If You Like It, This Place Can Be Yours Too
The next day was a rest day at the academy, and the various halls simultaneously held their selections for duty disciples.
The usually quiet academy was unusually lively, with crowds gathered before the various halls. Among them, the Inspection Hall drew the most people.
The Inspection Hall had a heavy workload and therefore recruited the most disciples. It also offered the highest monthly stipend, so the number of applicants far exceeded that of the other halls.
The entrance to the Inspection Hall was as bustling as a marketplace, and no one noticed a faint streak of golden light silently slip inside.
Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun revealed themselves in a shadowed corner outside one of the side halls.
The disciple selection was being held in front of the main hall, leaving the rear courtyard and several side halls relatively deserted, save for a few disciples assigned to patrol the area.
Feng Qi led Ji Chaoyun around the patrols with practiced ease, soon arriving before one of the side halls.
This was Immortal Venerable Yaoguang’s bedchamber.
Yaoguang was currently occupied with the disciple selection at the main hall, leaving the room completely empty and making things considerably easier for them.
Feng Qi silently pushed open the door and pulled Ji Chaoyun inside.
For such a lofty little prince of the Phoenix Clan, he was unexpectedly skilled at sneaking around like a thief.
Ji Chaoyun silently mocked him in his heart.
The furnishings inside were simple and elegant, done in the uniform style unique to Hongmeng Academy. With the door shut and no lamps lit, the room was dim.
Feng Qi said, “This is the place. Let’s look around.”
Ji Chaoyun nodded, and the two split up.
Yaoguang’s room was not particularly large. Ji Chaoyun passed around a folding screen into the inner chamber and had only searched for a short while when he found a sword case beside the bed.
The sword case looked old and unadorned, with carved patterns along its surface. Faint sword intent seeped from within.
“Feng Qi!”
Feng Qi quickly came over. When he saw the sword case, his brows rose.
“So he really did hide it?”
He pressed a hand over the case and sensed it briefly.
“Yes. The sword intent inside definitely belongs to Immortal Venerable Yaoguang’s personal sword. He used to carry it everywhere, but recently he suddenly stopped wearing it and instead hid it inside his room. That’s the behavior of someone with a guilty conscience.”
Ji Chaoyun lowered his eyes, saying nothing, an unsettled feeling growing that this wasn’t as simple as it looked.
Feng Qi said, “There’s no lock on the case, and no seal either. I’ll open it. See if it’s the sword that was used to hunt you down before.”
Ji Chaoyun gave a soft acknowledgment.
Feng Qi cast a spell and lifted the lid.
A clear wave of sword intent immediately rushed forth.
Inside lay a long, slender sword no wider than two fingers. A piece of black jade hung from the hilt, while the blade rested quietly inside a silver-white scabbard, radiating pure immortal energy.
Ji Chaoyun’s heart sank.
It was not the sword used by the black-robed man who killed him.
Feng Qi studied his expression and frowned.
“Not this one?”
Ji Chaoyun shook his head. “No.”
“Are you certain?”
Ji Chaoyun closed his eyes and forced himself to recall everything that happened that rainy night.
He said with difficulty, “I remember... that sword was very long, but the blade was not this narrow. Its appearance was plain and old-fashioned, and there definitely wasn’t such pure immortal energy on it.”
“Right. The immortal energy.” Ji Chaoyun suddenly realized something. “That sword carried no trace of immortal energy at all. That was why I never believed it came from the Immortal Realm.”
Feng Qi’s expression darkened slightly.
After a moment, however, his brows relaxed again. He did not look especially disappointed.
“Looks like my instinct was wrong this time?”
“I’m sorry...”
Feng Qi smiled lightly. “What are you apologizing for? What is there to apologize for? You never have to say those two words to me. It’s just...”
Before he could finish, both of their expressions changed.
Someone was coming.
Feng Qi immediately restored the sword case with a spell, wrapped an arm around Ji Chaoyun, and turned into a streak of golden light that shot up into the ceiling beams.
Almost at the same moment, the bedroom door was thrown open.
Several patrolling disciples rushed inside.
“Who’s in here? Come out!”
No one answered.
The disciples quickly searched the room.
“There’s no one here. Could they have already fled?”
“Immortal Venerable sensed someone entering just now. There’s no mistake. Give chase!”
While they spoke, no one noticed a faint streak of golden light slipping through the open doorway.
Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun reappeared in the shadows of the courtyard they had passed through earlier.
The Inspection Hall was no longer as peaceful as it had been moments ago. Several teams of patrolling disciples were searching the courtyards and side halls. Just then, a few disciples happened to head in their direction.
Feng Qi decisively grabbed Ji Chaoyun and pulled him behind a rockery to hide.
He covered Ji Chaoyun’s mouth with one hand to keep him silent, then leaned slightly outward to check the patrol.
Only when he saw that they had not been discovered did he relax.
The space behind the rocks was narrow, barely large enough for two people. Feng Qi had no choice but to bend down, his body almost completely pressed against Ji Chaoyun’s.
That overly familiar presence surrounded him. Ji Chaoyun raised his eyes and looked at the face so close to his own and found himself momentarily dazed.
After spending so much time together, he had thought he had already learned to distinguish Feng Qi from Feng Xiao clearly, but whenever Feng Qi came this close, his heart still inevitably lost its rhythm.
Too similar...
The footsteps gradually faded away, but neither of them moved.
They simply remained there, silently looking at one another.
After a long while, Feng Qi asked softly, “What are you looking at?”
Ji Chaoyun opened his mouth to answer, but Feng Qi had not moved the hand covering his lips, so he could not say a word.
“Shh.”
Feng Qi lowered his gaze toward him, emotions he could no longer fully conceal spilling from his eyes.
He lifted the hand braced against the stone wall and hooked a loose strand of Ji Chaoyun’s hair behind his ear.
“I’ll just pretend you were looking at me.”
The air behind the rocks seemed to grow impossibly thin.
Ji Chaoyun’s lips brushed against Feng Qi’s warm palm. The familiar scent and warmth wrapped tightly around him, as if some old memory had come rushing back.
Then Feng Qi laughed softly and let him go.
Ji Chaoyun still looked slightly dazed. “You...”
Feng Qi behaved as naturally as though nothing had happened.
He instructed, “Yaoguang has already noticed something. We can’t simply fly out now. I’ll draw them away. Once they’re gone, find a chance to slip over to the main hall. If anyone catches you, just say you came to participate in the selection and accidentally got lost.”
“Once you’re out, head straight back. We’ll meet at Wenqu Peak.”
After saying that, he transformed into golden light and disappeared.
Ji Chaoyun stared toward where he’d disappeared, instinctively raising a hand to touch his own lips, taking a long moment to gather himself.
“Over there! Chase him!”
Voices faintly sounded from outside.
Soon afterward, the scattered footsteps disappeared into the distance, and the courtyard where Ji Chaoyun was hiding finally grew quiet.
He sighed softly and stepped out from behind the rocks.
Feng Qi had drawn away the nearby patrols, so Ji Chaoyun did not run into anyone along the way. He soon reached the vicinity of the main hall.
The duty disciple selection had already been suspended. The disciples waiting to be assessed were gathered in the courtyard, and the entire place was noisy and chaotic.
Ji Chaoyun lowered his head and kept close to the wall as he made his way out.
He had just stepped outside the Inspection Hall when an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. “Don’t leave so quickly.”
Ji Chaoyun stopped and abruptly turned around.
There was no one behind him.
A spiritual butterfly formed from white light landed on his shoulder.
The voice sounded again.
“Don’t be nervous. I’m right here.”
The voice was clear and refined, but Ji Chaoyun had never heard it before.
His expression turned cold.
He released his spiritual power and tried to sense the speaker, but could not locate the person’s true body at all.
The other person’s cultivation was far above his.
Ji Chaoyun asked quietly, “Who are you?”
The butterfly fluttered cheerfully around him.
“If you want to know, why not come meet me?”
“Why should I listen to you?”
The voice laughed softly.
“Because if you don’t come, I’ll tell Immortal Venerable Yaoguang that you and Feng Qi secretly broke into his bedchamber.”
A faint glimmer flashed through Ji Chaoyun’s eyes.
He closed them briefly, concealing the change in his expression.
“Lead the way.”
The butterfly circled him once, then flew forward.
Its master seemed extremely familiar with the layout of Hongmeng Academy. The butterfly led Ji Chaoyun directly toward the rear mountain, through a large pine forest, and finally disappeared in a wisp of smoke before a waterfall.
At the moment, almost every disciple had gathered at the front mountain. Only the quiet murmur of running water and faint insect calls could be heard in the forest.
Suddenly, the grass ahead rustled. Spiritual light instantly gathered in Ji Chaoyun’s hand beneath his sleeve.
“Relax. I only wanted to speak with you alone. I mean no harm.”
A snowy-white figure stepped out from the bushes.
It was a fully grown white fox with nine long, fluffy tails trailing behind it. Its entire body was snow-white, save for a faint blush of red at the tips of its tails.
The fox fixed its pale green eyes upon Ji Chaoyun and spoke in a human voice.
“I did not expect our first meeting to be under such discourteous circumstances. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Ji Chaoyun frowned.
“You’re a celestial fox?”
“Yes.”
The suspicion on Ji Chaoyun’s face did not fade. He asked coldly, “Why did you bring me here?”
The white fox stepped forward.
“As you can see, I suffered an injury and temporarily cannot return to human form. I am currently searching for the person who injured me. You may be able to help.”
“Why should I help you?”
“Because... perhaps we’re looking for the same person.”
“Two months ago, the celestial fox clan of Qingqiu was attacked, and an extremely important treasure was stolen. The leader of those attackers wore a black cloak and a pure white mask. His sword was shrouded in black energy, concealing its true appearance.”
A subtle change passed through Ji Chaoyun’s eyes. “What did they steal?”
The white fox paused, but did not answer directly.
“My injuries have yet to heal, so I cannot regain human form. In a way, that has made it easier for me to move around unnoticed. I traced the stolen object back to Hongmeng Academy. After that, I learned that the same, black-robed man appeared in the sea market and attacked you. I suspect you may be his next target.”
Ji Chaoyun asked, “Do you know what the black-robed man wants?”
The white fox looked steadily at him and said slowly. “The seal on the Demon Realm.”
“Three hundred years ago, when Feng Xiao sealed the Demon Realm, he placed the keys to the seal upon three treasures. Those three treasures were ultimately entrusted to the celestial fox clan of Qingqiu, the Phoenix Clan of Fengming Valley, and a place in the Mortal Realm known as Mount Sumeru.”
The fox continued, “Mount Sumeru is protected by Feng Xiao’s divine power. Even we have never been able to locate it. Now that Qingqiu’s treasure has already been stolen, his next target should be Fengming Valley.”
Ji Chaoyun’s expression remained icy, revealing nothing.
“I know nothing of what you’re saying. Feng Xiao? What does any of this have to do with me?”
The white fox paused strangely before continuing, “After this happened, I immediately contacted the head of the Phoenix Clan to warn him to be careful. Yet it was only then that I learned that Divine Lord Feng Xiao had never left any treasures in Fengming Valley.”
“During the war three hundred years ago, the Immortal Realm was in chaos. Even my father died in that calamity. No one could be trusted at the time. Feng Xiao may have lied alongside the Phoenix Clan in order to conceal the true location of that treasure.”
Ji Chaoyun’s expression finally changed.
“You mean...”
“We suspect that perhaps he left something with you.”
Ji Chaoyun lowered his eyes.
All color drained from his face, leaving him ghostly pale in the shadowed forest.
After a long while, he said, his voice rough, “Why should I believe you?”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. I’m only telling you this because I want to remind you to protect yourself. The Phoenix Clan is far stronger than Qingqiu. Even if they encounter that person, they may not necessarily suffer a loss. You’re different. If that thing truly is on you, your life may be in danger.”
Ji Chaoyun did not answer.
Instead, he asked, “You said earlier that you wanted my help. Do you know that person is inside the academy?”
“I sensed that the artifact stolen from the Fox Clan was brought back to the academy. That person must be here.” The white fox continued, “I did indeed want to ask for help, only... with spiritual power as weak as yours, little dragon, it’s already difficult enough for you to protect yourself. What could you possibly do to help me?”
“Then why did you...”
“He was looking for me.”
A cold voice interrupted them.
Ji Chaoyun turned around.
Feng Qi strode over with a dark expression, grabbed Ji Chaoyun, and pulled him firmly behind himself.
He narrowed his eyes at the white fox among the bushes.
“A few months apart and you managed to get yourself into this miserable state? Could you possibly embarrass yourself any more, Bai Qiuyue?”
☁
Wenqu Peak.
Ji Chaoyun followed Feng Qi back to the courtyard.
Feng Qi had been wearing a dark expression the entire way and had not said a word.
The courtyard gate slammed shut behind them.
Feng Qi spun the storage ring around his finger, and a white fox jumped out from inside.
The fox staggered around in a dizzy circle before finally managing to steady itself.
“So this is what it feels like to be stored away like a spirit pet. That was horribly dizzying.”
Feng Qi looked at him disdainfully. “How much longer until you recover?”
“A month, at least.”
Feng Qi clicked his tongue but said nothing.
Ji Chaoyun looked from the white fox to Feng Qi, then quietly asked, “So who exactly is he...?”
The fox finally finished smoothing down his ruffled fur, amusement in his voice.
“I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself earlier. This one is Bai Qiuyue, head of Qingqiu’s Celestial Fox Clan and a Heaven-rank disciple of Hongmeng Academy.”
“Heaven-rank...”
Ji Chaoyun finally remembered where he had heard the name before.
“You’re Bai Qiuyue, the one ranked second on the Heaven Ranking?”
The moment Ji Chaoyun mentioned this, Feng Qi’s mood finally improved somewhat.
He turned toward Ji Chaoyun with a smile and emphasized, “That’s right. The very same Bai Qiuyue who entered the academy the same year as me and lost to me in the Heaven Ranking Tournament for five consecutive years.”
Ji Chaoyun: “...”
Bai Qiuyue: “...”
Hongmeng Academy was a place for quiet cultivation. Its disciples often descended to the mortal realm for practical training or entered seclusion to cultivate. Whether they were away for training or in seclusion, it could last anywhere from several months to several years. Thus, the higher a disciple’s rank, the less time they actually spent at the academy.
Of the current top ten on the Heaven Ranking, only a handful remained at the academy.
Of course, someone like Feng Qi, who neither went out for training nor properly attended class and instead spent his days idling around, was the first of his kind in the academy’s several-hundred-year history.
Bai Qiuyue was extraordinarily gifted and had taken over as clan leader of the celestial foxes while still young. He often left the academy to handle matters within his clan.
For that reason, Ji Chaoyun had never encountered him since entering Hongmeng Academy.
Ji Chaoyun wisely ignored Feng Qi’s boasting, only to hear Bai Qiuyue say, “But I rank first in the written examination.”
“...”
After a moment of thought, he added, “Ah, and sometimes I rank first overall too, because Second Highness Feng never studies the Daoist scriptures.”
Feng Qi ground his teeth.
Through clenched jaws, he said ominously, “Say one more word and I’ll kick you straight out of here.”
Clan Leader Bai flicked his tails and nimbly hid behind Ji Chaoyun.
Ji Chaoyun unexpectedly met Feng Qi’s gaze and immediately looked away, uneasily.
“W-We should probably discuss what we’re going to do next.”
“There’s nothing to plan.”
Feng Qi, not noticing his flustered reaction, said. “With me protecting you, no one at this academy can touch you. As for this fox, he can stay at Wenqu Peak for the next month. The moment he can return to human form, he can get out.”
Bai Qiuyue said, “Feng Qi, what I told you earlier...”
“I heard everything.” Feng Qi said. “We already investigated Yaoguang today. It wasn’t him.”
“What about everyone else?”
“We have no evidence yet.”
Bai Qiuyue fell silent.
Ji Chaoyun instead asked, “But is there truly someone inside the academy strong enough to injure Senior Brother Bai so badly that he was forced back into his original form?”
Feng Qi’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Before he could say anything, Bai Qiuyue continued, “What Junior Brother Ji said is also what I’ve been considering. What that black-clad man used was not an immortal technique, but likely some kind of Demon Clan cultivation technique. I was thinking, if he truly is someone from the academy, then he has probably never revealed his true strength in front of us.”
“...Wouldn’t that make him even harder to find?”
“Indeed.” Bai Qiuyue sighed softly. “If not for that, why would I have come seeking your help?”
The courtyard fell silent for a moment. After a short while, Feng Qi said, “All right. The trail has already gone cold. There’s no point sitting around here looking miserable. Go do whatever you ought to be doing.”
Ji Chaoyun nodded and was just about to return to his bedroom when Feng Qi caught hold of him.
“Come with me.”
“Where?”
“Cloud-Ascending Tower.” Feng Qi said calmly, “We still haven’t finished copying my punishment scriptures.”
Ji Chaoyun looked puzzled. “But didn’t you say yesterday that since today is a rest day, we could take the day off?”
“...”
Feng Qi glanced at Bai Qiuyue.
At that moment, the fox seemed brighter than a deep-sea night pearl and more irritating the longer Feng Qi looked at him.
Feng Qi withdrew his gaze and said naturally, “Take what day off? The Disciplinary Hall came to hurry me along just yesterday and told me to hand in my punishment copies as soon as possible. No resting until they’re finished.”
Never before had Second Highness Feng taken the Disciplinary Hall’s words as seriously as he did today.
Ji Chaoyun stared at him in silence for a while but unfortunately could not find any reason to argue with him, so he could only follow him reluctantly.
It was rare to have a rest day with no Immortal Lords lecturing, and even the Scripture Pavilion was empty of disciples.
Yet inside the warm chamber of Cloud-Ascending Tower, the rustle of turning pages could still be heard.
Ji Chaoyun quickly finished copying the volume in front of him and said without raising his head, “Feng Qi, give me the volume beside you.”
Feng Qi did not respond.
Ji Chaoyun looked up at him in confusion. Feng Qi remained seated upright where he was, his expression solemn.
“Feng Qi?”
Hearing Ji Chaoyun call him, Feng Qi raised his head and gave him a brief glance before turning a page and continuing to copy. “What did you call me?”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun’s expression immediately became indescribable. As if suddenly enlightened, he understood what Feng Qi wanted.
He glanced at the scripture Feng Qi was deliberately pressing beneath his hand and gritted his teeth.
“Senior Brother Feng, please hand me the next scripture.”
Only then did Feng Qi smile. He pulled the scripture free and handed it over, clearly satisfied.
“That’s more like it. Be good. Don’t always be so disrespectful toward your senior.”
Ji Chaoyun was just about to take it when Feng Qi suddenly loosened his grip and caught his wrist instead.
Ji Chaoyun instinctively tried to pull away.
Feng Qi winked at him.
“Forget the copying. I’ll take you somewhere.”
Feng Qi led Ji Chaoyun upstairs.
The highest floor of Cloud-Ascending Tower was Feng Qi’s personal residence, and its furnishings were no less luxurious than his courtyard on Wenqu Peak.
Ji Chaoyun had spent several months coming and going from Cloud-Ascending Tower, but most of his time was spent inside the library.
He had never been up here before.
Cloud-Ascending Tower was the tallest structure in Hongmeng Academy. Its view was extraordinarily wide. From the top, almost the entirety of Hongmeng Academy could be seen below.
“Do you remember your entrance examination?” Feng Qi asked. He stood beside Ji Chaoyun at the railing, his voice gentle.
“I was standing right here back then. I watched you defeat Song Zhifei and provoke Jiang Cheng.”
Ji Chaoyun followed Feng Qi’s gaze downward.
Sure enough, he could see the White Jade Platform below.
Feng Qi rested one hand on the railing beside Ji Chaoyun, making it look almost as though he had wrapped him within his arms.
“There’s a barrier around Cloud-Ascending Tower. From the outside, no one can see what it looks like in here, but from inside, you can see the whole of Hongmeng Academy clearly, even Hongmeng Mountain in the distance. What do you think?”
Clouds and mist curled around the distant mountains. Sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon Hongmeng Mountain, where the snow never melted throughout the year, bathing it in golden light.
“It’s beautiful.”
Ji Chaoyun spoke sincerely.
“No wonder Cloud-Ascending Tower can serve as the reward for first place on the Heaven Ranking. It truly is beautiful.”
Feng Qi turned his head toward him. “You like it?”
Ji Chaoyun was too absorbed in the view to answer.
Feng Qi gently ruffled his hair, then turned and walked back inside.
With a smile in his voice, he said, “If you like it, this place can be yours too.”
Ji Chaoyun paused.
A subtle change passed through his eyes, and a trace of awkwardness entered his voice.
“F-Feng Qi, you... why would you say that?”
Feng Qi sat down beside the cushioned couch inside.
He stared at Ji Chaoyun’s back, suddenly feeling his throat go dry as he asked softly, “Why do you think?”
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Sorry for the late update. My computer suddenly refused to open webpages, and I spent forever trying to fix it. I ended up posting this from my phone in the end orz
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