The next day, Qingzhou was unusually blessed with bright, clear sunshine.

Seeing this, the people of Qingzhou emerged from their homes, their faces bearing smiles unseen for a long time. They gathered in small groups, discussing the events of the previous night.

“I couldn’t have been mistaken. I was putting my child to bed and hadn’t fallen asleep yet when I saw a red phoenix circling in the night sky about ten miles away. But the phoenix only appeared briefly before vanishing.”

“I saw it too. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but after looking several times, it was a phoenix.”

“Encountering a red phoenix is an auspicious sign. No wonder the sun is out today. This is truly extraordinary.”

“Indeed, indeed…”

The townspeople gathered to discuss the red phoenix sighting from the previous night. After lengthy discussions, they returned to their homes and began hanging out bedding and clothes to dry.

Qingzhou hadn’t seen the sun for several months. The dampness and mustiness from the continuous rain were gradually dissipating under the sunshine.

……

…

…

Meanwhile, the group that had departed for the border the previous day had returned to Qingzhou.

“Brother Li, what happened? Why did we suddenly decide not to go to the border?” Qin Muyue stepped down from the carriage, following behind Chu Li as he walked rapidly toward their residence in Qingzhou.

Chu Li maintained an expressionless face as he strode urgently toward the residence. His lips pressed into a line, and his entire demeanor emanated an unapproachable aura.

Qin Muyue wanted to catch up with him, but sensing the strange gazes around her, she stopped in her tracks.

Returning to the residence and seeing that Qin Muyue hadn’t followed, Chu Li turned to look at Ding Xian behind him. “Have you discovered anything about that red phoenix from last night?”

Ding Xian shook his head, his face forlorn. “Your servant went to Qingfeng Mountain early this morning to investigate, but there were no traces left.”

At these words, Chu Li’s face darkened completely.

His Highness had been searching for the red phoenix for so long, and last night it had appeared on Qingfeng Mountain. The fire phoenix’s first appearance had illuminated the night sky for dozens of miles around.

It was precisely because of this red phoenix’s appearance that Chu Li, who had almost reached the border, resolutely turned back to search for traces of the fire phoenix.

“Where is Mu Yunjin?!” Chu Li entered the room, not seeing Mu Yunjin, and asked with a furrowed brow.

Xiao Ju came forward, immediately kneeling before Chu Li. She kowtowed several times and spoke with a tearful voice, “Please punish me, Your Highness. The Princess disappeared after bathing last night…”

“Disappeared?” Chu Li was startled, his eyes bloodshot as he suppressed his mounting rage. “Song Chun!”

Song Chun emerged from the side. Upon seeing Chu Li, he likewise knelt. “It was my incompetence. Please punish me, Your Highness!”

Ding Xian nearby sucked in a breath, silently noting that the situation was dire.

Chu Li clenched his fists, stepped into the room, and checked Mu Yunjin’s clothes in the wardrobe. Seeing a half-packed bundle on the bed that hadn’t been taken, his face turned completely black.

“Mobilize all secret guards to search for Mu Yunjin’s whereabouts!” Chu Li ordered, his sleeve sweeping through the air and his gaze sharp as a knife. He walked out of the side room, his eyes filled with unfathomable depths.

Ding Xian and Song Chun were alarmed. His Highness had approximately three thousand secret guards scattered throughout the region. To mobilize all of them to search for the Princess—perhaps she had just gone out for a casual stroll!

It seemed His Highness truly had deep feelings for the Princess now.

……

“Master, why are you here?” In an abandoned thatched cottage, Qin Muyue looked with surprise at the elderly man in Daoist robes before her.

The elderly man was none other than Daoist Qiuye.

Daoist Qiuye stroked his beard, lowering his gaze to look at Qin Muyue. “Yue’er, the Phoenix Maiden has appeared!”

“I also saw that red phoenix last night. Master, do you know who the Phoenix Maiden is?” Qin Muyue was equally astonished and couldn’t help but touch her back.

“Mu Yunjin!” Daoist Qiuye enunciated each syllable of the name.

Qin Muyue stepped back in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Mu Yunjin? It’s her?”

“No, that’s impossible! Master, Mu Yunjin is nothing but a mediocre fool. How could she possibly be the Phoenix Maiden?” Qin Muyue shook her head, unwilling to believe.

Daoist Qiuye sighed. “Last night she discovered this master’s rain-making that caused the Qingzhou floods. I was about to dispose of her on the spot and nearly succeeded when a fire phoenix flew out from her back, saving her life.”

“Where is she now? Since she discovered the Qingzhou flood matter and possesses the Phoenix Maiden’s body, we cannot spare her life no matter what!” Qin Muyue anxiously stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Daoist Qiuye.

“She was rescued by someone,” Daoist Qiuye replied.

Hearing this, Qin Muyue’s eyes grew colder. She took a deep breath, clenching her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her flesh.

For many years, she had relied on her Phoenix Maiden identity to successfully approach Chu Li and stay by his side. It was also because of this that Chu Li had agreed to some of her small requests in the past.

But since Mu Yunjin’s appearance, Chu Li’s attitude toward her had cooled considerably. Now, even her Phoenix Maiden identity couldn’t keep her by Chu Li’s side.

She had already grown to thoroughly hate Mu Yunjin, but today her master told her that Mu Yunjin was the Phoenix Maiden!

If this were true, she would have completely lost Chu Li.

No, she couldn’t accept this!

Why did it have to be Mu Yunjin?!

Daoist Qiuye seemed to see through Qin Muyue’s thoughts. He gave a cold laugh. “Why are you so anxious? How have I taught you? Never be too quick to despair about anything.”

“Master, do you have a solution?” Qin Muyue caught a glimmer of hope in her master’s words.

Daoist Qiuye snorted, raising his eyebrows with a faint smile. “Mu Yunjin was injured by me last night. Although someone rescued her, we don’t know whether she’s alive or dead now.”

“Conveniently, I witnessed the true form of that fire phoenix last night. Today, I can use illusion techniques to recreate yesterday’s fire phoenix.”

“Yue’er, the Phoenix Maiden identity can only be yours.”

……

“Last night the fire phoenix descended, today the sun shines upon the human realm. Truly an auspicious sign, ha ha ha!”

Daoist Qiuye, holding a wooden sword, walked down a street in Qingzhou, laughing and calling out loudly. His voice was not low, attracting many onlookers.

The people noticed he was a stranger, and some curious individuals approached him. “Oh, this Daoist master, did you also see that red phoenix?”

“Naturally! This old Daoist observed the heavenly signs and divined that the fire phoenix was in the direction of Qingzhou, so I rushed here overnight,” Daoist Qiuye said, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

With this statement, many passing townspeople grew curious and gathered around, looking at Daoist Qiuye. “Master, are you saying that the red phoenix is in this area?”

“Correct!” Daoist Qiuye nodded, calculating with his fingers. “Moreover, that fire phoenix is not merely a red phoenix, but a celestial phenomenon. This phenomenon usually occurs because someone accumulated too much virtue in their previous life and is bestowed with this heavenly spiritual power in their current life. So, they are mortals, yet not entirely mortal.”

Many people were confused by Daoist Qiuye’s words. They scratched their heads, looking bewildered. “Master, are you saying that this fire phoenix is a transformed human?”

“If a person transformed into a phoenix, wouldn’t that make them a demon? Why do you call it a celestial spirit?”

Daoist Qiuye looked at the person speaking, clicked his tongue a few times, and shook his head. “Not at all, not at all.”

“Since ancient times, the emperor has been symbolized as the dragon, and the empress as the phoenix. Dragon and phoenix—the phoenix symbolizes auspicious energy, so how could it be a demon? Now, the fire phoenix has suddenly appeared in the human world, and today Qingzhou basks under the sun. Would you say this fire phoenix is a demon or a celestial spirit?”

With this explanation, all the townspeople understood and nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, the Daoist master makes sense.”

“But you just said the red phoenix is a transformed person. Can you divine who that person is? If we could find this person, we should properly worship them and pay homage to them as a deity every day.”

Hearing this, Daoist Qiuye smiled and was about to speak when a cold voice interrupted from the side—

“What traveling charlatan is spreading lies to deceive the people!”

Qin Muyue looked coldly at Daoist Qiuye, who was surrounded by townspeople. She pushed through the crowd and stepped in. “This kind of charlatan—don’t believe his words. He’s just trying to swindle your money.”

After speaking, Qin Muyue looked at Daoist Qiuye. “You old man, how dare you cause trouble in Qingzhou? This commander sees you’re advanced in years, so I’ll spare you today. But if you dare spread rumors to extort money again, this commander will not let you off!”

Daoist Qiuye looked at Qin Muyue, suddenly exclaiming in admiration. He rose from the ground and extended his right hand, making a divination gesture.

“Young lady, your forehead is full and noble, your countenance like gold and jade—truly a superior appearance. Would you allow this old Daoist to divine for you?” Daoist Qiuye looked at Qin Muyue.

“Leave immediately, or don’t blame this commander if my sword shows no mercy,” Qin Muyue glared at Daoist Qiuye.

Daoist Qiuye stepped back a few paces, then scratched his head. Pointing at Qin Muyue, he shouted excitedly to the surrounding townspeople, “This young lady has spiritual energy about her, it seems to be the fire phoenix’s spiritual energy!”

“What? Deputy Commander Qin?”

“Could it be that Deputy Commander Qin was the red phoenix last night?”

“If it’s Deputy Commander Qin, that’s not surprising at all. She’s long been the most legendary woman in the Western Yuan Kingdom!”

“Yes, indeed. Deputy Commander Qin wasn’t in Qingzhou last night. Could she be the fire phoenix?”

Qin Muyue frowned, looking at the people around her, then turned her displeased gaze back to Daoist Qiuye. “Stop spreading lies to deceive the masses. The appearance of the fire phoenix is an auspicious sign rarely seen in a hundred years. Master, don’t try to pin this label on me just to avoid being held accountable by this commander!”

“It seems the young lady doesn’t believe,” Daoist Qiuye said with a regretful expression, then raised his eyebrows. “This old Daoist has learned spiritual communication techniques and has a way to make you manifest the fire phoenix’s form.”

“I believe many here witnessed that fire phoenix last night. When the time comes, you can judge for yourselves whether it’s true or false.”

At these words, the crowd began to stir excitedly.

Qin Muyue stood in place, exchanging a glance with Daoist Qiuye. Then Daoist Qiuye half-crouched, pressed his palms together, and began reciting incantations.

After a while, colorful light gradually gathered at his fingertips and swept toward Qin Muyue’s body. Her entire person was enveloped in the colorful light.

Gradually, red mist rose slowly from Qin Muyue’s back. The fire phoenix that had circled the summit of Qingfeng Mountain the previous night now emerged from behind Qin Muyue, letting out a cry and flapping its red wings…