoenix Tree Island produced another Little Phoenix Lord.
Hong Que suppressed the sigh in her heart and pretended not to care, comforting Hua Shu: "Your Highness, tonight's Nirvana Rebirth may not necessarily be a girl, and even if it is, she will need several hundred years to come of age. Last night, Supreme Lord Lanfeng shared tea and admired flowers with Your Highness, engaging in heartfelt conversation for half the night—truly a fortunate opportunity. Speaking of which, it was quite a coincidence that you happened to meet Supreme Lord Lanfeng at the lake's center. I've heard that although the Supreme Lord is courteous to ladies, he rarely takes the initiative to befriend them. Last night, for some reason, he took a special interest in Your Highness..."
Hua Shu paused at the doorway upon hearing this. She turned back and chuckled softly: "A coincidence? Hong Que, do you know why the former Celestial Emperor, Mu Guang, was chosen by the Primordial Deity tens of thousands of years ago to rule the Celestial Realm?"
"Your Highness, this servant does not know."
"Because the former Celestial Emperor, Mu Guang, presided over the Emperor Star Constellation, which is why he was chosen by the Primordial Deity."
"Your Highness means..."
"Lanfeng hails from Penglai Island in the Immortal Realm and was born with a destiny tied to the Emperor Star. He has lived for two thousand years, but in the first nineteen hundred years, have you ever heard anyone in the Immortal Realm dare to compare him to the former Celestial Emperor or praise his noble birth?"
Hong Que shook her head. Although Supreme Lord Lanfeng was an exceptional talent among ten thousand, it was only in the past century that he truly earned the admiration and respect of the immortals.
"Even if no one ever said it outright, you should know who the Immortal Realm's designated successor to the Celestial Emperor was back then."
Hong Que hesitated and replied: "This servant knows. It was the Second Prince of the Heavenly Palace, His Highness Jing Jian."In terms of Immortal Power, Prince Jing Jian before his journey to Rakshasa Land and High Lord Lan Feng were likely evenly matched. But when it came to prestige, High Lord Lan Feng was far inferior to Prince Jing Jian. With both parents being High Gods who ruled the Celestial Realm, and Prince Jing Jian hailing from the Phoenix lineage, who in such circumstances would remember High Lord Lan Feng of Penglai Island? Even though he was the heir born under the Emperor Star Constellation.
"Lan Feng dislikes nothing more than the Immortal Tribe's jokes that flatter the powerful and scorn the weak. His friendship with me is simply a matter of shared understanding—four words that sum it up."
After speaking, Hua Shu looked up at the golden early morning sun outside the door, smiled faintly, and walked out.
Two hundred years ago, at the Peach Banquet, she had already understood that no matter how much effort she put in, she could only tread carefully as if on thin ice in front of those in high positions of power. Some people were born superior. She was like that back then, and Lan Feng was no different.
Her moon-white long skirt fluttered gently in the sunlight, and the gentle, kind smile on Hua Shu's face was as enchanting and beautiful as the red iris flowers beyond the Ghost Realm.
As Hua Shu's figure disappeared into the corridor, Hong Que stood dazed for a moment and sighed.
Now that High Lord Lan Feng was honored as the heir to the Celestial Emperor, and Her Highness had admired him for a century, it could be said she had chosen the right person.
She collected her thoughts, her brows lifting once more with an innocent, naive smile, and followed.
It was the final day, and naturally, Hua Shu's Flowing Cloud Pavilion was not lacking in visits from male Immortal Lords. By the time she appeared, the front hall was already filled with guests. Her tall figure had only just appeared at the doorway when it captured the attention of everyone present.
Dressed in an ancient moon-white gown, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, a golden brocade belt around her waist, and paired with her beautiful, aloof face, Hua Shu appeared elegant and noble, her Immortal Qi far surpassing that of the other ladies in the hall.
Princess Hua Shu, taught by the Peacock King with the full strength of their clan, lived up to her reputation in both beauty and Immortal Power.
Among the female immortals in the hall, some were envious, others jealous, but all wore smiles as they greeted and paid respects to Hua Shu. Soon, laughter filled the hall, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere. In such an environment, Gu Jin's request for an audience was abrupt and unexpected. Hua Shu was momentarily stunned before smiling faintly and instructing an immortal maiden to invite Immortal Lord Gu Jin of Great Marsh Mountain inside.
The sound of approaching footsteps grew nearer, sounding somewhat heavy. The lords looked toward the doorway and were all taken aback.
A bright red robe was wrapped around the round, plump figure of the newcomer, nearly reaching the ground. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his eyes were deeply sunken into the flesh of his face, leaving only a narrow slit visible. The plump Immortal Lord walked with small steps, and paired with this red robe, he resembled a cheerful mortal bridegroom.
The lords were speechless, staring at Gu Jin, who seemed perfectly at ease in the hall, and with great difficulty buried their astonishment and the absurdity they felt in their hearts. Rumors had circulated for several days, causing unrest across the island, but the beloved young disciple of High Lord Dong Hua turned out to be such a... cough... remarkable figure. Had the old High Lord's eyesight failed in his old age, changing his taste in disciples?
It was worth noting that Old High Lord Dong Hua had not taken a disciple in a thousand years, and gaining entry to Great Marsh Mountain was more difficult than ascending to heaven. After scrutinizing Gu Jin for a moment, the lords silently began to entertain thoughts of trying to enter Great Marsh Mountain's gates once more to seek discipleship.
Amidst the intermittent coughing and muffled laughter, no one noticed the suddenly pale face of Female Lord Biyun from Southern Mountain Abode. She leaned back slightly, as if trying to hide herself.Today, Ling Juan was afraid to face Hua Shu and did not dare to come to pay his respects. She had no choice but to personally visit Hua Shu to plead for mercy, never expecting that the plump Immortal Lord who had been humiliated by Ling Juan last night was none other than the young disciple of Great Marsh Mountain, whom even the Celestial Emperor favored. Throughout the Three Realms, it was known that the Little Divine Lord of Clear Pond Palace had been personally raised by the Celestial Emperor. If Gu Jin were to report their words from last night to the Celestial Emperor, both the Bodhi Grotto and Southern Mountain would surely be abandoned by the Immortal Tribe. At this thought, Bi Yun was filled with regret, her lips trembling slightly in fear. She could only pick up the teacup on the table to conceal her distress.
In the main hall, Hua Shu glanced at Bi Yun, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes. She personally rose to greet Gu Jin as he entered. High Lord Dong Hua was of an older generation than his father, and though Gu Jin appeared rather unremarkable, his seniority was indisputably high.
"Yesterday, I heard from Hong Que that Immortal Lord Gu Jin was staying at the Nine Splendors Pavilion. Hua Shu had not yet had the chance to pay a visit, and yet the Immortal Lord has already come to the Flowing Cloud Pavilion. This is Hua Shu's oversight." Though Hua Shu personally welcomed him, her expression remained cool and detached, showing no particular warmth, treating Gu Jin no differently from the other lords.
The voice that reached his ears bore some resemblance to the sharp, clear female voice from the previous night, yet it was not entirely the same. Gu Jin scratched his head, unable to be certain. He looked up at Hua Shu as she approached, his small eyes narrowing slightly as he inwardly exclaimed: What a stunning beauty! No wonder she has a heart as compassionate as a bodhisattva.
He coughed shyly, following Hua Shu’s gesture to take a seat. Feeling both nervous and reserved, he blinked a few times before speaking with utmost seriousness.
"It’s no trouble at all. The Princess is older, and I am younger. It should be I who pays my respects to the Princess first."
As these words fell, the entire hall fell silent.
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