In the Qingluan Clan Land, despite what its name suggests, there’s only one true-blooded Qingluan, and that would be the ancient clan leader—a lady of remarkable lineage.
Legend has it that she was once one of the auspicious divine birds of the Da Shang Dynasty, bearing the luck of the empire and keeping the South Border in check.
While she has lost her imperial luck, she still retains the prestigious surname bestowed upon her by Da Shang.
At the very center of the clan land, nestled among ancient trees, sits Shang Qin Qing, a woman who looks barely over thirty, draped in an ethereal dress that seems completely out of this era. She exudes a calm and profound demeanor.
At this moment, she is gently strumming her guqin, and as the melodious notes flow like water, various exotic birds are dancing in delight.
Suddenly, the music halts.
“The Qingluan Clan can’t speak before encountering that destined person,” she states succinctly.
“Thus, most express their thoughts through the language of music.”
Shang Qin Qing smiles as she looks up at a nearby girl, who is listening intently to the melodies:
“If you don’t understand music, you might just show your hand while competing for that Celestial Divine Jade.”
“What was that song just now?” Ying Bing asks, her eyes flickering as she watches a butterfly fluttering nearby.
“‘Seeking the Phoenix’,” Shang Qin Qing replies with a cheeky grin. “I wonder what kind of person this husband-promoting soul is that has captured your heart, someone like you with the Ten Absolute Body, observing the divine bird forms!”
“Why do you say that?”
Ying Bing looks down, extending her hand to let the butterfly rest on her fingertip.
Shang Qin Qing replies seriously, “So it’s the rumors outside that have gotten to you? Let’s teach that rascal a lesson to cut down on the gossip.”
“Absolutely not!” Ying Bing retorts, sounding rather serious.
Even the butterfly was startled and took off from her finger.
“Oh, soft-hearted~” Shang Qin Qing chuckles, clearly amused.
Ying Bing pauses, her gaze dropping, and then she says, “Aren’t the Qingluan known for being taciturn?”
“That’s right! They were previously mute, but now that they can talk, why not say plenty?” Shang Qin Qing’s curiosity piques.
“Why didn’t you bring him to the South Border? He could really boost your luck. Who knows, with him around, getting that Celestial Divine Jade might be a breeze.”
“He…” Ying Bing contemplates, as she has thought about this before.
Her rapid progress in power had everything to do with him, certainly.
But he’s not like her, observing divine bird forms, plus she possesses the Taiyin Moon Phoenix Body, and with Shang Qin Qing’s assistance, she would be almost indistinguishable from a true, pure-blooded Qingluan.
The Monster Clan would never allow a human to possess the Jade Phoenix Divine.
Because the Jade Phoenix Divine can refine the bloodlines of monsters and contains the memories of the Nine Colors Original Phoenix.
Shang Qin Qing suddenly squints her eyes and says, “Afraid he’ll get into danger? Afraid of becoming too reliant on him?”
“I’m not…”
Afraid? This strange word felt like it had never appeared in her dictionary before.
She had never feared the Path to Immortality…
“Here.”
Suddenly, Shang Qin Qing hands over a mooncake.
It was a Q-version mooncake featuring Little Li, filled with lotus seed paste.
“How do you even have this?”
“I asked you for it last time; I figured you’d regret it later,” she said with a knowing smile.
Ying Bing purses her lips and gently bites into a piece of the mooncake.
It had a familiar ‘taste’—the flavor she used to enjoy every day…
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, looks like I’m drooling over this!” Shang Qin Qing laughs exuberantly, rolling around with her guqin.
“…..”
Ying Bing wraps up the remaining mooncake, her voice crystal clear: “Let’s talk about the situation with the Celestial Divine Jade instead.”
“Hold on for a second…”
After a moment, Shang Qin Qing finally catches up. She sits up straight and explains:
“The divine jade appears once every sixty years and stays for seven years before ascending again. It’ll drop once more in another sixty years at the Floating Temple, where clans will compete for it.”
“It likely means that a major event is approaching, and this batch of talents is far superior to those of the past.”
“Especially the formidable ones like the Da Peng Clan, the Golden Fur Roar Clan, and the Qiongqi Tribe…”
If the Jade Phoenix Divine didn’t automatically disappear after seven years, the powerful clans would have already been at each other’s throats.
But if every ten years they’re fighting to the d*ath, it won’t be long before the South Border becomes barren.
Shang Qin Qing was doing perfectly fine explaining things.
But somehow, the topic took a wild turn:
“No clan has truly possessed the Celestial Divine Jade. I believe it hasn’t yet encountered its true master.”
“Your talents outshine all throughout history; if only you had that husband-promoting soul by your side, there’d truly be a chance…”
“By the way, at the Floating Temple, there’s a magical Fate Tree, said to be incredibly effective.”
Her eyes suddenly drifted off into the distance as if recalling her younger years.
“You’re a Qingluan; why don’t you believe in yourself?” Ying Bing asks, puzzled by her thought process.
Only when a Qingluan meets their destined partner can they speak.
Thus, even today, many consider them symbols of love.
“Who says I don’t believe? Every morning I wake up and bow to my mirror three times,” Shang Qin Qing replies with a smile.
Then she saw Ying Bing pondering, who delicately joined her hands together and bowed three times in her direction.
Her jade-like face took on a hint of seriousness.
“?”
Shang Qin Qing is left momentarily speechless.
This girl, cold on the surface, has quite the prideful interior. During their first meeting, she had taken on a senior demeanor, yet here she stood with elegance, unaffected, and it’s Shang Qin Qing who ends up breaking character first.
“Two people bowing together is even more effective~”
“……That tree…”
“Same goes for it.”
Shang Qin Qing said half-jokingly but truly she just felt she hadn’t had her fun with the bows.
“…..”
Ying Bing ruffled the head of her big-headed doll and remained silent for quite a while, her lips tightly pressed.
Well, if he doesn’t show up, it might be for the best; this was what she truly hoped for…
“You do talk less, which fits the characteristics of the Qingluan people.”
“Well, as for music, I can teach you!” Shang Qin Qing chuckled.
Fate is the most profound matter of all; romantic matters, even more so—a twist of fate could bring someone who wasn’t meant to be into your life.
…..
“Achoo!”
In the high skies, a bald-headed giant peng stood soaring proudly.
Ke Mo rubbed his nose, and couldn’t help but grumble internally.
I mean, haven’t we reached the Observation Realm? Our physiques are even tougher than monsters. How can we still catch a cold?
Or rather, it’s not a cold; I just can’t stop sneezing.
Murong Xiao solemnly warned, “Ke Brother, when you transform into a Ming Jiao body, be careful not to sneeze casually.”
“Why?”
Ke Mo, puzzled, questioned why monsters don’t fall ill either.
“They say, there was an ancestor of the Ming Jiao Clan who accidentally sneezed, resulting in a torrential downpour that led to a flood.”
Murong Xiao continued with a hint of a lisp, “Later, he was chased by the divine sword of the Tianshan Sword Manor until he reached the South Border. Now, he doesn’t even dare step outside.”
“…..”
Ke Mo thought, surely the disaster beast fame of the Ming Jiao Clan can’t stem from this, right?
Because of excessive sneezing, they became synonymous with floods?
“Right, when a Ming Jiao sneezes, it tends to rain—so annoying!”
A peng yao commented, his voice tiny yet filled with deep resentment.
“….. So that’s how your rivalry began.”
Since learning that Ying Bing had gone to the Qingluan Clan Land, five days had passed, and thus they had been flying toward the Ming Jiao Clan Land on the back of the Peng Yao.
Now, looking around, the marshes are becoming more plentiful.
They were almost there.
…..
PS: Today, I kinda slacked off and wanted to sleep early, so I only delivered two updates, muah!
Seeking the audience’s support, orz.
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