Love & Redemption

Wuzhiqi did not speak. He held the wine bowl aloft, as if lost in a daze.

Shattered pieces of masks lay all over the ground, with sunlight filtering through the patterned gaps of the door, speckling them. After a long while, he suddenly sighed, tilting his wrist, he poured the wine over the masks. "In the old days, how carefree we were..." he muttered, "Who knew that being human could be so arduous." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Having said that, he gently tossed the wine bowl aside, and it shattered with a clang. He then grabbed the wine jar and downed it in one go, emptying it in the blink of an eye. Wuzhiqi wiped his mouth cheerfully and strode out of the door with a flourish.

The next day was the succession ceremony, with ritual offerings to heaven, prayers, and formations like flowing water. Xuanji and the others were initially excited to watch but eventually grew so bored they nearly fell asleep. Wuzhiqi was even more exaggerated, blatantly snoring while leaning on the railing. Xuanji sighed, "When is this ceremony going to end? It’s been ongoing since morning, without a pause, and I haven’t eaten anything. I’m starving to death."

Liu Yihuan chuckled mischievously, noticing Yu Sifeng in a black robe, standing on the Danyat Platform. If they, as spectators, were so worn out, how much more so the man of the hour? Even from a distance, they could see large beads of sweat on his forehead, betraying his endurance.

"No helping it, it’s the tradition that’s been followed for so many years. This is already good! When the Great Palace Master and Vice Palace Master assumed their positions, the ceremony took a full three days, and with such rituals, one couldn’t eat, drink, or sleep; everyone was ghastly pale."

"Three days without food?!" Xuanji was shocked. She sneakily got up and turned to slip away when Liu Yihuan caught hold of her, "What are you doing?" Xuanji mumbled, "I... I’ll just quietly leave for a bit, to buy something to eat from the town..." her stomach was nearly flat with hunger.

"There’s no such thing as leaving in the middle of a ceremony!" Liu Yihuan firmly made her sit down, "Alright, it’s almost over! Look, Little Phoenix is about to light the fire and break the seal! After the Fire Dragon ascends to the sky and he emerges from its belly, it’s all done! Why waste time eating outside when we have Lize Palace’s delicacies waiting?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a loud "boom" echoed from the Danyat Platform. A Fire Dragon soared into the air, claws and teeth flaring as it whirled endlessly. The crowd erupted in excitement, with all eyes focused on Yu Sifeng atop the platform; he had taken off his black outer robe and now his undergarment. Seeing him undressing layer by layer, Xuanji softly asked, "Is he breaking the seal?"

Under Yu Sifeng’s ribs were two rows of black beads, the seal. Sometimes, when Xuanji felt mischievous, she would try to touch them, even attempting to pull them out, but they would not budge. If she exerted too much force, Yu Sifeng would pretend to be stern and would pinch the flesh on her face. It was said that these items locked away the wings and demon energy, and Lize Palace had a rule against breaking the seal lightly. Once, when he was seriously injured, he broke two seals himself, and the Great Palace Master said he would be punished, yet nothing happened.

Now, as he broke the seal again, the beads on his ribs clinked to the ground, and in an instant, he was enveloped in a golden light. He leapt into the air, and his massive golden wings unfurled suddenly. Indeed, he had the stunningly beautiful Shieryu wings, shimmering with a lustrous light, dreamlike and fantastical.

Wuzhiqi also awoke and everyone watched as he soared into the Fire Dragon’s body, swirling and revolving within before finally emitting a clear cry. The fire points fell like rain, and in an instant, the dragon made of flames shattered into a gentle rain of fire, slowly drifting down. They say that a phoenix will be reborn from fire, and all birds admire its magnificent radiance, making the ceremony of fire a rite of succession for the Golden Winged Bird. Yu Sifeng completed this grand ceremony with ease and panache, and the thunderous cheers rose from below as everyone knelt in unison, officially acknowledging him as the new Palace Master of Lize Palace.

Finally, as the ceremony came to an end, everyone attacked the banquet as if they hadn’t eaten in ages, no longer caring for their image. Wuzhiqi grabbed a rabbit leg and stuffed it into his mouth while his other hand was busy pouring wine. If only he had more than one mouth, he would definitely eat meat and chug wine simultaneously.

Being the Palace Master, Yu Sifeng naturally could not sit at the same table with them. He sat at a distance with the Elders, conversing about something, and occasionally looked back over here—this silly boy must want to see Xuanji. Liu Yihuan chewed on the meat in his mouth, glanced at Xuanji who was eating heartily with her head down, paying no mind to romance. Even if God himself looked at her with deep affection, she would probably not care at the moment.

"Why can’t you grow up a bit!" He didn’t know where the anger came from, but he knocked her on the head quite forcefully.

"Ow!" Xuanji was holding a meatball with her chopsticks, and his knock caused it to fall to the ground. She hastily bent to pick it up, but Zi Hu was already grinning and had served her a new dish, teasing as he did, "Liu Yihuan, you always pick on the soft ones. She hasn’t eaten all day, and now you’re expecting her to be all lovey-dovey?"

Although what he said was true, he would feel upset every time he saw Yu Sifeng looking at Xuanji with deep fondness, and she responded like a wooden chicken, utterly immovable. Xuanji’s mouth was stuffed with food as she mumbled unclearly, "I, I know already... I’ve already arranged with Si Feng. Tonight, I’ll celebrate with him alone."

Wuzhiqi snickered, teasing with a sideways glance, "Did you hear that, you pervert. That’s the couple’s business, why are you so nosy? They’re going to celebrate ’alone’!"

It was a trivial matter, but his words made it seem like there was something more to it. Xuanji initially wanted to feel shy, but if she did, the food would be gone, snatched away by those two. She quickly grabbed a dish and dumped the contents into her bowl. Zi Hu just chuckled and after a long moment, suddenly said softly, "You are truly kind, Xuanji. This is really good."

What does that mean? Xuanji looked at her, puzzled. Zi Hu pursed her lips and smiled, but said no more. As the night fell, the lights on Danyat Platform were bright and clear. Her profile was graceful and alluring, her eyelashes hung low like two restless little fans, carrying a touch of deep melancholy mixed with a trace of resolve.

"Zi Hu..." Xuanji suddenly lost her appetite, staring blankly at her.

Zi Hu smiled faintly, reached out to gently stroke her head, and said softly, "Eat up, you need to be full. We still have to go to Kunlun Mountain."

For a long time afterward, she could never forget the smile on Zi Hu’s face that night. At the time, she didn’t understand the meaning behind that smile, but when she finally did, the memory was bittersweet and filled with despair.

But now, she was still somewhat perplexed. After contemplating it on her own for a long time, she dared not speak carelessly, fearing she might disturb the fragile beauty on her face. When she returned to the bedroom that evening, she continued to ponder, unable to understand. Yu Sifeng took off her shoes for her, and seeing her standing still like a dazed doll, he flicked her nose lightly and laughed, "What’s the matter, too tired to think?"

Xuanji hooked his neck and said softly, "Sifeng, what does it mean for Zi Hu to always follow Wuzhiqi? He doesn’t even like her."

Yu Sifeng certainly did not expect her to suddenly pose such a question, and couldn’t help but laugh, "This question, let’s discuss it slowly. The bath is getting cold, let’s go wash up first."

Xuanji nodded, stepped barefoot on the floor, took off her outer garment, turned around and saw Yu Sifeng lighting a lamp to read. Suddenly smiling, she hooked his arm and said softly, "Now that I’ve become the Palace Master, I should give you a gift. Let’s take a bath together."

Yu Sifeng quivered violently, and the candlestick fell to the ground with a clang, extinguishing the flame. In the darkness, he could only feel her body trembling slightly as she embraced him, her lips softly pressing against his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and their lips entwined passionately, forgetting all about bathing. In the pitch-black room, an odd vortex of temptation seemed to pull them down into its depths.

Xuanji had mustered up the courage to seduce him, but hadn’t expected such an intense reaction. His arms nearly crushed her, and in her panic and alarm, she couldn’t pinpoint the source of her ecstasy. A sweep of their clothes, and the flotsam of their garments scattered on the floor. They twined around each other like vines, and in the dark night, it seemed as if both were emitting a faint blue glow.

From the tip of her tongue, she let out a trembling moan, then suddenly grasped his sturdy shoulder and whispered with a quiver, "Sifeng... Do you, do you like me?" His damp hands firmly grasped her legs, leaving faint traces. "I love you," he said, bowing his head as their kiss deepened passionately.

Long afterwards, when Xuanji finally came to her senses, they were already soaking together in the bath. She leaned against his bare chest, holding his arm, intimately washing it.

"After we’ve been to Kunlun Mountain, I’ll go to your father to ask for your hand in marriage. No matter what, I will get him to agree this time." Feeling Xuanji awaken, he whispered his intentions.

After Kunlun Mountain... Her heart suddenly felt a tinge of sourness, and she leaned back into his embrace, asking softly, "Can we... really come back alive?"

Yu Sifeng did not answer. After a while, he continued, "I can’t let go of Lize Palace’s affairs for the time being. You’ll have to bear with staying here with me for a few years. Once everything’s on track, we’ll head back to West Valley and travel overseas. I’ve heard that there are many beautifully scenic immortals’ mountains overseas, Penglai, Fangzhang... where it’s spring all year round. The islands are covered in flowering trees, and when the wind blows, it’s like a rain of multicolored petals. Whether you like to sing or to dance, wield a sword or practice boxing, it’s all up to you."

Xuanji laughed heartily, "You with swords and boxing! I’m not some performing monkey. Stealing Immortal Peaches to eat, now that’s the proper business."

"Little glutton," he pinched her nose with a smile.

Lying there for a while, Xuanji felt warm and relax from head to toe. For some reason, she suddenly thought of Zi Hu’s forlorn expression and felt a twinge in her heart. Whispering, she said, "Zi Hu... she..."

Yet as the words reached her lips, she did not know how to continue. Yu Sifeng shook his head, "There’s nothing we can do to help with their situation. After a thousand years, if things were meant to be, they would’ve happened. If not, then there is no fate."

"But if Wuzhiqi doesn’t like her, why not just reject her? Dragging things out isn’t good for anyone," she reasoned.

Yu Sifeng explained softly, "It’s her own unwillingness to see the truth. Besides, does liking someone have to be in a romantic way? Wuzhiqi probably does like her, just not romantically." Perhaps he treats her more like a pet... Whether demon or human, once one starts to make demands on another, suffering is inevitable because one can’t obtain what one desires.

Perhaps one can obtain many things in a lifetime, but the feeling of loss lingers if the one thing wanted most remains unobtained.

The moon was high in the sky, and Zi Hu sat alone quietly atop the highest tier of Jingui Palace, overlooking the tranquil sea in the night. The moonlight shimmered on the water’s surface, a cool breeze swept through, bringing with it an inexplicable sweet scent of flowers and the sound of footsteps.

The footsteps halted behind her, and a sleepy voice said, "Little Fox, why are you still playing at this late hour... why did you call me here?"

Zi Hu turned around to look at him. Wuzhiqi was drowsy but had still arrived punctually. After the night’s feast, she had set a date with him to meet at the third watch, and it seemed he had taken a nap before reluctantly turning up. "Whatever you want to say can wait until tomorrow. Why on earth summon me in the dead of night?" Wuzhiqi sighed and sat beside her.

"Out with it! What’s the matter? Who’s bullied you?" (To be continued. For the continuation of this tale, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available there. Support the author, support genuine reading!)