Number One Under Heaven

A note from BaiSiwa

Another longer than the usual Chapter.

“Y-YOU FOOLISH GIRL!” An angry shout echoes throughout the halls. “I have done so much just to keep your identity a secret yet you-- you…” A middle-aged man was currently lecturing a little girl--- or someone who just has a petite body.

“Forget it! How are you going to fix this?!” He pointed the window with his trembling finger.

Outside, there was an endless line of males dressed fancily, and in their hands were either expensive looking boxes or shiny objects!

They were currently all waiting in front of the main gate at the Su Family's estate, hoping to take their eldest daughter’s hand in marriage!

Su Qi glanced at outside at the line of males that had no end with an indifferent expression on her face. “Just a bunch of horny men, you can ignore them,” she said.

“And how am I supposed to do that when they blocked the front gate?! How?!”

“Go through the back gate…”

“Y-You!!!”

“I haven’t even gotten to the part where you almost had our entire family in a financial crisis!”

“Just sell a few things and we’ll be fine…” Replied Su Qi.

“Y-You!!!” The middle-aged man, her father, was so angry that he could only say the word ‘you’ repeatedly.

“Father, is there anything else you would like to tell me before I go? I am busy…”

“BUSY?! YOU?!” He wanted to flip a table at this point, but it did not happen only because there was none nearby! “The only thing you are busy with every day is being holed up in that little room of yours!”

Su Qi slightly frowned, and said with a serious face, “This is a matter of life and death. If I do not hurry up, then it will be too late!”

Her father was taken aback by her sudden face in attitude. He rarely sees her make such a serious face--- yeah right! “The last time you said that you wasted a few hundred million Heavenly Jade on that stupid painting!” He screamed.

Father! How can you even say something like that?! If you call that painting stupid, then are you also calling his Highness a horny bastard who can’t keep his other head under control?!”

This time he was truly taken aback by her words. “What! Since when did I mention anything relatively close to what you just said?!?! And how could such words even come out of your mouth?!” He could already feel a few drops of cold sweat coming out from his back. Her daughter had truly said something atrocious. Calling his Highness a horny bastard? Even a death penalty would not be enough for her if his Majesty heard such words!

“Hmph!” Su Qi ignored him. She had said that only because of Jiutian Xuannu! After being close friends for so many years and she had just found out something like that in such a way?! It frustrated her to no end!

‘He actually had another female so close to him other than me?! And much longer at that?! Just wait till I find you!!!’ She cried inside her heart.

“M-Master, the people outside are getting out of hand… They said they won’t leave until they get to see Young Lady…” said the Maid who always follows Su Qi around.

“God damn it! Su Qi, you started this, so you fix it! Don’t you even dare think about leaving this house until you chase them all away!”

“Chase them away? That’s easy, just wait here---” Su Qi turned around and started heading outside.

*****

The people outside of the Su Family have been waiting there ever since the auction ended. Many males out there are tired and jealous of the females who have someone like Tian Yi to chase. It was always their wish to also have a female like that whom they could chase after! Now that there is actually someone like that, why wouldn’t they chase after her?! The females have Tian Yi and the males have Su Qi, at least now they won’t feel as left out as before! Although she was petite, there are ways for her to mature her body!

“T-There she is! Young Lady Su! Please marry me!”

The moment Su Qi came out was the moment the males stopped breathing. Her beauty was literally breathtakingly peerless! Just a glance at her face was enough to suck all the air out of their lungs.

Some of the males there had already passed out due to choking on their own saliva!

Su Qi looked at the crowd of fools in front of her and frowned. ‘These horny beasts that cannot think about anything else other than sticking their rotten rods into beautiful girls… What a pain in the ass---’ she sighs inside.

“I am busy so I will keep this simple--- you want to marry me? Good! I will gladly accept whoever can fulfill these three requirements as my husband!”

The entire place turned quiet the moment she said these words.

“The first one is--- you have to be more handsome than his Highness, Tian Yi!”

“Eh?!?!?!” The males there could not help but choke on nothing but air. The first requirement was already impossible to fulfill and there’s still two more?!

“Two! You have to be able to beat his Highness without losing a strand of hair!”

“What?!?! Who would dare fight him, let alone beat him without getting scratched?!”

Ignoring their complaints, Su Qi continued with an indifferent expression. “And lastly, you must have a status above him!”

People literally coughed up a mouthful of blood after hearing that.

“Are you indirectly telling us to overthrow the Imperial Tian Family?! Are you nuts?!”

“If nobody can fulfill these three requirements, then I will not marry anyone even if I have to live the rest of my life alone! If you somehow manage to fulfill all these three requirements, then you can go kill yourself with pride!” Su Qi stormed back into the house after that, leaving behind a crowd of speechless frozen statues.

“....” Even her father did not know what to say to her!

“Father, I am done dealing with these fools. And I really meant it when I said I am busy, so if you’ll excuse me---”

“And where do you think you’re going?!”

Su Qi stared at her father dead in the eyes, and said, “To find a missing person!!!”

*****

Feng Li sat in her room, looking at a painting of her son--- which also happens to be one of the 9 Painting of Desires. ‘Yi’er… Where are you, really?’ she sighs in her heart.

“This one requests for an audience with her Majesty!” A voice politely calls for her from outside of her room.

Feng Li recognized that voice and opened the doors, “Ying Ying... What is it?” She asked the girl in front of her who also happened to be one of her Personal Servants.

“Yes! Reporting to her Maj---”

“Cut that out. We are alone, you do not have to be so formal,” said Feng Li.

Ying Ying, her Personal Servant, smiled, “Master, you have a visitor,” she said.

“Visitor? Who?”

“Su Qi from the Su Family.”

“Her? What does she want from me?”

“I do not know the exact details, but she said it had something to do with his Highness.”

“Something to do with Yi’er?! Bring her in immediately!”

“Yes!”

Ying Ying left the room to go to where Su Qi was waiting.

*****

Su Qi had left the Su Family after having a long argument with her father and winning. The first thing she did after leaving was going to the Forest of Heavenly Beasts, her favorite and most memorable place. She had thought that she should at least visit this place where she had her first encounter with Tian Yi before traveling the Starry Sky to search for him.

After arriving at her destination, a cliff, she stared off to the horizon with a blank face. It was at this place where she had met Tian Yi for the first time. At that time, due to an argument with her father, she had secretly wandered off into the Forest of Heavenly Beasts to fight Monsters as a stress reliever. And for some odd reason, there was not a single Heavenly Beast that she could find after searching for what felt like an eternity. Normally, there would be Heavenly Beasts in every direction, yet not one could be found after searching for so long.

Alarmed, yet curious, she decided to head to the highest cliff in the Forest of Heavenly Beasts to get a better view and see what was going on. At that time, she had no idea that such a simple thought would change her life forever.

After arriving at the cliff, she noticed a figure sitting at the edge of the cliff. It was a woman--- or so she thought because the only thing she could see at that angle was the back of that figure and her long hair.

Not wanting to be seen, Su Qi decided to turn around and walk away.  However, a sweet voice called out to her which stopped the movements of her legs.

“It has a nice view up here... Is that why you also came here? To see the sunset?”

Su Qi turned around to see the figure that was sitting on the edge was also turned around looking at her--- or her silver mask that was covering her face to be exact.

Su Qi’s eyes widened from shock and surprise after seeing that figure’s face. Not only was she not a female, he was freaking handsome! His face was as peerless as hers if not even more perfect! For the first time in her life, she could feel her heart beating like drums!

“Y-You are…?” She managed to ask him this question.

“You can call me Tian Yi. What about you? What’s your name?” Tian Yi asked her.

“S-Su Qi--- ah…” She had accidentally said her real name.

“Su Qi, huh? That’s a very simple, yet beautiful name--- Hmm? What are you still standing there for? Are you not here to watch the sunset? Come, you can sit next to me,” he patted the ground next to him, offering her a seat.

Su Qi wanted to decline his offer, but for some reason, her body had already begun moving towards him!

She sat down next to him, and her heart began beating even faster. She did not even know this young man, yet why does her chest feel like this? She was confused, yet curious…

Not waiting for her to start a conversation, Tian Yi said, “I actually sneaked out here without telling my parents. I am always holed up in my house and forced to do nothing but Cultivate. It is rare for me to talk to anybody, let alone someone new.”

Su Qi unconsciously turned her head to look at him, “You too?” she said in a surprised voice.

Tian Yi also looked at her with a surprised look--- and he began laughing. “Hahaha! What a coincidence! Or should I call this fate? Do you sneak out here often?”

Su Qi nodded. “My father refuses to let me go out because of circumstances, but I still sneak out to come here once in awhile to fight Heavenly Beasts. It’s a good stress reliever, you see.” She did not know why she was telling someone she has never met before something so personal, yet she did not feel uncomfortable and continued to chat back and forth.

“Wow, Heavenly Beasts? You must be pretty strong!”

Su Qi held her head high and said in a prideful voice, “Of course! Who do you think I am?!”

“I don’t know,” said Tian Yi.

“Ah…” Su Qi suddenly realized that they are only strangers with a similar background.

“Hey…” She called out to him.

“Yes?”

“Why are you not asking about my mask and my modified tone? Are you not curious?” She asks him.

Tian Yi was surprised at her question, but he replied with a smile, “Curious? Of course, I am. However, I do not like to stick my nose into other people’s privacy. If you don’t want to talk about it, then I will not ask you about it.”

“.....” Su Qi turned silent since he said that, Tian Yi also did not start any more conversations, and they silently watched the sunset together.

After the sun had set and the sky was turning dark, Tian Yi stood up. “It’s getting a bit late, so I’ll head back now. Thank you for accompanying me for today, it has been a wonderful experience,” he clasped his hands and bowed to her to show gratitude.

“Hey, Tian Yi…” Su Qi called out to him as he was leaving.

“What is it?”

“Do you want to continue watching the sunset with me in the future? I will be here again tomorrow,” she said.

Tian Yi was a bit surprised, but he still nodded, “Okay. Although I cannot guarantee you that I will be here tomorrow, I will try.”

A bright smile appeared on her face--- one that Tian Yi could not see due to the silver mask. “Good! Then if you accompany me for long enough, I will maybe let you see my real face! This makes us friends, you got that?!”

Tian Yi’s eyes widened for a second. “Friends? Us?”

“Of course. If we’re not friends by now, then what are we?”

A delighted smile appeared on Tian Yi’s face, making Su Qi blush behind her mask. “Okay! Then I will see you tomorrow, friend!”

“Un!” She nodded.

****

As she sat on the edge of the cliff reminiscing about her first meeting with Tian Yi, Su Qi sighed to herself. “Who would have thought that you were actually from that Tian Family? Tian Yi, son of the Celestial Emperor… Do you know how shocked and sad I was when I found out about your identity? I was shocked because your humble and gentle attitude was unbefitting for someone of your status… I was sad because… I thought obtaining you would be easy with my status. There is only one Family in this Universe that my Family is below, and for you to be from that Family--- and the only son at that… What are the chances? Fate is truly cruel… Hahaha--- Hmm?”

She suddenly noticed something sticking out from beneath a rock next to her. Although it was only a rock, it had a special meaning. She picked up the rock around with whatever was underneath it. Ignoring the item first, she looked at the rock that had Tian Yi and her name engraved on it. Just one glance at the rock was enough to improve her mood, and then she decided to throw that rock into her Storage Pouch. “I will take this as a lucky charm. Who knows, maybe this rock will lead me to you… Haha, like that will ever happen.” After storing the rock away, she looked at the item that was undeath the rock. It was a piece of paper.

Opening it, she began reading----

“T-This is...?!” She instantly stood up and repeatedly read the contents on that piece of paper for the next five minutes over and over again.

“T-This… Hahahahaha!” She laughed while patting her Storage Pouch. You truly are a lucky charm! Not wanting to waste any more time, she flew away, heading straight for the Celestial Palace.

*****

“I will go straight to the point. What is it about Yi’er you wanted to talk to me about?” Feng Li asked the girl in front of her, Su Qi.

“Your Majesty… I… I know where his Highness is!”

“You what?! How---”

Thinking it would be easier to just show her, Su Qi takes out the note she found at the cliff and showed it to her.

“Su Qi, as my one and only best friend, I should at least let you know that I will be heading to one of the 99 Mortal World, World of Clouds, to fulfill my long awaited dream. If by the time you read this and I have yet to return, then you should really come and join me. I would also like to apologize for any inconveniences I might have caused by not inviting you in person, but I did not know where you lived at that time, so I could not invite you! I will be waiting. -Tian Yi.”

Feng Li began trembling due to the joy of finally finding her son.

“Su Qi, was it? You have truly done an outstanding deed! If there is anything you need, then I will fulfill it to the best of my ability as the Empress! Go on, tell me what you want!”

Su Qi, who has been keeping her excitement concealed, said, “Her Majesty plans on going there to find his Highness, correct? This one would like to come with you.”

“You want to come with me? Good! If it wasn’t for you, would I even know where he is? I also have many questions to ask you… Pack whatever you need for this trip! We will instantly head to the World of Clouds afterward!”

“This one has been ready before she had decided to come here!” said Su Qi.

“Good! Then we will set off after I make some arrangements! Follow me!”

“Yes, her Majesty!” Su Qi happily followed Feng Li. ‘Tian Yi, just you wait! I will be there shortly to blow your mind away with my true face!’

*****

Finally finished with mending her injuries, Jiutian Xuannu began heading for the nearest Realm Gate. “Master, I will be there shortly…” she mumbled to herself.

A note from BaiSiwa

Hmm... Random quote of the day from me.

"I can't satisfy everyone with my handmade tea, but as long as I am happy with what I have created, I will not be discouraged as I will continue creating more even if I have to watch others spit on my creation."