Volume Three: Not Following Freedom, Chapter Eighty-Eight

She did not know how long she had slept. Only in that blurred border between dream and waking did she feel that someone was always tending to her, giving her water, feeding her medicine. In the lamplight of night, she seemed to see Tushan Yan.

She tried with all her strength to reach for her, but her body held no strength at all; even her hand would not lift. She could only watch that hem of clothing drift farther and farther away from her.

"Ah Li, Mother supports every decision you make. You only need to walk forward boldly. Do not be afraid, and do not fear. You are the daughter of Tushan Yan. Your maternal family is one of the great houses of Green Hill and the Great Marsh; they will all be your strongest refuge."

"Mother, are you going to find Father?"

"Mother has kept your father waiting for far too long. It is time to go seek him."

"Mother——"

Jin Li awoke with a start, gasping for breath. Her body was drenched in sweat, and she felt heavy all over. She stared blankly at the bed curtains, then slowly sat up.

"You're awake?"

At the sound of the voice, Jin Li looked over and saw Hong Lan Zui in a plain dress, carrying a wooden tray. Wisps of steam rose from it, and the room was filled at once with the thick scent of medicine.

"You... why are you here?"

Hong Lan Zui set the tray on the table. Before answering, she reached out and touched Jin Li's forehead, then nodded. "The fever is gone." She tucked the quilt around Jin Li, then said slowly, "You really frightened me. I saw you lying there half-dead and thought you were about to leave me."

"How could that be?"

Hong Lan Zui lifted the medicine bowl, blew on it, and fed her a spoonful. "Thank heaven you've finally woken up."

Jin Li drank the medicine woodenly, then asked, "Where is everyone else?"

"Who do you mean?"

"My brother."

Hong Lan Zui's hand paused, then she said with feigned ease, "Divine Lord Jin Cheng... has gone to deal with the matter of Emperor Lord Yao Cen."

Seeing the unnaturalness in Hong Lan Zui's expression, Jin Li lowered her gaze to her own hand. On her wrist was the jade bracelet Yao Cen had personally placed there.

As a sovereign woman, how could she be so easily defeated?

After finishing the medicine, she got up, bathed, changed clothes, and then went with Hong Lan Zui to the Sacred Heaven.

She asked, "How many days have I slept?"

"More than three months."

Three months already?

She looked at the Sacred Heaven, robbed of even a trace of holy light. Beneath this altar lay the immortal dust of countless true gods. Looking at the incense and immortal candles beneath the platform, tears fell from her eyes without warning.

When had the Sacred Heaven become a place of sacrifice?

She said nothing.

After wiping away her tears, she lit an incense candle and bowed.

Then she sat down slowly. Once Hong Lan Zui had finished paying her respects, she withdrew.

Perhaps there were words she wished to say to Emperor Lord Yao Cen.

Yet before she had been gone long, Jin Li came out after her.

Jin Li's expression was calm. "Let's go."

In the days that followed, Jin Li was perfectly normal, normal as she had always been. With pressing matters among the demon race, Hong Lan Zui could not linger and soon returned.

That day, after Jin Li finished her usual cultivation, she sat in a rocking chair, drinking tea and watching the sunset.

"My lady."

Qi Sui came back carrying a basket of lotus seed pods.

She asked in confusion, "It is no longer summer. Where did you pick these from?"

Qi Sui set down the bamboo basket. "My lady, have you forgotten? These are from the immortal pool. The lotuses and pear blossoms there are blooming beautifully right now. Would you like to go have a look?"

Jin Li put down the scroll in her hand and shook her head, rising as the sunset slowly washed over her robes. "No."

She picked up a lotus pod, intending to peel it, but Qi Sui stopped her. "My lady, peeling lotus seeds is especially hard on the hands. Better not."

Jin Li smiled. "All right, then I can only trouble you."

Qi Sui smiled and nodded. Jin Li sat watching him peel the seeds. Those long, graceful hands now held the green lotus pod, and somehow the sight was rather lovely. She found herself staring.

Qi Sui noticed her gaze, and his face grew warmer and warmer.

At last he said, "My lady, in a few days the mortal realm will have its first snow. Would you like to go see it?"

Jin Li considered it, then said, "No. Yun Xiang—has there been any correspondence lately?"

Qi Sui was taken aback, then shook his head. "None. But my lady need not worry. Immortal Lord Yun Xiang is doing very well."

Jin Li nodded.

For a brief moment, all was peaceful. Qi Sui said, "My lady, today is the final trial of the Immortal Mountain. Would you like to go see it?"

"No."

Ever since Emperor Lord Yao Cen fell, Jin Li had remained in Lotus River all day long. Most days she either cultivated, admired flowers, or sat dazed and silent, saying not a word. Nothing could draw her interest.

Divine Lord Jin Cheng had come a few times, but aside from ordinary conversation, Jin Li still could not stir up any enthusiasm. She no longer went to Misty Pavilion, nor did she go to the back mountain.

As Qi Sui peeled the lotus seeds, he looked up at Jin Li and saw that she had already closed her eyes, so quiet she seemed to be asleep.

"Qi Sui."

So she had not been asleep.

"Hm? What is it, my lady?"

Jin Li slowly opened her eyes. There was sorrow in their depths. "Back then, why did Emperor Lord Nine Profundities fall?"

Qi Sui stiffened. "I do not know what happened in the Sacred Heaven."

It seemed she would have to find the Fate Star Lord. He had followed Emperor Lord Nine Profundities for so long; surely he must know something.

"Qi Sui, I will go and return."

He watched Jin Li's figure vanish into the clouds, silently peeling the lotus seeds, though his hand had begun to tremble without his noticing.

The Hall of Fate on the Nine Heavens.

"Why has my lady come here?"

The Fate Star Lord bowed respectfully.

Jin Li did not beat around the bush. She asked at once, "You followed Emperor Lord Nine Profundities the longest. Do you know why he fell in the first place?"

The Fate Star Lord first froze, then gave a strained smile. "Why does my lady ask this?"

"There are some things I cannot make sense of. Perhaps only the Fate Star Lord can answer my confusion."

The Fate Star Lord brought her tea. "Please, my lady." After Jin Li sat down, he stood before her and said slowly, "The fall of Emperor Lord Nine Profundities was due to the exhaustion of divine power. There are only two kinds of divine downfall: damage to the godhood, or descent into demonhood. Emperor Lord Nine Profundities fell because his godhood was damaged."

It should have been the correct answer, yet Jin Li's instincts told her that this was absolutely not the reason.

Seeing her confusion, the Fate Star Lord said, "I remember that the archives in the Nine Heavens contain scrolls concerning all this. If my lady is interested, you may go take a look."

Jin Li smiled and set down her teacup. "Thank you, Star Lord. Farewell."

At that moment, however, the Fate Star Lord let out a sigh. "If only the Kunlun Mirror still existed."

Jin Li, who had just turned to leave, stopped and asked, "The Kunlun Mirror?"

The Fate Star Lord nodded. "The Kunlun Mirror can discern heavenly secrets and also return one to the past. Unfortunately, it was stolen at the Heavenly Queen's Jasper Pool Banquet by some unknown person, and its whereabouts are still unknown to this day."

Jin Li's eyes darkened slightly, and then she took her leave from the Fate Star Lord.

As she emerged from the Hall of Fate, she fell into thought. The Kunlun Mirror—was it possible that only the Kunlun Mirror could do such a thing? Setting aside the fact that it had been missing for so long, whether it still existed in this world at all was itself an open question.

She sighed softly. Then she looked up and saw, not far away on the pristine white cloud road, a fairy with several attendants following behind her, walking in her direction. The fairy was gentle and elegant in appearance, delicate and pitiable.

She paused. When the fairy saw her, her body visibly stiffened, and her expression became somewhat unnatural. "This one pays respects to my lady."

"Rise."

After speaking, Jin Li was about to leave, but You Su Wen called after her, "My lady."

"What is it?"

Jin Li did not understand why someone she had met only once would stop her. At this moment, there was a hint of probing in You Su Wen's eyes. "My lady, are you well?"

The young woman narrowed her eyes. "I am well enough. Thank you for your concern, fairy. If you have nothing else, you may withdraw."

She had no intention of entangling herself with any of the unfamiliar people of the Nine Heavens. Though the fairy before her was very beautiful, Jin Li felt an inexplicable aversion toward her. She could not explain it, but her instincts had never been wrong.

She turned and left.

As she drifted through the sky, she noticed immortal radiance rising from above Branchwood Forest in the Immortal Realm, along with several signals flashing in the air. Just as she was about to leave, she caught sight of a familiar signal.

It was the signal of the Sunless Mountain.

Sunless Mountain?

Countless faces flashed through her mind, until finally they settled on one extraordinarily handsome visage.

She transformed herself into a disciple of the immortal sect and entered Branchwood Forest.

Branchwood Forest was the place in the Immortal Realm where disciples of the immortal sect underwent trials. The terrain within was intricate and treacherous, and all manner of demonic beasts were mixed among it. A single lapse in attention could cost one their life.

And disciples allowed to enter Branchwood Forest for trials were by no means ordinary. They had to win first place in the first three rounds of competition before they could enter.

The victors could seemingly ascend directly to the rank of high immortal and secure an official post in the heavenly palace.

But such people were few and far between.

Jin Li sat in a tree, watching these disciples panic upon encountering demonic creatures, and could not help but sigh at the Heavenly Lord's recruitment this year.

She watched for a long while, yet did not see a single disciple in the garments of Sunless Mountain, and could not help feeling disappointed. Could it be that the disciples of Sunless Mountain had been utterly wiped out?

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a disciple cry out. Startled, she thought: Why would anyone scream so loudly? Could it be they have seen a ghost?

She turned around and saw a demon beast from the demonic realm opening its bloodsoaked maw to bite down on that disciple. Jin Li did not hesitate for a moment. She thought darkly: Damn it.

Branchwood Forest was full of gentle, good-natured spirit beasts. At worst, encountering a few ill-tempered, hard-to-manage ones would be normal. But how could a demonic beast from the demon realm be here?

She flashed forward, her figure so swift it left only a blur. Blue flames ignited in her palm, and in a sweep of her hand, a transparent long sword appeared in her grasp.

"Hidden Abyss!"

She summoned the Hidden Abyss Sword and, with one arm, swept the female disciple away by the waist.

Then she lifted her sword and slashed. Deep and shallow blue immortal light collided with scarlet radiance. The beast bore two sword wounds and let out a piteous howl before collapsing.

She was astonished. Why was scarlet immortal radiance mixed within it?

The female disciple burst into tears with excitement and cried out in delight, "Hui Gui!"