Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Penglai Immortal Mountain was a vast expanse of emerald green, where a boundless divine palace stood amidst the swirling clouds.

Ever since His Highness the Eldest Prince returned to the Purple Origin Palace, his expression had been indifferent, his gaze deep and heavy.

He was the legitimate son of the Phoenix Emperor, named Yu Yangjun, and the most dazzling Divine Lord in all of Penglai.

Yu Yangjun possessed a timeless celestial grace. His long brows stretched toward his temples like distant mountains painted in ink, his eyes held the cold light of the moon, and his thin lips were as finely shaped as willow leaves. He seemed to embody a brilliant elegance, as if all the spiritual essence of heaven and earth were gathered in his face.

It seemed I had lied to Cui Bao’er.

In truth, we of the Crow Clan held a lowly status in Penglai.

This was primarily because there were too many divine bird tribes in the Penglai Immortal Realm-the Vermilion Sparrows, the Crimson Swallows, the Golden Eagles… each tribe was powerful. Meanwhile, we crows were known as Crow Slaves, living under the Mad Cliff where the environment was most harsh.

It was cold beneath the cliff. My clansmen wore Cloak Feathers and lived in thatched huts; we could have made do with that.

However, the land there was barren. No immortal herbs or Immortal Insects could grow, and without food, life was quite difficult to endure.

Fortunately, the Phoenix Emperor was merciful. Pitying our hardships, he specifically assigned us the task of flying out of Penglai to trade for Primal Stones.

Every household in the Crow Clan had to go to the human realm every other year, shedding their feather garments and posing as merchants to procure Primal Stones.

In the human realm, Primal Stones were called ore. Once brought back, they were handed over to the Phoenix Clan for use in their alchemy.

Though not all Primal Stones were usable, the Phoenix Clan always provided an equal amount of immortal herbs and Immortal Insects as payment.

We were very grateful to them, so we would select the most presentable individuals from our vast population to be sent to the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace as servants.

Phoenixes were the divine birds that governed heaven and earth. To serve them was, naturally, an infinite honor.

My name is Lingdang. I was sent to the Phoenix Queen’s side when I was a hundred years old and grew up by her side.

If you were to ask what makes me extraordinary, I could only say that I was born with a bell hanging from my neck.

This was a rare occurrence. It was said that when the Phoenix Emperor and Phoenix Queen heard of it, they even ordered someone to bring the bell for them to see.

My father carried me, a newborn, and followed them with great excitement.

That little bell was actually quite ordinary. It didn’t even have a Copper Tongue and wouldn’t make a sound; it was quite boring.

As expected, the Phoenix Emperor and Phoenix Queen lost interest. Only the Phoenix Queen asked, “Has the child been named?”

My father replied, “She is called Gua.”

Wu Gua.

Oh, right. I also have two older brothers, one named Ha and the other named Wa.

I thank my father for not naming me Ga.

I am even more grateful to the Phoenix Queen, who said that Gua didn’t sound pleasant. Since I was born with a bell, she said I should be called Lingdang.

Wu Lingdang.

The Phoenix Queen was very kind. She also remarked, “This child looks very well-behaved. After she turns a hundred, send her to the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace.”

My father was overjoyed. When he returned, a clansman greeted him, “Ha-Wa’s dad, you’re back?”

“Yes, yes, I saw the Phoenix Emperor and the Phoenix Queen.”

“Eh? Have you eaten?”

“How did you know our Gua isn’t called Gua anymore? She’s called Lingdang now. The Phoenix Queen gave her the name!”

“Lingdang? That sounds lovely.”

“You know it! After our Lingdang is a hundred years old, she’s going to the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace. Her Ladyship the Phoenix Queen said she’s well-behaved.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Let’s go invite the Old Chieftain to pray for your Lingdang.”

The so-called prayer involved everyone, led by the Old Chieftain, holding hands and shouting at the top of their lungs-

“In the Eastern Yi lies the Yang Valley, hey-ya-hey! In the Yang Valley grows a great tree, ya-hey-ya! Nine suns dwell in the Fu Tree, hey-ya-hey! The divine birds bring blessings, ya-hey-ya! To whom do the blessings go, hey-ya-hey! They go to little Lingdang, ya-hey-ya!”

…

By the time I was a hundred years old, I had grown into a young girl.

Also by the Phoenix Queen’s side was Sister Chaowei of the Vermilion Sparrow Clan.

She was quite impressive, being the daughter of the Vermilion Sparrow Clan’s leader. The reason she was also raised in the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace was said to be because she was to marry His Highness the Eldest Prince in the future.

Yu Yangjun was only five hundred years old back then, but he already possessed a graceful celestial bearing. He was a youth who seemed to transcend the mortal world, standing like the distant moon, unreachable.

By the time we reached his age and were in our prime, he had become even more like frost under a cold moon, his features deep and solemn.

I never dared to speak much to him.

Because Sister Chaowei said that His Highness did not like Crow Slaves.

There were many Crow Slaves in the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace. Although I grew up by the Phoenix Queen’s side and she treated me with extreme kindness, I still felt deeply inferior in my heart, feeling that I was no different from any other Crow Slave.

Our Crow Clan has always been considered a step below other tribes.

In front of the Phoenix Clan, we can barely even lift our heads.

Because of this, I have been well-behaved and honest since I was a child in the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace-so honest that the Phoenix Queen sometimes couldn’t bear it and would instruct Sister Chaowei to take me out to play more often.

Sister Chaowei often called me a little dunderhead.

She said that in private, the Phoenix Queen would say this-

“Lingdang grew up by my side, yet she still can’t change her crow nature; she’s quite dim-witted.”

Sister Chaowei would sometimes take me to the Purple Origin Hall to play.

Occasionally, Princess Canyang of the Golden Eagle Clan would also visit.

I was very afraid of her. She called the Phoenix Emperor ‘Uncle’ and came and went as she pleased in the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace. She always carried a golden whip and was accustomed to being arrogant and overbearing.

She was always at odds with Sister Chaowei, and in private, she loved to mock her by saying she was a close relative of the Five-Colored Chicken, which made Sister Chaowei grit her teeth in anger.

While His Highness the Eldest Prince passed the time with silk scrolls, the incense burners in the hall would curl with smoke. The brocade robes he wore were dazzling and radiant, shimmering with light, but I could only ever catch a glimpse of a corner of his sleeve.

Usually at those times, Sister Chaowei was also very quiet. If Princess Canyang was there, the two would exchange barbed words, neither yielding to the other, both harboring hidden resentment.

But as long as His Highness the Eldest Prince raised his eyes to look at them with a cold glance, they would usually shut their mouths immediately.

While they were inside the hall, I would play with stones under the tree in the courtyard and water the tree while I was at it.

Since I came with Sister Chaowei, no one in the Purple Origin Hall bothered me.

However, every time Sister Chaowei came out, she would make fun of me, saying that it was a Star Tree, a divine tree nurtured by the source of the stars in the heavens. It had innate spiritual roots and did not need watering.

I looked up at the trunk, which wasn’t very thick. Leaves had grown on the branches, but they always seemed sparse and listless, lacking the majestic presence of a lush divine tree.

Sister Chaowei added, “It only gets energetic at night; it absorbs the power of the stars as food. Besides, it hasn’t grown up yet. When it grows up, it will bear fruit.”

If Princess Canyang was present, she would sneer, “She’s a crow, what does she know? You’ve spent too much time with this stupid thing; you’ve probably turned into an idiot too.”

…

Despite those words, the next time I came, I would still water the tree.

I also buried some flower seeds under the tree. When they bloomed, there were red, purple, white, and yellow ones-multicolored and growing quite well.

Sister Chaowei asked me in surprise, “What did you plant next to His Highness’s tree? I thought they were just weeds.”

“I planted flowers.”

I answered honestly, lowering my head as if I had done something wrong.

This was because the elegant and ethereal His Highness the Eldest Prince was currently standing under the eaves, looking at me with cold eyes.

He asked in a faint tone, “Why did you plant flowers?”

“…The little tree was too lonely. It’s all by itself in the courtyard.”

“Pfft.”

Sister Chaowei couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes curving. “Lingdang, you really are a stupid crow. That is a divine tree; a divine tree doesn’t get lonely.”

She was wrong. Of course a divine tree could be lonely.

I wouldn’t tell them that when I was bored playing with stones under this tree, I would occasionally lean against it for a nap when I was tired. Its sparse branches would shift with the direction of the sun, trying their best to provide a bit of shade over my head.

It was very lonely; that was what I felt.

But I wouldn’t say it. Even if I did, Sister Chaowei wouldn’t believe me and would probably laugh at me again.

Naturally, His Highness the Eldest Prince wouldn’t believe it either. He asked me, “Do you know what kind of flowers these are?”

“I don’t know. I picked up the seeds by the roadside the last time I went home,” I whispered.

When I was a hundred years old, I came to the Cloud Soaring Divine Palace. The Phoenix Queen was kind and allowed me to return home once a year to visit my clansmen and parents at Mad Cliff.

The flower seeds were picked up on my way home last time.

His Highness the Eldest Prince’s gaze fell upon the clusters of flowers, his expression cold. “These are Noontime Flowers, also known as Sun Flowers.”

He paused, as if he wanted to say something more, yet also as if he had said enough. As he turned to leave, he said to a nearby attendant, “Dig them up.”

His voice was extremely faint, devoid of any emotion, joy, or sorrow.

Sister Chaowei blamed me instead. On the way back, she said angrily, “I’m not bringing you next time. His Highness already dislikes Crow Slaves, yet you just had to be so meddlesome.”

“Canyang wasn’t here today. If she had been, she would have lumped me in with you and insulted me again.”