Chapter 45: The Imminent Conspiracy
Feng Fei instinctively wanted to scream, but her intuition told her that there was no one around her who was hostile to her. Feng Fei suppressed her slightly startled heart and slowly touched the thing covering her eyes.
The skin felt soft and comfortable to the touch, and Feng Fei felt no resistance as he scooped the stuff off his eyes.
As soon as the object in her hand came into view, Feng Fei couldn't help but feel a little bubbly inside.
What an adorable little guy!
The little creature in Feng Fei's hands had fluffy, snow-white fur, with a pair of delicate, tiny ears hidden in its long, soft down, revealing a pink little nose and a pair of bright, intelligent eyes. The little creature nestled docilely in Feng Fei's palm, its small, soft tail swaying gently, lightly brushing against Feng Fei's hand.
Feng Fei felt a slight itch in his palm, so he gently patted the little guy's head, and the little guy affectionately rubbed against Feng Fei's palm.
"Little guy, where did you come from?" Feng Fei couldn't help but touch you again, admiring how good your skin felt.
As for her question, Feng Fei did not expect to get an answer, but to her surprise, a soft and sweet child's voice rang in her mind: "I am a spiritual spring."
Feng Fei was surprised. A spiritual spring? How could it be here? And how could it have turned into this?
Lingquan seemed to be able to hear the voice in Fengfei's heart. After Fengfei's questions swirled in her mind, the child's voice reappeared in Fengfei's mind: "I am Lingquan. I don't know why I am here. But I know why I became like this, because I made a contract with you."
A contract? Feng Fei's confusion only deepened. "What is a contract?"
This question seemed to stump the little guy. It tilted its head, its dark eyes full of confusion: "Contract? What's a contract?"
Looking at the little guy's completely bewildered face, Feng Fei sighed: This little guy looks like a baby who hasn't grown up yet, what can I expect him to know!
It must have heard Feng Fei's underestimation of it, because the little guy, in a huffy baby voice, said unhappily in Feng Fei's mind, "Oh, Lingquan knows a lot of things! Don't underestimate Lingquan!"
"Alright, alright, the Spirit Spring is amazing!" Feng Fei quickly comforted the somewhat agitated little creature in his arms. "Do you have a name?"
Changing the subject worked perfectly; the little guy immediately focused his attention on "name": "What is a name?"
Fengfei pointed to himself and said, "My name is Fengfei," then pointed to Mingfeng and said, "Its name is Mingfeng. Fengfei and Mingfeng are our names." The little guy showed his tiny paws with pink palms and hugged his little head. Finally, he said to Fengfei dejectedly, "I only know that I am Lingquan, I don't have a name."
Seeing the little guy's pitiful appearance, Feng Fei's heart softened instantly: "Then let me think of one for you!" The little guy's eyes lit up immediately, and he liked Feng Fei even more when he saw her, "I'll call you Snowball!"
The little guy's eyes instantly filled with joy and satisfaction. Suddenly, he flew into the air and circled around Feng Fei wildly, his cheerful voice echoing in Feng Fei's mind: "Snowball? Snowball! That sounds so nice! My name is Snowball, Snowball is me! Hehe, Snowball has a name now! Snowball's name is Snowball!"
Before Feng Fei could get dizzy from the snowball, the snowball finally calmed down and stopped directly in front of Feng Fei: "The snowball's name is Snowball, so what should Snowball call you?"
"Sister Feifei, just call me Sister Feifei!" Fengfei smiled and reached out to hug Xuetuan. "Xuetuan is so cute."
"Snowball is so cute!" Snowball's sweet voice rang in Feng Fei's mind. Feng Fei's smile widened. After calling Ming Feng over and letting her stand steadily on his shoulder, he raised his right hand and said, "Let's go back!"
Feng Fei hadn't forgotten about finding Li Yimo and Li Moxuan. Although meeting Xue Tuan made her happy, she felt a restless unease. She didn't know why, but she could sense that this unease would be fatal to her.
Forcing himself to suppress his inner turmoil, Feng Fei, with a smile on his face, led Ming Feng and Xue Tuan back to the Dragon and Phoenix Inn.
The moment Feng Fei stepped into the Dragon and Phoenix Inn, an eerie atmosphere enveloped him. But as soon as Feng Fei's gaze swept over, the oppressive and eerie aura vanished.
Feng Fei paused for a moment, then stepped down again.
Liu Xiaobei, who was already in the lobby, brought Guan Dayu to greet them: "Where have you been these past three days, Miss Feng? I thought you had been kidnapped by those villains the other day! I was just thinking of going to look for you."
Liu Xiaobei and Guan Dayu were overly enthusiastic, causing Feng Fei to cautiously withdraw his foot from the threshold. He replied indifferently, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Liu. But I am standing here in front of you perfectly fine, so I don't need to explain whether I am alright. I haven't seen your third brother yet. I wonder how Brother Zhang is doing?"
Although Feng Fei was asking the question, he was actually calculating in his mind that he had been unconscious for three days, and he was even more worried about Li Yimo and Li Moxuan. Gently stroking Xue Tuan's body, Feng Fei's thoughts drifted away.
Liu Xiaobei was taken aback by Feng Fei's words, and his expression froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure: "The third brother likes to run around all day, and I never restrict him. However, he always comes back before dark, so I'm sorry to trouble you, Sister Feng, for thinking about him."
Feng Fei uttered a few more angry words. Although his face remained expressionless, he was filled with impatience. Finally, he couldn't help but say, "Brother Liu, I've been busy with some things outside the past few days and I'm quite tired now. May I go upstairs to rest first?"
"Of course, of course!" Liu Xiaobei quickly stepped aside, and Guan Dayu behind him also hurriedly moved to the side. "I was really too blind to do that, and I actually disturbed Sister Feng's rest. I'm so sorry! I'll definitely have to prepare some drinks later, and I hope Sister Feng won't refuse!"
Feng Fei gave a perfunctory reply, but without any hesitation, he went upstairs.
As Liu Xiaobei watched Feng Fei's retreating figure, his bright eyes gleamed with excitement and calculation.
Upon reaching the upstairs room, Feng Fei slammed the door shut and bolted it shut. Turning around, he looked at the lifeless room, and his unease and restlessness intensified.
Feng Fei lay slumped on the bed, staring blankly at the canopy above it.
The inexplicable disappearance of Li Yimo and Li Moxuan, the strange show of goodwill from Liu Xiaobei and his companion, coupled with the eerie atmosphere she had just sensed downstairs, led Feng Fei to a startling thought: someone was plotting against her!
This conclusion sent a chill down Feng Fei's spine. Connecting the dots of what had happened since she came into this world, a deadly net seemed to sweep over her, and she felt like she couldn't breathe!
She was terrified, so terrified that she wanted to escape, to flee this world full of conspiracies! Never before had she so desperately wanted to return to the Celestial Empire! She wanted to go back, she longed to go back!
Feng Fei suddenly curled up, trembling slightly, and cold sweat soaked his clothes.
Meanwhile, Xue Tuan and Ming Feng were laughing and playing together familiarly in the room.
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This is the first chapter for today, please check it out!
☆, Chapter Forty-Six: Leaving the Pass and Going to the Streets
Time flies, and even if you're frightened by a conspiracy, you can't stop living.
Feng Fei quickly freed himself from his fear, and the next day he packed his things and left Longfeng Inn with Mingfeng and Xuetuan, moving into the small courtyard he had bought a few days earlier.
This courtyard was acquired with Liu Qiang's help a few days ago, costing 150 taels of silver, which is considered very cheap in Fengdu. The courtyard has three bedrooms, a kitchen, and the largest part is a yard with two towering trees.
Although small, the sparrow has all the vital organs.
If Li Yimo and Li Moxuan were also there, then this small courtyard would feel just right, but at this moment, Feng Fei felt only an empty loneliness.
She forced a smile and said to Mingfeng and Xuetuan, "You two can play around as you like, but don't disturb my cultivation." Ever since she discovered that someone was plotting against her, she simply reverted to her original appearance and had an urgent desire to improve her strength.
Mingfeng patted her chest like a grown-up, flapped her right wing, and summoned Little Snowball under her wings. She chirped, as if to say, "No problem, I'll take care of everything!" In Mingfeng's mind, Snowball promised to behave and not bother her.
Feng Fei's smile became more genuine and warmer. Feng Fei patted Xue Tuan's little body and kissed Ming Feng's little head before going into the house, closing the door, getting into bed, and sitting cross-legged to circulate his jade-colored spiritual energy.
Perhaps it was the pressure that forced her to improve; the cultivation level she had slightly fallen behind in the past few days was now increasing at a visible rate. Feng Fei was filled with joy and surprise, but she still restrained herself and suppressed this excitement, patiently continuing her cultivation.
Cultivation knows no time.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Feng Fei opened her eyes with satisfaction. After spending a month, she finally raised her cultivation level to the fifth level of the Acquired Realm and consolidated it at the peak of the fifth level. She could break through to the sixth level of the Acquired Realm at any time.
Getting out of bed, Feng Fei stretched his limbs, scooped out the snake bone whip he hadn't practiced in a long time, cracked it in the air, and walked out the door with a smile on his face.
The sky outside was overcast, as if it were about to rain. A cool breeze blew by, carrying yellowing leaves and telling people that autumn had arrived.
Mingfeng and Xuetuan were originally cultivating in the courtyard. They discovered that when they cultivated together, they could improve their cultivation speed and quality. Although they didn't understand why, it didn't stop them from cultivating together. As a result, Mingfeng and Xuetuan's relationship became increasingly friendly and close.
This was, of course, something Feng Fei was very happy to see.
When Mingfeng and Xuetuan heard Fengfei come out of the room, they stopped cultivating. Xuetuan happily jumped into Fengfei's arms, while Mingfeng reservedly flew slowly to Fengfei's shoulder, chirping to show its disdain for Xuetuan's behavior. After giving Fengfei a light peck on the cheek, Mingfeng lowered its head and chirped again.
Feng Fei wasn't unaware of the two little ones' dependence on her, but she always felt a sense of alienation from this world. Even though she loved Ming Feng and Xue Tuan very much, and had deep feelings for Li Yi Mo and Li Mo Xuan, she still couldn't completely open her heart to accept this world that was so different from the Celestial Empire.
After kissing Xue Tuan and patting Ming Feng's little head, Feng Fei smiled and said, "It's been so long since you've eaten anything. Are you hungry?" As soon as she finished speaking, Feng Fei suddenly looked like she had just realized something and slapped her forehead. "How silly of me! Come on, let's go eat something delicious!"
Mingfeng and Xuetuan cheered excitedly, the two little ones rubbing against Fengfei affectionately.
Feng Fei laughed heartily, put away the snake bone whip, and strode outside with the two little ones, Ming Feng and Xue Tuan.
Autumn in Fengdu is still a sea of gold, but now it's not the fiery and beautiful phoenix flowers, but the fragrant chrysanthemums.
Feng Fei slowed her pace on the street. For over a month, her nerves had been on edge. Only now, with the vibrant chrysanthemums and their delicate fragrance, did Feng Fei experience a moment of relaxation. However, she still felt uneasy. Her right hand unconsciously pressed against the snake-bone whip at her waist, and she felt for the small golden sword in her sleeve before finally managing a slightly relieved smile.
"Mingfeng, Xuetuan, what would you like to eat?" Fengfei's eyes were fixed ahead. They had arrived at a street in the northern city that was lined with food stalls. The cries of vendors rose and fell in waves, but instead of being annoying, they gave people a sense of being alive.
"Chirp chirp," Mingfeng flew off Fengfei's shoulder and landed above a wonton stall. Fengfei smiled slightly, recalling the days in Qingfeng Town. From the moment she walked into that stall with Xuetuan in her arms, Fengfei and the two little ones began a happy day.
As darkness fell, Fengfei patted his round belly and smiled at Mingfeng and Xuetuan, saying, "Oh, I really ate too much today!" Mingfeng responded weakly and sprawled out on the table without any regard for appearances, while Xuetuan, its belly covered in fine down, lay supine on the table, too exhausted to even move. However, a great deal of satisfaction could be seen in the two little ones' slightly narrowed eyes, and Fengfei's heart overflowed with joy as well.
"Alright, we should go back now." Feng Fei hugged the two little ones in his arms, paid the bill, and got up to leave.
As she walked out of the food street, Feng Fei's eyes narrowed: she saw that person! The person her predecessor had once saved!
Feng Fei patted Ming Feng and Xue Tuan without making a sound, pretending not to see him, and moved away from the man. As he turned right into an alley, Feng Fei glanced over and saw the man enter a restaurant called "Ma Xiang".
Feng Fei withdrew his gaze, stroking the soft downy fur of the snowball in his hand, his mind racing: "Isn't that person the head chef of Jin Man Lou? How come he's in Beicheng, where ordinary people live? And he even went into that restaurant! That restaurant is usually a gathering place for thugs and ruffians on this food street, it has a terrible reputation. I wonder why that person went there, is there something going on?"
The more I thought about it, the more doubts I had.
"Mingfeng, take Xuetuan back first, I need to go find someone!" Fengfei said, looking into Mingfeng's eyes. Before Mingfeng could react, he said to Xuetuan, "Xuetuan, be good and go back with Mingfeng first."
"Sister Feifei, I don't want to go back, I want to stay with you." Xue Tuan's aggrieved and pitiful voice rang in Fengfei's heart. Fengfei couldn't help but feel a surge of pity, and she rubbed Xue Tuan's little head and said, "I have to go do some work. It will be inconvenient to take the two of you with me, and if others find out, our identities will be exposed. So, Xue Tuan, be a good girl, okay?"
Xue Tuan lowered her head in dejection, tears welling up in her eyes, a sight that broke Feng Fei's heart.
Just as Feng Fei was wondering how to comfort Xue Tuan, she saw Xue Tuan raise her head with bright eyes and look straight at her: "Sister Fei Fei, Xue Tuan can become invisible!" Without waiting for Feng Fei to understand or not, her figure slowly disappeared.
Feng Fei spun around in surprise, but couldn't see Xue Tuan anywhere. "Xue Tuan? Where did you come from?"
This time, however, he did not hear Xue Tuan make a sound in his heart. Just as he was about to panic, he suddenly felt a slight weight on his left shoulder. Feng Fei quickly reached out and touched it, only to find that he had touched Xue Tuan's fluffy body.
Snowball reappeared, its face full of pride: "Sister Feifei, isn't Snowball amazing?"
Feng Fei cupped Xue Tuan's little face and kissed her: "Xue Tuan is so amazing, Xue Tuan is so cute." This made Xue Tuan even more smug, while Ming Feng looked a little downcast. Feng Fei saw this and smiled to herself, then said: "But Xue Tuan still has to obediently go back with Ming Feng first, otherwise I won't like Xue Tuan anymore!"
The snowball immediately wilted. Its once fluffy white down looked as if it had been soaked in water, and it listlessly covered the snowball's small body. Meanwhile, the one with a smug look on its face became Mingfeng.
"Chirp chirp," Mingfeng's little wings tapped Xuetuan's little head, as if to say, "Don't be disobedient, don't interfere with Fengfei's important work. Let's go back and cultivate properly so that we can help Fengfei in the future."
Xue Tuan nodded weakly and slowly lay down on Ming Feng's back.
Just as Feng Fei was about to tell Ming Feng to leave quickly, Xue Tuan suddenly flew to Feng Fei's side and gave her a wet kiss. Then, seemingly embarrassed, she quickly pounced on Ming Feng's back. Feng Fei chuckled softly, and she seemed to see a hazy pink tinge through Xue Tuan's white downy fur.
"Go back quickly!" Feng Fei said to Ming Feng. Ming Feng and Feng Fei nodded, and then they quickly disappeared with Xue Tuan.
Feng Fei stood there quietly for a while, lost in thought.
A breeze blew by, ruffling the stray hairs that fluttered around Fengfei's ears and temples.