He had heard of this Phoenix Emperor—a fire phoenix born against fate, and the only one in hundreds of thousands of years. She ascended to godhood at the age of one hundred. By human standards, her age would make her a mere girl.
But looking into the Phoenix Emperor’s eyes, Fan Yue realized the rumors were false. Those eyes clearly bore the weight of countless years.
Feng Yin stretched leisurely. “In a few days, it will be my master’s birthday. I’m planning a journey, and there’s something I’d like to entrust to you.” Her voice was clear and vibrant, impossible to misunderstand. Even Fan Yue, usually so composed, paused for a moment. He and Feng Yin hadn’t even had an acquaintance before today, let alone any deep connection. Her words didn’t feel fitting for a first meeting.
“What is it you ask, Your Majesty?” Fan Yue asked, masking his confusion with a calm expression.
Feng Yin suddenly jumped down from the tree, landing before Fan Yue. “What did you just say?” she asked, looking amused. Fan Yue blinked. “Your Majesty, please speak.” “Say it again?” Fan Yue’s forehead twitched. “Your Majesty, please speak.”
Feng Yin coughed, circling Fan Yue while touching her chin, her gaze inexplicably strange. Finally, the Hall Master of Hao Yue frowned, forcing out, “Phoenix Emperor…Your Majesty?” What’s wrong with the Phoenix Clan? Could this god be…simple-minded?
The thought barely crossed Fan Yue’s mind before his expression stiffened. He could almost imagine that little demi-immortal bouncing around him, taunting, “Phoenix Emperor is a simpleton, Phoenix Emperor is a simpleton!”
Noticing Fan Yue’s impatience, Feng Yin snapped back to reality, jumped back, and waved her hand. “This Emperor recently caught a cold, feeling unwell, hearing’s not so good. Please bear with it, Hall Master.” Fan Yue was speechless. If he hadn’t sensed the unmistakable divine aura from her, he would have thought he was dealing with a ghost.
Well, well, what a rarity… That old phoenix must have never heard the word ‘please’ in her life, haha… Feng Yin’s heart sang with delight, though she kept her face serious and, unable to contain herself, turned away to mutter. “What did the Phoenix Emperor say?” Fan Yue raised a brow at her odd behavior. “Nothing, nothing…” Before Fan Yue could respond, Feng Yin’s palm flashed, producing a wooden box filled with powerful spiritual energy. Fan Yue’s face changed as he looked at her gravely. “What does Your Majesty intend?”
“This Emperor would not ask the Hall Master to act without compensation; what’s inside this box is my token of gratitude,” Feng Yin said.
Fan Yue’s eyes narrowed. “How does the Phoenix Emperor possess such an item?”
“The Hall Master should know that divine wood resonates with other divine items. Several years ago, a fragment of divine wood fell near the ancestor Wu Tong Tree, and my interest was piqued, so I kept it. When you entered the island, I sensed a connection, and it seems this object should indeed return to its rightful owner.”
Fan Yue’s expression grew tense, and he stepped forward. “Your Majesty knows the origin of this item?”
“Ancient Bodhi wood. My vision isn’t so poor as to miss the true nature of the Hall Master’s form.”
“Then Your Majesty must know why eight years ago my true form was dispersed, turning divine wood into a demon and appearing in the Demon Realm?” Fan Yue’s gaze turned fervent.
“That I do not know. The world is full of trials, and perhaps the Hall Master simply failed his tribulation,” Feng Yin shrugged, then added more seriously, “The Hall Master need not doubt. The past has no entanglements between this Emperor and the Hall Master.”
Fan Yue calmed. Given Feng Yin’s stature in the Three Realms, there was no need for her to lie. The true reason for his failed tribulation, and the identity of the figure in his memories, would likely only come to light once he reassembled his true form.
Steadying himself, Fan Yue accepted the wooden box from Feng Yin’s hands. “What does Your Majesty ask? I assure you, Fan Yue will do everything within his power.”
“It’s nothing too serious. In a few days, I owe a small favor to a junior. All I need is for you to find her a Dao companion before you ascend to godhood and personally officiate her wedding.”
“What?” Fan Yue was taken aback, wondering if he had misheard. The Phoenix Emperor wants him to do what?
“You heard correctly,” Feng Yin said, hands behind her back, suddenly leaning in close to Fan Yue’s face and holding up two fingers. “All I ask…is for you to be a matchmaker. As for who the person is, you’ll find out in a few days.”
Fan Yue’s face turned dark, and before he could explode, Feng Yin transformed into a flash of phoenix feathers, soaring into the sky. “This Emperor’s request—please fulfill it, Hao Yue Hall Master! Until we meet again!”
The clouds shifted, the moon slipped behind the Wu Tong trees, and the Phoenix Emperor vanished into the horizon. Fan Yue looked down at the piece of Bodhi wood in his hand, feeling a buzzing at his temples.
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