Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 176 : Heaven And Hell Peak (1)

Chapter 176: Chapter 176 : Heaven And Hell Peak (1)

After the birthday banquet concluded, the entire Heavenly Realm focused on the upcoming martial arts competition. The participants engaged in training sessions that were so severe that their limbs threatened to fall off, but they still had to persevere.

The shiny throne stood just before their eyes. Whoever claimed it at the end of the competition would bring eternal glory to themselves and their birth clans.

During the three months that led to the competition, Xie Jianyu worked hard on his sword skills. The sprained ankle from the birthday banquet set him back one week from his original plan, but he quickly bounced back in no time thanks to his formidable cultivation.

Jiang Muchen came to Fuxi Palace almost every week for either dual cultivation or a sparring session with his little uncle. After coming to visit several times, he gave Xie Jianyu a quizzical look and asked a curious question while they were resting.

"Little Uncle, is that not Zhang Fengxi’s bird?"

He pointed at Caihong, who spent its days either eating, sleeping, or watching Xie Jianyu train in the backyard.

"Correct," Xie Jianyu answered.

"So, uh, why is it here?"

Xie Jianyu hummed. Now that he thought about it, Caihong had been staying with him for a while now.

Although he met Zhang Fengxi twice after the incident at the Divine Dragontail Trench, he kept forgetting to return the bird to its rightful owner.

It was not good to keep Caihong for too long, so Xie Jianyu decided to take Caihong back to Longjing Palace.

"Caihong, come," Xie Jianyu said when he was preparing to leave.

"Squeeeee!!!"

Caihong came flying to Xie Jianyu’s outstretched hand. The bird had meanwhile gained a lot of weight and had grown significantly. The tail feathers too had grown longer. Whenever Caihong shook its rear side seductively, the colorful feathers fluttered attractively in the air, performing an exquisite performance on their own.

Xie Jianyu put Caihong in a bigger cage and rode Wangshu to Longjing Palace. When he arrived in front of the palace, Zhang Zhiyuan came out hastily to greet him.

"Zhang Zhiyuan greets the Crown Prince!" He cried out while cupping his hands in respect.

The Longjing Palace Master felt especially apologetic toward the Crown Prince, what with all the shenanigans that Zhang Fengxi caused recently.

"Palace Master Zhang, long time no see," Xie Jianyu nodded in acknowledgment. "I would like to return Caihong to Zhang Fengxi. Is he around?"

"That... My son Fengxi is unfortunately not here."

"Oh, what a pity."

Xie Jianyu handed Caihong’s cage over to Zhang Zhiyuan.

"Please extend my greeting to him once he comes back. I shall excuse myself now."

"Crown Prince! Your Majesty, please wait!!!"

Stunned, Zhang Zhiyuan watched as his wife ran out of the main palace to stop the Crown Prince from departing.

"Your Majesty... Huff, huff... Would you care to come in for a cup of tea?"

"..."

"..."

Under normal circumstances, Xie Jianyu would decline politely with the promise to make it up to the host next time, but Lady Song’s hopeful expression did not leave Xie Jianyu any choice but to agree.

"I would be glad to accept Lady Song’s invitation," he thus said helplessly.

"Oh, how delightful! Chengsu! Prepare tea and snacks at once! I want those precious tea leaves that my cousin sent me from Qifeng Palace!"

Zhang Zhiyuan awkwardly led Xie Jianyu into the guest room.

Xie Jianyu rarely visited other palaces. When he did, he usually had important matters to attend to. This time around, he had no agenda at all. Even Zhang Zhiyuan felt extremely restless when he had nothing to talk about with the Crown Prince.

Lady Song came floating into the room a while later with an accessory box in her hands.

"Ah, that child Fengxi is truly unreliable. Last time, I asked him to give Your Majesty a thank-you gift from our palace, but that rascal completely disregarded my instructions! Children these days, huft!" Lady Song complained loudly about her son, never mind that Xie Jianyu was two years younger than the aforementioned son.

Lady Song put the box on the table and beamed at Xie Jianyu.

"Crown Prince, I cannot think of a good enough gift to express our utmost gratitude for your help at the Demonic Realm other than this."

The box clicked open and revealed an ornamental comb inside. The wooden crest was filled to the brim with tiny colorful gemstones that were arranged with utmost precision to depict a phoenix soaring past a blooming cherry tree into the sky.

"When the late Empress married into Fuxi Palace, she had to give out a lot of her maiden belongings, particularly those with phoenix symbols," Lady Song explained. "This comb is her most beloved one. I heard that she made it herself."

The previous Empress was known for her amazing handicrafts. This was a talent that Xie Jianshen inherited from their mother. Xie Jianyu’s hand moved toward the beautiful comb. As his hand moved from one tiny gemstone to another, he could almost see his beautiful mother in her youth.

Bent over a table, putting the tiny gemstones patiently next to each other to create the beautiful image that now stood before Xie Jianyu.

Xie Jianyu blinked a few times when his eyes grew misty. Lady Song smiled gently at the Crown Prince.

"Your Majesty, I am infinitely grateful for Your Majesty’s presence in my son’s life. I hope that Your Majesty and Fengxi can continue to get along in the future."

"... En. Thank you for the thoughtful gift, Lady Song."

"Oh, and..." Lady Song dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "If you come across Fengxi, will you please ask him to come back home and visit his poor mother?"

"..."

"..."

Zhang Zhiyuan stared at his wife in disbelief. What the hell was she saying? Their son clearly left with Commandant Jiang to train at the Heaven and Hell Peak! Why was she acting as if Zhang Fengxi ran away from home?

Xie Jianyu furrowed his brows.

"Where is Zhang Fengxi, exactly?" he asked.