Love & Redemption
Chapter 203: Volume 5 Phoenix Flower Blooms - 10 Operation Chase the Phoenix

Chapter 203: Volume 5 Phoenix Flower Blooms Chapter 10 Operation Chase the Phoenix

Whew, since the monthly ticket count has surpassed 210, there will be two updates today. I am the trustworthy Shisi who keeps his word.

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After returning to Shaoyang Peak, Xuanji still couldn’t believe that the Judge and Emperor Hou Tu had let her go so easily. They even sent her back accurately to the front gate of the Shaoyang Sect—down to the last inch.

They had asked her to kill Wuzhiqi to resolve the karma between them. Not only had she failed to do so, but she had also become friends with him, agreeing to drink together once he was out. Thinking about it now, it all seemed absurd. She didn’t even understand the specific reasons why Wuzhiqi had rebelled and caused trouble in the past, but she had chosen to trust him unconditionally.

His eyes were so bright and sincere—that couldn’t possibly be the gaze of a bad person. She wanted to believe in him.

For the sake of this trust, she was even prepared to argue with Emperor Hou Tu and the others if necessary. But they didn’t say anything. Why was that?

Her trip to Buzhou Mountain lasted two days. By the time she came back, the Shaoyang Sect had mostly recovered. He Danping had been longing for her return every day at the peak, with eyes red from crying. Finally, seeing Xuanji descending slowly, He Danping hugged her tightly, not listening to the words pouring out of Xuanji, constantly muttering: "As long as you’re back!"

The Shaoyang Sect’s unexpected ambush by demons did not result in heavy casualties or injuries. It was probably because everyone reacted quickly and chose not to charge forward recklessly. Had they fought against the demons without regard, they likely would have fulfilled Wu Tong’s wish—complete annihilation. Xuanji was most concerned about Linglong and Zhong Minyan’s injuries. Thanks to Zhong Minyan consuming the juice of the Immortal Fruit, his severe injuries healed faster than Linglong’s; by the morning, he could already open his eyes and speak. His first question was about Linglong.

Although this ordeal did not cause severe damage to the members of the Shaoyang Sect, it left an indelible mark on their hearts. The strength of the demons and the helplessness of common people when facing demons made them realize this painful fact. The cultivators were not as powerful as they had imagined—there are always people stronger than oneself, and skies beyond skies. It was time to put aside their past arrogance and start comprehending the Dao afresh.

Liu Yihuan once said that if one is to be a god, one should look the part; the same applies to demons, and so it is with being human. If one cannot even be a good person, then how can one cultivate? Chu Lei felt deeply about this sentiment. Looking back at Shaoyang Sect’s centuries-old foundation, it was clear that it had gone entirely against this principle. A little achievement had led to self-satisfaction and forgetfulness. This blow was not only to him but also shook the centuries-old foundation of the Shaoyang Sect. Some ideas, it was time to change.

How the Shaoyang Sect would innovate and renovate was not Xuanji’s concern. Right now, what worried her most was Linglong’s condition. She would stay by her bedside every day, waiting for her to wake up. Even if she was not able to speak, just looking into each other’s eyes and exchanging smiles was a wonderful thing.

However, since Zhong Minyan could get out of bed and move around, Xuanji no longer accompanied Linglong every day. The two of them had braved death together in an instant, naturally, they had countless things to talk about. It was unfortunate that the sword stroke across Linglong’s neck had been too harsh, likely injuring her throat, and her voice, once sweet and crisp, had become hoarse and grating. She felt it was unpleasant to the ear and often wept in self-pity. Zhong Minyan inevitably had to comfort her tenderly, coaxing her until she laughed through her tears. In the past, Linglong’s little tantrums might have pleased him but also annoyed him occasionally; now, however, he relished in her moodiness. He would be happy to fetch the moon or pluck the stars for her if only she were alive and their hands were joined. Indeed, he would have no problem fetching stars.

That day, Xuanji went to see Linglong again. When she reached the door, she heard someone talking inside. It seemed to be Zhong Minyan’s voice. She hesitated, feeling it was inappropriate to interrupt. Just as she turned to leave, she heard Zhong Minyan say, "You shouldn’t worry about Xuanji and Si Feng’s affairs. Xuanji is someone with her own opinions. Though she never speaks her mind, she knows it well. You just focus on healing. Once you’re better, she can leave without worries."

Something stirred in Xuanji’s heart, and she only heard Linglong reply softly, "Actually, I’m almost healed. It’s just my throat... What do you think, should we go with her to find Si Feng?"

Zhong Minyan laughed, "Their matters are not something we should interfere with. If a bunch of us follow, how can they talk? Si Feng seems like a reserved person; if we annoy him, he might refuse to see Xuanji."

Xuanji listened to them talk about her and Si Feng, blushing somewhat. Yet, the thought of Yu Sifeng refusing to see her and hiding away troubled her. Just as she was at her wit’s end, someone patted her shoulder. Startled, she saw Chu Yinghong and Ting Nu, Liu Yihuan, and others standing behind her, chuckling.

"Why not go in? Are you eavesdropping on their conversation outside?" Chu Yinghong teased with a smiling face, "Is it because you’re feeling uncomfortable seeing the two lovebirds so sweet together?"

Xuanji rushed to explain, "I’m not..."

"Alright, alright. Aunt Hong knows exactly what’s going through your mind," Chu Yinghong patted her head and said, "Si Feng is full of pride but still young—some things he might not comprehend yet. He’ll understand in time."

Xuanji paused for a moment and sighed, "He... is a demon. My father and mother definitely won’t like that."

Chu Yinghong laughed, "You’ve become even less mature! What’s important is whether you like him or not. Besides, what’s wrong with being a demon? Are humans necessarily better than demons? I think that Wu Tong is a thousand times more hateful than even demons! If your parents disapprove, Aunt Hong will support you!"

Xuanji said softly, "It’s not that I mind those things. I just fear they’ll be unhappy."

Chu Yinghong spoke seriously, "Your parents are not the sort to cling rigidly to old traditions. Their children are grown up now—their own thoughts are what’s important. As parents, how can they impose their views on their children? After all, you are the ones who have to live your lives."

Xuanji smiled and said nothing. Liu Yihuan snorted, "After all that’s said and done, you are simply in the wrong towards Little Phoenix. Running into a woman like you is his bad luck..." he always felt it was Xuanji who drove Yu Sifeng away.

Ting Nu spoke softly, "Xuanji, what are your plans next?"

This question somewhat stumped her. Wu Tong was dead, she had already met Wuzhiqi, and she didn’t plan on investigating the matters of her past life. What was next... what should she do now? Xuanji thought for a moment before replying, "Once Linglong’s wounds heal, I’ll go down the mountain to find Si Feng. This time, no matter how much the people from Lize Palace provoke me, I won’t get angry. I won’t fight. I’ll talk to them peacefully."

Liu Yihuan laughed, "Fool! You may be willing to talk peacefully, but will they? And, what about Little Phoenix?"

Xuanji spoke indifferently, "If he’s not willing, then I’ll just keep waiting until he is. Lize Palace is quite large; I can settle down on that island. If he doesn’t come out for a year, I’ll wait a year. If he never comes out, I’ll wait my whole life."

Liu Yihuan let out a snort of laughter, "He might not even be at Lize Palace. What’s the point in waiting aimlessly? But your effort to chase after your husband over a thousand miles could make for quite the story."

Xuanji, with a trace of childishness, laughed, "It’s not chasing after a husband... Hmm, this is a solo mission. I’ll name it Operation Phoenix Chase! I won’t be satisfied until I find him, even if I have to search the ends of the earth!"

The moment her voice faded, the door to Linglong’s room creaked open, and Zhong Minyan asked with a smile, "What operation? Your voice was the loudest outside." Seeing Chu Yinghong and the others were also there, he quickly paid his respects and invited them inside the room. Linglong had a white cloth wrapped around her neck and still looked somewhat feeble. Trying to get up from the bed to greet them, she was swiftly stopped by Chu Yinghong.

"We’ve arrived at an inconvenient time," she joked. "Had we known he was here, we would have come later."

The teasing made the two young people somewhat embarrassed. Linglong reproached with feigned annoyance, "Aunt Hong, you just love to tease about these things!" Chu Yinghong laughed heartily, "I’m not joking—some people act faster than I speak! Don’t believe me? Ask him. Who was it that knelt in front of the Sect Leader’s room last night for most of the night, begging the Sect Leader to grant his daughter’s hand in marriage?"

As it turned out, Zhong Minyan was impatient. Unable to wait for Linglong and his own injuries to heal completely, he rushed to propose marriage to Chu Lei, afraid of refusal since he was a renounced disciple of Shaoyang. So, he simply knelt in front of Chu Lei’s room to wait for his return. Unexpectedly, Chu Lei was busy with affairs yesterday and only discovered him with He Danping when they returned to the room. By that time, Zhong Minyan had already knelt for most of the night and could barely stand up, resulting in a scolding from Chu Lei for not taking care of his body.

Fortunately, despite the scolding, the two agreed to the marriage. Zhong Minyan was like a son to them, having been raised under their eyes. Although he was impulsive and not very mature, he was still a young man who had not experienced major adversity. They believed that he had grown from this incident. Moreover, he and Linglong had been close since childhood and had always shared a deep bond. It was apparent they both intended to marry long ago, and now that Zhong Minyan himself had sincerely asked for it, they had gone along with the flow and agreed. They were now only waiting for Linglong to recover before choosing an auspicious day for the betrothal ceremony.

Zhong Minyan had not yet told Linglong about the proposal. Now unveiled by Chu Yinghong, he blushed and stole a look at Linglong, fearing she would be shy and get angry. However, she only paused for a moment, then blushed deeply, spat lightly, and murmured in a low voice, "Don’t... don’t talk about it! In broad daylight, why discuss such things..."

The company couldn’t help but laugh at the couple’s youthful affection, then proceeded to talk about the Sea Stabilizing Iron Chain. Xuanji gave a brief account of her encounter with Wuzhiqi in the Netherworld. As for the old grudges and disputes between Wuzhiqi and the people of Lize Palace, only they knew the details.

Hearing Xuanji mention Lize Palace, Zhong Minyan spoke up, "I haven’t found the chance to talk to my master about this. Before Ruo Yu attempted to kill me that day, he mentioned many things about Lize Palace." He repeated Ruo Yu’s words one by one, then concluded, "Si Feng is the son of the Great Palace Master, so I think he will be in no danger. Their clan’s goal is to destroy the iron chains and release Wuzhiqi. Before, I didn’t know what kind of demon Wuzhiqi was or what evil acts he committed, but hearing from Xuanji that he doesn’t seem like a bad person, I don’t think there’s too much to worry about. Even if the Great Palace Master wishes to annihilate the Cultivation Sects, he alone won’t be able to cause a major disturbance."

Liu Yihuan looked somewhat upset, muttering, "How does that kid know so much! He’s spreading rumors everywhere! It won’t be good for Little Phoenix if word gets out."

Zhong Minyan quickly said, "I won’t speak of it! I only mentioned it here today."

"It’s not your fault!" Liu Yihuan rolled his eyes, "Only a fool like you could be deceived by him! And you call him a brother? Would a brother stab you with a sword?"

Zhong Minyan’s face grew troubled, and after a long pause, he said, "He... must have his own difficulties... With his sister being that way..."

"Still his sister! You actually still believe him! Hopeless! How do you know his sister’s story is true? Even if he did have a sister, that doesn’t change the fact he lied to you, never truly treating you as a friend! Your compassion is misplaced!"

Zhong Minyan simply stopped talking. Liu Yihuan lost his temper for a while, then suddenly stood up and stormed out, saying, "I have urgent matters. I must leave Shaoyang Sect now. Big sister, please convey my regards to Sect Leader Chu, I won’t say goodbye to him in person."

Chu Yinghong hastily responded, "Brother Liu, why not have dinner before you go?"

But before she finished speaking, he had already disappeared. (To be continued... To find out what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)