Chapter 88: The Secret Alliance

I was about to reveal the secret I had learned to Tiansheng, but to my surprise, Spring Wind, ever curious, interrupted first, "What secret? Does this lord know it?"

Five hundred years had passed, and Tiande once again sought to destroy me. Now that Spring Wind had become implicated, I could no longer keep this matter from him.

"Second Prince, do you know that Lord Yufei did not die in the Heavenly River of the Thirty-Third Heaven all those years ago?" I said to Tiansheng.

"Oh? Tiansheng was unaware. What happened? Please, Madam, tell me," he replied.

Spring Wind looked at me in astonishment, thinking I was about to reveal my identity to Tiansheng.

"This matter was witnessed by Keke, who once danced as a celestial in the palace. The one who died leaping into the Heavenly River was actually the Seventh Princess. Lord Yufei was sealed with three divine seals and bound with thirteen soul-locking nails by Crown Prince Tiande, in the name of the Seventh Princess Yu Ji, and was sent to the Netherworld. Later, Spring Wind rescued him, but he died on the Isle of Blossoms." I recounted the events of that year to Tiansheng and Spring Wind.

"Little Crow... that! Why didn't you tell me sooner!" Spring Wind leapt up in fury, slapping the table and preparing to fly straight to the palace.

I stopped him.

"You hid this from me for so long! I must avenge this!" Spring Wind pushed my arm aside.

I cast a spell to block his path. "This vengeance must be taken, but not now! If you rush in for a moment's satisfaction, you may not even scratch Tiande. That's the Celestial Palace! If something goes amiss, what will happen to you, to the Isle of Blossoms, to Little White?"

"I can't stand to see my own being bullied!" Spring Wind cried in rage.

"I cannot bear to see my own destroyed together with that scoundrel," I replied.

"It pains me!" Spring Wind said in anguish.

"That's why we must guarantee victory! If you act recklessly, don't you think your loved ones would suffer?" I gripped Spring Wind's arm tightly, staring into his eyes.

"You... you always look at me like that..." Yes, he could never win against me in such moments; his temper would always subside.

"It was my brother's fault," Tiansheng said, ashamed at seeing us quarrel.

"Second Prince, I share this with you so that you may prepare yourself. Now that Tiande's first plot has failed, he will surely try again. And from my years of investigation, your Zijhen also suffered at his hands," I told Tiansheng.

"What!" the Second Prince exclaimed.

Some things about Zijhen had been told to me by Keke; piecing them together with what Senior Brother Eleven overheard and what I learned in the Netherworld, I finally discovered the whole truth.

Years ago, when Keke was still a spirit bird, she wandered into the Celestial Palace and met Zijhen, a tree-guardian fairy in the Peach Orchard. Zijhen was simple and endearing, and Tiansheng adored her.

Tiande, seeing Tiansheng and Zijhen in love, envied him—he himself was like a dog before Lei Ci. When Tiansheng was sent to quell floods in the southeast, Tiande killed a thousand-year-old celestial peach tree and framed Zijhen. Zijhen was punished to descend to the mortal realm for sixty years, where she suffered terrible harm at the hands of Mingzhong. Ashamed to speak of her ordeal when she returned early to the palace, she kept rejecting Tiansheng, pouring her sorrows to Senior Brother Eleven, who was in rabbit form. He told us what he had heard. When we went to catch the culprit, I had my first brush with danger in the Netherworld. In the palace, a woman of insufficient rank could not marry a prince, and Tiansheng was often stationed at the borders. Thus their union was delayed until Zijhen, as her master's adopted daughter, was to be wed.

After hearing all this, Tiansheng's eyes blazed with fury, and he crushed the teacup in his hand. "I thought Mingzhong was my only enemy. I volunteered for the battle at Luolong, hoping to avenge her, but the great one, considering my bond with Zijhen, did not let me go. I never imagined it was him!"

"It seems Tiande's hatred for you will only grow, not lessen, now that he is Crown Prince. He must see you as an ever-greater threat," I said.

"You are perceptive, Madam. Since the wars ended, I have been constantly reassigned to guard borderlands, never allowed to stay in one place for more than three years—sometimes to control floods, famine, or pestilence. I cannot reside in the Celestial Palace, nor settle anywhere," said Tiansheng.

"He fears your merits might rival his own and sees your growing influence as a threat, so he keeps you moving," I observed.

Gritting his teeth, Tiansheng said, "Had I known, I should have contested him for the position of Crown Prince!"

"It's not too late now, if you are willing," I said to Tiansheng.

"Take his place. If you dare, the Isle of Blossoms, the Realm of Jade Purity, and the Nine Provinces of the Celestial Realm will all support you," Spring Wind declared plainly.

"Why wouldn't I dare? If he treats me unjustly, I need not treat him with loyalty," Tiansheng replied.

Now that Tiansheng had made up his mind, things became much simpler. I escorted him down the mountain, instructing him to order his followers to keep silent, and to report back that he had found nothing, making no mention of meeting Spring Wind. He might be punished for such a report, but it would give him a chance to feign weakness and bide his time.

To prevent Tiande from sending anyone else, I dismissed the immortals of Jade Bamboo Mountain, instructing them to await new assignments from the Great True God of Dain. I took Little White, Shanhua, and Keke back to the Isle of Blossoms.

But I had barely arrived before receiving an urgent flying decree.

The sender was none other than Ulan, a friend I had met years ago at Kunlun Xu when I went to bear witness and bought a fake map.

Back then, when I went to Kunlun Xu to seek a master, I got lost while gathering firewood and met my teacher, who said someone else would rescue them. Later, I learned that Senior Brother Baize helped them to the medical hall. The three of them, weak from hunger and injury, missed their chance to take a master and each returned home, never to be heard from again.

Years later, following my teacher’s instructions to maintain relations with independent tribes, I traveled to the Muco Grasslands.

There, Ulan was competing in archery with Amugulang, trying to see who could shoot down more birds. As fate would have it, I, in my white sparrow form, flew into their contest. Two arrows flew at me at once; I caught them in midair and landed. Both insisted their arrow had struck first and that they had won.

Seeing them argue heatedly, I transformed into an old woman, holding an arrow in each hand. "The one in my left hand arrived first," I said.

They were startled.

"Madam, are you a spirit bird? Are you all right? We’re terribly sorry!" Amugulang quickly apologized.

"Yes, sorry! We didn't realize you were a spirit bird! Why did you fly into our tournament?" Ulan also apologized.

"It's my first time here. I lost my way and barged in," I said with a smile.

"Madam, so who won?" Ulan asked.

"The arrow in my left hand won," I replied, handing them the arrows.

They examined them closely. Ulan looked disappointed. Amugulang laughed, "I told you it was mine! Why argue?"

"Hmph! If I'd become Master Yunxiao's disciple, my archery would be better than yours now!" Ulan protested.

"You only got lost in the snow mountains because you bought a fake map! Muco has plenty of master archers—you could be my disciple! I could take you on, reluctantly," Amugulang teased.

"No! I refuse! I only acknowledge Master Yunxiao!" Ulan retorted.

"Well, you've lost now, so you have to yield! Master Yunxiao is gone. Just call me master!" Amugulang laughed.

"I refuse! Madam, you must be mistaken!" Ulan appealed to me.

"No mistake—his arrow was faster and truer," I said.

"May I ask, Madam, who you are, to catch both our arrows barehanded?" Amugulang asked.

I thought, Ulan’s faith in my teacher was justified. If this arrow had been shot by my teacher, I wouldn't have been able to catch it—I’d be lucky to dodge at all.

"I’m Bai of Jade Bamboo Mountain by the South Sea, traveling here. And you are?" I asked.

"I am Amugulang, heir of the Muco tribe."

"I am his fiancée, Ulan."

Thus I reconnected with Ulan and met Amugulang, heir of the Muco tribe.

The two warmly invited me to stay, and I agreed, wishing to learn more about their tribe. It happened to be Amugulang’s father, Baolide’s, birthday. As their friend, I joined in the celebrations. Unexpectedly, that day, Amugulang’s uncle, Chagan, staged a coup, sending men to murder Baolide as he lay drunken and asleep.

Amidst the chaos, Amugulang and Ulan burst into my yurt to save me.

"Chagan has rebelled with Crown Prince Tiande’s support! My father is dead! You must escape!" Amugulang thrust the reins of the heavenly steed to Ulan and me.

"And you?" Ulan asked Amugulang.

"I’ll cover your escape!"

"If you stay, I stay! I’ll cover you too! Madam, you must flee! Don’t let us drag you down!" Ulan said to me.

In such a situation, covering the retreat meant sacrificing oneself for others. I couldn’t help but admire these brave and resolute friends. Moreover, with Tiande involved, this was my concern too—independent tribes must not fall under his control.

"Where is your father’s body?" I asked Amugulang.

"In their hands," Amugulang replied through gritted teeth, tears in his eyes.

"Are you sure Chagan is Tiande’s man?" I pressed.

"Yes! He’s always been close to Tiande, trying to persuade my father to submit, but my father always refused," Amugulang answered.

I leapt onto my horse, donned a cloak and hood. "Amugulang! Ulan! I’m not running! Follow me! Let’s take a stand!"

"Good! No cowards here!" Amugulang and Ulan broke through Chagan’s encirclement with me, charging straight for his main camp!

The battlefield was ablaze. Baolide’s loyal soldiers were still fighting, but some, seeing his body displayed in the enemy camp, lost heart.

Chagan sat proudly at the center, flanked by dozens of armed guards, while soldiers around lit torches and soaked the field in pine oil.

"Amugulang, give me a bow and arrows!" I commanded sternly.

"Madam, it’s too far! You’ll never hit him!" Amugulang protested.

"Give it to me! Now!"

Amugulang handed me a stag-horn bow.

I took the bow and channeled divine fire into the arrow. The bow burst into brilliant flames.

What a spiritual bow! Today you will follow me to mete out divine justice!

A fiery arrow shot straight for Chagan; his bodyguards rushed to shield him, but the divine arrow pierced through six of them and struck Chagan in the chest! He had no time to react and perished instantly. Flames engulfed him and his throne, spreading to the surrounding battlefield. Chagan, wrapped in fire, became a blazing beacon that illuminated the field, leaving all stunned.

Chagan’s forces collapsed in terror. Baolide’s men, emboldened, destroyed the rebel army under Amugulang’s command.

I revived Baolide with a tear of rebirth.

"Great Khan, you may claim to the world you were only wounded and fainted, to avoid unnecessary trouble," I advised.

"As you command! Divine One, I am forever grateful for your help!" Baolide had guessed my identity.

"Could it be that Madam is the legendary Great True God of Dain?" Amugulang asked in awe.

"I am unworthy of such a title," I replied. The name had spread among the immortals of the celestial realm and even reached the Muco tribe.

"Crown Prince Tiande has always coveted our tribe’s strength. We are independent, not subject to the Nine Provinces or Tiande. Thanks to you, Divine One, we are saved. From this day, our enmity with Tiande is irreconcilable!" declared Baolide.

"With just Muco’s strength, how can you oppose the prince of the heavens? Why not form an alliance?" I suggested.

"An alliance?"

"Yes—with all who share a mortal hatred for that villain."

"Good! If the day comes, the Muco tribe will heed your command!"

Amugulang gave me the stag-horn bow in gratitude. I formed an alliance with the Muco tribe, which soon returned to peace.

But now, with such an urgent flying decree, what has happened to the Muco tribe?