Failed to Woo the Deity: I Severed His Path to Love - Chapter 1

Qing Ningwan paced toward the Moon Gate with her hands tucked behind her back. She leaned in to examine the blue-and-white barrier—a veil that looked as fragile as a thin membrane but was, in truth, indestructible. After resting her chin in her hand for a moment of quiet contemplation, she nodded composedly to the two Flying Cat Gate-Gods and turned to leave.

The breeze was warm and the sunlight brilliant. Today happened to be the succession ceremony for the seventeenth young master of the Crane Tribe.

“Rumor has it that the Crane Tribe has many young masters. Unfortunately, some are carefree wanderers while others possess lofty ambitions, and not a single one was willing to lower themselves to stay in this desolate place. The Crane Elder had no choice. Even though he calculated countless auspicious dates for the ceremony, they always ended up being canceled.”

A few minutes later, Qing Ningwan found the Fox Immortal Aunt who had just arrived to collect snow lotuses. With a silver tongue, she called out “Beautiful Auntie who knows the laws of heaven and the geography of the earth,” a greeting that softened the heart of Bi Ti, the immortal who had held her when she was a child. Yielding to the girl’s gentle pestering, Bi Ti began to recount the tale of the seventeenth master’s succession.

“Only the seventeenth master was willing to take over. It really wasn’t easy.”

Bi Ti scratched her head. “So, the very day his cultivation reached the required level, the Crane Elder couldn’t wait to pass the position to his youngest son, sighing that he could finally enjoy his retirement.”

“Mm. Is it not good to be the head of a tribe?” Qing Ningwan asked, half-confused.

“Many times, carrying a heavy responsibility means you are no longer your own master.” Bi Ti tapped the girl’s head before giving it a playful rub. She smiled. “Wan Wan, you will understand once you succeed as the Female Sovereign.”

The girl’s agate-black pupils suddenly flickered. A scheme began to brew in her mind. She naturally wrapped her arms around Bi Ti’s arm, leaning in with a little shake as she tested the waters. “Good Auntie, they say ‘stones from other hills may serve to polish jade.’ We should learn from the best so that I can be a good ruler, just as my father hopes. Right?”

Unfortunately, Qing Ningwan hadn’t paid much attention during the Goddess’s lessons. She had to rack her brain for quite a while just to come up with that one idiom. In short, what she meant was “take me out, take me out, take me out.” She blinked at Bi Ti, her bright eyes filled with a mix of longing and fervor, her little scheme written all over her face.

Bi Ti sighed inwardly, realizing the girl hadn’t listened to a word of her previous warning. Putting on a solemn expression, she quickly turned away. “No. The tribes are complex. There are many immortal herbs and ancient enemies you haven’t studied deeply yet. You mustn’t wander off and stumble into danger.”

“Furthermore, I promised your father I would look after you properly,”

She stopped mid-sentence. A sweet fragrance drifted into her nose, like a breeze from beneath a peach tree soaking into the soul. Bi Ti’s incorruptible resolve wavered the moment Qing Ningwan stuffed a bottle of berry wine, aged for a hundred years, into her arms. She suddenly felt that since the child was so grown, she really ought to see the world. In this era of peace with no demons stirring up trouble, Old Man Xuan Qing was perhaps being a bit too paranoid.

“I promise, just one look. I absolutely won’t touch anything I shouldn’t,” the girl said, her gaze earnest.

Bi Ti weighed the wine flask with feigned indifference and turned around. “Fine. But I must rush back to the Fox Tribe. You must promise to return before the ceremony ends.” She tilted her head slightly, signaling for the girl to follow.

“Definitely, definitely!” Qing Ningwan trotted forward, her face instantly lighting up with a wide smile.

However, a moment later, her smile faded as she began to feel uncertain. The Fox Immortal Aunt, for some reason, hadn’t asked to use magic to transform her into something hidden. She simply let the girl walk beside her with a grand air toward the exit. Qing Ningwan knew she would definitely be caught by the Gate-Gods if she went out like that, so she secretly transformed into a leaf and attached herself to Bi Ti’s sleeve.

Bi Ti gave her sleeve a shake, changing her back to her original form. She smiled and said, “No need. I have my ways.”

The Heavenly River stretched far and wide. The beautiful sun pierced through the three trees, casting shimmering light onto the Red Water. The breeze moved like plucked zither strings, and the Poria flowers swayed in full bloom, their posture elegant.

Five paces from the Moon Gate, a wave of magic caused the barrier to flash with a weak light, which then cracked into lines like blue-and-white crushed gemstones. The two Flying Cat Gate-Gods, standing as straight as ancient trees with deep roots, sensed something. they crossed their protective swords to block the way.

Qing Ningwan watched in surprise as her “good auntie” unhurriedly pulled two invitations from her sleeve. She spread them out and waved them. On one of them, the words “Qing Ningwan, daughter of Xuan Qing” were clearly inscribed.

The swords were retracted with a “shua” sound. The path ahead was clear.

Later, the Fox Immortal Aunt told her that the invitations were real, but she had inscribed the names herself because the old Crane Elder hadn’t even had time to write them.

The succession ceremony was a massive affair. In his joy, the Crane Elder had sent out invitations recklessly, giving them to anyone he saw. Since many tribal lords had received thousand-year longevity fruits, they couldn’t refuse the invitation and went to offer their congratulations.

Qing Ningwan conjured an auspicious cloud and flew aimlessly. To the south of Mount Zhang’e was the residence of the Crane Elder. Both sides were lined with vibrant flowers and a lingering aura of life. It had taken the Crane Tribe thousands of years of cultivation to decorate this barren southern land with the shadows of floating bell-flowers. Honestly, she had only come out of curiosity and a desire for leisure, but seeing this still filled her with admiration. She stopped at a patch of green grass beneath a Clear Stone tree, casually plucked a stalk of Forget-Worry grass to hold in her mouth, and lay down. Half of her face was hidden in the tree’s shadow while the other half bathed in the bright light.

Across the blue sky, rows of welcoming cranes occasionally flew past like dark clouds, followed by teams of flying horses pulling large carriages. They galloped through the clouds, leaving trailing veils of white mist in their wake. This display was just as lively as the wedding of the Son of the Phoenix.

Qing Ningwan closed her eyes. The sweet, crisp scent of mint lingered in her mouth. The Forget-Worry grass did not need to make her forget her worries, for her daily life was already full of flavor and elegance.

Suddenly, a fruit fell from the Clear Stone tree. It struck Qing Ningwan’s forehead, grazed her brow, and rolled into the grass. It stung a little. Rubbing her forehead, she decided she might as well eat the fruit, but she noticed it was rolling steadily northward. Without thinking, she followed it.

The fruit was a translucent emerald green. It tumbled onto the sandy ground, wobbled twice, and came to a stop.

“Heh, caught you at last.” Qing Ningwan snatched it up. Her attention was entirely captured by the fruit, so she didn’t notice that the surroundings were now covered in crushed sand and stone, save for an Emerald Immortal Lake surrounded by a large cluster of jade-like flowers. When she looked up, she froze.

A lake in the middle of the desert. What tenacious vitality.

She stepped forward and leaned down. These green fruits hung all over the emerald flower bushes, crystal clear and enticing. A faint, sweet scent drifted through the air. They looked exactly like the fruit that had just “run away.” Qing Ningwan plucked one and popped it into her mouth, having long ago tossed the warning about “not having studied the effects” to the back of her mind.

“What kind of fruit is this? It looks soft, but tastes as hard as glass,” Qing Ningwan muttered softly. The fruit seemed to understand her words and slid straight down her throat, lodging in her airway and expanding. Her magic was mediocre to begin with, and this sudden blockage turned her face bright red as she coughed with all her might.

At some point, a cloud of golden mist had appeared around her. She suddenly felt a surge of force against her back, pushing her straight toward the Emerald Immortal Lake.

Splash!

Qing Ningwan fell into the lake.

Standing on the shore thirty inches above, a young man looked down at her. He calmly retracted his immortal Qi. The golden energy transformed into silken tassels, elegantly tracing a pattern of half-bloomed violets on his sleeve, charming and radiant.

“Cough, cough! What kind of person is so blind,”

After a moment, Qing Ningwan struggled to surface and scrambled onto the shore. The lake’s immortal power was extremely potent. In just that short time, her delicate skin felt as if it had been burned. Seeing the perpetrator standing on the shore, completely unmoved and composed, she spoke up indignantly: “You are quite unreasonable. You pushed someone and didn’t even apologize.”

The young man didn’t respond but continued to look down at her, his gaze shifting slightly. It was then that Qing Ningwan realized she was soaking wet, her clothes clinging tightly to her skin. She immediately turned her back to him, her face flushing crimson with even more indignation: “Did your parents never teach you? One should not look at what is improper. You have no manners at all.”

“I have no parents.”

The young man spoke slowly, his tone still as calm as water. Just as Qing Ningwan felt a sudden surge of guilt and wanted to offer comfort, he asked a question in return: “Furthermore, if one encounters a thief, shouldn’t they be punished?”

Qing Ningwan thought he meant he had accidentally hit her while trying to catch a thief. She looked around but saw no one. She turned her head slightly in surprise. “There was a thief just now?”

The young man’s expression turned solemn, and he gave a grave nod.

“But in this desolate place, what is there to,” before she could finish the word “steal,” the young man pointed at the Emerald Immortal Lake. With a tone that sounded entirely aggrieved, he said: “She stole and ate the emerald jade stones I planted and nearly choked to death. It was only thanks to my generosity that I saved her.”

What? Qing Ningwan looked in the direction he was pointing and was stunned. No wonder she couldn’t bite through it earlier and nearly chipped a tooth. This “fruit” was actually made of jade.

From the way he spoke, he seemed to be a charitable person. She paused and finally took a proper look at the young man before her. He had a pair of beautiful eyes and wore a light blue robe cinched with a jade belt. Bunches of golden violets spiraled around his sleeves. His long hair fell like a waterfall down his back, rippling in the wind. Looking at that dark, glossy, and flowing hair, she couldn’t help but wonder what herbal immortal dew he used to care for it. His tone toward her was full of grievance, but his face held a playful glint. As their eyes met, his expression stiffened slightly and a faint blush appeared on his face. He coughed once and casually conjured a golden shawl, handing it to her while turning his head away. “You… put this on first.”

Under the circumstances, Qing Ningwan didn’t refuse. She took it and tied it around her shoulders.

Mm. At least he had a conscience.

“So, you came to this barren land to… guard jade stones? And you actually think people will steal them? And you really saw someone stealing and then saved them?” This immortal was strange. He looked every bit the elegant deity, but his actions were bizarre. Qing Ningwan pulled the shawl tighter, her attitude naturally softening a bit.

“Yes,” the young man nodded sincerely.

Qing Ningwan said in surprise: “With so many flourishing places available, why did you choose to plant flowers here?” The young man reminded her, and she corrected herself, “Plant… jade fruits. Are you also a member of the Crane Tribe?”

“Jade,” the young man corrected her again.

Internally, Qing Ningwan rolled her eyes. She felt that people in the outside world were all so pretentious and serious. There were clearly emerald flower bushes right there; why couldn’t the things growing on them be considered fruits?

The young man continued: “These are no ordinary jade stones. They are formed by absorbing the spiritual grace of the Emerald Immortal Lake and have the effect of prolonging life.” He paused. “These do not belong to me; I am planting them for someone else.”

He didn’t answer her second question, and Qing Ningwan wasn’t interested in asking again.

The sun was scorching, and the puddle of water at her feet had dried somewhat.

The young man’s tone suddenly softened. “You’re not choking anymore, are you?” He finished and then subtly arched an eyebrow. “This immortal lake cannot only dissolve jade but can also dissolve turbid Qi. Drinking a few mouthfuls occasionally to vent your anger is actually beneficial for your body.”

Vent anger? What anger? And she didn’t have any “turbid Qi.”

Earlier, Qing Ningwan had felt something was off, and now it suddenly clicked. This guy was insulting her in a roundabout way and subtly calling her a thief. And to think she had actually thought he looked dignified and righteous.

She lifted her head and explained formally: “Young master, I think you are mistaken. It was your jade stone,” she pointed to the green fruit that had rolled to the side earlier, “that grew legs and led me here.”