Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Having explained the relationship between Meng Qiuyan and Lin Wengui, Lin Kunshan led the way inside.

Xu Qiao accompanied Meng Qiuyan, walking in the middle.

Marshal Lin Lie walked behind with Qin Chi.

Looking at Meng Qiuyan’s silhouette, Lin Lie let out an almost imperceptible sigh, thinking of his second son, who had been confined by the elder for ten years. When his son was in a relationship with Meng Qiuyan, he was not yet a Marshal. As a General, he was deployed between various ultra-dangerous zones and coastal bases, with no energy to spare to understand the private lives of the younger generation. By the time he returned home for a brief holiday, the young couple had already broken up due to the elder's disapproval. Afterward, the elder forced his son into a marriage with the daughter of another S-rank General.

Lin Lie could well imagine the kind of persuasion the elder had used to make his son agree, just as both his marriages had also been arranged by the elder. As a son, under the environment of the new era and bearing the responsibilities of the Lin Family, Lin Lie had no choice but to comply with the elder’s arrangements. Otherwise, rumors of father-son discord would affect the morale of the entire base. As a father, he had too little time to spare for his children, and even when he did, he couldn’t oppose the elder over his children’s marriage.

Like tonight, the only thing he could do was rush over and apologize to both Meng Qiuyan and Xu Qiao on behalf of the elder for disturbing Meng Qiuyan’s life and forcefully asking Xu Qiao to treat his son.

The secret passage seemed endless, with only the sound of the five peoples' footsteps echoing.

Lin Lie, glancing at Qin Chi standing beside him, broke the silence, "How has the old man been of late?"

Qin Chi replied, "Thank you for your concern, he's been well. Knowing I was coming to the Southeast Base for a holiday, he specifically told me to keep a low profile and avoid causing any trouble for the elders here. That’s why I haven’t formally visited you or Elder Lin until now. Please forgive any lapses in etiquette."

Lin Lie said, "That’s a minor issue. You should focus on your rest during your holiday. If you need any assistance from the Southeast Base, feel free to ask."

Qin Chi responded, "Thank you, Marshal."

Finally, the five of them arrived in front of the prison where the Phoenix was held, standing on a platform in the air.

Over an hour ago, Meng Qiuyan had come here with Lin Lie and only looked down from above. When she descended with the other four and saw the Phoenix's wilted state and its mottled wounds at close range, compared to Lin Wengui’s vigor more than twenty years ago, Meng Qiuyan lost control once more and burst into tears.

Xu Qiao supported Meng Qiuyan and softly comforted her, while also releasing her lotus flower spiritual being, which stood over twenty meters tall.

The Phoenix rose to its feet, and the lotus flower was so large that it overlooked Meng Qiuyan’s small figure below.

Having been beaten just yesterday, the Phoenix seemed to guess that this flower was not to be pecked. So it just quietly watched, without the caution and aversion a wolverine might have towards the faint fragrance of the flower. After all, it had been imprisoned for too long, long enough to have studied every inch of the prison walls countless times. It instinctively welcomed any new presence.

As the faint fragrance of the flower gradually filled the space, the Phoenix scrutinized the lotus flower. Just as it was about to lower its slender neck to drink some of the water droplets from the lotus, a black scorpion over three meters long suddenly appeared in the empty space between it and the water.

The Phoenix had fiery red eyes with golden pupils. At that moment, it abandoned its intention to drink water, and its red eyes were fixed on the tiny black scorpion.

The black scorpion remained still, gazing up at the Phoenix.

Driven by instinct, the Phoenix suddenly lowered its head, clamped its beak around the small black scorpion, and tossed it into its mouth.

Startled, Xu Qiao, Lin Kunshan, and Qin Chi were about to intervene when Meng Qiuyan choked out, "Don’t move."

Just before the Phoenix could actually eat the black scorpion, Meng Qiuyan retracted her spirit entity and then released it back onto the ground.

This time, the black scorpion ran off into the distance, but because of its large size, the Phoenix didn’t need to move its feet; it could keep up with the black scorpion's speed just by moving its neck.

The Phoenix pecked, and the black scorpion vanished; it reappeared, and the Phoenix struck again. This cycle repeated several times until the Phoenix lost patience. After grabbing the black scorpion again, it did not swallow it but instead tossed it high into the air.

The three-meter-long black scorpion was hurled into the sky, flying past the Phoenix’s eyes, over its head. As the scorpion reached the peak of its arc and began to fall, the Phoenix opened its beak wide beneath it.

Meng Qiuyan merely looked up, and the rapidly falling black scorpion did not struggle, watching the familiar yet unfamiliar giant Phoenix quietly.

Just before the black scorpion entered the Phoenix’s mouth, the Phoenix’s golden pupils suddenly narrowed. Immediately, it lowered its head slightly, and the black scorpion slipped from its crown, down its slender neck, and into the soft feathers on its back.

The black scorpion, which had been docile and cooperative until now, seemed to finally become angry, raising its tail’s stinger and forcefully stabbing at the Phoenix’s body.

The Phoenix flinched and fluttered its wings, and in its golden pupils, the figure of Meng Qiuyan silently weeping appeared.

It was as if time had frozen, stretching this moment into eternity. The thin woman held her head high, and the giant Phoenix gazed down at her, bewildered.

Deep love, yet forced to let go; intense longing, yet unable to draw near.

No one knew that the first time the Phoenix, tormented by longing, appeared, it only wished to fly to Meng Qiuyan’s side.

Every escape attempt over these ten years had been to reach Meng Qiuyan’s side.

The ability user had set layers of shackles for herself; the spirit entity simply wanted to do what it most desired.

A gust of wind suddenly swirled, lifting Meng Qiuyan onto the Phoenix’s back, and with a flap of its wings, the Phoenix soared high into the air. It circled the metal giant tree within the cage and carried its woman into a nest high in the air.

Xu Qiao used her power to wipe away the spilling tears, but her vision was still blurry.

Seeing her like this, Qin Chi, who already had a tissue in his hand, realized it was unnecessary. He looked up and reminded Xu Qiao, "Should we pull the lotus back?"

Xu Qiao followed his gaze, wiped her eyes, and finally saw the scene in the air: the Phoenix's magnificent tail feathers hung outside the nest, while the lotus, which had always kept its distance from the Phoenix, now tilted its large flower head towards the nest. It almost touched it.

Xu Qiao immediately sent a mental message to the lotus, "No peeking!"

The lotus retreated, maintaining a polite distance.

Inside the nest, Meng Qiuyan was enveloped in a warmth and softness she hadn't experienced in a long time. Below her was a wing, and above her, the Phoenix had nestled its neck feathers close.

This was something Lin Wengrui's spirit often did for her during their time together.

Meng Qiuyan turned and pressed herself against the Phoenix's fiery body, her left hand stroking the familiar soft feathers repeatedly. "Phoenix, do you remember me?"

Phoenix: "I held her tighter."

Meng Qiuyan: "Where’s Wengrui? Is he awake?"

Phoenix: "He's asleep."

Meng Qiuyan: "Can you wake him up? I want to talk to him."

Phoenix: "He married someone else. You wouldn't forgive him if he returned; you'd leave."

The Phoenix had always wanted to find Meng Qiuyan, but Lin Wengrui used this reason to refuse. Though he wanted it even more, he chose to hide in the coastal base, spending his days fighting mutated beasts to numb himself.

Meng Qiuyan's tears flowed down her face. "I don't hate him; of course, I forgive him. Wake him up, it pains me to see him like this."

Phoenix: "If I wake him up, will you stay with him?"

Meng Qiuyan paused, then shook her head.

The Phoenix flipped over, holding Meng Qiuyan tightly beneath it. "Then let him continue to sleep. You stay with me. I've never married anyone else. When he was with that woman, I wasn't within him. I didn't betray you."

Meng Qiuyan gave a bitter smile. "Thank you, but you are him, and he is you."

"Phoenix, Wengrui, I know you've both had a hard time these past years, but this is our fate. Destined to love but not to be together."

"I was once sick, and Xu Qiao healed me. I’m living well now, so I hope you can get better and start a new life too."

The Phoenix remained silent and wouldn’t let Meng Qiuyan leave.

Lin Kunshan’s stern voice came from below. "Wen Gui, if you're awake, transform back quickly. I have something to tell you."

The Phoenix shot a large ball of fire downward, which Lin Lie extinguished.

The Phoenix continued to hold Meng Qiuyan down.

Meng Qiuyan said, helpless, "He asked me to come here to help heal you. If you don't cooperate, he won't let you see me again."

The Phoenix tensed.

Meng Qiuyan stroked the Phoenix's neck feathers soothingly.

Phoenix: "Even if I am healed, if you won't be with me, he will still suffer. What’s the point of waking up?"

Meng Qiuyan: "So you want to stay imprisoned here forever and make me worry about both of you for the rest of my life?"

Meng Qiuyan struggled with all her might to break free. "It was you who first pursued me. Once I was ready to marry you, your family treated me that way. You can't change them, and I won’t compromise myself. We agreed to let go and never contact each other again, but look what happened. You've put yourself through this ordeal and now you want to drag me back into your life."

Looking at the Phoenix eyes close to her, she gave a bitter smile. "If you truly care about me, then return to your original form and face that person yourself. Don’t let him disturb or humiliate me anymore."

Phoenix felt her pain, and new grievances and old resentments ignited a fierce fire in its eyes.

It swooped down, its sharp claws aimed at Lin Kunshan’s back.

In an instant, a fifty-meter-tall Phoenix burst out from Lin Kunshan’s body.

The Phoenix spread its wings, shaking the entire prison area.

Xu Qiao immediately retracted the lotus flower, while Qin Chi carried her through the gap between the Phoenix’s wings to the nest where Meng Qiuyan was hiding. The fire dragon wrapped itself around the branches of the giant tree, blocking the residual attack waves.

With their safety assured, Xu Qiao nervously looked down at the scene below. She saw the fifty-meter-tall old Phoenix pinning the twenty-meter-tall Phoenix to the ground, its claws viciously digging into the Phoenix’s wing.

"Enough!"

Another fifty-meter-tall Phoenix appeared, angrily colliding with the old Phoenix and pushing it aside.

For the first time in his life, Lin Kunshan faced defiance. He withdrew his spiritual form and glared furiously at Lin Lie. "You dare hit me?"

Lin Lie stood before the fallen Phoenix, facing his father's accusation with utter exhaustion. "Wen Gui has been reduced to this state because of you. Are you really going to persist in your stubbornness?"

Lin Kunshan: "Whom am I doing this for? For the entire base!"

Lin Lie closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them and resolutely said to the elder, "Then you can put down this heavy burden. As the current Marshal of the Southeast Base and as Wen Gui's father, I have the authority to determine his treatment."

After saying this, he shattered the surrounding A-class protective shield and spoke to his injured son behind him, "Wen Gui, go out, but don’t fly too far. There’s more treatment to come."

Hearing this, the Phoenix struggled to rise, lifting its wounded wing, it soared into the sky.

As it passed by the bird's nest on the giant tree, its fiery red eyes turned to Meng Qiuyan, who was standing next to Xu Qiao.

Meng Qiuyan nodded, suppressing her tears.

With no further hesitation, the Phoenix spread its wings and took flight.

The flames of the A-class Phoenix burst forth like molten lava, melting through a hundred meters of earth. Amid the searing flames, the giant Phoenix broke free from its confines.

Underground, Lin Lie stopped Lin Kunshan from intervening, while Qin Chi led Xu Qiao and Meng Qiuyan to safety outside.

At the same time, countless residents of the Southeast Base were drawn by the familiar cry of the Phoenix. Some pushed their windows open, while others ran out of their rooms.

They all looked up simultaneously, watching as a living Phoenix sliced through the dark night sky, its magnificent tail feathers leaving a dazzling trail of fiery light.