Feng Fei turned his head angrily to look at the two brothers who were pretending to be pitiful. He couldn't help but tremble. Then he reached out and beckoned the two brothers to the stone table. "Here, keep eating! I wonder how long Yuan Jue will take to prepare dinner. Eat something to fill your stomach!" Without waiting for the brothers' reaction, he grabbed some rice and beans and fed them to Ming Feng before eating himself.
The two brothers, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, exchanged a glance, let out a heavy sigh, and seemed to have a "what's the worst that could happen?" attitude. Then, with a "death-defying" spirit, they grabbed some rice and beans and started eating, as if they didn't care about dying just to fill their stomachs. Feng Fei watched this and smiled to himself.
As Yuan Jue stepped into the east courtyard, he glanced back at Feng Fei. No one saw the allure of that glance, and Yuan Jue's eyes were fixed solely on Feng Fei's figure. Feng Fei's exaggerated laughter, unrestrained laughter, shy laughter, gentle laughter, furrowed brows, displeased expression… all of it struck Yuan Jue as beautiful. However, Feng Fei was still quite young; she should be nurtured properly. This thought swirled in Yuan Jue's mind before settling back down. He turned and entered the kitchen.
Just as Yuan Jue turned away, Feng Fei happened to turn around and glance at him, only to see Yuan Jue's back as he entered the kitchen. Feng Fei pursed his lips and turned back to continue teasing the two brothers, Da Bao and Xiao Bao.
Soon after, various sounds such as "bang bang bang" and "clang" came from the kitchen.
Feng Fei looked over in astonishment and just then saw Yuan Jue running out of the kitchen in a disheveled state. His face was covered in black stove ash, and his once clean and tidy light red robe was now stained with a dark green color, probably from crushed vegetable leaves stuck to it. Yuan Jue was also carrying a wet knife, which looked like he was going to use to butcher a fish, but it seemed there was no fish left.
Yuan Jue looked at Feng Fei, who was completely stunned, and the two brothers, who were also in a daze. A blush of unease flashed across his face. Without thinking, he grabbed a knife and ran to the kitchen, saying at the same time, "Um, there was a little accident."
After Yuan Jue went inside, and then the kitchen erupted in a series of loud noises, Feng Fei stiffly turned to look at the two brothers, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Actually, weren't those the two brothers from just now?"
The two brothers were completely bewildered. They couldn't believe that the person who had just been so fierce and intimidating, like a god, had suddenly appeared before them in a form almost identical to themselves. The two brothers felt their minds were going blank, and a sense of impending doom washed over them.
It seems that only little Mingfeng remained completely normal throughout the entire scene. When Mingfeng saw Yuanjue appear, she only paused slightly before happily resuming her rice and beans. Fengfei couldn't help but pat Mingfeng's head with a sigh; only Mingfeng remained so composed under pressure! He really needed to learn from her!
"Bang!"
Before the three people in the courtyard could recover from their shock, another deafening noise came from the kitchen, followed by plumes of acrid black smoke.
"Cough cough," Feng Fei coughed as he carried Ming Feng and fled to the room in the main courtyard.
The two brothers were alright; after coughing twice, they continued eating their rice and beans. They had a unique skill—holding their breath for a short while was no big deal for them. Eating to fill their stomachs was the priority! So, the two brothers, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, happily ate their rice and beans, holding their breath. They were happy because Feng Fei and the little bird weren't there to steal their food.
About an hour had passed, and the two lively brothers, who had long since finished eating rice and beans, had been arranged by Feng Fei to stay in the southernmost room on the west side. Since they were brothers, sleeping in the same bed would definitely not be a problem.
An hour is enough for Yuanjue to exert his power.
When the thick smoke in the kitchen slowly dissipated, Yuan Jue reappeared in front of Feng Fei and the others, but by then he had changed his clothes and washed his face.
Feng Fei, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao followed Yuan Jue into the east room where the meal was served. There, they saw five dishes and a soup laid out on the table.
What's that dark thing? It looks like chunks of burnt pork belly! "Ahem, that's braised pork," Yuan Jue explained at the opportune moment. What? This is braised pork? Shouldn't braised pork be reddish-brown, tender and appetizing? What's going on?! Feng Fei's inner voice was flailing wildly, her mouth screaming even louder. But her face remained the same as before; she had to give Yuan Jue face!
Feng Fei's gaze shifted to another dish, its color a vibrant, glossy emerald green. He couldn't help but stir it with his chopsticks, then suddenly noticed something dark underneath. He looked at Yuan Jue with puzzled eyes, awaiting his explanation.
Yuan Jue awkwardly turned his head to the side, and after a while, he turned back to Feng Fei and explained, "Stir-fried greens with mushrooms. The ones at the bottom are mushrooms."
Feng Fei wanted nothing more than to slap Yuan Jue on the head with his chopsticks. The greens on top were a mess; Yuan Jue had curled them into clumps, making them unrecognizable as greens, though at least they were green. But what about the mushrooms underneath? Yes, yes, mushrooms are brown, even somewhat black, but this thing that looked burnt and completely unrecognizable was also called a mushroom?
Feng Fei was speechless.
He casually sat down on a stool, picked up his chopsticks, pointed at the only soup, and asked weakly, "What kind of soup is this?"
The mention of soup seemed to excite Yuan Jue. He pulled up a stool and sat down next to Feng Fei, then diligently scooped a small bowl, filled it halfway, and placed it in front of Feng Fei, saying with a grin, "Try it first, it tastes great!"
Feng Fei was somewhat skeptical of Yuan Jue's words. Originally, she thought Yuan Jue was an exceptionally good man who could be both elegant in public and domestic in the kitchen, but everything that had happened in the previous hour had made her completely erase the "domestic in the kitchen" part from her mind!
Feng Fei glanced at Yuan Jue, only to see his eyes filled with a look of seeking praise. Her heart softened, and ignoring the inner voice screaming "Don't drink it! Don't drink it!", she slowly picked up the bowl. With a look of grim determination, Feng Fei drank the soup in the bowl in one gulp, without even having time to savor the taste.
"Hmm, not bad..." Feng Fei raised the back of his hand to wipe his mouth, and was about to think of some more words of praise when his stomach made a "gurgling" sound. Feng Fei's expression changed, and he no longer cared about talking to Yuan Jue. He clutched his stomach, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and ran to the outhouse.
Watching Feng Fei disappear into the distance, Yuan Jue could no longer save face. He beckoned Da Bao and Xiao Bao to him with a stern expression and said to the two brothers, "You two finish all of this! Humph, if you leave any, you're doomed! Don't look at me like that, I know exactly what kind of food your masters have prepared for you!"
"That's true!" Da Bao and Xiao Bao nodded involuntarily after hearing Yuan Jue's words. The food their masters had prepared for them was of the highest quality; this was far inferior to even those delicacies!
Thinking of this, Da Bao and Xiao Bao couldn't help but smile happily. Their stomachs were quite large; those rice and beans just now weren't enough to fill them up, but this would solve the problem.
Da Bao ran excitedly to the cupboard, searched for a while, and then scooped up two of the largest bowls and ran to the pot of rice that was turning. He put one bowl in front of his younger brother and the other in front of himself.
Seeing the two brothers eating happily, Yuan Jue finally smiled, hummed twice, and walked out. He glanced in the direction of Feng Fei in the courtyard, his eyes darkened, and he angrily tapped his head, touched the purse at his waist, and then walked out the door.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Feng Fei emerged from the outhouse, her legs weak and her body limp, and crawled weakly back to her room. Lying on the bed, Feng Fei couldn't help but roll her eyes and mutter, "Damn, that soup was really potent! I only drank half a bowl, and it immediately took effect, giving me this kind of diarrhea! I guess I can't eat anything Yuan Jue cooks!" Feng Fei rubbed her stomach, secretly lamenting: I'm so hungry!
Just then, an enticing aroma of food wafted over, and Feng Fei's stomach growled twice. Without thinking, Feng Fei stood up and went outside.
The aroma of the food wafted from the main hall.
Feng Fei walked over and saw that a table, which had not been there before, was now placed in the center of the hall. On it were three dishes that looked and smelled delicious. There were also two bowls of steaming white rice.
Feng Fei couldn't help but swallow hard. Wow, it looks so delicious!
Unable to resist any longer, and without even thinking about why the food was there, Feng Fei quickly sat down on the stool and picked up her rice bowl.
They happily started eating.
Delicious! Delicious! These were the only four words that remained in Feng Fei's mind!
Yuan Jue, who was standing in the courtyard watching Feng Fei eat happily, finally smiled. It was worth running back to Zuifeng Pavilion to buy food!
Chapter Twenty-Four: Nightfall, Time for Cultivation
Chapter Twenty-Four: Nightfall, Time for Cultivation
"Is it good?"
"Delicious! So delicious!" Feng Fei, whose mouth was full of food, still had time to answer questions.
"Hehe, as long as it tastes good."
"Huh, that voice sounds familiar!" Feng Fei's mind raced, but her hands and mouth didn't stop moving. Ah! It's Yuan Jue! Finally realizing whose voice it was, Feng Fei turned around abruptly and saw Yuan Jue gracefully walking in carrying a bowl of soup.
Soup!
The moment the word came to mind, Feng Fei immediately felt a discomfort in her stomach. Suppressing the discomfort caused by the mental suggestion, Feng Fei turned away from Yuan Jue and quickly devoured the food on the table.
"Xiao Fei, this is soup I just bought from Zuifeng Pavilion." Seeing Feng Fei's reaction, Yuan Jue knew what she was thinking and quickly defended the innocent soup in his hand.
Feng Fei looked at Yuan Jue with some disbelief, his gaze slowly shifting to the soup in Yuan Jue's hand. It smelled delicious, just like the "sour, spicy, fragrant, and sweet" soup he'd had at Zuifeng Pavilion at noon. Since arriving in this world, aside from that decent lunch, he hadn't had a proper meal. Feng Fei was currently craving food. Moreover, in his previous life in the Celestial Empire, he was a huge foodie and couldn't resist tempting delicacies!
Yuan Jue smiled and steadily placed the soup on the table in front of Feng Fei.
"Gurgle"
The soup looked even more tempting up close, and Feng Fei unconsciously swallowed.
After thinking for a moment, Feng Fei ladled a bowl of soup for herself. She glanced at Yuan Jue carefully before gently lifting the bowl and taking a small sip. She closed her eyes slightly, and the delicious flavor immediately slid down her throat.
Delicious! Feng Fei finished the soup in one go and then ladled out several more bowls.
Yuan Jue watched Feng Fei happily eating, smiled slightly, and then left. He thought to himself, Feng Fei is still young, only twelve or thirteen years old; she needs to be nurtured properly. Hmm, I should go ask what kind of supplements I should give a girl this age.
Feng Fei was completely oblivious as she drank the delicious soup, unaware that someone had already taken her as their prey and was already racking their brains over what seasonings to use to prepare her.
After finishing off everything edible on the table, Fengfei patted her stomach contentedly. Looking at the mess on the table, she thought for a moment, then stood up and cleared away all the dishes and utensils, taking them to the kitchen. In the kitchen were piles of empty pots and pans left by Da Bao and Xiao Bao, and Fengfei felt she should clean them up. With that thought, Fengfei began to tidy up.
However, the twelve-year-old's body was clearly struggling, and at that moment, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, who had heard the commotion, slipped out from somewhere. Seeing Feng Fei struggling to wash, an unnatural blush appeared on the faces of the two burly men. Da Bao and Xiao Bao quickened their pace, snatched the pots, pans, and chopsticks from Feng Fei's hands, and then chased Feng Fei out of the kitchen.
Feng Fei, who was locked out of the kitchen, was both amused and exasperated. He shook his head and headed towards his room.
Just before stepping inside, Feng Fei glanced into Yuan Jue's room. The lights in Yuan Jue's room were off; it seemed that he had left after bringing her soup and hadn't returned.
Feng Fei felt somewhat disappointed; she wasn't quite sure what kind of feeling this was.
Shaking his head, Feng Fei cleared the confusion from his mind and slammed the door shut with a soft "bang".
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Feng Fei thought about how he hadn't been cultivating properly these past few days and probably was about to regress.
Feng Fei closed his eyes and carefully sensed his current cultivation level, and then slightly organized his understanding of the cultivation system of this world.
The cultivation system in this world is divided into acquired and innate.
The Acquired Realm is divided into nine levels. Most martial artists in the mortal world are between the third and eighth levels, with a few reaching the ninth level. Therefore, masters of the Innate Realm are even rarer. The Innate Realm is also divided into nine levels, but for many years no one has surpassed the sixth level.
The "Prime Minister Wen," who was previously able to fly on clouds, was at least at the third level of the Innate Realm. The third level of the Innate Realm is the first hurdle in the Innate Realm; passing it allows one to fly on clouds, while failing it only makes one an ordinary Innate Realm expert. Any Innate Realm expert at least once could easily kill at least five Innate Realm experts who had not reached the third level.
Each of the five nations on the Four Continents possesses at least three experts at the third level of the Innate Realm. This is only what is publicly known; the number of such experts in secret is a secret of each nation.
Of all the nations, the White Tiger Kingdom boasts the strongest open military power, with seven experts at or above the third level of the Innate Realm, and a mysterious expert at the sixth level. The Azure Dragon Kingdom, known for its low-key approach, has four experts at the third level of the Innate Realm and one at the fifth level. The Black Tortoise Kingdom has five experts at or above the third level of the Innate Realm, but they are all known for their defensive techniques; their actual martial prowess isn't particularly high, but even so, they wouldn't be inferior to those without the third level of the Innate Realm. The Golden Kirin Kingdom also has five experts at or above the third level of the Innate Realm and one expert at the fifth level, but their identity remains unknown.
Among the four continents, the Vermilion Bird Kingdom is the weakest in terms of military strength. Originally, the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had three experts at the third level of the Innate Realm. One of them was Feng Fei's predecessor's mother, Feng Jin'er, and the other was Feng Jin'er's personal maid, Liu Su. However, the two of them mysteriously disappeared, leaving a mess for Feng Fei's predecessor. If it weren't for Yuan Jue's help in stabilizing the political situation, the Vermilion Bird Kingdom would probably have been destroyed long ago.
Although she managed to avert the initial crisis, she also gave the ambitious White Tiger Kingdom an opportunity. They then seized control of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, and Feng Fei, consequently, became the empress of a fallen kingdom.
Recalling the mysterious disappearances of Feng Jin'er and Liu Su, and the remarkably easy capture of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, Feng Fei immediately sensed something amiss. It seemed that from the moment Feng Jin'er and Liu Su vanished, a conspiracy against the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had begun. However, he didn't know who was involved in this conspiracy, or what roles they played.
Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, Feng Fei compared his current cultivation level with the information he had just gathered. Well, even after the boost from the Jade Profound Pill given to him by the Nine-Tailed Fox Hu Qing, his cultivation level was only at the third level of the Acquired Realm, barely entering the ranks of ordinary martial artists in the mortal world.
It seems I need to work hard to improve my strength. Since I relied on the power of pills to push my cultivation to the third level of the Acquired Realm, my foundation is somewhat unstable. In order to develop better in the future, Feng Fei calmed down and focused on consolidating his foundation so that he could break through to the fourth level of the Acquired Realm as soon as possible and activate the second medicinal power of the Jade Profound Pill.
Thinking of this, Feng Fei closed her eyes, recalling the Burning Fire Technique that Feng Shiyi had taught her, and her mind became immersed in cultivation.
As night deepened, the early spring air in Qingfeng Town brought a chill to the air.
The occasional chirping of unknown insects emanated from the grass, only amplifying the tranquility of Qingfeng Town at that moment.
"Thump... thump... thump... It's dry... Be careful with fire..."
"Thump... thump... thump... It's dry... Be careful with fire..."
The old night watchman called out twice before passing by the courtyard where Feng Fei and the others lived. Suddenly, a man dressed in black appeared at the entrance of the alley, which should have been deserted. Just as he was about to sneak into the courtyard, he was stopped by a man in a light red robe.
The man in the light red robe was none other than Yuan Jue, who had gone out that evening and had not yet returned.
Yuan Jue shook his head at the man in black, then turned and walked in another direction. The man in black paused, seemingly hesitant, but finally followed Yuan Jue out of the small courtyard.
Feng Fei, immersed in cultivation, was unaware of all this. Only the two exceptionally talented brothers, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, suddenly opened their eyes in confusion. After glancing at the other party and listening carefully, they closed their eyes again and resumed their cultivation once they realized there was no further movement.
Then Yuanjue led the man in black to the front of another courtyard before stopping. "What are you doing here!" Yuanjue's voice was unusually stern!
The man in black, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, suddenly knelt on one knee, his right fist clenched on the ground, his left hand pressing against his knee, his head slightly lowered: "My lord, everything you're doing now greatly displeases him. If you don't come back with me, I'm afraid..."
Yuan Jue turned around angrily, glaring viciously at the person kneeling on the ground: "You still know I'm your master! The Pavilion Master is not your master!"
"Your subordinate wouldn't dare!" The man in black lowered his head even further. "However, my lord, if you don't return soon, the sect leader will take action!"
"Bang!" The jade that Yuan Jue had been playing with in his hand was instantly crushed to pieces, and Yuan Jue's voice was now extremely cold: "Is this a threat to me?"
"Your subordinate dares not!" The man in black prostrated himself on the ground in fear.
"I know you wouldn't dare!" Yuan Jue flicked his sleeve, turned around and walked to the side. Looking at the bright and clear moon in the sky, however, an indelible gloom drifted through his heart.
"Leave this place tonight and go back to tell the Pavilion Master that I will definitely return on my own when I feel it is appropriate. If he continues like this, don't blame me for not being angry!" In the end, he could only use the tactic of "delaying" to maintain a temporary peace.