Is This How It Starts? I Choose To Fake My Death [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 15

Before even opening his eyes, Shen Ji first felt a familiar, scorching heat wave rushing toward him. The spiritual energy in his meridians also surged, bubbling with activity a hundredfold more than it had in the mortal realm.

Mount Qi, the blessed land of supreme fortune where he had once gambled his life to escape, possessed this exact kind of innate treasure-land vitality.

The system cried out, “Host, how could this happen…”

Shen Ji maintained a completely expressionless face. He had just rescued yet another bird from Mount Qi. This particular bird actually knew how to show gratitude, but it would have been better off remaining ungrateful.

“Immortal Jun.”

Shen Ji turned toward his side, finding the spot where the mastermind ought to have been standing entirely empty.

“Immortal Jun, please look downward.”

Lowering his head, Shen Ji followed the sound to the ground. A plump, round fire phoenix spread its short wings and fluttered into the air, its flame-like burning tail feathers swaying gently with its movements, blazing and sparkling under the scorching sun.

Another juvenile form. Yet compared to Xie Feng’s malnourished, skinny physique, this phoenix would certainly never be mistaken for anything else.

“I had no choice but to invite Immortal Jun to Minghuang City for temporary refuge, and I pray Immortal Jun will not fault me.”

The little red bird landed on Shen Ji’s right shoulder, continuing its voice transmission with an apology that completely mismatched the stiff expression of this face, “Should you have remained in the mortal realm, I fear Xie Feng might work against Immortal Jun.”

Shen Ji raised a hand to pinch its decorative beak. “I do not mind; you had best send me back.”

The little red bird remained rigidly pinched by him, not moving an inch. Shen Ji shook its stiff head, flicked its wings aside with his fingers, and discovered not a single stray-colored feather across its entire body.

As his fingertips accidentally brushed the inner side of its wing feathers and swept downward to stroke its tail feathers, the stiff-as-iron little red bird finally spread its wings and flew away from his shoulder, maintaining a deliberate distance of over an arm’s length.

It transmitted via voice, “Apologies, but I possess no scroll leading to the mortal realm.”

Solemn, grave, and entirely unruffled. Such a bland reaction offered zero amusement.

Withdrawing his hand, Shen Ji instead stated, “Then send me to the Demon-Mortal passage.”

A trace of difficulty tinged the little red bird’s pure, mellow voice, “Please forgive me, Immortal Jun, for it is not that I am unwilling to render assistance, but rather that my present circumstances render it inconvenient for me to show my face.”

Judging by its feather coloration, it was unmistakably a Scarlet Phoenix, considered nobility among the Phoenix clan. To sustain injuries in the mortal realm and yet find it inconvenient to show his face upon reaching Minghuang City, could he be one of the participants in those two attempts to hunt down Xie Feng?

Taking the opportunity, Shen Ji inquired, “Who on earth might you be?”

Hesitating for a moment, the little red bird answered truthfully, “Immortal Jun may simply call me Yun Lang.”

Upon hearing this name, the system suffered near-suffocation, “That cannot be right!”

Shen Ji demanded, “What is the meaning of this?”

For the nth time, the system experienced a breakdown. It delivered a heartbroken introduction for the host, “Yun Lang serves as the second male lead of this novel! He is the leader of the Scarlet Phoenix lineage. According to the background lore, the former Phoenix Emperor killed by the main villain was his father, meaning he was originally the rightful heir to the Phoenix Emperor throne. As a consequence of extreme misfortune, his position was hijacked by the main villain, leading many within the Scarlet Phoenix faction to harbor deep resentment toward the main villain.”

Shen Ji understood. No wonder. Yun Lang had previously remarked within the Snow Domain that everything was his fault.

The system continued, “Because he grew dissatisfied with his subordinates employing blood sacrifice of Scarlet Falcons to hunt down the main villain, he dashed to the mortal realm to disrupt the array. Unfortunately, he failed, and following his injuries, he suffered the misfortune of being trapped within the Snow Domain seal, only to be rescued by a passing mortal. Consequently, upon meeting Luo Ning, he paid exceptional attention to her as a mortal, gradually developed deep affections for her, and subsequently assisted the female lead in combating the main villain! Alas, Luo Ning viewed him merely as a gentleman pure and lofty as the breeze…”

Shen Ji severed its lengthy discourse, “Get to the point.”

Reminded by the host, the system reverted to sorrow, “The point is that this second male lead is scheduled to make his very first appearance during the immortal realm banquet one whole month from now in the book! Furthermore, he constitutes one of the absolute core mainstays resisting the main villain. Now that he has been rescued by someone other than an ordinary mortal, how is he supposed to look at the female lead differently? The plot has fractured completely once more!”

Wherefore? The system remained utterly baffled. Were not the intervals prior to the main quest’s initiation meant entirely for the host to pass the time however he pleased? Why, upon reaching its watch, before even catching a glimpse of the main storyline, were all manner of branch plots shattering into disarray?

First, the main villain nearly failed to recover his cultivation. Second, the second male lead appeared prematurely, causing subsequent plot progression to go completely awry. After all, this second male lead also served as a manifestation of the female lead’s exceptional fortune.

It shuddered to imagine how Luo Ning might navigate the immortal realm safely during the early stages without Yun Lang’s covert protection. The host departing the mortal realm right as the immortal-mortal passage opened no longer qualified as a difficult puzzle amidst this major catastrophe.

For the umpteenth time, the system implored, “I beg of you, host, you cannot depart! If you leave, what shall become of the second male lead’s favorable impression toward mortals? What of the female lead? What of the quest…”

Shen Ji countered, “Desire you that I remain within Xie Feng’s ancestral home?”

“That is true too.” Hearing this, the system instantly plunged into a dilemma. “Yet consider this, host: should the female lead lose an asset in the future, completing your quest shall prove infinitely more arduous.”

Shen Ji stated, “There is no rush regarding that.”

The Flawless Disguise carried a thirty-day validity limit. Throughout this duration, he possessed merely two options. First, locate a powerful backer capable of restraining Xie Feng. Second, discover a sustainable method for generating points to facilitate renewal.

The Demon Realm served as Xie Feng’s primary stronghold, effectively sealing off the first option. For the second option, he required an audience with the female lead. In other words, remaining within the Demon Realm offered zero benefits and only harm. With his life forfeited, fulfilling the quest held zero utility.

Compelled to compromise, the system conceded, “Then I shall defer to the host…”

Nearby, observing Shen Ji’s silence, Yun Lang sighed, “The Phoenix clan traverses a season of eventful autumns, and I harbored no intent of deliberate concealment. Should Immortal Jun fault me, I shall readily offer recompense.”

Within the Three Spiritual Realms, strength reigned supreme. Since Xie Feng’s ascension to the Phoenix Emperor throne over three millennia prior, the various clans had largely submitted to the Phoenix lineage, bringing increasing prosperity to Mount Qi. Against the Phoenix clan’s supreme status, what amounted his personal grief of patricide and lingering resentment?

Moreover, his tactical prowess fell far short of Xie Feng’s, and ever since his initial encounter with Xie Feng nine thousand years ago, his strength had remained inferior. Surpassed in every aspect, where lay the necessity of courting humiliation?

He had attempted on several occasions to dissuade Wu Xun from stirring up trouble, yet matters had ultimately evolved to this juncture. Yun Lang cast his gaze toward Juanchitai. With Xie Feng’s restoration today, Wu Xun and his faction would assuredly seek to evade or flee. He harbored no desire to cross paths with Wu Xun at this juncture either, lest he waste time in vain and squander the opportune window.

With this thought, he addressed Shen Ji anew, “Upon entering the city, I shall establish a protective barrier for Immortal Jun. Phoenix guards inspect not Phoenix clan auras, allowing Immortal Jun to select any location within the outer city to settle.”

Shen Ji replied, “Unnecessary.”

Entering Minghuang City rendered exiting an additional complication. Since Yun Lang sought to conceal his tracks and found conveying him to the passage inconvenient, he would return independently. The Gale Leopard retained flight capabilities within the Demon Realm, and he ought to arrive in time.

Just as he prepared to bid Yun Lang farewell, the sky abruptly darkened. Mount Qi within the Three Spiritual Realms endured scorching heat year-round, virtually devoid of nocturnal darkness, and encountering such an abrupt blackout proved even rarer.

Yun Lang similarly raised his head, gazing upon the dense storm clouds blanketing the distant horizon with furrowed brows. Noticing the shift in his expression, Shen Ji inquired, “Has something occurred?”

“Indeed.” Yun Lang replied, turning his gaze back to meet his with renewed apology, “It is the seal of the passage. It has been forcefully sealed, and I fear it can no longer be opened.”

Shen Ji: “”

Did these Mount Qi phoenixes possess a specific affinity for thwarting him? Originally intended as an auspicious measure to counter bad luck, saving a life yielded zero auspiciousness, rendering his fortunes even more dismal.

The system seized an opportunistic opening, “This represents destiny, host! Realizing our quest encountered a flaw, providence bids you remain to resolve future complications.”

Before Shen Ji could respond, a heavy weight struck his chest. Yun Lang retreated into his embrace, and the voice transmitting directly beside his ear maintained polite refinement, “Xie Feng has returned. Immortal Jun, I shall aid you in assuming the guise of a Scarlet Phoenix, and I pray you offer me concealment.”

“The main villain has returned?” Searching through its logs, the system protested, “Negative! Did his cultivation recovery not entail ascending to the immortal realm? My interface displays no activation of the main quest.”

It remained bewildered within Shen Ji’s consciousness.

Above, silver radiance flashed brilliantly as a deafening phoenix cry pierced the firmament. Instantly, a golden figure exuding terrifying celestial majesty materialized abruptly above Minghuang City. Sensing its master’s presence, the dim Minghuang Palace abruptly reignited the scorching golden flames extinguished for three entire months, projecting a surging, boundless torrent of golden light straight into the firmament!

The residual majesty enveloping the palace illuminated the entire city. Both inside and outside the walls, crowds collapsed to their knees in unison, trembling abjectly beneath the silver phoenix swirling with wrathful fury.

Shen Ji gazed upon the golden figure astride the silver phoenix. Returning with such expedition, the passage blockage was doubtless engineered by Xie Feng as well.

Yun Lang observed the identical vector, his tone darkening slightly, “Can Immortal Jun enter the city? Rest assured, I shall conceal your aura so Xie Feng detects nothing. Naturally, should it prove inconvenient, I may provide spiritual stones and Phoenix pellets as tokens of gratitude on a future date.”

Though disinclined to encounter Wu Xun, Xie Feng’s return rendered the situation at Juanchitai opaque, and he could not afford to stand idly outside the city walls.

Shen Ji simply stated, “Let us proceed.”

Having arrived thus far, remaining inside or outside the city made virtually zero difference regarding Xie Feng. Since Yun Lang managed to rank as the second male lead in the novel, it indicated Xie Feng never lumped him together with the Scarlet Phoenix Spiritual Venerable, eliminating any need to fear collateral repercussions.

Shen Ji patted the little red bird nestled within his embrace. With the passage sealed and stranded in the Demon Realm, he could not simply wait for Xie Feng to reopen it. Once Xie Feng concluded his internal affairs and alleviated Yun Lang’s apprehensions, restoring complete tranquility, securing an immortal-bound scroll from this bird-number-two ought to pose no significant challenge.

Musing thus, Shen Ji mounted the Gale Leopard and winged toward the city gates.

Within the city. Above.

As Xie Feng’s silver phoenix materialized across the heavens, countless members of the Phoenix clan within Minghuang City prostrated in terror, casting gazes filled with feverish fanaticism toward the sky. Toward this autocratic yet formidable ruler, ordinary members of the Phoenix clan harbored primarily reverence and allegiance, and witnessing his unscathed return naturally triggered unbridled elation.

Aloft, four formidable phoenix phantoms followed closely behind. Arriving before Xie Feng, the four saluted simultaneously, their expressions varied.

“Your Majesty!”

One among them stepped forward through the void, eyes flickering, “Your Majesty, we descended to the mortal realm on multiple occasions yet failed to locate Your Majesty’s whereabouts, thus failing our duties as Golden Pavilion elders. We pray Your Majesty’s punishment.”

The five elders of the Golden Pavilion maintained a transcendent status within the Phoenix clan since ancient times. Yet since Xie Feng’s succession to the Phoenix Emperor throne, their standing had deteriorated drastically, incomparable to their predecessors.

Formerly, they sat on equal footing with the Phoenix Emperor, possessing the authority to question imperial edicts. Presently, they were reduced to puppets within the Golden Pavilion, having relinquished intervention in major clan affairs for over three millennia.

Xie Feng’s gaze shifted slightly, the chilling, pale-silver eyes accurately reflecting the phantom outlines of the arrivals, along with a decisive, unstoppable flash of silver radiance!

The speaker’s complexion shifted drastically, instinctively forming hand seals for self-defense, yet he was still forced backward three steps by this casual strike from the Phoenix Emperor before regaining his footing, dropping instantly to his knees. Raising a hand to press his chest, he panted to stabilize his churning vitality.

The expressions of the remaining three shifted in tandem, all dropping onto a single knee. Treating them as absolute non-entities, Xie Feng shifted his posture slightly as his silhouette dissolved gradually in place.

The four elders kneeling behind exchanged glances, each detecting lingering apprehension within the other’s eyes. Publicly stripping them of all face without the slightest reservation, even for Xie Feng, this marked a precedent.

Since Xie Feng’s disappearance, Minghuang Palace stood vacant. Wu Xun’s maneuvering during this interval was common knowledge, which they naturally observed. Should Yun Lang succeed the throne, it would yield boundless benefits and zero harm to them. Consequently, they largely turned a blind eye to Wu Xun’s actions, feigning ignorance.

Presuming Xie Feng faced doom even after Wu Xun deployed blood sacrifice, they anticipated mere months before Xie Feng returned entirely restored. Not merely restored.

Having awakened the Primordial Golden Phoenix inheritance, Xie Feng’s previously inscrutable strength scaled new heights, which boded ill.

“The Majesty is naturally suspicious, if…”

Another elder broke off with a blustering, stern tone, “So what? Even should suspicion arise, is it conceivable he would strike against the Golden Pavilion?”

“So what?” The red-robed elder matriarch in the center shook her head. “His Majesty’s temperament and methods across these three millennia, have you witnessed too little? He dared even move against Minghuang Palace, what signify the Golden Pavilion in his eyes?”

The three lapsed into silence.

The red-robed elder matriarch sighed softly, “Go and observe. Following today, Wu Xun shall serve as our cautionary tale.”

The trio understood her implication. Today’s disposition toward Wu Xun would establish Xie Feng’s future stance toward the Golden Pavilion, permitting zero carelessness.

Concluding their dialogue, the four flashed away in pursuit of Xie Feng.

The silver phoenix streaked rapidly across the high vault, arriving instantly above Juanchitai. Upon their subsequent arrival, all four were frozen in shock by the unfolding spectacle.

The moment Xie Feng manifested, punishment had already descended upon Juanchitai. The Scarlet Phoenix dwelling area within Minor Minghuang City was enveloped by his unique spatial restriction, transforming into a suffocating prison burning with flowing gold and silver flames. In the distance, Minghuang Palace echoed in resonance, radiating bloodline suppression that terrified the entire Phoenix clan, boosting his enhanced combat prowess by over twofold.

Terrified traitors attempting escape by shouting their identities were impaled through their Phoenix dantian by silver threads projecting from the barrier, and before the agony in their eyes could fully form, their momentum-driven bodies burst asunder!

Torrents of blood rained downward from the sky like droplets, drifting into the city and reducing every demonic beast within its walls to dead silence.

Xie Feng raised a hand. The soul energy contained within the bloody rain was drawn into his palm, struggling in vain. Within Juanchitai, an identical scene transpired. A sticky layer of blood already paved Juanchitai, where countless resistant Scarlet Falcons perished silently and unawares.

Xie Feng’s advanced strength surpassed their worst projections. The four elders watched Xie Feng’s actions with horror. Though their cultivation fell short of Xie Feng’s, it remained profound, readily identifying this technique as soul-searching.

Yet the individual commanding the Scarlet Falcons was unequivocally the Spiritual Venerable Wu Xun, so why necessitate redundancy on Xie Feng’s part? Moreover, soul-searching demanded the utmost spiritual consciousness expenditure, probing simultaneously across such a multitude of souls. What precisely was Xie Feng rushing to locate?

Not long after, a streak of crimson light erupted from the ground.

Stripping away his elder ceremonial robes, Wu Xun clad himself in scarlet-gold battle armor, brandishing a long spear as he charged straight toward Xie Feng!

All four elders started, shouting sternly, “Wu Xun, you dare show insolence in the presence of His Majesty!”

Wu Xun turned a deaf ear. Staring fixedly at Xie Feng aloft, his hate-filled eyes carried a resolute conviction of death. Upon receiving the summons, he understood he lacked prospects of survival. Rather than lingering in temporary ignominy, he preferred burial within Juanchitai, avoiding the fate of a fugitive abroad.

Meeting Xie Feng’s cold, intimidating countenance, he stated in a deep voice, “Xie Feng, history is written by victors, and I claim no defense. Yet an unprincipled traitor like you, even should you miraculously escape this juncture, next time, lacking a mortal to trade lives on your behalf, you shall not escape death!”

Energy condensed minutely within Xie Feng’s palm. Glancing at Wu Xun, his tone remained freezing, “Trade lives?”

Within the Scarlet Falcon memories, fragments concerning Shen Ji mirrored this exact sequence. After aiding his concealment within the seal, he had been swallowed by towering fiery imagery. With this scenario looping within his mind, Xie Feng merely crushed the soul fragment resting in his palm and shifted focus to the subsequent familiar retreating silhouette swallowed by fire.

He remained convinced someone must have witnessed Shen Ji’s escape.

Wu Xun’s long spear lunged toward Xie Feng like lightning, yet proved utterly unable to advance an inch past Xie Feng’s protective aura of magical light. Hearing the counter-query, he paused slightly, staring at the soul streams converging continuously toward Xie Feng before an expression of sudden, toxic gratification surfaced.

“So you search for his whereabouts.” Beyond astonishment, triumph leaked openly across Wu Xun’s hateful visage. “Alas, that cauldron possessed merely a mortal physique, turning to ashes and smoke right within the array.”

Hearing this, Xie Feng’s expression remained unaltered. Closing his five fingers, the soul within his palm detonated completely!

Wu Xun continued, “He perished within the Snow Domain seal, entering neither the Yong’an Ghost Domain nor the Five Realms reincarnation cycle. Xie Feng, empowered though you be, you shall never set eyes upon him again!”

Before his declaration finished echoing, his long spear was forcefully repelled!

The monstrous pressure surging from before him carried an overwhelming, unstoppable momentum. Resisting with all his might, a hairline crack instantly webbed across his chest armor, causing his gaze to shift minutely. Xie Feng’s thunderous wrath genuinely exceeded his capacity to contend.

Yet inducing this rage from Xie Feng via mere words constituted an unexpected stroke of fortune. Alas, Xie Feng’s spiritual energy cascaded downward like a tidal wave, leaving him zero leisure to divide focus, and he could only thrust his spear forward!

Failing to comprehend the dialogue, the four elders sensed Xie Feng’s abrupt fury, hurriedly retreating step after step amidst the earth-shattering combat.

As Spiritual Venerable and elder, Wu Xun ranked near the summit of the Golden Pavilion’s hierarchy. Yet this single combat constituted one of the exceedingly rare instances across a millennium where Xie Feng personally engaged an opponent. They perceived clearly that despite both combatants radiating terrifying might, Wu Xun remained thoroughly suppressed, lacking any capacity to retaliate beneath Xie Feng’s assault.

Barely a hundred exchanges elapsed before victory and defeat were settled.

“Boom!”

Dust billowed. Spitting blood, Wu Xun laughed aloud as he crashed from the air to pin against the ground.

“I presumed it merely a cauldron’s unrequited infatuation,” he gloated with extreme satisfaction over Xie Feng’s reaction, “failing to anticipate that even you would surrender genuine affection.”

The declaration concluded. His core dantian shattered, while tyrannical spiritual energy clamped around his windpipe. He continued laughing.

“Xie Feng, you were born a curse and a pestilence; whosoever grows close to you shall assuredly incur divine retribution!”

Xie Feng’s cold, ruthless pupils appeared outwardly indifferent. Surveying Wu Xun, who was forcefully dragged before him, he stated indifferently, “Should Shen Ji be dead, you and Yun Lang shall accompany him in death.”

Hearing this, Wu Xun’s delirious triumph froze upon his features, his pupils contracting violently!

The precise instant, Xie Feng’s hand crushed the final particle of Phoenix dantian within his torso, leaving a distorted corpse devoid of vital breath crumpled upon the ground, its facial expression frozen in residual, lingering terror.

Viewing from afar, the four elders experienced profound dread. Gazing upward to note dark clouds rolling densely, where silver flames multiplied rather than diminished, bearing down oppressively overhead.

Awful! Xie Feng’s reaction to Wu Xun’s dying words proved unmistakably volatile, and he intended to execute a massacre across the entirety of Juanchitai!

“Your Majesty!” An elder cried out in obstruction, “Hold!”

The silver flames cresting the sky rolled magnificently, resembling an impending celestial tribulation.

The red-robed elder matriarch’s thoughts whirled frantically as she stepped forward, “Your Majesty, the Snow Domain is an ancient seal rumored to drain vital essence. If a mortal perished therein, their soul might bypass reincarnation and remain trapped within!”

The heavy chill harbored within Xie Feng’s gaze receded marginally. He shifted his gaze toward her. “Continue.”

Under his direct observation, the red-robed elder matriarch experienced tightened respiration. Forcing composure, she advanced slowly, frantically concocting rhetoric amidst the crushing pressure.

Regarding the drain of vital essence, she had encountered references solely within ancient texts, as to whether a mortal soul survived, she possessed zero certainty. Yet how could she stand idly while Xie Feng slaughtered the Scarlet Phoenix lineage to the last? Uttering discourse pleasing to Xie Feng served as a necessary delaying tactic.

“It should necessitate locating the specific location within the seal where vitality is drained,” she lowered his head, offering a tentative suggestion, “to ascertain the truth.”

Hearing this, the hand seals within Xie Feng’s grip slackened slightly.

At that exact moment, another streak of crimson radiance manifested from the horizon!

Disregarding his severe injuries, Yun Lang interposed himself directly between Xie Feng and Juanchitai.

“Your Majesty,” beholding Wu Xun’s corpse upon the ground, sorrow touched his features before shifting to Xie Feng with a mellow tone and resolute determination, “Wu Xun committed grievous errors and reaped his due, yet I pray Your Majesty considers the remaining loyalty within the Scarlet Phoenix lineage and spares them total extinction.”

Xie Feng cast a cold gaze at him.

Yun Lang’s heart sank minutely, and just as he prepared further persuasion, he witnessed Xie Feng flipping his palm downward, scattering his hand seals autonomously.

The four elders exhaled in relief.

Contemplating further discourse, Yun Lang opened his mouth, yet before uttering a syllable, he observed Xie Feng pivot abruptly, fixing his gaze upon the outer city. Within half a breath, a silver streak of flowing light vanished abruptly into the distance.

When had Xie Feng’s emotions ever manifested so externally? Gazing outward in realization, Yun Lang’s expression turned startled as he hastened to follow closely.

Upon landing, observing Xie Feng stride directly toward Shen Ji, he flashed immediately to interpose before Shen Ji, assuming a posture to shield the latter behind him.

“Your Majesty, this Immortal Jun—”

“Immortal Jun?”

Yun Lang’s explanation was abruptly cut short by a chilling voice. Xie Feng flicked his sleeve, blasting aside his irritating protector, his gaze locked unblinkingly upon the completely unfamiliar visage before him, burying an intense, unconscious emotional turmoil deep within his pupils.

“A mortal possessing shallow foundations, yet daring to masquerade as an Immortal?”