Chapter 22: Suzaku's Glimpse and the Blazing Heavenly Fire

The woman hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke slowly, "My name is Lu Jiajia, the 'Jia' as in 'marriage'."

Lu Jiajia...

What a strange name, and... a little cute?

Ning Xiaoling paused slightly, finding it difficult to connect this name with the sword immortal lady, whose demeanor was serene, quiet, and aloof.

The woman, who introduced herself as Lu Jiajia, sighed and said resignedly, "When I was little, I was skinny and dark. My mother worried I wouldn't get married, so she named me Jiajia, hoping for good fortune."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly, "It seems Miss Lu will disappoint your mother's good intentions."

Lu Jiajia knew he was complimenting her beauty. She was silent for a moment, then said, "Since I cultivate the Dao, I should devote myself wholeheartedly to it. Although there's a concept of 'Dao companions' in my sect, my heart is not in it."

Ning Xiaoling asked, "Does cultivating the Dao mean abandoning the human world?"

Lu Jiajia nodded and said, "Since one has transcended the mundane world, one should try to avoid worldly affairs. Human karma is complex; the more one gets entangled, the harder it will be to overcome the inner demon tribulation when entering the Violet Court."

Ning Xiaoling then asked, "Then why did you still come down from the mountain, Big Sister?"

Lu Jiajia's heart stirred slightly, but her voice remained calm. "Demons are in the human world; I had no choice but to come."

Ning Changjiu suddenly asked, "If demons can disrupt the Dao in the human world, why do immortal masters remain aloof from it?"

Lu Jiajia was speechless for a moment. She had never considered how humans could be compared to demons.

Ning Changjiu continued, "I once asked my Second Senior Brother this question."

Lu Jiajia immediately asked, "What did he say?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "Second Senior Brother said, 'It is not that I avoid the world, but that the mortal world avoids me.'"

Lu Jiajia was startled at first, then her eyes shimmered slightly. She felt she understood the meaning of the words and nodded gently. "Your senior brother is extraordinary. If there's an opportunity someday, I'd like to meet him."

Ning Changjiu's eyes suddenly became distant. In his memory, his Second Senior Brother, along with his other six senior brothers and sisters, had already ascended to the Immortal Court. According to the laws of heaven and earth, once one ascends, they truly transcend the mortal world and can never return.

That was a true departure from the world.

Lu Jiajia looked at the brother and sister, who relied on each other, assuming his senior brother had also met with misfortune. She sighed softly in her heart and did not press further.

Ning Changjiu, however, smiled faintly. "My Second Senior Brother has exceptional charm. If you ever truly meet him, Miss Lu, you should be careful."

Lu Jiajia's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of annoyance in her expression, her voice carrying a slight edge of severity. "Although you have shown me kindness, if you wish to become my disciple, you must not joke so disrespectfully. You must understand that while all cultivators walk the same path, there should still be respect and proper etiquette between master and disciple."

Ning Changjiu hadn't expected his joke to anger her so much. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you want to take us as disciples to sever this karma as well?"

Lu Jiajia looked at him with some surprise. After a moment, she nodded gently. "Though your innate talent is not as good as your junior sister's, your mind is quite sharp."

Seeing her serious expression, Ning Xiaoling tried to reassure her, "I'll agree, Big Sister. If we can get out alive, we'll go with you to your sect and perform the disciple acceptance ceremony."

Lu Jiajia's expression softened slightly as she looked at Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu calmly said, "I need to think about it some more."

The woman was somewhat annoyed, assuming he had too narrow a view. If he were to truly see the ethereal immortal mountain, shrouded in mist and fog, like a grotto-heaven carved by a deity, he wouldn't even consider returning.

Upon hearing this, Ning Xiaoling became conflicted. "If Senior Brother doesn't agree, what happens if I become a disciple first? Won't I then become his Senior Sister? How could that be right?"

Ning Changjiu smiled and patted her head. "The Imperial City is in turmoil right now; whether we even survive is still up in the air."

Ning Xiaoling nodded in agreement. "Mmm... it wouldn't be good if that old fox found us."

Ning Changjiu looked at her young, worried face and smiled faintly.

Lu Jiajia watched them, and for some reason, she felt... a bit bewildered.

Soon, her thoughts were interrupted.

Outside, it seemed as if the sky had suddenly cleared. Large patches of light suddenly appeared on the previously dark window paper.

Her sword heart pulsed with a warning. She realized the old fox had arrived outside the Imperial Palace.

Ning Xiaoling also sensed something was wrong and instinctively wanted to push the window open to look, but Ning Changjiu held her hand and shook his head with a grave expression.

When the fox demon entered the city, the streets were already empty.

Wearing the guise of the Witch Doctor Lord, he appeared as a venerable elder. His figure moved unhurriedly down the straight street, heading towards the center of the Imperial City.

A century ago, this place was a wild, desolate mountainous region overrun by beasts. Now, looking around, there were bluestone paths and towering city gates.

Normally, even with heavy rain in the afternoon, the streets would be bustling with people. But today, with the Imperial City in distress, under the strict orders of the soldiers, everyone had stayed indoors to avoid innocent calamity.

The moment he stepped onto the street, the sound of soldiers' footsteps splashing through the rain began to echo.

From the alleyways on all sides, swords were drawn, flashing horizontally. They shattered raindrops, piercing through the curtain of rain. Silver-bright glints shimmered coldly, all pointing towards him.

The rain was heavy, drumming on helmets and splashing around eyes. The old demon, merely by standing there, exuded an overwhelming demonic aura. Many, whose eyes were already half-closed from the splashing rain, could now only see a blurry, aged figure.

The leading general gripped his sword with both hands, watching him with extreme tension. Yet, the tip of his blade did not tremble in the rain.

The general recognized the old man before him as the Witch Doctor Lord, a great cultivator whom he once respected. At the same time, he could sense that the person before him was radiating an overwhelming demonic aura.

"Are you not afraid of me?" the fox demon asked, looking at the man whose blade pointed directly at him.

The general replied, "I merely respect the Witch Doctor Lord and am unwilling to strike this body with my sword."

The fox demon laughed. "But this Witch Doctor Lord apparently doesn't care for you. Today, he even intended to wait until I had massacred everyone, then use a blood sacrifice to heaven and earth to achieve his own Grand Dao. Fortunately, I killed him for you in time."

Rain streaked across the general's rough face. He looked at the unfathomable old man before him. Fear gnawed at his heart, yet his body instinctively lowered. His feet were braced, one in front of the other, ready to exert force at any moment.

"Do not slander the Witch Doctor Lord..." the general said coldly, slowly twisting his wrist around the sword hilt.

The fox demon clasped his hands behind his back and smiled, "Ultimately, you still don't dare to attack me. You know perfectly well that I can kill everyone here."

He looked at the middle-aged general and continued, "Perhaps you're not afraid of death, but you must fear the senseless deaths of your subordinates and comrades. Your Highness sent you here merely to die. You knew this, yet you still brought your men with you. It must be a bitter feeling in your heart, isn't it?"

The general took a deep breath, his gaze wavering slightly, but his voice was firm. "As a general of Zhao, who takes Zhao's military pay, I naturally must defend Zhao's Imperial City."

The fox demon looked around and asked, "Then have you asked them if they are willing to die with you?"

The general roared in a deep voice, "I haven't asked, but I know the answer. Today, our nation is on the verge of collapse; when the nest falls, no egg remains unbroken. For the sake of our families, our elders and young ones, I am willing to die first."

With that, the military blade in the rain moved. It was a simple, seasoned hack from one experienced in battle. But the moment the blade flashed, everyone instinctively held their breath. The blade's light was brighter than ever before, like lightning flashing across their pupils. The surrounding soldiers leaned slightly forward, feeling as if something had ignited within their chests.

The sharp blade descended, then stopped.

Everyone was stunned. They saw the old man holding the blade tip with two fingers. Those two fingers were incredibly steady, steadier than the general's sword-gripping hand.

Thus, the blade stopped, unable to descend further.

"What is your name?" the fox demon asked him.

The general held the hilt with one hand and pressed on the blade's back with the other. He tried to force the blade down, but it wouldn't budge an inch.

Seeing he didn't answer, the fox demon didn't press him. He simply extended his other hand and pointed to himself. "This person's position, you can take it in the future."

Before the general could clearly hear what he said, the sound of the blade breaking resounded in his ears. He lurched forward violently, but instead of colliding with the old man, he slammed onto the ground with a thud. Fortunately, his reflexes were swift; the moment his body hit the ground, he propped himself up with the sword hilt and flipped back up. By the time he regained his composure, the old man had already walked further down the long street.

"Stop!" the general roared. He casually drew a blade from a nearby soldier's waist and gave chase. But in the blink of an eye, the old man vanished as if evaporating into thin air, completely gone.

The general stood rooted to the spot for a long time. His entire body was burning hot, and the raindrops hitting his hands seemed to sizzle as if burning.

He stared intently at the spot where the old man had vanished. After a long while, he slammed the broken blade in his hand back onto the ground with a clatter. Around him, the soldiers lowered their blades and began wiping sweat from their foreheads.

The general managed a difficult smile and said softly, "Your Highness didn't lie to us; he truly didn't dare to kill anyone."

At that moment, the old fox had already appeared on another path, even closer to the Imperial Palace.

It wasn't that he couldn't forcibly endure the backlash and kill a general to assert his power.

It was just that as he looked at the soldiers, who were clearly afraid yet still surrounded him, he suddenly realized that this Imperial City seemed to be his own Imperial City.

"This entire Zhao kingdom was born for me, so of course it is my kingdom."

Since they were all his own subjects, there was no need for him to act.

At this moment, he suddenly wanted to look at the throne in the Imperial Palace. He wondered what it would be like if he were to sit upon it and unify Southern Zhou with his demonic soul.

The old man stroked his beard and smiled. He lightly raised one foot, then brought it down heavily. The next moment, thunder shook the heavens and the Imperial City rumbled, as torrential rain poured down.

The old man had already passed beneath the archway inscribed with the words 'Phoenix Singing at Dawn.' The towering walls of the Imperial Palace loomed darkly before him.

On the city walls, bows were taut and arrows nocked. One after another, they were aimed at the old man who had appeared out of nowhere.

"The National Seal, the Ancient Scrolls, the Red Umbrella are all shields, and the Burning Fire Pestle is a sword. So that's it." The old fox paid no attention to the arrows. He merely looked at the stormy city and muttered to himself, "The immortal's plan back then was quite good, using these to slow down my destruction of the kingdom. But I wonder, with this sword, how much sword qi can you, Zhao Xiang'er, truly unleash?"

As his words fell, iron arrows were loosed simultaneously from the city walls. The sharp whistling of projectiles cutting through the air rose to a screech.

But in the old man's eyes, how were they any different from ordinary raindrops?

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Time and space around him seemed to freeze.

The iron arrows stopped eerily a few feet from his body. Only the arrowheads caused faint ripples on the water.

The old man flicked his sleeve. The iron arrows, as if made of water, flowed into his sleeve. The old man declared loudly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the arrows."

He raised his foot. Of the five arched gates at the Imperial Palace entrance, he was about to step through the middle one.

At this moment, on the throne in the Imperial Palace's main hall, a girl, having bathed and changed, sat alone before a mirror, drawing her eyebrows with a brush.

She wore a bright yellow cloak adorned with golden-feathered phoenixes and flame-patterned snow waves. Sitting alone in the deep palace, in a world of black and white, her figure on the throne appeared exceptionally vibrant.

In the mirror was her face, still youthful and not yet sixteen. The brush swept across her distinct eyebrows and eyes, like a fine brush delicately inking the most exquisite rice paper, with a cool, serene beauty.

She gathered her long hair draped over her slender shoulders. She gazed quietly at her youthful, beautiful face in the mirror for a long time. It wasn't until the old fox's ancient, resonant voice echoed from outside the Imperial City that she seemed to finally understand something, and smiled faintly, slowly regaining her focus.

"If you truly wanted to imprison him, why would you create these four keys?" Zhao Xiang'er slowly rose. Her flowing robes were ample, and the draped sleeves covered her fingertips. Yet, her slender, cinched waist still elegantly outlined her soft, undulating figure. Her gaze slowly lifted to the luxurious and beautiful coffered ceiling, and she said, "Mother, I understand. I hope that when we meet again in the future, your daughter will not have disappointed you."

She walked down the steps.

Outside the city gate, the old fox's foot did not descend.

Beneath the water surface where his shoe hovered, a pale red shadow faintly emerged. The shadow grew clearer, vaguely resembling a bird with fiery wings. It circled in the reflection on the stagnant water, as if beneath the accumulated water lay a vast world of boundless freedom.

At that moment, an extremely powerful sense of alarm suddenly arose in the heart of the old fox, who feared neither heaven nor earth.

He wanted to stomp on the illusory reflection in the water, but his foot remained suspended, unable to come down.

Within the Imperial Palace, a clear cry rang out, piercing through heaven and earth.

Beneath the accumulated water, the fire phoenix plunged down like an arrow.

What appeared as a downward plunge in that world, from the old fox's perspective, was an ascent against the flames, accelerating rapidly.

As it approached the world above the water's surface, the fire phoenix's form grew larger and larger. Within a few breaths, the rainy ground outside the Imperial City was covered entirely by the shadows of its flapping wings.

At this moment, it was as if the entire water surface had burst into flames.

That temperature had not yet penetrated the barrier of the watery world to become actual scorching heat. However, everyone could sense that the thin barrier between the water world and the real world was about to be breached at any moment.

"Vermilion Bird's Shadow Scorches Heavenly Fire?" The old fox's heart stirred, and this prophecy suddenly surfaced in his mind.

But his confusion lasted only a moment. The old fox's gaze hardened, "A mere imitation. How could you be a true Vermilion Bird?"

Despite his words, the moment ripples spread across the water, the old fox's figure still darted back a hundred zhang.

The fire phoenix's figure soared out of the water, like a flying arrow, like lightning, like a meteorite, like streaking fire.

The moment it broke through the water's surface, invisible threads seemed to connect it to the old fox's figure, impossible to sever or melt.

Zhao Xiang'er had already walked out of the Imperial Palace's main hall.

The arrows on the city walls were loosed simultaneously once more.

Zhao Xiang'er raised the Vermilion Bird Burning Fire Pestle high. At this moment, her spirit was one with the fire phoenix that protected the city.

A hundred zhang away, the old fox was equally unwilling to retreat further. The Vermilion Bird Burning Fire Pestle was originally the sword left by the immortal to vanquish him. Now, with the sword close at hand, he harbored some apprehension, but it wasn't the exact one that vanquished him back then, so he wasn't overly afraid.

The old fox's figure stopped, his three souls intertwined, perfectly still. With one hand, he swept his finger across his front, once again unleashing the concentrated sword strike from Phoenix Dwelling Lake. With his other hand, he simultaneously waved, returning all the arrows he had collected in his sleeve.

The iron arrows clashed in the air, falling to the ground with a crisp sound like metal beads dropping onto a tray.

On the ground, the human figure and the fiery shadow collided.

They were two masses of fire.

It was impossible to tell which was hotter or brighter. They merely intertwined, soared into the sky, and transformed into a brilliant column of light piercing the clouds.

Rain turned to mist, and clouds shattered into fragments. A bright cascade of light poured down onto the Imperial City. Close by, it resembled a colossal sun; from a distance, it looked like scattered moonlight.

In front of the Imperial Palace, Zhao Xiang'er wiped blood from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes, however, were fixed unblinkingly on the pillar of light, and at some point, tears had begun to stream down her face.