nycdaug Chapter 293 Xuannv 158
Chapter 293 Xuannv 158
Zheyan had just returned to the Ten Mile Peach Blossom Forest and hadn't even had a chance to sit down and drink some peach blossom wine when a white figure rushed out from the depths of the forest—it was Bai Zhen. His hair was disheveled, and his usually gentle eyes were now filled with anxiety. He grabbed Zheyan's sleeve, his voice pleading, "Zheyan, could you... could you please not pressure my father? Can't we discuss the matter of the Eastern Wilderness a little longer?"
Zheyan looked at the redness in his eyes, paused for a moment in his hand holding the wine pot, but his tone remained firm: "Zhenzhen, there is no room for discussion. The Eastern Wilderness is the ancestral land of the Bird Clan. It was temporarily entrusted to your father for care back then, and now I am taking it back, which is perfectly justified."
"But that's a legacy built over tens of thousands of years!" Bai Zhen's eyes reddened with anxiety, and she gripped Zhe Yan's sleeve even tighter. "Father has devoted so much effort to the Eastern Wilderness over the years, and the fox people have long since settled there... Can't you show some leniency for the sake of our many years of friendship? Even just giving us a little more time, or just taking back a portion of the territory would be fine!"
Zheyan gently withdrew his sleeve, turned and walked to the peach tree. Gazing at the vibrant peach blossoms, his voice deepened: "Zhenzhen, affection is affection, and rules are rules. I have already given your father half a month to relocate the people; this is the greatest concession I can make. If I were to give in today, and in the future all the tribes of the Eight Desolations followed your father's example and occupied the ancestral lands, wouldn't the order of the Four Seas and Eight Desolations be thrown into chaos?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of steady footsteps sounded outside the peach grove. Bai Zhi, dressed in a black imperial robe, strode in with a livid face, followed by several fox clan elders. Without even glancing at Zhe Yan, he said to Bai Zhen in a deep voice, "Zhenzhen, step back! This matter has nothing to do with you!"
Bai Zhen was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at his father: "Father, I..."
"I said, step back!" Bai Zhi's tone was authoritative and his cold eyes made Bai Zhen subconsciously shut his mouth. He could only retreat to the side unwillingly, clutching the hem of his clothes.
Bai Zhi then turned to Zhe Yan, his face devoid of its usual gentleness, replaced by a cold confrontation: "Zhe Yan, I thought you would give me some leeway out of consideration for your relationship with Qingqiu, but I didn't expect you to be so aggressive."
"Aggressive?" Zheyan raised an eyebrow, picked up the wine pot and took a sip, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Bai Zhi, you're the one who's occupying my ancestral land and refusing to return it, and now you're turning around and blaming me? If it weren't for Zhenzhen and Qianqian's sake, I wouldn't just make you relocate your people today, I would have directly dismantled your Cangwu Mountain barrier."
"What a fine 'for Zhenzhen and Qianqian' excuse!" Bai Zhi clenched his fist tightly, and the faint shadow of a fox tail appeared beneath his black sleeve. "Zheyan, let me tell you straight, my fox clan has cultivated the Eastern Wilderness for tens of thousands of years, and we will never give it up easily! If you insist on forcing us, then don't blame me for being heartless—from this day forward, the Qingqiu fox clan has no more affection for you, Zheyan!"
These words struck like a thunderbolt, silencing the peach grove instantly. Bai Zhen looked up abruptly, staring at his father in disbelief: "Father! How could you..."
"How could I say anything?" Bai Zhi interrupted him, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Since he has already disregarded all feelings, why should I continue to tolerate him? From this day forward, Qingqiu and Zheyan are completely severed!"
Zheyan paused in his wine jug, the last trace of gentleness in his eyes vanished, replaced by coldness in his golden-red phoenix eyes: "Fine. Since you've put it this way, I have nothing more to say. If I see even half a fox clan member in the core area of the Eastern Wilderness in half a month, I will personally go to Qingqiu to settle things with you."
Bai Zhi snorted coldly, said no more, and turned to leave. Several elders followed closely behind, and when they passed Bai Zhen, they didn't forget to pull him back. Bai Zhen looked back at Zhe Yan, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness, but in the end, he was still pulled away by the elders, step by step, leaving the Ten Mile Peach Blossom Forest.
Once their figures had completely disappeared, Zheyan slammed the wine jug down on the stone table. A few drops of wine splashed onto the peach petals, leaving damp patches. He gazed at the empty peach grove, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by coldness—a break was a break, and Zheyan had never been afraid of anyone, especially not Bai Zhi, who had occupied the ancestral land.
At this moment, a figure emerged from the shadows of the peach grove—it was Yao Guang. Looking at Zhe Yan's retreating figure, she murmured, "It seems this battle is unavoidable."
Zheyan turned around, his tone firm: "If it's unavoidable, then let's fight. I want to see what Bai Zhi has to offer me to compete for the Eastern Wilderness."
When the half-month period was up, Zheyan led the bird clan to Cangwu Mountain. As soon as the morning light spread over the mountains of the Eastern Wilderness, Bai Zhi was already waiting outside the barrier with the fox clan elders. His face was ashen. Behind him, the fox clan defenders were withdrawing from Yanbo Spring to the core area of Cangwu Mountain. There were also many fox clan members with their elderly and children in the group, their expressions full of reluctance.
“Zheyan,” Bai Zhi began, his voice as cold as ice, “the defenses in the core area have been withdrawn, and the people are being relocated. Eastern Wilderness… I’m returning it to you.” He emphasized the word “return,” his eyes almost overflowing with resentment.
Zheyan's gaze swept over the empty Cangwu Mountain barrier, then looked at the fox clan members who were slowly leaving. He put away the phoenix fire at his fingertips and said indifferently, "Now that the handover is complete, go. I said half a month ago that I would not pursue the past, but if any fox clan members trespass into the core area of the Eastern Wilderness again in the future, don't blame me for being impolite."
Bai Zhi didn't respond again, only glaring at him fiercely before turning around and leading the elders to follow the migrating procession. His dark court robes stood taut in the wind, like an unyielding bone. Only after the fox clan's figures completely disappeared into the sea of clouds at the eastern border did Zheyan raise his hand to summon a crimson bird. A golden-red divine power condensed at his fingertips and gently touched the bird's forehead.
"Go to the bird-inhabited areas of the four seas and eight wastelands to send a message," Zheyan's voice, imbued with divine power, clearly reached the ears of the birds, "tell them that the ancestral land of the Eastern Wasteland has been returned, and that all the scattered Luan, Qingluan, Chongming bird, and Peacock clans must return to Cangwu Mountain within three days—I want the bird clan to re-establish its roots in the Eastern Wasteland."
With a cry, the bird flapped its wings and soared into the sky, its golden-red form piercing through the clouds and quickly disappearing into the horizon. Zheyan stood atop Cangwu Mountain, gazing at the vast land of the Eastern Wilderness—from the morning mist of Junji Mountain to the shimmering waves of Yanbo Spring, from the peach groves on the border of Qingqiu to the cliffs by the deep sea, every inch of this land bore the imprint of the bird race.
In less than half a day, the sky over the Eastern Wilderness became lively. First, a flock of blue phoenixes flew in from the west in an orderly formation, their wings scattering specks of blue light as they swept across the clouds; then came the phoenix clan, trailing long tail feathers, their clear cries landing on the ancient trees of Cangwu Mountain; finally, the Chongming bird, its eyes gleaming with golden light, led its clan, young and old, slowly descending onto the plain beside the Yanbo Spring.
After landing, the bird people knelt down and bowed to Zheyan atop Mount Cangwu, their voices unified and earnest: "Greetings, High God! Our people are willing to follow you and defend the Eastern Wilderness once more!"
Zheyan raised his hand, and a gentle divine power helped everyone up. A hint of warmth finally appeared in his eyes: "Get up, all of you. The Eastern Wilderness is our ancestral land. We have returned today not to compete for power, but to give the Bird Clan a stable home again." He paused, his gaze sweeping over every member of the Bird Clan present. "For the next three days, each clan will first take stock of its members and repair the houses in their settlements. Three days later, we will hold a meeting at Cangwu Mountain to discuss and re-plan the defense and livelihood of the Eastern Wilderness—I want the entire world to know that the Bird Clan has returned."
"As the divine command commands!" the bird clan responded in unison, their voices shaking the leaves of the trees on Cangwu Mountain and filling the air with the joy of reunion.
At this moment, Yao Guang and Jiao Jiao arrived on auspicious clouds and landed beside Zhe Yan. Yao Guang looked at the lively bird clan below and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to have such a strong ability to rally people; you've gathered so many people in just half a day."
“They have always longed for their ancestral land,” Zheyan smiled faintly, but his eyes held a firm resolve. “Now that the ancestral land has been returned to its rightful place, they will naturally come back. However, although Bai Zhi has withdrawn his troops, he may not be content with that. We still need to keep a close eye on him to prevent him from causing trouble in secret.”
Jiaojiao nodded, her gaze turning towards Qingqiu: "Don't worry, I've already had my spies watching Qingqiu. Bai Zhi just lost the Eastern Wilderness, so he won't make any big moves in the short term, but we can't let our guard down—after all, the forces behind him haven't shown themselves yet."
Zheyan followed her gaze, the warmth in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a hint of wariness. He knew that the restoration of the Eastern Wilderness was only the first step, and the Four Seas and Eight Deserts would likely never be peaceful again. But he was not afraid—with the Bird Clan people there, with Donghua, Yaoguang, and others, even if Bai Zhi really wanted to fight again, he had the confidence to protect this hard-won ancestral land.
Standing atop Cangwu Mountain, Zheyan gazed down at the bird-clan members busily inventorying their clan's property and repairing their houses. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the jade pendant at his waist. Suddenly, he spoke: "The Eastern Wilderness has just been pacified. Although the various clans have returned to their places, defenses still need to be strengthened—I must go and invite King Yaoling."
"The Yaoling King's clan isn't here?" Jiaojiao, hearing this, followed his gaze into the distance, raising an eyebrow slightly. The Yaoling King was the ruler of the Peacock Clan, commanding half of the bird clan's fighting force. During the division of the Eastern Wilderness, he was on par with Zheyan. Now that the bird clan has returned to their ancestral land, they shouldn't be absent.
Zheyan shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness: "This morning, when I checked the rosters of all the clans, the Peacock Clan's name was still blank. However..." He paused, a hint of certainty flashing in his eyes, "Although King Yaoling is arrogant, he values the reputation of the Bird Clan the most. Now that the Eastern Wilderness has returned to its rightful place, he will certainly not stand by and watch the Bird Clan re-establish itself without coming to support them."
“I don’t think so.” Zheyan had just finished speaking when he choked on his own words and couldn’t help but sneer, “That arrogant brat has been angry with me for hundreds of years because I was too lazy to care about the Eastern Wilderness. He might not come over so readily this time.”
Before the words were finished, a golden light suddenly appeared on the clouds in the east, followed by a clear bird song that pierced the sky—not the fierce cry of the Bifang, nor the clear cry of the Qingluan, but the cry of the peacock, which carried a touch of nobility and majesty.
Everyone looked up and saw hundreds of peacocks flying in from the east, their wings spread out like a flowing golden cloud, dyeing half the sky a dazzling gold. The peacock at the very front was particularly eye-catching; the eye-like markings on its tail feathers shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight—it was none other than the peacock of King Yaoling.
"It's the Peacock Clan, people under King Yaoling's command have arrived!" A hint of surprise flashed in Yaoguang's eyes, then he laughed, "It seems that your influence as an old phoenix is still greater than you think."
Zheyan gazed at the approaching golden cloud, a slight smile creeping onto his lips, yet he stubbornly retorted, "What face? He's just afraid I'll mess up the bird clan's affairs and disgrace his peacock clan."
As they spoke, the peacock clan descended to the summit of Mount Cangwu. The leader of the peacocks flashed with golden light, transforming into a man in a white robe adorned with golden patterns—handsome with an innate arrogance in his brows, none other than King Yaoling. Upon landing, his gaze swept over Zheyan, his tone tinged with disdain, yet unable to conceal the concern in his eyes: "God Zheyan, your temperament hasn't changed; you're always a step behind—such a momentous event as the return of the Eastern Wilderness to its rightful place, and you only just now sent me the message."
"I thought you were still angry with me and didn't want to come." Zheyan raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly teasing.
"I may be angry, but how can I ignore the affairs of the Bird Clan?" King Yaoling snorted, turned to look at the Bird Clan below, and a hint of warmth appeared in his eyes. "Back then, our various clans were scattered from the Eastern Wilderness. Now we can finally reunite here, which can be considered as fulfilling a long-cherished wish."
Jiaojiao stepped forward and said with a smile, "It's wonderful that King Yaoling can come. Now that the Eastern Wilderness has just been pacified, although Bai Zhi has withdrawn his troops, he may not let it go. With the help of the Peacock Clan, our defenses can be more secure."
King Yaoling nodded, his gaze turning serious: "That old fox Bai Zhi has occupied the Eastern Wilderness for tens of thousands of years, and he certainly won't let go easily. If there is any war in the future, my Peacock Clan is willing to be the vanguard and will definitely not let him set foot in the Eastern Wilderness again!"
Seeing Yao Ling Wang's resolute expression, Zhe Yan finally felt relieved. He patted Yao Ling Wang's shoulder and smiled, "With your words, I'm at ease. Come, I'll take you to see Yanbo Spring—the lotus pond you loved so much back then. I even had it specially preserved, and it's blooming now."
A hint of a smile flashed in Yao Ling Wang's eyes, but he still stubbornly said, "Who wants to see any lotus pond? I'm here to discuss defense." Despite his words, he followed Zhe Yan and walked towards the direction of Yanbo Spring.
Behind them, Yao Guang and Jiao Jiao exchanged a smile. Looking at their backs, they both knew that with the addition of the Peacock Clan, the foundation of the Eastern Wilderness was truly secure.