This death-coaster was obviously not meant for the human body because she could feel her soul riding off into the underworld if this continues. As if it had understood her precarious situation, her world finally stopped spinning. The bright golden light was replaced with a fiery red glow coming from her body before everything disappeared into nothingness, along with her consciousness.

Something sharp and annoying was poking her skin as Baihe struggled to open her heavy lids. Through her groggy vision, she was greeted with an enormous, majestic phoenix. Qian was happily pecking her with his beak like they were engaged in some sort of Whac-A-Mole game. She wanted to curse him out, but her throat was too dry and every bone in her body ache.

“Monkey girl, you’re finally awake! This grandpa been pecking you for so long, my beak is even tired from the strenuous exercise!” Qian care-freely chirped, oblivious to the murderous hole being drilled onto his phoenix body from Baihe’s intense glare.

All of Baihe’s victims were familiar with this empty, dark, murderous look. The eyes devoid of any compassion before those who gazed into them enjoyed their last breath of life and this look was currently locked onto the phoenix bird.

She been conned, scammed, and tricked by the hands of a fucking bird! The scripture was gone, along with her cultivation. Baihe laid motionlessly on the cold floor, her eyes glanced toward the now shriveled up lake, empty except maybe just enough to fill one small cup of water. The once brilliant crystal core floating in the middle of the lake was now dulled in color as if its life had been sucked away.

The only two things glowing with vitality and life were the phoenix bird and the guqin — the instrument that started everything. Three of its seven strings were now shimmering with a light sheen, but she was in no mood to admire its upgrade.

Her hard work of intense training and stubborn perseverance were all for naught. That fucking scripture had atrociously absorbed her cultivation, stripping her down from Mid Dao Stage 2 to nothing but her foundation core.

Spreading his majestic fire wings, Qian finally stopped with his pecking and flew toward the guqin. He perched on top of the instrument, gently eliciting a melancholy note from his talons as he landed on the strings.

Two dark eyes stared at her for long moments before a wisp of smile appeared on that hateful face. Whatever he was thinking in that bird brain of his, she wouldn’t know, but she had no doubts he could hear all the bad thoughts she’d circulating in her mind regarding him.

He sensed her strong lust to kill him, her insatiable appetite for his phoenix blood, but he also knew that she was currently helpless to do anything about it. Maybe not now, but one day, she will return this favor.

Disjointed, panicked screaming rang next to her ears, the anxious familiar voice of a female calling her name over and over again like a mantra. Following the source, she returned back to the physical world, staring into the face of Xiao Bao as her maid crouched over her worriedly.

“Miss, you’re awake! You really scared me!” Xiao Bao immediately helped Baihe up, leaning her against the wooden headboard of the bed.

A blazing, fiery red glow emitted from Baihe’s body and coalesced into a majestic phoenix bird. She smirked, “looks like your power still isn’t enough to enable you to take on a human form.”

The smirk on Baihe’s face coupled with the crazed look in her eyes would have shocked Xiao Bao silly if she weren’t already stunned into a marble statue.

Heavens! This is…this is clearly the legendary divine beast — The Phoenix! Eldest Miss actually contracted such a heavenly beast! Everyone in this world knows that the phoenix symbolizes the Empress! The mother of the nation that rules over the people as she sits on the phoenix throne!

Xiao Bao glanced reverently at her Eldest Miss as she wholeheartedly believed that Baihe was destined to become the Empress. She gritted her teeth in anger as she thought of the news spreading throughout the city regarding Fei Fei and Prince Zhao. Her Eldest Miss was originally the fiancé of Prince Zhao, the real crown princess, but now her status and position were stolen by her wretched half-sister! The concubine born daughter, Fei Fei had been bestowed the title of the crown princess!

Unforgivable! She won’t let this marriage happen! She must allow Prince Zhao to realize his mistake before the wedding!

With grave determination, Xiao Bao held both of Baihe’s hands in hers and declared sternly: “Miss, you must go and participate in the Feng Martial Tournament that will occur in 6 days from now!”

Even my own maid is trying to con me now?

“Oh, why exactly must I go and participate?” Baihe asked dryly.

“Miss, with the legendary phoenix as your contractual spiritual beast and your newly found cultivation, you’ll definitely surpass everyone and take first place, winning the mermaid pearl necklace!”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Baihe’s face. “Why would I want a mermaid pearl necklace?” Her voice was gentle like the flowing river, but there was a hidden storm behind those words.

Ignorant of the impending danger, Xiao Bao continued to enthusiastically persuade her Miss. “This mermaid pearl necklace is a legendary artifact! It will greatly aid apothecaries in their pill refining with its mystical properties! Rumors have it that it came from the mermaid princess of the sea!” After Prince Zhao sees her Eldest Miss, he’ll definitely take her back!

Baihe raised an elegant brow cynically at her maid. She wasn’t a medical student or a pharmacist in her previous life, unless you count her specialization in poison, a tool she had used against certain targets depending on the circumstances. At the thought of poison, she suddenly wondered if the mermaid pearl necklace would be able to help her concoct a poison strong enough to kill a phoenix?

Qian stared at her disdainfully and scoffed, “Monkey girl, forget it! This grandpa will live a long, immortal life! Don’t fill your mind with such nonsen—”

His words were interrupted as his figure glowed brightly before a fiery red beam of light shot straight into Baihe’s body. Under normal circumstance it was nothing surprising because contractual beast lives inside the soul of their contractor, but why was Qian trapped inside the guqin again?

Fuck! Why the hell am I back inside the guqin? An angry voice barked inside her head.

She really wanted to know too and sure enough someone didn’t disappoint and answered their question.

“Child, as the current owner of this guqin, you must release all the seals to permanently free the phoenix; otherwise, his duration outside will be dependent on your strength and limited to the amount of seals you’ve broken. Three out of the seven strings are illuminated, each with its special properties and attributes unlocked. Journey ahead to illuminate the other four strings,” an archaic, ancient voice resonated in her mind.

Her brows knitted gently as she stared at the guqin in shock. Baihe tried calling out to him again, but the only voice that replied back was the barking of a bird. It was as if the voice of the guqin returned to his deep slumber.

A faint smile hung on Baihe’s lips as she released a small laugh. With an uplifted spirit, she decided to participate in the Feng Martial Tournament. Her gentle laughter sent shivers fluttering through his feathers as Qian felt cold sweat drenching his entire body.