Love & Redemption
Chapter 207: Volume 5 Phoenix Flower Blooms - 14 Phoenix in Flight (4)

Chapter 207: Volume 5 Phoenix Flower Blooms Chapter 14 Phoenix in Flight (4)

The second installment.

*********************

The Great Palace Master still remained silent. Seeing his stubbornness, Liu Yihuan’s anger rose, and she said coldly, "Fine, if you won’t speak, let me do it for you! Let Si Feng know what kind of man his father really is! Si Feng, listen well. Back when your father went out to gain experience..."

Suddenly, the Great Palace Master raised his hand. Liu Yihuan immediately guarded herself and shouted, "What? Are you going to start a fight?!"

The Great Palace Master waved his sleeve and said sternly, "Do not speak nonsense! You know nothing."

"Indeed, I know nothing," Liu Yihuan laughed, "Those who know never speak, and those who don’t know pass on errors as truths. Rather than letting your son imagine things, it’s better you tell the truth yourself. Can you really bear to leave the mess of Lize Palace to him, and tell him nothing?"

The Great Palace Master remained silent. After a while, he glanced at Yu Sifeng, who was also silent, and finally spoke in a low voice, "Si Feng, do you... want to know about your parents’ past? Many things, I don’t tell you for your own good."

Yu Sifeng’s face was pale, lost in thought. After a long time, he turned to face the Great Palace Master quietly and said softly, "Please... please tell me, about my mother." No one does not think of their own parents; he was no exception. Although he had grown up in Lize Palace with others, alone and isolated, hearing others mention their parents always left him confused and distressed, the feeling haunting him like a nightmare. He never wanted to relive that feeling, not in the slightest.

The Great Palace Master sighed deeply, lowered his eyelashes, and slowly recalled the past. Just as Liu Yihuan was about to urge him again after a long silence, he suddenly said, "The first time I met your mother, I was a few years older than you are now..."

Back then, the rules at Lize Palace were not as strict as they are now, and young disciples could still leave the palace freely to gain experience, reminded only of the ironclad rules: never take off the mask and never fornicate with women from the outside world; most other rules had not yet been established. It was his first encounter with the bustling human world, full of peace and prosperity, green mountains and clear waters—compared to Lize Palace, it was simply a dreadful prison.

Like many of his fellow disciples, he was captivated by the charming scenes and lingered, forgetting to return. Unlike others, many of whom chose to leave Lize Palace, settling quietly in bustling areas to fall in love with sentimental mortal women, marry, and have children, he resisted such temptations, keeping his master’s teachings in mind: as good as the secular world seems, it is full of traps. Life is not so simple; sweet beginnings always end in bitterness. Appreciate the beauty from a distance, but strive to keep a tranquil mind.

"That evening was the Lantern Festival, the streets and alleys were hung with colorful lights, and there was a lantern fair in the town. I and several fellow disciples went to the fair. It was crowded, and I quickly got separated from them. I didn’t know the way back to the inn and could only search slowly. Later, I saw many lantern riddle stalls by the road, inviting people to guess the riddles with various prizes for correct answers. I went over and picked up a lantern that read ’A woman may also excel in riding horses,’ asking for the name of a poetic meter. I guessed many answers, all wrong, but couldn’t bear to give up since it was my first time playing lantern riddles. Someone behind me, impatient, snatched my lantern and blurted out the answer. When I turned around, it was a young girl of sixteen or seventeen in a white shirt, with a sword hanging at her waist. Seeing me looking at her, she glared fiercely and took the prize before turning away. That was your mother; that was our first meeting."

With colorful lights fluttering throughout the street, casting a fiery glow, the girl in the white shirt, her cheeks like jade, caught his direct, stunned gaze and her face instantly flushed red. She glared at him fiercely, yet he felt even that glare was beautiful, conveying a vivid and lively sensation.

The answer to the lantern riddle was "Each word is double." Hence, he chased after her, smiling, "Why did you snatch my lantern riddle? I hadn’t given the answer yet." The girl, apparently having no fondness for this young man in a horrifying mask, snapped, "Ordinary people give up after three wrong guesses; you gave five or six. Since you have no flair, why embarrass yourself in public!"

Feeling somewhat annoyed in his heart, as she was quite rude, and seeing her turn to leave again, he suddenly felt a stubborn anger and insisted on following her. He followed her to the outskirts of the town where she suddenly drew her sword against him. In panic, he defended himself, only to realize she had feinted. In a blink, she was flying midair on her sword, looking down at him with a smile, tossing the prize she had won to him, "There, take it! I’ve never seen such a petty man!"

The prize was a very delicate hairpin, clearly an item for women, and of no use to him. Regretting his rash actions, he wondered why he had chased after her. It was really pointless. Thus, he threw the hairpin back to her, indifferently saying, "No need. I was just..." He couldn’t quite explain why, feeling a sudden choke in his breath, he simply turned and walked away.

The girl called out from behind, "Is it for the woman you fancy? Go on, take it! A big man should be more straightforward!"

He turned around, saw her smiling radiantly, her beauty illuminated by the city’s lights, irresistibly charming and vibrant. He couldn’t help but blurt out, "A woman may excel in riding horses, but why not ride a horse? Isn’t flying in the air rather uncouth?"

She immediately got angry, threw the hairpin to the ground, and flew away swiftly, no longer visible. He thought to chase after her, but given the darkening sky and no reasonable excuse, he sheepishly picked up the hairpin and kept it, finding his way back to the inn alone.

Two days later, the master suddenly appeared and scolded them harshly, saying they were indulging in the luxuries of the mortal world instead of gaining experience. Fearing further delay, they heard that Sea Stabilizing Iron Chains were spotted in the northern Dianjing Valley and promptly set off to find them.

Unexpectedly, at the base of Dragon Mountain, they came across that girl again, who had been injured in a fight with someone, lying on the road covered in wounds. He rescued her, tenderly treated her injuries, and soothed her gently. She later recognized him as the young man from that night. As he was tending to her wounds, she bit down in pain. He asked her to endure it, and jokingly, she said, "Seeing that ghost mask on your face, I don’t even feel the pain anymore. The moment I opened my eyes and saw you, I thought I had died and was seeing a little ghost in the Netherworld!"

He took care of her for a while, and all prior misunderstandings naturally thawed. One day, she noticed the hairpin hidden in his sleeve and teased him, "Haven’t you given that hairpin to your beloved yet?"

He didn’t say a word, but merely undid her long hair and re-styled it before personally pinning the hairpin in place. Afterward, both fell silent, she flushed and giggled quietly. Suddenly, she lifted her hand, took down the hairpin, and examined it closely. Though it was a trinket won in a lantern riddle contest, it was a finely crafted item, with a phoenix carved on the head, wings spread as if in flight, appearing vividly lifelike.

She chuckled, "This phoenix is quite exquisite."

He silently restyled her hair and secured the hairpin again, whispering, "That’s not a phoenix, it’s a Golden Winged Bird."

As his fingertips touched her cheek, feeling as hot as fire, his throat tightened. He couldn’t help but pull her into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her, but the mask on his face got in the way. While he hesitated, she swiftly removed the mask and, looping her arms around his neck, pressed her lips to his proactively.

All love stories need a reason to start, even if it’s the cliché of a hero saving a beauty, it can still blossom into a wonderful romance. Finally, the moment she removed his mask, he could no longer escape, resolving to abandon Lize Palace and unify with her in marriage.

She was called Hao Feng. He was one of the Golden Winged Bird Demons from Shieryu. On their wedding night, he playfully quoted, "The phoenix flies, its feathers so vivid." Hoping for their hearts to be forever united, never to part in this lifetime.

"The affair with your mother was initially well-hidden, no one knew. We lived in a small town near Dragon Mountain. She wasn’t very fond of it because it was too close to her Sect, but as she was pregnant and close to term, it wasn’t feasible to travel far, so we had to stay temporarily. In that small town, your mother and I had the most wonderful time of our life, but everything was destroyed the day she gave birth. My brother told everything to the Old Palace Master, who was furious and traveled thousands of miles with several Elders to confront us. Unfortunately, I was not at home at that time; your mother had difficulties during labor, and I had gone out to find a midwife. By the time I returned, the child was already born - that was you. The Old Palace Master wanted to kill you on the spot, but seeing the Shieryu on your back, he immediately changed his mind. He agreed to spare you and your mother’s lives, forcing me to return to Lize Palace, forbidding me from ever seeing her again. I kneeled in the snow, my body almost frozen, pleading bitterly. Eventually, even the Elders were moved and spoke on my behalf, and the Old Palace Master reluctantly agreed for me to stay in the town to look after you and your mother for a few years."

As he said this, the Great Palace Master suddenly laughed, but Yu Sifeng was increasingly terrified and said tremblingly, "Since the... Old Palace Master agreed, why... why..."

It wasn’t just him, even Liu Yihuan was shocked. When he had his ordeal, the Old Palace Master wasn’t so merciful! It was unexpected that he would agree to let him stay and take care of them, mother and son!

The Great Palace Master spoke softly, "Yes, Si Feng, to these Cultivation Sects, we are just devils and evil spirits, deemed cruel and heartless by them. But, the Old Palace Master agreed to let us be together. Would you say that’s cruel and heartless? Your mother and I loved each other deeply; how could we be heartless and ruthless? In reality, the real cruel and heartless ones are these cultivators, placing themselves in the highest position, easily judging others’ rights and wrongs, casually deciding others’ life and death. After they left, your mother learned my true identity, but she didn’t blame me at all. We planned our future life together, full of hope. However, the next day, the Cultivation Sect people came. Your mother had given birth to a winged baby, and the midwife spread the news, which overnight reached everywhere, deeming her an Evil Spirit. With Dianjing Valley nearby, they quickly summoned people to eliminate the demon. When they saw the so-called demon was your mother and then saw you in the cradle, they forced her to reveal the father of the child. To protect you and me, your mother killed herself with a sword from her master."

"I can never forget the day I returned home to find it covered in blood. Dianjing Valley, Shaoyang Sect, Fuyu Island... many people were waiting inside the house, all these people just to wait for the so-called demon, to kill it and eliminate the threat. My eyes reddened, and I rushed in and killed them all. But it was useless; your mother was already dead, a sword through her heart, clutching you tightly in her arms till her last breath to protect you from those villains. Child, do you understand now? These Cultivation Sects, they are actually arrogant and as worthless as dogs; I want to kill them, and I wouldn’t feel a bit guilty. Do you see now, son? Do you think they deserve to die?"

Yu Sifeng trembled slightly, his face pale as paper, unable to utter a word.

The Great Palace Master sternly asked, "Tell me! Do they deserve to die?"

As soon as these words fell, a soft voice came from the direction of the palace gates, laughing, "They do not deserve to die!" All three were startled and turned their heads abruptly, only to see the palace gates slowly opening, and the Vice Palace Master walking out with his hands tucked in his sleeves, swaying to stand before the Great Palace Master, chuckled once, and said, "Big brother, so many years have passed, and you’re still dreaming? What’s the reality, aren’t you willing to admit it?"

The Great Palace Master glared at him darkly, and in a low voice said, "What do you mean by that?"

The Vice Palace Master laughed, "What I mean is, the affair between you and that female disciple, Yu Haofeng, is nothing like what you’ve told. It’s about time you stop deceiving yourself."

(To be continued. For further details, please log onto www.qidian.com. The site offers more Chapters and supports the authors through legitimate reading!)