Chapter Forty-Eight: Celestial Steed

The Taiyin Palace stood to the right of the Miluo Palace, directly across from the Sun Palace on the left. Ever since the sisters Xihe and Changxi had joined the Celestial Court, this had become their residence.

While Nuwa remained in seclusion, Li Tian would often wander over to the Taiyin Palace during his leisure. In truth, he still harbored a lingering affection for the sisters—after all, who could remain unmoved by beauty? Moreover, in a certain sense, these two were destined to belong to him.

That day, as Li Tian found himself bored within the Miluo Palace, he once again took flight toward the Taiyin Palace. From a distance, the sound of Xihe’s zither reached his ears. Smiling to himself, he descended.

Xihe’s zither was crafted from the laurel trees of Taiyin Star. Though it could not be called a magical treasure, it was nonetheless an exquisite instrument. Its tone was ethereal and lingering; a casual stroke upon its strings could evoke the star’s unique sense of emptiness and desolation.

“So the Heavenly Emperor has come,” Xihe said, sensing his arrival. She set aside her zither and looked up with a gentle smile, inclining her head in greeting.

“I hope I haven’t disturbed your playing,” Li Tian replied, swiftly moving to her side and lightly supporting her arm with a smile.

“Music is meant to be heard—how could you call it a disturbance?” Xihe withdrew her arm with subtle grace, then returned his smile and invited him to sit across from her.

“Would the Heavenly Emperor care to listen to a new piece I’ve composed?”

“That’s exactly what I had in mind,” Li Tian replied with a laugh, taking a seat at the stone table and facing her.

Xihe nodded slightly, then seated herself before the zither. She glanced up at Li Tian, her smile radiant and pure, before bowing her head and setting her slender fingers to the strings.

The melody, though lively, carried a distinctive undertone of loneliness and solitude, a quality bestowed by the laurel wood.

Xihe played with earnest devotion, while Li Tian listened with equal attentiveness. He had always been only half-versed in the arts, but he could not deny that listening to Xihe play was a true pleasure—not just for the music, but for the musician herself.

“Elder sister?”

From a nearby palace, Changxi emerged, having heard the commotion. At the sight of Li Tian, an irrepressible smile lit her face. Alighting softly, she inclined her head and greeted him in a gentle voice, “Changxi greets the Heavenly Emperor.”

Li Tian looked up and returned her smile with a nod.

Compared to Xihe’s reserve, Changxi was noticeably more spirited. After her greeting, she cheerfully settled herself across from Li Tian.

“What do you want from me this time?” Li Tian asked with a knowing smile.

It had been more than ten years since the sisters had joined the Celestial Court, and by now Li Tian understood them well. Seeing Changxi sidle up to him in this way, he knew she must have a request.

“Heavenly Emperor…” Changxi pouted her lips, obviously displeased with his teasing. But after a quick blink of her eyes, she adopted a pitiful expression and pleaded, “I heard that the Dragon King of the East Sea gave you several beautiful heavenly steeds the other day. I’d like one as my mount—please?”

Heavenly steed?

Li Tian paused, then recalled the matter. The dragon clan, though originally forced into the Celestial Court under his command, had gradually regained their dignity as the court’s power grew. They could now appear openly in the vast wilderness, no longer forced to hide in the sea for fear of reprisal from those they once oppressed.

Over time, the dragons began to feel a sense of belonging to the Celestial Court. To secure a stronger standing, the four Dragon Kings frequently sought to curry favor with Li Tian. The heavenly steeds were a recent offering, specially bred by the dragons.

Though these steeds were not especially gifted—indeed, they had not even achieved transformation—their appearance was flawless: pure white coats without blemish, angelic wings, crystal horns like gemstones, and pale dragon scales on their hooves. They were the picture of perfection; it was no wonder Changxi wanted one.

It was said these steeds were the offspring of a white dragon and a selection of the finest white horse spirits—a feat that surely taxed the dragon’s endurance. Then again, in this land, it seemed there was no race the dragons had not mingled with.

“Very well. I’ll have one sent to you,” Li Tian agreed with a smile. After all, a single heavenly steed was of no use to him; and if more were needed, the white dragon could be put to work again.

“Thank you, Heavenly Emperor!” Changxi exclaimed with delight. She kissed him swiftly on the cheek, then, realizing her boldness, blushed crimson. In the next instant, she vanished into her chambers, mortified.

Li Tian stood stunned for a moment, savoring the innocence of her affection, a trace of a smile on his lips.

“My sister is still naive—please don’t take offense…” Xihe said, watching the scene unfold. She shook her head and offered Li Tian an apologetic smile before resuming her music.

“It’s nothing,” Li Tian replied with a grin. He hardly had reason to complain—he could barely conceal his own amusement.

After leaving the Taiyin Palace, Li Tian returned to the Miluo Palace, his spirits high. Remembering his promise to Changxi, he summoned Qin Yuan.

“You called for me, Heavenly Emperor?” Qin Yuan arrived shortly, bowed, and smiled.

Qin Yuan herself was a striking beauty, dressed in a robe of rainbow feathers woven from the plumage of innate spirit birds, holding an embroidered needle—her air dignified and delicate, a true feast for the eyes. She was of the feathered clan, her true form akin to a blend of bee and mandarin duck.

“It’s nothing urgent,” Li Tian replied with a smile. His relationship with Qin Yuan was cordial, though purely that of superior and subordinate.

“I heard the dragon clan sent a group of heavenly steeds recently. Choose one and deliver it to Changxi.”

“Of course. I’ll see to it at once.” Qin Yuan was momentarily surprised, then nodded with a smile.

“Oh, and make sure it’s a mare,” Li Tian added. Both Xihe and Changxi were his chosen ones; he would not allow them to be near any male creature, not even an untransformed one.

“Understood,” Qin Yuan replied, then withdrew.

She could easily discern his intentions, but as a subordinate, she dared not voice them.

And so the matter was settled.