Three muffled thuds followed, and the sky above the small forest began to distort slightly. From a distance, the trees that had been standing upright appeared to be twisting.
The sounds of birds chirping and frogs croaking echoed from the woods from time to time, and then suddenly a low roar came from above, which made people feel eerie.
"Bang!" Another muffled sound followed by a "poof" sound, as if some membrane had been punctured.
Xiao Linzi's distortion became even more obvious.
Finally, seemingly unable to withstand the pressure, a dark crack suddenly appeared above Xiaolinzi, with mysterious runes flowing inside.
The black opening grew larger and larger until it could accommodate a person to pass through.
At this moment, the black opening gleamed with a ferocious light, as if it wanted to devour everything in its path. But in the next instant, a person dressed in a magnificent purple robe emerged from it, though the robe was tattered and the person looked extremely disheveled.
Judging from his clothes, he was clearly the former Prime Minister Wen, but looking up, he didn't see a wrinkled old face, but a handsome face with a sinister charm.
The man still had traces of blood at the corner of his mouth, and his disdain was even more obvious. His long, silky black hair was draped behind him, and his face was frighteningly pale, but his back was still straight.
The man wiped his mouth and slowly uttered two words: "Yuan Jue".
******************************************
Because it's a holiday, I'm posting an extra chapter... Still asking for more updates~~~
Chapter Fifteen: Scheming to the point of exhaustion
Chapter Fifteen: Scheming to the point of exhaustion
Feng Fei walked ahead, while Yuan Jue followed behind with a respectful demeanor.
"What exactly do you want?" Feng Fei finally couldn't hold back any longer and turned around abruptly to glare at Yuan Jue. Ming Feng on her shoulder almost fell off because she wasn't paying attention, but fortunately she was quick and immediately grabbed Feng Fei's clothes, thus "escaping disaster".
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?" Yuan Jue remained calm and composed.
Looking at Yuan Jue, who remained unmoved, Feng Fei felt a surge of anger. She realized that her good temper vanished whenever she faced him. Yuan Jue always seemed to have a way of provoking her, appearing to do nothing on the surface, yet leaving her feeling stifled. Like before, after asking her for ages where she was going, he kept dodging the question, until she finally got angry and turned to leave, only to be followed by him with an indifferent air.
Feng Fei felt like he was going crazy. The little voice inside him roared to the sky, "Aaaaaah! This person is infuriating!" But on the surface, he gritted his teeth and endured it, rolled his eyes, and gave up trying to get anything out of this person.
Yuan Jue looked at Feng Fei walking ahead, a gentle light flashing in his eyes. He decided not to tease Feng Fei anymore and said softly, "Your Majesty, we need to go back to Fengdu."
Fengdu is the capital of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, the place where most of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom's aristocratic families reside, and the most prosperous and glorious place in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom.
"Since being conquered by the White Tiger Kingdom, I wonder what has become of Fengdu." Feng Fei suddenly became dejected and said with some sadness, but then she was startled. She didn't even know what Fengdu was like, so why was she saying such a thing? Could it be that the soul of her predecessor was still causing trouble?
The thought that another soul was lurking inside his body made Feng Fei feel a little uneasy. Moreover, this body originally belonged to his predecessor. Who knew that if his predecessor came to possess him, he would be easily taken away?
But another thought told me not to be afraid. My predecessor was already dead. If I had the ability to reclaim this body, I wouldn't have let her transmigrate and be reborn in the first place. Perhaps my predecessor only had some lingering obsessions. If I could help her fulfill them, that should be enough!
Thinking this, Feng Fei spoke slowly and deliberately to his possible predecessor, saying, "If you are unwilling to accept the fall of your kingdom, then I swear I will help you reclaim the Vermilion Bird Kingdom." As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Fei's soul trembled, then he felt clearer. Feng Fei knew that the remnant soul of his predecessor was still within him and shouldn't harm him.
After Feng Fei finished speaking, she fell silent, which made Yuan Jue look at her curiously, assuming that she had suddenly become sad. Yuan Jue's thinking was reasonable. Anyone would feel terrible if something that originally belonged to them was suddenly taken away by someone else, and even worse, if it was broken and placed in front of them, making them feel bad but not giving it to them.
"Your Majesty, shall we return to Fengdu?"
"Go back! I must go back!" Feng Feiyou raised his head, a rising light of determination flashing in his eyes as he looked towards Fengdu. Having made a promise to his predecessor, he had to fulfill it! Although he, Feng Feiyou, transmigrated from the Celestial Dynasty, he was not a man of his word! Hmph, watch how I deal with you, White Tiger Kingdom!
Feng Fei stretched out his right hand, opened it in front of him, slowly rotated it to the right and clenched it, then waved it twice in front of his chest before turning to Yuan Jue: "Let's go! Summon your little black sword! Go back to your sword!"
Feng Fei suddenly adopted the demeanor of a superior, issuing orders with an air of authority, though Yuan Jue found it somewhat incongruous. With a light laugh, Yuan Jue's right sleeve fluttered slightly, and then the small black sword swiftly separated, stopping in front of him.
"Your Majesty, would you like to go first?"
Feng Fei glared at Yuan Jue: "This is your sword. I don't know how to use it, and it's so small. How am I supposed to get up there?"
"It was my oversight." Yuan Jue bowed slightly, a hint of doting affection showing on his lowered face that even he didn't notice. Straightening up, Yuan Jue flicked his right middle finger, and a wisp of azure light flew from his fingertip, striking the blade of the small black sword. The small black sword immediately hummed softly, and invisible ripples spread out. In the next moment, the small black sword, which was originally only the length of a palm, transformed into a long black sword just large enough for two people to stand on.
Yuan Jue lifted himself up and stood steadily on the black longsword. "Your Majesty!" Yuan Jue stretched out his hand, gesturing for Feng Fei to take his hand and help him onto the black longsword.
At this moment, the black longsword was floating less than ten feet above the ground. If he didn't care about his appearance, Feng Fei could have climbed up on his own. However, not wanting to be laughed at by Yuan Jue, he thought for a moment and then took Yuan Jue's hand to climb up.
However, both of them blushed slightly when their hands touched. But Feng Fei, having been dragged around by lecherous women in China to study Japanese adult films, quickly regained his composure, released Yuan Jue's hand, and ordered, "Let's go!"
The blush on Yuan Jue's face shifted to behind his ears after Feng Fei spoke. His face remained calm, but the slight pinkness revealed on his jade-like ears showed that Yuan Jue's heart was not as calm as his appearance.
Seeing Feng Fei stand firmly in front of him, Yuan Jue cast a sword control spell, and after the black longsword flew up, he carefully stared at Feng Fei's back. Yuan Jue's dark, bright eyes flashed with a heart-stopping heat, making Feng Fei in front of him shift his body uncomfortably.
Seeing Feng Fei's uneasy expression, Yuan Jue chuckled softly. Noticing the chilly wind blowing in their faces, he thought for a moment, then pulled Feng Fei into his arms. Feng Fei was already quite anxious about flying high in the sky. Although the feeling of flying was nice, the lack of anything to hold onto made her feel uneasy. Just as her heart was pounding, she was suddenly pulled close by Yuan Jue and couldn't help but scream, "Ah—!"
But the next moment, a warm chest nestled within him, and Feng Fei suppressed his shock. Just as he was about to look up and question Yuan Jue, he heard Yuan Jue's voice above him: "His Majesty is frail, and the wind is strong during flight. If it blows like this, His Majesty's body will not be able to withstand it." Well, it seems that he was worried about his health and that's why he scared him like this. Well, I forgive you! Feng Fei thought to himself, but belatedly he didn't realize that Yuan Jue's voice had sounded muffled.
Because Yuan Jue was holding Feng Fei in his arms, the space on the black longsword was immediately cleared up. After thinking for a moment, Yuan Jue sat cross-legged on the sword with Feng Fei in his arms, while Feng Fei was still being held in his arms.
"This situation is a bit ambiguous!" Feng Fei thought to herself, but thankfully Yuan Jue couldn't see her face at the moment! Feng Fei touched her slightly flushed cheeks. Yuan Jue's embrace was very warm and soft, and coupled with the fact that she hadn't had much rest recently, Feng Fei couldn't help but feel sleepy. She yawned, clutched Yuan Jue's clothes tightly with her left hand, and rested her head against Yuan Jue's chest, drifting off to sleep.
Yuan Jue looked down and found that Feng Fei had already fallen asleep. He couldn't help but laugh, his chest heaving slightly as he made a muffled sound.
Yuan Jue patted Feng Fei's head, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Some things, perhaps, require careful planning to succeed? If success is achieved, what does it matter how much effort is involved? I really hope you don't become too slow to realize things, otherwise I'm afraid I'll exhaust myself with scheming! Hehe.
Yuan Jue's black longsword is made from a special type of stone found in the Mo Bi Hai (Mo Bi Sea) to the east of the Azure Dragon Kingdom. This stone is called Ink Jade, and its production is extremely rare. It takes thousands of years for the rocks beneath the Mo Bi Hai seabed to be compressed, and even then, only a piece of Ink Jade the size of a thumb can be formed at most. Ink Jade resembles jade but is not jade, and weapons forged from it are divine weapons that can cut through iron like mud. For ordinary people, obtaining a weapon made of Ink Jade is as difficult as ascending to heaven, but unexpectedly, Yuan Jue's small black sword is entirely made of Ink Jade.
Black jade lacks stretchability, so if it is only the size of a palm when it is forged, it will not become the size of a millstone. In other words, black jade can only be compressed and not stretched. Therefore, it can be seen that Yuan Jue's small black sword was made with a lot of black jade, otherwise it would not have been able to be transformed into the size of the black long sword they were sitting on.
The black longsword was extremely fast, and in about five days, it traveled from the mountains and forests bordering the White Tiger Kingdom to Qingfeng Town, which was only ten miles away from Fengdu.
*************************************
Because it's the first day of National Day, there will still be two updates today. First update delivered! The Diaoyu Islands belong to China! (*^__^*)
Chapter Sixteen: Oh my god, we have to live together!
Chapter Sixteen: Oh my god! We're going to live together!
"Selling candied hawthorns! The most authentic candied hawthorns from Old Liu's family!"
"Selling steamed buns! White steamed buns! Big white steamed buns with generous fillings!"
…………
At this moment, Qingfeng Town had just awakened, and the hustle and bustle had not yet fully unfolded. The cool morning dew filled the air with each breath, carrying away a wisp of stale air. Early spring is usually just the beginning of green, but because the Vermilion Bird Kingdom is located in the far south, and because three great fire veins run through the entire kingdom, most people with cultivation practice fire-based techniques. Therefore, in early spring, Qingfeng Town already displays a vibrant green hue, a sight to behold.
"Xiao Fei, stop tugging at your clothes." A man in a light pink robe spoke gently, yet with a hint of reproach, to the boy beside him who was tugging at his clothes. The boy looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old, only reaching the shoulder of the man in the light pink robe. He was also wearing light pink clothes, but seemed uncomfortable in them, constantly tugging at his collar and pulling at the hem.
On the boy's shoulder perched a gray sparrow. It looked like an ordinary bird, but its ever-turning, scrutinizing eyes revealed it to be an extremely intelligent bird.
"Tch!" The boy rolled his eyes dismissively when the man lectured him, but he obediently stopped tugging at his clothes. However, judging from how he kept shifting his body every now and then, the clothes were still extremely uncomfortable for him.
"Your Majesty!" the man suddenly exclaimed, pulling the boy to his side. At the same time, a carriage sped past them. Instantly, the once tranquil Qingfeng Town erupted into chaos, like a pot of oil that had been accidentally spilled with water.
The young man was none other than Feng Fei, disguised as a man, while the adult man was Yuan Jue, and the dusty little sparrow was Ming Feng. Before entering Qingfeng Town, at Feng Fei's insistence, they decided to change their clothes, but their appearance after the change was "slightly" different from Feng Fei's original plan.
Feng Fei originally hoped they would dress like ordinary people, or at least wear clothes that wouldn't attract attention. However, Yuan Jue and the others already possessed an aura and presence that set them apart from ordinary people, so dressing them normally would only draw the attention of those who wanted to. Therefore, in the end, except for Ming Feng's appearance, which followed Feng Fei's wishes, everything else was done according to Yuan Jue's preferences.
Feng Fei seemed somewhat startled, staring blankly in the direction the carriage had gone. Yuan Jue, seeing Feng Fei's expression, asked in a low voice with some concern, "Your Majesty?" But Feng Fei did not respond. Yuan Jue could only look up at where Feng Fei was looking, but he did not notice anything amiss.
Yuan Jue, of course, wouldn't notice anything, because what Feng Fei saw was someone who seemed to be an acquaintance from her past life, someone she had longed for for fifteen years, someone she still couldn't forget even though he was already married.
The sounds of exclamations from the surrounding people startled by the carriage, Yuan Jue's soft questioning, and Ming Feng's chirping all around her filled her ears. But Feng Fei's thoughts drifted back to her past life, to the scene of her first encounter with him in university: that day, the once bright sunshine suddenly turned overcast. At first, only a few snowflakes fell, but soon, a flurry of snowflakes blanketed the entire campus. She was walking from the library to the cafeteria with her friend. Just as they reached the bulletin board, a boy in a white shirt and black trousers suddenly emerged from the other side, bumping into the unsuspecting Feng Fei. She accidentally fell into his arms, and looking up, she only saw the handsome boy's face shimmering in the sunlight, and the swirling snowflakes.
At that moment, Fengfei's heart was stolen by this boy. Unfortunately, the boy never knew that Fengfei was secretly in love with him so deeply, and the two of them remained forever apart. It wasn't until the boy got married that Fengfei slowly suppressed her feelings deep in her heart, only for them to occasionally surface and cause her a slight pang of heartache.
The man's face revealed when the carriage curtains were lifted by the wind as it sped away was the face of the one Feng Fei couldn't forget or have in her past life, which is why Feng Fei was lost in thought.
"Feng Fei!" Yuan Jue was faintly angry. He had never seen Feng Fei so absent-minded before, and he was afraid that she would continue like this. So he tightened his throat and called her name directly in Feng Fei's ear.
Feng Fei felt as if a thunderclap had suddenly appeared in her ear, which made her finally regain her own three souls and seven spirits.
"What are you doing? Why are you making such a racket!" Feng Fei complained, picking at his ears which were a little hard to hear from Yuan Jue's shouts. Yuan Jue found it amusing, but also speechless: he never expected that he, who was always praised as a handsome and refined gentleman, would be criticized for being so loud and boisterous.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I didn't mean to frighten you." Yuan Jue pursed his lips and, when no one was looking, struck a respectful pose towards Feng Fei, though his posture remained ramrod straight. If Feng Fei hadn't seen the fleeting smile in Yuan Jue's eyes, he would have been fooled by his act. Feng Fei muttered to himself that this man was too wicked, always managing to make him believe his words without his knowledge, only to find out he'd been teased.
Feng Fei waved her hand, as if shooing away buzzing flies, "Let's go! Let's find a place to stay!" Feng Fei quickly suppressed the sadness and confusion that had suddenly welled up inside her, called out to Yuan Jue, and led Ming Feng towards a more lively part of the town. In her opinion, only in bustling places could they find lodging!
"Xiao Fei!" Yuan Jue switched from behind to Feng Fei. When Feng Fei turned around in confusion, he looked into Feng Fei's eyes and said gently, "Uncle has prepared a small courtyard for us. We can go there."
Uncle? Where did this uncle come from? Feng Fei's confusion deepened, and she was about to ask when Yuan Jue's glare interrupted her, forcing her to swallow her words. Feng Fei puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Yuan Jue: This guy is so annoying! Why didn't he say it sooner? Now I can't even ask when I want to! How frustrating! "Then take me there!"
Yuan Jue stepped forward and took Feng Fei's hand, smiling slightly. "Xiao Fei, don't rush. That little courtyard is in the north of town. Besides, we haven't had breakfast yet. Let's eat our fill first, otherwise we won't have the energy to move in." He pulled Feng Fei towards a wonton stall. "After we finish eating, we'll go check out the courtyard and then buy some daily necessities. Although Uncle has prepared furniture and other large items for us, he hasn't provided firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, or tea. We'll be living there for a while, so how can we be without these things?"
What?! What?! She's going to live with Yuan Jue from now on? And for a while? And it'll be the kind of frugal life where she has to carefully manage every penny? Feng Fei decided her brain wasn't working properly. She stared blankly at Yuan Jue, trying to find even a hint of a joke on his face or in his eyes—just a hint would be enough! But there was none! No matter how she looked, there was none! The thought was terrifying. Was this the first time in both of her lives that she was going to live under the same roof with a man and experience cohabitation?!
Yuan Jue let Feng Fei look him over. After ordering two bowls of wontons from the old man at the wonton stall, he pressed Feng Fei down on a stool and then went to the fried dough stick and rice cake stall next door and ordered two bowls of soy milk.
"You mean, we'll be living together in the little courtyard that 'Uncle' arranged for us?" Feng Fei still couldn't believe it and asked persistently, but Yuan Jue gave her a clear nod. Feng Fei immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping onto the table and muttering incoherently, "Heavens! Is this cohabitation?! This... this is ruining my reputation!"
Although Feng Fei's voice was very soft, it did not escape Yuan Jue's ears. Yuan Jue, who was drinking soy milk, almost spat it out when he heard her call her "old lady." He coughed and glared at Feng Fei, saying, "Little Fei, don't you like the little courtyard that Uncle prepared for us? Hmm, you haven't seen it yet. You'll definitely like it after you see it! Okay, stop looking like that and eat!"
Although Yuan Jue spoke lightly, Feng Fei felt that there was a strong sense of threat in his words, so he had no choice but to suppress his sourness and vent his displeasure on the wontons in front of him.
Feng Fei poked at the wontons with her chopsticks, muttering, "I'll stab you to death! Humph, you big bad guy!"
***********************************
Second update for National Day! Please give me all your requests! Recommendations and favorites... come on, everyone!!!
Chapter 17: Preparing to Go Shopping