CH 23.2

Ji Chaoyun fell silent.

He pondered for a moment, and recounted, “I stayed in Wenqu Peak from the end of the secret realm trial until the lottery draw. Except for the wound medicine you gave me, I didn’t touch anything else. On the day of the draw, I went down the mountain with Ye Chenxing and the others. Chang Yuanxie’s pastries were the only thing I ate.”

Feng Qi: “I also ate the pastries, so it shouldn’t be the problem.”

“En.” Ji Chaoyun nodded and continued, “Apart from these, there is only…”

“The medicine Jun Ruzhuo gave you.” Feng Qi’s eyes sank, and he asked, “Is there any leftover medicine?”

“Yes.”

Ji Chaoyun took out the bottle of wound medicine from the spiritual storage ring he carried, about to hand it to Feng Qi when he suddenly remembered something. His hand paused mid-action.

Feng Qi frowned sharply. “What’s wrong?”

“There is one more thing.” From inside the spiritual storage ring, Ji Chaoyun took out an item and an exquisite wine jug appeared in his hand. “On the day of the lottery draw, I met Immortal Lord Yao Guang in front of the Supervisory Exam Hall and he gave this to me, saying I could count it as a congratulatory gift for obtaining first place in the two exams.”

Feng Qi took the wine jug and became suspicious. “Yao Guang has always loved wine like his own life depended on it, and he is notoriously stingy. He actually gave you such good wine?”

Ji Chaoyun: “I also felt it to be strange at the time. Since I don’t like drinking, I have yet to open it.”

Feng Qi thought it through. “Understood, I will find someone to check if there is anything unusual in these two things. Also, after the Immortal Physician diagnosed and treated you, they only judged that it was some kind of secret medicine that had caused your spiritual power to go out of control, but didn’t manage to find out what it was. So we’ll have to think of something else.”

“What way?”

“The Sea Market.”

Feng Qi explained, “The Nameless Sea’s Sea Market connects the four worlds of immortals, demons, gods and devils alike, hence there being many capable people around. If the Immortal Physicians in the Immortal Realm can’t find out what the secret medicine is, we can only ask others for help.”

Ji Chaoyun frowned slightly, and suddenly understood what Feng Qi meant. “You mean… that medicine might not be one of the Immortal Realm’s?”

Feng Qi: “It’s just a guess, I can’t say for sure yet. But…”

Before he could finish speaking, Ji Chaoyun’s expression changed, and he suddenly turned to look outside the door. “Someone is here.”

Feng Qi was stunned, and only then did he realise that someone had just passed through the barrier of Wenqu Peak.

The enchantment amongst the disciples’ peaks could only allow entry to those who had the transmission token in hand. Furthermore, each one was unique, unable to be lent to others; only the Inspector’s Hall督察殿 , which Immortal Lord Yao Guang was in charge of, held a special token pass issued by him that allowed one anywhere in the academy.

Those who were able to pass through the barrier of Wenqu Peak were most likely the deacon disciples sent by Tianshu to investigate the incident together.

These days, Tianshu had explained to Feng Qi that he had already prepared in advance. And yet…

He looked at Ji Chaoyun thoughtfully, a hint of doubt flashing in his heart.

When did this little dragon’s sense of power become so sharp?

Ji Chaoyun didn’t notice Feng Qi’s weirdness. He said, “I’ll open the door”, turned and walked outside the house. Ji Chaoyun quickly strode across the stone bridge to the courtyard door, opening it before the other party could even knock on it.

The person in front of him was wearing a high-level disciple uniform. Tall and slender, it was Jiang Cheng.

Ji Chaoyun frowned slightly. “Why is it you?”

Jiang Cheng obviously hadn’t expected Ji Chaoyun to open the door. His face immediately stiffened. He looked away in discomfort, and bluntly stated, “I’m looking for Feng Qi.”

Ji Chaoyun turned sideways and replied in a cold voice, “Come in then.”

On the other side, Feng Qi had also pushed the door and walked out.

He was dishevelled, with his hair free and unbound, looking casual and rambunctious. Compared to before, he randomly wrapped a robe over him to cover up those ambiguous marks on his body.

Feng Qi walked to the reclining chair beside the lotus pond and sat down. Seeing Ji Chaoyun leading Jiang Cheng through the door, displeased, he asked, “Why is it you?”

“…” Being demanded the same exact question by these two people caused Jiang Cheng to deeply feel how unpopular he was in Wenqu Peak. Annoyed, he declared, “You think I wanted to come? If it were not for Immortal Elder Kai Yang requesting me to assist you both, I would have been happy not to be here at all!!”

“To assist?” Feng Qi sneered, “Or for surveillance?”

Jiang Cheng turned his head and did not answer.

Feng Qi narrowed his eyes and looked at him. After learning that the “Feng Clan senior” existed, he suddenly realised something. Feng Qi asked sensitively, “Why did Immortal Elder Kai Yang send you here? What about Song Zhifei?”

Jiang Cheng: “Zhifei has something important to do.”

“Then, as the chief disciple of the Supervisory Exam Hall, why are you so idle?” Feng Qi probed, feeling suspicious. “Could it be that you asked to come here?”

Jiang Cheng’s face flushed red, and he shouted, “You dead phoenix, what nonsense are you talking about! Why should I take the initiative to take this kind of spoiled thing?!”

Feng Qi smiled but did not answer.

Jiang Cheng’s face was incredibly rosy. He changed the subject, “Immortal Elder Tianshu gave you three days to find out the truth. More than half a day has already passed yet you’re still not investigating, instead enjoying yourself here?”

Feng Qi said casually, “How is it related to you?”

“You—”

“Stop arguing.” Ji Chaoyun got a headache from the quarrelling pair. Towards Jiang Cheng, he said, “Before you came, we were discussing investigating the source of the secret medicine, and that we might have to leave the academy.”

He briefly summarised their guesses. Jiang Cheng nodded in agreement. “Okay, then let’s set off right now.”

“What leaving? Did I say we’d go?” Feng Qi hooked his fingers at Ji Chaoyun. “Come here.”

Ji Chaoyun frowned and compliantly walked over. “What is the matter now?”

Feng Qi sat up straight, and glanced at Jiang Cheng standing beside the stone bridge. He said softly in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “You didn’t sleep well last night, and it’s not suitable for you to expend your energy today. I’ll check those two things you told me about. You stay at Wenqu Peak to rest. We will go to the Sea Market tomorrow.”

Ji Chaoyun shook his head. “Let’s go as soon as possible, otherwise the night will drag with much thoughts.”

Feng Qi’s ears were a little hot. He softly reminded, “But your body…”

Ji Chaoyun stiffly turned his head away. “I am really fine, trust me.”

“…Alright. I’ll listen to you.”

After a stick of incense’s time, a chariot departed from the front of the mountain gate of Hongmeng Academy and headed towards the Nameless Sea.

Inside the chariot, Ji Chaoyun touched the seat under his body, which was exaggeratedly covered with several layers of velvet blankets. He then looked at Feng Qi, who was calm. Together with the movements of the transport, which was quite comfortable to sit on, Jiang Cheng, who was brought up on luxury and comfort, was silent.

…Did it need to be so exaggerated?

Ji Chaoyun had been brought to the Sea Market by Feng Qi before, and this time he was quite familiar with it. The three put on their masks, got off the chariot at the gate of the city, and swiftly walked inside.

“Why are you going to Luo Huan Building again?” Ji Chaoyun asked suspiciously, looking at the familiar building in front of him.

Revisiting the old place, Feng Qi had a guilty conscience— like being caught by his wife while visiting a brothel. He didn’t dare to look at the people beside him, and explained in a low voice, “I don’t want to go either, but the boss of Luo Huan Building is very knowledgeable, and most of the secret medicines can be recognised by her. I really don’t come here often on weekdays. I’ve never done anything with the immortal ladies here—”

Feng Qi turned his head as he spoke, and saw that Ji Chaoyun had already taken the lead in walking towards Luo Huan Building, leaving only Jiang Cheng standing beside him with a look of incomprehension. “…Why are you explaining so much to me?”

Feng Qi: “…”

He turned his head expressionlessly, and quickly followed Ji Chaoyun into Luo Huan Building.

An immortal fairy greeted them as soon as the three entered the door. Before Ji Chaoyun could speak, Feng Qi took the lead in explaining the purpose of the visit and requested an audience with the boss. The three waited for a while in the lobby, and soon she came back to lead them to the backyard.

Passing through a corridor, the three entered the innermost wing.

The door opened automatically in front of them. Feng Qi motioned Ji Chaoyun to advance first. Jiang Cheng wanted to follow him, but Feng Qi raised his hand and stopped him. “I’m sorry, the rules here are that the boss only sees one guest at a time.”

Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth. “…Then why are you able to go in?”

“As I said, the boss and I are friends.”

After he finished speaking, he closed the door with a snap, leaving Jiang Cheng alone in the empty yard.

Jiang Cheng: “…”

@ Found at https://dummynovels.com . TL by Amber.es 

The interior furnishings were no different from the last time Feng Qi had come. Ah Tao, the owner of Luo Huan Building, sat at the back of the table, covering her mouth and chuckling in the green smoke of the incense. Her eyes couldn’t stop looking back and forth between the two of them.

Feng Qi frowned. “What are you looking at?”

“It’s nothing.” Ah Tao showed a smile filled with meaning. “It’s just that the smell on your body is really…”

Ji Chaoyun immediately understood what she meant, his cheeks burning hot at once.

Feng Qi’s expression was also a little uncomfortable. With a light cough, he changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about anything else. Ah Tao, I have something very important to trouble you with. My family’s…cough, my friend was drugged, which caused his spiritual power to be out of control. But even the Immortal Physicians in the immortal realm can’t find out why. Can you check it for me? What’s exactly the cause of it?”

“Ah, I knew it was never a good thing for you to come to me.” Ah Tao raised her eyes slightly, leaning lazily at the table like a weak willow and waved to Ji Chaoyun, motioning him to sit beside her.

Ah Tao put her hand between Ji Chaoyun’s veins and then said, “Just to inform you in advance, I can’t guarantee that I can find it out. If you—”

Her voice stopped abruptly, her expression changing instantly. “Im-impossible. How could this be…”

Feng Qi quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ah Tao’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t answer, but her original teasing expression had already subsided.

She checked the pulse again, and after a while, she finally let go of Ji Chaoyun’s hand.

Ji Chaoyun asked, “Lady Ah Tao has already reached a conclusion?”

Ah Tao didn’t answer, but instead asked, “Have you already found out who gave this medicine?”

Feng Qi answered, “No. If we did, we wouldn’t have come such a long way to trouble you.”

“That’s right, if you had found out, you wouldn’t be here asking me.” Ah Tao raised her eyes to look at Feng Qi and said slowly, “If my judgement is correct, the medicine that this gentleman was given should not belong to the immortal realm.”

“…That medicine seems to belong to the Demon Race.”

The author has something to say:

Feng Qi: After the first night, other people will be very affectionate and huggy, but I was the only one who was kicked out of bed by the wife.