Chapter 238
"The Qingluan clan is few in number, yet incredibly powerful, and they forbid humans from approaching, not even allowing male beasts to come near."
"I wonder why she was able to make an exception and even meet with the clan leader..."
...
In the land of the Qingluan clan.
It was autumn, yet this place was vibrant with life.
The trees stood tall, their roots and leaves faintly shimmering in a beautiful azure hue, making this already stunning locale resemble a celestial paradise.
Paths and treehouses intertwined among the trees, as if a fortress had been built in the air.
A woman in blue walked gracefully through the treetop village. Her figure appeared human, but her hands were wings, and her legs were bird claws.
She flapped her wings and soared to the treetop house.
There stood a girl in a green porcelain dress.
The girl's expression was as cold as frost under the night sky, her eyes clear like a cold moon, surrounded by an aura of detachment that seemed to confine her to her own world.
Even a pure-blooded Qingluan like the clan's ancestor would not appear so cold and lonely.
In truth, when she first arrived at the Qingluan clan, she was not like this. Especially when she was enjoying a certain pastry, a smile would often grace her lips.
Recently, she hadn’t been seen eating mooncakes, and her frowns had become more frequent.
Could it be that the mooncakes possessed some magical power that brought joy?
Dingling—
The woman in blue shook the bell on her wrist with a peculiar rhythm.
"Did the old clan leader summon me?" Ying Bing asked.
The woman in blue nodded.
The girl and the bird wove through the canopy of azure trees, stepping over dappled shadows, occasionally gathering dust on the girl’s form.
Dinglingling~
The woman in blue shook the bell again, conveying her thoughts:
"I really envy you."
"Envy me for what?" Ying Bing pulled her thoughts back.
The woman in blue continued to shake the bell to express her meaning:
"I envy you for being able to speak."
Bearing the bloodline of the Qingluan, one could never make a sound, not even after transforming.
Unless one found their destined partner.
But that was easier said than done.
A Qingluan might very well go their entire life without uttering a sound.
The woman in blue found it hard to imagine that this girl, with such an incredibly noble bloodline, could...
Her curiosity deepened:
"Who is the person you’re thinking of?"
"Oh, him..."
Ying Bing's cold gaze rippled slightly, her tone inexplicably softening. Sunlight danced on her crystalline eyelashes, casting a gentle twilight hue.
"He’s a husband-attracting spirit."
---
Chapter 255: The Tree of Fate, but he’s not here
Though the land is called the Qingluan clan, there is only one true pure-blooded Qingluan, the clan's elder.
Legend has it that she was once one of the auspicious divine birds of the Great Shang, bearing the fortune of the dynasty and suppressing the southern regions.
Now, she no longer possesses the fortune of the dynasty, yet she retains the surname bestowed by the Great Shang.
In the heart of the clan's territory, within an ancient tree.
Shang Qinqing appeared to be a woman no older than thirty, draped in garments that seemed out of place in this era, exuding a profound and tranquil demeanor.
At this moment, she was gently playing the guqin, the flowing notes like water causing many exotic birds to flutter joyfully.
Suddenly, the music stopped.
"The Qingluan clan cannot speak until they meet their destined partner."
"Thus, most of us understand the way of music to express our innermost thoughts."
Shang Qinqing smiled and looked up at the girl listening to her music not far away:
"If you’re not well-versed in music, you might expose yourself when competing for the divine jade."
"What was that piece just now?" Ying Bing's gaze flickered as she watched a butterfly dancing nearby, then returned her attention.
"Feng Qiu Huang." Shang Qinqing rested her chin on her hand, smiling. "I wonder what kind of person this husband-attracting spirit is, to capture the heart of someone like you, who can observe the forms of a hundred birds."
"How do you know?"
Ying Bing lowered her gaze, letting the butterfly rest on her fingertip.
Shang Qinqing replied earnestly, "So it’s just rumors from outside? You should teach him a lesson to prevent further gossip."
"Absolutely not!"
Ying Bing said, not joking at all.
The butterfly, startled, flew away from her fingertip.
"Soft-hearted, huh~" Shang Qinqing laughed heartily.
Ying Bing paused, looking down:
"Aren't the Qingluan known for being taciturn?"
"Exactly! It’s because we couldn’t speak before that we talk so much now."
Shang Qinqing, intrigued, asked:
"Why don’t you bring him to the southern regions? He’s a husband-attracting spirit; perhaps if he comes, you’ll have an easier time obtaining the divine jade."
"He..."
Ying Bing had indeed thought about it.
Her rapid progress in this life was closely tied to him.
But... he was not like her, who could observe the forms of a hundred birds and possessed the Taiyin Yuehuang body. With Shang Qinqing's help, she was no different from a true pure-blooded Qingluan.
The demon clan would never tolerate a human taking the jade phoenix.
Because the jade phoenix could purify the bloodline of the demon clan and contained fragments of the memories of the Nine-Colored Yuan Phoenix.
Shang Qinqing suddenly squinted:
"Are you afraid he might get into danger, or are you afraid of relying too much on him?"
"No..."
Afraid?
That unfamiliar word seemed to have never appeared in her vocabulary.
She had never feared the path to immortality...
"Here."
Suddenly, Shang Qinqing handed her a mooncake.
It was a Q-version lotus seed paste mooncake from Xiao Li.
"How do you still have these?"
"I asked you for some last time; I thought you’d regret it."
Ying Bing pursed her lips and took the mooncake, gently biting off a small piece.
It was the familiar 'taste.'
The taste she had enjoyed every day before...
"Oh my, I still managed to hit the jackpot."
Shang Qinqing wore a mischievous smile, rolling around with her guqin.
"....."
Ying Bing wrapped the remaining mooncake and said in a clear voice:
"Let’s talk about the divine jade instead."
"You... just wait a moment..."
After a moment, Shang Qinqing finally calmed down.
She straightened up and said:
"The divine jade appears once every sixty years, staying for seven years each time. After seven years, it returns to the heavens, and the next cycle will see it fall again to the Floating Temple, where various clans will compete for it."
"It seems a great era is approaching; this time, the talents from all clans far surpass those of the past."
"The more powerful clans include the Dapeng, the Jinmao Hou, and the Qiongqi..."
If the jade phoenix didn’t automatically disappear after seven years, it would likely be a fierce battle among the young talents of the clans, with the strong already clashing.
But every sixty years, they would fight to the death, and soon, the southern regions would be left barren.
Shang Qinqing had been speaking well, but somehow the topic veered off:
"No clan has ever truly possessed the divine jade; I believe it’s because it has yet to meet its true master."
"Your talent is unparalleled throughout history; if you had that husband-attracting spirit from your family assisting you, there might be a real chance..."
"By the way, in the Floating Ancient Temple, there’s a miraculous Tree of Fate, said to be very effective."
Her gaze suddenly grew distant, as if she were reminiscing about her youth.
"You’re a Qingluan; why don’t you believe in yourself?" Ying Bing found it hard to understand her line of thought.
A Qingluan could only speak after meeting their destined partner.
Thus, even to this day, many regarded them as symbols of love.
"Who says I don’t believe? Every day when I wake up, I bow three times to the mirror."
Shang Qinqing said with a smile.
Then she saw Ying Bing pondering slightly, her delicate hands coming together as she bowed three times toward her.
Her soft, beautiful face held a hint of seriousness.
"?"
Shang Qinqing was momentarily speechless.
This girl not only looked cold but was also quite proud. The first time they met, she had put on an elder's demeanor, yet the girl stood tall and unyielding, leaving her the first to falter.
"Two people bowing together is even more effective~"
"......That tree."
"Same goes for it."
Shang Qinqing half-joked, but in truth, it was because she hadn’t had the chance to bow herself, and she felt unsatisfied.
"....."
Ying Bing rubbed the head of a large doll, remaining silent for a long time, her lips pressed together.
He’s not here.
Well, it’s probably for the best; this was what she had hoped for...
"You’ve always been quiet, which fits the characteristics of a Qingluan."
"As for music... I’ll teach you."
Shang Qinqing smiled.
Fate is the most mysterious thing in the world, and love is even more so, like a sudden burst of light in the dark.
Who knows if someone who shouldn’t appear might suddenly show up?
Table of Contents
