CH 47

Chapter 47: The Radiant Moon in the Clouds

When Yun Zhao woke up, there was a beautiful Immortal fairy standing by his bedside. The two delicate flowers beside her temples accentuated her radiant beauty.

Yun Zhao quickly sat up, but due to the sudden movement, he accidentally bumped his wrist against the edge of the bedside cabinet, causing him to cry out in pain.

Amused by his pitiful appearance, the Flower Goddess covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "You've been asleep for a day, so don't be so hasty when getting up."

Seeing that Yun Zhao had awakened, she put down the porcelain bowl containing medicine and asked, "Do you still feel any discomfort?"

Yun Zhao shook his head and politely greeted the Flower Goddess. With a gentle smile, the Flower Goddess handed him the porcelain bowl. Seeing that he didn't ask any questions, she watched him obediently gulp down the medicine, his face filled with confusion.

She couldn't help but find this child quite entertaining. Every thought was written on his face. She smiled and said, "Ask whatever you want to ask."

In fact, Yun Zhao had already vaguely guessed the situation. He had consumed the adulterated wine, and if it hadn't been for Ao Yu's presence, he would have likely caused trouble with Chang Xiao.

Yun Zhao asked, "Are the others alright?"

"They're fine."

Sounds of children playing could be heard from the courtyard outside. The Flower Goddess said, "Xianyue and Chang Xiao have already returned for now. They'll come to see you again later. Xiaguang and Bai Yu are playing with the divine beasts outside, and the other guests have been sent down the mountain by Bai Ze."

Upon hearing that everything was arranged so well, Yun Zhao felt a bit apologetic and said, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble with this banquet. Your enthusiasm for attending the banquet was disrupted, and I still have to trouble everyone to clean up..."

The Flower Goddess shook her head and chuckled lightly. She brought the bowl over and casually placed it aside, saying, "You haven't done anything wrong. The matter has already been resolved. Just rest assured and recover."

"Resolved?" Yun Zhao also knew that it was the Mountain Spirit Clan causing trouble. He recalled Ao Yu's furious appearance during the ceremony and couldn't help but cautiously inquire, "How did Ao Yu handle it?"

The Flower Goddess cleared her throat and replied, "The Mountain Spirit Clan leader was expelled from Yuming Mountain, and several immortal clans have severed ties with them. As for Qing Jiao... he has been taken back to the clan and will never be allowed to leave."

Yun Zhao nodded, somewhat within his expectations, unaware that the Flower Goddess beside him also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She wasn't lying either; those officials in purple robes did indeed take the urn of ashes back...

As the Flower Goddess was about to get up, Yun Zhao asked again, "What about Ao Yu? Isn't he outside?"

The Flower Goddess's heart skipped a beat as she avoided Yun Zhao's bewildered black pupils and replied, "He set up a barrier in the mountains to investigate the truth, which consumed a lot of his spiritual power. He's currently resting in the bamboo forest."

"Consumed a lot of his spiritual power?!" Upon hearing this, Yun Zhao became anxious. He lifted the brocade quilt and was about to get out of bed, muttering, "No, I can't allow it. I have to go and see him!"

The power of the little dragon hadn't fully recovered yet, and he had no idea what kind of barrier he had set up during the night, requiring him to go all the way to the back mountain to rest.

The Flower Goddess remembered Ao Yu's instructions before he left and quickly stopped Yun Zhao, comforting him, "Don't worry, he's fine. As a dragon, Ao Yu just needs to transform back to his original form and soak in the lake for a while."

Yun Zhao was taken aback and asked the system in his mind, "System, is the little dragon really okay?"

As long as it wasn't related to his commission, the system's electronic voice remained as calm as ever: 【Don't worry, he's fine. Just listen to the Flower Goddess.】

Only then did Yun Zhao calm down. He recalled the scene with the medicinal soup from earlier and couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

He pressed his cheek against his cold hand and decided to wait a while before going to see the little dragon...

At that moment, a noise came from outside. Yun Zhao had been lying down all day, feeling weak all over, so he went outside with the Flower Goddess to see what was happening.

In the courtyard, Xiaguang took the opportunity to comfort the bunnies that were intimidated by Ao Yu's aura, giving each bunny a thorough petting.

The bunnies looked despondently at the enchantress who was engrossed in rubbing their bellies, their little faces wrinkling as they sighed, all wearing an "I feel dirty" expression.

Luo Xue scratched on the back of the black panther, exposing its delicate pink belly, and playfully bit the tip of Xuanming's deliberately teasing tail.

The cute and obedient appearance made Bai Yu laugh, and he suggested to Si Wuchen, "Why don't we take Luo Xue back with us?"

Si Wuchen naturally had no objections, but Kongming Zhenren became anxious and held Luo Xue in his arms, warily looking at them, "Forget it! Don't even think about taking my little kitten!"

Xuanming lay on the ground, indifferent to these people. Its tail swayed lazily, quickly luring Luo Xue, who was in Kongming Zhenren's arms, back over.

Kongming Zhenren looked at his little cub burying itself in the black panther's fur, feeling a pang of jealousy. He wondered what kind of enchanting potion Si Wuchen's black panther had been given to captivate Luo Xue like this!

Luo Xue nuzzled and rubbed against the short black fur, squinting its eyes and meowing, vowing not to miss any chance to interact with the super-sized cat!

At that moment, the door opened, and as soon as Yun Zhao stepped out, he collided with a golden little dog that pounced on him.

The amber-colored dog's eyes were full of concern, and it whimpered for a while before saying, "Yun Zhao, are you okay?"

Yun Zhao's heart softened as he looked at Sun Yang, and seeing the other cubs gathering around, he reached out to pat each of their heads and said, "Don't worry, I'm completely fine now."

Upon hearing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Bai Yu teased, "While you were in the room, Sun Yang was squatting at the door, motionless like a stone lion. He didn't eat or drink. If you didn't wake up, I was afraid this little dog would starve himself."

A trace of surprise flashed in Yun Zhao's eyes as he lowered his head to look at Sun Yang. He indeed saw the little dog shyly lowering its head and then resolutely burying its head in the youth's embrace.

The little dog muttered, "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up..."

The Flower Goddess laughed at the words, "What are you thinking, child? With us here, Yun Zhao will definitely be fine."

Yun Zhao gently stroked the dog's head, unable to understand why he couldn't feel the dog's reliance on him. He squatted down and comforted the sobbing little dog in a low voice. Suddenly, he heard the rumbling sound from Sun Yang's belly.

The sound was so loud that even Luo Xue, who was rubbing against Xuanming, lifted its little head in confusion. Sun Yang's entire dog body stiffened, embarrassedly lowering its head, wishing it could bury its head in its belly.

Yun Zhao stood up with a smile and said, "Since everyone has helped so much, let me cook a meal."

Xiaguang Fairy cheered with excitement upon hearing that, "Great!"

...

When Bai Ze returned from the mountain gate, he could smell a delicious meat fragrance from afar. He closed his eyes and sniffed, skillfully following the aroma to the courtyard.

The small courtyard was bustling at this time. Bai Yu pulled out a small knife and chopped vegetables on the stone table, while Si Wuchen frowned as he minced the fish paste beside him.

Kongming and the Flower Goddess were temporarily taking care of the mischievous cubs, preventing them from running around and causing trouble. The rest of the bunnies, along with Xiaguang, were busy tiptoeing and delivering the chopped vegetables to the table next to Yun Zhao.

Bai Ze was surprised, "What are you doing? Why are you in the kitchen?"

Yun Zhao brought over a stone slab and placed it on the small clay stove, and Xuanming intuitively spat out a spark to ignite the charcoal and heat it up.

Yun Zhao wiped off his sweat and replied, "The kitchen is crowded, so Bai Yu will be making fish ball soup later. I'll just barbecue outside where there's more space."

Bai Ze nodded and couldn't help but be drawn to the meat slices on the stone slab. He gulped and rolled up his sleeves to help.

On the other side, after Si Wuchen finished preparing the fish paste, he handed it over to Bai Yu, who carried the bowl to the kitchen to start making the soup. Xuanming caught the scent of fish and wagged its tail, following Bai Yu.

Yun Zhao looked at Bai Yu's figure and let out a sigh of relief. It was fortunate to have Bai Yu's help; otherwise, he would have been exhausted.

Yun Zhao placed the well-marinated pork belly on the heated stone slab. The pork belly had a bright red color from the sauce, and the moment it touched the stone, it made a tantalizing sizzle.

Golden fat oozed out from beneath the meat, forming fine oil bubbles. Yun Zhao quickly placed cucumber slices and eggplant around the meat to absorb the oil. The vegetables became coated in the grease, presenting a shiny gloss.

Eating only one type of meat would be monotonous, so Yun Zhao also grilled some ribs, carefully flipping them over.

These ribs had to be roasted until the outer skin turned golden and crispy to give them a satisfying chew!

Wu Mu crouched next to the stone slab, its eyes round and wide, and crystalline drool flowed from its slightly open mouth, forming a transparent line.

Feeling the dampness on the corner of its mouth, the black cub quickly licked it up, then raised its high tail and walked back and forth in front of Yun Zhao, rubbing against him.

The long, thick tail swept back and forth under Yun Zhao's chin. Wu Mu coquettishly meowed, "Yun Zhao, let me taste it first."

Yun Zhao turned his head away, resisting the urge to look at the coquettish kitten, and firmly replied, "No, we have to wait for everyone to eat together."

"Just one piece, just one!" Wu Mu propped itself up, placing its front paws on the youth's knee, and looked at the meat on the stone slab with pleading eyes. "Look, there's a piece about to get overcooked! Let me help you eat it, okay?"

Yun Zhao sighed and was defeated. No one could resist a cute and spoiled cat!

He cut off the edge of the meat, glanced around, and quickly blew on it before stuffing it into the black cat's mouth. Wu Mu happily swallowed it down, then proudly walked past the ferret playing with flowers and plants with its mouth full of oil.

The black cat's tail swayed proudly, and its eyes spoke volumes: Look, Yun Zhao gave me a piece of meat to eat!

Yun Zhao sighed helplessly, shifted his gaze back to the barbecue, and focused on grilling the meat. If there were any more conflicts later, at least Kongming and Xiaguang Fairy were there. He wouldn't be the only one trying to settle things.

"The soup is ready!" Bai Yu carried the pot over and placed it on the table. As he lifted the lid, a white mist billowed out, revealing the round fish balls inside.

In an instant, meowing sounds filled the courtyard.

Yun Zhao handed a bowl and chopsticks to Fairy Xiaguang, but almost tripped over the pacing Luo Xue at his feet. He chuckled and said, "What's the rush? I'll serve it to you right away."

He took a small knife and sliced the meat, serving each person a bowl of fish ball soup.

The fish balls were bouncy and smooth, without a hint of fishy taste. The broth was creamy white and thick, leaving a delicious aftertaste on the tongue.

Yun Zhao praised, "It's really delicious!"

Bai Yu chuckled lightly and handed a bowl to Si Wuchen, replying, "Senior Brother and Xuanming both love fish, so I try to make it in different ways at Chihua Peak to prevent them from getting tired of it."

Si Wuchen said softly, "I won't get tired of it."

Yun Zhao exchanged a glance with Fairy Xiaguang and lowered his head to drink the soup, concealing his suppressed laughter.

"Tsk." Kongming coughed dryly and waved his feather duster twice in the air, dispersing the annoying pink bubbles.

The grilled meat on the stone slab was also highly sought after. The pork belly was rich in fat, with distinct layers of lean meat. With one bite, oil splattered out.

The ribs were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the meat clinging to the bones. The texture was tender and juicy, providing a satisfying chew. Bai Ze couldn't help but devour them one after another, savoring the lingering aroma even on the bones.

Xiaguang ate with tears streaming down her face, her speech slurred as she mentioned the fear of gaining weight. However, her hands moved so quickly that even Bai Ze hastened his eating pace.

After swallowing a piece of meat, Yun Zhao picked up a clean bowl and was about to leave when he was stopped by the Flower Goddess.

The Flower Goddess asked in confusion, "Where are you going, Yun Zhao?"

Yun Zhao glanced in the direction of the back mountain and expressed his concern, "I'm afraid Ao Yu might be hungry. I want to take some food to him."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ze vigorously pounded his chest with his hand, swallowing what was in his mouth before letting out a sigh of relief. He said, "No, I mean, there's no need to trouble yourself."

Seeing Yun Zhao's puzzled expression, he paused and explained, "Just think of it as Ao Yu needing a good sleep. You don't have to worry about him for the next couple of days."

"Is that so?" Yun Zhao murmured to himself. He placed the bowl back down, and even though everyone nodded in agreement, he couldn't shake off a sense of unease in his heart.

After a satisfying meal, Bai Yu and the others no longer disturbed Yun Zhao and went back to play with their respective spirit beasts.

Kongming summoned a crane and turned to his pair of kitten cubs, tentatively asking, "Are you really not staying with me for a few more days?"

Luo Xue clung to Yun Zhao's robe and shook his head, while Wu Mu directly waved his paw and said, "Take care, old man. I'll come back to see you in a while."

Kongming wiped away tears and cursed under his breath at these heartless kittens. Together with Bai Yu and Xiaguang Fairy, he boarded the crane and departed.

The Flower Goddess mentioned that it had been a long time since their last visit to Yuming Mountain and planned to stay for a few more days. Yun Zhao naturally welcomed the idea and had the bunnies prepare a room for her.

...

Everything seemed to return to its original state, and Yuming Mountain regained its usual tranquility after the lively gathering. Apart from the absence of the little dragon, it was no different from before.

As Bai Ze and the others had said, Ao Yu had been staying in the bamboo forest on the back mountain and hadn't come out. Yun Zhao hadn't seen him for several days, and he felt unusually unsettled.

One evening, after finishing his meal, Yun Zhao leaned against the window, enjoying the breeze. The past two days had suddenly become hot in the mountains, but tonight, a cool wind blew, and Yun Zhao guessed that there might be heavy rain coming.

"Sigh..." Yun Zhao lay on the windowsill like a boneless body, and Sun Yang, concerned, poked him with his nose.

Yun Zhao turned his head and saw the puppy tilting its head, asking, "Sir, are you unhappy? You've been feeling down these past few days."

"Call me big brother," Yun Zhao patted the dog's head and immediately remembered his worries. He sighed and said, "I'm a little worried about Ao Yu. How can he sleep in the bamboo forest for so long..."

Sun Yang lowered its head, remaining silent. On the other hand, the black kitten that jumped onto the windowsill lazily flicked its tail and said, "Don't worry, tomorrow you'll be able to see him!"

"Tomorrow?" Yun Zhao looked at the kitten in confusion. "How do you know?"

Wu Mu froze, and Sun Yang suddenly lifted itself up and swiftly grabbed the kitten by the nape of its neck before running out the door. Yun Zhao was left dumbfounded by their fluid movements.

Yun Zhao reacted and leaned on the windowsill, calling out a few times, but the usually obedient and sensible little pup ran even faster.

"These guys are acting strange," Yun Zhao muttered, flipping onto the bed. As he stared at the canopy above, his mind turned into a jumble. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became, and unconsciously, he drifted off to sleep.

However, in Yun Zhao's semi-conscious state, a thunderous boom resounded through the sky, and a flash of white lightning illuminated the room.

"Boom!"

Yun Zhao covered his ears and got up, approaching the window. He stood there dumbfounded, frozen in place.

Outside, dark clouds churned, and flashes of colorful lightning tore through the sky, creating countless cracks in the clouds. The dense thunderous sounds were like the drums of an advancing army, accompanied by the sensation of a galloping cavalry descending from the heavens.

Yun Zhao's heart trembled. This was no ordinary thunderstorm. He had witnessed something similar during Sun Yang's breakthrough, but the thunder tribulation before him now was a hundred times more intense than what he had seen before.

The young man's hands trembled uncontrollably. This was not a thunder tribulation; it felt more like divine retribution!