CH 25

Ji Chaoyun knew about the divine deed.

When Feng Xiao initially gave him this item, he’d said that the golden phoenix plume was the most precious treasure in the world. Their existence couldn’t be known by others, otherwise disasters would befall them. Therefore, he imposed a divine deed on the purse, which only the two of them and his blood relatives could open.

But Feng Qi… Wasn’t he the prince of the Feng clan?

Ji Chaoyun asked, “But you are obviously the prince of the Feng clan. How could you…”

Feng Qi showed a strange expression. He hesitated for a moment, leaned in Ji Chaoyun’s direction, and admitted softly, “This is a secret. My brother and uncle would never let me tell others. If I tell you, can you keep it a secret for me?”

Ji Chaoyun nodded. “En.”

“I am not my father’s biological son,” Feng Qi said. “In the battle between gods and demons, my father led the Phoenix clan to fight the enemy, and he picked me up from the battlefield. My father regarded me as how a parent does to a son, and he was seriously injured later. When he passed away, my elder brother took over as the patriarch, and according to my father’s last wish, he named me as the second prince and took good care of me.”

“From the battlefield…”

“Yeah, I don’t know who my biological parents are. When I was picked up by my father, I was still a phoenix egg, and I don’t remember anything.” Feng Qi smiled and said, “But I don’t care about that, my emperor king, brother, uncle, and all the clansmen treat me very well. Fengming Valley is a good place to live. Why should I be trapped in the past?”

Ji Chaoyun: “It turns out… the Phoenix clan has such a secret.”

His eyes dropped low, and an unspeakable sourness filled his heart.

He knew that Feng Xiao had no wife and children, but he didn’t know whether he had siblings. They met too hastily. Just three short months. It was already not easy to stay together, let alone having the time to ask these questions. But after all, that person’s lifespan was long and he held an extraordinary identity. It was not impossible that he still had blood relatives in this world.

In fact, when he first met Feng Qi, he’d thought about whether this person was the descendant of that man.

Now, that seemed to be the case.

Then wouldn’t he, with the descendant of Feng Xiao doing…

This was really too ridiculous.

“I asked about your secret before. So now I’m telling you my secret. It’s only fair.” Feng Qi looked at the other party’s face, but Ji Chaoyun’s eyebrows were always downcast, bearing an unreadable expression.

Feng Qi paused, before warmly exclaiming, “However, my origin is not important, is it? My father has passed away, and my uncles and brothers do not know my origin. Whether I am blood related or not, it will not hinder…”

It won’t hinder me from liking you.

His last few words were extremely soft. With Ji Chaoyun deep inside his thoughts, he was unable to hear clearly. “What did you say?”

“…Nothing.”

It was not the right time to say it.

Feng Qi closed his eyes, resisting a certain urge to talk further, thinking silently in his heart.

Ji Chaoyun hadn’t accepted him yet. The absurdity of last night made their relationship more slippery than before. If he was careless, he would completely destroy that.

He could not stimulate him further.

Feng Qi looked at Ji Chaoyun’s profile again; the latter’s expression was so cold that he couldn’t see any emotions.

It had always been this way.

He would never show any emotion to outsiders — the heavier his thoughts were, the deeper he hid them.

The afterglow of the setting sun finally dimmed little by little. Under the lead-grey sky, Ji Chaoyun faced the vast and boundless mountains, his body thinner than before.

Feng Qi suddenly regretted mentioning this matter today. He rubbed his eyebrows and said, “Chaoyun, it’s getting dark, shall we go back?”

Ji Chaoyun woke from his daze. He mumbled, “I…I’m going to practice my swordplay.”

Feng Qi frowned and subconsciously pulled him back. “Your body just recovered, you can’t…”

“It will be fine.” Ji Chaoyun never looked at him, struggling slightly, yet he couldn’t move away. Ji Chaoyun’s eyes turned sour, and he turned his head to the side. “Today’s homework… I haven’t done it yet, I have to make up for it. You let me… let me have some quiet, please.”

Throughout the whole day, he’d suppressed his emotions, constantly hiding them.

He knew that this was not the time to think about this, and he had no time to blame himself. What he should do was to do his best to clear those grievances and to stay in the academy. But now, all those perfectly hidden emotions seemed to surge up at this moment. Ji Chaoyun’s voice trembled slightly, and there was even a hint of plea in his tone.

Feng Qi froze in place. He subconsciously loosened his strength. Ji Chaoyun broke free from his hold, softly apologized before turning his head and walking quickly away from the cliff.

The sky quickly darkened, and in the dim light, it was almost impossible to see the back of the young man leaving, as if burdened by thoughts.

The crescent moon was like a hook, and the everlasting and deserted moonlight sprinkled onto the clearing among the bamboo forests. In the center of the open space, a plain white and thin figure danced, flashing with a sword’s intent, not stopping for a long time.

One was unsure how long it took when the sword momentum suddenly paused. The sword energy had cut down the bamboo forest in front, dissipating instantly afterwards.

Ji Chaoyun landed on one knee. He took a deep breath, his trembling hand no longer able to hold the hilt. He fell weakly to the ground. There was a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, his breathing rapid and trembling slightly. His cheeks flushed from his excessive training.

Ji Chaoyun reached into his sleeves with trembling hands and took out the purse.

He stroked the delicate phoenix pattern on the purse with his fingertips. He could still remember how the man had sat in front of the house and sewed it stitch by stitch.

Those hands that were used to holding divine weapons and had the ability to penetrate the sky and the earth, were doing this kind of meticulous work — it was so breathtaking that one was reluctant to look away.

“How can you even do this?”

“If you live a long time, you will naturally be able to do anything. Come and see, do you like it?”

“…Like.” Ji Chaoyun knelt on the ground, his eyes were flushed, and he whispered, “I really… like you. But I seem to have done something terrible. I… what should I do?”

He put the purse close to his heart, as if just like that, he could feel the breath of the other party.

After a long while, Ji Chaoyun said softly, “But I still want to see you.”

Even after so many years, even if he made such a ridiculous mistake, he still… wanted to see him.

So, he must stay.

No matter how much effort and difficulty it took, he had to stay here and pass through Heaven’s gate.

Self-pity was the most useless thing of all.

After a long time, Ji Chaoyun’s breathing gradually calmed down. He opened his eyes again and took a deep breath, his fingers no longer trembling.

He put away his purse, picked up the accompanying sword that had fallen on the ground, and stood up. His eyes touched the bamboo forest that was messed up by him, and he was left stunned.

When he usually practiced swordsmanship… was it always like this?

At the other end, Feng Qi was sitting in the courtyard, in a state of anxiety. His eyes couldn’t help looking outside the door, his expression anxious.

Almost six hours had passed since Ji Chaoyun had left, but the person still hadn’t returned. Feng Qi had the intention to head out and search for him, but with Ji Chaoyun’s current state, his appearance would be counterproductive.

Feng Qi paced around the courtyard anxiously, Ji Chaoyun’s pale face appearing over and over again in his mind.

He had just lost control of his spiritual power yesterday, and he was tossed all night in his heat. Today, he ran around all day and went to practice swordsmanship. How could his body stand it?

Did he treat himself as iron?

The more Feng Qi thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, and finally he couldn’t bear it anymore. He got up and walked out of the courtyard.

“？” As soon as he opened the courtyard door and walked out, he saw Ji Chaoyun slowly walking towards the courtyard from a distance with a strange look on his face. Their eyes met, caught off guard, and Feng Qi looked away with a guilty conscience. “That… I wasn’t going to find you. I was just opening the door to get some air!”

“?”

In the courtyard… to open the door for ventilation?

“…” Feng Qi’s words were completely out of his mind, and only after speaking did he realize how foolish his words were. His face couldn’t be hung, and he retreated into the room as if nothing had happened.

After a while, Ji Chaoyun pushed open the hidden door and walked in.

Feng Qi carefully looked at the other party’s expression.

The flush on his face that the sword practice gave had not yet dissipated. His hair was soaked, while his dark eyes had been cleared, translucent and beautiful. Although his expression was still that icy cold usual, his eyes seemed to have lost the burden of a heavy heart. Instead, he seemed to have a hint of hesitation and a guilty conscience.

…Guilt?

Feng Qi’s heart sank for no reason. Hesitating, he asked, “What’s the matter with you?”

Ji Chaoyun didn’t dare to look at him. He whispered, “Did you say before that the bamboo forest outside this yard was transplanted one by one by your own hands, and they were an extremely rare breed of immortal bamboo.”

“…Yes.”

Ji Chaoyun asked further, “Did you also say that every green bamboo in this forest is worth a fortune, and it takes hundreds of high-grade spirit stones to buy one, and they are all priceless?”

“…That’s right.”

Ji Chaoyun pursed his lips and very softly continued, “If… I broke your immortal bamboo…”

Ji Chaoyun took Feng Qi out of the door.

When Feng Qi heard him ask this question beforehand, he already knew something was up. It hadn’t been easy to find those immortal bamboo seeds. From the seedling to the current bamboo forest, he did not know how much spiritual energy was spent on them. To say that he didn’t care would be a lie.

If it was someone else, Feng Qi would probably fight them till death.

But who made this person Ji Chaoyun?

Feng Qi sighed, holding back his heartache and said, “It’s okay, don’t take it to heart. One or two bamboo trees are still—”

He raised his head as he consoled the other, and his voice abruptly cut off.

The green bamboo forests that were originally lush, now centered on a certain area. Within a radius of several meters, it was all barren. Nearly 100 green bamboos were cut off from the waist and were scratched by the sword intent. Dead until they couldn’t be further dead. Obviously, they couldn’t be saved.

“…………”

Ji Chaoyun lowered his head guiltily, his voice weak. “Many, many apologies. I don’t know why… I usually practice swordsmanship here, and this kind of thing has never happened. When I found out, it was already…”

Feng Qi didn’t answer. Ji Chaoyun glanced at him under his lashes, and offered without confidence, “…I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s… it’s okay.” Feng Qi struggled to squeeze those few words out of his teeth.

“…Really?”

“En, really.” Feng Qi pressed the corners of his throbbing brows, trying his best to make himself look as carefree as a cloud. “These are things outside one’s body. If you destroy it, you destroy it. Don’t worry about it.”

“But you said before…”

” “No. I was lying to you,” Feng Qi interrupted and reasoned, “It’s just a bamboo forest. Though they were a little expensive, and it’s not that precious. I’ll find someone to clean it up later, and transplant some more. As long as you…as long as you don’t continue to be upset.”

Ji Chaoyun was dazed. He understood what he was talking about, and shook his head. “I am fine now.”

Feng Qi finally let go of the tendril in his heart. He gave a soft sigh, and said, “Then that’s good. We—”

“Don’t mention it again,” Ji Chaoyun gently interrupted him. “Let’s treat it as if it never happened, let’s not mention it again.”

“…Alright.”

It was already dark, and the two of them walked slowly amidst the bamboo forest one in front of the other.

Feng Qi looked up at Ji Chaoyun’s back, and finally sighed helplessly.

Although the bamboo forest was destroyed, luckily this person was coaxed.

As long as he was happy, let alone a bamboo forest, Feng Qi was even willing to let him pluck all the feathers on his body.

Although in Ji Chaoyun’s heart, they might still be lower than a feather left by a bastard.

…That bastard Feng Xiao.

His Second Royal Highness Feng felt that there was probably no one in this world who was more aggrieved and distressed than himself. He swore in his heart that if he could see that bastard one day, he would definitely beat him up to vent his anger.

What a blood-related ancestor. Even if it was his own father, he would trash him.

Feng Qi thought about it all the way back, and felt a little more at ease. When the two walked to the gate of the courtyard, they suddenly heard a bird chirping in the forest.

The two turned around at the same time and saw a magpie flying from a distance.

Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun looked at each other. Feng Qi raised his hands, and let the magpie fall to his fingertips.

On the slender ankle of the magpie, a spirit storage ring was tied.

“It’s Ah Tao,” Feng Qi explained briefly, took off the spirit storage ring, and touched the feathers of the magpie. He told it, “Thank you, you can go back.”

The magpie didn’t hear his words, and rubbed against his fingertips affectionately, chatted non-stop, and tried to drill into his arms, refusing to leave.

Feng Qi gave it a warning look.

The magpie stopped its movement. It hummed aggrievedly, before turning and flying away.

Feng Qi patted the magpie’s feathers that had been rubbed onto him. “I told Ah Tao not to send these little birds to deliver letters. Each one being more entangled than the other.”

Ji Chaoyun said: “Phoenixes are the king of birds, it’s normal for them to like you.”

“I don’t care whether they like me. I only want…”

Feng Qi glanced at Ji Chaoyun and didn’t say more. But the latter’s attention was only on the Spirit Storage Ring in his hand, and he didn’t pay attention to his hesitant words.

The two hurried back to the courtyard, opened the Spirit Storage Ring, and took out a bottle of elixir and a jug that Ah Tao had placed within it.

At the same time, there was a secret letter inside.

Feng Qi unfolded the letter and scanned the words quickly. His eyes sank.

Ji Chaoyun’s heart pulsed uncomfortably. “Lady Ah Tao has investigated the situation?”

Feng Qi nodded his head, his expression gloomy. “Ah Tao said that this bottle of wound medicine that came from Lingyuan Sea had a little remnant of Blood Lotus Fungi within.”

The author has something to say:

Feng Xiao – a virtuous little expert at home.

Feng Qi – a life idiot, can’t clean the room.

Feng Xiao: I am worried about your youth education in Fengming Valley 

I don’t know if you will feel abused in the first half of this chapter. I was very worried that I forgot to warn yesterday when I was coding ORZ.

Gong’s identity is basically ready to be revealed. Gong met Shou three hundred years ago. The things about the Dragon Clan will be explained soon. This paragraph will not be very cruel~

Recently, a little cutie asked when the horse would fall off. It will not be too fast, everyone please wait a little. But for a little spoiler, Shou will know his identity a little earlier than Gong.