The Matchmaking Tree, He's Not Here Again

Though it bears the name, the Qingluan Clan has only one true pure-blooded Qingluan—their elder, the clan's matriarch.

Legend says she was once one of the Great Shang's auspicious divine birds, bearing the dynasty's fortune and guarding the southern borders.

Though she no longer carries the dynasty's blessings, she retains the surname bestowed upon her by the Great Shang.

Deep within the ancient tree at the heart of the clan's territory,

Shang Qinqing appeared as a woman no older than thirty, draped in robes that seemed out of time, exuding an air of serene depth.

Her delicate fingers danced across the strings of a zither, its fluid melodies drawing flocks of exotic birds to flutter joyfully around her.

Then, the music ceased.

"Before meeting their destined one, the Qingluan cannot speak,"

"So most of us turn to music to express our hearts."

Shang Qinqing smiled, lifting her gaze to the young woman who had been listening nearby:

"If you don’t understand music, you might give yourself away when competing for the Celestial Jade."

"What was that tune just now?"

Ying Bing’s eyes flickered briefly toward a butterfly fluttering in the distance before returning.

"Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," Shang Qinqing replied, resting her chin on her hand. "I wonder what kind of man this 'Wife-Fortune Battle Soul' is, to have won the heart of someone like you—a Ten Extremes Physique wielder who observes the divine forms of a hundred birds."

"What makes you say that?"

Ying Bing lowered her lashes, extending a finger for the butterfly to alight upon.

Shang Qinqing tilted her head. "So it’s just rumors? Then you should teach him a lesson, stop the gossip."

"No!"

Ying Bing’s sudden intensity startled the butterfly into flight.

"Ah, so softhearted~" Shang Qinqing laughed brightly.

Ying Bing paused, then murmured,

"I thought the Qingluan Clan was known for being taciturn?"

"Exactly! Because we couldn’t speak before, now that we can, we make up for lost time."

Shang Qinqing leaned in with playful curiosity.

"Why didn’t you bring him to the southern borders? He’s supposed to bring you fortune—maybe his presence would make securing the Celestial Jade easier."

"He…"

Ying Bing had considered it.

Her rapid progress in this life was undeniably tied to him.

But… unlike her, he didn’t have the advantage of studying avian forms or possessing the Lunar Phoenix Physique. With Shang Qinqing’s help, she could pass as a true Qingluan.

The demon tribes would never allow a human to claim the Jade Phoenix Divine Stone.

Not when it could purify demonic bloodlines and carried fragments of the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix’s memories.

Shang Qinqing suddenly narrowed her eyes.

"Afraid to put him in danger? Or afraid you’ll rely on him too much?"

"I’m not…"

Afraid?

The word felt foreign, as if it had never existed in her vocabulary.

She hadn’t even feared the Path to Immortality…

"Here."

Shang Qinqing suddenly produced a mooncake—a lotus-seed paste one, stamped with a chibi version of Li Mo.

"You still have this?"

"I kept one from last time. I had a feeling you’d regret parting with it."

Ying Bing pressed her lips together, taking a small, deliberate bite.

The familiar taste.

The same flavor she’d savored every day before…

"Oho~ I knew it!"

Shang Qinqing grinned like a doting aunt, hugging her zither and rolling gleefully.

"……"

Ying Bing carefully wrapped the remaining mooncake, her voice clear and composed.

"Let’s focus on the Celestial Jade."

"You—give me a moment…"

After a few deep breaths, Shang Qinqing finally settled.

Straightening, she began:

"The Divine Jade appears once every sixty years, lingering for seven years each time before returning to the heavens. It won’t descend again until the next cycle, falling onto the Hanging Temple, where it becomes the prize for competition among the great clans."

"Perhaps the Great Era is approaching—this generation’s talents far surpass those of the past."

"The most formidable contenders include the Roc Clan, the Golden-Haired Hou Clan, the Qiongqi Clan..."

If the Jade Phoenix Divine Jade didn’t vanish after seven years each time, the clans’ elders would have long since fought over it, leaving no chance for their younger prodigies to compete.

But if all-out battles erupted every sixty years, the Southern Frontier would soon be reduced to a wasteland.

Shang Qinqing had been speaking quite reasonably at first.

Yet somehow, the conversation took an unexpected turn:

"No clan has ever truly possessed the Celestial Divine Jade. I believe it’s because the jade has yet to meet its true master."

"Your talent is unparalleled across the ages. With the support of your wife’s Battle Soul, which brings prosperity, you might just stand a chance..."

"Oh, and within the Hanging Ancient Temple, there’s a mystical Marriage Tree—rumored to be incredibly potent."

Her gaze grew distant, as if recalling her own youth.

"You’re a Qingluan—why don’t you believe in yourself?" Ying Bing couldn’t quite follow her logic.

A Qingluan can only speak after meeting their destined partner.

To this day, they remain a symbol of love in the eyes of many.

"Who says I don’t? Every morning, I bow three times to my reflection in the mirror."

Shang Qinqing laughed.

Then she watched as Ying Bing, after a brief moment of thought, clasped her delicate hands together and bowed to her three times.

Her serene jade-like face held a trace of solemnity.

"?"

Shang Qinqing was momentarily speechless.

This girl wasn’t just cold on the outside—she had an unshakable pride. During their first meeting, Shang Qinqing had tried to assert her seniority, but Ying Bing had stood tall and unmoved, leaving her the one to break composure first.

"Two people bowing together makes it even more auspicious, you know~"

"...That tree."

"Same principle."

Shang Qinqing was half-joking, but mostly, she just hadn’t gotten her fill of witnessing the moment firsthand.

"..."

The ice block of a woman gently patted the big-headed doll’s head and stayed silent for a long while, her lips pressed lightly together.

He wasn’t here.

Ah well... His absence was for the best. That was what she had wanted, after all...

"You’ve always been sparing with words—fitting for a Qingluan Clan member."

"As for music... I’ll teach you."

Shang Qinqing smiled.

Fate is the most enigmatic thing in the world, and love is even more unpredictable.

Who’s to say someone who shouldn’t appear before you won’t suddenly show up?

...

"Achoo!"

High in the sky, a bald Roc streaked across the horizon.

Li Mo rubbed his nose, puzzled.

Seriously, he’d already reached the Observation Divine Realm—his physique was tougher than any beast’s. How could he possibly catch a cold?

Well, it wasn’t exactly a cold, just these relentless sneezes.

Murong Xiao spoke gravely, "Brother Li, when you transform into your Howling Dragon form, you absolutely must not sneeze carelessly."

"Why?"

Li Mo was baffled. Was it because beasts never fell ill?

"Rumor has it that one of the Howling Dragon Clan’s ancestors once sneezed by accident and triggered a torrential downpour, causing a flood."

Murong Xiao’s words were slightly slurred:

"After that, he was hunted down by the divine sword of the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor, pursued all the way to the Southern Frontier before they gave up. To this day, he still doesn’t dare show his face outside."

"..."

Li Mo wondered if the Calamity Beast moniker of the Mingjiao clan came from something like this—

being synonymous with floods just because they sneeze too much.

"Exactly! When a Mingjiao sneezes, it rains. So annoying!"

The Pengyao's voice was low, dripping with resentment.

"...So that’s how your generational feud started."

Five days had passed since they learned Ying Bing had gone to the Qingluan Clan's territory. Now, riding the Pengyao, they had been flying nonstop toward the Mingjiao lands.

As they traveled, the swamps stretching below grew more and more numerous.

They were almost there.

.....

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