Guide to the Rebirth of the Evil Woman in the Immortal Realm - Chapter 15

The Divine Court Flower Banquet continued unabated, with wine cups clinking and revelry in full swing. After consuming the final pill refined by Shen Fuxin’s own hands, the atmosphere, which had cooled due to the earlier commotion, warmed up once more, even surpassing its previous liveliness.

Shen Fuxin unconsciously tightened her fingertips, a strange sensation of dizziness and nausea enveloping her entirely. She lifted her head and looked around in the vast flower banquet, only she, Ji Ting, and Wen Renyi remained clear-headed.

Ji Ting’s fingers twitched lightly in Shen Fuxin’s palm, pressing against the wound and causing a sharp pain. Only then did Shen Fuxin realize she was still holding Ji Ting’s hand. Faced with this bizarre banquet, she didn’t want to stay a moment longer. Instinctively, she refrained from questioning Ji Ting further about the need to leave quickly, as her own consciousness urged her to make the same judgment as Ji Ting at that moment.

“I want to leave,” Shen Fuxin whispered to Ji Ting. “I must return to the Divine Hall of Yan Dan now.”

Wen Renyi watched Shen Fuxin with a cold expression. The crimson Listening God Pill remained untouched on her plate; she hadn’t taken it and seemed to have no intention of doing so.

“Leaving so soon?” Her voice was indifferent. “Why not stay and have a few more drinks?”

The gods were still drinking merrily, paying no attention to their conversation. A breeze swept across the narcissus pond, rustling the stems and making them sway, yet the three of them stood unmoving, like heavy stone monuments in the water.

“This humble immortal is dull-witted and has not yet attained godhood. I am unworthy of remaining at the Flower Banquet to drink with the esteemed gods,” Shen Fuxin bowed slightly and saluted Wen Renyi. “Since the task entrusted to me by my master has been completed, I shall take my leave and prepare to return to the Immortal Realm.”

Wen Renyi’s cold, sharp eyes, like glinting blades, swept over Shen Fuxin and then over Ji Ting, who stood meekly behind her.

As if finally growing weary, she flicked the immortal pill from her plate into the flower pond with a snap of her fingers.

“You are nothing like her,” Wen Renyi lowered her gaze, poured a cup of wine, and drank it in one gulp. “The Divine Bird awaits at the banquet entrance. Leave quickly.”

Shen Fuxin couldn’t have asked for more. She immediately bowed in farewell and led Ji Ting away from the mist-shrouded center of the Flower Banquet. Once again, they mounted Wen Renyi’s ill-tempered divine bird, which had a habit of pecking, and flew toward the direction of Yan Dan’s Divine Hall.

Throughout the journey, Ji Ting remained silent, and Shen Fuxin didn’t press for an explanation. Upon arriving at the Divine Hall, the two immortals headed straight for Yan Dan’s alchemy chamber. As expected, Yan Dan was still seated there, the faint light illuminating her completely white hair, which resembled smooth brocade silk.

The immortal attendants in the hall had all vanished, and the eternal alchemy cauldron had extinguished its flames. Shen Fuxin took a few steps in the dim silence and stood behind Yan Dan. “Master.”

Yan Dan was curled up in her chair, asleep, and only stirred when Shen Fuxin called out to her. She lifted her head in a daze.

In that moment, Shen Fuxin saw the weariness etched on her face. Recognizing Shen Fuxin, Yan Dan relaxed. “How was the Flower Banquet? Did Wen Renyi give you any trouble?”

Shen Fuxin replied truthfully, “When I was refining the second batch of pills, she helped me.”

Yan Dan’s expression shifted slightly, a trace of surprise flickering across her face.

“When I went today, I unintentionally overheard them saying that my immortal attendant resembles someone, and that you were once close to this person,” Shen Fuxin said softly. “Does the Master know about this?”

The Divine Lord Yan Dan was taken aback and instinctively glanced at Ji Ting beside Shen Fuxin.

“Never mind. Since you and I are now master and disciple, you are bound to hear more rumors and gossip in the future,” Divine Lord Yan Dan sighed, her voice as light as a whisper. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. “It might be better if I explain this old matter to you clearly now.”

Shen Fuxin replied, “Please speak, Master.”

“This matter dates back thirty thousand years. At that time, I had just ascended and, by chance, became acquainted with Wuzhen. Wuzhen was the foremost war goddess in the divine realm, renowned for her illustrious achievements. Together with her comrades and friends, she once turned the tide, saving three thousand mortal worlds from calamity. For a hundred thousand years, these war goddesses basked in glory until thirty thousand years ago.”

Divine Lord Yan Dan’s voice was slow and low, as if she might fall asleep at any moment. “After working alongside them for a thousand years, a major incident suddenly occurred. To be honest, I was foolishly slow to see the situation clearly, truly believing the divine realm was a paradise free of desires. Naturally, I was wrong.”

“Wuzhen was decisive in battle. I hadn’t seen her for three days when she incited the mortal realm and most of the immortal realm to rise up in rebellion. But Wuzhen failed, and her fate was tragic. They exposed her corpse on the Execution Platform, while another war goddess who had been her comrade had her memories erased and was cast into the mortal realm to endure endless cycles of bitter, lowly lives.”

Ji Ting, who had been listening quietly beside Shen Fuxin, suddenly asked, “The war goddess who rebelled against the divine realm was named Wuzhen. What was the name of her unfortunate friend who was banished?”

Divine Lord Yan Dan lowered her eyes. “Her name was Shensha.”

Ji Ting fell silent, but Shen Fuxin spoke again. “Weren’t the gods involved in this incident afraid that Shensha might regain her memories and return to seek revenge?”

“It would be difficult for Shensha to return,” Divine Lord Yan Dan said. “They killed Wuzhen, shattered the core of their alliance, and scattered them apart. Shensha was stubborn, the type to walk a single path to its bitter end without looking back. Without external help, it would be impossible for her to return.”

After finishing her words about Shensha, Divine Lord Yan Dan seemed to recall something and looked up at Shen Fuxin. “Fuxin, at the Divine Court Flower Banquet earlier, did you successfully refine that final elixir?”

Shen Fuxin unconsciously curled her fingers. On the way back, she had already healed the wound from the mica shard, but a hidden unease still lingered in her heart.

Hearing the question, she concealed the incident of the turquoise ingredient accidentally slipping and the injury to her palm, replying gently, “It was refined successfully. All the divine lords were very pleased but Master, for some reason, the color of the elixir was not the turquoise you described, but a crimson red.”

As soon as Shen Fuxin finished speaking, Divine Lord Yan Dan’s already pale face suddenly changed drastically.

She summoned the two immortal attendants guarding the back of the hall, whispered a few instructions to them, and they hurriedly ran out, clutching their cattle-driving grass whips.

Shen Fuxin grew even more convinced there was something fishy about the situation. Just as she was about to press further, the god Yan Dan turned around and handed her a golden leaf from his person, along with a thick ancient book. “This leaf serves as proof of my identity. With it, you can communicate with me across the three realms. Take this book back to the immortal realm to study. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just send me a message. Once you’ve obtained what you’re after, make sure to return promptly.”

Coincidentally, an immortal attendant who had been sent out returned at that moment, holding two tokens, one gold and one silver high in their hands. The god Yan Dan took the tokens and let out a sigh of relief. “Keep these safe. The gold one is the Trial Token for the Animal Realm you requested, which requires ten reincarnations to accumulate ten thousand years of merit. The silver one is an ordinary Trial Token for the Human Realm. It only asks you to perform good deeds in the human world for a hundred years, without the need for reincarnation, and will only grant you a century’s worth of merit.”

Shen Fuxin accepted the tokens. “Only good deeds? What happens if I do something bad?”

The god Yan Dan’s expression turned peculiar. “That depends on what kind of bad deed we’re talking about.”

Shen Fuxin thought for a moment. “For example, crushing a couple of bugs into dust or something?”

The god Yan Dan shook his head helplessly, then seemed to remember something. “When do you plan to descend?”

The young girl in green robes caressed the two tokens in her hand with great fondness. Upon hearing the question, she suddenly smiled brightly as if recalling something.

Shen Fuxin replied calmly, “Let’s set it for three months from now the fifth day of the sixth month.”

–

On the journey back to the immortal realm, Ji Ting was unusually quiet, which unfortunately made Shen Fuxin restless.

Without any immortal attendants accompanying them on the return trip, the two rode together on the same green ox they had come on. Shen Fuxin kicked Ji Ting’s calf lightly. “What else do you know?”

Ji Ting said, “The person you’re looking for is likely connected to the source of the last ingredient needed for the elixir. If you truly wish to find her, you’ll probably end up making enemies of certain high gods, maybe even risking your life. Shen Fuxin, knowing all this, do you still want to search for her?”

“Of course,” Shen Fuxin replied. “Gods aren’t immortal. Even the most powerful War God can die. One day, I’ll make sure to strike them down before they can kill me.”

Ji Ting paused, then broke into the relaxed smile Shen Fuxin knew so well. “Our Little Fu is so fierce, quite the War God in the making.”

Shen Fuxin, annoyed by her teasing, ignored her. A moment later, Ji Ting said, “I want to go to the human realm with you, Little Fu.”

Ji Ting’s arms wrapped around Shen Fuxin’s waist from behind. Leaning against her back, Ji Ting could feel the tension in the body of the person seated in front of her. She tightened her embrace, pulling Shen Fuxin even closer. “Take me with you. I’ll be useful, I promise.”

Shen Fuxin couldn’t understand how this seemingly frail charlatan could possess such strength. Glancing down, she saw Ji Ting’s beautiful yet powerful hands locked firmly in front of her abdomen, holding her captive like a pair of manacles.

Shen Fuxin’s heart sank. Perhaps it was due to her damned furnace constitution, but she had always disliked physical contact since childhood, finding it unsettling. And now, this damned charlatan Ji Ting was squeezing her even tighter. The warmth of the skin pressed against her from behind made Shen Fuxin feel dizzy.

Furious, she elbowed Ji Ting sharply. “Stop clinging to me!”

Ji Ting only held on tighter, whining pitifully, “You’re the one who said I’m the immortal attendant you hired to serve you day and night. Why would you go to the human realm alone without taking Little Ting? Mistress, say something, why won’t you answer me?”

Shen Fuxin suppressed the trembling in her calf, took a deep breath, and said, “Just wait. Once I get down, I’ll kill you.”

“Master, if you keep messing with your immortal realm master like this, won’t she get angry?” Ji Ting spoke with feigned concern, though her words were clearly meant to stir up trouble. “You’re descending to the mortal realm on the fifth day of the sixth month, what about your master? That day, she’ll be holding the red silk, waiting for you to form a bond. Oh, and don’t forget your wealthy senior sister. You’re abandoning the three of us to go to the mortal realm and wait for your father. How heartless! If those two find out, they’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth.”

Shen Fuxin tried using magic but still couldn’t shake Ji Ting off. She kicked her one last time in frustration. “Let them hunt me. I want to see whether their love for me runs deeper or their hatred. Now let go. I’ll take you with me!”

Satisfied with the answer, Ji Ting obediently released her grip. “What about me? Does Little Fu love me more or hate me more?”

As they approached the immortal realm, Shen Fuxin could already make out the familiar sight of Guteng Immortal Residence. She smiled and swung her sword at Ji Ting. “What do you think, Little Ting?”