Imperial Weight Chapter 17
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 17
Little Phoenix was very obedient. He went to catch up on sleep, curling up under the small blanket Xingyi had covered him with, sleeping so soundly that he was sprawled out like a puddle, drooling all over.
After waking up, he munched down ten spirit fruits, then waddled determinedly outside to do his weight-loss exercises, planning to run a few laps afterward. The maid who usually fed him looked worried. "Phoenix Yuanyuan, why are you eating so little? Are you sick?"
Ever since Xingyi told her that Little Phoenix was actually a phoenix, she had added the word "phoenix" before nicknames like "Yuanyuan" and "Pangpang" to show respect. But Little Phoenix still mostly ignored her. Even after he learned to speak, he refused to engage with topics involving names like Yuanyuan or Pangpang, feeling quite aggrieved about it.
(TL: 圆圆 (Yuanyuan) — “round” or “plump” ; 胖胖 (Pangpang) — “fat” or “chubby”)
The immortal maid reached out to stroke Little Phoenix's round, fluffy little head. Little Phoenix reluctantly let her pet him, then hopped away a few steps and said earnestly, "Alright, don't feed me anymore. I'm going to lose weight, seriously."
The immortal maid propped her chin in her hand, watching him. "But Phoenix Yuanyuan, even if you're chubby, you're not ugly at all—you're very cute. Although there's a bit of a difference between you and other phoenixes, doesn't that just show how unique you are? The Emperor might like how you look right now."
Little Phoenix scratched out a delicate maple-leaf-shaped mark in the snow with his small claws, staring at it as if deep in thought, with a somewhat gloomy expression. "No, he likes thin ones."
Xingyi wanted a slender Empress.
Although Little Phoenix hadn't been associated with the word "fat" during his time in the mortal world—he had been graceful with refined features and elegant shoulders—he thought that his appearance during his mortal tribulation probably didn't count. What if his mortal form didn't match his transformed form?
Based on his current situation, if he were to transform, he would probably be a soft, chubby little fatty.
A little fatty couldn't become Xingyi's Empress.
Thinking of this, Little Phoenix felt even more dejected. But after a moment, he perked up, lifting his head and puffing out his chest as he waddled out. "I will lose weight!"
The immortal maid watched from behind, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Today's weight-loss program for Little Phoenix included his routine exercises, running three laps around Fuli Palace, and then going to the forest at the foot of the mountain for free-range jumping—this activity was something Little Phoenix and the Golden-Winged Bird had researched together. Because Little Phoenix was too round, he couldn't fly very high. According to the Golden-Winged Bird, if he could freely shuttle between the ancient trees, precisely jumping from one treetop to the next in succession, repeating this cycle throughout the entire mountain forest, his weight-loss endeavor would definitely make a qualitative leap.
Actually, Little Phoenix was already a bit tired after running his laps. He buried himself in the snow to cool down, patted his belly, but still resolutely flew down the mountain.
The Golden-Winged Bird had agreed to meet him and was already waiting there.
The Golden-Winged Bird looked worried. "Boss, no one has tried this program before. Why don't you just give up on losing weight? I think you're fine the way you are. These trees are so tall—what if you fall? You know, even someone with broad wings like me could easily fall."
Little Phoenix looked at him. "Mortals once asked a question: if a rock and an ant fall from a great height, which one will break? Obviously it's the rock! You useless fellows might fall and get hurt, but I—" He confidently tilted his little head, "I'm very small, I won't be as pathetic as you guys."
The Golden-Winged Bird: "......"
Little Phoenix flapped his wings, eager to try. "Alright, leave the paint bucket for marking, then you can go. I don't need you here."
The Golden-Winged Bird was on the verge of tears. "Boss—"
Little Phoenix consolingly touched him with his small wing. "It's fine, dear. I'll ask my husband for pocket money for you another day."
The Golden-Winged Bird immediately brightened up. "That's great! Boss, do your best. I'm going back to heat bathwater for Ming Zun."
Little Phoenix watched the Golden-Winged Bird leave, then struggled to flap his wings. He found a towering ancient tree and flew for the time it took to burn an incense stick before finally landing unsteadily on its branch. Little Phoenix had never been to such a high place before. He looked around—the void of the Northern Heaven was shrouding him, and looking down, he could barely even see human figures.
He took a deep breath, flapped his wings and leaped forward, nimbly bouncing between branches and broad leaves, like a round, fluffy ball bouncing around everywhere.
—-
"What do you mean, you couldn't find anything?"
After the court session ended, Xingyi kept Qisha behind alone, staring into his eyes. "He's a rare white phoenix who can't transform. He must have been damaged when he was still an egg. Such a special phoenix, and you still couldn't find anything?"
Qisha bowed deeply. "I visited everyone in the phoenix clan, went to see Phoenix Ming Zun and the current phoenix clan leader. They all said they didn't know when a white-feathered one descended. The phoenix clan regards the crimson-gold color representing flame and rebirth as their highest faith. If a white-feathered one were truly born, it would be killed at birth. There are no records of your little bird in the phoenix clan."
Xingyi said nothing, his expression calm, though his eyes dimmed slightly when he heard the phrase "white-feathered ones are killed."
"Moreover..." Qisha knelt on the ground, asking for forgiveness. "Forgive my presumptuousness, but because I couldn't find anything, I consulted the Star Disc. I did this without your permission because you were resting at the time."
Xingyi said, "No matter, speak."
Qisha pointed with his finger, and suddenly before them appeared an illusion of countless stars, almost flooding the entire Fuli Palace hall. It was the star chart Xingyi had observed for thousands of years—some had remained eternally fixed, others were still slowly drifting, their positions and names unknown.
All known stars in the divine realm had been accounted for. Qisha corresponded to the Qisha Star, Xingyi himself corresponded to the Ziwei Star, and all other named immortals had their names and positions on the star chart. But there were still some scattered outside—undiscovered stars, or newly born stars, not very bright, with very subtle movements, unclaimed by any deity.
This small cluster of nameless stars were the ones Xingyi had never been able to find answers for.
Qisha said in a low voice, "Emperor, when the Judge's Brush gained divine consciousness, it didn't immediately join the immortal ranks but first reincarnated as a mortal for two lifetimes before finally taking its position. We only confirmed the Judge's Brush's star position after it returned and went back to the Underworld. If that little phoenix is the same, it's not impossible. That little bird is now in the Heavenly Court with full divine consciousness. Logically, there should be a corresponding response on the Star Disc, but Emperor, I couldn't find his star position."
"You say you couldn't find it?" Xingyi scanned the vast star chart before his eyes, continuously waving his hand to switch views several times until he had checked again the landscape already engraved in his mind. He formed a hand seal and chanted silently in his heart. After a moment, he opened his eyes.
In that instant, due to the Star Disc's influence, the light in his eyes blazed intensely, making them look even sharper and more merciless, with an aura of deadly solemnity that warned others to keep their distance.
Qisha asked softly, "...Emperor?"
Xingyi withdrew his divine consciousness from the Star Disc and said in a low voice, "You're right. That little phoenix is indeed not in the known Star Disc. The Star Disc shows no information related to him at all."
Qisha said, "I don't know what this means. That little phoenix's origins—even the Star Disc can't trace them? Emperor, I believe this matter may not be simple."
Xingyi didn't speak.
Qisha continued, "I know you can't bear to part with him, but if that little phoenix is not a divine spirit but a demonic entity, by the time we discover it, it may be too late. You've seen the ancient battlefields—the divine, demonic, and mortal realms have never truly been at peace."
Xingyi still said nothing. After a moment, he let out a soft laugh.
"Ridiculous."
Xingyi's gaze swept across the ethereal, swaying star chart, his eyes fixing on a certain spot—it was a cluster of ancient stardust that had already stopped rotating, utterly silent. He remembered the names of these stars: one was Nuwa, one was Pangu, one was Hunkun. He had always been someone with a poor memory, unwilling to expend effort, only ever remembering friend from foe. But those people's faces remained vivid as ever, surfacing in his mind, taking him back to the chaotic ancient battlefield of the six realms.
Every moment saw conflicts erupt, every moment saw gods and demons die. The sky was forever blood-red, and even the earth carried the scent of scorching heat and restless energy. Life and death cycled for thousands of years. Nuwa placed the last Heaven-Mending Stone in the Southern Heaven, then ascended. Pangu transformed into mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, blocking turmoil and disease. He created the Southern and Northern Heavens, the mortal realm and demon world. Jiuzhou fell into place at his hands, and he smiled as he withdrew above the gods. That was their most glorious era, though their glory was forged in death and millennia of solitude, weaving together the peace of the six realms today.
"As long as I'm here, there is no instability." Xingyi said indifferently, "The little bird I'm raising—if we still can't find his star position in the future, then I'll create a star for him."
—--
Little Phoenix returned in the evening.
More precisely, he was cupped in someone's hands, with his little wings and claws sprawled out, and carried back.
Xingyi frowned at the barely-alive little phoenix and said with a frown, "What happened? How did he end up like this?"
A resident from the nearby immortal village panted. "Emperor! This little bird fell from a really tall tree and scared me to death! When I went over to look, it was so pitiful—his neck was smashed right into his body! Our immortal arts aren't good enough, we didn't dare to treat him, so we rushed to bring him to you. Can you take a look? Honestly, I almost cried at the time. Such a lively little bird, falling like that... I don't know if he can even be saved?"
Little Phoenix moved his claws. He must have been knocked unconscious from the fall—his eyes looked very vacant now.
This round ball was no different from the round ball Xingyi usually saw.
Xingyi: "......"
He suppressed his laughter and solemnly reassured the immortal resident. "It's fine, he's alright. His neck didn't get smashed into his body—he's just a bit chubby, so you couldn't really see his neck to begin with."
The immortal resident had an epiphany. "Ah, so that's how it is. That's great then."
Xingyi sent the maids to entertain the visiting immortal residents, then looked down at the bird in question.
He used his spiritual sight and saw that Little Phoenix wasn't actually injured—his self-esteem had probably just taken a hit.
Xingyi reached out and poked Little Phoenix's belly.
Little Phoenix moved, staring up at the sky. "I'm so hungry."
He stretched out his little wing to touch his round belly, then said, "Losing weight is so hard."
