Volume Six: The God-Monarch Returns to the Shattered Continent Chapter Nineteen: Kuang Qingfeng

Yu Qingshu smiled helplessly and said, "Naturally, he wouldn't tell you, because he is a coward."

"That’s not true! Master single-handedly brought the once-despised lineage of ingenious craftsmen to prominence, reaching a point where they could stand on equal footing with the cultivation world. He personally conducted countless dangerous experiments; how can you call him a coward?"

Zhuo Hua rarely admired anyone in his life. Aside from Yu Qingshu—the Valkyrie who had won glorious victories for Xuanhuang and struck terror into the hearts of the Dark-Fiend clan—there was only Ouye Jinge, the man who had personally taught him the art of ingenious mechanisms. To Zhuo Hua, his master was a sacred and inviolable figure.

"In matters of the heart, he is a coward, a spineless man," Yu Qingshu retorted, her temper flaring. "If he hadn't told me himself, 'How can there be a home while the Dark-Fiends remain unvanquished?' why would I have stormed into the Dark-Fiend Void alone in a fit of rage?"

"Master, he... he only put the welfare of the realm above all else," Zhuo Hua’s conviction wavered instantly.

"Is that so? That is merely your assumption. When we were together at the Academy and the Martial Arts Hall, I told him our families were well-matched and we were at the right age, and urged him to come to my home to propose. But at the time, he was obsessed with mechanics and mathematics; he told me to wait a few years, until he had achieved something significant, and then he would come to marry me."

Su Mengling, hearing their argument, ran over in concern. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but interject, "Men just love to make women wait."

Zhuo Hua glared at her. Su Mengling shrank back, stuck out her tongue, and fell silent, though she didn't retreat, trailing behind Yu Qingshu to listen intently.

Yu Qingshu continued, "Later, after we finished our studies, we went our separate ways. Naturally, I went to the Xuanhuang Twelve Guards, while he went to the Ministry of Works. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, hundreds of years had passed. I was away at war for years on end and rarely returned to the Xuanhuang Void. Although we didn't meet often, we never lost touch. That time, after I had achieved a great military feat and was promoted to Radiant General, I went to ask him for a drink that very night."

Su Mengling asked again, "Did you take advantage of the alcohol to seal the deal?"

Before she could finish, Zhuo Hua tapped her on the back of the head. "You’re a young girl; where did you pick up such twisted ideas?"

Yu Qingshu gave a bitter smile. "He was already the Grand Overseer by then. He came to the appointment, but no matter what I said, he refused to drink. I ended up drinking the entire cellar's stock at that tavern alone that night."

"Ah! How boring he is! He’s just like Big Brother. You two really are master and apprentice; you’re exactly the same in that regard." After saying this, Su Mengling jumped back, looking at Zhuo Hua with a mischievous smirk.

"He is indeed very boring. That night, I asked him when he would marry me. He didn't say a word; he just took this Liuyun dagger from his robes and gave it to me. He said that since I was often out at war, he had specially crafted this dagger to protect me. But why couldn't he understand? If he had married me, would I still be risking my life? Would I still need a dagger for protection?"

"And then? What else did he say?" Su Mengling scurried back, pricking up her ears to listen.

"After that came another long separation. We exchanged communications frequently, but because I was often deep in war zones, neither letters nor voice transmissions could be guaranteed. Several more centuries passed this way, until I received the title of Valkyrie and was promoted to Sovereign by the Council of Elders. Finally, I no longer had to leave the Xuanhuang Void."

"And he still didn't agree?" Su Mengling asked, looking utterly incredulous.

"That's right!" Yu Qingshu said indignantly. "Shortly after I took my position, I went to find him. I told him that we would never have to be apart again and asked him to spend the rest of his life with me. But he just threw those words back at me: 'How can there be a home while the Dark-Fiends remain unvanquished!' Hahaha! 'How can there be a home while the Dark-Fiends remain unvanquished!'"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You men!" Su Mengling smacked her lips and shook her head, looking at Yu Changsheng and Zhuo Hua.

Yu Changsheng, looking entirely innocent, pointed at himself in disbelief. "What does this have to do with me? I’ve been keeping my head down and walking; I haven't said a word! Besides, how do you know I’m like other men?"

"If a man is ambitious about his hobbies or his career, he usually lacks ambition when it comes to his lover," Yu Qingshu said, bowing her head helplessly as she stroked the Liuyun dagger in her hand.

"What happened next?" Su Mengling pressed.

"After he said those words, I knew our fate had reached its end. The illusions born from those happy, beautiful memories vanished the moment he spoke."

"Before I left, he gave me this Qinghe sword, saying that such a powerful divine artifact was worthy of the high-ranking Sovereign I had become."

"When I returned to the Elder Hall, I was consumed by a heavy, unbearable gloom. Not long after, I left the Xuanhuang Void alone to assassinate the Dark-Fiend Emperor. The rest, you already know."

Su Mengling seemed to grasp something. Her mouth hung open as she exclaimed, "You weren't hoping that if you killed that Dark-Fiend Emperor, the war would end and you two could finally be together, were you?"

Yu Qingshu kept her head down, saying nothing, only stroking the Liuyun dagger. A ray of sunlight spilled down, illuminating the beauty of her early life.

A long, piercing eagle cry echoed above them. The forest suddenly erupted; birds and small beasts scattered, fleeing into the depths of the dense woods.

Zhuo Hua looked up and saw a white-headed, brown-feathered golden eagle circling above them, letting out sharp, intermittent cries.

"We’ve been discovered!" Zhuo Hua told the group.

"How? There weren't any sentries on this path; why would we run into one here?" Yu Changsheng said in a panic, hurrying to the edge of the clearing and shielding his eyes to peer into the sky.

"We are near the Celestial Prison; the guards must have been reinforced. It was my oversight," Zhuo Hua said, sounding self-reproachful.

"Oh no! That white-headed bird is diving toward us!" Yu Changsheng, seeing the golden eagle swoop down in a rapid dive after circling a few times, scrambled back into the dense forest in terror.

With a metallic ring, the Liuyun dagger was drawn. Yu Qingshu stood before the group with a reverse grip on the blade, her voice stern. "Since the enemy is upon us, prepare for battle. What is there to panic about?"

In that moment, an boundless killing intent, the hallmark of the Valkyrie, instantly enveloped the forest. The surrounding temperature seemed to drop. Su Mengling involuntarily hugged herself, her body still trembling uncontrollably.

However, the golden eagle did not attack them, nor did it fly away. It landed an arrow's flight away, shook the dust from its feathers, and slowly transformed into the form of a man.

"Kuang Qingfeng?" Zhuo Hua was stunned to see the Grand Chieftain of the Eagle Clan here.

Kuang Qingfeng approached Zhuo Hua with an imposing air, bowed his hands, and knelt on one knee with a loud, clear voice. "Kuang Qingfeng of the Eagle Clan is here to await the Sovereign's arrival. May the Sovereign enjoy eternal prosperity."

Zhuo Hua quickly stepped forward to help him up. "Rise, please rise."

After standing, a mournful expression appeared on Kuang Qingfeng’s handsome face. "Sovereign, you have finally returned. We have waited so long for you!"

Zhuo Hua comforted him, "Qingfeng, do not be sad. Now that I have returned, I will surely set things right. Tell me what is happening."

Kuang Qingfeng sighed deeply. "Before the Sovereign met with disaster, the Immortal Lady of Lanling came to Qiong Peak to find me. She wanted me to defect, betray the Cloud-Top Heavenly Palace, and help those bastards of the Sun-Worshiping Sect seize the sacred relics of the Immortal-born clan. How could I ever agree to such a thing? I rejected her outright."

Zhuo Hua nodded. "She didn't just approach your Eagle Clan; the Dragon and Shark clans have already defected, though both have been severely weakened and pose little threat. As for Leng Biyao of the Whale Clan in the Vast Ocean, she has always remained indecisive, but I am not worried about her; given her strength, it is nearly impossible for her to turn the tide."

"But Sovereign, what you don't know is that ever since I refused to defect, the youths of my clan began to die in inexplicable 'accidents.' I didn't think much of it at first, but after that old scoundrel Song Xiang teamed up with Doumu Xie and Kui Mulang to launch a sudden attack while you were hunting in the Xiqi Continent, imprisoning Palace Master Lin and Palace Master Qin, things took a turn for the worse."

"What do you mean?"

"They began a large-scale purge of the Demon and Beast clan students, the Cloud Palace guards, and the Star Lords within the Cloud-Top Heavenly Palace. Many of our Eagle Clan youths were imprisoned or executed. I was at a loss, so I contacted a guard I had previously known and snuck in, hoping to find a way to rescue my clansmen and wait for your return. But we tried countless methods, losing many skilled men in the process, and achieved nothing. Today, one of our secret contacts sent word that someone had opened the Cloud Heaven Stele, but no suspicious individuals were found in the palace. I guessed it was you, Sovereign, and knowing you would surely come to rescue Palace Master Lin and the others, I waited in this vicinity. Sure enough, I caught you."

Zhuo Hua patted him on the shoulder. "This is my fault. I will do everything in my power to rescue the Eagle Clan members."

Kuang Qingfeng leaned closer and whispered, "Sovereign, the Celestial Prison is currently heavily guarded. It is held by Nuan Rufeng of the Xuanwu Palace, and the guards under his command are all blind, fervent believers in the purity of the Immortal-born clan."

Zhuo Hua pondered for a moment. "From what I know of Nuan Rufeng, he is not the type to betray the Cloud Palace. He is meticulous and steady. He is a man who can be relied upon. Let me go and reason with him."

Kuang Qingfeng shook his head vigorously. "Sovereign, you are mistaken. Nuan Rufeng has a stubborn, ox-like temper; he is impervious to both soft and hard tactics. His cultivation is high, and the young officers under him, who specialize in formations, are all formidable warriors. I have led my men to charge several times and returned empty-handed. Sovereign, please be careful when you go."