"So what we're waiting for now is for Jin Ming to develop the medicine Yu Ming needs?" Feng Fei asked slowly, but then contradicted himself: "No, if we just wait blindly, we'll inevitably fall into a passive position. It's better to slowly discuss Hua Tianzhao's strengths and weaknesses, which will make it easier for us to launch a further attack in the future."
"Hmm." Yuan Jue nodded slowly, echoing Feng Fei's words, "But let's put these things aside for now?"
Feng Fei was momentarily confused and looked at Yuan Jue with surprise, waiting for Yuan Jue's explanation.
Yuan Jue just smiled, then suddenly lowered his head and pressed his soft lips against Feng Fei's pink lips.
Feng Fei blushed instantly, not expecting Yuan Jue to suddenly attack her. However, Feng Fei was already aroused and slowly began to cooperate with Yuan Jue's movements.
The room was instantly filled with an embarrassing atmosphere.
☆, Chapter Thirty-Six: The Queen of Flowers?
Within a few days, Jin Ming, Yu Ming, and Da Bao quietly arrived in Fengdu and gathered at Yang Mu's private residence in Fengdu.
On this day, Yuanjue, Fengfei, and Mingfeng, along with the other four, discussed their plans in a secluded spot within the private residence. Upon meeting, everyone's faces were filled with joy, as none of them had expected to be able to gather together like this.
"Little Feifei, have you missed me?" Jin Ming approached Feng Fei in a very improper manner, his face full of strange smiles, raising his eyebrows as he looked at Yuan Jue.
Feng Fei was a little embarrassed, then suddenly reached out and tapped Jin Ming on the forehead: "I missed you so much!"
Jin Ming pretended to be in pain and yelled as he backed away: "Ouch! It hurts so much! Is Xiao Feifei trying to murder me?!"
Feng Fei couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Seeing that Feng Fei ignored him, Jin Ming sat pitifully to the side, while Yu Ming, whose aura had changed drastically, sat next to him.
"Long time no see." Yu Ming's appearance at this moment would never have made anyone guess that he was once a businessman who only cared about money. He has not been the ruler of Qinglong Kingdom for very long, but he has already completely changed his outward demeanor. As for his true nature, everyone present has some idea.
Feng Fei smiled and nodded, then looked at Da Bao and Xiao Bao.
"I didn't expect you to be so important!"
Da Bao scratched the back of his head and grinned foolishly, while Xiao Bao smiled shyly and said, "We never thought that we brothers would actually be considered people with some background. But we are still us. Feng Fei, will you stop being close to us from now on?"
Looking at the nervous faces of Da Bao and Xiao Bao, Feng Fei was deeply moved and couldn't help but smile and say, "Of course my feelings for you will never change! In my eyes, you will always be the same Da Bao and Xiao Bao from back then."
Feng Fei's words made Da Bao and Xiao Bao very happy for a while.
Yuan Jue let Feng Fei and Jin Ming reminisce for a while before speaking up: "Let's talk about some serious matters first."
As soon as Yuan Jue finished speaking, Jin Ming continued, "If it were just from my personal standpoint, I would definitely support you with all my might. However, I've inadvertently brought my family along, so this time I can only bring a small portion of the elite troops. The rest of the forces have remained in the Golden Qilin Kingdom. Feng Fei, do you mind?"
"Of course not. I'm already beyond happy that you've come to help me, so why would I mind?"
Jin Ming smiled and continued, "But don't underestimate the men I brought. They might bring you a huge surprise later!"
Feng Fei was immediately curious and wanted to ask what was so special about the men Jin Ming had brought, but no matter how much Feng Fei threatened or tempted him, Jin Ming refused to budge.
"Hmph, so stingy! I'm angry!" Feng Fei snorted, but she wasn't really angry. Jin Ming naturally knew that Feng Fei wasn't the kind of person who was petty, so he sat down with a smile and became part of the scene.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao continued, "The Empress sent us to help. However, Da Bao and I each brought a team. The Empress said that if it weren't for Feng Fei and Yuan Jue, Li Moxuan and his sister certainly wouldn't have survived, so it's only right that the entire Xuanwu Kingdom's military strength be mobilized to help. However, Yuan Jue declined the offer after learning about it, but the Empress felt that it wouldn't be right for the Xuanwu Kingdom not to help. Therefore, after discussing it with Yuan Jue, the Empress sent Da Bao and me with two teams. Our teams are quite unique, you know. We..."
Just as Xiao Bao was about to tell Jin Ming about the unusual features of the troops they had brought, Jin Ming covered his mouth.
"Jin Ming, why are you covering Xiao Bao's mouth?" Feng Fei glared at Jin Ming.
Jin Ming chuckled awkwardly, sheepishly releasing his hand from Xiao Bao's mouth. He gave Xiao Bao a quick, furious glare before explaining, "Well, I saw Xiao Bao talking too loudly, his spittle was practically spraying in people's faces, so I couldn't help but cover his mouth, hehe. Hehe..."
Feng Fei knew that Jin Ming's explanation was completely unconvincing. However, judging from his demeanor, she knew that Jin Ming didn't want Xiao Bao to tell her about the special nature of the troops brought by the Xuanwu Kingdom. If she knew about the special nature of the Xuanwu Kingdom's troops, she might be able to guess the special nature of the Jinqi Kingdom's troops.
These thoughts only lingered in Feng Fei's mind; he didn't voice them aloud.
Seeing that Feng Fei didn't seem unhappy about his incomplete speech, Xiao Bao immediately felt relieved, chuckled, and sat down to the side without saying another word.
Then Yu Ming began to talk about his situation.
Yu Ming also brought a group of people with him, but he remained extremely mysterious and did not reveal any of the peculiarities of the people he brought.
The mysterious demeanor of Jin Ming and the other three made Feng Fei feel as if a little wildcat with outstretched claws was constantly scratching at her heart, making her very uneasy.
After a short discussion, the group quietly left without attracting any of Hua Tianzhao's attention.
Feng Fei and Yuan Jue are still in Fengdu.
However, Feng Fei was very curious about Yang Mu's whereabouts. It seemed that Yang Mu had disappeared since that night, and no matter how much Feng Fei asked Yuan Jue, she only received the answer that "he went out on business." Although she couldn't get a definite answer, Feng Fei didn't want to continue to care about Yang Mu's whereabouts. After all, Yang Mu was an adult, and after confirming that he wouldn't do anything to harm her, Feng Fei didn't want to care what Yang Mu was doing. After all, he had his freedom.
In the following days, Feng Fei and Yuan Jue headed towards Mochou City.
On the way, Feng Fei still asked with some doubt, "Why did Hua Tianzhao hold that banquet in Mochou City for no reason?"
"Do you still remember the scene we saw at the City Lord's Mansion in Mochou City?"
"You mean that blood pool and blood toad from back then?"
"Yes, I suspect it's related to that."
Feng Fei couldn't help but recall the emotions of that time, that bloody and cruel scene—something he could never forget. However, they hadn't figured out why Yue Jin and the other man had done what they did, and they hadn't investigated further. Thinking of Hua Tianzhao's sudden emergence, Feng Fei felt a bad premonition.
"Yuanjue, do you think those people back then... could they be the reason Hua Tianzhao was born?"
Yuan Jue's eyes narrowed. He hadn't thought of the direction Feng Fei had mentioned, but now it seemed highly likely. The Netherworld lineage possessed cruel methods to reshape new bodies for powerful individuals nearing the end of their lives, allowing them to be reborn. However, this wasn't unique to the Netherworld lineage. As far as he knew, almost every family with a bloodline lineage on the continent had its own special methods to ensure rebirth through possession or new life. But all these methods were invariably bloody and cruel, each one extremely harmful and contrary to the principles of heaven and earth.
"What you're describing is quite possible. But perhaps they're simply hosting a dinner for guests."
“I always feel like something’s not right. If Hua Tianzhao and the others really just wanted to entertain guests, how could it be such a coincidence that they invited all of us? Not only you and me, but Mingfeng and Jinming also received separate invitations.”
“Feng Fei, Hua Tianzhao may not have guessed our cooperative relationship with Jin Ming and his group. The separate invitations might be precisely because they didn't suspect our cooperative relationship with Jin Ming and his group. However, we should not be complacent. Hua Tianzhao's background is too mysterious. I still haven't found out where she came from. We just need to be careful when the time comes.”
"Should we secretly meet up with Jin Ming and the others?"
"No, if we meet Mingfeng and the others near Mochou City, we might attract the attention of those with ulterior motives, which could be detrimental to us. We have already made arrangements for many things before we set off, so don't worry. Let's just treat this as a return visit."
"All right……"
Although Yuan Jue spoke casually, he wasn't entirely confident. Like Feng Fei, he felt that Hua Tianzhao's actions were strange and made him uneasy. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find anything amiss. That's why he took the risky step of bringing Feng Fei straight to Mochou City, hoping to obtain some clues while Hua Tianzhao was unprepared.
Along the way, Feng Fei and Yuan Jue did not exchange many words. The two arrived in Mochou City in just four days.
At this moment, Mochou City was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Feng Fei looked at the situation in Mochou City with suspicion, wondering what had happened to make it so lively.
Grabbing a passerby, Feng Fei asked curiously, "Young man, has some joyous occasion happened in Mochou City?"
The young vendor, whose face beamed with an undisguised smile, was stopped by Feng Fei. He carried his wares on a shoulder pole, showing no sign of annoyance at being stopped: "You two are new to Mochou City, aren't you? Hehe, no wonder. Something incredibly good is about to happen in Mochou City!"
"Oh? What good news is it? Could you please enlighten me, young man?"
"You may not know this, but Lady Yue Jin of Mochou City has given birth to a son. On the day of Lord Yue Jin's eldest son's birth, auspicious omens appeared in the sky. Afterwards, the Flower Queen said that the eldest son is a celestial being sent by heaven to bestow upon us common people. Tomorrow is the eldest son's full moon celebration. Therefore, the Flower Queen has decided to hold a banquet throughout the city to celebrate the eldest son's full moon celebration and invite guests from all over the world to celebrate the birth of the eldest son!"
"Young Master? Yue Jin's wife? The Flower Queen?" Several questions swirled in Feng Fei's mind, but in the end, he only asked what he considered a rather insignificant question: "Is the Flower Queen Miss Hua Tianzhao?"
The young man carrying the load, who had been all smiles, immediately turned stern when he heard Feng Fei address Hua Tianzhao by her given name: "Young lady, I spoke to you so much because you have such a kind face, but you are so disrespectful—you actually called the Queen of Flowers by her given name, it's really..." The young man couldn't come up with a word after thinking for a long time, and left angrily.
☆, Chapter Thirty-Seven: Discord Within the City Lord's Mansion
Feng Fei and Yuan Jue looked at each other, not expecting that Hua Tianzhao was so popular in Mochou City. They wondered what she had done.
However, now is not the time to investigate these matters. The most urgent task is to find out Hua Tianzhao's purpose in holding such a grand banquet for the entire world during Yue Jin's son's full moon celebration. Yue Jin is not without children. Back when the White Tiger Kingdom invaded the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, Yue Jin secretly sent his wife and children away to preserve his family bloodline. Later, Yue Jin developed feelings for Lu Fei, even holding a large banquet at the City Lord's Mansion in Mochou City. But Lu Fei has no possibility of having children; he is a man! So where does this eldest son of Yue Jin, who is about to celebrate his full moon, come from?
Furthermore, the eldest son must have a birth mother, so who is this eldest son's birth mother? Could it really be Yue Jin's wife? But Yue Jin's wife has already given birth to children for him, and even the youngest child is probably already causing trouble everywhere. She certainly can't be the mother of this so-called eldest son. Could it be that Yue Jin divorced his wife, even abandoning his previous children, so he now has a new wife, and this new wife gave birth to the eldest son?
While this explains some things, it doesn't explain Lu Fei's situation. Yue Jin and Lu Fei's relationship was once like that of one person, extremely close, perhaps surpassing even the most loving couples in the world. Having witnessed their affection and daily interactions, it's impossible for Feng Fei to deny their past feelings. Even an outsider like Feng Fei could completely sense the deep affection between Yue Jin and Lu Fei; how could their relationship be fake? If it were fake, then one can only marvel at their incredible acting skills.
Regardless, Feng Fei and Yuan Jue still had to go to the City Lord's Mansion to find out the truth, and maybe they could even get some information about Hua Tianzhao.
After discussing it, Feng Fei and Yuan Jue secretly sneaked into the city lord's mansion that night.
The city lord's mansion was filled with a festive atmosphere. Lanterns and decorations were everywhere, seemingly in preparation for the upcoming full-moon celebration. The servants hurrying about the mansion all wore joyful expressions, their pride and satisfaction making Feng Fei almost believe they were genuinely and sincerely preparing a full-moon celebration for the young master.
Under the moonlight, Feng Fei and Yuan Jue's figures were almost completely hidden.
In the main courtyard of the city lord's mansion, a room was brightly lit by candlelight, and shadowy figures moved about, as if someone was walking back and forth inside.
Feng Fei and Yuan Jue exchanged a glance. They nodded silently in response in the darkness and slowly made their way towards the house.
There were four people in the room: three men and one woman. The youngest man looked remarkably similar to one of the middle-aged men, seemingly brothers or father and son. The woman clung tightly to the youngest man, cradling a newborn infant in her arms, her face showing some panic.
"Father, why do you claim to the outside world that Wei'er is your eldest son? He is clearly your eldest grandson!" The young man's voice was loud, as if he would cause trouble if his father did not give him a satisfactory answer.
“Zishu, I have my reasons for doing this,” Yue Jin said slowly, sitting down to the side.
"What kind of logic is this! By publicizing this, aren't you bringing shame upon Rou'er? If Wei'er is your son, wouldn't that mean Rou'er has violated the ethics of this world? What about me? What about my mother?" The young man's words were filled with grief and indignation. He wanted to vent all the pent-up emotions in his heart: "You abandoned my mother in the countryside, and at first you had an excuse of fearing the extermination of my in-laws, but what happened after that! You let this man into the house, into the house in such an inappropriate way! You should know that this world cannot tolerate your kind of relationship! If it weren't for my mother's magnanimity, how could this have happened...?"
"Smack!"
The young man covered his right cheek, looking at Yue Jin in disbelief: "Father...you hit me?"
Yue Jin stared blankly at his right hand, which had slapped Yue Zishu's left cheek, but quickly regained his composure: "You speak without any respect. You are even more disrespectful to your elders. It was only right that I hit you."
"Father...you've never hit me before...but now, for this man, you hit me?"
"I hit you not because of Lu Fei, but because you don't understand the current situation, you..."
"I won't listen!" Yue Zishu interrupted Yue Jin, grabbed the woman's hand, and tried to rush out.
Lu Fei quickly blocked the doorway, stopping the two of them. "You can't leave yet."
"Get out of the way!" Yue Zishu glared at Lu Fei. Seeing that Lu Fei was blocking their way, Yue Jin raised his right hand to strike Lu Fei's cheek, but Yue Jin spoke up again: "Zishu! If you continue to act so recklessly, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Heh, I'd like to see how my dear father turns his back on me!" Yue Zishu sneered, then tried to force his way out with the young woman.
Yue Jin glared angrily, his eyes filled with disappointment in his eldest son. Lu Fei could naturally sense Yue Jin's mood at that moment, and without thinking, he chopped at Yue Zishu's neck with his right hand, causing Yue Zishu to collapse to the ground.
The young woman screamed in confusion, clutching her child and throwing herself at Yue Zishu, crying loudly, "Father-in-law, even if Zishu has done something wrong, you can't take his life!"
"Don't make a fuss, Zishu is not in any danger at all."