Chapter 57: Overwhelmed by Jealousy

Yuheng clutched me—now transformed into my true form, a cold crow—threatening my master. I snapped back to myself, tried to break the binding spell and escape, but found I could not muster any magic in her grip.

“This princess wields the ancient divine artifact, the Ring of Heaven’s Capture, and has mastered the art of grappling! Nothing I grasp has ever escaped me! If you refuse, I’ll crush her!” Yuheng cried fiercely.

“Let her go!” My master’s eyes glinted with a chilling, murderous light that made one’s blood run cold.

“I won’t! I know your heart is bound to all living things—if only you would…” Yuheng’s words were cut short as my master seized her hand that held me. With a flick of his wrist, the Ring of Heaven’s Capture snapped in two and flew apart. Yuheng howled in pain and released me. My master caught me and pushed Yuheng aside.

“Yunxiao!” Yuheng cried anxiously.

My master replied coolly, “If you threaten me with the lives of others again, I will show you no mercy.”

Yuheng snapped, “Am I not one of all living things? Who is more important to you, your beloved with the pure heart or all beings?” With that, she used her grappling skill on her own throat.

My master turned and walked away.

In the small garden, my master tended the large bump on my forehead with celestial magic.

With a sullen face, I wrote: “You got me in trouble!”

I survived the fake Lu Xue’s schemes, escaped the hands of his old adversary, but nearly got crushed by the third princess. Why does the world seem so intent on tormenting a mere bird?

My master smiled, “Who told you to eavesdrop on me again?”

I pouted, thinking to myself, “Who wants to listen to your tales of moonlit breezes and intertwined fates?”

“Do you think Yuheng will really kill herself?” I wrote.

“Let her,” my master replied with indifference.

“She, too, is one of all living things,” I wrote.

As my master continued to apply his magic to my forehead, he answered unhurriedly, “So, all living things can use their lives to force me to marry them?”

I curled my lip and shook my head, thinking, “So Zizhen means so much to you, master! A forced marriage bears no fruit. Yuheng may be beautiful, but she’s far too domineering. She’s nothing like the earnest, endearing Zizhen.”

“Don’t worry, she won’t take her own life.” My master smiled.

I ignored him and wrote, “There’s more!”

“More?” My master was perplexed.

“Princess Changyang,” I wrote.

“You saw her?”

I nodded.

“Did she say anything to you? Did she do anything?” my master asked, concern in his voice.

I was about to write, but realized that this “love talk” was a matter of life and death to him, a secret that couldn’t be made public. So I grabbed his hand and wrote, word by word, in his palm: “Without your heart-scale, be wary of all things.”

My master’s gaze clouded with memory.

To love one and tear out your heart-scale, to love two, would you flay yourself? To love three, would you strip your sinews? Such disregard for oneself—no need to die on the battlefield; a beauty’s scheme would be enough to bring down the mighty Lord of Chiming! As these thoughts circled, I gloomily wrote again, “There’s still more.”

“More?” My master now looked at me with a hint of surprise.

“That jade pendant of yours—is it important?” I wrote.

“Yes,” my master replied.

“Someone from the Celestial Palace gave it to you?” I wrote.

“Yes,” my master said.

“Are you two close?” I wrote.

“Yes,” my master replied.

“Don’t you regret it’s broken?” I wrote.

My master laughed, “As long as you’re not broken.” He patted my forehead and asked, “Does it still hurt?”

I ignored him, thinking, “If I hadn’t met Zizhen, not only people but your heart would be shattered too!”

“As long as you’re fine, come with me.” After writing, I pouted, stood up, and dragged my master off to the Peach Orchard.

We searched everywhere in the garden for Zizhen, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Fei’er, don’t be mischievous. I have military affairs to attend to,” my master said gently.

“She wants to end her life,” I wrote.

I looked around and saw Zizhen walking this way, downcast. I rushed to her and grabbed her hand.

When Zizhen saw me, her eyes lit up. “Fei’er, quickly give me the Immortal Binding Rope, and tell me how to use it.”

Such a sweet, innocent soul!

Without a word, I cast a spell, whisking Zizhen to my master’s side in a flash. I pushed her toward him, didn’t spare them a glance, turned away, and flew off in a huff. I’d had enough of all these tangled affairs, these endless dramas. From the false Lu Xue, to Princess Changyang, to Zizhen, and princesses three, four, five, six, seven, eight—dead, alive, a chaotic mess. I was fed up!

Zizhen’s sobs drifted to my ears: “No! Stay away! I don’t want to see you…”

I flew away to a place where I could neither see nor hear them.

Utterly disgruntled! Completely unhappy! My throat felt tight, my forehead throbbed, my heart ached, and every bone in my body still hurt from the third princess’s grip.

“If I’d known you were so sentimental, even if the real Lu Xue had come to drive me off the mountain, I wouldn’t have cared. What do all these wretched peach blossoms have to do with me?” I seethed inside, unable to speak or shout, my chest burning with nameless fury. With nowhere to vent, I grabbed a celestial peach and bit into it savagely. Despite its plump sweetness, it tasted sour—awful!

Suddenly, I recalled the two jars of honeyed peach wine the immortal official had “gifted” me earlier. I summoned one, and gulped it down. It was sweet, sour, and spicy all at once…

I simply lay back on a branch and drank.

After a while, I began to feel a bit better. In a burst of inspiration, I leapt from the tree, shook out my black crystal bracelet into a long cloud-sash, and, recalling the steps from my dream, began to dance beneath the fluttering petals.

Leaping into the clouds, moving with ethereal grace, my cloud-sash soared with me—floating like drifting clouds, flowing like misty waters… At times soft and lively, at others carefree and unrestrained. When the dance reached its peak, I drained the rest of my wine, flicked my wrist, and turned the sash into a flurry of snowflakes drifting down from the sky.

I reached out to catch the falling “snow,” and, tipsy, pointed at it with a laugh: “You’re not snow! You’re drunk!” With a wave, I gathered the “snowflakes” back into my black crystal bracelet and slipped it onto my wrist. Summoning another jug of wine, I took a couple more swigs, then, swaying, leaned against a large peach tree, recalling the scene from that year in Yuqing.

It was the Lantern Festival. As everyone toasted and laughed, two cups of fruit wine had already left me bleary-eyed, swaying, tipsy but gleeful, begging for more. I wobbled over to toast my master, but lost my footing, spilling red fruit wine all over him.

In my panic to wipe him off, I managed to knock over a tray of immortal fruits. Eleventh Senior Brother, gesticulating wildly mid-speech, stepped on a soft fruit and slipped, splattering fruit juice all over the solemn Dongfang Mo, and knocked into Twelfth Brother, who was picking up food. Twelfth Brother dropped his dish and bowl, spilling food all over Thirteenth Brother, and a chunk of fatty meat landed right on Stone Jun, who never ate meat.

Stone Jun went crazy, shaking out his robes to get rid of the meat, and in the chaos, his rock-solid elbow injured Kunpeng Senior Brother’s head, drawing blood! Fifteenth Brother held Kunpeng’s head to heal him, calling for Sixteenth Brother to fetch medicine. Sixteenth Brother flew off, collided with Fourteenth Brother who was carrying a tray, and both crashed to the ground, unable to get up. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Brothers scrambled to help them up… The entire table was thrown into chaos.

My master was astonished by the scene. Left with no choice, he carried me—unsteady but delighted—back to my room. From then on, he never let me drink again, claiming that a tipsy me could conquer all of Yuqing.

Remembering that scene, I leaned against the tree, chuckling foolishly as the wine took hold. In truth, I’d only ever been courteous to my master—just spilled a cup of fruit wine on him. If it happened now, I’d throw all the peach pits gnawed by that little wolf dog at him, just to see if a peach blossom grove would grow from his head!

The wine hit harder; I leaned against the tree, breathless, the world spinning, my legs weak, everything around me seeming to float. I sank down by the tree, hugged my knees, and lowered my head, dozing off.

“Are you not feeling well?” Someone supported my shoulder.

I looked up, and through the blur saw a refined immortal lord before me. “Why is it you again, Tiande! You haunt me like a ghost!”

“Why do you always avoid me?” Tiande sat down beside me.

“I don’t like you!” I thought, annoyed.

“What happened to your forehead? Was it stung by yesterday’s jade bees?” Tiande asked with concern.

I waved him off.

“Why are you drinking? Did those little immortal maidens bully you again?” Tiande pressed.

My head was heavy. I couldn’t be bothered to answer, so I just kept my head down.

“I know you feel wronged… In fact, even the crown prince, with all his status, suffers injustice. I’ll drink with you.” Tiande summoned a jar of wine.

“What are you upset about?” I lifted my groggy head and glanced at Tiande, who was gulping the wine down. If he wanted to, let him—none of my concern.

After drinking, Tiande wiped his mouth. “You’re all alone and so delicate—I worry for you. I can only steal moments to see you, yet you always avoid me.”

I smiled to myself, thinking, “Go watch over your beloved consort! Why bother with me? I’m not your beloved, nor am I alone—I’ve a whole crowd of senior brothers, a master uncle, a master, and all his true or false wives. It’s lively enough!”

As I laughed, tears began to fall.

“You… you’re crying…” Tiande said.

I remained silent.

He drank several more mouthfuls, grabbed the jar, and gave a bitter laugh: “Wine makes and unmakes a man! If not for this wine, I could still ride into battle. If not for this wine, Xiao Qiao wouldn’t have left me!”

Tiande drained the jar in one go and hurled it at a tree, smashing it to pieces.

“Xiao Qiao…” He murmured, his cheeks tinged with red.

“Xiao Qiao, you help them pick immortal peaches—only you are so kind.” Tiande took my hand and stared at me.

“You’ve got the wrong person!” I thought, annoyed. I shook off his hand and tried to leave, but the rush of wine made my head spin, and I collapsed. Tiande caught me in his arms, speaking softly, “Xiao Qiao, don’t be angry with me. I know you’re hurt and unwilling to talk. I know your heart aches. I’ll never leave you again, all right?”

I tried to push him away, but the wine suppressed my magic—I couldn’t budge him.

“Xiao Qiao, you still love me, don’t you? I can’t bear to lose you! My heart aches for you!” Tiande pleaded.

“Who is Xiao Qiao! Who loves you!” I struggled to break free, and his fussing only made the wine surge in me. My heart pounded in my throat, my chest churned, and I clutched the tree with one hand, my chest with the other, gasping for breath. I wanted to use magic to escape, but my powers wouldn’t answer.

Tiande grabbed me, his hand tugging at my clothes as he cried, “Your heart wound hurts, doesn’t it! I’ll avenge you!”

“What nonsense! Get away from me!” Frightened cold, I summoned my power and slapped him hard, knocking him to the ground. Tiande clutched his face in pain. I took flight with my magic.

I could not remain in this Peach Orchard a moment longer!