The Star Lord Chang Sheng of the Palace of Trials - Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Wish You Happiness
Star Lord Changsheng sighed. What was bound to come had finally arrived—he just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
Before him was Kongqi, kneeling on the floor and kowtowing without rising.
The words Xiao Fan had said earlier—“If you don’t want it, someone else will”—suddenly flashed through Changsheng’s mind. So that was how he had obtained the Drought-Fire Lingzhi.
With his head lowered, Kongqi spoke in a firm, unwavering tone: “Kongqi kneels before Star Lord Changsheng to beg for your consent to this marriage proposal! I promise to treat Maiden Jufang with the utmost care and never let her suffer a single grievance.”
Star Lord Changsheng stepped forward and helped Kongqi to his feet. He then pulled out the box containing the Drought-Fire Lingzhi from his robes and said, “I take it Jufang is the bargaining chip for this Lingzhi? Xiao Fan already sliced off a small piece yesterday for me to ingest, so it would be unreasonable of me not to return it intact. However, Jufang is not something to be traded.”
Hearing this, Kongqi hurriedly dropped to his knees again and explained, “Please do not misunderstand, Star Lord! Regardless of your answer today, I will not take back the Drought-Fire Lingzhi. Unworthy as I am, I would never commit such a despicable act! To be honest, I only met Maiden Jufang after I presented the Drought-Fire Lingzhi. I suppose the Buddha took pity on my devoted heart and blessed me with this chance encounter.”
Observing Kongqi’s expression, Changsheng could tell he was not lying and realized he had wronged him. Even so, Jufang was not his to give away.
He sighed, “Please rise, High God! This matter is actually quite difficult—Jufang already has someone in her heart.”
At those words, Kongqi snapped his head up instantly. “Someone in her heart?”
Star Lord Changsheng replied, “The other person likes her as well; it should be mutual.”
“Is it you?” Kongqi’s aura shifted abruptly.
His gentle warmth vanished in an instant, replaced by the sharpness and blazing fire inherent to a Qilin.
The Qilin was a very special divine beast. Its body was covered in sharp spikes that could easily pierce through anyone. Its tail and hooves bore flames capable of turning all things to ash with a single turn or kick. With divine strength in its legs, a single strike could shatter mountain ranges and break the earth open. Yet, unlike the Azure Dragon or White Tiger, the Qilin rarely gave the impression of a ferocious beast. They were capable of destroying heaven and earth, but they refrained from doing so—even going out of their way to avoid stepping on insects while walking—all because of their gentle nature. In ancient texts, those capable of committing evil yet choosing not to were called benevolent, which referred specifically to the Qilin.
Beneath that refined and elegant exterior lay weapons capable of dealing instant death.
Star Lord Changsheng shook his head and replied, “It’s her childhood friend, a minor immortal named Wuyi.”
Disappointment flickered across Kongqi’s face, but he quickly restored his usual gentle demeanor.
“Maiden Jufang is so exceptional; it is only natural that others pursue her. My visit today was merely to seek your approval, Star Lord. Whether this marriage can come to pass ultimately depends on Maiden Jufang’s wishes. I will make sure she feels my sincerity and win her heart. But if you do not agree, it would be inappropriate for me to spend time with her and get to know her.”
Perhaps Kongqi was a bit impatient, but he had always been an honorable and straightforward person.
Once he had the intention to propose, he couldn’t bring himself to approach her covertly under the guise of being a friend.
Star Lord Changsheng knew he had no grounds to stand in the way.
Neither of them was married—who was he to object?
Changsheng said slowly, “You are too polite, High God. I am merely Jufang’s superior. If she is willing, it is not my place to voice an opinion. If you do not mind how modest Luoyun Mountain is, you are welcome to visit anytime.”
Overjoyed by the answer, Kongqi bowed deeply to Star Lord Changsheng and prepared to take his leave.
As he was about to depart, something seemed to cross his mind. He turned back around and said to Changsheng, “Rumor had it that Star Lord Changsheng once jumped into the Snow Lotus Pond on Tianshan for the sake of a woman. Originally, I wondered if that woman might be Jufang. But seeing that she shows no signs of frostbite, it must be someone else. Is her injury better now? If there is anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Star Lord Changsheng nodded in gratitude.
Perhaps refreshed by good news, Kongqi felt inclined to say a bit more: “For you to disregard your own safety like that, you must love her very much. I wish you happiness!”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Watching Kongqi’s receding back, Star Lord Changsheng said softly, “I do love her very much… but serving in the Sili Palace, how could I ever have happiness?”
However, Jufang must be happy.
***
With Star Lord Changsheng’s blessing, Kongqi naturally went straight to find Jufang.
Luoyun Mountain was not large, and before long, he found Jufang catching fish by the lake. Her sleeves and trouser legs were rolled up, and she was bent over in the water searching for fish. Wuyi was perched up in a tree keeping watch for her, as if trying to hide their activities from someone.
In truth, Niyan had ordered them to practice martial arts, but how could Jufang indulge in something so boring? So she had snuck off to the lake to catch fish instead. Spotting Kongqi walking over from afar, Wuyi tactfully flew further away to give them space to talk. In any case, having another powerful and influential friend was always a good thing—maybe they could even leave the Heavenly Kitchen and go somewhere they’d never have to put up with Star Lord Changsheng and Niyan again.
The lake water was crystal clear, and Jufang had sharp reflexes; she caught two fish in no time. Just as she was about to scoop up some shrimp, a flash of red appeared, and Kongqi held a third fish securely in his hand.
Seeing him, Jufang smiled happily.
“Why are you here?”
Kongqi looked at her face and hair dripping with water droplets. As the sunlight bathed her, accompanied by her radiant smile, she looked like a vibrant, youthful painting.
He caught himself staring blankly until Jufang asked him a second time.
Embarrassed to state his true motive, Kongqi said, “I had some matters to consult Star Lord Changsheng about. Knowing he hasn’t been feeling well lately, I dropped by to visit him as well.”
You couldn’t blame him—who could casually say, “I came to ask your boss for your hand in marriage”?
Hearing this, Jufang hastily asked, “Is he alright? Earlier Weiqing said his intestines were completely frozen, but yesterday he looked fine again and wasn’t coughing anymore.”
Kongqi answered, “We Qilin possess a treasure called the Drought-Fire Lingzhi. As long as Star Lord Changsheng takes it regularly, he will gradually recover within half a month.”
Jufang replied, “Then thank you!”
Her gratitude was genuine. Ever since she was trapped into doing hard labor just for dropping a book, Jufang had lived in fear that if Changsheng really didn’t recover, she would be forced to clean up after him forever.
Still holding the fish in his hand, Kongqi asked, “Does Immortal Jufang like eating fish?”
Jufang nodded.
“Mhm! It’s my absolute favorite. But I like meat too—I’m not a picky eater.”
Recalling how he had bumped into Li Qianwu when she snuck out to buy candied haws, Kongqi smiled and asked, “Do you like candied haws too?”
However, Jufang shook her head and said, “Cats eat meat; they don’t eat candied haws.”
Noticing that Kongqi seemed a bit surprised, she quickly explained, “Down in the mortal realm, that was all an act. Besides, if an unmarried young lady snuck out to buy roast chicken, how would that sound? Everything I did in the mortal realm was just a role to make Huang Cui fall in love with Li Qianwu so he could successfully pass his trial. If the immortal descending to earth had a preferred type, I would transform into that type. Since you didn’t have one, I just guessed what you might like.”
Kongqi came to a sudden realization.
“I see.”
Jufang added anxiously, “Do you feel like I tricked you? I didn’t mean to! Well… I did mean to, but it was all for your own good! Weren’t you trying to ascend to High God? If I didn’t deceive you, your trial wouldn’t have been successful.”
Seeing her flustered state, Kongqi smiled gently.
“It does not matter. Everyone was simply performing their duties. How could I possibly blame you, Immortal?”
Seeing him smile, Jufang let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s good, that’s good. Don’t dwell on it too much either. The one you were head-over-heels in love with was Li Qianwu. I am Jufang—we aren’t the same person.”
Kongqi chuckled.
“Indeed, your personality and Li Qianwu’s are vastly different!”
Li Qianwu was delicate and reserved, whereas Jufang was outspoken and straightforward; they were completely different. Yet, her thoughtfulness and those occasional moments of tenderness felt remarkably familiar.
“Right? Totally different! So let’s pretend Huang Cui and Li Qianwu never happened and start over!” Jufang laughed.
Jufang had always felt guilty about deceiving his feelings, so being confronted about it made her quite embarrassed. What she meant by “start over” was to pretend the past never happened and start fresh as friends. However, to Kongqi’s ears, it sounded like “Fall in love with me all over again!”, instantly causing him to blush bright red in embarrassment.
Seeing Jufang running around the lake searching everywhere, Kongqi asked, “What are you looking for, Immortal?”
Without stopping, Jufang replied, “Firewood! How else are we going to roast the fish? We have three now—one for you, one for me, and one for Wuyi. Perfect timing!”
Remembering what Star Lord Changsheng had said earlier, Kongqi tested the waters carefully: “Wuyi is…?”
Jufang immediately raised her head and looked around for Wuyi, but couldn’t find her.
She murmured, “She was just here a moment ago… Wuyi is the one who was standing next to me when you came last time.”
Kongqi was a bit confused by this statement.
“Last time… That young lady from last time was Wuyi?”
Jufang nodded.
“Yeah! Why?”
Kongqi thought for a moment.
Wuyi always wore a kitchen officer’s attire, which was unisex and featured an apron. Her true form was a hill myna bird, where males were vibrant and females were plain. Star Lord Changsheng had likely mistaken the plain-looking Wuyi for a young man, and seeing how intimate she and Jufang were, mistakenly assumed they were young lovers. Little did he know it was just the daily interaction between two young women.
Realizing this, Kongqi smiled.
“I see. No need to look for firewood—leave it to me!”
As he spoke, he channeled his spiritual energy, and a flame burst forth in his palm.
Like the Three-Legged Crow, the Qilin’s inner core belonged to the fire element.
A flame of this magnitude for roasting fish was something Kongqi had mastered at four years old.
—
While waiting for the fish to cook, Kongqi wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about her.
“What does Immortal usually do in the Sili Palace?”
Jufang replied, “Besides setting up trials for immortals, I just do odd jobs. Calling it ‘odd jobs’ is generous—it’s basically hard labor for Star Lord Changsheng. Serving tea, pouring water… zero dignity whatsoever.”
Kongqi smiled and said, “You jest, Immortal. Star Lord Changsheng is deeply respected in the Heavenly Palace; countless immortals long to study under him in the Sili Palace but can never find a way in. You must possess extraordinary talents to be so highly regarded by him.”
Jufang let out a cold snicker.
“Highly regarded? Ha! Would that eternal iceberg ever appreciate anyone? It’s only because everyone around him has already been tortured into passive obedience like Niyan, incapable of resisting, so he wanted to recruit a newcomer to exploit! ‘Deeply respected’? Respected for being cold-blooded, or respected for being heartless?”
Hearing her describe the invincible Niyan as incapable of resisting, and Star Lord Changsheng as cold-blooded and heartless, Kongqi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Seeing him laugh so hard, Jufang playfully nudged him and giggled, “What are you laughing at! It’s not like I said anything wrong!”
Suppressing his laughter, Kongqi said, “If the strongest being in the heavens, Niyan, doesn’t know how to resist, and the passionate Star Lord Changsheng is cold-blooded and heartless, then how wretched must I appear in your eyes, Immortal?”
Jufang retorted, “It’s fine if you counter me on Niyan being the strongest in heaven, but on what grounds do you call Star Lord Changsheng ‘passionate’?”
Kongqi smiled and answered, “Star Lord Changsheng would risk his very life for the woman he loves. Is that not passionate enough? He is merely a bit reserved toward you and me.”
Instantly consumed by curiosity, Jufang pressed excitedly, “Who? Which woman? How did he risk his life?”
Kongqi merely smiled without answering at first.
Under Jufang’s relentless questioning, he finally said, “You had better ask the Star Lord yourself, Immortal.”
—
The fish was done, but Wuyi still hadn’t returned.
Using the excuse that “the fish won’t taste good once it gets cold,” Jufang dug in first.
Watching Jufang eat happily, Kongqi fell into deep thought.
Before meeting Jufang, he had firmly believed that he loved Li Qianwu.
But upon meeting Jufang, his heart wavered.
Li Qianwu was gentle, quiet, and strictly well-behaved.
Jufang was noisy, fearless, and utterly carefree.
Even if they shared the same soul, they were not the same person.
Was Kongqi in love with the delicate Li Qianwu, or the uninhibited Jufang?
After crossing the Return to Origin Gate, though he hadn’t forgotten Li Qianwu, Huang Cui was no longer just Huang Cui—he now possessed the experiences and wisdom of Kongqi.
What kept Li Qianwu on his mind was no longer her flustered expression back then, nor their brief time together at the inn, but rather the meaning behind her words when seeing him off outside the city: “There is no need for us to meet again in this lifetime.”
The one who couldn’t bear to let Huang Cui risk a perilous journey alone was Jufang, not Li Qianwu. In Huang Cui’s short mortal life, that single sentence and that small spark of tenderness were the only things directed at Kongqi himself.
That was why he couldn’t stop thinking about her, why he tossed and turned at night, and why he refused to accept “forget what ought to be forgotten.”
He smiled, no longer conflicted. The girl in front of him, her face smudged with fish oil, was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Kongqi liked Jufang, but did Jufang like Kongqi?
Asking so directly wouldn’t be proper for someone as refined as Kongqi.
So he asked, “If I frequently visit Luoyun Mountain to see you, would you find me bothersome?”
Jufang wiped her mouth and replied, “Why would I find it bothersome? I’d be more than thrilled! I don’t have many friends in the upper realm. Come visit me anytime—the more often, the better! Every day is fine!”
Watching from afar, Wuyi saw how harmoniously they were chatting and was thrilled, thinking they would soon have the Qilin clan backing them up.
Star Lord Changsheng saw Wuyi standing there and grew curious about what she was looking at.
He walked over, only to see Jufang and Kongqi laughing and talking happily together.
Wuyi pointed at the two in the distance and said, “Look how well they get along! Let’s not disturb them.”
Star Lord Changsheng stared at Wuyi in utter disbelief.
“You…”
—
“Seeing how happily you guys were chatting, I thought you’d ask Kongqi to stay for dinner!”
At the dinner table, Wuyi’s comment caused Star Lord Changsheng to choke on his food once again.
Chewing on her food, Jufang replied, “This mountain doesn’t belong to me; how would I dare invite him to stay?”
Wuyi pressed on, “What did you two talk about?”
Jufang narrowed her eyes maliciously and said, “Kongqi told me a huge secret. Want to hear it?”
Wuyi nodded in excitement, while Star Lord Changsheng pretended not to care while listening with full concentration.
Feigning a whisper, Jufang said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear: “Kongqi said that Star Lord Changsheng has someone he loves so much he’d sacrifice his life for her. Full of passion, isn’t he!”
At those words, Star Lord Changsheng spat out his tea on the spot.
Wuyi’s eyes widened in shock as she asked, “Who?!”
Xiao Fan, who had already downed a jar of Licorice Brew, said drunkenly, “That Kongqi really is sharp as a tack! Visiting Luoyun Mountain just three times, and he’s already uncovered all of Changsheng’s secrets.”
Still smiling, Jufang asked Xiao Fan, “So who is it really? Who does Star Lord Changsheng love so much that he’d give up his life? Come on, tell us!”
Seeing Xiao Fan hesitate, Star Lord Changsheng hurriedly changed the subject: “Wuyi, isn’t your reaction a bit too oblivious? Seeing your Jufang chatting so intimately with Kongqi, aren’t you jealous at all?”
Wuyi looked completely bewildered and asked, “Why would I be jealous?”
Seeing this setup, Xiao Fan rubbed his hands together excitedly and whispered to Niyan, “Here it comes, here it comes. The world of these eternal straight guys is about to be turned upside down.”
Star Lord Changsheng asked back, “Aren’t you two childhood sweethearts, mutually in love?”
Wuyi, still completely lost, asked, “I didn’t even know Kongqi before this…”
Star Lord Changsheng rolled his eyes and added, “I mean you and Jufang!”
Hearing this, Wuyi’s face filled with horror. She asked timidly, “Star Lord Changsheng… you do know that Jufang is a woman, right?”
Star Lord Changsheng replied in an annoyed tone, “Of course I know she’s a woman!”
Wuyi’s expression grew even more terrified. She pointed a trembling finger at herself and asked, “Then… do you know… that I’m a woman too?”
Now it was Star Lord Changsheng and Niyan’s turn to jump up in shock, shouting in unison: “YOU’RE A WOMAN?!”
Equally shocked and infuriated, Wuyi exclaimed, “Did you all really think I was a guy?!”
