Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  Deng Wu saw the moment of discomfort in Hui Yue’s eyes, and he nodded as he accepted their reasons. Although they had not seen each other for a long time, Deng Wu was still as good at understanding Hui Yue as he had ever been, and he did not wish to pressure the white-haired man when he had finally returned.

  Just as Hui Yue was about to open his mouth and ask where Sha Yun and Wang Ju Long were at he heard the door forced open and a massive snake-woman appeared in front of him. Her skin was still as yellow as it had been before, and her eyes shone silver from the beast contract shared between the two of them. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and as soon as she saw Hui Yue she threw herself into his embrace crying uncontrollably. Seeing her, a gentle expression appeared on Hui Yue’s face. He gently patted her head combing her hair with his hand.

  “I’m back,” He said gently, but nothing seemed to be heard as Sha Yun was hanging on to Hui Yue for sheer life. It seemed that she feared that he would vanish again at any moment. Deng Wu wanted to help remove her, but Hui Yue just shook his head. He had forced her to leave him back in the Dungeons of the Divine. The least he could do was allow her to cry on his shoulder. He could imagine how worried she had been during the long time he had been gone.

  It took Sha Yun around half an hour of crying before she could manage to get herself under control. Smiling at her, Hui Yue cleared her eyes gently with his hand and smiled at her. “Don’t worry,” He said smilingly, “I won’t go anywhere now. I’ll stay here together with you and the others.”

  Hearing this a sad smile appeared on Sha Yun’s face, and Hui Yue took her by the hand as he apologetically smiled to all the others who had waited for the crying to end. But no one seemed annoyed, not even Cai Jie. All of them understood exactly why Sha Yun was as elated as she was when she was crying on Hui Yue’s shoulder.

  “We just need to find Gao Yan and Wang Ju Long,” Hui Yue said. The moment he mentioned her name, he felt a warmth inside, but at the same time, Sha Yin tightened her grip around his hand when her name was mentioned as though she refused to let go. As if she refused to let him go see her.

  “Gao Yan is out working. He will not be back before tonight,” Rong Ming said from the side, “Wang Ju Long, on the other hand, is most likely at the infirmary learning new healing skills about. She has been training harder than anyone since she returned, and she currently specializes in poison and healing, not even mentioning her skills with a staff that are astonishing. Even we have trouble defeating her even though she is just a Duke.”

  Knowing that everyone would return in the evening, Hui Yue regretted accepting the City Lord’s invitation for dinner, but he did not feel like standing up someone that important. Knowing that he had such an important meeting later, Deng Wu took both Hui Yue and Cai Jie upstairs where their rooms were located. Picking two rooms at the end of the hall Deng Wu gave them to his two new guests. As they entered, they found the suites much better than anything they had stayed at during their trip to the capital.

  “Thank you,” Hui Yue said to Deng Wu before the two young men each entered their room. Each room had a bathtub, a luxury they missed quite a bit on the road to the capital. Soaking in the warm water for a long period of time, both men managed to get rid of all the dirt from their trip. As soon as they were done, they put their finest garments on and tied up their hair. Just as Hui Yue finished he heard knocking on his door and as he opened it he found Cai Jie waiting for him outside. Hui Yue was wearing a white robe with blue embroidery of the Vermilion Bird. Cai Jie was wearing a red robe with golden embroideries on it and the two looked the other over before giving an approving nod.

  Leaving the upper floors, they saw Deng Wu, the Rong Twins, Sha Yun, and Xu Piao downstairs waiting for them. “Take your time at the dinner appointment; we’ll make sure that both Gao Yan and Wang Ju Long are here when you return.” They promised. Sha Yun was pouting because Hui Yue had said that she could not follow him to the dinner. It was just a meal after all.

  With nods to his friends, Hui Yue and Cai Jie left the house and started walking the direction that they had been told by their friends. The sun was setting and dusk was now arriving. It was the perfect time for the dinner meeting, but Hui Yue could not help feeling a bit worried about what the City Lord truly wanted from them. Walking into the night a bad feeling descended upon Hui Yue.

  Chapter 297 - Dinner Appointment

  * * *

  Chapter 297: Dinner Appointment

  Walking through town, Hui Yue wondered if Saints were laying in wait ready to attack him when they reached their destination. The young man had to admit that he had become extra paranoid when he was told that the City Lord likely was aware of his part in the war. By his side, Cai Jie seemed to be highly amused with the many times Hui Yue turned his head or looked to their sides.

  “Calm down,” He said with laughter in his voice. “Although we are on our way to see the City Lord, and yes, he might know about your role he should be grateful that you did not go to the Taiyang Kingdom and instead decided on the Siban Empire. Although they all were in an alliance together, they haven’t been on friendly terms for years now. If anything I swear that the City Lord will be grateful to you.” Hui Yue looked at him skeptically but said no more despite the fact that he stopped looking behind himself all the time.

  ‘The guy is a lot smarter than you,’ Lan Feng commented with a sigh. ‘I would not have minded sharing a body with him instead.’

  ‘Well sorry for not being as smart,’ Hui Yue answered with a sour expression on his face. ‘I am trying to learn, okay?’

  ‘I know,’ Lan Feng said his voice slightly apologetic, ‘I am eager to regain my body as soon as possible, but you are right, we need to take our time and learn instead of rushing through things. Sorry.’

  Hui Yue could not blame the phoenix inside of him. He too wished for the bird to get his body back, but he was also painfully aware he could not fight the legendary An He as things stood now. He could only manage a few Saints. Someone as powerful as Wan Qiao or the Frozen General was far from his league. Thinking about Wan Qiao, Hui Yue remembered Li Xiaopeng, and he gripped his hands. He was still a far cry from the strongest Saints, and even these Saints said that they could not hold a candle to An He. If they had no chance, then how could he?

  While Hui Yue was deep in thought, Cai Jie had been whistling a happy tune and looking around, clearly enjoying himself. In no way did he seem to be feeling upset like Hui Yue, nor did he do anything to try and make the white-haired young man less depressed.

  They arrived at the mansion earlier than Hui Yue expected as his focus had been fully on the conversation with Lan Feng, which had caused him to sulk the rest of the way. Arriving was something that Hui Yue was not prepared for.

  Still Cai Jie moved to the gate, and Hui Yue shook his head to clear his mind. Soon a calm tranquility spread through his body as he stepped through the gates following Cai Jie. Whatever happened, happened. He was incapable of controlling what the City Lord did and worrying about it would not solve anything.

  Seeing the change in Hui Yue, Cai Jie lifted an eyebrow in surprise. The white-haired young man was no longer as nervous or agitated as he had been earlier; instead, he had a small smile on his face and his eyes were clear as they looked politely at the guards that let them in. Hui Yue said nothing but his entire demeanor changed so much that Cai Jie could not help but feel astonished. A smile played on his lips as he was once more was greatly satisfied with his decision to follow Hui Yue.

  Hui Yue felt the personality of the monk take over. Sharing the memories of so many different lifestyles made it hard to live in Hui Yue’s body. All of them had merged into his, yet the different memories and personalities would sometimes shine through and take over his body and make it act accordingly. Usually, this could be quite a troublesome thing, yet today the young man was grateful for the monk’s personality to take over and calm him down. It made him look at things a lot more clearly, and his worry completely disap
peared. What Cai Jie said earlier made perfect sense. With a smile on his face, Hui Yue follow behind Cai Jie as they were led towards the main hall.

  The main hall was a massive building, and as they walked inside, they were met by a huge entrance hall with a set of stairs going up five stories high. The handrail to the staircase was made out of solid gold, and the stairs themselves carved from beautiful marble. Looking at this, Hui Yue almost went breathless.

  The guards in front of them headed for the stairs, and both Cai Jie and Hui Yue followed. Neither of them showed on their faces that they were astonished by the sheer amount of wealth displayed so brazenly in front them. Although the two of them wore their finest clothes that were created from the best material, they still seemed dull next to the architectural beauty that was in front of them. Although they were surprised, the guard was taken aback seeing that none of them were awestruck by the beauty; their eyes were not widening, and their breathing did not pick up. The golden boy had only raised an eyebrow while the white-haired one seemed not to care about it at all. The guards started to get worried. Had these experts seen beauty far greater than what could be seen here at their lord’s mansion? If so then where, and was it impossible to astonish them? He knew that his lord, the City Lord, loved to use his wealth to astonish people making them humble as they were led to the lavish dinner table.

  Reaching the floor on which the banquet room was held, the guard went down a long corridor until he finally reached the end. They had come to a door made from heavywood covered with gold. One of the guards knocked on the door only to see it slowly opening in front of him. Stepping to the side he gesturing for the two guests to enter, and Hui Yue and Cai Jie did just that.

  Hui Yue did not know what he expected from the room he was entering, but judging from the rest of the mansion, he expected it to be very extravagant. He noticed after he entered, it was just as he expected; the room did not let him down. In the middle was a massive table created from heavywood. Around it was enough chairs to seat fifty people and on the table was rare delicacies. Countless plates were filled with every kind of meat one could think of, countless vegetables, and quite a few different salads. Even fruits and nuts were present on the table.

  Some of the chairs were occupied, while others were empty. Hui Yue and Cai Jie stepped closer to the table expecting to be seated at a random place.

  “Come, come! Sit with me!” A burly, large man called out. He was seated at the end of the table, and it was clear that he was the City Lord. His clothes matched the gold and marble house in which they were seated, and his stomach was bulging outwards so much that it threatened to break the robe that had been forced to hold the large stomach. This man was big, not just around the stomach, but also in height. Both Hui Yue and Cai Jie were surprised to see that although he was a City Lord, who seemed to enjoy life’s pleasures quite a bit, there was an aura of strength around him. An aura so strong they instantly understood that the man in front of them was an Emperor.

  Neither of the two wished to talk back to this strong a man, and instead they both nodded their heads as they went to the other end of the table. The end where City Lord was seated. The further up the table they travel, the more of the chairs were occupied by experts of various families or sects, all of them looked at both Hui Yue and Cai Jie with astonished faces. Some were gaping while others had eyes wide with shock. The majority dared not look directly at Hui Yue but still tried to steal a glance. It was clear that they were aware of Hui Yue’s participation in what had been named the War of the Beasts.

  Reaching the City Lord they saw that one seat had been emptied on each side of him, and Hui Yue and Cai Jie got the hint and sat down. Both lifted their wine glasses and toasted to their host, saying nothing but nodding to him.

  Seeing this, a great smile appeared on the City Lord’s face as he stood up and spread his arms. “Welcome to my humble abode!” He started. His voice was so loud that it boomed within the room. The wine glasses trembled, and the floor shook. “Today we have the honor of welcoming two guests. They are both adventurers and have been traveling for days on end.” He then looked at the two experts by his side and gestured for them to stand up and introduce themselves.

  “Good day. My name is Hui Yue. I was born in a small village just outside Riluo City,” Hui Yue started. His voice calm and his face as charming as the smile on his lips, “I have traveled the world. I’ve been to the furthest corners of the Taiyang Kingdom, traveled through Shenyuan, and lastly been in what used to be the Siban Empire before I followed some immigrants back to my home country.” Hui Yue introduced himself honestly. Everyone already knew who he was anyways, so he did nothing to hide it; instead, he stated clearly the path he had taken on his journey so far. His words caused some of the guests to choke on their wine, and their eyes to widen as far as was possible. Their jaws dropped, and some glasses fell from their hands.

  Hearing his words the City Lord instantly started laughing loudly. His voice resounded throughout the massive dining room. He was so entertained that he clasped his stomach with a heavy hand causing a tremor to run through the ground.

  “Some years ago there was news about a student of Saint, who had been given special powers by his master. They said it was a power which allowed him to us the powers of a Saint himself something that is completely unprecedented.” The City Lord spoke after he finally stopped laughing. “I remember that back then the young man was described to be a white-haired, fair-skinned youth. Unfortunately, after the news broke he quickly vanished, and despite every kingdom searching for him, nothing of him had been heard since. I assume that this person is you?”

  Hui Yue contemplated for some time, but he found no reason to lie, “That was indeed me. I was not interested in the trouble that this revelation brought with it, so I decided to go on an adventure.” He admitted and once more the sound of the other guests dropping their items or gasping out loud in surprise was heard.

  The City Lord on the other hand was clearly satisfied with his answer. He gestured for Hui Yue to sit down by his side, “I welcome you to my city!” He said with a genuinely friendly voice, “To have such an peerless expert here in my city, I am very grateful.” Turning towards Cai Jie, the City Lord looked at him with curiosity. Hui Yue, they had all heard about, but this mysterious man who was as strange as Hui Yue and who followed by his side was another matter. They had heard nothing about this man and were particularly wary toward him.

  “Perhaps you will introduce yourself?” The City Lord asked politely and curiously. It was impossible to tell what the City Lord was hiding. He had been the City Lord for a long time, and he was aware that even if someone seemed weak, it was a good idea to be cautious and polite around them. A polite person lived much longer than an arrogant one.

  Chapter 298 - The Upper Class

  * * *

  Chapter 298: The Upper Class

  Everyone, including Hui Yue, looked at Cai Jie with keen interest. Hui Yue was someone they had heard about before, but this young man no one knew anything about. With his appearance and the fact that he traveled together with Hui Yue, one would have expected him to be well known or at least someone would have mentioned him, yet it seemed that no one had even noticed that a golden haired young man was traveling with the Grand Marshall of Shenyuan.

  Contemplating for some time and tapping the wine glass with a finger, it was clear that Cai Jie was considering how to introduce himself. Finally, he rose from his chair in a slow manner. Showing that he was in no rush nor was he able to be rushed by others even when they looked at him with such curiosity as they did now.

  “I go by the name Cai Jie,” He started his introduction with something that both Hui Yue and the City Lord knew. “I am an adventurer. I have traveled to places you have never heard about and seen things you will not believe. My past is not important nor is my reason for traveling. As for why I am following this youngster around, it is actually very simple. He and I have the same goal in life. Although I have
traveled alone for many years, I am grateful to find someone with the same goals as myself, and therefore, I now have someone to tread this path with.”

  As he finished speaking the City Lord opened his mouth, and he was just about to speak when Hui Yue shook his head with an apologetic smile on his face. “Even if you ask, I am afraid I cannot tell anyone what my goal in life is,” He said with an incredibly polite expression and a soft voice. His words made the City Lord frown for a few moments but seeing the sincerity in Hui Yue’s eyes, he nodded instead of continuing the discussion.

  Instead, the large man stood up once more and clapped his hands. From the many doors in the room appeared servants. So many servants that there was one for each guest. In their hands was a bottle of wine. Going to one guest each, these servants quietly poured a glass of wine before they withdrew to the walls. There was exactly one servant for each guest and, looking at the other guests, these servants seemed to always serve the same person as they were being thanked by the guests who used their names. Hui Yue and Cai Jie both nodded to their servants as they looked at the table filled with food, uncertain if even half of this banquet would be eaten.