CH 16

Feng Qi froze in place.

Ji Chaoyun’s semi-demonic appearance made his skin so pale it almost seemed transparent. In addition, as he’d been soaking in the hot spring for too long, a faint pink dusted his body. The sound just now didn’t wake Ji Chaoyun up. He murmured something in his sleep, and buried half of his face in his arm.

Feng Qi’s heart burst into flames. He cursed silently, and turned his eyes away. “Quickly wake up. If you want to sleep, go back to your room.”

The cause of the other’s recent discomfort was still unknown, and sleeping under the wide open sky like this was bound to make him even more uncomfortable upon waking up.

Ji Chaoyun didn’t respond. Feng Qi stepped forward and nudged his arm. “You hear me? Go back inside to sleep.”

The texture beneath his fingertips was soft and delicate, mildly warm, completely different from the usual bone-cold touch; it made one a little reluctant to let go. Feng Qi’s mood became more irritable, and he squeezed Ji Chaoyun’s face. “Are you getting up?”

“Hurts…” In his sleep, Ji Chaoyun wrinkled his nose in pain. He instinctively wanted to pull away from the annoying hand, but he couldn’t muster up enough energy. He thus raised a hand to put it on Feng Qi’s wrist. His wet fingertips grabbed the other’s sleeve, leaving a few droplets of water on the cuff.

“…” Feng Qi’s breathing suddenly became heavier.

This little demon dragon was doing this deliberately, right?

Feng Qi lightly gritted his teeth and firmly pulled back his hand. His gaze then fell on Ji Chaoyun’s clothing by the pool. He took a few deep breaths, picked up the robe and wrapped it around the sleeping man.

There was a splash of water in the depths of the steam-filled bamboo forest. After a while, Feng Qi walked out with a gloomy face while carrying the half-human and half-dragon Ji Chaoyun.

Having left the comfortable water source, Ji Chaoyun shifted in mild discomfort, but quickly noticed the familiar embrace around him. He hooked both hands around Feng Qi’s neck, and with his eyes closed, snuggled intimately in the other’s arms. His drooping dragon tail, just like a snake, obediently and firmly wrapped itself around Feng Qi’s body.

This action was done with pure instinct, but Feng Qi’s expression became even more difficult to describe. With their clothes serving as a barrier, he lightly patted the other’s dragon tail and admonished, “Be good, don’t move.”

The slender dragon tail flinched in response, and obediently stopped moving.

Feng Qi entered Ji Choayun’s bedroom with the latter in his arms.

It had only taken two days for Ji Chaoyun to sort out the originally dusty and filthy bedroom. According to him, all furnishings in the house were simple enough to accommodate people, but Feng Qi couldn’t bear to have such a dilapidated house in his yard, so he rearranged it according to the standards of his own bedroom.

Feng Qi laid Ji Chaoyun on the bed, about to pull the quilt to tuck him in. However, who knew that the latter’s dragon tail would suddenly sweep out and drag him onto the bed. Feng Qi fell against Ji Chaoyun, and quickly put his hand by the other’s side to stabilize himself.

“What are you doing—” Feng Qi gritted his teeth, but the sleeping man didn’t notice his irritation at all, the dragon’s tail vigorously climbing up to press him down firmly.

Feng Qi: “…”

The two were very close. Feng Qi could almost smell the warm water vapor on Ji Chaoyun’s body, and the faint fragrance of a forest, soaked by rainwater that was then warmed by sunlight after a heavy drought.

The smell made Feng Qi even more restless, as if some kind of uncontrollable impulse was breaking through his rationality. He held his composure and peeled the tail off his body with a calm face. Before he could get out of bed, however, he found that his sleeves were caught.

Ji Chaoyun lay on the soft bed, his long silvery hair spread around him; like this, he looked soft and delicate.

Even so, he was still frowning in his sleep, unable to hide his exhaustion. He seemed to be a little aggrieved. “Don’t go…”

Feng Qi’s heart suddenly softened.

He lowered his eyes to watch Ji Chaoyun hold on to his sleeves tightly. He leaned down, and gently asked in his ear, “Not letting me go?”

“…” Ji Chaoyun whispered something, and shifted towards him.

Feng Qi stopped avoiding him, letting Ji Chaoyun lean closer, rubbing and snuggling like a small animal, finally arching completely into his arms where he settled comfortably. He finally stopped moving, and continued his deep slumber.

“You’re sick right now. Wait until you’ve healed, then see how I deal with you,” muttered Feng Qi, gritting his teeth. Tightly hugging this person in his arms felt both sweet and like a burden.

After less than a stick of incense, Feng Qi began to regret his decision.

For a whole afternoon, His Second Highness Feng was energetic one moment, then stifled on another. This repeated countless times, to the point he almost tortured himself to insanity.

When Ji Chaoyun completely woke up, he was all alone. As the sun began its descent towards the horizon, he sat up in a daze and realised that he was in his bedroom. His clothes had been changed, and he was neatly dressed, his dragon scales and tail having long disappeared.

He couldn’t remember what had happened before, but perhaps that hot spring was really effective. Ji Chaoyun only felt that his body was very relaxed, wiping away his previous fatigue.

So… how did he go back to the bedchamber?

Ji Chaoyun straightened his clothes and opened the door. Feng Qi was sitting in the pavilion with his back turned to him, reading a book in his hand. It was the first time Ji Chaoyun had seen His Second Highness Feng working so hard since he started living here.

He stepped forward and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Feng Qi closed the Qingxin Sutra on his hand and looked up at him with a calmed heart. “You’ve woken up. Still uncomfortable?”

“Much better.” Ji Chaoyun then said, “Thank you.”

Thank you? For holding you in your sleep?

Feng Qi sensitively asked this question in his heart. Before the Qingxin Sutra he had just read became invalid, he said coldly, “…No need for thanks.”

Ji Chaoyun nodded, unaware of the other’s hyperactive mental activities. “If I rush back now, I should still be able to attend the evening class. I shall go back to the classroom first.”

“…”

Ji Chaoyun: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Feng Qi’s expression was calm, but there was a slight gnashing in his words. “You go, the exams are coming soon. You really should work harder, and not sleep all afternoon. I know you’re skiving.”

Ji Chaoyun: “?”

Ji Chaoyun was inexplicably reprimanded by His Second Highness Feng – the one who had forcibly asked him to take leave for his afternoon class – with a single ‘I know you’re skiving’ phrase, and left with a blank expression on his face.

.

Wenqu Peak’s hot spring water was very effective. Since that first time, Ji Chaoyun would meditate there for an hour every day; his spirit core obviously became much better, and the previous situation never appeared again.

Five or six days later, once the afternoon class ended, Ji Chaoyun, Ye Chenxing, and Bei Ran walked to the Depository.1

The quarterly test was divided into two parts: the Daoist scripture test and the secret martial arts test , which was further divided into breaking arrays and warding against evil spirits. Breaking arrays naturally referred to the stone-man formation which everyone had been practicing on for several months, while warding against evil spirits simply relied on their own abilities in the secret realm. For most of the disciples, although the martial arts test was difficult, it was no longer a problem. Nowadays, it seemed that the boring Daoist scripture test was even more difficult.

—Especially for Ye Chenxing.

This particular uncle had never been able to comprehend a single lesson in the Daoism class. After every lecture, he would find Ji Chaoyun for tutoring. Whatever could be stuffed, was stuffed inside. Those unable to were left in scatters. One in, two out. An ongoing owing process, leaving him to grasp Buddha’s feet before the exam.

In the few days before the exams, after every evening class, Ji Chaoyun had to take them to the Depository to review the Daoism text.

The three of them had just walked out of the pine forest outside the Swordplay Arena when they saw a disciple approaching them. “Ji Chaoyun, His Second Highness Feng is looking for you.”

Ji Chaoyun asked: “What’s the matter?”

“I’m not too sure about that. I’m just here to pass a message.” The disciple continued, “He’s waiting at the back mountain of Jiutian Cliff2 , saying that there is something very important for you to see and wants you to go there quickly.”

Ji Chaoyun frowned hesitantly.

This Feng Qi was indeed a perverse person, but he knew that Ji Chaoyun was quite busy reviewing these days and would never seek him out before class. The disciple urged him to go as soon as possible, then quickly turned and left.

Ji Chaoyun instinctively felt that it was weird. Before he could make a decision, Ye Chenxing gave him a light poke from behind.

He looked back. “Why are you laughing like this?”

Ye Chenxing almost couldn’t hold back his smile filled with meaning, only saying, “That’s the Jiutian Cliff. Why did that Flower Peacock ask you to go there?”

“How would I know? Is something the matter with Jiutian Cliff?”

Bei Ran explained: “Jiutian Cliff likely got its name from Milky Way Falling Nine Heavens. Climbing to the top of Jiutian Cliff, you can have a panoramic view of the entire Hongmeng Mountain. It’s the most beautiful scenery in the academy.”

Ye Chenxing added the key point, “It’s also the best place for lovers to meet in private.”

Ji Chaoyun: “…”

He pinched in between his eyebrows, helplessly stating, “I have nothing to do with him. What are you both thinking?”

“Even if you feel nothing, it doesn’t mean that the peacock is on the same page,” Ye Chenxing whispered in his ear, “It’s been spread throughout the academy. If he doesn’t like you, how can he let you go in and out of Dengyun Tower freely and live on Wenqu Peak?”

Ji Chaoyun said in his heart, It is obviously because I owe him a large debt and am now his coolie3 to work.

Ji Chaoyun then changed his mind as he thought about it. Recently, he was busy preparing for the quarterly exam. He truly did not do anything that a servant should do. Saying this reason, these two people probably wouldn’t believe it.

Ji Chaoyun didn’t explain any more, simply saying, “You both head to the Depository first. I will return shortly.”

Ye Chenxing’s expression was clear. “Have fun. If you can’t make it back, you can send me a message. I’ll ask for a leave for you!”

Ji Chaoyun: “…”

The Swordplay Arena was originally in the back mountain, not far from Jiutian Cliff. Ji Chaoyun quickened his pace, quickly passed through the pine forest and climbed up the cliff.

It was time for the sun to set. The sky was a bright red, and when one looked at it, they could see the numerous mountains set amongst the misty clouds, along with the beautiful afterglow of the setting sun.

There was already a person waiting on Jiutian Cliff, but it was not Feng Qi.

Ji Chaoyun gave an imperceptible sigh. He stepped forward. “Why are you looking for me?”

“You’ve already guessed it was me?” The person turned his head. It was Jun Ruzhuo.

Ji Chaoyun did not answer. Jun Ruzhuo smiled. “You knew it was a trap, yet you still came. I see that you’re still as stupid as before.”

“Just tell me whatever you want to say. I still have to hurry back for evening class.”

The smile on Jun Ruzhuo’s face instantly fell. He said coldly, “You know what I want to do.”

Ji Chaoyun stared into his eyes. A moment passed, and he shook his head. “I won’t fight you.”

After he finished speaking, he turned to leave. Jun Ruzhuo raised his hand, and a curtain of water appeared out of thin air from all sides, surrounding the two of them.

Jun Ruzhuo: “Take your sword out. We’re going to have a proper fight, otherwise I won’t let you go.”

Ji Chaoyun fell silent.

He stared at the curtain of water in front of him, and suddenly smiled softly. “I taught you this trick back then. After hundreds of years, I cannot do it anymore.”

Jun Ruzhuo thundered, “Stop talking nonsense. Draw your sword!”

“You just wish to know how much of a trash I currently am. I am already standing in front of you. Is this not enough?” Ji Chaoyun turned around and looked at him calmly. “I have no need to lie to you. If you used your full power against me, I would not last more than three blows.”

“You…”

Ji Chaoyun said softly: “Bearing a gentleman’s name, being sharp yet polished, just like a well-rounded gem. This is the name I gave you, do you still remember?”4

Jun Ruzhuo trembled violently; his eyes instantly turned red.

“Ah Zhuo, I used to think that we would never see each other again in this lifetime. To be able to meet you once more, and seeing you being well, I am very happy.”

“Shut up.” Jun Ruzhuo’s voice shook uncontrollably. “I didn’t want to see you at all. I didn’t want to… see you like this at all…”

Ji Chaoyun looked away, his breathing slightly faltering. “If I had known you would come to Hongmeng Academy, I would not appear here.”

“You shouldn’t have appeared at all!” Jun Ruzhuo hissed. “What did you promise me previously? You said you’d come back soon. You said you wouldn’t leave me alone, that you wouldn’t leave Lingyuan Sea. For three hundred years, I’ve waited for you like a fool. Everyone said that you had defected to become a demon, but I didn’t believe it. But what did I wait for? A demon dragon crippled with no root bones!”

Ji Chaoyun’s eyes trembled slightly, and bitterness burst into his throat. “I am sorry. It was me who broke my promise.”

Jun Ruzhuo suddenly gave a tight smile. “It’s been three hundred years. Using only one sentence, ‘I’m sorry’, to explain it all?”

“I have nothing to say about anything else,” Ji Chaoyun said. “What happened back then was not as simple as you thought. But since it has passed, I do not want to mention it again. It is my fault for not fulfilling my promise. If you want to vent your anger, I am here. Come on.”

He closed his eyes and waited quietly for the other party’s decision.

But there was nothing. The sound of splashing water from the water curtain behind him suddenly disappeared, leaving only a circle of shallow water marks on the grass.

Jun Ruzhuo looked away, his voice icy. “I’ll go to Immortal Lord Tianshu tomorrow to help me change class. I don’t want to see you again in the future. Scram.”

Ji Chaoyun hesitated for a moment before softly saying ‘Sorry’ once more. He turned and left Jiutian Cliff.

The sunset finally settled down. Jun Ruzhuo slowly squatted down, his palms resting on the ground, his fingertips sinking deep into the grass and mud. On Jiutian Cliff, only a grieving, subtle sob was heard.

The last ray of light on the horizon disappeared, and the sky full of stars and moonlight shone on the pine forest. Jun Ruzhuo walked slowly on the mountain path. His footsteps suddenly stopped. The next second, a ball of fire fiercely fell from the sky, a small cluster of flames igniting half an inch before him.

He raised his head. A man was sitting on the branch, facing the moonlight, his features unclear.

Jun Ruzhuo icily warned, “Feng Qi, don’t provoke me.”

Feng Qi leaned on the branch, half of his clothes hanging down, and turned his head to look at the youth beneath the tree. “Who provoked you? Don’t say it so ambiguously, it’ll make people misunderstand.”

“What are you planning?”

Feng Qi: “You bullied my person. I naturally want to ask you for an explanation.”

Jun Ruzhuo chuckled. “When did he become yours?”

“Don’t concern yourself with it,” Feng Qi said. “Let’s talk. What did you talk about on Jiutian Cliff?”

“Why should I tell you?”

Jun Ruzhuo bypassed the flames at his feet, and was about to walk forward when another flame fell, almost smashing straight into him. “You dead Phoenix. Don’t go too far!”

Feng Qi gave a leisurely smile. “You lied to him by using my name. Why can’t I know the truth? If you don’t say it, it’s fine too. Either way, you can’t beat me. We might as well just spend it like this, and see who is more patient, you or me. Can you last till the end?”

Jun Ruzhuo fell silent. His hands hanging by his sides slowly spread out, and a silvery light appeared from his palms.

“Are you going to retaliate?” Feng Qi raised his eyebrows, calm and steady. “You’ve got to think clearly, Young Master Jun. After all, the Lingyuan Sea Dragon King sent you to the academy to cultivate. He doesn’t want you to be banned right after enrolling, does he?”

“…”

The atmosphere in the forest stagnated for a while. The spiritual power gathered in Jun Ruzhuo’s hand dissipated.

He sighed softly, and compromised. “What do you want to know?”

Feng Qi: “Who is Ji Chaoyun? What happened in the past?”

“He… is my cousin,” Jun Ruzhuo said in a low voice, slowly speaking. “His real name is Jun Yan5. He’s the eldest son of the Lingyuan Sea Dragon King. Among these hundred years, he should have been the most talented and outstanding heir in the clan.”

The author has something to say:

The other dragons all coil around pillars. Our little dragon is different, he can coil around a phoenix 【? ? ?

Previously translated as Jing Pavilion (经阁), now will be the Depository

九天崖: Nine Heavens Cliff

ie a unskilled native labourer in India, China, and some other Asian countries. Like a underpaid servant ahaha

有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨Yǒu fěi jūnzǐ, rú qiè rú cuō, rú zuó rú mó. Oh shucks. Need help to translate this naming pattern. If anyone knows a better phrase, please let me know.

君晏