Translated by Luen Translations

Edited by Siren and Birdie

Chapter 11: Sounds of Heaven, Phoenix Pirouette (1)

On one side, the ruler and his subject in the rear hall were discussing classified information. In the courtyard on the other side, Tian Zhen was crouched on top of a stone table, basking in the sun with food spread out in front of her. The sunshine was comfortably warm and the trees were dancing in the wind. The maids came and left and would occasionally stop and play with her. 

Being treated as a toy bird by other people, Tian Zhen paid no attention to them. She bowed her head and pecked randomly for a while. ‘I want to rest and make progress in my recovery……’

A shadow covered the top of her head.

Getting a clear look of that person, Tian Zhen extended her wings and nodded her head in greeting.

Wen Xi sat down on the stone seat beside the table. He pulled up the tip of her wing and asked, “The phoenix race has always fed on bamboo seeds. Were the books actually wrong?”

Tian Zhen lazily took the tip of her beak and groomed her feathers. ‘The books weren’t wrong. Unfortunately, I’m a fake phoenix.’

Wen Xi let go of her wing. “In these couple of days, you’ve raised your spirit to a sufficient amount. Are you still not planning to cultivate?”

‘Cultivate?’ Tian Zhen pretended not to hear.

“Lazy phoenix,” Wen Xi smilingly said, “I’ve heard that when the phoenix race’s women cultivate and take on human forms, they’re all extremely beautiful. Didn’t you injure your colorful feathers? You only have to cultivate into human form, casting off your gray feathers, and then no one will dare to look down on you.”

‘Beautiful woman?’ Tian Zhen turned her face and looked at her gray feathered body. There was a little desire. ‘As expected, this person was two-faced. He knew that I had received lots of ridicule because of this feathered body and so used a beautiful appearance to entice me. However, that said, I’ve never been an exceptionally great beauty before. Should I try to experience it once?’

“Tomorrow, you’ll have to follow Zhao Huajun and return to Yu Mo Heavenly Palace. Don’t you have any words to say to me?”

Tian Zhen had been aware of this matter long ago. Having interacted with each other for these couple of days and suddenly separating, there was still a trace of reluctance to part. However, since he was remaining in the imperial court as a messenger, it wouldn’t be difficult if they wanted to meet. As a result, Tian Zhen wasn’t all that sad as she patted his hand with her wing.

Wen Xi touched the sharp beak with an indistinct smile at the edge of his lips. “I’ll hope for the day you cultivate into human form. You can’t be lazy.”

‘Sorry, sorry.’ Tian Zhen shook her feathers. ‘In order to satisfy everyone’s expectations, I can consider it.’

Wen Xi sighed and said, “Only starting now, I don't know how many hundreds of years I’ll have to wait.”

‘Hundreds of years?’ Tian Zhen suffered a shock. ‘Then I’ll have to reconsider.’

“There’s no problem even if you’re lazy,” Wen Xi suddenly raised his handsome eyebrow, “Provided that I……at that time, will definitely search the entire realm for a spirit pellet on your behalf and help you obtain human form faster.”

The self-confident face looked like him and yet also didn’t look like him. Tian Zhen was three parts touched and seven parts skeptical.

Right at that moment, a heavenly official walked over and paid his respects. “His Majesty is in the rear hall and has commanded this small god to request imperial bodyguard Wen to go over.”

“Take care of yourself little phoenix.” Wen Xi patted her back and stood up. 

‘Ah, since when was His Majesty the God Emperor this respectful to the wise? Actually using “request.” ’ Tian Zhen was dumbstruck as she watched him walk away. Most of the day had passed before she came to her senses. She treated it as having heard wrong and lowered her head to very slowly peck the fruit.

In a flash, a hand reached over and snatched away the fruit.

A slender jade hand. The sharp fingernails flickered with light underneath the sunlight.

‘A jiejie that has practiced Nine Yin White Bone Claw*!’ Tian Zhen flapped her wings in alarm and swept away the saucers, dishes, and everything else, causing them to clatter and fall onto the ground.

(T/N: 'Nine Yin White Bone Claw' (九陰白骨爪) is a skill from the Nine Yin Manual, which is a fictional martial arts manual in Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiuyin_Zhenjing)

The purple clothed woman stood tall, her hand holding the fruit, and her attitude was dignified and graceful. However, her beautiful eyes were filled with a loathful look. “This ugly phoenix only ruins things. Why does he still keep it beside him?”

‘I regret preventing her from peeking at the leader while he was bathing. I’ve really held a grudge.’ Tian Zhen silently dropped in front of her and lowered her head to express her apologies. ‘I won’t ever ruin things again. You can hook up with my leader however you want.’

Her back hurt. It had actually been hit with the thrown fruit.

“Get lost,” Heng Yue-ji impatiently kicked her while softly cursing, “Being ugly to this extent and yet you actually didn’t die when you bathed in the flames.”

‘This woman is too cruel. Actually arguing this much with a bird!’ Anger rose up in Tian Zhen’s heart and just as she was about to ponder over a counterattack, the sound of the maids paying their respects traveled over from the distance.

The familiar figure slowly walked towards their side. The broad robe and tall crest surpassed that of an elegant scholar in a painting. The wide sleeves bordered in gold glistened. The long eyelashes carried a small trace of sunlight and were dyed in a mild golden color. Up till now, the mood hidden within those gentle phoenix eyes couldn’t be understood by anyone. 

Her haughtiness quickly changing into gentleness, Heng Yue-ji straightened out her sleeves and paid her respects while lowering her eyes. “Zhao Huajun.”

“Goddess Heng Yue?” Zhao Huajun looked at the scene that unfolded before him following the mess on the ground and expressed his question.

Heng Yue-ji cast a glance at Tian Zhen and appeared to be apologetic. “Just now, I saw that it was here and so I fed it two mouthfuls of fruit in passing. Who would have thought that it would get angry for no reason. I think the food wasn’t to its taste.”

Tian Zhen listened and repeatedly sneered.

‘Very good. Everything was my fault for disrespecting a guest.’

Sure enough, Zhao Huajun rebuked her, “Little phoenix was very rude yet not apologizing?”

‘Apologizing?’ Tian Zhen looked at him for a long time. She very slowly flapped her wings and cracked her neck. Step by step, she walked up to Heng Yue-ji.

Heng Yue-ji promptly bent over close to it and pleaded for it, “It doesn’t know anything. Zhao Huajun shouldn’t rebuke ……Ah! Ah!”

She said half of her words before shrieking and jumping up.

Tian Zhen used an extremely fast speed to ruthlessly peck her hand. Taking advantage of when she protected her hand, she pounced upwards and attacked her hair.

Heng Yue-ji was furious. A cold light sparked from her fingertips and just as she was about to take action, she suddenly heard Zhao Huajun beside her yelling “Little phoenix”. Immediately reacting, she rapidly moved her hand and drew out of the way.

Zhao Huajun reprimanded it,“You cannot be rude!”

‘This old woman will let you pretend to be a good person! Didn’t you love birds? If you have the ability, then make a move!’ Tian Zhen enthusiastically teased her, her heart and mind quickly becoming cunning. ‘Where was she willing to listen? This old woman is currently a bird, this old woman is rude, what can you do to me? This sinister woman, if she really does get together with my leader, then in the future, will I even be able to live a good life? Today, I’ll help you leave behind a good impression on him!’

Her body was agile and moreover, there was her master present. Heng Yue-ji didn’t dare to injure her and was toyed with till her hair was a mess. What attitude, what grace? It had all completely disappeared without a trace and she cut quite the sorry figure.

“Mischievous!” Zhao Huajun waved his sleeve and swept her to the ground, “Quickly apologize to the goddess!”

Losing face in front of him, Heng Yue-ji lowered her head and sobbed.

Tian Zhen fell to the ground and rolled while also feeling wronged. She turned over and crawled up. The moment she raised her neck, she walked towards the courtyard’s exit—— ‘you’ve decided that I’m wrong right? Leader, you slowly lecture. Worst comes to worst, I’ll just recklessly go out by myself!’

Zhao Huajun was in a good mood and found it laughable. The people of the bird race, in front of the Phoenix King, who would dare to be this rude? Before his eyes, an insignificant little phoenix actually didn’t listen to his order and in a fit of anger, wanted to leave?

He lowered his voice and called out, “Stop.”

It was more frightening when a gentle person became severe. Tian Zhen’s legs softened and her confidence wavered.

“Stop right there.” The speed of his speech was quite slow and was layered with a dense warning intent.

Tian Zhen obediently stopped.

“Return.” 

If she really were to go out, it was quite possible that she would immediately be disposed of by Heng Yue-ji. How could Tian Zhen dare to actually go out? Hearing that he didn’t have any intention to get angry, she promptly seized the chance to stroll back to him.

Zhao Huajun bent over and lifted her into his arms. He didn’t say anything as he entered the room and sat on top of a chair.

Tian Zhen closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Zhao Huajun finally couldn’t hold back his laughter. “She provoked you?”

‘Leader is wise!’ Tian Zhen immediately opened her eyes and incessantly nodded her head.

Zhao Huajun picked up her wing. “Having offended her and still wanting to run out by yourself. If she were to see you, wouldn’t the Bird God race decrease by one more little phoenix?”

‘That’s why I didn’t dare to go.’ Tian Zhen tilted her head.

“Being rude to this king is regarded as a crime worthy of being expelled from the bird race,” Zhao Huajun put her on the ground, “Seeing as how this was your first offense, obediently stay here and admit your crime. This king will simply forgive you.”

Tian Zhen immediately lowered her head and put on an accepting appearance.

“Go to sleep earlier tonight. Tomorrow, we’re leaving for Yu Mo Heavenly Temple.”

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