Dragging her wounded body to the gates of the palace, she was immediately recognized by the guards. Startled by her bloodied and bedraggled appearance, they were just beginning to ask questions when Xing Xian [“Immortal Envoy Xing”] came out of the palace with several palace maids in tow.
Xing Xian had frequently made things difficult for her in recent days, and she didn’t like this immortal envoy at all. Hoping to avoid her, she gave the guards a meaningful glance and quietly slipped along the wall, trying to sneak back inside.
But Xing Xian had already spotted her.
“Stop right there!”
Left with no choice, she turned back stiffly and bowed. “Xiao Cha greets Immortal Envoy Xing.”
Xing Xian looked her over from head to toe and said, “So you actually survived a thousand-year tribulation. Congratulations.”
Exhausted and in pain, she clearly heard the sarcasm in the words but swallowed it silently.
Xing Xian waved, and someone handed over a scroll.
“This is the recent floral registry. Go deliver the messages listed here and check whether there were any previous delays. Don’t let anything fall behind.”
One of the nearby guards, seeing her covered in blood, hesitated.
“Xiao Cha just came through a tribulation. Shouldn’t she…”
“Who hasn’t faced a tribulation?” Xing Xian sneered, cutting him off.
“Getting a little hurt and acting so delicate? Traditionally, only low-ranking immortals or celestial beings have the right to serve in the Flower Dawn Palace. And here comes a little demon. Lord Divine only allowed her in out of pity. Now everyone else is busy fulfilling their duties, while she shamelessly clings to Lord Divine all day. Do you know how much trouble she’s caused us already? Yet even the simplest errands, she dodges.”
The guards dared not speak again.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly smiled, lifted her face, and looked directly at Xing Xian.
“When Xiao Cha entered the palace, Lord Divine personally promised that I only needed to focus on cultivation. He said I didn’t have to worry about other duties. It was my decision to help take care of him, so whatever needed doing—I’ve done it. I haven’t been idle. The other envoys have all shown me kindness. If I’ve caused trouble, I admit it. But I’m not sure—what trouble have I caused you, Immortal Envoy Xing?”
Xing Xian had long held power within the palace and was known for her overbearing ways. No one had ever dared to speak to her like this. All the palace maids and guards stood silently, secretly breaking into a cold sweat on her behalf.
Stunned for a beat, Xing Xian’s face flushed deep red. She pointed angrily. “You—! How dare you!”
But she kept smiling. “As far as I know, the seasonal flower matters are overseen by Immortal Envoy Mei, internal affairs are handled by Immortal Envoy Lian, and rules and rewards are administered by Immortal Envoy Lan. Immortal Envoy Gui drafts the flower mandates. If I may ask, aside from delivering messages and ordering others around, what exactly has Immortal Envoy Xing been busy with?”
Xing Xian was left speechless in fury.
Xiao Cha calmly accepted the scroll and turned to leave.
“Xiao Cha will now go carry out Lord Divine’s task. Farewell.”
Delivering flower signals to the four cardinal directions was a tedious affair. She worked from morning to evening to complete all the addresses on the list and investigated any delays from the previous orders. By dusk, she finally made her way back to the palace, still aching all over.
But Jin Xiu [“Lord Divine”] was nowhere to be found.
The maids told her only that he’d gone out on official business. Disappointed, aching, and exhausted, she returned to her room, collapsed into bed, and drifted into a muddled sleep.
When she awoke, it was already deep into the night.
He was sitting by her bedside, watching her quietly.
Perhaps during sleep, she had already noticed the pain fading from her wounds. Her whole body felt cool and soothed—he had clearly used spiritual medicine on her. She shut her eyes again and pretended not to notice.
He smiled and asked gently,
“Does it still hurt?”
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