Flower, Yet Not a Flower (Part 12)

This was Chi Lian's second time in the Heavenly Prison, a return to a familiar place. It was just a pity that this time, there would be no one to shatter his heavy shackles and rescue him from peril.

He sat silently in a corner like a dead branch, his eyes only moving slightly when he heard footsteps from outside.

Immortal Lord Beichen thanked the heavenly general who had led him there. Looking at him through the cell door, he asked, "Have you been bullied?"

"No."

Chi Lian lifted his eyelids slightly. "How does the Heavenly Emperor plan to deal with me?"

"It hasn't been decided yet. After the scene you caused, both Ziwei Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Emperor Changsheng sent messages to Lingxiao Palace. The Heavenly Emperor seems to be under pressure and hasn't been in a hurry to cause more trouble recently." Beichen said, "But you did, after all, behead Immortal Lord Pingchu and toss his head into Lingxiao Palace. Your punishment will likely not be light."

Chi Lian was indifferent. "Whatever."

His listless, world-weary appearance was too dispiriting. Immortal Lord Beichen had also watched him grow up, and felt a complicated mix of emotions that was hard to put into words. However, the Emperor's death was a giant boulder weighing on all their hearts. Even if he wanted to offer comfort, he couldn't find the words. He could only change the subject and talk about others. "For now, Mingshu and I are holding things down in Jiangxiao Palace, and we can still manage. Gui Heng is very worried about you and convinced his father to help pull some strings; I used his connections to get in this time. Yingling said that if the Heavenly Emperor insists on usurping the Emperor's authority, she will lead the Phoenix Clan in rebellion against the Heavenly Court..."

Chi Lian listened to him quietly, and finally said, "With the Emperor gone, you are the pillar of support, Senior Brother. He had originally intended for you to take charge of Jiangxiao Palace. Although it is a bit rushed now, with Senior Brother Mingshu assisting you, as long as the Heavenly Emperor doesn't muddy the waters, setting things right is only a matter of time."

"Tell Gui Heng and Yingling to do what they must. They don't need to run around pleading for me. The worst that can happen is death, and if so, that would save me the trouble."

His words were extremely ominous. Beichen immediately stopped him in a low voice, "Chi Lian!"

Chi Lian let out a laugh, saying nonchalantly, "Senior Brother, there's no need to mince words. This life of mine was saved by the Emperor in the first place. Now that he has left me behind, it's perfectly reasonable for me not to want to live anymore, isn't it?"

Beichen: "..."

Looking at this junior brother who was impervious to reason, he suddenly asked, "When I told you to find a way to save the Emperor, did you think I was just making up an excuse to placate you?"

Chi Lian's lips curled slightly as he asked faintly, "Wasn't it?"

"I truly don't know any method for bringing the dead back to life, but based on my understanding of the Emperor, I don't believe he would fall so easily." Beichen said, "The Oath of the Nine Heavens was single-handedly built by him. Others might be cut by their own sword, but the Emperor would never fall victim to his own formation."

Chi Lian was silent. Beichen continued, "And Xianzhen was with the Emperor. I really can't imagine any mishap that the two of them together couldn't guard against. If it were truly that sinister, how could there be no loose ends left behind, with the Emperor's celestial death being so perfectly sealed?"

Chi Lian finally raised his eyebrows, but not as if he'd been persuaded to see reason. Instead, he asked in a remarkably calm tone, "So, Senior Brother thinks the two of them planned it together, to fake a death to deceive the world?"

Although this was indeed what Beichen thought, faking one's death without a word was an even greater crime than a real death. He really couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Besides this guess, hasn't Senior Brother considered another possibility?"

Beichen was silent for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "I would rather believe it's a fake death."

That was the possibility that everyone had suspected in their hearts, but no one would bring up openly. As if fearing some kind of spiritual power contained within words, they deceived themselves and remained silent, believing that as long as it wasn't spoken, that terrifying guess wouldn't come true.

Emperor Cangze had left behind a body, but Immortal Lord Xianzhen was nowhere to be seen, neither alive nor dead. Compared to a faked death planned by the two of them, it looked more like he had stabbed the Emperor in the back. This would also logically explain why the Emperor's accident happened precisely while he was repairing the Oath of the Nine Heavens: everyone in the Heavenly Court knew that the Oath of the Nine Heavens was under the authority of Jiangxiao Palace, something not even the Heavenly Emperor could meddle with. When the Emperor repaired the formation, he would not bring outsiders, only one of the few Immortal Lords he trusted most.

If this 'insider' took the opportunity to assassinate the Emperor, disguised it all as a backlash from the formation, and then faked his own death to escape, wouldn't that complete a perfect 'accident'?

Chi Lian leaned back against the cold stone wall. He no longer had the mental energy for more speculation and took the initiative to send his visitor away. "Senior Brother, you should go back."

Immortal Lord Beichen, separated from him by an iron-barred gate, his face pale and solemn in the shifting light and shadow, said, "Since you don't want to lose him, then find a way to bring him back. Since you don't want to doubt him, then find evidence to prove his innocence.

"The disciples of Jiangxiao Palace can fight, and they can die, but they must not surrender without a fight, nor sit and wait for death."

He raised his hand and tossed a palm-sized pouch into Chi Lian's arms, straightened his robes, and turned to walk out, muttering to himself as if in passing, "The Sancai Seal's whereabouts are unknown, and Jiangxiao Palace is at a loss. It seems the passage from the Heavenly Court to the Mortal Realm can only be temporarily closed for a while."

His departing figure was as magnanimous and elegant as when he arrived. Perhaps he lacked the Emperor's dignified grace, but he was just as upright and indomitable.

The pouch hit Chi Lian's chest, causing a dull ache. By the faint moonlight from the skylight, he opened it and found it was a Qiankun Pouch. Inside were his sword, the green jade lotus pendant, and a travel permit stamped with the Sancai Seal.

He supported himself on the wall to stand up, dusted off his robes, and slowly drew his longsword from the Qiankun Pouch.

The sword's name was "Dianjiang," personally forged by Emperor Cangze in years past. Before firing the forge, the Emperor had asked him what kind of sword he wanted. Chi Lian considered it seriously for a long time, and finally, as if making a wish, told him he wanted a sword engraved with the pattern of a Trumpet Vine Flower.

The Emperor looked at him and asked helplessly, "Do you love Jiangxiao Palace that much? How about I just carve the characters for 'Jiangxiao' directly onto the sword for you?"

As it turned out, when the sword was made, there was indeed a faint crimson shadow on the cold iron blade, golden-tinged red, like the color of the Trumpet Vine Flower petals that bloomed all over the palace. Because of this, the sword was given the name "Dianjiang."

Chi Lian had always thought "Dianjiang" was just an evocative name, until the day he saw the golden-tinged blood flow from the Emperor's body. Looking back at this sword, he suddenly realized that this naturally formed, golden-red hue might have truly been infused by the Emperor's own hand.

His feelings were always hidden so subtly and profoundly, silent yet omnipresent. Even after departing, he was still protecting him.

That night, a golden-red sword light flashed like lightning, severing the Star Bridge that connected White Jade Capital to the lower realm.

Immortal Lord Chi Lian, imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, forcefully broke out, stormed Jiangxiao Palace alone, seized Emperor Cangze's body, and rebelled against the Heavenly Court, fleeing to the lower realm.

On the same day, facing the heavenly soldiers and generals who had surrounded Jiangxiao Palace in droves, Immortal Lord Beichen led the other immortals to wait before the hall. He magnanimously stepped aside, gesturing for them to look at the main gate.

"With the Emperor's celestial passing, Jiangxiao Palace has sealed itself. It can only be reopened after the next lord of the immortal palace is born. This puts us in a difficult position as well. We hope you will all understand."

The Mortal Realm was unlike other places; immortals could not come and go as they pleased. The only passage was a single Star Bridge. And if an immortal had official business that required them to descend, they had to go to Jiangxiao Palace to obtain a travel permit stamped with the Sancai Seal in order to pass through the Oath of the Nine Heavens and successfully arrive in the Mortal Realm.

Fortunately, Immortal Lord Beichen still had a spare travel permit; otherwise, Chi Lian's escape plan would have been doubly difficult.

His landing spot in the Mortal Realm was, coincidentally, a place called Weishan Town. The small town was adjacent to a vast body of water, which the locals called Nanbei Pond, filled with lotus flowers. It was just that his timing was poor; it was the dead of winter, and the pond was filled with nothing but withered lotuses and broken stems, which was not a pretty sight.

Chi Lian's bearing was outstanding. As he walked down the street, everyone stole glances at him. Some bold mortals would approach him to strike up a conversation, asking where he came from, whether he was visiting relatives or sightseeing. Their words implied they saw him as a profligate dandy dressed in finery, someone who clearly didn't do any honest work.

Chi Lian was surrounded by them, feeling a bit lost, because he didn't know what he was there to do either. His only thought was to resurrect the Emperor, but if even the Celestial Realm had no effective method of revival, how could he expect anything from these mortals who lived and died in a day?

Perhaps he was too lost in thought, for he accidentally let slip the words 'bring the dead back to life.' To his surprise, the townspeople all had a look of sudden realization and enthusiastically pointed him in a direction. "The young master must be talking about the Flower God Temple, right?"

"The legend of that Flower God has traveled quite far. Is the young master here specifically to pay respects to the Flower God Temple because of it?"

"The Flower God Temple is very efficacious! If the young master goes to pray for a marriage, he's guaranteed to find a satisfying match!"

"I'm heading that way anyway, I'll take you there, young master!"

Chi Lian: ?

He was led, bewildered, to the Flower God Temple. It was actually just a very simple, rustic little temple. After countless years of wind and rain, even the walls were mottled. The red paint on the beams and pillars had peeled off, revealing the original wood underneath. The idol was also a mud-sculpted, wood-framed thing, so garishly colored it was hard to tell what it was supposed to be.

The incense in the temple, however, was thriving. A large pile of ash had accumulated in the censer, and there were many fruits and cakes on the offering table. The townsperson who had accompanied him introduced it enthusiastically, "Don't be fooled by how small our Flower God Temple is, its history is long. There have been legends about it locally for several thousand years."

The immortal who had truly lived for thousands of years: "...I would like to hear the details."

"Once, there was a girl in the town. Her mother died young, and her father married a stepmother. This stepmother was cruel-hearted and often mistreated her, specifically sending her to the pond to wash clothes in the dead of winter. The pond water was so cold it froze, chapping her hands until they bled. The fresh blood dripped onto a dry lotus leaf nearby, and who would have known, that dry leaf suddenly turned from withered to green, and a handsome young gentleman materialized from the water."

"This gentleman was originally a lotus immortal who had cultivated in Nanbei Pond for three thousand years but had never managed to break through the barrier to take human form. By a stroke of luck, he obtained a few drops of the girl's blood and was transformed from a spirit into an earthly immortal."

"The lotus immortal fell in love with the girl at first sight and pledged his life to her. He gave her a pair of jade rings as a token and promised to come to her home in ten days to marry her. The girl had also secretly given her heart to the lotus immortal and happily went home to wait to be married. But who knew, when her stepmother learned of this, she had a wicked idea. She had the girl tied up and sold to the local landlord for ten taels of silver to be his concubine. Then she took the pair of jade rings from her, gave them to her own daughter, and had her dress up as a bride to wait at home for the lotus immortal to arrive."

"Ten days later, the lotus immortal arrived at the family's door, but the moment he saw the bride in the room, he knew she was an impostor. Because he had transformed into an earthly immortal by borrowing the girl's blood, he had a natural connection to her. He then went to the landlord's house to look for the girl, but because she was unwilling to be violated by the landlord, she had resisted desperately and had been strangled to death by him. The lotus immortal understood he had been tricked and drowned all those who dared to deceive him in Nanbei Pond."

"After losing his wife, the lotus immortal was grief-stricken and searched everywhere for a way to bring the dead back to life. On the shore of the West Sea, he met an immortal who told him that lotuses are born with two lives. If the physical body dies, its soul will be stored in the lotus heart and reawaken after a thousand years of slumber. In other words, if he was willing to use his own heart as a vessel for her soul, he could bring his wife back to the world."

Hearing this, Chi Lian's heart stirred. As if sensing something, he suddenly looked at the idol on the offering table and pressed, "And then?"

The townsperson said, "And then the lotus immortal really did dig out his heart! After his wife was resurrected, she also became a flower immortal. Look, see, the one on the left is the Flower God, and the one on the right is the Flower Goddess."

"That's why praying for marriage at this Flower God Temple is the most effective. What better marriage is there in the world than one that is steadfast until death... Hey, where'd he go?"

Chi Lian turned the lotus on his green jade pendant. A flash of light emanated from his palm, and in an instant, he vanished into the Secret Realm.

The lotus leaves in the lake grew taller than a person. Deep within the lotus pond was a pavilion protected by the Golden Coffer and Jade Lock Formation. The Emperor's body, which Chi Lian had snatched from Jiangxiao Palace, was laid upon a wide white jade bed.

He stood by the jade bed, reached out to gently touch the Emperor's face, and murmured to himself, "Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?"

No one answered him. He continued talking to himself, "But there's no harm in trying, right?"

"I feel that this place is fated for us. Perhaps it's guidance from the heavens." He laughed at his own words. "I'm such an incompetent immortal... but I have no other choice, Emperor."

"If it really works, when you come back, I'll take you to the Flower God Temple to fulfill the vow."

Chi Lian silently returned to his original form. He summoned Dianjiang with his right hand, transformed it into the size of a dagger, and without hesitation, plunged it into his own left chest.

Blood gushed out, soaking half his body in an instant. It was just that his red robes concealed it, so it wasn't obvious. Only in his face, so pale it was almost translucent, could one glimpse a hint of the agony of having his heart carved out.

Chi Lian's hands were covered in blood, but he held perfectly still, cupping a spiritual heart that glowed with a faint red light and was as translucent as colored glass. He carefully enveloped the divine soul fragments he had previously gathered, watching as the golden lights roamed and swirled within the spiritual heart, shattering into a golden mist and then re-forming. The entire heart finally transformed into a crimson spiritual pearl the size of a pill. Inside it was a tiny lotus platform, upon which a small cluster of pale golden spiritual light rested quietly.

Chi Lian had never imagined that the method of reshaping a divine soul, which he couldn't find even after poring through countless books, could be accomplished so casually in the Mortal Realm. He stood stunned for a moment, then hastily waved a hand over the wound on his chest, crudely covering it, before turning the lotus pendant and returning once more to the Mortal Realm.

This time, he cast an invisibility spell beforehand to avoid frightening passersby with his blood-soaked body. The moment the crimson spiritual pearl entered the Mortal Realm, it seemed to possess a consciousness of its own, flying off towards a distant city and entering a household of its own accord.

Within the deep compound, the cry of a baby suddenly rang out.

"Congratulations, Your Highness the Prince, congratulations, Your Highness the Princess! It's a young master!"

The jubilant atmosphere immediately spread throughout the entire Prince's Manor. The richly dressed man was so happy he paced back and forth, rushing over the moment the baby was brought out, overjoyed. "Let me see, let me see! Good, what a fine boy!"

"His mother dreamt a star from the heavens fell into her arms before she had him. I've already thought of a name—we'll call him Wei Ming!"

"Wei Ming, fair and just. The name itself has an air of statesmanship. He will surely accomplish great things in the future!"

In a deserted corner of the courtyard, plum blossoms fell to cover the ground, and the heavy snow swirled.

Chi Lian had to lean against a tree to stand steady. He looked up at the overcast sky, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "His name really is Wei Ming..."

He turned the lotus jade pendant again and returned to the pavilion in the heart of the Secret Realm's lake.

It wasn't that Chi Lian hadn't sensed a change in himself; he had just left in too much of a hurry to look closely. Now, glancing down, he could see his reflection in the water and finally saw clearly that his hair had turned completely white from the shoulders down.

Although it was true that flower immortals transformed from lotuses had two lives, carving out one's heart was no different from dying once. Chi Lian's cultivation was shallow to begin with, and with the prison break and desertion, this trip had completely drained the last of his spiritual power. That was why, like a mortal, he showed signs of premature aging—a rule that could not be defied.

After a long and hurried journey as a fugitive, Chi Lian was finally exhausted to his limit. He no longer had any mental energy to spare for a few white hairs. Like a paper lantern torn on all sides, sustained by a final flicker of fire, he staggered to the side of the jade bed and leaned down to press a kiss to the Emperor's cold lips.

"If this were a legend, you would have to pledge your life to me, you know?"

Carrying the fresh scent of blood, he lay down beside the lifeless Emperor, curling up and burying himself in his arms as if he were cold.

Chi Lian had a very long dream. In the dream, his divine soul followed the Emperor's soul, intermittently watching him be born, live precociously, die young, and reincarnate time and again, drifting through the mortal world for over a hundred years.

Until this lifetime, when the Emperor was reborn as a young prince in a cold palace. In the dead of winter, without even water to drink, he went outside and made a snowball to hold in his mouth. Watching from the dream, Chi Lian found it too pitiful and thought, 'Perhaps I should force myself to struggle and get up.'

And just like that, he awoke from a century-long dream.

But Chi Lian had forgotten that the flow of time in the Secret Realm was different from that in the Mortal Realm. By the time he entered Zixiao Academy in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, more than a decade had passed, and the Emperor had long since followed some charlatan from the jianghu to cultivate immortality.

'Well, I'm here now.' Chi Lian consoled himself. 'As long as he's alive, meeting a day earlier or later makes no difference.'

Not long after, he heard that Prince Duan had returned to the capital. He anticipated that he would probably see him at the Longevity Festival banquet and thus planned to arrive a little early. But he didn't expect Wei Ming to arrive so early as well. As he rounded a bend by Chunming Pond, he came face-to-face with His Highness, Prince Duan.

The spring was in full, splendid bloom, and an old friend had returned.

It turned out that for a reunion after a long separation, no matter how early one arrived, it was still too late an encounter.

A flicker of surprise crossed that young, handsome face. It was a person Chi Lian couldn't be more familiar with, yet he couldn't take a single step forward, maintaining the distance of a subject as he bowed in salute.

"Chi Lian of Zixiao Academy pays his respects to His Highness, Prince Duan."