C22

The Fire Phoenix Empire had been established for more than one thousand and two hundred years. Amongst this vast empire, there was one place that was the most special about it. It was the smallest Phoenix Province of the sixteen provinces.

The name of the Fire Phoenix Empire Province was mostly used in the words "Fire", "Phoenix" and "Phoenix". Only the smallest province, the Phoenix Province, was an exception.

In the legends, the peacock stage in the Peacock Valley was said to be a place of rebirth of the phoenix. The Divine Bird Phoenix had completed her most important rebirth on this peacock stage, becoming the head of the divine beasts — the Thousand Crossing Phoenix. It was a circular stone table with a diameter of over a hundred meters, and just by relying on a fifteen meters stone beam, it was connected to the peak of the mountain with the highest Peacock Ridge. Standing on the peacock stage, he could see the flowing river beneath his feet. Behind him, there were many mountains and mountains. He looked around and was able to see everything within a hundred miles. Other than the Divine Bird Phoenix, who could be worthy of being in the Sheng Domain like that?

The phoenix was reborn once every ninety-nine years, and every ninety-nine times it underwent rebirth was called a cross. Only the Thousand Traverses Phoenix could be called a divine bird or a sacred beast. However, from ancient times until now, there had only been one true Thousand Tribulations Phoenix. And it was only under the leadership of this only Thousand Meteor Phoenix that the Fire Phoenix Tribe at the southwest border came out of nowhere. They fought without exception and established the Fire Phoenix Empire to unify the continent.

But later on, because of "orthodoxy" and "taboo", both Phoenix Valley and Phoenix Stage were requested to change their names to Peacock Valley and Peacock Platform. According to the government, this place was not the place where the phoenix had reborn. It was only the resting place of a peacock. After that peacock received the enlightenment from the heavens, it flapped its wings and flew high into the sky, heading towards the southwest border. In the end, it became a Divine Bird Phoenix there. It was precisely this Fire Phoenix Tribe that had helped it evolve from a peacock to a phoenix.

There was no answer to the legend and the authorities' question as to who was the real one. However, in the hearts of the people in the Fire Phoenix Empire, the Phoenix Province was the true dwelling place of the Divine Bird Phoenix. Of course, this was directly related to the fact that the Phoenix Province itself was easier to reach than the southwest.

But being a member of the Phoenix Province, Kong Sheng, who was born with Peacock Ridge since young, believed that he and Divine Bird Phoenix were definitely from the same village. This kind of thought continued to accompany him. He had the motivation to study and practice martial arts, and he swore to remain loyal to the Divine Bird Phoenix and the Fire Phoenix Empire for the rest of his life.

His talent and perseverance was a unanimous evaluation of him by all the teachers who had taught Kong Sheng before. At such a young age, he had already become a celebrity in the provinces. In the year 1276 of the imperial calendar, a sixteen-year-old Kong Sheng had passed the Imperial Military Academy examination with the two high marks of first in the entire province's civil and military affairs.

After Kong Sheng bid farewell to his parents and childhood sweetheart, he set off on his own on the road to the imperial city. Since the founding of the empire, the nobles of the Fire Phoenix Tribe had been putting on their fiery red armor as a form of glory. As for the imperial family of Fire Phoenix Empire, they also required all the sons and daughters of nobility to participate in the study of Imperial Military Academy before they could assume important positions in the palace. It was precisely because of this that the Imperial Military Academy s that gathered the young geniuses and children of nobility in the world were still the focus of all the youths' hearts. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Aristocratic Family was the dream of every single commoner youth. It was also the only way to reach the tallest building in the Empire.

Kong Sheng didn't think that much in his heart. He was a very "lazy" person, and was not really interested in fawning on those aristocratic children, or how to use his Imperial Military Academy to climb up the mountain. He only wanted to study formations, ride matching, train his body, and study martial skills. He would occasionally write to Ye Qing when he had some free time, telling her about his recent life and ranking in the exams.

Normally, Kong Sheng would not be willing to spend too much money, but after entering the academy for a year, he spent a huge amount of money to invite a court painter to draw the appearance of him wearing the Fire Phoenix Battle Armor for the first time. He then ran to the relay station and gave the relay master enough red packets to ask him to send someone to deliver this portrait to Ye Qing, who was in Peacock Ridge, as soon as possible. He wanted to share this joy and happiness with his lover as soon as possible.

In his fourth year of entry, a twenty year old Kong Sheng had joined the palace guards as a Apprentice Knight, taking on the role of an inner palace guard. That seemingly light sentence had caused quite a sensation.

The system of Imperial Military Academy was six years, the first four years were partial to theory, and the second two was to practical. It had always been a tradition for Imperial Military Academy to send outstanding fourth year students to the palace guards. However, there was an unwritten rule in this tradition: commoners were not allowed to enter the inner palace.

The reason was simple. The inner court was the inner court of the imperial family, and many women, including the royal daughter, lived there. Most of the students in Imperial Military Academy were young and talented, so it was hard to avoid the possibility of lightning striking down on them. The fact that commoners didn't enter the inner court at least guaranteed the purity of the royal bloodline. And more importantly, there was another meaning to entering the Inner Court, which was to nurture a confidant and nurture a humerus for the current Monarch as well as the future Monarch. When the crown prince ascended to the throne, these people would become his right-hand men. At the same time, the rise of this new force had somewhat balanced the balance of power between the various families.

Most of the students in the Imperial Military Academy were able to obtain a baron's title and the status of Apprentice Knight when they graduated, which meant that they had more or less stepped into the circle of aristocrats. Although they had only stepped foot in to the true Aristocratic Family, it was still better than standing in the Inner Academy with a straight body like Kong Sheng by who knows how many times. Therefore, most of the students did not expect to be able to enter the inner court and become the guards of the palace. Therefore, most of the students did not expect to be able to enter the inner court at all, to be honest and become the guards of the palace. As for going to the northern province to fight the Demonic Beast or the one with even more bitter conditions to pass the Three Phoenix Trials, those were truly places that the young masters of influential families and madmen would only choose to go to.

And the reason why Shi Keren, the current Principal of Imperial Military Academy, dared to take such a risk, was mainly because of Kong Sheng's excellence. Just like how he wrote in his evaluation of Kong Sheng, "This child has a pure and good character, is loyal and unwavering, and possesses excellent civil and martial skills. He will definitely become a pillar of the nation in the future."

The old headmaster's comment, combined with the recommendation to recommend Kong Sheng to enter the Inner Palace as a white board elder, not only did it not attract any criticism from the higher officials and nobles, it instead made Kong Sheng even more excited. No one took him to be a Apprentice Knight who had just turned twenty years old, nor did anyone care about his status.

But in Kong Sheng's opinion, this was more like another type of test that the old headmaster had given him. He clearly knew that to a true Knight, the purification of the flames of war, the purity of martial arts, and the proficiency of tactics were just external training. The bigger test came from the heart: whether one could resist the temptation, or defeat the will, was the sign that one could truly become strong.

Thus, two years later, Master Kong Sheng who had officially graduated from Imperial Military Academy — That's right, he who had already been awarded the title of Baron by someone above his level could now be called Master — unexpectedly submitted an application to transfer to northern province. He rejected the invitations from the Aristocratic Family s and the flirtatious glances of the courtesans. He resolutely left for the northern province s and began his journey of experience.

Principal Shi Keren, on the other hand, was not surprised at all by this decision of his. He did not even say a single word of urging him to stay, and happily stamped the application that Kong Sheng had sent over. Thus, the empire's star, Lord Kong Sheng, joined the other common graduates of Imperial Military Academy and entered the Border Army. He began his life of fighting against the Demonic Beast.

Three years later, Lord Kong Sheng had already become an official Knight and held the post of Captain of Red Camp. His title had already been promoted from a Baron to a Viscount. When everyone thought that he should return to the Capital and start his own journey to the palace with the help of Shi Keren, as well as the marriage alliance between families, Kong Sheng once again did something that shocked everyone. He submitted an application to Imperial Army Headquarter, hoping to transfer to a place that required even more manpower to enter the Phoenix Trials, and at the same time, requested two months of leave. Making use of this holiday, he returned to his hometown in Phoenix Province and married the childhood sweetheart, Ye Qing, under Phoenix Ridge, who had been waiting for him for ten years.

As countless nobles sighed, Kong Sheng lifted the veil over Ye Qing's head and deeply kissed her lips. Then, he gently said "I'm sorry."

Ten years, Ye Qing's ten years were all left to Kong Sheng, and when the girls in the same village had all become wives and mothers, Ye Qing was still alone in the world. Every day, she would go to the inn at the head of the village to see if there were any letters from Kong Sheng. The portrait of the fiery-red armor had long been carefully framed and hung in the room. Every day, she would gently wipe it and look at it in a daze.

After a short two months, Kong Sheng left his new wife and headed straight for the three trials of the Phoenix. As a soldier, Kong Sheng could not possibly go home everyday like other people. He could even only have ten days of vacation every year. From a military point of view, Kong Sheng was the model of the army, the model of a soldier.

However, Ye Qing understood him and understood him. Ye Qing was well aware of this man's dreams. The people who were born in Peacock Ridge seemed to have had their fill of energy ever since they were born. They felt that they lived in the place where Divine Bird Phoenix once lived, and their adoration and loyalty towards the Phoenix was something no one could understand and compare to. It was also a kind of arrogance, a kind of arrogance that never wanted to be left behind.

was also such a person. His plans for his life were extremely simple and clear: join the army, strike the Demonic Beast, and guard the borders. Only after these things were done would he be able to complete the desire or arrogance in his heart. Only at that time, would he be able to return to his life without any complaints or regrets, and return to the Peacock Ridge. And only in this way would he be able to face the blood of the Peacock Ridge people flowing in his body.

Ye Qing understood him, so she did not stop him. She did not want to become an obstacle for this man to realize his dream. His life was so short, and she did not want Kong Sheng to have any regrets. She didn't regret all these decisions either. She knew that she was the man's innermost restraint at all times.

But just in the second year after Kong Sheng left for Phoenix City Pass to take over the role of Red Camp as a servant, Ye Qing disappeared.

At that time, Ye Qing was already pregnant, and according to the customs of Peacock Ridge, she would climb up the Peacock Ridge at noon on the tenth day of every month. She laid his body flat on the peacock stage and untied her clothes, exposing his bulging lower abdomen to the noon sun. It was said that this way the fetus in the abdomen could absorb the spirit energy of the heaven and earth. With the protection of the Divine Bird Phoenix, the child's body would become stronger and his mind would become smarter.

No matter how hard it was, and no matter how bad the weather was, she would always climb up the Peacock Ridge on time, and then quietly lie down on the peacock stage. She hoped that the child in her womb would receive even more care and care from the Divine Bird Phoenix.

Just as Ye Qing was about to become pregnant for the seventh time, she climbed up the Peacock Ridge once again. The weather that day was a little unusual. Even though it was still cloudless when she woke up in the morning, the clouds had already begun to cover the sky at noon. People who had lived in the mountains for many years were used to this kind of weather, so it was not unusual for them to get used to it. But suddenly, there was a muffled sound and the resulting ground shaking. Everyone was stunned, when had such a thing happened in the Peacock Ridge? The mountain would move on its own?

Everyone anxiously escaped from their homes and gathered in the valley to discuss something. It was at this time that someone realised that Ye Qing had disappeared. Today was fifteen, the day Ye Qing ascended the mountain. A dozen or so young people volunteered themselves to climb Peacock Ridge in search of Ye Qing, but when they finally reached the peak of the mountain, the miserable scene before their eyes made them unable to close their mouths.

The huge peacock on the top of the mountain disappeared, leaving only the cliff that was originally connected to the mountain. Smoke and dust rose up from the ditch underneath the mountain. The only evidence that Ye Qing had come here before was the pair of shoes that was placed on the cliff. The left foot was embroidered with the word "Sheng", while the right foot was embroidered with the word "Qing".

After Kong Sheng received the news, he rushed back from the Phoenix City Pass like a madman, and did not sleep for three days and two nights. It was even the first time that he opened his mouth to beg his classmates from back then, begging them to give him a squad of soldiers to help him find his missing wife.

The soldiers were sent over, but facing the huge rocks and surging water at the bottom of the valley, everyone remained silent. They looked with sympathy at the man who was once the star of the Empire's hope kneeling by the river and wailing in pain.

As he spoke till here, Kong Sheng looked at Zhao Handong with hot tears in his eyes and his voice trembled slightly, "The moment I saw Lady Xiu’er, I immediately thought of Ye Qing and our unborn child. In my heart, I had the urge to get close to her and talk more with her. After that, I felt that I had let down Ye Qing, and that I couldn't do something worse than this. That's why I thought of dying in battle. Only by dying in battle can I feel at ease. "

Zhao Handong looked at him for a long while before letting out a long sigh.