The Phoenix Arises

Chapter 31.1: Plead for Mercy

— Eastern Palace of The Crown Princess —

Duanmu Xi sat at the table as she massaged her temples. She drank a little too much last night and was having a headache today.

“Your Highness, the hangover remedy has been brought in.”

Zi Yan said as she carefully placed a jade bowl down on the table before Duanmu Xi.

Duanmu Xi picked up the jade bowl and finished it in a single gulp.

“Her Majesty the Lady Emperor arrives, His Majesty the Phoenix Empress arrives…..”

The voice of the palace attendant outside the palace making the announcement had just barely fallen and Duanmu Xue and Huangfu Che were already walking in.

Duanmu Xi got up to bow in greeting to the two of them.

“Mother, Father.”

“Little Xi, are you alright? Have you taken the hangover remedy?” Duanmu Xue had seen Duanmu Xi holding her head, and hence had immediately asked with great concern.

“Mm.” Duanmu Xi nodded.

“Little Xi, come sit down.”

Duanmu Xue immediately held Duanmu Xi, bringing her to a chair to sit down.

“Little Xi, you’ve gotten yourself in big trouble. As you’ve had too much to drink last night, your Father and I did not come to look for you here. I had not thought that that news that you agreed to duel with Little Qing would spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital in just one night, and it is now too late to back out from it.”

Duanmu Xi’s brows furrowed together. “Mother, I was not drunk last night. I was fully sober.”

“Then why did you…..”

Duanmu Xue was looking at Duanmu Xi with shock on her face.

Huangfu Che’s brows were tightly knitted up. “That is not the most important thing now, but the Vermillion Bird Arena. Little Xi, you’ve lost your memory and you do not know that the Vermillion Bird Arena is also known as the Arena of Life or Death. Anyone who steps onto the Vermillion Bird Arena would face only two possibilities. One is to walk down from it alive, and the other is to be carried off the stage dead.”

“Oh? A death match? That’s great.” Duanmu Xi raised an eyebrow, her face lighting up with interest.

She had still been worrying that she was unable to find an opportunity for revenge. Since that woman is so keen in seeking her own death, then she would just grant her her wish.

“Little Xi, you…..”

Seeing Duanmu Xi looking so confident of winning, Duanmu Xue became highly anxious.

[Why isn’t her child worried in the slightest? Has she forgotten that she is unable to practise martial arts?] Since her return back to the palace, she had seemed like a completely different person, and they were unable to fathom what was going through her mind at all.

Even Huangfu Che was nervous.

“Duanmu Qing has already reached the Mystic Master level, so you must really think it through carefully. If you do not wish to compete, your father will definitely help you.”

“Father, Mother, please trust me.”

Duanmu Xi said as she looked at Duanmu Xue and Huangfu Che with a serious expression on her face.

……

No matter what Duanmu Xi said, Duanmu Xue and Huangfu Che just could not put their mind at ease. Although they were finally persuaded by Duanmu Xi to leave it, the two of them just could not help being worried and they made quite a few rounds of preparations in secret.