After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 11

Lend me a piece of clothing to wear.

Yan arrived at the battlefield, where the border between the two realms was engulfed in a sea of flames. The immortals struggled and screamed amidst the fire, and the girl she was worried about was nowhere to be seen.

She tried to locate the girl, whose body carried traces of her spiritual energy. All she needed to do was channel her own energy to search, as their spiritual forces resonated with one another. Hovering in the air, her slender fingers emitted a soft glow from their tips. Her spiritual energy carried a healing quality.

She had once been an unremarkable phoenix on Phoenix Mountain, unnoticed by anyone. She gathered the mountain’s immortal aura, cultivating day and night, and her spiritual energy bore the essence of plants and trees. The flora on Phoenix Mountain possessed the power to heal.

A moment later, her spiritual energy received a response. Deep within the sea of flames, crimson flowers bloomed everywhere. These flowers enveloped the girl’s body, shielding her from the fire, yet the murderous intent in her eyes sent chills down one’s spine. She faced several immortals, whose combined spiritual energies clashed fiercely with hers.

The girl showed no sign of discouragement, and her fair face betrayed no fear. She was smiling—a bold, unrestrained smile that made it impossible to decipher her nature or understand what she found so amusing.

A Bodhi bracelet spun in the air around her, as if infusing her with spiritual energy. Yan was astonished. The Bodhi bracelet contained boundless spiritual power, continuously sustaining the girl.

Just as Yan was marveling at this, the girl suddenly broke into an eerie, wild laugh. Her movements were agile as the immortals charged at her simultaneously. She met their assault head-on, her form shifting seamlessly. Her black robes transformed into crimson attire, and as her sleeves billowed, red flowers twirled around her wrists, morphing into sharp blades that sliced through the air, riding the wind and waves to strike her enemies.

The blades pierced the heavens, chasing their targets. Upon entering their bodies, they transformed into black flowers, blooming with blood before withering instantly.

Yan stood in the air, watching the girl’s reckless, life-risking fighting style, unable to shake off the shock. It was brutal and savage.

What seemed like an inevitable defeat was overturned by Hongchen, who slaughtered all the immortals. Their bodies were consumed by the raging flames, leaving no trace of their bones, and their souls vanished from the world, never to be found again.

Yan’s arrival now felt somewhat ironic.

Crown Prince Qingfeng arrived in haste, only to find a sea of flames and his fiancée standing above it. Before he could speak, Hongchen soared toward him, her eyes blazing with killing intent. He immediately tried to flee, but a crimson rope woven from red flowers effortlessly ensnared him.

Terrified, he called out Yan’s name. Yan flew over, slashed the rope with a sweep of her sleeve, and sent Qingfeng flying out of the formation with a single palm strike. As she turned around, Hongchen stood before her, sneering coldly, “Why did you help him?”

“Ah, I forgot—you’re his fiancée. How about I kill him for you?”

Hongchen, consumed by madness, let out a cold snort and prepared to chase after Qingfeng, her demeanor eerily reminiscent of the ruthless figure from the rumors. Panicked, Yan shouted, “I’ll go to the mortal world with you.”

Hongchen’s movement halted mid-air. She froze, the red flowers around her dissipating, and the Bodhi bracelet, as if understanding her thoughts, obediently returned to her wrist.

In that instant, Qingfeng vanished without a trace. Hongchen tilted her head, and only then did Yan let out a sigh of relief. She had no desire to confront Hongchen.

She could defeat Hongchen now, but it would inevitably drain her vitality—a move far from wise. Her gaze fell upon Hongchen’s wrist, where the Bodhi bracelet seemed unnervingly mysterious.

Hongchen’s expression softened. She grabbed Yan’s hand, intent on returning to the demon palace, and declared, “If it were me, even if I were trapped in dire straits, I would never abandon you without a second thought.”

Yanlai: “…” Something didn’t seem right. At a time like this, were they still supposed to be talking about love?

The two quickly left the border and returned to the Demon Palace. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Hongchen collapsed. Yanlai had no choice but to carry her back to bed.

At this moment, she also noticed that the bracelet had become an ordinary object, with not a trace of spiritual power detectable.

Qingfeng fled the immortal realm, and only after passing through the palace gates did he realize he had abandoned Yanlai, the High Goddess, and run away. He felt a pang of regret and wanted to go back for her, but at the sight of the palace gates, he hesitated. After a brief thought, he headed toward the Xuantian Hall.

At this time, the Heavenly Emperor was waiting for a report from the mortal realm. The Crown Prince returned in a panic, he had witnessed the Demon Lord killing, her spiritual power surging fiercely.

The Heavenly Emperor asked him, “How did it go?”

The Crown Prince was at a loss for words, guiltily replying, “The entire army was annihilated. The Demon Lord slaughtered all our immortal kin. Father… Father, I saw her with my own eyes… she…”

The Crown Prince trailed off, and the others exchanged knowing glances. Gritting his teeth, he continued, “The Demon Lord’s spiritual power is immense. I am ashamed. Yanlai, the High Goddess, engaged her in battle, I don’t know what happened to her.”

“Yanlai, the High Goddess, went?”

“If she went, she will surely turn the tide of the battle.”

“That’s excellent. Yanlai, the High Goddess, is compassionate, how could she abandon the beings of the three realms?”

“Crown Prince, did you leave Yanlai alone in the mortal realm to face the Demon Lord?” A sudden voice rang out. Everyone turned to look, it was Sanmeng, the High Immortal.

Sanmeng walked up to the Crown Prince. “The Demon Lord is ruthless and Yanlai rarely leaves her mountain. How could you just abandon her? You are her fiancé, the two of you should share joys and sorrows, facing the Demon Lord together. How could you leave her alone? Are you even a man?”

Crown Prince Qingfeng paled, clearly at a loss for how to respond to the questioning. Others tried to placate, saying, “The High Goddess’s spiritual power is profound; she doesn’t need anyone’s help.”

“Exactly, exactly. High Immortal, don’t worry. Yanlai will surely return safely. The Crown Prince was only concerned about the immortal realm and rushed back to report.”

The Heavenly Emperor frowned and looked at Sanmeng. “Sanmeng, take the celestial troops and go assist Yanlai.”

Sanmeng was shocked. “I’m just a dream immortal, you want me to go fight?”

“The Crown Prince’s spiritual power is no match for yours. Go quickly and bring Yanlai back. We will discuss our next steps once everyone is gathered,” the Heavenly Emperor decreed, adding, “In this battle, our immortal clan has lost many talented individuals. I hope all of you will strive to improve your ranks.”

The immortals accepted the decree, and Sanmeng, looking utterly miserable, led the celestial troops to the rescue.

When they arrived in the mortal realm, not a single immortal or even a demon was in sight. The battlefield stretched for thousands of miles, but both demons and immortals had vanished.

Sanmeng immediately returned to Phoenix Mountain to look for Yanlai, but the immortal attendants said that Yanlai, the High Goddess, had left and had not yet returned.

With Yanlai missing and the situation looking grim, Sanmeng’s heart sank. She hurried back to the immortal realm to report to the Heavenly Emperor.

In the mortal realm, the fragrance of spring had faded by the third month. The weather warmed, and all things began to sprout. The wind gently caressed the world, and the soft rain fell silently. The red peonies bloomed with breathtaking brilliance, radiant and captivating.

The person on the bed had been asleep for a month without waking. Yanlai tended to the garden and house herself. Hongchen had a lively personality, so Yanlai guessed her preferences and chose to settle in the capital. After finishing her tasks, she sat at the doorway of the bedroom, brewing a cup of tea. Before she could take a sip, someone knocked on the door.

The capital was bustling, and the neighbors were no ordinary folk. Following mortal customs, she stood up and opened the door. The person knocking was a burly man with a scar on his face. He handed her a piece of meat. Puzzled, she looked at him, and the man explained, “We slaughtered a pig at home, so we’re sharing some with everyone. We just moved in—hope you’ll look out for us in the future.”

Yanlai was puzzled for a moment before recalling the customs of the mortal world exchanging gifts was a norm, and refusing might arouse suspicion. She accepted the meat and said, “Wait a moment.”

Having nothing suitable to give in return, she went back inside and fetched a thumb-sized luminous pearl to present to the man.

The man was taken aback. Rubbing his rough hands on his clothes, he quickly waved them in refusal. “I can’t accept this, it’s too valuable.”

Yanlai frowned. The pearl, resting on her jade-white fingertips, seemed dulled by the gesture. She insisted, extending it further. “Courtesy demands reciprocity. If you refuse this, I cannot keep your meat either.”

Feeling awkward, the man found himself inexplicably compelled by the woman’s icy, elegant demeanor. He silently accepted the pearl, offering a simple, honest laugh in return.

With the exchange of courtesies complete, the man clutched the pearl and wandered off in a daze.

Yanlai examined the meat in her hand, a piece of well-marbled pork belly with layers of fat and lean. Having abstained from food for many years, she had no idea how to prepare or cook it.

In the end, she left the meat beside the teapot and lay back down in her rocking chair. Swaying gently with eyes closed, she searched her memories for ways to prepare pork belly.

Suddenly, a voice whispered in her ear, “Meat is best when roasted, sprinkled with seasoning, it’s most delicious that way.”

Yanlai opened her eyes again, but the courtyard remained unchanged. She rose hastily, entered the house, and passed the screen to approach the bed.

Hongchen was still asleep. Puzzled, she wondered who had spoken.

Seeing that the person remained unconscious, she had no choice but to return and lie down once more. Days passed sunrise after sunrise, sunset after sunset and the meat on the table dried out under the sun, still awaiting its fate.

One day, another knock came at the door. This time, it was a young girl.

The girl held a freshly slaughtered chicken, her gaze steady. She appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen, with pearl-adorned buns in her hair. Smiling at Yanlai, she said, “My father asked me to bring you some chicken, freshly killed and cleaned.”

Yanlai accepted it. Noticing the bright pearls in the girl’s hair, she thought for a moment and offered another luminous pearl.

The girl refused. “I can’t take it, it’s too much. The pearl you gave last time was more than enough. Accepting more would be greedy.”

Hearing this, Yanlai didn’t press further. So, her gifts had been overly generous.

After the girl left, Yanlai placed the chicken beside the dried meat and returned to her rocking chair.

Day after day, Hongchen remained unconscious and Yanlai stayed without leaving. The girl continued to visit regularly, bringing all sorts of items chickens, ducks, fish, and meat. Gradually, the table filled up.

Until one day, the man came again with meat and said, “My daughter is getting married the day after tomorrow. If you have time, please come for a celebratory drink.”

A celebratory drink? Yanlai recalled that in the immortal realm, attending a wedding feast was referred to similarly. She nodded in agreement.

The man left happily.

Yanlai returned to the room. The surroundings were silent and Hongchen’s breathing was faint. Sitting beside the bed, she observed Hongchen pale-faced, lips devoid of color, like a patient on the verge of death.

After a moment’s glance, she transferred some spiritual energy to Hongchen before returning to lie down again.

On the day of the wedding, Yanlai entered the room and spoke to the slumbering figure, “They are celebrating a joyous occasion. I came in haste and forgot to bring red attire. Lend me one of yours.”

With that, she reached out and touched Hongchen’s shoulder, slowly moving her hand toward the collar.

Before the battle, Hongchen had worn black robes, but during the great fight, they had transformed into red garments and had not been changed since.

Removing Hongchen’s outer robe, Yanlai flicked her fingers lightly. A beam of light enveloped the red clothing, and clear water gently washed it clean.

Then the clothes fell into Yanlai’s hands. She nodded with great satisfaction, put on the clothes, and looked at herself in the bronze mirror.

She went to the banquet.