Chapter 3: Feng Huang

CHAPTER 3: Feng Huang

Along a mountain path, a group of horse-drawn carts moved steadily towards their destination.

On each cart sat two people: one held the reins, guiding the horses, and the other sat with a serious expression.

Many of the seated individuals were armed. Some carried whips, others swords, and a few had axes.

It wasn't a large group; there were only six carts in total, each transporting two large, square containers.

These containers were covered with brown veils, secured to the carts by ropes.

Occasionally, faint noises and whispers could be heard from some of the containers.

"Bastards, let me out of here!"

Suddenly, a voice erupted from one of the containers. From the tone, it was clear the person inside was quite desperate, continuing to shout and bang against the covered container.

One of the men sitting on the cart struck the side of the container hard with his hand and spoke in an irritated voice.

"Stop making noise," the man said. "If I hear your voice again, I swear I'll skin you here and feed you to the wolves," he threatened.

The voice inside the container fell silent.

The man, seeing that the person inside was no longer making noise, turned back and continued to look ahead.

"Seems like we've got a noisy one this time," said the man holding the reins.

"Yeah, but what can you do? It's not the first time we've had a noisy one," said the armed man.

Then, with a smile, he continued,

"Once we reach our destination, we'll see if he still has the courage to make a sound," he laughed, making sure the person inside could hear him.

And so, the group of carts continued their journey, this time in peace.

***

At the center of the Phoenix Kingdom stood a grand city, surrounded by tall and majestic walls.

This was the City of the Sun, the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom.

Within the walls, the city sprawled out in an intricate maze of stone-paved streets, lined with elegant buildings and towers that soared into the sky.

The city's streets were always bustling, full of merchants displaying their goods in markets, street performers entertaining passersby with music and dance, and nobles being carried in golden palanquins, followed by their servants.

The air was filled with the scent of exotic spices and fresh flowers, and everywhere the lively voices of the inhabitants could be heard as they haggled, laughed, and conversed.

At that moment, in the Vermilion Phoenix Sect to the west of the City of the Sun, an elegant woman was walking down a corridor.

The woman exuded confidence and refinement. She wore a traditional dress in shades of red and orange that subtly accentuated her natural curves.

A few steps behind her followed a young girl who seemed to be struggling with whether to speak or not.

After a moment of hesitation, the girl spoke to the woman: "Sect Master, why don't you send some of our elders there? There's no need for you to personally attend to such a trivial matter," she said hesitantly.

The young girl's name was Xiang Hua. She was an orphan taken in by the Vermilion Phoenix Sect's leader, Feng Huang, the woman walking ahead of her.

Seeing talent in her, the sect leader had taken her under her wing and personally trained her until she entered the second stage of Qi refinement at the age of 17, proving her rare cultivation talent.

Xiang Hua was grateful for the opportunity the sect leader had given her, so she worked diligently on her cultivation, striving to become strong enough to repay her master in the future.

At this moment, Xiang Hua was trying to change her master's mind, knowing that her presence at such an event would cause a stir and lead to unnecessary trouble.

She knew her master was stubborn and once she made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change it, but she still wanted to try, despite knowing it wouldn't be successful.

At that moment, a light and calm voice came from the woman: "There's no need to send any of the elders. I will go myself.

It's been a long time since I've left the sect, and I want to take this opportunity to stroll through the capital," said the woman ahead of her.

Then she continued: "And don't worry, I'll make sure no one notices my presence," she said.

Xiang Hua did not insist on convincing her master further and continued to follow her in silence.

After some time, they arrived at the sect's gates.

The guards at the gate, seeing the woman approach, recognized her and quickly offered their greetings.

"We greet the sect master," said both guards in unison, as if they had practiced it for a long time.

The woman nodded calmly, unsurprised by the guards' behavior, and with a light step, she walked out of the sect.

The guards did not look up or try to stop her. Who could stop her? They knew that if she wanted to, she could incinerate them both with a snap of her fingers.

Of course, it wasn't just for this reason that they said nothing but also because she was the sect master, and they were not in a position to question her actions.

She was a respected and admired person due to her charisma and strength.

Upon exiting the sect, the woman, with a gesture of her hand, made a small floating boat appear out of nowhere, large enough to hold three people.

Both of them boarded, and with a command from the woman, the boat moved toward the capital at an accelerated pace.