Chapter Fourteen: A Sky Full of Stars

Nan Luo thought to himself that it made sense; since he had nothing to do here, he might as well go for a walk and see what the Golden-winged Roc Palace looked like.
“Very well, I’ll go close the palace doors,” Nan Luo replied, and Qian Ye nodded with a smile.
Although it was rare for anyone to visit the Peacock Palace even once a year, Nan Luo still went to close the doors. The heavy doors were like mountains; Nan Luo summoned all his spiritual power and barely managed to push one side. If not for the improvement his cultivation had gained from studying the Five Elements Jade Scrolls given by Kong Xuan, he wouldn’t have been able to move the doors at all. After much effort, he finally closed both doors. Yet he did not leave; instead, his fingers traced patterns in the air. As his fingers moved, a layer of multicolored brilliance shimmered across the doors, eventually covering them completely, leaving only the flowing hues of light.
Nan Luo let out a long breath. This was his first time closing these doors. When Kong Xuan had taught him how, he’d said Nan Luo wouldn’t be able to manage it yet. That was why, after more than a year here, Nan Luo had never left the palace. Fortunately, he could finally do it now, though it was still a struggle.
Qian Ye watched Nan Luo close the doors and walk over, and his disdain for Nan Luo lessened considerably. After all, even he found closing the doors of the Golden-winged Roc Palace to be difficult. One must know, the doors of every palace were sealed with the power of their respective masters. Although Qian Ye was certain that the Prince of the Golden-winged Roc was stronger than Kong Xuan of the Peacock Palace, the difference wasn’t too great. Seeing Nan Luo manage to close the doors after only a year, he thought Nan Luo’s cultivation was quite impressive.
The journey was magnificent, dazzling to the eye.
Nan Luo followed behind Qian Ye, traversing the resplendent halls of the Immortal Palace. Though it was splendid and beautiful, he still felt more comfortable in his own Peacock Palace. Here, the scenery was vibrant and varied, but scenery, after all, was just scenery—not suited for living.
In Nan Luo’s eyes, Qian Ye was a very talkative person, always able to find something to discuss. Nan Luo had spent all his time in the Peacock Palace, most of it in cultivation, so whenever he was asked about anything, he always replied that he didn’t know. He hadn’t realized that his honest answers sounded like perfunctory responses to Qian Ye.
Listening to Qian Ye’s words, feeling his pride in the Golden-winged Roc Palace, Nan Luo unconsciously regarded the Peacock Palace as his own home. Though he didn’t have the deep sense of belonging that came from growing up in a tribe, it still felt like home.
The Golden-winged Roc Palace was in the north of the Immortal Palace, so from the Peacock Palace, it was merely a walk through the northwest corner. This was Nan Luo’s first time venturing out, the first time he saw the grand halls outside the Peacock Palace. The layout was identical to his own palace, but no matter how he looked at it, Nan Luo felt it wasn’t as beautiful as his own.
Arriving before the grand hall, he saw the characters for “Golden-winged Roc Palace” and suddenly realized why it felt different.
“These characters were written by my prince with supreme power. Do you see the imprint of his true form? This plaque could be considered a top-tier protective talisman,” Qian Ye said proudly, seeing Nan Luo looking up at the plaque.
“Impressive…” Nan Luo replied with a smile, still looking up, though in his heart he thought, these characters didn’t seem as imposing as those written by his own Prince Kong Xuan, nor was the imprint as exquisite as his prince’s peacock true form.
Qian Ye assumed Nan Luo was captivated and envious by the plaque, so he paid no mind to the casual way Nan Luo responded.
“Come, my prince is waiting for a report inside,” Qian Ye said with a hint of pride.
Nan Luo followed Qian Ye into the hall. Inside, gold radiance filled the air, the furnishings were lavish, and at a glance, there were at least twenty or thirty maidens, each beautiful and graceful in her own way.

“Your Highness, Prince Kong Xuan is not in his palace. His attendant has come with me,”
Qian Ye’s voice pulled Nan Luo from the surreal grandeur of the hall back to reality. Looking up, he saw the master of the Golden-winged Roc Palace, Prince Jin Peng, seated with closed eyes, clad in golden robes that seemed to contain boundless power.
Nan Luo couldn’t help but think of Kong Xuan’s own robes—both dazzling, but Kong Xuan’s multicolored robes didn’t carry the same suffocating pressure, the domineering aura of Jin Peng’s gold, but instead had a harmonious, gentle presence.
After a while, Jin Peng slowly opened his eyes, and in that instant, Nan Luo saw a flash of gold; Jin Peng’s pupils were golden.
Nan Luo quickly lowered his head and said, “Nan Luo, attendant to Prince Kong Xuan of the Peacock Palace, pays respects to Prince Jin Peng.”
“Oh! When did Kong Xuan leave?” Jin Peng’s voice rang out, powerful and commanding.
Nan Luo dared not delay and hastily replied, “My prince left three months ago and has not returned since.”
“Hmph! How dare he!”
Nan Luo heard an angry snort, his ears ringing, and before he could react, his body was swept up as if riding clouds and mist, then slammed down outside the Golden-winged Roc Palace with a crash.
He felt as if all his organs had been shattered; his spiritual power was completely inaccessible. He forced himself to look up at the grand hall, wondering what mistake he had made, only to see the main seat at the north of the hall now empty. The others merely looked at him indifferently, and Qian Ye, who had brought him, had vanished as well.
Beaten without cause and grievously wounded, Nan Luo was stifled with frustration but could not voice it. He struggled to rise, every step shaking his insides with unbearable pain. After a few steps, a mouthful of blood gushed from his throat, dripping down his chin into his robe. He lacked the strength to wipe it away, didn’t even dare to bend over to spit, for fear that if he bent too much, he’d collapse and never get up again.
His vision blurred, the pain numb. Nan Luo pressed his hand to his chest, supporting himself against the wall as he walked toward the Peacock Palace.
“Impudent! Dirtying the palace wall—you’ll lose your hand for that!”
Nan Luo heard this sudden shout and quickly pulled his hand away from the wall.
“Brother Feng, let it go. He’s already as good as dead; he’s not worth your anger. Let’s leave…” came a calm, gentle voice.
“Hmph… If not for…”
“Wait, what happened to him?”

“Look at him, his pupils are already fading. He won’t last much longer.”
“He’s dressed as an attendant—which palace is he from?”
“Must be from the Peacock Palace. I know the attendants from the other halls; only the Peacock Palace is unfamiliar.”
Nan Luo, crossing from north to west through the corner of the Immortal Palace, drew much attention. People pointed and whispered. Some who had seen him passing earlier said he’d been taken to the Golden-winged Roc Palace by Qian Ye.
Someone remarked, “Ah, he must have been struck by Prince Jin Peng. I doubt he’ll survive.”
“Brother Yao, be careful what you say. Prince Jin Peng has a fiery temper. If word gets back to him…”
“Thank you for your concern, Brother He, but I’m from the Vermilion Bird Palace. Even if he hears it, he can’t do anything to me.”
The voices all around made Nan Luo feel as if he were dreaming. He longed to simply sit down and die.
Yet he struggled onward toward the Peacock Palace. Nan Luo thought that even if he died, he must die at his own door, in his own palace, so as not to be mocked after death. The Peacock Palace was quiet; no one would come to see.
In this moment, Nan Luo saw the Peacock Palace as his last refuge—a place to die and be buried.
His consciousness grew dim; he didn’t even know how he managed to return. Seeing the characters for “Peacock,” seeing the peacock imprint, Nan Luo felt an inexplicable relief—he was finally back.
He leaned against the door, sitting beneath the palace plaque. Nan Luo slowly closed his eyes.
Is this the end? Is this really the end? I thought I could master the arts of flight and transformation, return to my tribe, and become the greatest priest in its history. So this is how it ends.
Nan Luo looked up at the sky. White clouds drifted overhead, but in his eyes, it was a sky full of stars, and the brightest one seemed to blink back at him.