The Sachet Bore a Powerful Seal, a Divine Pact
Ji Chaoyun’s breathing quickened, and his heart pounded rapidly.
Luohuan Hall remained so silent for a long while that even the fall of a needle could have been heard. Even Biluo onstage stood stunned for quite some time before finally announcing Feng Qi’s latest bid.
This time, no one competed with him.
The final bid was settled onstage. Feng Qi gave a quiet laugh and patted Ji Chaoyun on the shoulder. “Don’t forget what you just promised me.”
After saying this, he rose and walked out.
Once an auction was won, the buyer had to follow one of the immortal maidens to collect the item. Ji Chaoyun, however, absolutely refused to remain alone inside Luohuan Hall.
Only after repeatedly promising that he would not wander off did Feng Qi finally agree to let him wait outside.
Feng Qi watched Ji Chaoyun leave Luohuan Hall before following the immortal maiden leading the way toward the rear courtyard.
The rear courtyard of Luohuan Hall was far quieter than the front hall.
Beyond a carved archway and a covered corridor, a row of rooms stood side by side, each door bearing a wooden plaque.
This was the true place of pleasure within Luohuan Hall.
The immortal maiden led Feng Qi onward without looking to either side until they arrived at the deepest room in the courtyard.
The moment the two reached the door, it opened by itself.
The immortal maiden bowed and withdrew.
Feng Qi stepped inside and immediately caught the faint, elegant fragrance of peach blossoms.
Directly ahead, a graceful beauty reclined against a soft cushion.
The woman wore a peach-pink dress. A flowering peach branch was tucked into her hair, which was half bound and half loose, lending her an air of languid ease.
Her almond-shaped eyes tilted slightly upward as she yawned and sat up, looking as though she had yet to fully awaken. “They told me you had come, and I hardly believed it. Then they said you brought a man with you, and I believed it even less.”
Feng Qi removed his mask and raised a brow at her. “Do you believe it now?”
“I still hardly dare.” The woman spoke languidly. “5,000 high-grade spirit stones for one sachet. Since when did Second Prince Feng start acting like a fool with more money than sense?”
Feng Qi laughed lightly. “I merely came to buy something novel to make my darling happy. He wanted it, so I bought it for him. It’s that simple. Ah-Tao, surely you understand?”
“Throwing away a fortune for a beauty does sound like Second Prince Feng.” Ah-Tao opened her palm, and a sachet embroidered with phoenix patterns appeared in her hand. “However... does Your Highness know what this is?”
Feng Qi answered truthfully, “No.”
“What a coincidence. Neither do I.” Ah-Tao said, “There is an extremely powerful seal upon this sachet. I tried many methods and couldn’t open it. Second Prince may have paid dearly for very little this time.”
Feng Qi frowned. “Yet you set the price very high.”
“If I had been able to open it, I would have priced it even higher.” Ah-Tao casually tossed the object to Feng Qi. “That seal is a Divine Pact.”
Feng Qi’s movements stopped.
Ah-Tao continued, “Your darling has a good eye. It has been a long time since Luohuan Hall received anything from the Divine Realm, yet he picked it out at a glance.”
The object in Feng Qi’s hand suddenly seemed to weigh a thousand jin.
After a pause, he asked hoarsely, “This object... belonged to some heavenly god?”
There was actually no need to ask. The moment he grasped the sachet, Feng Qi had sensed an extraordinarily powerful force.
That power could not possibly belong to an immortal.
It was divine power.
Ah-Tao said, “Perhaps. If you manage to open it, you must tell me what’s inside.”
“I will.” Feng Qi put the sachet away, his expression already returned to normal. “The spirit stones will be delivered in full within three days. Thank you for this.”
“Buying on credit again... You only dare because you know that I’m fond of you.” Ah-Tao clicked her tongue softly and said coldly, “I won’t see you out.”
Feng Qi turned and left the room.
It was still daytime, and there was no one else in the rear courtyard of Luohuan House.
Feng Qi lowered his head and stared at the sachet in his hand, his expression complicated for a time.
He studied it for a long while.
Then, as though compelled by some unseen impulse, he lightly tugged at it.
What he did not expect was that the sachet Ah-Tao claimed no one could open would come undone effortlessly in his hand.
Inside lay a red-gold phoenix feather.
Feng Qi’s expression changed drastically.
☁
Elsewhere, Ji Chaoyun was still waiting outside Luohuan Hall.
Once the auction dispersed, those who had no interest in seeking pleasure gradually departed, and the area outside Luohuan Hall soon became quiet again.
Ji Chaoyun watched people come and go along the long street and let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
He had gone through immense hardship to enter Hongmeng Academy, and whether he could truly remain there was still uncertain.
Now he had also taken on such an enormous debt.
What kind of mess had his life become?
Suddenly, Ji Chaoyun’s expression sharpened.
He faintly sensed something unusual.
Someone was watching him.
Ji Chaoyun looked around.
Street vendors called out their wares, and pedestrians passed one after another. Everything looked exactly the same as before, yet the feeling of being secretly watched refused to disappear.
At that moment, a dark figure flashed past the narrow alley beside Luohuan Hall.
Ji Chaoyun considered for a moment, then followed without betraying any reaction.
The alley was secluded and rarely visited. Dust and miscellaneous debris had accumulated across the ground. Ji Chaoyun carefully stepped over the clutter.
The moment he rounded the corner of the dark alley, the sharp sound of a blade cutting through the air suddenly rang beside his ear.
He instinctively drew his sword to block.
The person before him wore a black hooded robe and a black mask over his face.
Ji Chaoyun’s heart gave a violent thump.
Broken memories from the past rushed back without warning.
A rainy night.
Footsteps.
Men in black...
In his previous life, Ji Chaoyun had not cultivated while in the mortal realm. Against killers with such powerful cultivation, he had possessed no ability to resist at all.
He had not even managed to clearly see their faces.
Could this be the same person again?
The thought flashed through Ji Chaoyun’s mind.
He instinctively swung his sword in counterattack, and sword shadows immediately filled the dark alley.
The two rapidly exchanged several moves.
Yet the longer they fought, the more puzzled Ji Chaoyun became.
These sword techniques did not carry the same killing intent as those black-clothed men who had attacked him before.
They even seemed...
Somewhat familiar?
Their blades, both wrapped in spiritual power, collided.
The two simultaneously retreated several steps.
An answer suddenly flashed through Ji Chaoyun’s mind.
The other person seemed to realize something as well, and his movements abruptly stopped.
“You...” Ji Chaoyun began in confusion.
Before he could finish, the other man turned and sprang into the air, already about to disappear from sight.
In the next instant, a streak of golden light shot diagonally from the mouth of the alley and bound the black-robed man tightly in midair.
The man crashed to the ground and rolled awkwardly several times along the alley before coming to a stop directly at Ji Chaoyun’s feet.
Their gazes briefly met.
The black-robed man guiltily looked away.
Feng Qi walked slowly in from the alley entrance and planted one foot on the black-robed man’s chest. “Where did this petty thief come from? Daring to attack someone in the Sea Market. Are you tired of living?”
The man gave a muffled groan beneath his foot but did not answer.
Feng Qi pressed down harder and said coldly, “Speak. Who exactly are you, and what is your purpose?”
Ji Chaoyun weakly interrupted, “Wait... Feng Qi, I think he...”
“You be quiet.” Feng Qi rebuked him. “Didn’t I tell you to wait outside Luohuan Hall? Why were you wandering around by yourself?”
“...” Ji Chaoyun looked extremely hesitant.
He glanced at the black-robed man, then looked up at Feng Qi and said quietly, “We... might know him.”
Feng Qi raised a brow in confusion.
He bent down and hooked a finger beneath the black-robed man’s mask.
A familiar face was revealed.
“Jiang Cheng?!” Feng Qi exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you dressed like this?”
Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth, his entire face turning crimson. “Damned phoenix, get your foot off me!”
Feng Qi stepped half a pace back and casually withdrew the golden chain binding Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng hurriedly scrambled to his feet.
He had rolled across the ground several times just now, leaving his entire body covered in dust. There was even a footprint squarely on his chest, making him look especially miserable.
Feng Qi looked him up and down for a long while.
He vaguely understood and laughed. “What happened? Did Dufeng Island finally go bankrupt and send its young lord out to earn a living by robbing travelers?”
“Get lost! Your Fengming Valley would go bankrupt before we ever did!” Jiang Cheng snatched back his mask and glanced at Ji Chaoyun guiltily. “It was only a small misunderstanding. I still have something to do. I’m leaving.”
“Stop.” Feng Qi blocked his path and said slowly, “I doubt it was merely a misunderstanding. You just came out of Luohuan Hall, didn’t you?”
Jiang Cheng answered decisively, “What Luohuan Hall? Never heard of it. Never been there.”
“Never been there? Then why do your clothes carry the incense unique to Luohuan Hall?”
Jiang Cheng froze and instinctively sniffed his robes. “What incense? There’s no scent... Are you a dog? How is your nose that sharp?!”
Feng Qi said calmly, “I didn’t smell anything. I was bluffing.”
Jiang Cheng: “...”
Feng Qi continued, “Since you’ve admitted going to Luohuan Hall, things are simple now. Am I right, Number Twenty-Two?”
Ji Chaoyun was taken back. “You were Number Twenty-Two earlier?”
Jiang Cheng’s gaze darted away. He stubbornly refused to admit it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Feng Qi was unsurprised by his reaction. “If you won’t admit it, shall I take you back to Luohuan Hall and find an immortal maiden to testify?”
“If it truly wasn’t you, that would also clear Young Island Lord Jiang’s name.”
Jiang Cheng could no longer save face and finally snapped in embarrassment, “So what if it was me? Luohuan Hall opens its doors for business. What’s wrong with me attending an auction?”
“How is there nothing wrong?” Feng Qi lightly ground his teeth. “You idiot. You made me spend more than two thousand extra spirit stones for nothing. Shouldn’t you be the one to repay that debt?”
Jiang Cheng said angrily, “Repay my ass. I didn’t know it was you! If I’d known earlier, I never would’ve—”
His voice abruptly stopped.
Jiang Cheng was accustomed to swaggering around the academy and rarely looked this guilty.
His gaze shifted left and right, refusing to meet either of the two people before him.
Ji Chaoyun asked, “Why did you participate in the auction? Why did you attack me just now?”
Jiang Cheng said nothing.
Feng Qi answered for him. “If he won’t say it, I will.”
“Someone indulged his subordinates and let them behave recklessly. Now his conscience suddenly awakened and he wanted to make amends.”
“Unfortunately, he lost the auction to me, so he tried another method. He probably asked around inside Luohuan House and learned that we were together, but didn’t know who we were.”
“He wanted to attack you and force me to hand the thing over.”
Jiang Cheng shouted furiously, “This young master would never do something like that! I wanted to talk to you first, then buy the thing back!”
Feng Qi laughed. “Fine. Give me 6,000 spirit stones and I’ll sell it to you.”
Jiang Cheng was stunned by his shamelessness. “Damned phoenix, do you have any shame? Besides, if you hadn’t kept raising the price, I could’ve won it for less than 3,000!”
“If you can’t afford it, just say so.” Feng Qi tilted his head and smiled. “How about this? I know Young Island Lord Jiang is short on funds. I’ll give you a discount. Three thousand spirit stones. How does that sound?”
“That’s more like it...” Jiang Cheng was about to nod when he abruptly realized something was wrong. “Wait. You already bought the thing back. Why should I still give you money?”
Feng Qi spread his hands. “Wasn’t Young Island Lord Jiang the one who said he wanted to buy it back? Are you going back on your word?”
Jiang Cheng did not want to keep arguing with Feng Qi and said with a headache, “Fine, fine. Give me two days. I’ll get the spirit stones to you.”
“I await the good news.”
Jiang Cheng gave a cold snort, then turned toward Ji Chaoyun.
The latter had remained standing silently at the side without saying a word.
Jiang Cheng’s lips moved as though he wanted to say something.
In the end, he said nothing and quickly left the alley.
Feng Qi watched Jiang Cheng’s departing back and laughed. “See? Someone has already volunteered to deliver the money to us.”
Ji Chaoyun hesitated. “Why did he...”
“Why bother thinking about him?” Feng Qi cast Ji Chaoyun a seemingly casual glance and said vaguely, “He’s always been arrogant and domineering and cares about face more than anything.”
“He can make things difficult for you in front of others, but he’d never tolerate someone else playing such underhanded tricks.”
“...In any case, he’s extremely irritating. Stay away from him.”
Ji Chaoyun silently looked at him.
“What? Am I wrong?”
Ji Chaoyun looked away and said expressionlessly, “No. It just sounds somewhat strange hearing the words ‘arrogant and domineering’ from you.”
Feng Qi said, “Are you insulting me indirectly?”
“...No.”
Feng Qi looked at him with open distrust but did not argue further.
He took the sachet from inside his robes and handed it back.
The sachet had already been tied shut again, with no trace that it had ever been opened.
Ji Chaoyun gripped it tightly.
Feeling the faint warmth coming from within, the unease that had plagued him finally settled.
Ji Chaoyun said, “Thank you.”
Feng Qi did not answer.
He watched Ji Chaoyun’s expression, a faint sourness entering his voice without his noticing. “What exactly is this thing that makes you treasure it so much?”
“This was... given to me by a friend.”
Feng Qi immediately pressed, “What kind of friend? Who is he? Are the two of you close? How did you meet?”
“...”
Feng Qi coughed lightly. “Just asking.”
Ji Chaoyun carefully put the sachet away and said softly, “Sorry. His identity... isn’t something I can speak about.”
Feng Qi’s brows drew together almost imperceptibly.
The feather inside the sachet belonged to the Phoenix Clan and carried faint traces of divine power, meaning its owner’s status was extraordinary.
If that person truly came from the Divine Realm, then Ji Chaoyun saying that his identity could not be revealed was indeed no lie.
Yet how could a yao dragon like Ji Chaoyun know someone from the Divine Realm?
What kind of relationship did they have?
A subtle displeasure rose in Feng Qi’s heart.
He did not show it, however, and merely said with his usual expression, “Forget it. It’s getting late. Let’s return to the academy.”
“All right.”
By the time the two returned to the academy, the hour of Hai had already passed.
After evening lessons, the academy imposed a curfew. There was not a single figure to be seen on the main peak, only a few dim lamps suspended along both sides of the road.
Ji Chaoyun instinctively started toward Ascending Cloud Tower.
Feng Qi caught him by the back of his collar and dragged him back. “Where are you going?”
“Cloud-Ascending Tower.”
“What are you going to the tower for?”
Ji Chaoyun had no idea what fault Feng Qi was trying to find this time and looked at him blankly. “Shouldn’t I go to Cloud-Ascending Tower?”
Feng Qi answered as though it were perfectly obvious. “Did you forget what you promised me at the auction?”
“You sold yourself to me to repay your debt. Until that debt is paid off, naturally you’ll serve as my attendant and stay by my side day and night.”
“...”
Feng Qi hooked an arm around him and smiled in satisfaction. “Come on. Back to Wenqu Peak with me.”
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Phoenix: Day and night. By my side. Serving me. Remember that~
Little Dragon: ...This man really is insufferable :）
Cohabitation achieved √
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