Brother Chaoyun?
Feng Qi brought Ji Chaoyun to a temple within the city.
It was already nearly time for the temple to close. More worshippers were leaving than entering, yet the area before the temple gates was still crowded and noisy, proof of how flourishing its incense offerings were.
Ji Chaoyun looked up. Several large characters were inscribed on the plaque above the temple gates:
Temple of Immortal Venerable Peifeng.
Ji Chaoyun frowned slightly. “Why did you bring me here?”
“Follow me inside and you will know.” Feng Qi led Ji Chaoyun through a side entrance, across the courtyard, and into the main hall. “This Immortal’s temple with the most flourishing incense offerings in all of Yanbeicheng, and it is also considered the most efficacious. Whether it concerns marriage, illness, or troubles in the family, the common folk come here to offer their prayers.”
“...” Ji Chaoyun vaguely realized something.
The two arrived before the main hall. A tall stone statue of an Immortal Venerable was enshrined inside, while several common folk knelt in worship.
Naturally, the worshippers could not see that behind them, a young man dressed in splendid brocade robes was sitting atop the high offering table with his legs swinging idly. He held a brush in one hand and a book in the other, rapidly recording something.
Feng Qi turned his head toward Ji Chaoyun with a smile and pulled him into the hall entrance. “As it happens, Immortal Venerable Peifeng, who is worshipped here, is an old acquaintance of mine.”
The instant the two stepped through the entrance, the light and shadows around them abruptly folded in upon themselves. Ji Chaoyun paused in surprise, only then discovering that his body had become like that Immortal Venerable’s, invisible to ordinary people.
This was a place where the mortal realm and the Immortal Realm overlapped.
“Your chickens keep disappearing for no reason? Why come to me instead of reporting something like that to the authorities... Oh, Second Highness is here.” Immortal Venerable Peifeng had been muttering to himself while writing in the ledger in his hands. When he saw Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun arrive, he hurried forward to greet them.
He tossed aside the paper and brush in his hands. A spirit pet resembling a monkey immediately sprang out beside him, caught them, then crouched atop the offering table and continued recording.
Feng Qi asked, “It’s already dark. You’re still this busy?”
“What choice do I have? I am so busy every day that my feet barely touch the ground. I haven’t even returned to the Immortal Realm in years.” Peifeng waved a hand at Feng Qi. There was no complaint in his words. If anything, he sounded faintly proud.
There was a fundamental difference between the Immortal Realm and the Divine Realm.
Gods were born having attained the Dao, with lifespans spanning tens of millions of years. Unless they perished under Heavenly Dao or suffered grave injuries themselves, the day would never come when they ceased to exist. Immortals, however, had limits to their lifespans. Ascending to become an immortal was not something that settled everything once and for all. To extend their lives, they either had to cultivate on their own or receive offerings from mortals.
Of course, mortal faith and offerings could also increase both their spiritual power and wealth, bringing nothing but benefits.
An immortal who possessed several temples in the mortal realm with flourishing incense offerings would be the envy of everyone in the Immortal Realm.
Managing a temple, however, required considerable effort and attention. Descendants of immortal families such as Feng Qi, who were nobly born and came from wealthy clans, usually disdained doing such things. They had exceptional cultivation talent and long lifespans, along with countless clansmen and retainers who drew offerings from the mortal realm to enrich their families. There was no need for them to personally undertake this sort of labor.
Thus, Immortal temples in the mortal realm were usually established by immortals who had ascended from among mortals.
Peifeng also knew that the illustrious Second Highness Feng had never cared about matters concerning Immortal temples. He said no more and instead turned his gaze toward Ji Chaoyun. “This must be Your Highness’s...”
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Feng Qi coughed heavily several times. Peifeng abruptly changed what had already reached the tip of his tongue. “...Your Highness’s fellow student from the Academy, I presume.”
Ji Chaoyun cast Feng Qi a suspicious glance, then nodded to Peifeng in greeting.
Feng Qi hurriedly changed the subject. “Have you finished what I asked you to arrange earlier?”
“Everything is ready. Please follow me.” Peifeng led the two toward the inner hall.
Several ledgers had already been stacked atop the table in the inner hall.
They were identical to the one Peifeng had been holding atop the offering table earlier.
Peifeng said, “Your Highness wanted them urgently. These are the common folk’s prayers from the past three months that the temple has yet to fulfill. I have also sent word to the nearby cities. They should be able to deliver theirs by tomorrow.”
Feng Qi nodded. “Many thanks.”
Ji Chaoyun tugged at Feng Qi’s sleeve from behind. “What are you doing?”
Feng Qi smiled. “Didn’t you say you couldn’t find powerful evil creatures? These are the ledgers containing the prayers of mortals recorded by the Immortals’ temples. Pick through them and you’ll be able to find places where strange incidents or disturbances have occurred, or where evil creatures are terrorizing the region?”
“Still...” Ji Chaoyun hesitated. “Does the academy allow this?”
“The academy never said it was forbidden.” Feng Qi smiled as he pushed him into a seat before the table. “Don’t worry. This is how I’ve always done it. As long as you personally subdue the creature, the Heavenly Dao will count the merit as yours. The academy certainly won’t interfere.”
Ji Chaoyun still had some misgivings. “Would this not... mean taking merit that should have belonged to someone else?”
“Would it?” Feng Qi raised a brow, then turned to Peifeng. “Do you mind if we help you deal with a few evil beings?”
“Of course not.” Peifeng smiled ingratiatingly. “The temple can barely keep up with its usual workload. If Your Highness is willing to lend a hand, it is our honor.”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun glanced at Peifeng, unable for a moment to tell whether those words were sincere or spoken against his will. He was about to say something else when Feng Qi pulled out a prayer ledger and spread it open directly before him.
“Don’t waste time. Do you still want to accumulate enough merit or not?”
“Oh...” Ji Chaoyun responded quietly. He said nothing more and lowered his head to begin reading.
Feng Qi leaned against the edge of the table and picked up a prayer ledger of his own. While reading, he casually selected the pastries Ji Chaoyun liked from the plate on the table and fed them to him.
Ji Chaoyun was completely absorbed in what he was reading. Whenever Feng Qi brought food to his lips, he subconsciously leaned over and bit into it, entirely unaware that there was anything unusual about the action.
“...” Peifeng stared at the two of them for a moment, then awkwardly rubbed his cheek.
His teeth ached.
Feng Qi was well practiced at this sort of thing. He quickly finished one ledger and selected several places worth investigating. He turned his head, intending to ask Ji Chaoyun’s opinion, only to find the latter frowning at one particular page of the prayer ledger, his gaze unmoving for a long while.
“What is it, Chaoyun?”
Only after hearing Feng Qi call him did Ji Chaoyun come back to himself. “Here...”
Ji Chaoyun handed the ledger in his hands to Feng Qi.
The ledger said that several hundred li east of Yanbeicheng lay a place called Peach Blossom Ridge. Beginning several months ago, people had frequently reported seeing ghosts roaming throughout the ridge. There were even rumors that quite a few passing travelers had disappeared within Peach Blossom Ridge. Some had gathered their courage and entered the mountains to investigate, only to find ghastly white bones left behind after evil creatures had finished feeding.
Peach Blossom Ridge had become a man-eating ridge. The common people were thrown into fear and gradually no longer dared approach it.
Although the ridge was not part of the official road, it was a shortcut to the great eastern city of Biandu. Once the ridge became impassable, anyone wishing to travel to Biandu had no choice but to take a detour, needlessly adding several days to the journey.
The common people hoped the Immortal Venerable would manifest his power and subdue the evil beings causing trouble on the man-eating ridge.
After Feng Qi finished reading the contents of the prayer ledger, he smiled dismissively. “I thought it was something serious. You don’t need to pay attention to this one.”
“Why?”
Feng Qi said, “The prayer says ghosts run rampant throughout the ridge and that evil creatures are eating people. If that were really true, many common folk would surely have come here to pray together and begged the Immortal Venerable temple to deal with it as quickly as possible. We would never have found it sitting unresolved in this ledger.”
“You mean... the report is false?”
“Not necessarily false, though perhaps not entirely true either.” Feng Qi said, “Stories of ghosts and spirits always grow more mysterious with every retelling among common people. If large numbers of people have not come here to pray about it, and the temple has left the matter untouched for several months, that can only mean the truth is nowhere near as serious as this says. At the very least, no one should actually have died.”
As he spoke, he turned toward Peifeng. “Am I correct?”
“Your Highness is correct,” Peifeng said. “After receiving this prayer, I sent immortal attendants to investigate. They found that there was indeed something unusual about Peach Blossom Ridge, though no common folk had been harmed. I suspect it may simply be a few minor demons blocking the road who frightened people without meaning to.”
Feng Qi returned the prayer ledger to Ji Chaoyun and casually ruffled his hair. “If they have done nothing that violates the laws of Heaven or harms others, subduing them would be useless anyway. Look at something else.”
Ji Chaoyun did not move.
He lowered his eyes and carefully read the prayer once more before slowly saying, “I don’t think it’s that simple.”
“If it were only a few minor demons accidentally frightening people, how could these strange incidents have continued for several months, even to the point that the common folk no longer dare use that road?” Ji Chaoyun thought for a moment, then looked up at Feng Qi. “Can we go take a look?”
Feng Qi met his gaze for a moment before giving in. “If you want to go, then we will go. Tomorrow morning...”
Ji Chaoyun interrupted him. “Let’s go now.”
“...” Feng Qi lowered his head slightly and said gently, “You have been working all day. You should not travel any farther tonight.”
“I’m fine...”
It was rare for Ji Chaoyun to use such a pleading tone with Feng Qi. Under that gaze, Feng Qi’s heart softened at once. He could only give a soft laugh and shake his head. “Fine. We’ll do as you say. We’ll go now.”
☁
One incense stick’s time later, Ji Chaoyun and Feng Qi arrived at Peach Blossom Ridge by flying through the air.
True to its name, Peach Blossom Ridge was covered in vast peach blossom forests stretching for a hundred li. Had they come in early spring, the sight would surely have been magnificent. Unfortunately, their timing was poor. Most of the leaves had already fallen from the peach trees, leaving only gnarled, jagged branches. Coupled with the night wind passing through the forest, the sight was particularly eerie.
The two entered the woods.
Ji Chaoyun remained silent throughout, and nothing unusual could be discerned from his expression. Feng Qi observed him from beside him for a moment before abruptly quickening his pace and stepping directly in front of him.
Ji Chaoyun nearly walked straight into his arms and stopped short. “What are you doing?”
“I should be asking what you are doing.” Feng Qi lowered his head to look at him. “Ever since you entered Peach Blossom Ridge, you have been preoccupied. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“I...” Ji Chaoyun opened his mouth as though wanting to speak, then shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Feng Qi moved closer, a gentle light in his eyes. “Does this look like nothing? What’s wrong? Can’t you tell me?”
They had already been standing close together. With Feng Qi moving nearer like this, their bodies were almost touching. Ji Chaoyun uneasily took half a step backward and turned his head aside. “Feng Qi...”
Feng Qi acted as though he had not noticed and leaned a little closer. “What is it?”
The tips of Ji Chaoyun’s ears grew hot, and his voice trembled slightly despite himself. “Don’t...”
Feng Qi stared fixedly at him, something stirring faintly in his heart. He suddenly said, “Right, I forgot to ask earlier. Why did you make the talisman bird that guided the way look like me?”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun stepped back, but Feng Qi caught hold of his arm and pressed him for an answer. “A talisman bird changes according to the caster’s thoughts. You could have made it a carrier pigeon, a sparrow, a wild goose, anything. Why did it have to be me?”
The air around the two seemed to grow exceedingly thin at that moment. Ji Chaoyun closed his eyes, feeling only that it was difficult to breathe. His heart beat so quickly that it seemed ready to burst from his chest, and he could not even summon the strength to struggle.
Why did it have to be him?
Ji Chaoyun himself had never considered that question.
There was only one juvenile phoenix he had ever seen in his life. There was no possibility that it had been anyone else.
Why exactly had he...
Ji Chaoyun turned his head away evasively. Even his fingertips were trembling slightly, and for the first time, he had the impulse to flee in panic. The two remained at an impasse for a long while before Ji Chaoyun suddenly felt the pressure upon him disappear.
Feng Qi straightened and stepped back several paces, putting some distance between them.
“Forget it. Now isn’t the time to talk about this. Let’s get back to the matter at hand.”
Feng Qi smiled as though it were nothing and raised a hand to point toward the path ahead of them. “We passed several forks in the road just now. You never once discussed them with me and simply chose this path, even avoiding several dead ends. Tell me. Why are you so familiar with this place?”
“I—”
Ji Chaoyun had just begun to speak when a sharp rush of wind suddenly sounded beside his ear.
His gaze sharpened. Just as he was about to turn around, Feng Qi suddenly yanked him hard and pulled him behind himself. Several ghostly figures abruptly appeared among the dark trees in the distance.
“Hee hee hee...” Strange, sinister laughter seemed to come from all directions. The cold night wind swept toward them, carrying a faint scent of blood.
Feng Qi probed the surroundings for a moment, then turned to Ji Chaoyun. “Its true body is to the northwest. Come.”
“Feng—”
Before Ji Chaoyun could say anything, Feng Qi seized his hand and rushed swiftly toward the northwest. The wind roared around them. Ji Chaoyun lowered his head and looked at their clasped hands, his thoughts unreadable.
The two swiftly moved through the forest. Feng Qi raised his wrist, and the golden chain around it transformed into a streak of golden light and shot forward, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
At the same moment, a young cry of alarm came from within the darkness.
The two exchanged a glance and walked forward.
A young boy lay on the ground, tightly bound by the golden whip, struggling wildly.
Feng Qi sneered. “So it was you, little yao, playing these ghostly tricks to frighten people? I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
He raised his hand and was just about to strike when Ji Chaoyun suddenly said, “Wait!”
Feng Qi stopped. Ji Chaoyun walked over to the boy and lightly touched the golden whip with one hand.
The golden whip had once acknowledged Ji Chaoyun as its master. It immediately transformed back into a golden chain on its own and returned to Feng Qi’s wrist.
The boy seemed terrified. Even after being freed from his restraints, he remained curled up on the ground, trembling as he covered his head with both hands.
Ji Chaoyun crouched down until he was level with the boy and asked gently, “Don’t you recognize me?”
At Ji Chaoyun’s words, the boy slowly raised his head. He tilted his head and stared at Ji Chaoyun for a long while before asking with slight uncertainty, “...Brother Chaoyun?”
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Feng Qi: Just how many little brothers do you have???
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