by Mars Gravity
“What a simple excuse!” Cang Yue smiled lightly as she went head-to-head against Feng Hengkong. In terms of profound strength, the two were worlds apart, and there was a hundred years of difference between the time they took their throne. But momentum-wise, she wasn’t suppressed by Feng Hengkong at all, “However, this empress has several reasons for why Feng Xue’er must marry Yun Che.”
Not “should”, but “must”.
Cang Yue heavily emphasized the word “must”.
“Hmph!” Feng Hengkong turned his head, not bothering to respond. He posed an attitude as if even if you talk your head off, he would still turn his nose up at it.
“Firstly, according to this empress’ knowledge, Feng Xue’er’s Phoenix blood was given directly by your Divine Phoenix Sect’s Phoenix Spirit, and so her body has the most original and purest Phoenix bloodline. In your Divine Phoenix Sect, other than Feng Xue’er, there is no one else who has the original Phoenix blood! But Yun Che’s Phoenix blood was also given directly by the Phoenix Spirit, so he also has the most original and purest Phoenix bloodline! With regards to this fact, this empress knows better than anyone else, because when Yun Che was going through the Phoenix’s trial and inheritance, this empress was by his side!”
“Thus, based on the Phoenix bloodline, even if it’s your Divine Phoenix Sect, no one is worthy of Feng Xue’er. And only the bloodline of this empress’ husband, Yun Che, perfectly fits with Feng Xue’er’s!”
Feng Hengkong locked his eyebrows and did not say a word… All of these, he already knew.
“Secondly, Phoenix Sect Master should not forget that today, you’re here to atone for your sins! This empress’ hatred has been burning for three consecutive years, and if it wasn’t for hundreds of millions of Blue Wind citizens this empress carries on her back, this empress really wishes to use this chance to give Divine Phoenix Nation the cruelest punishment… to the extent of personally taking your life as tribute to Royal Father!” Cang Yue’s words were very calm, but the deep hatred and anger that was accumulated under her calm tone could still be clearly felt, “However, this empress made such decision in the end… because if Feng Xue’er marries this empress’ husband, to Blue Wind, it could calm the citizen’s frightened emotions. We can rely on Divine Phoenix as protection, not fear any bullying of war, and my Blue Wind’s citizens will enjoy a long period of stability.”
“To your Divine Phoenix, you don’t need to apologize in front of the world, don’t need to cede away your territory, don’t need to pay compensation, and don’t need to be humiliated. You don’t need to lose your respect and dignity, you won’t become a joke, and the people of Divine Phoenix Nation will also not be in panic and chaos. Divine Phoenix Nation can keep its dignity and stability, and you, the Phoenix Sect Master, can keep your freedom and life! At the same time, your daughter will also find the best home in the world!”
“This is the most merciful and compassionate this empress… a woman who carries the hatred of her father being murdered and her country being destroyed, can give! If you were to agree, both nations will be satisfied. If you don’t… then this empress will take back all the grace and mercy!!”
Feng Hengkong, “…”
“Thirdly!” Cang Yue’s voice did not pause at all, her phoenix-like eyes kept staring straight at Feng Hengkong, “Since the Phoenix Sect Master keeps saying that this empress’ husband, Yun Che, is not worthy enough of your daughter, then can Phoenix Sect Master please tell me who, in the entire Profound Sky Continent, is more qualified than Yun Che for your daughter!?”
“…” Feng Hengkong moved his lips, but was speechless for a long time.
This time, it wasn’t because Feng Hengkong couldn’t bother to respond, but because he was truly speechless.
What Cang Yue said before didn’t really affect him, but as of this moment, when his mind scrutinized Cang Yue’s words, he suddenly realized that among the same age group, he really couldn’t find anyone that could compare to Yun Che.
The Yun Che who forced his Divine Phoenix Sect to such an extent was only twenty-two years old this year… At this age, the people in the same age group in Divine Phoenix Sect, aside from Feng Xue’er, he couldn’t even find someone worthy enough to carry his shoes for him!!
The strongest practitioners in the world were all gathered in Divine Phoenix Sect and the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Even if it was the Four Great Sacred Grounds, not to mention the age group around the twenties, he couldn’t even think of anyone that could compare to Yun Che in the sixties.
These days, he was immersed in the disaster brought by Yun Che, so he ignored a fact that could shock the entire continent while being heavily stressed day and night… The Yun Che who had “died” and came back three years later, among the younger generation of the Profound Sky Continent, could very possibly… fully deserve the title of number one!
Then, if there was only one person who was good enough for Feng Xue’er… it would undoubtedly be Yun Che!
“Looks like Phoenix Sect Master can’t name one.” Noticing Feng Hengkong finally showing a change in expression, Cang Yue smiled slightly, “That means this empress’ third reason is also established!”
“Fourthly!” Cang Yue continued to speak, “I heard that Sister Xue’er grew up under the shield of Divine Phoenix Sect before she was thirteen, and after she turned thirteen, she was under the protection of the entire Divine Phoenix Sect. She has never truly stepped into the real world, so she must not know much about the relationship between a man and a woman. Therefore, Little Sister Xue’er might not understand what kind of feeling she has towards Yun Che. But I believe with Phoenix Sect Master’s experience and wisdom, you must be able to tell… that Little Sister Xue’er’s feeling towards Yun Che is absolutely not as simple as just the gratitude for saving her!”
“Sss…” Cang Yue’s words made Feng Hengkong gnashed his teeth as his whole body shivered violently.
Yes… How could he have not seen and felt it!!
That was why his chest felt like it was going to explode when he heard that Yun Che was still alive; he lost control of his emotions, and he wanted to kill him no matter what… Because of that, when he suddenly heard Cang Yue request Feng Xue’er to marry to Yun Che, his sinking emotion and aura for atoning his sins exploded uncontrollably in an instant…
Cang Yue was always extremely curious of Princess Snow, the “Profound Sky’s number one beauty” who Yun Che had willingly to risk his life to save. Now that she finally saw her, in addition to being impressed by goddess-like looks, she also saw the unusual expression Feng Xue’er had when facing Yun Che, and she also heard the different emotion in her voice when she says “Big Brother Yun”… Even though only thirty minutes had passed since she met her, Cang Yue had already saw through a lot of things.
Looking at Feng Xue’er, it was like she saw herself back then when she met Yun Che. That time, she couldn’t contain her joy, happiness, warmth and satisfaction; she let go of her defenses and opened her heart completely.
“Are you done saying what you want to say!?” Feng Hengkong clenched his fists tightly.
“No!” Cang Yue shook her head and continued to speak slowly, “This empress knows that Phoenix Sect Master rejected rudely without hesitation out of the love and protective instinct of a father towards his daughter, so it is already a given that he would not be tolerant of sacrificing his own daughter in exchange for compromisation. However, Phoenix Sect Master, after this empress has said this much, I believe you have a reason to reconsider whether or not Little Sister Xue’er marrying Yun Che is a sacrifice! Now only does Little Sister Xue’er have the feelings of gratitude towards Yun Che, there is also the feeling between a man and a woman. Since she is your daughter, you must see it a lot clearer than this empress! And even though this empress’ husband always has a tender heart towards women, he would definitely not risk his life for any beautiful woman!”
“To find someone that she adores who is even willing to protect he
r with his life… Phoenix Sect Master, do you know that, to a woman, this is the greatest happiness and luck in life? Yet Little Sister Xue’er has already found someone like this… Once someone like this is found, then that someone will be unforgettable for life!”
“Phoenix Sect Master said earlier that to you, Little Sister Xue’er is more important than your own life and even the life and death of Divine Phoenix Empire and Divine Phoenix Sect! If you forcefully separate Little Sister Xue’er and Yun Che, with Little Sister Xue’er’s pure heart and soul, you will bring her an everlasting pain and trauma. The only conclusion would be you, who says that Little Sister Xue’er is more important than anything, personally giving her a lifetime of heartbreak because of your selfishness!”
“You…” Feng Hengkong’s body swayed. What Cang Yue had said had unquestionably dealt a huge blow.
“As such, this empress’ conditions are not threats, not humiliations, not sacrifices… but are compassion and fulfillment!!” Before Feng Hengkong was able to speak of another word, Cang Yue’s voice had already suppressed his, “Of course you can still choose to refuse. If you do, then you can pretend that this empress did not say any of the things from before. This empress will take back all the mercy… and not give you any leeway!!”
Cang Yue’s last sentence was said with an overbearing power that even Yun Che felt a second of heaviness from it.
When Cang Yue asked for Feng Xue’er to marry him as a concubine, Yun Che was surprised for a while. After that, he looked at Cang Yue silently without saying anything, but in his heart, there were already unappeasable waves.
Back then, his Yue’er, his Senior Sister Xueruo, was independent, strong, but was also very tame, good, and delicate. When she was before him, she would show her weakness without any reserve. After their big wedding in the imperial palace, as a princess, she changed his clothes, sewed for him, and prepared him three meals a day… Everything was taken care of meticulously. She had almost completely forgotten her identity as a princess, because she wanted to become the most perfect wife that only belonged to him with all her heart. She saw him as her whole world and did not fight for anything nor ask for anything.
The woman before him who wore a phoenix coronet, golden clothing, and an awe-inspiring emperor’s dignity was facing Feng Hengkong’s boundless pressure yet her aura was not weak or suppressed at all. Her unfathomably deep phoenix eyes were sometimes warm, sometimes cold and sometimes sharp. Her voice went straight to the soul, and her words were incredibly sharp. She was smart, calm, impeccable, and her words almost made Feng Hengkong’s aura which had exploded under his rage completely disperse…
Three years, it had merely been three years, yet she had changed this tremendously.
If it was someone else, they would not be able to change this much in thirty years, or even three hundred years… However, Yun Che was not surprised at all that this happened to Cang Yue; he only felt a heavy heartache.
Shouldering the responsibility of an entire nation’s destruction… perhaps there was nothing worse in this world that induced—no, that forced a person to change so quickly.
No person could possibly imagine the weight of the burden one carried after such a transformation… At least, what she had borne in the past three years was really much, much heavier than what the Little Demon Empress undertook under the shadow of Duke Huai.
Chapter 730: Half Year Agreement
“I have never expected Empress Cang Yue to have such a silver tongue, you have truly impressed us!” Feng Hengkong’s voice was cold; rather than complementing, it was more of being sarcastic.
“You already know what kind of identity Xue’er has, yet you still kept saying that this action could save my Divine Phoenix Empire’s dignity. However, what you truly want is to make the noblest princess of our Divine Phoenix to marry your Blue Wind’s prince consort as a concubine. Not only is her position lowered, she is even directly lower than you. Empress Cang Yue, your words clearly speak that from now on, our Divine Phoenix will be lower than your Blue Wind…”
“Oh…” Before Feng Hengkong finished yelling, he was interrupted by Cang Yue’s drawn out tone. She said with a faint smile on her face, “So the reason the Phoenix Sect Master reacted so severely was because you are unwilling for Little Sister Xue’er to become a concubine. If so, then this empress will compromise. After Little Sister Xue’er marries this empress’ husband, she will be a first wife, the same as this empress, and our positions will be equal! This has never happened in the thousand years of history of Blue Wind Nation, and this can count as this empress making an extremely huge concession on behalf of the imperial family’s dignity for peace between the two nations. Phoenix Sect Master should be satisfied like this!”
Feng Hengkong’s anger and his expression stiffened at the same time. Halfway through Cang Yue’s words, he suddenly realized that the reason Cang Yue requested for Feng Xue’er to become a “concubine” was to conveniently “retreat for the sake of advancing” at this moment! He completely stepped into the trap that Cang Yue had set up.
Cang Yue continued to speak tirelessly, “Other than that, this empress was the royal princess of Blue Wind back then. When I married Yun Che, of course I treated my husband as someone above me. Even though I have now ascended to the throne and became the empress, I still treat my husband as my everything. And since this empress is the ruler of Blue Wind, this empress’ husband, Yun Che, has the most noble position in Blue Wind and is not the prince consort he once was! The person Little Sister Xue’er is marrying is naturally not the prince consort of Blue Wind, but instead the person who has the highest and noblest position in Blue Wind Nation! How is this degrading?”
“But, Phoenix Sect Master’s words seem to have reminded this empress. Since Little Sister Xue’er is at the most noble, highest position of the Divine Phoenix Nation, then she naturally has the highest right to speak for herself. If so, then about this matter, it seems that it will be more appropriate if this empress asks Little Sister Xue’er herself.”
Feng Hengkong was speechless for a long time… He wasn’t able to accept this all of a sudden. He, who had been the emperor of Divine Phoenix for a hundred years, was being manipulated by a weak nation’s empress who had just ascended the throne for three years at the age of about twenty.
“Little Sister Xue’er, are you willing to marry Yun Che, be with him forever, and calm the hatred between the two nations?” Cang Yue turned towards Feng Xue’er; her aura that was as sharp as swords when facing Feng Hengkong transformed into a gentle smile.
When Cang Yue was going head-to-head with Feng Hengkong, Yun Che didn’t speak, and Feng Xue’er was also silent. Since the moment Cang Yue mentioned for her to marry Yun Che, she had been stunned the whole time. She blinked her crystal-like bright eyes and asked softly, “Marrying Big Brother Yun… is that forever?”
“Of course it’s forever.” Cang Yue smiled and said, “After you marry your Big Brother Yun, you will belong to him, and he will also belong to you. You two can have everything of each other, have each others’ shoulders to lean on, accompany each other forever, and no one can stop or restrict it.”
“…Then, what Empress Sis said before, are those all true?” Feng Xue’er’s beautiful eyes became even more blurry.
“Of course.” Cang Yue knew what she wanted to ask, “Big Sis is the empress of Blue Wind Nation. Like your Royal Father, our words are as good as gold. If you are willing to marry your Big Brother Yun, then your Divine Phoenix wouldn’t need to apologize in public, cede away their territory, pay tribute, and your Royal Father would be able to return to Divine Phoenix at anytime unharmed. As for you, you can stay with your Big Brother Yun from then on, and you can be together as long as you want.”
“…” Feng Xue’er was only here to atone the sins for her Royal Father. As long as she could atone for those sins, she was willing to endure any punishment. However, she never imagined that the “punishment” that Empress Cang Yue gave in the end wa
s something like this. In her own perspective, everything that was happening before her eyes, this type of way to “atone for the sins,” was just too wonderful…
“If, if it’s like this,” Feng Xue’er carefully turned her eyes towards Yun Che, but just as she touched the corner of Yun Che’s clothing, she retreated under a strange, unfamiliar emotion. Her heartbeat sped up many times, and her voice became softer, “Of course I d…”
“Xue’er!!” Feng Hengkong’s low roar interrupted Feng Xue’er, “You are still young, this is not as simple as you think! This is an important affair that will affect your whole life! This is something that can’t be rashly and impulsively decided for anyone in their life!”
“I know…” Feng Xue’er spoke softly, “I am rarely in contact with the outside world, but from the memories that Lord Phoenix God has bestowed me, I roughly knew about many things. I know that, if a woman was to marry a man, it would be for her whole life… But, if it was Big Brother Yun, for a lifetime, wouldn’t it be wonderful?”
“Both Big Brother Yun and I own the bloodline and Phoenix Soul that was bestowed by Lord Phoenix God. Thus, my soul can clearly feel the warmth that Big Brother Yun’s soul brings me. Three years ago at Phoenix Perching Valley, those days that I was with Big Brother Yun were the happiest days in my life. Not only did Big Brother Yun save my life and awaken my Phoenix soul, he has even made me feel the the greatest bliss in the world… and, my soul can feel that in this world, there will never be another person who can make me feel this way.”
“Just like yesterday, when I saw Big Brother Yun once again… that was an immense joy that I had never felt before.”
“If I am to atone for our sins like this, then I really am willing to spend my life atoning this way.”
Feng Xue’er spoke, mumbled, and couldn’t help but giggle softly. The moment that her smile bloomed, the serious Great Hall instantly became warm.
Cang Yue’s expression was a little complicated, but it only lasted for a short moment. She glanced slightly at Yun Che, and then smiled with warmth. She could tell that Feng Xue’er’s feelings towards Yun Che was more than just gratitude, but she had never thought that it was so deep and simple. Perhaps, towards Feng Xue’er who had the purest soul, the appearance of Yun Che was completely fatal.
