Chapter 396: Love Turns to Hate
Mangshan in Luoyang had been a place of desolate graves since ancient times.
The cold wind howled and withered grass grew thick. Several newly transplanted peonies stood alone on the hillside, their petals tightly closed, their branches standing stubbornly upright, completely out of place with the desolation surrounding them.
The Peony Immortal stood among the flowers, dressed in blood-red robes, the coral hairpin in her hair reflecting the cold moonlight, shining brightly. She coldly gazed at Luoyang City in the distance, the corners of her lips curling into a mocking smile.
"Wu Zhao, do you think banishing me to this place can break my proud spirit?"
Her fingertips gently caressed the petals, and the stamens trembled slightly, as if responding to her whisper.
The next second, immortal power flowed through her palm, and with a fierce flick of her sleeve—
"Boom!"
The entire Mangshan suddenly trembled. Among the withered grass and fallen leaves, countless peonies broke through the soil, their branches stretching and their buds blooming!
The originally desolate hillside instantly transformed into a sea of flowers.
The deep red "Luoyang Brocade" blazed like fierce flames, the snow-white "Jade Tower Spring" poured down like frost, the purple-black "Azure Dragon Lying in the Ink Pool" was bewitching and mysterious, and the golden "Yao Yellow" was nobly imposing...
Layer upon layer of petals glowed with a lustrous sheen under the moonlight, their stamens emitting fragrance that flooded the mountains and fields like a tide. The night wind brushed past, and thousands of flowers swayed gracefully, like a magnificent cloud of sunset falling into the mortal world.
...
The news of the peonies being banished to Luoyang quickly reached the city.
At this moment, inside the Luoyang City God Temple, incense smoke curled.
The City God, Lu Ziming, sat upright on the divine platform. He wore magnificent official robes and held a jade tablet, appearing solemn and dignified.
However, his gaze was not fixed on the incense or believers before him, but instead looked through the curling smoke toward the direction of Mangshan.
"I've heard that the Peony Immortal was banished to Mangshan, with peerless beauty and proud spirit..." Lu Ziming murmured to himself, his voice echoing in the quiet City God Temple, seeming to carry an unspeakable longing.
The advisor standing nearby keenly perceived Lu Ziming's thoughts and said with an obsequious smile: "If the Lord is interested, why not go see for yourself the charm of the Peony Immortal?"
Lu Ziming narrowed his eyes when he heard this, a barely noticeable smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. After some thought, he slowly said: "That makes sense."
That night, a young gentleman in white robes, holding an exquisite folding fan, slowly embarked on the mountain path under the moonlight.
He had handsome features and flowing sleeves. A City God seal hung at his waist, concealed by magic so that mortals could not see it.
When he reached halfway up the mountain, he saw from afar the red figure among the peonies. The corners of his lips rose slightly as he approached with cupped hands: "Is the lady the master of this place?"
The Peony Immortal didn't turn back and said indifferently: "In a desolate mountain place, what master could there be?"
The young gentleman in white wasn't offended and smiled: "I am from Luoyang, surname Lu. Having heard that Mangshan has newly planted peonies, I came specially to view them."
The Peony Immortal finally turned around. Under the moonlight, her eyes were brighter than the stars.
"This young master, do you know what kind of place this is?"
"Who doesn't know about the desolate graves of Mangshan?" The young gentleman in white deliberately unfurled his folding fan with a carefree air. "It is precisely because of this that it better complements the lady's character."
"Oh?" The Peony Immortal suddenly smiled, and that smile made the young gentleman's heart tremble. "Then does the young master know who I am?"
"This..." The young gentleman clearly hadn't expected the Peony Immortal to be so direct. A flash of surprise appeared in his eyes, but he immediately smiled: "Such extraordinary beauty—presumably you are the noble daughter of some distinguished family?"
"Hehe, what noble daughter from a distinguished family would come to this Mangshan in the middle of the night?" The Peony Immortal sized him up with cold eyes and suddenly sneered: "City God, why bother with this pretense?"
Lu Ziming was startled, then laughed heartily: "The Immortal indeed has eyes like torches."
He removed his disguise, revealing his true appearance, with divine light faintly visible and natural dignity.
The Peony Immortal remained cold and detached, saying in a cold voice: "Shouldn't the City God be enjoying incense in his temple? What are you doing in this desolate mountain?"
Lu Ziming's eyes burned brightly: "I have long heard of the Immortal's reputation and came specially to visit."
The Peony Immortal sneered: "Is it really just a visit?"
Lu Ziming's face darkened slightly when his thoughts were exposed, but he still maintained his elegance: "Why must the Immortal keep people at a thousand miles' distance? We are both people of the divine path. If we could become dao companions, wouldn't it be another beautiful story in the human world?"
"A mere City God dares to speak of dao companions with me? Not to mention, I have heard in Chang'an that the City God of Luoyang most likes to transform into a handsome young gentleman to deceive ignorant mortal girls." The Peony Immortal flicked her sleeve and turned around. "Scram! If I see you again, I will definitely file a complaint against you with the Great Emperor of Mount Tai!"
Then she disappeared in a flash of divine light.
Soon, a voice filled with exasperation came from the desolate mountain:
"Peony Immortal! Just you wait!"
...
Lu Ziming returned to the City God Temple in great disappointment, his face as dark as water.
"What an unappreciative Peony Immortal!" He slammed the table angrily, shaking the incense burner until it toppled over.
"I, Lu Ziming, will have my revenge for this!"
The advisor quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice: "My Lord, please calm your anger. After all, that Peony Immortal has an extraordinary background, and forcing things might not be appropriate."
Lu Ziming snorted coldly: "Am I supposed to just let this go?"
The advisor's eyes rolled, and he smiled sinisterly: "My Lord, I have a plan that can make that Peony Immortal unable to live or die!"
Lu Ziming raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Tell me about it."
The advisor lowered his voice: "Although the Empress banished the peonies to Mangshan, she didn't exterminate them completely. The reason the Hundred Flower Immortals dared not disobey the decree is that the flowers in the mortal world are the carriers of their cultivation. If the Empress orders their extinction, the flower immortals would at least suffer severe damage to their cultivation and lose their beauty, and at worst, die and vanish!"
Lu Ziming narrowed his eyes: "But how can I, a mere City God, make the Empress change her mind?"
The advisor chuckled: "My Lord, I have a plan called 'killing with praise' that can help you succeed."
Lu Ziming asked curiously: "What is 'killing with praise'?"
The advisor chuckled and said, "My Lord, please lend me your ear."
...
The next morning, sunlight sprinkled on the streets and alleys of Luoyang City. The originally peaceful city was broken by a burst of gossip.
"Have you heard? The peonies in Mangshan actually bloom three points more brilliantly than those in Chang'an!"
"Indeed, I also heard that because the Peony Immortal was banished here, she poured all her lifelong cultivation into these flowers in indignation. When these peonies bloom, there are ten thousand rays of sunlight—it is simply beautiful beyond description!"
"Is it really so magical? Then we must go see!"
Such discussions rose and fell in the teahouses and taverns. People were filled with curiosity and anticipation about the peonies in Mangshan.
At this time, Lu Ziming had already transformed into a graceful young gentleman in white. He shuttled through the crowd, occasionally echoing people's discussions and deliberately exaggerating, describing the wonders of the Mangshan peonies as almost supernatural.
Under his instigation, the people of Luoyang became increasingly eager to see the peonies in Mangshan, traveling in groups to view the flowers.
The originally desolate Mangshan became vibrant because of this sudden liveliness. Tourists swarmed like weaving threads, horses and carriages clamored, and the originally quiet mountain paths were packed with crowds.
Some people even broke off branches to take home and enshrine, just to appreciate the peonies' beauty up close.
However, all of this was seen by the Peony Immortal. She stood quietly among the flowers, coldly watching this noisy scene, but gradually a trace of unease welled up in her heart.
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