Chapter 124
"A Jin!" The young woman's clear and joyous voice reached his ears. Gu Jin gently raised his eyes.
"Happy birthday!" Ayin's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. From out of nowhere, she produced a flask of Drunken Jade Dew, filled it to the brim, and handed it to Gu Jin. "From now on, I'll be with you for every single one of your birthdays."
Gu Jin froze abruptly, concealing all the emotion in his eyes. He took the Drunken Jade Dew from Ayin and drank half of it in one go, merely gazing at her gently without a word of reply.
Ayin, still immersed in the joy of her sudden, heaven-sent confession, didn't notice Gu Jin's odd behavior. Seeing him drink the Drunken Jade Dew with such gusto, she sidled up to him like a little fox, pleading, "Leave some for me, leave some for me."
With that, she snatched the Drunken Jade Dew and poured it into her mouth, letting out a long, contented sigh. With sly intent, she leaned against Gu Jin and poked his waist. "I didn't know about it this year, so this celebration is a bit shabby. Next year, I'll call over Senior Brother, Qing Yi, and the others, and we'll throw you a proper birthday feast."
She was full of anticipation for Gu Jin's next birthday, the smile in her eyes almost overflowing. When Gu Jin didn't answer, she turned her head and moved closer to his face, cooing in a drawn-out, wheedling tone, "Alright, A Jin~?"
When Gu Jin lowered his head, he was met with a pair of phoenix eyes brimming with intoxication.
How had he never noticed it before? Ayin's eyes were, in fact, so much like Aunt Feng Ran's.
Through the twists and turns of a hundred, a thousand years, from the first glance at her Nirvana Rebirth on Wutong Phoenix Island to the last glance at her death and soul-shattering in Rakshasa Land, the one he loved had always been the same person.
Time drifted away in the tranquility of Great Marsh Mountain. Gu Jin leaned down and captured Ayin's lips.
Ayin's eyes widened as she was kissed. Before she could even react, she was lost in the young man's fervent gaze and profound tenderness.
Moonlight spilled across the land, and wutong leaves drifted down through the air, forever engraving this scene into the memory of Great Marsh Mountain.
After a night of sound sleep, Ayin awoke from her dreams. She lay on the bed in the bamboo house, dazed for a good while. When she groggily recalled the moment before she got drunk last night, she slapped a hand over her mouth, her face burning red.
She quickly looked left and right, breathing a sigh of relief only when she didn't see Gu Jin. Ayin blinked, the corners of her lips curling up like a little cat that had just stolen the cream. She peeked out the window again, and seeing no one, she swiftly hopped out of bed and ran toward the small stream outside the bamboo house.
While A Jin was away, she had to wash up and make herself presentable. She couldn't let him come back and see her in this drunken, lazy state.
Ayin sat by the stream, savoring the memory of last night's events. She muttered to herself, Our status should be official now, right? Should I talk to my senior brothers and set a date?~
Ayin's eyes crinkled in a smile as she lowered her head and reached out to scoop up water from the stream.
The clear water reflected a pretty, blushing face with upturned phoenix eyes. But in those eyes, besides shyness, was a pair of ink-black pupils that were extraordinarily profound.
Ayin froze.
Why did her eyes look like that? They held a sharp dominance she had never seen before, at once familiar and strange.
Ayin rubbed her forehead. The grogginess from her hangover lingered. She frowned, looking at the clearly puzzled face in the water.
Something was definitely not right. The young woman's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at her reflection.
The sound of footsteps came from behind her. Ayin slowly rose and turned to face the young man walking out of the woods.
Gu Jin was dressed in simple cloth, carrying a bundle of dry firewood. Seeing Ayin turn around, he asked with a smile, "Why are you up so early? What do you want to eat today? I can catch a few more fish for you—" Gu Jin's voice stopped. He was met with a pair of eyes full of scrutiny and suspicion.
"Who are you? Where is this?" Ayin's voice was icy. Looking at Gu Jin, she had none of yesterday's girlish demeanor, only vigilance.
"Ayin," Gu Jin called to her, his expression unreadable.
"Don't pretend to be my senior brother. You're not him." Hearing Gu Jin call her name, Ayin seemed to recall the events of last night, and her expression darkened. She glanced around. "Who are you, really, to know what the Forbidden Valley of my Great Marsh Mountain looks like and to conjure all this to deceive me?"
"You..."
Before Gu Jin could explain, Ayin cut him off coldly. "No more lies. Although you've replicated the mountain gate perfectly, and even the bells ring on time, you don't know about the disciples' sword formation practice every two hours. From yesterday until today, the spiritual power of the sword formations and the sounds of the disciples practicing have not appeared even once." Ayin glanced around. "This isn't Great Marsh Mountain at all. Who are you, and where am I?"
Looking at Ayin's frosty expression, Gu Jin sighed. He had conjured everything, but he had deliberately omitted the daily sword formation drills of the Great Marsh Mountain disciples.
All his fellow disciples had died protecting this mountain. To use the echoes of their legacy to deceive Ayin would be far too disrespectful.
"As expected of the Phoenix Sovereign," Gu Jin sighed softly. He set down the firewood and looked at Ayin. "You're right. This is indeed not Great Marsh Mountain."
Seeing Gu Jin admit it so readily, Ayin was taken aback. Before she could question him further, Gu Jin was already walking toward her.
"But everything I said to you yesterday came from the heart. Even if everything here is fake, you should at least remember that the days we spent together at the mountain gate and across the Three Realms were real," he said slowly, stopping in front of Ayin.
The young man's eyes were exceptionally earnest, the deep affection within them enough to make one drown. Ayin remembered their time together and the joy of the previous day, and her heart couldn't help but soften. Still, she took a step back to put distance between them, murmuring with a frown, "Who are you really? My senior brother wouldn't conjure all this to trick me..."
Gu Jin grabbed Ayin's wrist and pulled her in front of him. "I am indeed no longer Gu Jin."
Ayin froze. He looked into her eyes. "Feng Yin, I am Yuan Qi."
His words were like a thunderclap, shattering the entire illusion. Ayin's eyes flew open as a torrent of memories flooded her mind, feeling as if her head would explode.
Yuan Qi gathered the disoriented Feng Yin into his arms. "I thought I could have a little more time with you. A-Yin, time is up. We should go back."
Gu Jin's hand stroked Feng Yin's hair as he whispered in her ear, "If one day you can remember all of this, you must remember what I said to you here."
A low sigh echoed through the Forbidden Valley. Feng Yin seemed to understand something and was about to struggle out of Gu Jin's grasp to demand an explanation when an overwhelming wave of Primordial Chaos Power enveloped her. The instant she looked up, she saw Gu Jin's eyes—filled with reluctance, longing, regret, yearning, and resolve. In his gaze, she saw everything she had never imagined in this past millennium.
She wanted to say something, but it was too late. Her eyes closed heavily.
Birds chirped merrily amidst the swirling immortal mist. The bells of the Heavenly Palace chimed the forty-ninth count.
Feng Yin's eyes snapped open. She was standing at the entrance to the backyard of Sunlit Palace.
In the courtyard, Yuan Qi, dressed in a white divine robe with a brocade belt at his waist and his black hair tied up high, was reading at a stone table. He looked up, and upon seeing Feng Yin, his expression turned quite cold. "I wonder for what reason the Phoenix Sovereign has come to my Sunlit Palace in such a menacing manner?"
Feng Yin was momentarily stunned. She glanced back at the Immortal Attendant who had led her there and remembered how Yuan Qi had instigated Qing Yi and Yan Shuang to go to Phoenix Roost Palace and wail as if at a grave. Unable to swallow her anger, she had come to Sunlit Palace and been led by an attendant to see Yuan Qi. She didn't know how, but she had zoned out and fallen into a daze right before the courtyard.
Feng Yin snorted coldly, dismissed the Immortal Attendant with a flick of her sleeve, and strode directly into the courtyard. "You can send them to Phoenix Roost Palace to swindle me, so I can't come to Sunlit Palace to settle the score with you?"
Outside the small courtyard, the Immortal Attendant who had led the way turned around, revealing the worried face of the Primordial Spirit Sword. He hid behind a small tree outside the courtyard, watching Yuan Qi with a grave expression.
Feng Yin had already achieved Divine Attainment. It had taken Peach Blossom Wine, Ghost Scent, and his Primordial Chaos Power to barely create an illusion to trap the Phoenix Sovereign's memories. Unfortunately, she had still discovered it in the end.
Feng Yin had regained her senses at the last moment and forcibly used her Divine Power to break the illusion. In order to reseal her memories, he had expended too much Primordial Chaos Power. He feared the Divine Lord's body wouldn't be able to withstand it.
What should I do? It'll be terrible if the Phoenix Sovereign sees that something is wrong...
In the courtyard, Yuan Qi's face was somewhat pale. He composed his expression, putting on an indifferent air. Setting down his book, he looked at Feng Yin and said with a straight face, "How would I know if you were willing to acknowledge them? Your Majesty, the Phoenix Sovereign, strikes fear across the Three Realms. You even declared you would be brothers with the Demon Emperor. How would I dare to cross Your Majesty's temper?"
Yuan Qi rarely spoke in such a roundabout, irritating way. Feng Yin huffed and sat down opposite him. "What, if not brothers, does the Divine Lord want me and Hong Yi to be husband and wife?"
Yuan Qi's eyes darkened. Feng Yin had already raised an eyebrow and picked up the other cup of tea on the table, taking a sip. "I've experienced mortal life dozens of times. I've long since seen through matters of love and marriage. Now that I'm a deity again, I have endless days of carefree roaming across the nine heavens ahead of me. What's the point of being tied down by that shallow red thread?"
Feng Yin said this with utter frankness. Yuan Qi knew she meant every word. He gave a bitter smile, hiding the emotion in his eyes, and ultimately said nothing.
Feng Yin had no desire to discuss these things with him further. She glanced at the two teacups on the table and said, "You even prepared the tea. It seems you knew I was coming. You provoked me into coming to Sunlit Palace because of what Qing Yi said in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, didn't you?"
Seeing Yuan Qi nod, Feng Yin toyed with the cup in her hand, a playful look on her face. When she lowered her eyes, they cast a dark shadow. "What, you didn't believe my words back then, but now, you're willing to believe?"
Qing Yi bringing up the old matter of Great Marsh Mountain in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos was naturally done with Yuan Qi's approval. Otherwise, who would dredge up something that was a slap in the face to all the High Immortals of the Heavenly Palace?
"A-Yin!" The pallor on Yuan Qi's face grew more pronounced. Feng Yin assumed he felt guilty about the past and didn't notice anything amiss.
Seeing him like this, Feng Yin felt a pang of pity for some reason. She waved her hand. "Alright, it's been over a thousand years. There's no point in dwelling on the rights and wrongs of the past. Who do you think was the one from the Immortal Tribe colluding with the Demon Tribe back then?"
Feng Yin had long since shared her suspicions with Yu Feng. Since Yu Feng was completely loyal to Yuan Qi, he had naturally discussed the matter of an immortal colluding with the Demon Tribe with Yuan Qi already.
"I have some clues, but I'm still missing the final confirmation," Yuan Qi said, closing his book. "Yan Shuang told me something today that deepened my suspicions."
"Oh?" Feng Yin raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Do you remember back when we were on Hundred Birds Island, Yan Shuang mentioned that disciples of the Eagle Clan were mysteriously disappearing?"
"I remember. Didn't the disappearances of the Eagle Clan disciples stop after we returned from the banquet on Hundred Birds Island?"
"They've started again in recent years," Yuan Qi said with a grave expression. "And it's no longer disciples who are disappearing, but Elders with profound Spiritual Power."
"You mean..."
"There is a method of Demon cultivation that involves absorbing others' Spiritual Power for one's own use. If our suspicions are correct, then the collusion between that immortal and the Demon Tribe probably started long ago." Yuan Qi sighed and looked at Feng Yin. "Feng Huan has been in the Heavenly Palace for several days. What has he found?"
Feng Huan's secret investigation in the Heavenly Palace was aided by Yu Feng, so it naturally couldn't be hidden from Yuan Qi.
"He's helping me find some people. Once they are found, the truth behind Lanfeng Supreme Lord's death might also be uncovered."
A profound look appeared in Feng Yin's eyes. Yuan Qi reached for the teacup on the table, but his hand jerked back abruptly the moment he raised it. Feng Yin sensed something was off and looked up at him.
The Primordial Spirit Sword, hiding outside the courtyard, caught a glimpse of Yuan Qi's hand hidden under the table. His face changed, and he was about to enter the courtyard to create a diversion. Just then, footsteps sounded from outside, and Yu Feng, led by an Immortal Attendant, hurried over.
Yuan Qi and Feng Yin looked up toward the courtyard entrance. Feng Yin looked at the Immortal Attendant leading the way and was slightly taken aback. This doesn't seem to be the one who led me in just now... Before she could think about it further, Yu Feng had already stepped into the courtyard.
"Divine Lord, Your Majesty, Venerable Hua Shu just left the Heavenly Palace."
Hua Shu left the Heavenly Palace, and at such a critical time? Feng Yin and Yuan Qi frowned simultaneously and exchanged a look.
"Why did she leave?" Yuan Qi's wide sleeve concealed his right hand as he looked at Yu Feng and asked.
"Venerable Hua Shu said she wants to participate in the contest for Celestial Emperor at the Nine Palaces Tower in three months, so she has returned to Hundred Birds Island to enter seclusion and cultivate."
Hearing Yu Feng's words, a hint of astonishment appeared in both Feng Yin's and Yuan Qi's eyes. The entire Heavenly Palace knew that Hua Shu craved power, but as for competing for the throne of Celestial Emperor, she was truly far from qualified. Not to mention the Sect Leaders of the Three Prefectures and Six Caves, even the other four High Venerables in the Heavenly Palace all had higher Spiritual Power, seniority, and merit than her by a large margin. For her to so directly state her intention to vie for the throne was indeed surprising.
"Since it's to cultivate her Spiritual Power, then let her be," Yuan Qi said. "I also happen to need to return to Clear Pond Palace. I will come back to the Heavenly Palace in three months for the selection of the Celestial Emperor at the Nine Palaces Tower."
As he spoke, Yuan Qi stood up and looked at Feng Yin. "If Feng Huan finds anything, just have someone come to Clear Pond Palace and let me know. The selection of the Celestial Emperor at the Nine Palaces Tower is a major event. Aunt will also return to the Heavenly Palace. If there are matters to discuss from today onward, it's the same if you speak with Venerable Yu Feng and Aunt."
With that, Yuan Qi started walking toward the back of the hall. He was being exceptionally cold today. Feng Yin narrowed her eyes, an imperceptible flicker of anger rising within them. "The Divine Lord should rest well in Clear Pond Palace. Your Highness spent a thousand years and still couldn't figure out what happened back then. Even if I were to report to Your Highness at Clear Pond Palace, I imagine it would make no difference."
Yuan Qi's figure paused, but he did not turn back, continuing straight into the depths of Sunlit Palace.
The Primordial Spirit Sword outside the courtyard also transformed into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared along with Yuan Qi.
Feng Yin sensed a fluctuation of divine power and frowned as she looked outside the courtyard, only to see nothing but empty space.
"Your Majesty, the Divine Lord, he..." Yu Feng was also surprised by Yuan Qi's coldness. Fearing Feng Yin would get angry, he was about to say a few placating words, but before he could speak, Feng Yin had already waved her hand and returned to her Phoenix Roost Palace with a solemn brow.
In a place hidden from their sight, Yuan Qi leaned against a corridor, his face deathly pale. He looked at his nearly transparent right hand gripping the corridor, a bitter smile touching his lips.
"Your Highness!" The Primordial Spirit Sword appeared beside him and rushed over to support him. Seeing Yuan Qi's hand, his eyes immediately turned red.
"Back to Clear Pond Palace. Don't let A-Yin find out," Yuan Qi said in a low voice, closing his eyes heavily under the Primordial Spirit Sword's worried gaze.
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