Phoenix's Requiem

From the holy maiden’s perspective, Yun Ruoyan had released the spiritual flame from her own hand.

The force at which Qiuqiu launched the flames was far greater than that used by the traps. The flames from Yun Ruoyan’s palm met the flames from the traps in the interior of the trap mechanism and immediately exploded in force.

With a great boom, the entire palace trembled; after the trembling subsided, the holy maiden found that none of her traps worked any longer.

Just then, a number of footsteps could be heard from the exterior of the chamber, along with cries to protect the holy maiden. The front doors were pushed open, and a number of guards walked in.

“What just happened? Where’s the holy maiden?” the guard shouted imperiously, drawing his sword and pointing it at Yun Ruoyan.

“I... I don’t know what just happened...” Yun Ruoyan immediately assumed the form of a scared servant. She had already been kneeling by one corner of the room, and now she trembled into a small, quaking ball, startled by the sudden explosion.

The holy maiden, who was hiding in a corner of the room, couldn’t help getting enraged at the sight of Yun Ruoyan’s cowering form. To think her servant would be even better at deception than she was! But... she did like this new servant of hers. It seemed as though her life in the palace would no longer be as dreadfully boring as before.

Yun Ruoyan didn’t realize that her antics had caught the eye of the holy maiden, accidentally accomplishing her goal. What she was most worried about at the moment was startling the silver dragon elder due to the disturbance she had made—after all, she didn’t want to be anywhere close to him given the unfamiliar and disadvantageous environment she was in.

“Where’s the holy maiden?!”

“I—I don’t know, I haven’t seen her!”

“Take her away!” the captain of the guards instructed his subordinates.

“I’m right here.” Just then, the lovely, not-at-all-cute voice of the holy maiden sounded again. “How dare you seize my servant?”

Yun Ruoyan raised her head slightly to glance at the holy maiden. Her hair was as pure a silver as Li Mo’s, soft and wavy and hanging on her shoulders. She was about as tall as Yun Ruoyan, and wore a long silver dress that trailed the ground. She stood prim and proper, giving off a divine aura that brooked no disrespect. Her face was covered by a white veil.

The holy maiden was superior both in appearance and presence, but her temperament was strange and mercurial. Although she now looked as stern and severe as a goddess, she had seemed like a devil when she was playing around with the traps.

“I wouldn’t dare!” The guard captain immediately bowed toward the holy maiden. “While patrolling, I heard a series of strange explosions and entered this chamber to take a look. Holy Maiden, please pardon me for disrupting you.”

“I was cultivating. Isn’t it normal for there to be strange noises?” the holy maiden replied. “Everything’s fine, so you may leave.”

“Yes, at once, Holy Maiden!” The guard captain immediately stepped back in relief.

“Hold it!” she suddenly said, and Yun Ruoyan could clearly see the guards tremble.

“Yes, Holy Maiden?” the guard captain turned around and asked.

“This was only a small incident, and I hope you won’t be reporting this to the silver dragon elder. He has to deal with countless matters of import, and there’s no need to trouble him over such trivialities.”

“Yes, Holy Maiden!”

“Alright, leave.” The guards rapidly marched out of the chamber.

“Your name is Yun Ruoyan?” The holy maiden glanced at Yun Ruoyan, who was still curled up by a corner of the chamber, cowering in fear. “You can stop acting now. I saw what you were like before.”

She walked toward Yun Ruoyan and squatted on the ground, her seemingly divine presence vanishing in an instant.

“Alright.” Yun Ruoyan straightened up and rested against the wall. Combating the trap without using any shred of spiritual energy had been surprisingly tiring.

“Of my many servants, you’re the most unruly,” the holy maiden began.

Yun Ruoyan peered at her. “Although I haven’t seen many holy maidens, you’re likely the most unruly.” She thought she had gotten a handle on the holy maiden’s temper, and her words were tailored to the holy maiden.

As expected, the holy maiden began to laugh, a lovely laugh that sounded like the tinkling of bells. “You’re quite interesting, aren’t you? I hadn’t expected the castle to have such interesting servants,” the holy maiden praised.

“Holy Maiden, I came from the silver dragon city. Madam Li brought me into the castle.”

“Oh, so that’s the case.” The holy maiden’s eyes immediately gleamed. “No wonder! Everyone in the castle is dull and dreadfully boring, but the city’s a bit more interesting. Madam Li did well to find you. You’re ugly, but I like your temperament. You’ll be my new servant!”

And so it came to be that Yun Ruoyan became the new servant of the holy maiden. Although the holy maiden’s appearance seemed cold and staid, she was like a little kid. Because of what amounted to imprisonment since her birth, she was always very curious about the world beyond the silver dragon castle, and she always pestered Yun Ruoyan to tell her more.

Although Yun Ruoyan wasn’t very familiar with the silver dragon city, she was able to combine her experiences on the Chenyuan and Mingyuan continents to spin the holy maiden tales of her adventures,

“You’re not from the silver dragon city, are you?” the holy maiden suddenly asked.

“Why do you say that, Holy Maiden?”

“Although I’ve been kept here in the silver dragon castle ever since I was a child, I’ve escaped the confines of the castles quite a few times. I’ve been to many places in the silver dragon city, but a lot of the places you mention aren’t from the city itself.”

“I’m actually a roaming wanderer,” Yun Ruoyan explained. “I used to perform tricks on the street, travelling from city to city...”

“Oh, that I’m familiar with. I’ve seen people like that in the silver dragon city before. Their cultivations aren’t particularly advanced, but they’re surprisingly nimble.” The holy maiden suddenly gaped. “No wonder you were able to escape my traps so easily!”

“Exactly.” Yun Ruoyan was very satisfied with the holy maiden’s imagination. “I’m a great performer.”

“Oh, right! How did you manage to consume that spiritual flame with your palm? Is that a trick too?” 𝑓𝔯𝑒e𝘸e𝘣𝓷𝘰ѵe𝚕.c૦𝙢

“Of course!” Yun Ruoyan replied immediately. 𝑓𝒓𝚎e𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯𝘰𝐯𝒆𝑙.c𝚘m

“I’d originally thought that you knew some amazing cultivation technique...”

“Certainly not! If I were that skilled, why would I come serve as a servant at the silver dragon castle?” Yun Ruoyan deftly changed the topic. “One of my companions was even able to swallow flames with his mouth and eyes, not just with his hands!”

“Ah!” The holy maiden immediately made an expression of interest. “That’s possible?”

“Of course! I’ll bring you to see such shows when I get the opportunity.” Having successfully aroused the holy maiden’s interest, Yun Ruoyan hoped that the holy maiden would agree to go immediately, but she shook her head sadly instead.

“The silver dragon elder’s been a lot more stringent with me lately. I used to be able to find opportunities to go outside and play, but I’ve been trapped inside the castle for almost half a year now.”

Yun Ruoyan could see that the holy maiden desperately wanted to explore the city, but had been unable to do so. She didn’t dare volunteer to lead the holy maiden out—after all, she had just arrived in the castle, and the holy maiden wouldn’t trust her. If she tried putting her plan in action now, it would easily sow distrust between them.

“That’s a pity,” Yun Ruoyan sighed.

There were other servants responsible for the holy maiden’s food, clothes, and baths. Yun Ruoyan’s sole responsibility was to accompany the holy maiden and prevent her from being bored.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye; on the second day, Li Mo contacted her. He was now a member of the patrolling guards. When Yun Ruoyan went out walking with the holy maiden, she would encounter him on occasion.

When she saw him walking sternly in a guard’s outfit, she couldn’t help but hide a smile. She would likely never get to see Li Mo dressed like that again, and she had to sneak glances at him when she could. On the other hand, Li Mo would always walk by without even a passing glance at her, because he knew she would be laughing at him.

“Yun’er,” the holy maiden suddenly called out.

“Yes, Holy Maiden?” Yun Ruoyan rushed forward to catch up with her.

“Yun’er, have you taken a liking to any of the guards around here?” she asked.

“Ah?” Yun Ruoyan blinked. Had she been that obvious? “No, no.” She quickly shook her head. “I just think that they’re handsome, Holy Maiden. Given how ugly I am, how could I be a match for any of the guards?”

“Nonsense!” the holy maiden cried out. “You might not be beautiful, but as the servant of the holy maiden herself, you’re a perfectly respectable match for any of the guards.”

Yun Ruoyan couldn’t help but feel touched by the holy maiden’s gesture. If she were to stick with her for too long, she probably wouldn’t be able to bear kidnapping her.

“Holy Maiden!” Suddenly, an unfamiliar man’s voice came from their front. “What a pleasant surprise to see you walking around.”

Before Yun Ruoyan could look up at the man who spoke, the holy maiden snorted.