After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 6

I fear others might covet your beauty.

The Flower Clan was hosting a banquet, and the entire immortal realm had come to offer congratulations. Even the desolate lands had sent envoys to the Hundred Flowers Mountain.

From Phoenix Mountain, the High Deity Yanlai arrived with her young disciple to extend her greetings and present gifts. The Flower Clan’s chieftain was the younger brother of the Heavenly Empress, and today’s celebration was for the birth of his son.

On Hundred Flowers Mountain, the foliage was lush, flowers bloomed in abundance, and mist wreathed the peaks. Immortals from all corners gathered to offer their felicitations. Upon Yanlai’s arrival, the chieftain personally received her and also treated Hongchen as an honored guest.

It was rather peculiar for the Flower Clan’s immortals to treat the Demon Lord as a distinguished guest. Hongchen trailed closely behind Yanlai, scanning the surroundings and assessing the situation before sighing, “Not a single High Deity in sight.”

In the great battle ten thousand years ago, the immortal and demon clans clashed fiercely. The Demon Lord, Hong Yan, single-handedly slaughtered countless immortals, leading to the near-extinction of High Deities among the celestial ranks. The former chieftain of the Flower Clan, the parents of the Heavenly Empress had also been High Deities, but they perished in that very conflict.

Yanlai was seated as an honored guest, with empty spaces around her. After Hongchen’s remark, Yanlai frowned and asked, “Am I not one?”

“You don’t belong to the immortal realm, so it doesn’t count,” Hongchen retorted, refusing to acknowledge her status. Phoenix Mountain existed independently of the Heavenly Realm, as did several other clans.

During that ancient battle, the Heavenly Emperor’s poor leadership resulted in the near-annihilation of High Deities from various clans, while he preserved his own spiritual power and forced the remaining clans to submit to the Heavenly Realm. The merfolk of the Eastern Sea, the winged tribes of the West, and the clans of the desolate lands now all prioritized self-preservation, steering clear of the conflicts between immortals and demons.

As the immortals took their seats, the hall gradually filled. Hongchen glanced around and asked curiously, “How did you come to fancy the Crown Prince?”

“He…” Yanlai frowned, racking her brains to recall the Crown Prince’s virtues. After a long pause, she finally said, “He has a handsome appearance, and the dragon clan possesses profound spiritual power. Any child of his would undoubtedly inherit great spiritual strength.”

“Are you marrying him just for the sake of having a child?” Hongchen found this utterly baffling. “Have you lost your mind, or has someone trampled on your brain?”

Yanlai shook her head. “I cultivate the Path of Emotionlessness, devoid of feelings and desires. After much contemplation, this is the only reason that could persuade me to marry.”

Hongchen: “…”

The master and disciple sat closely together, knees touching. Yanlai maintained an upright posture, her gaze fixed ahead, occasionally raising an eyebrow. She was the youngest High Deity in the celestial realm, flawless in her conduct and beyond reproach. As the future Crown Princess, no one dared show her anything but respect.

Gradually, the seats around them filled up, occupied by white-haired elders accompanied by throngs of disciples and descendants. Hongchen glanced at the elderly man on her left, his beard flowing, and asked Yanlai, “Who is he?”

“I don’t know,” Yanlai replied. Seizing the opportunity, Hongchen picked up a strand of Yanlai’s long hair and secretly twisted it into a loop, fastening it around her own little finger.

She then used a spell to cut the strand, forming a ring on her fingertip adorned with a red flower transforming it into a floral ring. Yanlai shot her a sidelong glance. “Childish.”

No sooner had she spoken than the Crown Prince of the immortal realm descended gracefully, eliciting gasps of admiration and praise from many fairies.

“Crown Prince Qingfeng is truly handsome and dignified. Look at him so gentle and courteous.”

Hongchen blinked. From merely standing there, how could anyone discern courtesy?

“Crown Prince Qingfeng truly lives up to his title as the immortal realm’s Crown Prince. I’ve heard his spiritual power is profound, making him the foremost among the younger generation.”

Hongchen turned to Yanlai. “Aren’t you of the same generation as him?” Even if one were to speak of prodigies, Yanlai should be the one, given that she had already attained the status of a High Deity. The Crown Prince’s spiritual power hadn’t even reached the level of an ordinary immortal.

Yanlai’s face flushed instantly. “I am slightly older than him.”

“How much older? The Crown Prince is over ten thousand years old,” Hongchen questioned, puzzled. If they weren’t of the same generation, how old must she be?

Thirty thousand years old?

Forty thousand?

Yanlai replied, “You’re overstepping a bit.”

Hongchen’s eyes turned slightly cold. Even the dimmest person would realize Yanlai disliked others mentioning her age. After a moment’s thought, she feigned consideration and said, “I don’t mind you being old. When we dual cultivate, don’t you feel very happy?”

“I…” Yanlai stopped mid-sentence as Qingfeng stood before their dining table. Yanlai looked up to see Qingfeng’s gentle expression as he spoke softly to her, “Yanlai, you came too. You should have told me in advance so we could come together.”

“Come together to flaunt your affection?” Hongchen blurted out without thinking, the bracelet on her sleeve trembling violently. Suddenly losing patience, she formed a hand seal to knock it unconscious. Then, she smiled brightly while locking eyes with Qingfeng.

The little disciple was being rather tactless by refusing to yield her seat. Qingfeng’s eyes darkened as he released his pressure, a surge of spiritual power beginning to force Hongchen to rise and even suppress her meridians. An ordinary minor immortal would certainly be controlled, but Hongchen was the Demon Lord such meager spiritual power wasn’t enough to suppress her.

Since the other party had made a move, how could she just endure the grievance? She gazed tenderly at Yanlai and asked, “Master, do you feel a spiritual power?”

Yanlai nodded, reaching out to grasp Hongchen’s wrist. Hongchen was startled and frowned, “You’re touching me again.”

Yanlai prevented Hongchen from using her spiritual power while staring coldly at Qingfeng, “She’s only a hundred years old. Does the Crown Prince wish to bully the weak?”

Qingfeng inexplicably took a step back, forced to retreat. He looked incredulously at the little disciple before him, only a hundred years old, yet possessing such profound spiritual power?

Yanlai’s intervention didn’t satisfy Hongchen. She suppressed Qingfeng’s meridians with her powerful spiritual energy, forcing him to retreat step by step.

One step, two steps, three steps, ten steps until he was finally driven out of the hall.

The pressure she released loomed over Qingfeng’s head, but Yanlai unexpectedly helped him by pulling him back into the hall, “Leave some face for future encounters.”

Hongchen raised an eyebrow slightly, disliking this reasoning, “I prefer to annihilate the root of the problem.”

Just then, the Flower Clan leader arrived, signaling with his eyes for Hongchen to move aside. She glared back at him. Left with no choice, he had to add another seat. The guest seats were all pre-arranged. If Yanlai came, she would naturally sit at the Crown Prince’s table; if not, the Crown Prince would have a table to himself.

With the little disciple usurping the spot, he had to add a seat for the Crown Prince at the host’s table. The host’s table included the Flower Clan leader, his two daughters, and his wife holding their son. Qingfeng sat at his cousin’s table, much to the Flower Clan princess’s surprise. She chattered away, addressing him as “cousin” repeatedly, and he responded with smiles, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

The Red Clan princess beamed with joy, clinging to him like a delicate bird. Crown Prince Qingfeng smiled in response, and the cousins got along splendidly.

Watching the Crown Prince’s instantly shifting demeanor, Hongchen blinked and remarked, “He seems quite popular among the fairies.”

Qingfeng possessed good looks, deep spiritual power, and a noble status wherever he went, he was the brightest spotlight. No matter how dazzling he was, he couldn’t attract Yanlai. She paid him no mind, completely indifferent even when he flirted with other girls.

Hongchen chuckled, resting her chin in her hands as she looked at the Flower Clan leader, then at Yanlai, “I’ve heard the Heavenly Emperor not only has an empress but also many celestial consorts. Could your fiancé have many women too?”

“Let him be,” Yanlai replied indifferently.

Hongchen suddenly found it dull, “That’s not how it goes in the storybooks.”

Yanlai glanced at her. “What should it be like?”

“The main wife got angry and killed all the women who got close to her husband.” Hong Chen blinked lightly and, with a wave of her hand, produced a stack of storybooks. She generously shoved them toward Yanlai. “What I said is true. Look, these are very popular in the mortal realm. Some are quite old and are rare editions.”

Yanlai gave her a complicated, unreadable look and did not take them.

Hong Chen silently put the books away, took a sip of wine, and whispered, “The stories are really exciting.”

No one paid her any attention.

Hong Chen was fierce, and no one dared approach her. After the banquet ended, Yanlai bid farewell to the Flower Clan leader. The clan leader, however, stared at the little fairy who had made his nephew suffer. “The disciple of the High God is exceptionally gifted, with remarkable innate talent. To achieve such astonishing results at just a hundred years old.”

Yanlai frowned. Hong Chen burst into laughter, completely missing the implication of the words, and cheerfully replied, “It’s all thanks to my master’s excellent teaching.”

Yanlai said nothing. Grabbing her little disciple by the back of her collar, she soared into the sky and unfurled her wings. In an instant, the drunken immortals sobered up, gazing at the golden wings in the air, flames soaring and radiant light stretching for miles.

The Flower Clan members all wore grave expressions. The clan leader remarked, “That Yan Chen possesses profound spiritual power, completely suppressing the Crown Prince. I fear that if the Crown Prince marries High God Yanlai in the future, it may not bode well for him. That little disciple dared to humiliate the Crown Prince in our Flower Clan. If it were elsewhere.”

He trailed off, his expression already dark.

“Father, just kill her. It would also serve as a warning to that High God to teach her disciple properly. Our Immortal Clan’s Crown Prince is not to be bullied. The Crown Prince is amiable, but that doesn’t mean he can be treated like this. Don’t you agree?” Flower Clan Princess Yu Ling said with a playful smile.

The Flower Clan leader did not respond, but a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

Once they left Hundred Flowers Mountain, Hong Chen summoned her mount, a red qilin. She pulled Yanlai onto it to chat, but Yanlai closed her eyes to rest.

Hong Chen shoved the storybooks at her again. As night fell and the qilin flew slowly, Hong Chen waved her sleeve and conjured a lantern. Pointing at one of the books, she said, “Look, this one is quite good two brothers fighting over one woman. You know what? The younger brother is actually a woman. Tsk, tsk, it’s so thrilling.”

She chattered on, but Yan Chen kept her eyes closed and did not respond.

Hong Chen piled the storybooks in front of her, smiling innocently. The ring on her finger stood out vividly pale skin, jet-black hair, the stark contrast captivating to the eye.

Hong Chen was not a quiet girl. Once she started talking, she didn’t know when to stop. Yanlai covered her ears and opened her eyes. A beam of light appeared in the sky.

In the darkness, the light was dazzling. She raised her hand and caught it, a flying message: Come save me, quickly.

“Who is it?” Hong Chen wondered, looking around before fixing her gaze on the message.

Yanlai stood up, and Hong Chen followed closely, watching her intently. She observed Yanlai’s slender figure, those indifferent yet mesmerizing eyes.

“High Immortal Sanmeng is in trouble. You should return to Phoenix Mountain, no, you should go back to the Demon Realm. This matter has nothing to do with you.” Yanlai concealed the flying message and instructed Hong Chen, “You’re injured, and your soul is incomplete. If you encounter anyone from the Immortal Realm, remember to conceal your presence. Don’t provoke them recklessly.”

“Shall we go together?” Hongchen gazed at her, his eyes tracing the contours of her eyes. Recalling the wings from earlier, she pondered for a moment before declaring magnanimously, “We’ve already dual-cultivated, so we’re cultivation partners. Your sword is too unsightly, and flying alone might attract unwanted attention to your beauty. I’ll give you the Red Qilin instead.”