Chapter 14

◎Temple’s Ruin (Revised)◎  

14.  

Xian Qing stared blankly at the Immortal before her for a long moment before finally snapping back to reality.  

“Fairy Sister!” The terrified little girl clutched an egg in one hand while hugging her thigh and hiding behind her. “Quick! Quick, catch the Monster! She wants to eat me!”  

Zhuoying smiled faintly as she lifted her gaze to Xiao Liuer, who had been chasing after the girl.  

Their eyes met, and Xiao Liuer, who had been about to call out “Princess,” abruptly swallowed the word.  

Just as Fu Yao and Xie Cexuan were wondering how Zhuoying would continue this grand performance, they watched as she—completely devoid of Immortal Power—lightly waved her hand.  

The cold-faced girl across from them, who could have punched ten of her to death in one strike, let out an extremely stiff “Ah!”  

Then, as if struck by a heavy blow, she clutched her chest, collapsed to the ground, and closed her eyes in feigned death.  

The entire act was seamless—yet utterly full of performative flaws.  

Xian Qing: “Waaah—”  

Fu Yao and Xie Cexuan: ???  

This actually worked?  

The little girl raised her head, gazing at Zhuoying with admiration.  

So Immortals really did exist in this world!  

The Immortal had waved her hand and effortlessly dealt with the Monster chasing her. The Immortal had even given her a warm boiled egg!  

“Little one who called upon me, tell me your name.”  

Xian Qing blinked. “I’m Lin Xian Qing.”  

A faint smile played at Zhuoying’s lips.  

“No, that is not your name.”  

“I have just divined that you were born under the Fate of Supreme Nobility. Though your life may have its trials, in the end, you will rise to unparalleled nobility. Someone has stolen your Aura of Destiny. You should have another name.”  

“But I am Lin Xian Qing.”  

Xian Qing blinked in confusion.  

“Fairy Sister, are you mistaken?”  

Zhuoying replied, “I am an Immortal. How could an Immortal be mistaken? Go home and ask your parents—was there a torrential downpour on the day you were born, forcing your mother to deliver you in a ruined temple? Was there another noblewoman giving birth alongside your mother?”  

How would Xian Qing know any of this?  

In the Lin household, no one had ever cared about her birth. Her mother only ever spoke of her younger brother’s affairs.  

Seeing her bewildered expression, Zhuoying sighed softly.  

“Or, simply go home and tell your parents this—you fell asleep in the mountains, and an Immortal appeared in your dream, saying you are the lost daughter of the Prince of Duan’s household in Ji City. Ask them—who is the Prince of Duan?”  

As long as the message was delivered, the Lin parents would surely act.  

If they loved Xian Qing, they would send her back to live in luxury.  

If they did not love her, they would send her back even faster, hoping to claim a reward from the Prince of Duan.  

Once the truth about the Goddess who had stolen a mortal’s Aura of Destiny was exposed, and Xian Qing’s rightful life was restored to her, Zhuoying refused to believe the heavens would not grant her Merit for this.  

The little girl holding the egg nodded reverently.  

She tried her best to memorize Zhuoying’s words verbatim, but her attention was inevitably drawn back to the egg.  

The egg smelled so good.  

She was so hungry.  

“After I tell my father and mother… then what?”  

Seeing the drool nearly escaping the girl’s lips, Zhuoying took the egg back from her and began peeling it as she answered,  

“Then you can go to the Prince of Duan’s household and feast to your heart’s content.”  

Xian Qing swallowed hard.  

“I don’t like spicy food. I only like meat.”  

“Once you find your true parents, you can eat whatever you want.”  

Zhuoying handed her the peeled egg.  

Xian Qing’s eyes lit up as she snatched it and wolfed it down.

She opened her large, dark, and bright eyes, mumbling vaguely:

“Real parents?”

“That’s right.”

Xian Qing thought for a moment: “So, the reason Father and Mother like my younger brother more is because they’re not my real parents? If I find my real parents, will they like me the way Father and Mother like my younger brother?”

Zhuoying listened quietly to her long, convoluted speech.

Both Fu Yao and Xie Cexuan expected her to give an affirmative answer.

But when Zhuoying spoke, what she said was—

“Not every parent will love their child.”

Xian Qing stared blankly at the extraordinarily beautiful fairy before her.

Her mouth felt a little dry, but her eyes seemed to moisten.

“But it’s okay. As long as you love yourself, that’s enough.”

Zhuoying crouched down and pointed at the eggshell crumbs in her hand.

“Does it taste good?”

Xian Qing nodded.

“Remember this taste.”

Zhuoying looked at her, yet it seemed as if she was seeing herself many years ago, left behind in the deep palace by her fleeing mother.

“No matter if anyone loves you or not, never let yourself go hungry again. If someone tries to starve you, you must do everything in your power to eliminate them. Understand?”

In the Supreme Purity Heavenly Palace, Fu Yao, who was observing this scene, pointed at her and said to Xie Cexuan:

“Why do I feel that, rather than being a deity, she’d be more suited to join the Demon Clan in Guixu?”

The Young God of War, sitting cross-legged, rested his head on his hand. His gaze seemed fixed on the water mirror, but his mind recalled the scene when he first saw the young girl on the Black Tortoise Path.

The Black Tortoise Path was bustling, her father protectively shielding her younger sister with deep paternal love.

And she stood in an inconspicuous corner, like a wildflower by the roadside, ignored by all.

He lazily remarked, “Between god and demon lies but a single thought. If she truly wished to become a demon, there are probably few in the Immortal Realm who could stop her.”

Fu Yao was about to scoff, but upon careful consideration, he realized the truth in his words and had no choice but to remain silent.

Xian Qing, who only half-understood, nodded, her gaze falling on the dirt-stained hem of Zhuoying’s skirt.

“Fairy Sister, your skirt is dirty. Do deities’ skirts get dirty too?”

Zhuoying glanced down.

Because she had crouched to speak with her, the white skirt had indeed gotten wet and muddy.

“Of course not,” she smiled slightly. “I am an Immortal. If my clothes get dirty, there are spells to clean them.”

Xian Qing blinked expectantly.

Fu Yao and Xie Cexuan exchanged glances in the Supreme Purity Heavenly Palace.

Xie Cexuan: “Does she know the Cleansing Spell?”

Fu Yao: “Impossible.”

“…”

“…”

Two breaths later, Zhuoying looked at her pristine white dress, unsurprised to hear Xie Cexuan’s voice gritting through clenched teeth in her mind:

“Chi Shui Zhuo Ying, don’t push it. Do you know how much Immortal Power it takes to cast a spell from such a distance?”

Zhuoying pretended not to hear.

“See? It’s clean now.”

The awestruck little girl from the mortal world gasped in amazement once more.

Before parting, Zhuoying ensured Xian Qing could repeat the words she had taught her, then allowed her to descend the mountain.

Watching the little girl’s figure disappear into the distance, Zhuoying spoke calmly:

“Remember to arrange for people to ensure the Lin family can safely reach the Prince Duan’s residence.”

Xiao Liuer answered without hesitation.

Zhuoying turned around, her serene gaze resting on the slender and tall young girl before her.

“The Barren Sea has close ties with the Mount Sumeru Immortal Realm. As someone who has been by Chen Ye’s side, you should be well aware of his stance. You must also know that the Barren Sea went so far as to alter the rain cycles just to aid the Goddess from Mount Sumeru undergoing her mortal trial, correct?”

Xiao Liuer paused before replying, “This subordinate is aware.”

“Yet you still agreed to my request.”

Xiao Liuer slowly raised her head. Her face was pale, devoid of any feminine adornments, with delicate features as sharp as willow leaves—possessing an androgynous, youthful charm.

“Born into a family of martial deities, I was never able to wield my skills like my brothers. It was you, Princess, who recommended me to the Young Lord, and you who painstakingly paved the way for me. My parents gave me life, but it was you, Princess, who shaped my destiny.”

“As long as the Princess does nothing to harm the Barren Sea, any other command—this subordinate would go through fire and water for you, even unto death.”

Not opposing the Barren Sea…

That was understandable, after all. The Barren Sea was her homeland. Loyal and upright by nature, she would never betray her own country.

Zhuoying chuckled lightly and readily agreed.

Xiao Liuer seemed surprised.

“Princess… you’re no longer angry with the Young Lord?”

Zhuoying countered, “What do you think I’m angry about?”

Xiao Liuer pressed her lips together, not daring to speak.

There were too many things the Princess could be angry about.

Like the initial news that it was the Princess who was supposed to be sent as a hostage to the Barren Sea. Yet, because the Emperor and Empress promised the Barren Sea over a thousand temples, the choice was switched—and the Young Lord never once stood up for the Princess.

Or the impending marriage between Princess Zhaocui and the Young Lord…

Xiao Liuer had always believed that the Princess and the Young Lord, childhood sweethearts, were a match made in heaven, destined to be together someday.

But now, because of the Emperor’s war, everything had changed.

“Actually… this subordinate can sense that the Young Lord still has some—”

Zhuoying cut her off:

“Xiao Liuer, if one day Chen Ye and I were to part ways, whose side would you take?”

Behind the water mirror, Fu Yao frowned at the spectacle.

“Why does this sound like divorced parents asking their child who they want to live with?”

Xie Cexuan shot him a cold glance. “If you can’t make proper analogies, don’t bother.”

Divorced?

That freeloading Young Lord of the Barren Sea? Was he even worthy?

Yet Xiao Liuer’s reaction truly resembled that of a child caught between divorcing parents. She floundered for a long moment before stammering, asking Zhuoying if there was really no room for reconciliation.

Zhuoying pressed her fingers to Xiao Liuer’s face, her voice cool and soothing, almost hypnotic.

“Xiao Liuer, you must understand where your loyalty lies.”

At this moment, Xiao Liuer didn’t seem any wiser than the five-year-old girl from earlier.

“You are loyal to the Barren Sea because it is your homeland.”

Zhuoying tilted her head slightly, her dark eyes deep as whirlpools.

“But Chen Ye does not represent the Barren Sea. He is merely its Young Lord—and the Barren Sea’s Young Lord doesn’t necessarily have to be him, does it?”

Xiao Liuer was completely swayed by Zhuoying’s words, nodding blankly.

Zhuoying smiled faintly, satisfied.

“I know you’ve always admired Divine Lord Feng Li. So before coming here, I specifically asked her to inscribe something for you.”

At the mention of Divine Lord Feng Li’s name, even Xiao Liuer’s usually expressionless face lit up with excitement.

“The Princess met Divine Lord Feng Li? Is she as dashing and powerful as the legends say, with beauty to match her strength?”

Zhuoying replied without changing her expression, “More or less.”

Xiao Liuer still didn’t know that the claim about Feng Li Shen Jun being a war goddess was entirely fabricated by Zhuoying herself.

“There’s one more thing I need you to do.”

Zhuoying could feel Xian Qing’s spiritual power was about to be exhausted. She couldn’t stay in the mortal realm any longer.

So she handed over the seven hundred thousand Spirit Stones given to her by Lord Qing Yuan to Xiao Liuer, instructing her to build a new temple for her at Yanjue Mountain in Jicheng.

The princess temple built for her by the human emperor had gained a terrible reputation, and being far away in the Supreme Purity Heavenly Palace made it difficult for her to intervene in mortal affairs.

It was better to save effort and establish a new foothold in Jicheng instead.

After consulting the Celestial Arts Scriptures, she learned that as long as her divine statue and objects imbued with her aura were enshrined in the temple, even under a different name, it wouldn’t affect the attribution of the temple’s incense offerings.

Several months later, a temple dedicated to Goddess Canglang quietly rose at Yanjue Mountain.

Having accepted payment, Xiao Liuer had to fulfill the task. With Lord Qing Yuan monitoring her every move, Zhuoying regretfully abandoned her plan of exchanging eggs for followers.

But there was other good news—

Over the past five months, every time Zhuoying checked her Merit Points, she could clearly see the changes.

From the initial negative 10,397 points.

To now, it had become negative 5,173 points.

Even Wen Chang Xing Jun and Fu Yao were amazed, having never seen an immortal whose Merit Points changed so rapidly.

If Zhuoying hadn’t started from negative numbers, she would likely have accumulated considerable Immortal Power by now.

Just as Zhuoying’s Merit Points were about to turn from negative to zero—

News came from the mortal realm.

Zhuoying’s princess temple in the capital of Great Yong had collapsed.

It was done by immortals from the Mount Sumeru Immortal Realm.

Author’s Note:

This chapter has been revised for plot adjustments. Apologies for making you reread it!