“He Is My Husband.”
Ji Chaoyun lowered his gaze, both hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles tensed with nervousness.
He remembered Feng Qi had once said that he wanted to touch his dragon horns. Since he was supposed to cater to what Feng Qi liked... he should like this, right?
Ji Chaoyun kept his head lowered. Steeling himself, he closed his eyes and moved his dragon horns a little closer toward Feng Qi.
Feng Qi still did nothing. The two remained frozen like this for a long while until Ji Chaoyun finally lost patience. “If this won’t do, then forget it. I’ll think of something else, mmph—!”
Feng Qi suddenly raised his hand, the pad of his finger lightly brushing over the dragon horn on Ji Chaoyun’s forehead.
Ji Chaoyun was completely unprepared and instantly went limp.
“Don’t open your eyes.” Feng Qi pressed one hand against Ji Chaoyun’s shoulder and ordered, “Don’t move either.”
Ji Chaoyun shrank slightly and actually gave up struggling. His brows were tightly drawn, the heat in his face rising at once. His dangling legs had nowhere to go and rested awkwardly against Feng Qi’s legs, already somewhat weak.
Feng Qi took in every one of his reactions, a faint red gradually appearing in his eyes.
He was already like this from having his dragon horns touched once. If Feng Qi touched somewhere else, would he start crying?
A certain yearning and desire in his heart seemed to catch fire. It burned until Feng Qi’s head buzzed and his reason nearly collapsed.
He drew a silent breath, closed his eyes, and forced himself to calm down.
No. This would frighten him.
It had taken so much effort for Ji Chaoyun to stop rejecting him. He could not be too impatient. He could not hurt him.
Still...
Feng Qi looked up at the pair of dragon horns trembling before him, and the corner of his mouth slowly curved upward.
Since Ji Chaoyun had offered himself up willingly, Feng Qi still ought to tease him a little.
Feng Qi raised his hand, placing his fingertips once more upon the pair of silver dragon horns.
He had secretly touched them once before when Ji Chaoyun was drunk. At the time, he had been afraid of disturbing him and had touched them with extreme care.
This time was different.
This time, Ji Chaoyun was unbelievably obedient.
He was clearly terrified of the sensation. A single touch made him instinctively want to shrink away, yet he still forced himself to obediently offer up his dragon horns. When he felt Feng Qi stop, he even leaned forward of his own accord and placed himself beneath Feng Qi’s hand.
...This was too unfair.
Ji Chaoyun trembled finely, almost unable to remain seated. Had Feng Qi not been supporting his shoulder, he might already have slipped from the table.
Feng Qi deliberately stroked the dragon horn, waiting until he felt the other man shudder heavily before asking in a low voice, “Does it feel uncomfortable?”
“...”
“Weren’t you trying to coax me?” Feng Qi licked his lips, his voice low and roughened. “Be good, little dragon. Tell me, does it feel uncomfortable... or do you like it?”
“...It... it doesn’t feel uncomfortable,” Ji Chaoyun answered quietly, even the end of his words trembling strangely.
“Then you like it.” Feng Qi lightened his touch, his fingertips seemingly carelessly teasing the soft down as he patiently asked, “What about this? Do you like this?”
Ji Chaoyun immediately trembled even harder. Finally unable to endure it any longer, he raised a hand and caught Feng Qi by the wrist. “Don’t...”
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes were slightly red, his gaze growing even clearer and more watery. He glanced at Feng Qi, then lowered his head again as though trying to hide it, his entire bearing soft and pitiful.
He truly did look as though he had been thoroughly bullied.
Feng Qi stared at him, realizing that if he did not stop now, there would be no suppressing the fire in his heart at all.
He withdrew his hand and cleared his throat as though nothing had happened. “You pass this time.”
Ji Chaoyun finally released a breath and relaxed.
Feng Qi said, “Wait three more days. Once my cultivation has fully recovered, we’ll set out for the mortal realm.”
“...All right.”
Seeing Ji Chaoyun looking so easy to knead and tease made Feng Qi’s hands itch. Parched and dry-mouthed, he returned to the chair and sat down, picked up the cup of tea beside him, and took a sip. “By the way, do you want to...”
Before he could finish, the clothes atop the table suddenly collapsed into an empty heap. A small silver dragon slipped out from among the scattered garments and floated lightly to the floor.
“...”
The little silver dragon nimbly leapt onto the table, put the map and pearl hairpin into the Spirit-Storing Ring, and quickly gathered everything together as though packing a small bundle. Only then did he look up at Feng Qi. “What were you saying just now?”
Feng Qi forcibly swallowed the words “Do you want to stay and eat something?” that had already reached his lips and said calmly, “Nothing. Go back. I’ll have someone buy you some pastries from Changyuan Pavilion and send them over later.”
“Oh, all right.” The little dragon picked up the Spirit-Storing Ring and jumped down from the table. Turning his head, he reminded Feng Qi, “Get more osmanthus cakes.”
Feng Qi smiled. “Mm. I know.”
Completely satisfied, the little dragon carried his small bundle and swiftly slipped out through the window.
Feng Qi stared for a long while in the direction Ji Chaoyun had disappeared, then glanced beneath the desk with a conflicted expression, muttering. “Why does it feel like he came to have his way with me and ran off as soon as he was done...”
Three days later, Feng Qi’s cultivation recovered, and he left Fengming Valley with Ji Chaoyun to travel to the mortal realm.
☁
A carriage slowly made its way along a winding, rugged mountain road.
Ji Chaoyun lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside. In the distance, a patch of blue sea was already faintly visible, nearly blending into the horizon.
They had been searching for several days, yet had found nothing.
The villages here were scattered like stars across a chessboard, all built against the mountains and beside the sea. The terrain was complicated, so if the two searched from the air, they would inevitably miss places. They could only disguise themselves as traveling merchants, hire a carriage, and use purchasing goods as a pretext while a guide led them from village to village.
Inside the carriage, Feng Qi was looking down and intently reading something.
Ji Chaoyun asked, “Still looking at the Merit Ledger?”
“Yes.” Feng Qi beckoned him over. “Come take a look too.”
It had already been more than a month since they left the academy. They had originally descended for practical training, but after becoming entangled in the demons’ scheme, they had set that matter aside. Ji Chaoyun had not looked at the Merit Ledger since Mount Sumeru. It was not that he had forgotten about it, only that some matters were more urgent than others. Even if investigating the demons truly caused him to miss all ten assessments, there was nothing else he could do.
Only after hearing Feng Qi say this did he walk over and accept the Merit Ledger Feng Qi handed him.
When Immortal Venerable Tianshu gave the two of them their Merit Ledgers, he had cast a spell allowing them to share merit so they could watch out for each other, though the amount of merit accumulated by each person remained different.
Feng Qi had descended to the mortal realm this time solely to accompany Ji Chaoyun and did not care how much merit he himself had accumulated.
He tossed his own ledger aside, pointed to the one in Ji Chaoyun’s hands, and said with a smile, “See how much you have now.”
Ji Chaoyun’s gaze moved to the very bottom of the ledger, where an unfamiliar number entered his sight.
Total Merit: 2,136 points.
Ji Chaoyun paused in surprise. “How could it be...”
“Mount Sumeru,” Feng Qi explained. “Don’t forget, not only did you slay demonic creatures on Mount Sumeru, but you also killed a Demon Protector. Naturally, all of that counts toward your merit.”
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes brightened slightly. “Which means...”
“So long as we successfully wipe out the demons’ stronghold on this journey, your merit will reach three thousand.”
Hongmeng Academy stipulated that anyone who accumulated three thousand merit points during practical training in the mortal realm could directly receive a Grade A for the assessment.
Ji Chaoyun carefully looked through the Merit Ledger once more before putting it away with great care.
Seeing this, Feng Qi felt a faint sourness in his heart.
Feng Xiao’s personal sword was still with Ji Chaoyun. There was no possibility that Ji Chaoyun did not understand what that meant, yet from Mount Sumeru until now, he had shown no particularly obvious grief.
This was completely different from what Feng Qi had initially expected.
Feng Qi could not tell what Ji Chaoyun was truly thinking now, nor did he dare ask rashly for fear of upsetting him.
Judging from his reaction today, however, Ji Chaoyun still wanted to pass the advancement assessment and, one day, ascend through the Gate of Ascension to the Divine Realm.
Feng Qi grew somewhat sullen. Fortunately, it was not long before the carriage finally stopped.
They had arrived at a small fishing village called Linhai Village.
Linhai Village was considered prosperous among the nearby villages. Most of its people made their living by fishing and were self-sufficient, while quite a few outsiders also came here to purchase goods.
“Our Linhai Village is rich in resources, and the seafood caught here is the finest in this entire region. Young Masters, please follow me this way...” The guide eagerly introduced the village as he led Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun inside.
Feng Qi asked seemingly without thought, “If this place is the best, why didn’t you bring us here from the beginning?”
“Well...” The guide was nearly fifty, his back stooped. He paused before giving an ingratiating smile. “The journey here is long. I only wanted to spare you two the trouble. Who would have thought that you two Young Masters had such discerning eyes and could tell at a glance...”
“All right, all right.” Feng Qi stuffed an ingot of silver into his hand. “Let’s go look at the goods first.”
“Certainly!”
The moment the two entered the village, they drew the attention of many villagers.
Outsiders were actually not uncommon here, but few were as handsome as these two. Feng Qi in particular had striking features and a constant smile in his eyes. Whenever he spoke, his expressive gaze drew bursts of giggles from the young women watching nearby.
Ji Chaoyun followed behind him, his expression abruptly darkening.
Feng Qi noticed nothing. He continued chatting with the guide as they walked and was led directly to the largest residence in the village.
This was the home of Linhai Village’s village chief.
The homes of ordinary villagers naturally could not compare with those in a large city. The furnishings inside were simple, and a faint fishy smell hung in the air. Only at the front of the main room stood a gilded divine statue upon an altar.
A young woman was mending a fishing net inside. The guide gave her a few brief instructions before heading into the rear room.
The young woman put down her needlework and poured two cups of tea for them.
Feng Qi casually accepted his cup and smiled. “Many thanks.”
“N-No need to thank me!” The young woman’s cheeks turned bright red. She set down the teapot, turned, and fled.
Ji Chaoyun: “...”
Only the two of them remained in the room. Feng Qi’s gaze kept drifting toward the divine statue. The longer he looked, the more amusing he found it, until he finally could not hold back a laugh.
Already vexed, Ji Chaoyun asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Feng Qi walked over to the altar and frowned as he examined the statue. “They made your father... ahem, they made the Dragon King of Lingyuan Sea far too ugly.”
“...” Ji Chaoyun said sourly, “He certainly isn’t as good-looking as you.”
“?”
Feng Qi had no idea how he had offended this ancestor again. He blinked in bewilderment, but before he could ask, footsteps came from the rear room.
The guide emerged supporting an elderly man.
The village chief was already past fifty, his hair streaked with gray. He leaned on a walking stick and could not stop coughing after only a few steps.
The village chief sat before the two and asked, “You two have come to purchase goods?”
Feng Qi said, “Yes. We would first like to look...”
“What is there to look at?!” The village chief’s expression suddenly changed, and he cut Feng Qi off without explanation. “We don’t have the goods you want. Please leave.”
Feng Qi had played the part of a wealthy merchant throughout their journey and had grown accustomed to people flattering him and trying to sell him goods. He had yet to meet someone who turned business away.
He smiled and said, “Elder, I saw quite a lot of seafood piled in your rear courtyard just now. How can you say there is none?”
The guide also seemed not to have expected the village chief to be so unreasonable. He bent down and was about to whisper something into his ear when the village chief abruptly stood and shouted, “If I say I’m not selling, then I’m not selling! Can’t I keep it for myself? Why must I sell it to you?!”
Ji Chaoyun and Feng Qi exchanged a glance. Ji Chaoyun was just about to speak when Feng Qi tugged him from behind.
Feng Qi subtlely shook his head at him. At that moment, another person pushed open the door and entered. “Father, why are you acting up again?”
The newcomer was a sturdy man in his early thirties, strongly built and dark-skinned, clearly dressed like a local fisherman.
He smiled at the two and said, “My father has been suffering bouts of madness lately. Whenever he sees someone, he tries to drive them away. Young Masters, please don’t take offense. Uncle Li, take my father inside.”
“I... I’m not ill! I simply don’t want to sell to them—” The village chief was dragged toward the rear courtyard by the guide, yet he still struggled to turn his head and shout angrily at Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun. “All you outsiders, get out! Get out!”
Only after the two had left the main room did Feng Qi ask, “Why does the village chief dislike outsiders so much?”
“Some outsiders who came here to trade deceived him before. The shock affected him, and now he thinks no one can be trusted.” The man sighed, then hurriedly added, “I don’t mean you two. One look tells me you are men of wealth and standing, so naturally you would never do such a thing. My father...”
Feng Qi said, “We understand.”
“It’s good that you don’t mind.” The man smiled apologetically. “My surname is Xu. You two may call me Third Brother Xu. Shall I show you the goods?”
“Third... Brother Xu? Very well.” Second Prince Feng had lived for more than three hundred years, yet this was the first time anyone had asked him to address them in such a manner. He found it rather novel.
He smiled and shook his head. When he saw Ji Chaoyun about to follow, he quietly tugged him back.
Ji Chaoyun asked, “What is it?”
Feng Qi said warmly, “You must be tired after riding in the carriage all day. Go outside and wait. I’ll look at the goods.”
Ji Chaoyun met Feng Qi’s gaze and immediately understood. He nodded. “All right.”
Feng Qi followed Third Brother Xu into the rear courtyard, while Ji Chaoyun went out through the front door and stopped in the front courtyard. The young woman from earlier had brought out a handful of dried shrimp and was crouching in front of the courtyard to wash them. Looking farther out, he could faintly hear vendors calling from the distant market, and farther still, the sound of waves drifted in from the shoreline.
Ji Chaoyun released his spiritual power and searched the surroundings, but found nothing.
The people here lived peaceful lives. Nothing appeared unusual, yet for some reason, Ji Chaoyun felt that something about this place was strange at every turn.
What exactly was wrong...
Ji Chaoyun was lost in thought when he sensed someone approaching and abruptly turned his head.
The fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl unexpectedly met Ji Chaoyun’s cold gaze. Startled, she cried out and instinctively retreated several steps.
“My apologies.” Ji Chaoyun lowered his gaze and only then noticed the low stool in her hands. “Is that for me?”
“Mm.” Still shaken, the girl hurriedly set down the stool. “Young Master, sit here while you wait.”
Ji Chaoyun sat as she suggested, and the girl returned to washing the dried shrimp.
He watched quietly for a while before suddenly asking, “Has anything strange happened around here recently?”
“Something strange?” The girl stopped what she was doing and blinked at him in confusion. “Young Master, what sort of strange thing do you mean?”
Ji Chaoyun said, “Anything. Someone disappearing, dying under strange circumstances, or perhaps... a sudden change in temperament?”
The girl frowned and thought for a moment before shaking her head. “I haven’t heard of anything like that. Still, over the past few months, quite a few people from the village have gone out fishing. I heard they found an island very, very far from here, and every time they go, they stay away for a long while. My eldest brother and second brother went with them too. They send back plenty of fish every day, but they themselves never return.”
She lowered her eyes and continued quietly, “At first, they would still come back every so often, but lately, I don’t know what happened. They haven’t returned at all. I haven’t seen them for nearly half a month.”
Half a month.
Ji Chaoyun’s brows drew together slightly, his gaze darkening.
Half a month ago was precisely when they had been attacked on Mount Sumeru.
Ji Chaoyun fell silent and did not speak for a long while.
The girl looked at him. After some hesitation, she finally gathered her courage. “Young Master, I answered your question. Can you answer one of mine?”
“Go ahead.”
The girl glanced toward the rear courtyard, then turned back and asked quietly, “The Young Master traveling with you... has he married?”
“...”
Linhai Village was remote, and its customs were simple and open, quite unlike those of the Central Plains.
The girl looked embarrassed and stammered an explanation. “I-It isn’t me asking. A lot of people asked me to come and find out. Everyone wants to know...”
Ji Chaoyun looked silently at the girl. Steeling himself, he answered, “He is married.”
The girl froze.
Ji Chaoyun closed his eyes briefly and said evenly, “To me.”
“We’ve met each other’s parents, relatives, and friends, and bowed to Heaven and Earth.”
“He is my husband.”
A tremendous crash sounded behind him. Ji Chaoyun abruptly turned his head and met Feng Qi’s astonished gaze.
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Feng Qi: What the f*ck?
There may be extra chapters dropping over the next few days, sometime between six and nine in the evening. If nothing has dropped by nine-thirty, though, then there won’t be one that day orz.
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