After Death, I Became My Shijie’s Palm-Sized Birdie – Chapter 12
by Little PandaEvents of the Past, Part 11
She dreamed that she and her Shijie1 did everything that lovers in the world do.
Though she had barely managed to finish her medicinal bath, Wen Qiwu had to be carried out of the tub by her Shijie—because someone’s legs had gone weak.
Wen Qiwu, oh, Wen Qiwu, you’re truly hopeless. The person cradled in her Shijie’s arms berated herself inwardly. So bold when grumbling to yourself just moments ago, yet the slightest excitement was all it took to reduce you to this state.
“Qiwu, are you feeling unwell?” Whatever awkward feelings had stirred from seeing her Shimei2 soaked through, Yun Heng was far more concerned about the abnormalities in Wen Qiwu’s condition tonight.
Why did she keep stumbling?
“We opened the Purification Hall today for once. I drew some water from inside and added it to the bath. Have you sensed any unclean power in your body?” The Purification Hall was where Body-Tempering Trials were conducted. It was suffused with a special atomized immortal qi that intensely repelled filth and demonic qi, which was why it was commonly used to test for demonic contamination.
As long as one hadn’t been tainted by demonic qi, this immortal qi was purely beneficial—it could even help purge some impurities from the body. It was a rare treasure, which was why Yun Heng had collected a measure of its condensed essence and added it to the water.
With a mole from the Demon Realm having infiltrated the sect, a soak to purge lingering foul qi was only prudent. Yun Heng never imagined her Shimei could have contracted demonic contamination right under her nose—but Wen Qiwu’s reaction after the medicinal bath nearly made her jump to the wrong conclusion.
“No, no!” Wen Qiwu wouldn’t dare admit the real reason her legs had gone weak. She could only fumble for an excuse to brush it off.
“Today, with those Golden Immortal Realm and Earth Immortal Realm elders… did everything go smoothly?” She only hoped there wouldn’t be another case like Elder Zhu’s.
“Smoothly. No problems found.” Yun Heng checked her Shimei’s body once more as she spoke, only relaxing once she confirmed Wen Qiwu was unharmed. She carried her Shimei back to her room, where the Fire Crystal Stone had warmed the interior to a cozy, drowsy temperature.
Wen Qiwu thought that after sleeping all day and then weathering the evening’s excitement, she surely wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. But whether her heart was too carefree or something else was at work, the moment her head touched the pillow, she began to grow drowsy. She had also inexplicably passed out that morning—could it be that in the later stages of her illness, it would always be like this?
The only previously recorded case hadn’t survived to this point, so she had nothing to reference. Whatever she couldn’t make sense of, she simply blamed on the illness.
Yun Heng didn’t leave right away. Instead, she sat by the bed and talked with Wen Qiwu.
Once Wen Qiwu’s breathing steadied and she fell into deep sleep, a complex emotion gradually surfaced in Yun Heng’s gaze. She reached out to stroke her Shimei’s face, her fingertips accidentally brushing the corner of those pale, bloodless lips. In that instant, she was suddenly drawn back to the image of her Shimei in the bath, soaked through. She had seen it clearly—the inner garment clinging to her Shimei’s body traced out a delicate silhouette. That garment had been thin, so thin that once wet, it was like gauze that concealed nothing at all.
Yun Heng snatched her hand back. A strange sensation traveled from her fingertips to her heart. Her reactions tonight seemed… not quite normal.
She made a show of tucking in the corners of her Shimei’s blanket, then rose and left the room—though her steps carried a certain haste.
Tonight’s accident had unsettled far more than just Wen Qiwu’s heart.
Perhaps because Yun Heng had sat by her bed for so long, Wen Qiwu seemed to catch her Shijie’s cold fragrance even in her dreams. Unsurprisingly, she dreamed of Yun Heng again that night.
What the mind dwells on by day, it dreams of by night. After the evening’s events, Wen Qiwu’s dreams were especially vivid and romantic—even bolder than the Heart-Contemplation Trial she had undergone when breaking through to the Void Refining realm. In her dream, she and her Shijie didn’t just kiss; they did everything that lovers in the world do.
When Wen Qiwu woke, her expression was dazed. She sat up in bed, trying to calm her racing heart, but the room was too quiet and there was nothing to distract her. She couldn’t help but recall every detail of the dream, and her face grew ever redder.
She changed into fresh clothes and decided to head to Yunwu Mountain for some cold air, to tamp down the heat stirring in her heart.
Before going out, Wen Qiwu didn’t forget to drape on the outer robe woven from Fire Feather Bird feathers that her Shijie had given her. Otherwise, if her Shijie caught her heading to Yunwu Mountain in thin clothes, she might not be allowed back next time.
Wen Qiwu, harboring unspeakable thoughts, walked to the foot of Yunwu Mountain. She didn’t notice a strange woman approaching from the opposite direction. The woman wasn’t wearing Wenshen Sect robes, nor did she bear any insignia of rank—clearly not a member of the sect.
When Wen Qiwu entered the woman’s line of sight, the woman’s gaze immediately locked onto her—or more precisely, onto the outer robe she wore.
Upon seeing the robe, the woman’s eyes filled with revulsion and hostility. Though Wen Qiwu’s reactions were rather dulled at the moment, after being stared at for so long, it was hard not to notice.
“…?” Wen Qiwu was quite certain she didn’t know this person. So why was the woman glaring so fiercely?
“Heh.” The woman gave a cold laugh and turned to leave.
“Princess Huaiqing, please wait! You’re going the wrong way! That’s Yunwu Mountain, not Wendao Mountain!” A young disciple in Wenshen Sect robes hurried after her.
Spotting Wen Qiwu, the young disciple also paused to offer a hasty bow. “Greetings, Elder Wen.”
Wen Qiwu nodded in acknowledgment, and the disciple rushed off again to chase after Princess Huaiqing.
So she was the princess of the Qingluan Clan. Hearing the name Huaiqing from the young disciple, Wen Qiwu now knew the stranger’s identity.
The Cangwang Realm had six domains, of which Shiling Domain was the territory of the demon beast races. Tens of thousands of years ago, it was ruled by the Demon Emperor. But after the Demon Emperor fell, no heir remained. The bloodline of the Ancestral Phoenix was cut off, and the throne of Shiling Domain’s lord had no successor.
Among the remaining demon beast clans, none would bow to another. No one could hold the Demon Emperor’s throne. So upon the emperor’s death, the clans immediately plunged into civil war. Shiling Domain was carved up into factions large and small, and the throne still hung empty.
The Qingluan Clan had been a vassal clan of the late Demon Emperor. For high-level spirit beasts like them, producing offspring was notoriously difficult—the Qingluan King had only conceived this one daughter at an age of tens of thousands of years.
This princess had nearly lost her life in the Eclipse Secret Realm. Fortunately, Yun Heng had passed by and rescued both her and the Qianyue Sword Sect master’s daughter. Otherwise, the Qingluan King’s only child would have perished in that secret realm.
With the young disciple’s guidance, Princess Huaiqing found the correct direction to Wendao Mountain. Before long, she spotted her mother waiting at the mountain gate.
The Qingluan King thanked the young disciple, then turned to her daughter with a faint smile. “Who’s upset our little princess this time?”
“No one.” Princess Huaiqing wore a dark expression that suggested it was very much not “no one.”
The Qingluan King thought so too. Unable to resist her mother’s pressing, Princess Huaiqing recounted everything: “I just saw someone wearing an outer robe woven from Fire Feather Bird feathers. The Fire Feather Birds have always been proud—they would never give their feathers to outsiders. Who knows how much blood of the feathered clans stains that garment.”
“I see.” The Qingluan King fondly patted her daughter’s head. The Qingluan and the Fire Feather Birds were both vassal clans of the Phoenix Lord, and their relationship had always been good. She hadn’t expected to encounter such a thing at Wenshen Sect.
“More than that, she also…” Princess Huaiqing’s gloomy expression carried a trace of awkwardness.
“What else?” the Qingluan King asked.
“…” Even though that human had persecuted the feathered clans, she inexplicably felt an uncontrollable, bizarre sense of closeness toward that woman.
She must have knocked her head in the Eclipse Secret Realm—that’s why she was reacting like this! Princess Huaiqing felt it would be embarrassing to say it aloud, so after a moment’s thought, she decided not to tell her mother.
“Never mind.”
The Qingluan King could tell her daughter was keeping a secret. But her daughter was grown now, and didn’t want to share everything with her anymore.
But the mention of those Fire Feather Birds reminded the Qingluan King of an old matter.
“Actually, the Fire Feather Birds do sometimes give their feathers to outsiders.” A flicker of resentment passed through the Qingluan King’s eyes.
“Really?” Princess Huaiqing recalled a time from her childhood when she had accidentally taken one of their feathers—and was chased and beaten for it.
“When the Phoenix Lord was still around, those despicable Fire Feather Birds offered up the most beautiful feathers in their clan to His Majesty. His Majesty wove those feathers into a sachet and wore it every day…”
“Those wretched braggarts flaunted it in front of me for thousands of years! What’s so fine about those short, red feathers? Our Qingluan Clan’s feathers are far more beautiful, far more befitting His Majesty! But those nuisances beat us to it!” The Phoenix Lord had been gone for tens of thousands of years, yet the Qingluan King still hadn’t let go of her grievance.
Princess Huaiqing didn’t dare speak. The grievance radiating from her mother was too intense. The Qingluan King grumbled the entire way up the mountain.
By the time they met Yun Heng, the Qingluan King had regained her elegant and composed demeanor.
The Qingluan King had come to deliver gifts of gratitude. Even now, recalling her daughter’s ordeal in the secret realm made her shudder with fear. Fortunately, Yun Heng had intervened to save her, so she had come in person to offer her thanks.
The Qingluan King was generous—every gift she brought was a rare treasure of the world.
Yun Heng’s expression, however, remained indifferent. She had never lacked for such things.
The Qingluan King lifted a jar of wine from among the gifts. This was something she had added on the spot after running into Lu Qiaoyi at the foot of the mountain.
“I just met your sect’s Elder Lu at the foot of the mountain. She mentioned that in a few days, it will be the Immotal Venerable3‘s Shimei’s birthday. This wine is our Qingluan Clan’s finest brew, Drunken Phoenix—one jar per hundred years. It has the wondrous effect of nourishing the soul, and it’s not potent. Those who drink it rarely become intoxicated. It’s perfect for a birthday celebration. Please accept it as my gift.”
After hearing the Qingluan King’s introduction, Yun Heng’s expression finally showed a hint of change. Whether it was the Qingluan King’s imagination or not, she felt that a touch of warmth had entered the Immotal Venerable’s expression.
Yun Heng expressed her thanks and stored the jar in her storage pouch.
The Qingluan King reflected inwardly that Elder Lu had been right—no matter how many gifts one gave the Immotal Venerable, none could match the effect of preparing something fitting for her Shimei.
Afterward, the Qingluan King added a warning: “But Immotal Venerable, please don’t let any of the feathered clans drink too much. This wine won’t intoxicate any race other than the avian ones, but we become drunk from the merest sip. Even the former Demon Emperor was no exception—hence the name ‘Drunken Phoenix.’ If a lesser bird were to drink it, they might not sober up for years.”
The author has something to say:
Prop wine acquired!
Footnotes
- A respectful term used in Chinese cultivation sects for one's senior female fellow disciple, combining familial closeness with sect hierarchy.
- A respectful term used in Chinese cultivation sects for one's junior female fellow disciple, combining familial closeness with sect hierarchy.
- A Chinese honorific combining xian (immortal) and zun (venerable), used as a supreme title of respect for top-tier cultivators.
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