Chapter Forty
With five days left until the Hundred Birds Island birthday banquet, Gu Jin chose a sunny day to descend the mountain. To give him a proper send-off, Xian Zhu brought out the same outfit Gu Jin had worn when he went to Phoenix Tree Island. Fortunately, Gu Jin had matured quite a bit by now, so he politely declined the Snow Shaft Immortal Carriage his senior brother had prepared and set off alone, carrying the Phoenix Crown Betrothal Letter on his back.
As Gu Jin mounted his Immortal Cloud, he glanced back at the crowd seeing him off. He didn’t spot his Little Immortal Beast and felt an inexplicable sense of loss. He waved to Qing Yi in the crowd, who walked over.
“Qing Yi, where’s your Aunt Ayin?”
Qing Yi scratched his head. “Not sure. I haven’t seen her since early this morning when I woke up. She didn’t even eat the mung bean cakes I brought her.”
Gu Jin was taken aback. “She didn’t even eat the mung bean cakes?” Ayin was a top-tier foodie who never missed Qing Yi’s mung bean cakes, rain or shine. Was she really that upset? Recalling their argument a few days ago, he took out the Cosmos Flask from his robe and handed it to Qing Yi. “This is some Drunken Jade Dew I’ve been saving. She loves it. Take it to your aunt quietly, and don’t tell her it’s from me. Also, that fox by her side is cunning. Keep a close eye on your little aunt at the mountain gate. Don’t let A Jiu trick her.”
Qing Yi stared at his little uncle, utterly confused. Uncle, aren’t you going to Hundred Birds Island to propose? So why are you so preoccupied with your Little Immortal Beast?
A playboy? Keeping one foot in two boats? Eyeing the pot while eating from the bowl?
Qing Yi’s gaze was so peculiar that it made Gu Jin uncomfortable. He coughed, patted Qing Yi on the shoulder, and then hurriedly rode his cloud toward Hundred Birds Island to propose.
Qing Yi stood there for a moment, stroking his chin in thought, before suddenly turning and running toward Qi Moon Hall. This clueless uncle of mine probably doesn’t even understand his own feelings! He’d better not propose to the wrong person and regret it later when he figures things out!
Qing Yi rushed into Qi Moon Hall and saw Ayin sunbathing in a corner of the hall. He flew to her side, took a deep breath, exhaled, and nudged his dozing little aunt with a mischievous grin. “Well, well, little aunt, you’re in the mood for this?”
Ayin ignored him, snorting without moving.
“They say Little Uncle went to Hundred Birds Island to propose this time. In a few days, he’ll bring back a Peacock Aunt. Once the Immortal Tribe’s number one beauty marries Little Uncle, our Great Marsh Mountain will gain some glory too!”
“Your Immortal Power hasn’t improved, yet you’re busy thinking of unorthodox ways to bring glory to our mountain. Who taught you such a shallow idea as judging people by their looks?” Ayin sat up and rapped Qing Yi on the forehead.
“Judging by looks is shallow? Little Aunt, didn’t you fall for Little Uncle because of his good looks?” Qing Yi rubbed his forehead, complaining, “Aunt Ayin, if you like Little Uncle Gu Jin, go after him yourself. Don’t take your anger out on me!”
“Who said I like him?” Ayin leaped to her feet, her eyes wide.
“You don’t like him?” Qing Yi shook his head, retorting confidently. “Then how did all the mung bean cakes I brought you over the past half month end up in Little Uncle’s room?”
“I…”
“If you don’t like him, why did someone as lazy as you follow him through wind and rain across the Three Realms searching for the Little Phoenix Lord’s soul?”
“I…”
“If you don’t like him, why did you block the God-Slaying Flower for him in the Nine Nether Purgatory? Tsk, tsk, you didn’t even care about your own life!”"You!" Ayin's words were choked back by Qing Yi's retorts, her finger pointing accusingly at him, her face flushed crimson.
Qing Yi lightly brushed aside Ayin's finger and concluded firmly, "Little Martial Aunt, your feelings for Little Martial Uncle are obvious to everyone in the mountain sect. If you really don't go after him now, it'll be too late when he brings the Peacock Princess back. Here, this is the Drunken Jade Dew he entrusted to me for you before he left. He said you love drinking it."
Qing Yi handed the Drunken Jade Dew to Ayin, his supportive gaze unmistakable. Ayin was taken aback for a moment, then glanced in the direction where Gu Jin had ridden the clouds away. She snatched the Cosmos Flask and dashed into the hall.
"I'm going to pack my things!"
In a corner of the hall, a little fox sunbathing widened its eyes at Qing Yi, baring its teeth in clear annoyance.
"Don't be mad at me. You know our Little Martial Aunt's temperament—if she doesn't want to go, nothing I say will change her mind." Qing Yi smiled warmly, rubbing the little fox's neck. "A Jiu, why don't you stay here and sunbathe with me in the mountain sect? Let's make a deal: if you let me pluck a few hairs from your tail to make a brush, I'll share half of my saved-up Drunken Jade Dew with you. It's a treasure of our Great Marsh Mountain—drinking it cures all ailments..."
Before Qing Yi could finish, A Jiu angrily swiped its claws across his arm a few times, then turned and scurried into the hall.
Within moments, Ayin emerged from the hall with a small bundle on her back, from which hung a sullen little fox. The pair bid farewell to Qing Yi and quietly left the mountain sect to chase after Gu Jin.
Qing Yi waited until sunset before heading to Ze You Hall to report to their two masters that Ayin and A Jiu had left the mountain. He also tactfully mentioned the reason Ayin had gone after Gu Jin. Having lived in the ascetic tranquility of Great Marsh Mountain for so many years, Xian Shan and Xian Zhu were taken aback by the boldness of the younger generation in matters of love and affection, leaving them stunned for quite some time.
Qing Yi had assumed that, given their fondness for Little Martial Aunt Ayin, the two masters would be supportive and pleased. However, judging by their grave expressions, he was left puzzled. After finishing his report, he withdrew from Ze You Hall with a perplexed look.
After Qing Yi left, Xian Zhu closed his Bone Fan, his face anxious. "Just what I feared has happened. I was worried that A Jin and Ayin would develop feelings for each other after spending so much time together, which is why I urgently asked you to write the betrothal letter and send him to Hundred Birds Island to propose marriage, hoping to settle his engagement with Hua Shu. That child A Jin has a strong sense of responsibility and holds some affection for Hua Shu. Once the engagement is settled, he won't waver. I never expected Ayin would still chase after him... Who knows what might happen now?"
Xian Shan sighed. "What is meant to happen cannot be avoided. No matter how worried we are, we cannot stop what is destined to occur."
"Senior Brother, when do you plan to tell A Jin about that matter? I fear if you keep hiding it, he will suffer even more when he eventually finds out."
Xian Shan closed his eyes and flicked his Dust Whisk. "Our master gave instructions before his Ascension: A Jin's status is noble, and that matter is of utmost importance to him. The time is not yet right—we cannot speak of it."
Silence returned to Ze You Hall, broken only by the sighs of the two elders.In recent years, Gu Jin's Immortal Power had advanced by leaps and bounds. After several major battles, he had already reached the peak of Lower Lord, yet he had never broken through the boundary to become a High Lord. In truth, his talent was exceptional—even after his Primordial Chaos Power was sealed, he had managed to achieve his current level through his own cultivation. In the Immortal Realm, which High Lord had not cultivated for thousands or even tens of thousands of years? Driven by his single-minded desire to propose marriage, he traveled a thousand miles on clouds, arriving at Hundred Birds Island in the North Sea in just two days.
Although Hundred Birds Island was bustling with joyous celebrations, it was also heavily guarded due to the recent war. Immortals were not permitted to enter on clouds within a thousand meters of the island. The Peacock Clan had prepared ten Immortal Ships and specially dispatched people to erect Peacock Feather Banners in the sea, guiding the immortals from various mansions who had come to offer congratulations.
Gu Jin arrived alone, dusty and weary from the journey, carrying his luggage on his back—a stark contrast to the gathered disciples from other sects, who were dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses. The Peacock Clan members guiding the guests assumed he was a lowly servant from some mansion and allowed him to board the ship without checking his invitation.
To be honest, there were quite a few familiar faces on this ship. Among them were Ling Juan, the son of Bodhi Patriarch whom Gu Jin had once driven away on Phoenix Tree Island, and Xuan Che, the son of Thunder Master Immortal Lord, with whom he had argued endlessly at Flowing Cloud Pavilion. Both were dressed in flowing immortal robes, followed by several disciples, exuding an air of elegance and detachment, as if surrounded by stars.
After the incident on Phoenix Tree Island, Lady Biyun of South Mountain finally realized she had entrusted her heart to the wrong person. She abandoned Ling Juan and, years earlier, married Lianxi Upper Lord of Kunlun Cave Abode. Lianxi Upper Lord was also on the ship, dressed in simple, clean cloth immortal robes, his gaze firm and steady—clearly a loyal and kind-hearted man. It seemed Lady Biyun had found a good marriage after all. This time, Lianxi had come to Hundred Birds Island to offer birthday congratulations on his father's orders. The three of them ended up on the same ship, and with the addition of Little Fatty Gu, it was lively enough to form a mahjong table.
The two Immortal Lords stood at the bow of the ship, their robes fluttering in the wind, attracting the admiring gazes of ladies from other ships. Meanwhile, Little Fatty Gu was squeezed to the stern, gazing at Hundred Birds Island. He mused that his senior brother truly understood the ways of the world. If he had arrived in the Snow Shaft Immortal Carriage, everyone would have recognized his status at a glance. Given his seniority, which matched that of the Peacock King, Hua Mo would likely have come to greet him personally even a thousand meters away.
It was Lianxi who noticed him standing alone and struck up a conversation. The two found common ground and hit it off immediately.
The ship traveled a thousand meters, reaching Hundred Birds Island in just half a quarter of an hour. Hua Zheng, the steward of the Peacock Clan on the island, guided the guests ashore. When it was the turn of Gu Jin's ship, Ling Juan, who was about to enter the island, happened to look up and spotted Lianxi not far behind him.
Beside Lianxi stood Gu Jin, dressed in dull gray clothes and wearing a bamboo hat, utterly inconspicuous. Ling Juan assumed Gu Jin was a friend Lianxi had brought along. Still harboring resentment over the loss of his wife, he decided to humiliate Lianxi on the spot. He paused at the entrance to the island, cleared his throat, and deliberately raised his voice.
"They say Hundred Birds Island is a renowned Paradise Grotto in the Immortal Realm, and your king is a venerable High Immortal of the Immortal Realm. Yet, for His Majesty's birthday banquet this time, it seems even the most unworthy guests have been invited."
His voice was loud enough for all the Immortal Lords about to enter the island to hear, and they all turned to look.
Seeing the immortals' gazes fixed on them, Hua Zheng hurriedly said, "High Lord Ling Juan, you jest. All the guests invited to His Majesty's birthday banquet received personal invitations from His Majesty. Every one of them is a renowned Immortal Lord in the Immortal Realm. There are certainly no uninvited individuals to disturb the enjoyment of our esteemed guests.""Steward Hua, I don't believe your words. Look, that Immortal Lord who came with Lianxi Upper Lord probably doesn't have an invitation, right? These days, there are so many people trying to climb the social ladder by attaching themselves to the powerful." Ling Juan snorted, casting a glance toward Lian Xi. "Some people have no ability, yet they still try to form cliques. They don't even consider their own status, bringing all sorts of people around. Kunlun Mountain is, after all, a major sect in the Immortal Realm. When did they start doing things so unseemly?"
Hearing that sarcastic and somewhat familiar voice calling him out, the slow-witted Gu Xiaopang finally realized he had become the little follower in others' eyes—someone trying to climb the social ladder. He looked up and noticed that all the Immortal Lords and Ladies at the island entrance were curiously staring at him.
The last time he received this much attention was when he shattered Feng Yin's soul on Phoenix Tree Island.
Tsk, tsk, Gu Xiaopang grumbled inwardly. He had just wanted to quietly enter the island to find a wife and return to the mountain—why was it so difficult?
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