Volume One: The Most Heartless Flower of Phoenix and Paulownia Chapter Twenty-Two: Qin Ying

Zhuo Yun, who had been waiting anxiously at the entrance for a long time, hurried over to greet Zhuo Hua.

Seeing her tense expression, Zhuo Hua asked, “Yun’er, has something happened?”

Zhuo Yun, somewhat flustered, replied, “Not long after you went in, Sister Qin woke up. The young maid attending to her came to deliver a message, saying that Sister wants to see you.” She then turned and pointed at the old eunuch standing by, scolding, “But this grumpy old fellow simply won’t let me in, nor will he deliver the message. He keeps saying no one enters without being summoned, and that I’m just an idle outsider. I really want to give him a couple of punches to show him what an idle outsider can do.”

Zhuo Hua patted her on the shoulder, comforting her, “Don’t take it to heart. Is there anyone attending to Qin Ying now?”

“Yes, there is!” Zhuo Yun nodded earnestly. “As soon as Palace Mistress Lin heard Sister Qin had woken, she rushed over. Sister Su is there looking after her too. If I hadn’t had to wait for you, I would have gone as well.”

Zhuo Hua strode out of the great hall and, glancing back at Zhuo Yun, said, “I’ll head to Fangyi Palace first. You go fetch a bowl of osmanthus wine porridge. That’s what your Sister Qin loves best.”

But Zhuo Yun remained rooted in place, pointing at the old eunuch beside her. “He won’t let outsiders go to the imperial kitchen.”

Zhuo Hua turned to her and said, “Just call out inside, ask if Zhuo Hua’s people are allowed to move freely in this palace. Let’s see what those inside have to say.” With that, Zhuo Hua left, striding towards Fangyi Palace.

Inside Fangyi Palace.

When Zhuo Hua arrived at Fangyi Palace, Su Xin, the Old Jiao, and Princess Guangping had already been inside for some time. The palace maids and eunuchs bustled in and out, busy with their tasks.

Su Xin and Old Jiao, upon seeing Zhuo Hua, greeted him with a respectful “Yuanshang” and stepped aside to let him through.

At that moment, Princess Guangping, standing beside Old Jiao, also gave Zhuo Hua a bow, but it was the formal salute of a junior. Zhuo Hua nodded in acknowledgment.

Approaching Qin Ying’s bedside, Zhuo Hua found her pale as paper, lips bloodless, her eyes closed tight. He took out the Cangyue Pearl and passed its gentle light over her from head to toe; the pearl’s glow showed that her recovery was going well.

Though Zhuo Hua moved gently, Qin Ying was still awakened by his presence. She opened her eyes slightly, and seeing Zhuo Hua sitting at her bedside, tried to struggle upright. Zhuo Hua shook his head and smiled, “Qin Ying, you’re still too weak. Don’t get up.”

Qin Ying feebly shook her head and said in a faint voice, “How could I not pay my respects upon seeing Yuanshang?”

Zhuo Hua put the Cangyue Pearl away and signaled for her to lie down. “Since when did our Cloud Palace become so rigid? These formalities need to change.”

Old Jiao interjected, “Yuanshang, I must disagree. The Fairy’s rules were set for good reason—respect between ranks, order amongst elders and juniors.”

Zhuo Hua fell silent, ignoring Lin Bai, and instead addressed Qin Ying, “Your life is no longer in danger, but your cultivation hasn’t been preserved. Your Qi-stabilizing Pearl was destroyed, and you can’t gather true energy. The palace has no spare divine-grade pearls. I’ll need to find the materials to craft a new one, compatible with your cultivation method and bloodline.”

At that, Princess Guangping bowed and said, “Honored Yuanshang, though Yan Kingdom lies at the wild frontier and is poor in resources, the Tian family has been based here for over ten thousand years. We’ve never had a divine-grade Qi-stabilizing Pearl, but my father does possess one of immortal-grade rarity. If you require it, he will gladly offer it.”

Zhuo Hua nodded but did not respond to Guangping. Instead, he said to Qin Ying, “For now, you’ll have to make do with an immortal-grade pearl, Palace Mistress Vermilion Bird. Once I’ve forged a new divine-grade one, we’ll swap it out. The journey ahead is perilous—you’ll also need a good supply of Solar Essence Jewels.”

Qin Ying nodded slowly. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to adapt to this new pearl. And besides, even in a year or two, I won’t be able to… cough, cough… won’t be able to restore my cultivation to its peak.” She finished her words with great effort, already sweating from the coughing fit.

Zhuo Hua soothed her, telling her not to speak further. From his Infinity Pouch at his waist, he took out a coldly gleaming Qi-stabilizing Pearl and handed it to Guangping. “This Wuxiang Pearl is only spirit-grade, but I’ve ground a piece of immortal-grade Solar Essence Jewel into powder and fused it with the pearl. Its absorption of golden solar essence is now twice as fast as others of its class. Used properly, it can function nearly as well as an immortal-grade pearl. Take this and exchange it with Tian Chong for his Mountain Mist pearl.”

Guangping hurriedly knelt, raising the pearl with both hands above her head. In a tone of both awe and gratitude, she said, “To receive the esteem of Yuanshang and the Palace Mistress is the honor of the Tian clan. Besides, that Mountain Mist pearl was a founding treasure bestowed by Fairy Lanling herself. Returning it to the master of Cloud Palace is only right.”

Old Jiao remarked with faint annoyance, “I really can’t tell if you families of Bluefield are loyal to Cloud Palace or to Fairy Lanling herself.”

Guangping, still kneeling, raised her voice in protest, “Both the Fairy and Yuanshang are patriarchs of the Xuanhuang Seven Clans. Loyalty to either is loyalty to the Xuanhuang line.”

Zhuo Hua raised a hand to cut off their argument; Old Jiao’s attempts at mockery were simply too transparent.

The room fell silent. At that moment, the door creaked open, and in came Zhuo Yun, carrying a tray with a beautifully crafted soup bowl. She saw the assembled group and hesitated, wanting to bow but limited by the tray in her hands; she managed a curtsey instead. Zhuo Hua beckoned her over.

Zhuo Yun set the bowl before Zhuo Hua and whispered, “Yuanshang, shall I feed Sister myself?”

Zhuo Hua took the bowl, lifted the lid, and inhaled the rich fragrance of osmanthus, laced with a hint of wine. He replaced the lid and told Zhuo Yun, “No need, I’ll do it.” Then, glancing around, he said, “You all may leave. I wish to speak with Palace Mistress Qin alone.”

The others voiced their assent and quietly filed out. As they left, Su Xin muttered, “If I’d only been a bit quicker and gotten in Sister Qin’s place, it would be me being cared for by Yuanshang now.”

Zhuo Yun snorted, “If you’d taken that blow instead, we’d be setting up your memorial right now. Your few centuries of cultivation would have been ground to dust in an instant.”

They left Fangyi Palace laughing and teasing each other.

Zhuo Hua gently helped Qin Ying to sit up, propping her against the pillows, and began feeding her the osmanthus wine porridge by the spoonful.

She remained silent, opening her mouth each time Zhuo Hua offered a spoonful, gazing at him with limpid eyes, a deep smile lingering on her pale lips.

After a while, Zhuo Hua suddenly paused and asked, “Aren’t you curious what I’m feeding you?”

Qin Ying smiled weakly, “It doesn’t matter. If it’s something you give me, it must be good. I have no doubts.”

Zhuo Hua stirred the porridge thoughtfully and said, “If I’d known, I’d have just brought you water. No need to go to all this trouble with osmanthus wine porridge.”

Qin Ying turned her head to the window, watching the leaves drift down outside. A ray of sunlight slanted through the lattice, falling gently upon her. Dressed always in plain robes, her dark hair loose about her snow-white skin, she stared out in a daze and murmured, “If only I could use the Thousand-Mechanism Water Clock to preserve this moment forever.”

She turned back, her gaze bright and unwavering. “Zhuo Hua, do you know? I didn’t expect to survive this time. I wished I could have died in your arms, so I’d always have a place in your heart. I know I can’t enter your heart while I live, but maybe if I died, I could.”

Zhuo Hua set the bowl aside, stood, and closed the window. He spoke: “I understand your feelings for me, but I cannot accept them. With Lanling, it’s not just childhood friendship—we’ve shared life and death. Together, we created this very void. How could I ever forget?”

“But… but she tried to kill you…” Qin Ying was seized by a fit of coughing.

“Oh, so you know,” Zhuo Hua replied coolly.

“Of course I know. The first time I saw that monarch’s eyes, I knew she had returned. I’ll never forget that look. When I first set foot in Cloud Palace, after hearing your description, she glanced at me—just once—with such utter disdain, as if nothing existed in her eyes. My heart plunged into an icy river in that moment.” Qin Ying fought to contain her anger, her chest heaving.

“She wants to kill me? Hah! How ridiculous. She left without a word, taking the Star Gem with her. Now her soul returns without any message, and at first sight, she wants to kill me? Lanling, what do you want from me? When we transformed this void together, didn’t we promise to guard it side by side?” Zhuo Hua’s voice rose to a roar, then broke into sobs.

Qin Ying had never seen Zhuo Hua like this and was at a loss. She opened her mouth, managed to call his name, “Zhuo Hua—”

“Do you know?” Zhuo Hua turned to her. “When she possessed the monarch and attacked me from behind, I had no intention of dodging. But you—you fool—you’re not me. Why did you take that blow for me?”

Qin Ying lay back in silence, tears already streaming from the corners of her eyes.

“Rest well,” Zhuo Hua said, and left Fangyi Palace.