Chapter 111: War Ignites Once More

My mind was in turmoil, and I longed to rush to the Western Sea to get to the bottom of things. Alas, I had to linger in Qingqiu for a few more days.

Princess Changyang, under the guise of meeting the Emperor of Leixia, feigned a coquettish display of vanity. She took out the Mirror of Two Lives to catch the Emperor unawares; his true form was revealed in the reflection, and indeed, he was nothing but an artificial construct. Leixia Marsh had truly fallen completely under the control of Tiande.

Though Princess Changyang was over fifty thousand years old, her beauty remained undiminished. While she was typically bold and decisive, she could be incredibly bewitching when adopting the charms of a maiden—so much so that even that artificial puppet was left dazed and enchanted.

"Little apprentice, are you curious why I remain forever young?" Princess Changyang asked me with a smile.

"I am. Immortal peaches can grant longevity, but how is this agelessness achieved?" I asked.

"I drank your master's blood," Princess Changyang replied.

"Oh. I only knew that Master's blood could heal illnesses and purge toxins," I said.

"That year, when the plague struck Qingqiu, I heard your master brought his disciples to save the entire clan. Were you there, too?" Princess Changyang asked.

"I was. And I fell ill as well," I said.

"Did he not draw his blood to purge the poison from you?" Changyang asked.

"I recovered by taking the medicine he gave me," I replied.

"Ah, no wonder you look nothing like Yu Fei now, and your complexion is so haggard," Changyang observed.

I smiled, thinking to myself, *How could I bear to drink his blood?*

"That year, I followed the army into battle and took a poisoned arrow from Hanqing meant for that crybaby, Lu Xue," Princess Changyang said, her tone light and dismissive.

In truth, I did not want to hear about Master and Lu Xue at all. It made my heart ache. Yet everything that had occurred was inextricably linked to Lu Xue—her of forty thousand years ago, her in the Thirty-Third Heaven, the one Master searched for, the one he waited for... "The red flame rises, the bright light fades"—I had to get to the bottom of it.

"Why did Master shoot Lu Xue with a poisoned arrow?" I asked.

"The arrow was meant for the sorcerer soldiers who were launching a sneak attack. I didn't expect that once the arrow was released, it would hit a white goose. I flew over and caught the arrow, but the arrowhead scratched my hand, and that is how I was poisoned," Princess Changyang explained.

"Oh. So that is how Master and Lu Xue met. You even saved Lu Xue's life," I said.

"Indeed. So you see, saying your master made me pay with my life is quite unreasonable, isn't it?" Changyang chuckled.

"Well... you saved someone and then nearly killed them; that's quite a thankless task," I laughed.

Changyang smiled. "The two of them were even more difficult; they nearly caused a fatality."

"Caused a fatality?" I found it hard to believe.

"Hanqing said Lu Xue was disrupting the battlefield and endangering the innocent, so he told her to leave. He said the battlefield was no place for a fairy like her who couldn't even find her way around. Lu Xue was so scolded by your master that she burst into tears. She accused him of firing arrows blindly and hurting people, and argued that she was there to help and couldn't just walk away. Neither would yield. If Chunfeng hadn't rushed over to mediate, I would have died of the poison," Changyang said.

This completely overturned my imagination and understanding. I had always thought the Lu Xue of the past was a gentle, watery soul. I had assumed Master and Lu Xue had fallen in love at first sight amidst the flowers and moonlight on Hundred Flower Island.

"What was Lu Xue doing on the battlefield?" I asked, thinking that if she hadn't gone, none of this would have happened.

"It was all because of that pampered Senior Uncle Chunfeng of yours. He complained that the celestial army's cooks made terrible food, saying one couldn't fight well on an empty stomach, so he summoned the fairies from his island who understood medicine under the pretext that the army lacked medics," Princess Changyang said with disdain.

"So Chunfeng was that picky even back then. He always has to cause some trouble no matter what," I laughed.

"Hanqing said the army had no need for women and tried to drive Lu Xue away. As a female general, I stood by and listened, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. Your master never really saw me as a woman. Now that I think about it, he didn't want Lu Xue in such a dangerous place from the very beginning," Princess Changyang said with a wistful smile.

"Living a long time makes one nostalgic. You don't want to hear this, do you? Your heart aches, doesn't it?" Changyang was a clever woman.

"I don't want to hear it, but I must," I said.

"Haha, little apprentice, don't follow in my footsteps. You are still young. A woman should adorn herself for the one she loves. Why not seek out the High God Wuxiang? For the sake of Yunxiao, he would surely grant you a beautiful visage. The men of our Qingqiu are all devoted; as the one in charge of marriages, I shall introduce you to one," Changyang said.

I smiled and replied, "I met the High God Wuxiang many years ago. He said my face was a destined tribulation that he could not undo. Let's just stick to your stories. What happened next?" Compared to being introduced to fox-clan men, I would much rather listen to her recount the past.

"Lu Xue was assigned to the infirmary to care for the wounded. As it happened, your master soon suffered a wound from a Sorcerer Spirit Blade on his back. One time, when the medics were overwhelmed, they sent Lu Xue to apply the medicine. Your master refused to let her treat him, claiming she wasn't qualified, and scolded her until she cried again. Lu Xue told him she would settle their personal score after he recovered, but that the medicine couldn't wait. So, she took advantage of the fact that your master couldn't channel his immortal arts due to his injury, cast a binding spell on him, and applied the medicine while wiping away her tears."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Master never liked being coerced, and he usually held himself so high. To think he was bullied by Lu Xue like that—it must have been quite a sight. No wonder Lu Xue hit and kicked me when we first met; it turned out she had always been so overbearing.

"I never imagined my iron-willed High God Yunxiao would actually be 'forced' by a crybaby," Princess Changyang remarked.

I nearly spat out the tea I had just sipped. Princess Changyang was always direct, but "forced" was a bit severe...

"What happened next?" I asked.

"Later, Lu Xue treated a wounded soldier, but the man, seeing her beauty and kindness, attempted to molest her. Your master cut off the man's leg with a single strike of his sword. He then gave the Xuanjing Sword to Lu Xue for self-defense. I never expected that the crybaby's bowls of medicinal soup and meals would manage to steal your master's heart right under my nose," Changyang sighed.

"You didn't move against Lu Xue this time. Aren't you afraid she will refine the heavens and earth again?" I asked.

"I never wanted to frame her back then. For Hanqing to live, she had to die. But in the end, it was Hanqing who brought her back! The two of them were like day and night—inseparable, yet never able to truly be together. Now that Hanqing is gone, if she wants to refine the heavens, let her refine the heavens; if she wants to refine the earth, let her refine the earth. It has nothing to do with me," Princess Changyang said.

"One must truly cherish the time spent together..." I said.

"Exactly. So while you are young, and while you are here in my Qingqiu, let me introduce you to some fine men! You can take your pick! That boy you brought yesterday, Xue Shan—you borrowed my Mirror of Two Lives to check on him, didn't you? You have a fondness for that lad, haha!" Princess Changyang teased.

I hurriedly explained, "No, no. I was just curious. It revealed that in his past life, he was half of the Heaven-Capturing Ring."

"My Heaven-Capturing Ring?" Princess Changyang was astonished.

"The Saintess's? Isn't it the Third Princess's?" I asked.

"I gave it to her, and I taught her the capturing techniques as well. Who had the audacity to break my precious Heaven-Capturing Ring in two?" Princess Changyang grew fierce again.

"Oh... five hundred years ago, the Third Princess forced a marriage, and he broke it."

"If she forced a marriage, he should have strangled the Third Princess. What does that have to do with my Heaven-Capturing Ring? Your master really shows me no respect," Changyang said, displeased.

"No, no, the Third Princess was using the ring to squeeze a small animal to death, which is why he acted."

"A small animal... what kind of small animal could be that important?" Changyang asked.

"A... spirit bird..." I stammered.

"Oh... and the other half of the ring? Did it reincarnate as well?" Changyang asked.

"I don't know..." I replied.

As I sat talking with Changyang, I suddenly sensed Jiang Ye's Sea Wolf Decree calling out nearby. I hurriedly received the message, which read: "The Blood Moon will soon appear; a million from the Netherworld are coming. Tiansheng is currently holding the Western Sea."

The secret sentinels set by Jiang Ye had received intelligence—the Netherworld was actually deploying a million troops! This was a declaration of total war!

I immediately sent a Flying Immortal Decree to Chunfeng, ordering him to determine the moment of the Blood Moon's appearance and to notify the Nine Prefectures and Four Seas to each prepare thirty thousand troops, and to alert the Yuqing Realm to prepare for battle. I sent ten more decrees to ten independent tribes, ordering them to prepare ten thousand warriors each and await deployment. I then sent a message to Biyou of Penglai, asking her to notify the Mother of Danxia to coordinate with the Three Mountains and Five Peaks to guard their respective immortal realms and sealing artifacts.

Princess Changyang sat in silence, holding her breath as she watched me mobilize the troops.

"Saintess, the secret scouts report that the Netherworld is about to make a major move! The Nine Prefectures and Four Seas are prepared. Whether or not the Five Hills and Eight Marshes can contribute, it all depends on you," I said after finishing the decrees.

"Little apprentice, more than half of the Heavenly Realm obeys your command! You are truly worthy of being his disciple!" Princess Changyang exclaimed in awe.

"They are merely following their own hearts. Yu Fei died five hundred years ago. Only a few know the truth now; I ask the Saintess to keep this secret for me," I said.

"Then in what capacity do you command them?" Princess Changyang pressed.

"As the Great Sound True God," I replied.

Princess Changyang set off to visit the Emperors of the Four Hills and Seven Marshes, breaking them down one by one. It turned out that, aside from the Emperor of Leixia, the other Emperors had significant grievances against Tiande, complaining of his incessant and greedy demands. However, because Tiande had promised them protection, they had supported him all along. Princess Changyang’s arguments were sharp and hit the mark, laying out the stakes and the reality of the situation for the Emperors.

While Changyang busied herself forging alliances, I flew toward the Western Sea to assist Tiansheng.

A thunderclap erupted in the northwest, sounding as if the sky itself were cracking. I looked up to the northwest; the heavens were stained blood-red by a rising Blood Moon.

Flying Immortal Decrees arrived one after another from the secret lines, all bearing the same message: The million-strong Netherworld army was launching a night raid on the Western Sea. Jiang Ye's intelligence was accurate indeed!

I sent ten decrees to the ten tribes of the Heavenly Realm, ordering them to each dispatch ten thousand troops to support the Western Sea. I also sent a message to Hundred Flower Island, ordering Chunfeng to send Keke and to guard the island, and to instruct the Celestial Time Gods to ensure they maintained control over the impact of this great war on the flow of time.

"Thirty thousand reinforcements from the Central Divine Prefecture have arrived at the Western Sea."
"Thirty thousand reinforcements from the Agricultural Divine Prefecture have arrived at the Western Sea."
...
The reports came one after another. The response from the Nine Prefectures was swift.

Upon arriving at the Western Sea military camp, Tiansheng was already in full armor, directing the formation of the lines.

"Tiansheng! It is I, Grandmother Dayin. What is the situation?" I no longer disguised myself as the old woman; in this state, no one would recognize me as Yu Fei, and the disguise was no longer necessary.

Tiansheng looked at me with vigilance.

"Two days ago, I went on a mission to the Sea Wolf Clan. Upon returning, I questioned Gui Er regarding the Chaos Robe and the Cold Abyss of the Sea Eye alongside you, Chunfeng, and Old Haigong. I left without saying goodbye to save Little White," I said, dispelling Tiansheng's concerns.

"High God, the Netherworld army is pressing at our borders. Haigong has used the Chaos Robe to lead the immortals of the Western Sea to take refuge in the Cold Abyss," Tiansheng reported.

"Then the Western Sea is the battlefield. How are the defenses?" I asked.

"Thirty-nine thousand troops from the Nine Prefectures and Four Seas are already in formation at sea. We still lack twenty thousand archers, ten thousand naval troops, and twenty thousand infantry..." Tiansheng replied.

"We are outnumbered. Did the Heavenly Palace not send troops?" I thought Chunfeng would have notified the palace.

"The Heavenly Palace is not only holding back forces to defend the Thirty-Three Heavens, but they are also withdrawing one hundred thousand troops to guard the palace," Tiansheng said furiously.

"Nonsense! Has the Heavenly Emperor lost his mind? Did you withdraw them?" I asked.

"A general in the field is not bound by the orders of his sovereign! High God, you take command of the rear, I will lead the vanguard!" Tiansheng declared.

I handed the deployment orders for the ten tribes, as well as the Qingqiu Decree and the Immortal Mountain Decree from Biyou, to Tiansheng. "Tiansheng, the entire Heavenly Realm, aside from the Heavenly Palace and Leixia Marsh, is under your command. The Heavenly Realm is in your hands. You hold the line; I will head to the front!"

*Master, I have done all I could in terms of strategy. If I cannot handle Tiande and Mingmo, I will leave it to Chunfeng, Biyou, and Tiansheng. Today, I shall intercept my old foe, Mingzhong, once more!*