Chapter 398: Burning the Mountain
Ji Hongli unhurriedly unfolded her folding fan:
"Last night at the foot of Mount Mang, this one was walking while muttering..."
She imitated the scholar's tone:
"'Peony Fairy, your humble servant comes.'"
Lin Wan burst out laughing:
"So he was a lovestruck fool?"
"Not just that."
Ji Hongli lightly flicked the fan tip, and the bundle in the scholar's lap automatically opened, revealing several yellow talismans and a peach wood sword:
"He's also a cultivator."
Lin Wan's expression shifted slightly, finally examining the scholar seriously.
Looking closely, there was indeed a thread of clear qi between his brows—weak but pure.
"So?"
She tilted her head to look at Ji Hongli.
"So..."
Ji Hongli suddenly leaned down, whispering in Lin Wan's ear:
"There's something strange about him."
Lin Wan's pupils contracted slightly, but she quickly resumed her lazy appearance. She stretched:
"Fine, turtle keeper it is."
She kicked the bed board as she spoke:
"You hear that? From today on, you're a man of the Dream Immortal Tower."
The scholar shook his head with "mmm mmm" sounds, his face full of despair.
Ji Hongli laughed lightly, suddenly using her fan to lift the scholar's chin:
"Don't be afraid, we have many pretty ladies here..."
She deliberately dragged out her tone:
"Much more interesting than a single Peony Fairy on Mount Mang."
Lin Wan looked at Ji Hongli's profile, knowing she was definitely hiding something.
But she wasn't in a hurry—
"Untie him first."
Lin Wan stood up, her red clothes brushing past the scholar's terrified face:
"Plant some restrictions, administer some poison, anyway..."
She winked at Ji Hongli:
"He can't escape."
Hearing these words, the scholar rolled his eyes back and nearly fainted again.
...
Chang'an City.
In the Xuanzheng Hall, Wu Zhao was reviewing memorials.
Hearing hurried footsteps, she didn't stop her vermilion brush, only slightly lifting her eyelids.
The eunuch knelt below the steps, presenting a bamboo tube sealed with lacquer with both hands:
"Your Majesty, news from Luoyang."
Only then did Wu Zhao set down her brush.
When she unfolded the silk, the candles in the hall suddenly swayed violently.
"Good, very good."
The Empress's voice was very soft, yet it made all the palace servants shiver.
Written on the silk was:
"The peonies of Mount Mang defy the holy will, not only failing to wither but flourishing even more than in Chang'an. The people of Luoyang compete to worship them, calling them 'glorious in defiance of the decree,' with some even building shrines to offer sacrifices..."
...
Three days later, at the foot of Mount Mang.
Five hundred Imperial Guards held torches, surrounding the entire mountain tightly.
"By order of the Emperor, receiving the mandate of Heaven: The peonies of Mount Mang, defying the decree and disrespecting heavenly authority, are hereby sentenced to be burned to the roots as a warning to all!"
The moment torches were thrown onto the dry grass, the entire mountain seemed to tremble.
Tongues of fire spread crazily along the mountain slope, instantly devouring large areas of peonies.
At the mountain peak, the Peony Fairy suddenly raised her head. She smelled the burnt scent carried by the wind, saw the rolling black smoke on the horizon.
"Wu Zhao!"
Her red clothes billowed, the coral hairpin in her hair bursting with blinding red light:
"How dare you—"
The fire grew stronger and stronger. Those century-old peonies twisted painfully in the flames, emitting cries that ordinary people couldn't hear.
The oldest peony desperately stretched its branches and leaves, wanting to protect the seedlings beside it:
"Fairy... save the children..."
The Peony Fairy formed seals with both hands, dazzling red light emanating from her body. She tried to summon water, but discovered that this realm seemed to be imprisoned by some force—she couldn't gather even a trace of moisture.
"Useless."
A weak voice came.
That "Black Dragon Lying in an Ink Pool" plant, burned black, spoke with difficulty:
"The Empress... invited a Celestial Master... to perform rites..."
Only then did the Peony Fairy notice several black-robed daoists standing at the foot of the mountain, the copper mirrors in their hands reflecting bizarre rays of light, enveloping the entire mountain in some kind of barrier.
"If that's the case..."
A resolute look flashed in the Peony Fairy's eyes.
She suddenly bit through her fingertip, blood dripping onto the scorched earth, instantly transforming into a blood-colored peony.
"With my essence blood, I sacrifice to my flower spirits!"
All the peonies on the mountain suddenly bloomed with their final brilliance simultaneously. Those flowers engulfed by flames burst forth with dazzling light from the ashes, like a rain of flowers flowing backward.
The Imperial Guards at the foot of the mountain watched in terror as the burning peonies actually began to dance in the fire, their petals transforming into countless fire butterflies, rushing toward the daoists performing the rites.
"Demon arts!"
The lead daoist hurriedly raised his copper mirror, but was struck by a fire butterfly—the mirror cracked in half with a "snap."
The moment the barrier shattered, the entire Mount Mang let out an unbearable groan.
That invisible barrier peeled away like fragments of glass, revealing the sky twisted and deformed by the flames.
The Peony Fairy stood at the mountain peak, her red clothes rolling in the heat waves. She watched as the fire had already swallowed most of the mountain slope, the sound of those century-old peonies curling and crying in the flames piercing her ears.
The oldest "Black Dragon Lying in an Ink Pool" was burning at her feet, its purplish-black petals curling into charcoal, yet still stretching its branches toward her with its last strength.
The fire had spread so far—ordinary water manipulation techniques were too late now.
The Peony Fairy suddenly bit through the tip of her tongue, and it was actually a scorching dragon blood aura that filled her mouth. She raised her head to look at the sky obscured by thick smoke, a resolute look flashing in her eyes.
"Rain—come—"
She suddenly pulled out the coral hairpin from her hair, cutting a wound on her wrist. Golden blood seeped out, glowing with strange luster in the sunlight.
The blood-stained coral hairpin was thrown toward the high sky, tracing a golden line in the thick smoke. Ancient dragon words spilled from her lips.
Finally, thunder rumbled from the horizon.
Dark clouds gathered at speeds visible to the naked eye, instantly obscuring the entire sky above Mount Mang.
Those golden runes moved like living creatures within the cloud layer, and wherever they passed, raindrops condensed into crystal clear beads.
"Rumble—"
When the first bolt of lightning struck, the Imperial Guards at the foot of the mountain discovered in terror that this rain came too strangely. Bean-sized raindrops smashed onto the burning mountain forest, making "hissing" sounds and rising in great clouds of mist.
The Peony Fairy knelt on the scorched earth, her vision beginning to blur, yet she still stared fixedly at the mountain slope—there, the last surviving "Jade Tower Spring" was swaying in the heavy rain.
Pure white petals covered with rainwater, like the final tears of a dying person.
When the storm ceased, Mount Mang had already become a charred black mountain.
Rainwater accumulated in small pools in the gullies, reflecting the broken dark clouds in the sky.
The Peony Fairy, with her last hope, staggered to where the "Jade Tower Spring" had once grown, bent down, and only touched a handful of wet, cold ashes.
---
Unlock 30 chapters instantly (for the price of the old 20-chapter tier) and get 50–55 new chapters every month.
If you're enjoying the story, consider supporting me here:
patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
{I need to be real with you for a moment. I'm reaching out because I'm in a genuinely tough spot financially right now, and I need your help to keep the stories flowing. Writing these chapters for you is my passion, but circumstances have put me in a position where I desperately need monetary support to continue dedicating time to what we both love—this fic.
Here's what I'm offering if you join my highest tier:
🚀 Instant Gratification: The moment you sign up, you get 30 chapters immediately—no waiting, no delays. Just a massive backlog of content to binge.
📅 Consistent Monthly Rewards: After that, you'll receive 60 fresh chapters every single month—double the story, double the excitement, all for your favorite fic.
But it doesn't stop there. Your support means everything, and I want to repay your generosity with mass releases, bonus chapters, and exclusive content that won't be available anywhere else. The more support I get, the more I can pour back into creating the stories you love.
If you've ever enjoyed this fic, if you've ever stayed up late reading "just one more chapter," if this story has been there for you during hard times—please consider joining. You're not just funding chapters; you're keeping this story alive and helping a creator in dire need.
Join today, get those 30 chapters instantly, and let's keep this journey going together.
Thank you for even considering it. You mean the world to me.}