Chapter 519: A Pity for the Qingtong Forest

Tonight was the sixteenth night of the lunar month—the time of the full moon.

Beneath the moonlight, the undulating mountains stretched far and wide. Among them, the tallest and grandest ancient parasol tree stood ahead of the Daoist, its towering form outlined against the distant horizon.

In this world, naturally formed mist was sparse. Some gathered in the valleys, some lay crawling beneath the ancient trees, while others floated in tufts between the towering branches. Under the moonlight, they appeared in soft shades of gray and white.

Suddenly, a cool breeze stirred through the mountains.

In the past, when the miasma was thick, such a breeze would have swept it all away, restoring clarity to the heavens and earth. But now, it merely dispersed a small portion of the mist lingering near the ground.

Leaning on his staff, the Daoist stood still, gazing high into the sky.

“Look quickly!” It was Yan An’s voice that called out the warning.

The calico cat abruptly lifted its head, its round eyes gleaming like gemstones or a piece of amber as it reflected the bright moon and the drifting clouds. And in the midst of those clouds, a streak of red light had appeared.

The glow shimmered between crimson and flame, forming the ethereal figure of a divine bird, soaring in from the north.

It looked nearly identical to the one they had seen years ago.

Its slender neck arched gracefully, crowned with delicate plumage. Its entire form seemed to be woven from pure light, radiating nobility and divinity. It barely needed to flap its wings, yet it glided forward effortlessly, trailing its long, flowing tail as it approached from the distant sky. Its massive figure nearly filled half the heavens as it passed overhead.

All the while, it scattered countless specks of luminous dust. The dust was like the embers of molten iron splashing in a forge, like fragments of feathers drifting down into the night, adorning the darkness with a dreamlike brilliance.

It was just like a scene from a dream.

This was the second time Yan An and the cat had witnessed the divine bird’s nocturnal arrival, and yet, they were still utterly mesmerized.

They thought of the ancient thousand-year-old willow, of the Sea Dragon King, of colossal marsh dragons and behemoth rhinoceros. Perhaps those creatures were larger, perhaps even more fearsome. But before this divine bird, a manifestation of sacred and auspicious spiritual resonance, none of them seemed worth mentioning.

The Daoist also tilted his head back, silently gazing up.

“So the legends are true...”

Years ago, in Yanzhou, he had heard a tale that the divine bird of northern Yuezhou only appeared twice a year—once on the summer solstice as the firebird, and once on the winter solstice as the icebird. Now, the truth of the legend was confirmed.

However, the old stories had never mentioned that the winter solstice bird traveled from south to north, while the summer solstice bird flew from north to south.

Perhaps, aside from the creatures that lived and thrived within the Qingtong Forests, there were only a handful of people in the world who had ever witnessed both the winter and summer solstice birds.

Just like before, the divine bird flew steadily forward, descending upon the tallest parasol tree. The massive nest atop the tree was just the right size to cradle its form, and as the bird settled, its radiant light illuminated the nest. It lowered its head, preening its feathers, before turning to look straight at the Daoist from afar. It was as if it, too, had sensed something extraordinary about him.

Song You pressed his lips together but soon withdrew his gaze, stepping forward.

Yan An and the calico cat hesitated for a moment, stunned, while only the jujube-red horse remained unconcerned. It knew only one thing: when its master moved, it would follow.

The divine bird lowered its gaze, watching him.

It felt as though some unseen connection bound them, as if the bird could peer directly into the Daoist’s heart. But after only a brief moment, it retracted its gaze—not wary, nor particularly interested—before resuming its lazy preening, waiting patiently for this mysterious traveler to approach.

Yes, waiting.

This time, the divine bird lingered far longer than it had before.

Not until the Daoist stood beneath the ancient parasol tree and raised his head high did he fully grasp the sheer immensity of both the tree and the divine bird perched atop it. Together, they seemed like a pillar supporting the heavens—and a deity dwelling within the sky itself.

“I’m Song You, a disciple of Hidden Dragon Temple,” Song You introduced himself, maintaining proper etiquette regardless of whether the divine bird understood the customs of the human world, whether it cared, or even whether it comprehended human language at all.

Perhaps, like certain mystical arts or the innate abilities of ancient spirits, it communicated through the mind rather than words—but regardless, he upheld the formalities.

“I have come to seek your guidance because an evil force has occupied the Qingtong Forest, threatening the mortal realm. It has made the forest its stronghold, making it difficult to eradicate. If brute force were used, this ancient land would inevitably be destroyed. Knowing that you have returned to this place year after year for millennia, I wish to seek your counsel on a way to eliminate this menace.”

The divine bird paused slightly in its movements, though whether it understood was unclear.

After a brief hesitation, it resumed preening its feathers, offering neither a response nor a glance toward the Qingtong Forest. Its regal indifference was unmistakable.

For a few minutes, silence stretched between them.

Then, as if finally having rested enough, the divine bird spread its wings and took flight. Its long tail feathers trailed behind, shimmering with ethereal radiance as it ascended gracefully and lazily into the night sky. It scattered glimmering dust in its wake, climbing ever higher.

Just as Song You thought it was leaving—that he would have no choice but to resort to brute force against the enemy—and a trace of disappointment flickered in his expression, the divine bird suddenly turned. Still trailing its luminous tail, it abruptly dove downward.

A piercing cry rang through the air, “

Tweet

—!”

Song You heard it clearly.

The cry was pure, distant, and hauntingly ethereal.

Then came a thunderous explosion, “Boom!”

The divine bird plunged straight into the Qingtong Forest, transforming into a blinding blaze of orange-red light. The radiance spread across the land like flowing water, followed immediately by a deafening roar as flames erupted into the sky.

The fire surged forward, sweeping across the earth like an unstoppable tide. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached Song You’s feet.

He was momentarily stunned.

Hurriedly, he raised his bamboo staff and conjured a protective aura of spiritual light around himself.

“

Boom

!”

The flames surged past them, consuming nearly everything in their path. Like a raging storm, the fire spread with terrifying speed, rushing behind them in an instant. Clusters of wild grass and ancient trees ignited one by one, and soon, the entire northern Qingtong Forest of Yuezhou became an ocean of roaring fire.

The blaze filled Song You’s vision completely.

And at that moment, an understanding dawned upon him.

Of course. A divine bird, proud beyond measure, unwilling to touch the earth even as it soared across the sky, would never tolerate its only resting place in the mortal world being tainted by the filth of a mere demon.

“

Rumble

...”

Who could fathom the sheer dominance of these flames?

The towering parasol trees, ancient and vast, turned crimson like charcoal in mere moments. Though they reached into the clouds, the fire raced up their trunks as if the trees had been doused in oil. The moment the blaze touched the canopy, the treetops exploded into raging infernos, transforming into colossal torches that illuminated the heavens.

As the fire spread outward across the land, consuming everything in its wake, the entire forest—hundreds of li wide—was set ablaze. One by one, the immense parasol trees were swallowed by flames, their crowns igniting in succession.

“

Boom! Boom! Boom!

”

The ancient trees closest to the inferno’s core had already begun collapsing, breaking apart in mere moments.

As each tree fell, they struck the ground with deafening crashes, sending embers scattering into the air like countless burning stars.

Tonight, the northern lands of Yuezhou had become a sea of fire.

“We should leave, quickly.”

Maintaining his protective aura of spiritual light, Song You shielded himself and his companions from the scorching blaze. Without hesitation, he turned to leave this place.

But before departing, he couldn’t help but glance back toward the tallest parasol tree, just in time to witness the moment it collapsed.

“...”

What a pity for this Qingtong Forest.

It was likely one of the few remaining traces of the ancient world, preserved from antiquity until now. Yet, who knew if future generations would ever behold it again?

“

Clop, clop

...”

For the second time, Song You mounted the jujube-red horse. Yan An perched on his shoulder, while the calico cat curled up in his arms. The horse galloped forward like the wind, carrying them swiftly away from the inferno.

But though fast, the ride was rough.

The horse frequently changed direction to dodge obstacles, making it hard to stay balanced.

Yan An had no choice but to grip Song You’s shoulder tightly with its claws. Even so, it was flung off two or three times. Fortunately, it could fly, so each time it was tossed, it immediately spread its wings and fluttered back.

The calico cat clung to the Daoist with all her might, but her wide eyes were fixed on the cloth pouch.

From its loosened opening, copper coins and silver shards spilled out with every jolt, scattering across the ground. She watched in agony, resisting the urge to leap down and retrieve them. It hurt to see, yet she couldn’t look away. Worse still, she found herself unconsciously counting the lost money. Each coin that fell only deepened her distress, but she couldn’t stop tallying them.

Then, she saw her small wooden token fall out as well.

Without hesitation, she pried herself free from the Daoist and leaped down to retrieve it.

Song You was startled. Thankfully, no harm came of it.

At last, they emerged from the Qingtong Forest. The fire came to an abrupt halt at the forest’s edge.

“

Neighhh

!”

The horse, too, seemed relieved, finally slowing to a stop.

Seated on horseback, Song You turned back.

What met his gaze was a sea of flames devouring the towering trees, reducing them to collapsing husks. The scorched remains of grass and vegetation lay in heaps of ash. Among the inferno, the ancient willow trees resisted stubbornly, their roots writhing as they desperately clung to life. The earth beneath them bulged and cracked, rising into hills and splitting open fissures, shifting restlessly in the chaos.

The sky itself was illuminated by the towering flames.

Thankfully, the Heavenly Palace was not truly among the clouds. Otherwise, after this night’s great fire, half of it might have burned down as well.

Song You dismounted. He stood there in silence, watching.

The fire raged for an entire night.

Even when there was nothing left to burn, the flames refused to die out. Only when the sky began to brighten, and the first rays of sunlight stretched across the eastern horizon, did the fire suddenly retreat like a receding tide. In the blink of an eye, not even a single ember remained—only thick, white smoke rising in curling waves, gathering into clouds in the sky.

By then, the once-magnificent and mysterious Qingtong Forest had been reduced to an endless expanse of charred mountains. The breathtaking landscape had vanished without a trace, and the spiritual resonance that once lingered in the air was now completely gone.

Song You felt even more in awe and regretful. He marveled at the divine bird’s unyielding resolve—so fierce, so absolute.

Naturally, that thousand-year-old willow tree had also turned to ash.

“What a pity...” With a long sigh, Song You lowered his gaze.

After a long while, he turned and looked at the calico cat, who had now returned to her human form and was sitting behind him.

“What did you drop back there that made you jump off so suddenly?“ he asked.

“My token!”

“...”

Song You glanced at the small wooden plaque in her hands, pressing his lips together slightly. In a quiet voice, he said, “It’s just a wooden token. If it’s lost, I can make one for you again. Lady Calico, your safety should come first.”

“Mm!”

“It was really dangerous...”

“Mm!”

“If something like this happens again...”

The Daoist spoke gently and patiently, teaching her with warmth in his voice.

The little girl sat motionless, staring up at him with wide, unblinking eyes, as if she were listening with the utmost seriousness. But when the Daoist finally finished speaking and asked if she had understood and remembered what he had said, she simply raised her right hand to scratch the back of her left, yawned, and looked at him drowsily.

“I’m a bit sleepy...”

Her expression made it clear that she had not taken in a single word.

“...”

Song You sighed, half exasperated, half amused. In the end, he could only sit down and rest with them at this spot.

In the distance, the landscape stretched out, covered in rolling ashes—black as ink.

But the divine bird possessed the power of rebirth. Perhaps the sacred tree was influenced by it as well, for by midday, tiny green sprouts had already begun emerging from the ashes.They were fresh, vibrant, and full of life.