Chapter 246: Like Fire

All stars were swallowed by the light of day.

In the bright light, a red silhouette hovered high, outshining even the Golden Crow.

Zhao Xiang'er reluctantly lifted her head from the soft embrace she had been buried in for so long.

They found that their surroundings had changed.

They were no longer above the imperial city, but in a world of pure white nothingness. They seemed to be standing on ice, with fire above them mirroring the ice and snow.

It wasn't until the sudden burst of light dissipated that their vision slowly returned to their eyes.

The three finally saw the appearance of the newcomer.

It was a massive, indescribable, mysterious bird.

Each of its feathers was as large as a human, and if its true form were revealed, its outstretched wings could perhaps cover the entire State of Zhao.

Unlike a phoenix, it did not possess multi-colored feathers; its body was solely red, in varying shades but pure.

Its surface resembled a colossal river of constantly erupting lava, with sparks flying and an intimidating heat. The currents of lava flowed and transformed continuously, following a specific, magnificent outline, making it impossible to describe its exact appearance at any given moment.

This was perhaps the shadow of the Vermillion Bird.

Its mythical form was enveloped in molten lava.

But even so, the pressure it exerted was infinite, a double oppression on both sight and mind. The moment the Golden Crow saw it, it frantically retreated into Ning Changjiu's Purple Mansion through his brow.

The Golden Crow was still a young bird and lacked the courage to confront the Vermillion Bird directly.

Zhao Xiang'er slowly walked towards the burning, colossal bird's phantom.

From atop the great bird, a woman in palace attire slowly descended.

Ning Changjiu furrowed his brow.

He noticed that this woman in palace attire was identical to the maids in Zhao Xiang'er's Vermillion Bird State, but she carried more majesty and spiritual energy. Her long palace gown seemed like a trailing golden shadow.

"Greetings, Your Highness," the woman in palace attire said calmly, bowing to Zhao Xiang'er.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at her and asked, "Are you here to take me back?"

The woman in palace attire nodded and said, "Yes."

Zhao Xiang'er asked, "Can I stay?"

The woman in palace attire shook her head and said, "You may not. This is Her Ladyship's holy decree."

Zhao Xiang'er frowned and asked, "You... also call Mother 'Her Ladyship'?"

"Yes," the woman in palace attire replied, "In fact, I was by your side protecting you from a very young age, until you turned thirteen."

Zhao Xiang'er was silent for a moment, feeling a slight discomfort. She asked, "And after thirteen?"

The woman in palace attire said, "For the next three years, Her Ladyship arranged all your paths."

"All my paths?" Zhao Xiang'er was slightly surprised. She glanced at Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia. Her eyebrows, which had been lightly made up for her wedding, were now smudged after continuous battles, yet she looked quite adorable.

The woman in palace attire said, "In half an hour, I will guide Your Highness to a new place. It is a small state built on the edge of the laws. You will complete your final training there. After seven years, the gates of the Vermillion Bird Divine Kingdom will open, and Your Highness can return to meet Her Ladyship."

"Mother..." Zhao Xiang'er hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Will Mother be angry if they hear these secrets?"

She was afraid that if she asked an inappropriate question, it would lead to Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia being eliminated for some reason like "dead men tell no tales."

The woman in palace attire said, "If you trust them, Her Ladyship will have no objections."

Zhao Xiang'er nodded slightly, relieved.

"Then what are you here for?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

"To guide Your Highness home and answer Your Highness's questions," the woman in palace attire stated methodically. "Does Your Highness have any questions?"

Zhao Xiang'er thought for a moment and said earnestly, "I do."

"Please ask, Your Highness," the woman in palace attire replied respectfully.

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Who is Mother?"

The woman in palace attire said, "Her Ladyship is the ruler of the Vermillion Bird Divine Kingdom, the Vermillion Bird Goddess."

There was no unusual sound in heaven and earth, but everyone's ears heard thunder.

Even Zhao Xiang'er, who had already suspected as much, felt her heart race upon actual confirmation.

Nanzhou was a small state in the world, and Zhao was an even smaller corner of Nanzhou. Yet the Vermillion Bird Goddess... was one of the twelve most powerful beings in the world, and she was her daughter?

"Am I her biological daughter?" Zhao Xiang'er asked, confused.

The woman in palace attire said, "Your Highness was created by Her Ladyship. All living beings created by Her Ladyship are her daughters. And you are one she favors."

Zhao Xiang'er glanced at the feather of ice and lightning she held in her hand and asked, "Am I also an existence like this?"

The woman in palace attire said, "That is confidential."

"Then tell me what you *can* tell me," Zhao Xiang'er said.

The woman in palace attire said, "I am only responsible for answering questions."

Ning Changjiu stared at her and suddenly asked, "Was my marriage agreement with Xiang'er also personally arranged by Her Ladyship?"

The woman in palace attire coldly replied, "I only answer Your Highness's questions."

Zhao Xiang'er thought for a moment and earnestly said, "I want to know if the destiny Mother arranged for me is consistent with the path I have walked."

The woman in palace attire said, "You deviated from the path multiple times, yet still ended up here."

Zhao Xiang'er calmed herself and asked, "Then can you tell me what the destiny Mother originally arranged for me was like?"

The woman in palace attire began to describe the initial plan Her Ladyship had envisioned.

The Vermillion Bird's shadow, with its outstretched wings, enveloped them.

In this domain, no one could observe what was happening unless Bai Zang intentionally spied. However, since the Fish King's plan failed, Bai Zang, despite being a national ruler, would likely not delve further or openly oppose the Vermillion Bird.

"From the age of thirteen, you defeated the Second Prince from the State of Rong and his guards in front of the palace, truly beginning your cultivation. After that, all your realms would slowly advance according to the points pre-arranged by Her Ladyship, until you reached sixteen. By then, you would have reached the pinnacle of the Pathway to Immortality, and due to your special lineage and abilities, your Pathway to Immortality would be comparable to Longevity."

"This was also the year you were to fulfill your marriage contract."

"In this year, Her Ladyship had already set up an 'Apocalypse' in the State of Jin. In September, the Jin State's Apocalypse came into being. The Jin State's monarch, believing he had received a divine oracle, created a murderous puppet under divine arrangement and began plotting to bring this vessel of divine birth to the State of Zhao. She arranged a series of events at Qianyue Palace, including her own 'death'."

Zhao Xiang'er quietly listened to her narration.

Over the past two years, she had already pieced together most of these events, so hearing the woman in palace attire confirm them brought no surprise.

But there was one thing she still couldn't understand: "What if I had accepted that marriage contract? Wouldn't the trajectory of my destiny have changed then?"

The woman in palace attire replied, "Her Ladyship arranged for you to reject the marriage contract. If you had accepted it, then everything that happened in the State of Zhao afterward would not have occurred. Mother would have sent you to your fiancé's location, and the subsequent arrangements would have been related to another entity."

Zhao Xiang'er clasped Ning Changjiu's hand tightly.

They exchanged glances. Without words, they both knew that without experiencing these events, given their personalities, that marriage contract would have been meaningless.

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Then what was the purpose of this marriage contract?"

The woman in palace attire said, "I do not know."

Zhao Xiang'er's delicate brows slightly furrowed, thinking to herself, *My husband seems to have been quite a cheap catch, then? With or without him, it was all the same?*

Zhao Xiang'er continued to ask, "What about what happened next?"

The woman in palace attire said, "The murderous puppet was subtly placed into Qianyue Palace by assassins from the State of Jin. The long-planned chaos erupted in the first month of autumn, Qianyue Palace burned, and Her Ladyship along with her maids supposedly 'died' in the fire. Only a few pre-arranged pawns escaped, one of whom gave you a secret letter. You slowly understood many things and realized what you needed to do."

"Afterward, the flame of revenge ignited in your heart, and you began to meticulously plan your retribution."

"When you were very young, you 'mistakenly' entered the ancient well. That was Her Ladyship's arrangement; she wanted you to see that old fox. This was a major test you would eventually face. In the past, the souls of those in the Five Realms were difficult to destroy because that deity was still alive in the world, protecting all the demons related to him back then. However, in recent years, his power has weakened, and the Divine Kingdom's national protective sword can now kill them."

"Then... why doesn't the Divine Kingdom's ruler kill all those powerful demons that have been suppressed?" Zhao Xiang'er asked, puzzled. Those great demons should be a hidden danger to the ruler. Only now did she realize that the immortal sword enshrined in the State of Zhao was actually the Divine Kingdom's national protective sword...

The woman in palace attire replied, "Taking the national protective sword out of the Divine Kingdom is very troublesome, and each time its power is used in the outside world, a part of it is consumed. Currently, a terrifying enemy is vaguely hidden outside the Twelve Divine Kingdoms, so the ruler is unwilling to let the national protective sword leave the Divine Kingdom. The second, and most important, reason is... because that entity is still alive. Whether the Five-Realm demons are killed or not is unimportant to the ruler; that he is still alive now, however, is very important."

Zhao Xiang'er said, "A Saint?"

The woman in palace attire said, "Yes."

"Who is the Saint?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

"A dying person." That was all she could say.

Zhao Xiang'er did not press further. She continued, "What about Mother's arrangements after that?"

The woman in palace attire said, "After that, you began to implement your plan to kill all your enemies. Her Ladyship's greatest enemy arranged for you was that old fox, so you planned to use borrowed power: while releasing the old fox, you would have it eliminate those who must be killed according to your plan, finally making the imperial city the battleground."

"You proceeded methodically: first, you killed the mastermind behind the Qianyue Palace rebellion, spreading rumors of the Sparrow Ghost's killings throughout the imperial city to create a diversion. Then, you kidnapped the Imperial Preceptor, stole the Imperial Seal, opened the Old Man Red-tail's first soul seal, and used this seal to kill the Witch Lord. Next, you instructed Song Ce to seize the Incinerating Scepter and usurp Zhao Fu's throne, and then engaged in the first battle with the old demon fox in the imperial city."

"Her Ladyship only provided guidance for this battle; she did not arrange it for you. If you had unfortunately been defeated by Old Man Red-tail, then Her Ladyship would only have been able to reshape your path or... simply abandon you. Of course, since you are Her Ladyship's daughter, the likelihood of your seemingly thrilling strategic reversals failing was not high in our eyes."

"Afterward, you would kill the old fox, and then face an assassination attempt at your birthday banquet. The assassin would be the pre-prepared murderous puppet, lurking in the banquet, clinging to Qiu Li's back, launching an attack when your guard was down. That murderous puppet possessed cultivation comparable to the Purple Palace realm; that would be your most perilous moment."

"Next, you would use every means available, with only a breath left in you, to reach the Nine Spirits Platform, summon the Nine Feathers, awaken your power, and kill that puppet."

"But at the same time, this action would attract the Spirit Devourer from the Sea of Ruins."

"The Spirit Devourer was not planned as your true enemy. Its purpose was to instill fear of heaven and earth in you. This fear would oppress your Dao heart, until one day, it would become one of the torches that ignite the Dao seed."

"Your fiancé's second senior brother was responsible for killing the Spirit Devourer. He would appear just as you were about to die and slay the Spirit Devourer."

"At this point, the imperial city's trial for you would be complete."

The woman in palace attire stated all of this expressionlessly.

The three listeners unconsciously furrowed their brows. They looked at each other for a moment, sensing the unease in each other's eyes.

Lu Jiajia had heard Ning Changjiu speak of his past life, vaguely guessing the reasons for some of the unexpected changes.

Zhao Xiang'er was even more puzzled... why had that murderous puppet never appeared?

"This is different from what I experienced," Zhao Xiang'er said.

The woman in palace attire said, "Yes, though I'm reluctant to admit it, something did occur that exceeded Her Ladyship's expectations."

The ruler of the Divine Kingdom was a true celestial being, whose foresight was flawless. Unless it was the work of someone of similar stature, it would be impossible to hide anything from the Divine Lord.

The woman in palace attire candidly said, "The deviation occurred with the Daoist named Ning Qinshui. That Daoist came from Linhe City, where a White Bone Corpse Demon was hidden. He was a pawn of that Corpse Demon, but under Her Ladyship's arrangement, he entered the imperial palace. The Corpse Demon's power was incomplete, and intimidated by Her Ladyship's might, it dared not act rashly, so it quietly followed, biding its time."

"Her Ladyship arranged this for two reasons. Firstly, his female disciple, Ning Xiaoling, shared the same origin as Old Man Red-tail, and her arrival could precisely awaken the Old Man. Secondly, that White Bone Corpse Demon was transformed from White Spirit Bones, which would allow you to follow the clues later and find that place to complete what needed to be done. But..."

"A deviation occurred."

"In Her Ladyship's original plan, Ning Xiaoling was destined to die after awakening the Old Man, but she miraculously survived. This miracle occurred through her senior brother, which is you — Ning Changjiu."

The woman in palace attire looked at him and said, "That assassin puppet was supposed to summon a powerful, unwilling-to-die evil spirit in the world, allowing it to enter its vessel-like body, then lurk in the imperial palace, waiting to assassinate Your Highness. But... a miracle happened. The puppet failed. The spirit it summoned did not enter its own body, but instead entered the body of that young man who was supposed to die."

"Everything that happened next requires no detailed explanation from me. In short, they were all outside the plan, but fortunately, they did not deviate from the general framework."

"Finally, you completed everything on time, fulfilling Her Ladyship's planned arrangements in that sunset."

Zhao Xiang'er listened to her words. What she had once thought of as predetermined destiny had unknowingly veered off course... only to arrive at the same destination by different paths.

"No!" Zhao Xiang'er suddenly interjected, "If not for him, how could I have defeated Madam Bai in Linhe City?"

The month in Linhe City was an unforgettable time for her.

The woman in palace attire calmly narrated, "You followed Ning Qinshui's information to Linhe City, and then, using Nine Feathers' stealth, engaged in a life-and-death battle with Madam Bai before she could complete the construction of her divine kingdom. You faced extreme peril, but ultimately strangled her City of Fengdu in its cradle."

"Hmm?" Zhao Xiang'er instantly understood.

At that time, she had had the chance to break Madam Bai's divine kingdom construction.

But she was a breath too slow.

That breath...

She looked at Ning Changjiu and sighed, thinking, *I led a bull to rescue you all, traveling all that way; it took more than just a breath of time...*

Ning Changjiu showed an apologetic expression, thinking, *Didn't I make up for it later? I even let you use me as a punching bag for a month.*

"Actually, it wasn't entirely a bad thing that Madam Bai built Fengdu. She did indeed assemble a fragment of the underworld's authority at the time, but later, that fragment of authority disappeared somewhere. My cultivation is low, and my insight is poor, so perhaps you can ask Her Ladyship about it later," she said.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the woman in palace attire and asked, "Did subsequent events... also deviate?"

The woman in palace attire nodded, "After that, beyond the Southern Wilds, the Purple Heaven Dao Sect conspired to repair Jiuying. Zhang Qieyu colluded with Master Hanchi and used the Cultivating Serpent to deceive them. At a grand banquet, assassins from the Jin State arrived again. You thwarted the conspiracy and began planning the second battle of Shashui. That was a crucial battle between the State of Zhao and the Jin State. You oversaw the battle from the city wall, bolstering morale, and after a great victory, you did not return but coincidentally arrived at Liantian Town, inadvertently entering the depths of the lotus flowers."

"You became embroiled in the plot for Jiuying's revival, battling Jiuying three times, losing each time. You were covered in wounds, fleeing to Yunshang City, where you found that wedding dress."

"The Vermillion Bird's bloodline awakened, and you entered the Purple Palace realm."

"Above the Southern Wilds, you used Nine Feathers as your sword, slaying Jiuying nine times consecutively, killing it beyond the Red River, and extracting its demon core with your sword. To show their gratitude, the Yujian Heavenly Sect offered you some of their rare treasures, but you only took the Illusory Snow Lotus."

"One year later, when the cherry blossoms bloomed in the State of Jin, you, clad in black, assassinated the King of Jin with a single sword, returning with a flower."

"The State of Rong was shaken and promptly returned the land they had seized years ago."

"Half a year later, all national territories were restored by Zhao Fu, and you could ascend to the Divine Kingdom."

"So, in fact, you should have left a long time ago."

The woman in palace attire finished speaking.

Zhao Xiang'er stood still, her figure in the red wedding dress becoming increasingly beautiful. This beauty was not based on her appearance, but on a faint, ineffable immortal essence.

The second battle of Shashui, which should have happened, did not... because at that banquet, she learned of Ning Changjiu's death and immediately canceled it.

Ning Changjiu understood that this change was due to him. If he hadn't fallen to the bottom of Sky Cavern Peak, causing chaos in the inner peak, Master Hanchi might not have started his plan so early.

Jiuying's appearance in the world was earlier than anticipated.

How strangely fate had intertwined!

Zhao Xiang'er stood woodenly for a long time, lost in thought.

A faint, helpless smile appeared on her face: "Then why haven't I left yet?"

As soon as she said this, she immediately understood: "Because of the demon core?"

"Yes," the woman in palace attire said, "You still lack a demon core. Of course, don't worry, there are many scattered demon cores of great demons in this world, mostly in unknown secret realms. I will find one for you shortly."

Zhao Xiang'er pressed her lips together, her expression more shocked than when she had heard the previous revelations.

"The demon core... wasn't it a 'phantom forgetting' technique?" Zhao Xiang'er bit her silver teeth lightly.

The woman in palace attire calmly said, "No, you truly forgot."

"..." Zhao Xiang'er's ears felt a little hot.

Ning Changjiu let out a soft laugh, and Lu Jiajia also smiled as she gently ruffled her head.

Zhao Xiang'er remembered how she had inwardly marveled at her mother's flawless foresight when she met the Fish King, and her emotions were a bit complex. She fiercely pinched Ning Changjiu's hand and said, "Don't laugh!"

"Then this Fish King..."

Zhao Xiang'er asked hesitantly.

The woman in palace attire said, "Some minor schemes of Bai Zang. She guessed something and wanted to disrupt Her Ladyship's plan, so she used Xue Yuan as her pawn. Xue Yuan and Shi Yu can be remade once they return to the Divine Kingdom. In the future, you will be their eldest sister, and they will assist you in governing the small state created by Her Ladyship. Of course, we know full well this was Bai Zang's doing, but we can only let it go."

Zhao Xiang'er nodded. She said, "I understand."

The woman in palace attire said, "Any more questions?"

"Yes!" Zhao Xiang'er recalled the events she experienced during the three-year agreement and asked, "Mother's Divine Kingdom era clearly hasn't arrived, so how exactly did she control my destiny?"

The woman in palace attire did not hide it: "Because of Nine Feathers."

"Nine Feathers?" Zhao Xiang'er's expression was startled.

The woman in palace attire said, "Do you know what Nine Feathers truly is?"

Zhao Xiang'er didn't want to show weakness, feigning confidence she said, "As the name suggests, Nine Feathers is naturally a divine bird shaped by Mother using nine feathers."

The woman in palace attire pointed a finger upwards and said, "This Vermillion Bird is formed from nine of Her Ladyship's feathers. Do you notice anything missing from it?"

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the great bird, scanning her gaze around, and immediately understood: "It has no shadow!"

The woman in palace attire nodded and said, "Yes, Nine Feathers is its severed shadow. Soon, it will merge with its shadow and take you to the Western Kingdom."

So... Nine Feathers was the shadow of the Vermillion Bird's nine feathers.

No wonder it was absolutely dark, capable of devouring the Golden Crow's light — because its body, whose shadow it mirrored, symbolized the supreme, world-incinerating fire!

Zhao Xiang'er said, "So, this Nine Feathers... it possesses sentience?"

The woman in palace attire said, "Yes, because it is a fragment of Her Ladyship's shadow, it is also a part of Her Ladyship."

Zhao Xiang'er's cheeks flushed slightly: "Does that mean... Mother saw everything that happened?"

*Me being tied up and bullied by Ning Changjiu, being punished after cheating him at chess, declaring defiance naked on the wedding bed... all of this, Mother saw?*

The woman in palace attire spoke mercilessly: "Yes."

Zhao Xiang'er massaged her forehead, her pretty face beet red, wishing she could transform into a feather and hide on Nine Feathers.

Ning Changjiu comforted her, "It's alright, a mother doesn't find her daughter embarrassing."

"You shut up!" Zhao Xiang'er punched him hard. "It's all your fault!"

She now also understood that her thoughts of becoming a great bandit and a great hero were subtly influenced by Nine Feathers, as it was always lurking in her sea of consciousness...

*Mother... how shameless!*

Half an hour was almost up.

That Zhao Xiang'er had to leave was something they had known for a long time.

Even with all the mental preparation, when the moment truly arrived, an air of sorrow still permeated.

"Sister Xiang'er," Lu Jiajia softly spoke.

Zhao Xiang'er puffed out her cheeks, pouting, "I only called you 'sister' to make you happy because I'm leaving, but I was properly wed! By rights, you should call me 'Mistress'!"

Lu Jiajia dotingly embraced her, burying her head into her chest, and smiled, "Alright, little mistress."

Zhao Xiang'er, hearing her tone, discontentedly opened her mouth and bit her, her voice muffled, "Are you talking to a child?"

Ning Changjiu walked to their side and reached out, stroking their beautiful backs.

He embraced them.

The three clung tightly to each other.

"After I leave, don't bully Sister Jiajia, and certainly don't go chasing after other women. If I see you with any other girl, I won't forgive you," Zhao Xiang'er said.

Ning Changjiu nodded, "Understood. Jiajia will supervise me."

"How could I control you, Master?" Lu Jiajia teased.

"Hmm? Has it been a while since I 'forged a sword' for Jiajia?" Ning Changjiu smiled.

"What's 'forging a sword'?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

"You..." Lu Jiajia pressed the young girl's head even tighter into her chest, while she leaned into Ning Changjiu's embrace, his chin gently resting on her soft, fine hair.

The woman in palace attire, watching this scene, actually revealed a hint of a smile.

The authority of time enveloped them.

But the power of that authority could not last forever.

The moment of farewell arrived...

Nine Feathers flew into the sky and merged with the Vermillion Bird constructed from the nine feathers.

The white light receded like a tide.

The temporary world created by the woman in palace attire gradually vanished.

On the desolate field of withered grass, of the three tightly embracing figures, only two remained.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia held each other.

Ning Changjiu's shoulder was damp.

The Vermillion Bird was gone.

They embraced for a very long time.

In the misty mountain wilderness, the long night ended.

Light appeared on the horizon.

It was the new dawn over the State of Zhao.

Ning Changjiu did not look at the rising sun in the east.

No sunrise, no matter how beautiful, could compare to the one on Fallen God Peak.

He gazed northward, lost in thought. After a long moment, he gently spoke to the woman in his arms, "Do you remember? The 'gambling on stones' analogy I once told you about."

"Yes, I remember. You said you lacked a knife to cleave the stone," Lu Jiajia wiped the corners of her eyes.

Ning Changjiu looked straight ahead, his words seemingly passing invisibly through ninety thousand miles of winding rivers and mountains.

"I've found that knife," he said.

Lu Jiajia half-understood, half-didn't. She simply held him tight, afraid he would slip away from the light like morning dew, just as Zhao Xiang'er had.

They remained embracing.

Like a blooming tree holding snow.

Ten thousand rays of sunlight burst over the gentle mountains, illuminating their profiles.

High in the heavens, Zhao Xiang'er sat on the Vermillion Bird's back, distantly looking down at the figures who had embraced through the night.

In the morning light, she finally swallowed the demon core silently.

Tears streamed down her face and fell.

This tear solidified in the cold wind, spreading evenly, its edges like delicate deer antlers.

It was the first snowflake of winter.

Ning Changjiu reached out and caught the snowflake.

He held it in his palm.

The snowflake was fiery hot.