Proceeding directly into the Upper Forest Garden, after passing through a ruined flower courtyard, everything before them suddenly opened up. Beyond the flower courtyard was an inner lake spanning a hundred li in all directions called Taiyi. In the center of Taiyi Lake, a solitary island could be dimly seen wreathed in mist, with a white jade railed bridge spanning across to it. Legend had it that this was the resting place of phoenixes. In ancient times, after the opening of heaven, the phoenix clan produced great figures like the Queen Mother, experiencing a period of glory. However, over tens of thousands of years, they gradually declined, until finally only one lineage of the divine phoenix clan remained in the world. The ancestors of that clan had excellent private relations with the ancestors of the Fengjian clan, so they moved their dwelling to Taiyi Island to a place adjacent to the Fengjian clan. To this day, only one young master of the phoenix clan remains on that island.

Yusang drove the horse carriage onto the bridge, proceeding lightly forward. Upon entering the center of the lake, it was like entering the clouds—she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face, feeling her entire body enveloped in cloud and mist.

After traveling for about half an hour, Yusang stopped at the bridge head. Before her was a cherry blossom tree half-blooming in the cloud and mist, with a small white fox crouched adorably beneath the tree.

Yusang jumped down from the horse carriage and approached, crouching down to reach out and play with the little fox. However, unexpectedly, the little fox suddenly jumped up with extended claws, pouncing directly at Yusang’s face. Yusang was greatly alarmed and raised her hand to forcefully block it. The little fox then turned and jumped into the mist, disappearing without a trace. Yusang followed and ran forward several steps. When passing that cherry blossom tree, she suddenly felt as if someone had pulled her, causing her to stumble forward a step. When she focused her eyes to look again, the scenery before her had completely changed.

There was no trace of mist. Before her was a brilliant ten-li forest of cherry blossom trees, with abundant flowers piled like clouds on the branches. From time to time, crimson and white petals drifted down gracefully, and the ground was covered with fallen blossoms in a riot of colors. At a glance, the ground was full of flower colors. Everything here was like two different worlds compared to the ruined scene she had just witnessed.

“I was wondering who had such audacity to dare trespass on my Taiyi Island without permission. So it’s you,” a clear, lazy voice came from above, breaking the surrounding tranquility.

Yusang looked up following the sound and indeed saw a man standing in a cherry tree ahead. His features were handsome and refined, with red lips and white teeth more beautiful than a woman’s. His black hair cascaded like a waterfall over his shoulders. He wore a purple brocade robe embroidered with large peony patterns, and his sleeve cuffs were interwoven with golden thread—thoroughly magnificent, yet when worn on him, it didn’t appear vulgar at all, but rather enhanced his noble bearing.

“Zi Feng, it’s been a long time,” Yusang looked at the man with a slight smile.

“It has been a long time. Ever since you left Dajing City, you haven’t come to see me once or sent a single message. I thought you had forgotten I existed,” the man standing on the tree replied coldly.

…

…

“Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“You’ve come only because you need something from me,” the man glanced at Yusang, raised his chin, and turned his face slightly aside, appearing very arrogant.

“Zi Feng, dear Zi Feng, don’t be angry. I’ll help you brew a pot of flower wine later,” Yusang spoke softly and sweetly, acting coquettish toward Zi Feng.

“Do you think one pot of flower wine can dismiss me?”

“Then what do you want? Surely you wouldn’t drive me away now that I’m already here?”

“Two pots, at least two pots.”

“Deal. Come down quickly and help me examine an injury. If we delay any longer, I’m afraid he’ll lose his life.”

Zi Feng lightly leaped down from the tree. Being pulled along by Yusang, he couldn’t help but complain, “Look how anxious you are. Don’t tell me it’s your little husband who’s been injured?”

Yusang rolled her eyes at Zi Feng and pulled him along as she used transformation techniques to move instantly. In the blink of an eye, they were at the bridge head where the horse carriage was parked. She lifted the carriage curtain to indicate Zi Feng should go up, but Zi Feng looked with great disdain and said, “Take him to Yunjin Pavilion. Have my medical kit sent over.”

“Yes.” As if in an instant, more than ten women with beautiful faces wearing gauze dresses emerged from behind the nearby cherry trees and grass, gently responding to Zi Feng’s words.

Half an hour later, outside Yunjin Pavilion on Taiyi Island, Yusang stood somewhat dazedly beside an evergreen tree, with a small maid holding tea implements standing behind her. Inside the room, Zi Feng was treating Yan Qige’s injuries.

Soon, the room door opened. Yusang came back to her senses and quickly entered the room, seeing Zi Feng washing his hands beside a copper basin with a maid pouring water, while Yan Qige still lay unconscious on the bed behind him.

“How is he?” Yusang asked.

“He lost some blood and was poisoned by some demonic toxins, but these are small matters to me. Give it one night, and I guarantee he’ll be sturdier than before,” Zi Feng replied while taking the hand towel the maid offered and wiping his hands.

Yusang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and said, “Thank you so much. I’ll go get the flower wine for you later.”

This should have been an insignificant remark, but for some reason, upon hearing it, Zi Feng’s expression changed. He threw the hand towel into the copper basin, turned to face Yusang, and smiled with unclear meaning, “From your words, it seems you’re quite eager to clear your debt to me, as if you can’t wait to sever all ties with me completely. Have you forgotten? You’re still half the mistress of this Taiyi Island, my wife.”

Upon hearing the last words, Yusang’s face turned deathly pale. She lowered her head and slightly clenched her fingers. After a moment, she said, “Zi Feng, I don’t want to argue with you. I’ll go out for a while.”

After speaking, Yusang turned and left, striding away. Zi Feng became even angrier, chasing after her a few steps and shouting toward the door, “Yu Wensang, come back! Come back here…”

Yusang didn’t stop because of Zi Feng’s words. Instead, she curved her fingers, closed her eyes, and chanted incantations, quickly using transformation techniques to leave Yunjin Pavilion.

Yusang left Taiyi Island and returned to Dajing City, going to a place beneath some ruined and broken walls. The surroundings were overgrown with weeds, and there were traces of great fires everywhere. Yusang stepped back a few paces, then forward a few paces, reaching out to wipe the wall and finding some ancient scratch marks. Following the wall forward, the scratch marks on it were chaotic and disorganized, some deep enough to show the blue bricks, all left by swords and blades.

Walking past the broken wall, Yusang saw a magnificent palace. Five ridges and six beasts perched on the flying eaves, gazing in all eight directions. Chiwen creatures crouched majestically on the palace ridge, demonstrating the hall’s former glory and majesty. The great hall sat high upon a hundred-zhang foundation platform, with left, center, and right stone staircases of a thousand steps extending forward directly to the great hall. However, due to years of disrepair, many of the palace steps were damaged, and in some places, weeds and moss had grown.

Yusang stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the palace. She raised her foot wanting to walk up, but after taking one step, she retreated down and sat on the steps. She took out the white jade writing brush that had lost its bristles from her bosom and gently stroked it. Every place here was so familiar yet strange, and every place seemed to retain traces of those familiar figures.

Lost in thought, she gripped the brush in her hand tightly, closed her eyes, and turned her head to rest her face against the stone carving beside the steps, beginning to doze. Memories emerged from her mind—Father King, Mother Empress, elder brother, and those clansmen who had cherished her like a treasure in their palms. Their smiling faces and voices all seemed to be right beside her…