Phoenix Destiny

“What are they talking about…?” Jia Yan looked at them in confusion.

Yu Kuang pulled her back.

“Ignore them,” he whispered.

“But…!”

“You have no right to poke your nose into their matters.”

One was the current Alioth Star Lord, and the other one was the soon-to-be Dubhe Star Lord. Jia Yan was just a low-level disciple of the Seventh Truth Platform, so why would she have the right to intervene in their matters?

When Xie Lianzhen and Wei Chunqiu ended the awkward situation, Xie Lianzhen turned to Lu Mingshu, “Long time no see, Miss Lu.”

“Cousin, you know her!?” Jia Yan shrieked.

Xie Lianzhen glared at her.

“Sorry… I’m just shocked,” she muttered. She knew that it was disrespectful to cut somebody off while they were speaking, but she chose to ignore that because she despised Lu Mingshu.

Xie Lianzhen ignored Jia Yan and turned toward Lu Mingshu, “I didn’t expect that we would meet again… and in such a situation.”

“Yes, it indeed has been a long time. It’s my honour that the Alioth Star-Lord still remembers me,” Lu Mingshu smiled brittlely at him. “It seems like we always meet when I’m in a terrible situation.”

“It’s my fault this time around,” Xie Lianzhen nodded.

Lu Mingshu didn’t reply. However, based on how she looked at him, one could guess the message she was trying to send; I’m glad you’re aware.

Jia Yan was riled up when she saw Mingshu’s expression. She shouted at Lu Mingshu fiercely, “Hey! What do you mean by that face? Even if it’s not your mother, it’s still partially your fault for wanting to make use of my cousin!”

“Jia Yan!”

“Junior Sister!”

Being stopped by both of them, she turned her back on them, sulking, “Fine! I’ll just shut up.”

After the silence once again took over, Xie Lianzhen continued, “It’s my pleasure to be able to meet you again and in Zhongzhou no less. I presume that Miss Lu hasn’t forgotten about what happened back then?”

Lu Mingshu looked down, “Some things will never be forgotten as long as I’m alive.”

Yu Kuang eyes widened upon hearing that. Her sentence sounded very solemn. This Miss Lu seemed to have a different agenda, unlike what he previously thought. He used to think that she went to the battle arenas to raise her value so that she could successfully marry Xie Lianzhen, and then make use of that to bring benefits to the Nine Jade Palace and herself. However, seeing how she reacted, it seemed that she had a different agenda.

It was their fault that they jumped to conclusions too quickly without researching her life in the Nine Jade Palace. He somehow missed the fact that her surname was Lu, not Fu.

Yu Kuang was submerged in guilt at the moment. I have wronged her. If she was really the Eldest Miss of Nine Jade Palace, why would she admit that she only cares about killing? When he said those words initially, he was just being sarcastic. But her response of “I may only care about killing, but at least I don’t kill innocents,” seemed a lot different now.

“So, what are you planning to do this time around?”

Lu Mingshu smiled at him, “Would the Alioth Star-Lord help me if I tell you my problems?”

Xie Lianzhen paused for a while before replying, “I’ll try my best.”

“I want to get out of the Nine Jade Palace. Will you marry me for that?”

“Hey!” Jia Yan interrupted, “Are you trying to force my cousin into a marriage!?”

Lu Mingshu nodded as she raised another term, “I hope to have a new sect leader in the Nine Jade Palace, would you help me?”

Yu Kuang bit his lips, “Erm… I believe that it isn’t good for us to intervene in another clan’s matters.”

Seeing that Yu Kuang was having such a hard time, she laughed. “Alioth Star-Lord, don’t make promises that you can’t fulfil.”

“Wow!” Wei Chunqiu, who had been standing there silently for a long time, laughed out loud. He glanced at Xie Lianzhen with a grin, “My dear Junior Brother Xie, this is my first time seeing you tongue-tied! Today’s trip here has definitely been worth my time.”

After that, he turned toward Lu Mingshu, “Miss Lu, since you’ve said so much, I will be lenient to you if I come across you at the Qilin Festival.”

“Thank you.”

Wei Chunqiu being lenient to her would indeed be very beneficial.

“Hmm…” Xie Lianzhen started after pondering for a while, “Is that what you really want?”

Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows in confusion. She didn’t understand what he meant.

“If that’s what you want, your first wish has already come true.”

Silence took over the place once again.

“Your second wish isn’t difficult either,” he strummed his fingers on the armrest of his wheelchair. “I would just need a bit of extra time.”

“Cousin!” Jia Yan interrupted, “Do you really want to marry her? She’s not even worth half of Ling Wuxia!”

Yu Kuang whispered to her, “Didn’t you say that even Ling Wuxia isn’t good enough?”

“Shush!” Jia Yan chided him.

“Miss Lu,” Xie Lianzhen smiled at her, “This is the best option for you and me. What do you think?”

“I know, right?” Wei Chunqiu smirked. “With your innate skills, there’s a high chance that you’ll be able to reach the Assimilation Realm. Junior Brother Xie here has some physical defect that acts as a barrier for him. If you marry him, you would fill up that gap, and you would be able to leave Nine Jade Palace. You have the ability while he has the authority; you would be perfect for each other.”

Lu Mingshu nodded, “So, that’s why you came.”

Initially, she was confused – how valuable was she that Wei Chunqiu would actually send people here to harass her? Now she knew why, and she knew what Xie Lianzhen meant when he asked whether Wei Chunqiu was overconfident in her; they were talking about the possibility of her getting into the Assimilation Realm.

“So, what’s your choice?” Wei Chunqiu probed. “Your wish would be granted with a single word from you.”

Lu Mingshu shook her head, “His Highness doesn’t know what my wish is, and he couldn’t fulfil it either.”

Wei Chunqiu sighed jokingly, “Oh, so it’s a rejection then. Sorry, Junior Brother Xie.”

“…” Xie Lianzhen nodded, “As expected.”

It was clear why she was battling at all costs.

“If you ever change your mind,” he continued, “you can come to me at the Seventh Truth Platform.”

Lu Mingshu retorted, “So what Alioth Star-Lord means is that this case is settled then?”

Xie Lianzhen grimaced, “I’ll try to change queen’s mind.”

“‘Try’? So, you’re still incapable after all.”

“Hah!” Wei Chunqiu burst out laughing once again. “Junior Brother Xie, it’s time, to be honest with yourself. Promising something and failing to deliver will only make you seem untrustworthy.”

He smiled bitterly, “Thanks for the advice, Senior Brother.”

“I’m finally done. Time to go back now,” Wei Chunqiu turned to the two young kids, “Are you coming?”

“Duh!” Yu Kuang agreed in no time, dragging Jia Yan with him.

Jia Yan hesitated in her steps, “But cousin’s alone….”

“Hey, this is Tianyun City; what could possibly happen? Let’s go. See you, Senior Brother Xie!”

Yu Kuang knew that he had gotten into trouble today. Thus, he dared not stay for long, and he hurried behind Wei Chunqiu.

As the three of them strolled away, Jia Yan kept looking back worriedly.

“Miss Lu,” Xie Lianzhen fished out a small bottle and threw it to her, “I sincerely apologize for what happened today. This is a secret medicine of our Seventh Truth Platform. It will help in your recovery.”

“Is this only for the injury on the skin?”

“Why?”

“Just now, when your cousin threw her secret item out, I received inner injuries from it even though you blocked it.”

Xie Lianzhen was taken aback. He never expected her to say such things. He fished out a wooden box and threw it to her. “Once per day. Three consecutive days.”

“Thanks,” Lu Mingshu put it into her bag swiftly.

“I’ll be leaving first then.”

“Wait.”

Xie Lianzhen stopped in his tracks.

Lu Mingshu fished out a piece of jade from her pocket and put it in front of him. “I heard that, with this jade, I could get help from any Seventh Truth Platform disciple; is this true?”

Xie Lianzhen smiled upon seeing the piece of jade. “So, you still have it. And yes, it’s true.”

“So, will you help me?”

Xie Lianzhen chuckled and nodded, “Of course.”

“I need your help to find someone,” Lu Mingshu said.