Happily Bringing Home a Dragon-Phoenix Double-Yolk Egg
In the silent night sky, a mottled spirit tiger streaked across the heavens, flying over the Nameless Sea.
On the tiger’s back, Feng Qi held Ji Chaoyun tightly in his arms, raising a spiritual barrier beside them to shield him from the howling night wind.
Ji Chaoyun’s face was pale, and a fine layer of sweat had already formed across his forehead. He clutched Feng Qi in a panic, his fingers trembling slightly.
Feng Qi pressed his head into his arms and said gently, “Does it hurt? I’ll take you home right now. Medical Sage has been waiting at the Immortal Residence since early this morning. Everything will be all right soon.”
Ji Chaoyun shook his head. “I’m fine... It doesn’t hurt very much.”
He raised a hand and brushed it over Feng Qi’s anxious brow, his fingertips tracing the side of his face. “You look awful... Is your wound any better?”
Feng Qi held his hand and said, “Much better. Medical Sage arrived in time. That sword didn’t pierce anything vital.”
“That’s good.” Ji Chaoyun buried his head in Feng Qi’s arms and whispered, “I was so worried... Every day, I dreamed of you. I dreamed that you were covered in wounds, that my hands were covered in your blood... I was so afraid...”
“It wasn’t your doing.” A sour ache rose in Feng Qi’s nose as he tightened his arms around Ji Chaoyun and said quietly, “Listen to me, Chaoyun. You were being controlled and had no command over yourself. No matter what you did, you don’t need to blame yourself. You weren’t the one who chose to do it.”
Ji Chaoyun closed his eyes and nodded lightly. “Mm...”
The spirit tiger soon carried the two of them back to the Immortal Residence, descending directly before the door to their bedchamber.
Medical Sage was sitting in the courtyard, studying a medical text.
The white tiger’s wings stirred up a fierce gale, sending the flowers and plants in the courtyard into disarray.
Feng Qi lifted Ji Chaoyun into his arms, leapt from the tiger’s back, and swept over to Medical Sage like a gust of wind. “Medical Sage, he seems to be about to give birth. Please take a look.”
The Medical Saint was left dizzy by their sudden arrival. After barely steadying himself, he said slowly, “Don’t panic. Let me check his pulse.”
“...” Feng Qi was so anxious he wanted to hit someone.
He drew a deep breath and let Medical Sage lift one of Ji Chaoyun’s hands and press his fingers to his wrist.
Medical Sage tilted his head and listened for a while. His expression gradually changed. “The dragon egg is about to take form. It must be delivered immediately. Quickly!”
Feng Qi turned toward the bedchamber with Ji Chaoyun still in his arms, only for Medical Sage to grab him. “Where are you going?!”
“I’m taking him back to the room—”
“What room? Young Master Ji is a dragon. He must give birth in the water!” Medical Sage hurriedly pulled Feng Qi toward the lake as he rapidly explained, “Once you enter the water, Young Master Ji must immediately return to his original form. After the dragon egg finishes taking shape, it will naturally pass through the birth canal. Young Master Ji need not be too nervous.”
As he spoke, they had already reached the lakeside.
Feng Qi was about to lower Ji Chaoyun into the water when Ji Chaoyun suddenly caught his sleeve. “Don’t go...”
“This...” Feng Qi hesitantly looked toward Medical Sage.
Medical Sage looked at Ji Chaoyun, then at Feng Qi, and sighed. “Go together. Do as I told you before.”
Feng Qi nodded and jumped into the water with Ji Chaoyun in his arms.
The two descended to the jade couch at the bottom of the lake. Feng Qi lay down with Ji Chaoyun in his arms and lowered his head to kiss his forehead. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll stay with you.”
Ji Chaoyun had already lost his strength. His eyes were half closed as waves of silver-white light began to emanate from his body.
When the light faded, only a small silver dragon remained in Feng Qi’s arms.
The little dragon buried his head against Feng Qi’s chest, his body trembling softly. His long dragon tail drooped to the ground, weakly patting against it.
Feng Qi kissed the little dragon in his arms again and again, speaking softly to him throughout the entire process.
Above the lake, the dragon and phoenix clans, along with Feng Qi’s personal troops, finally arrived.
Medical Sage briefly explained the situation. Everyone waited anxiously beside the lake. After an unknown length of time, a golden light suddenly shone from the depths below.
The light was scorching and blazing, dyeing most of the azure lake a dazzling red-gold.
Such searing light had never appeared at the bottom of the lake before. The aquatic creatures living within fled in every direction as layer after layer of ripples spread across the surface.
Ji Chaoyun let out a low moan of discomfort. Feng Qi raised a hand to shield him from the blinding light and narrowed his eyes as he looked over. Beside the jade couch, the light gradually receded, transforming into a scarlet-gold dragon egg.
The dragon egg was smooth and perfectly rounded, neither jade nor anything quite like it, yet crystalline and translucent. It slowly floated toward the jade couch, circled once in front of Ji Chaoyun and Feng Qi, and seemed almost confused as to where it was.
Suddenly, a beam of spiritual power descended from the surface of the lake, spreading like threads forming into a net around the entire dragon egg and attempting to carry it away from the lakebed.
It was a spell cast by Medical Sage.
The dragon egg was abruptly ensnared and swayed from side to side in alarm. Feng Qi was just about to speak and comfort it when the dragon egg spun forcefully, instantly shredding the net woven from spiritual power.
Feng Qi: “...”
Medical Saint, waiting at the surface: “???”
The dragon egg returned to the jade couch, seeming to stare at Feng Qi from across the water. After a long while, Feng Qi raised his hand and gently touched it.
The dragon egg’s shell was hard and radiated a scorching heat. It affectionately rubbed itself against Feng Qi’s hand before trying to burrow into Ji Chaoyun’s arms.
Ji Chaoyun had yet to return to human form. He lay listlessly in Feng Qi’s arms, his consciousness already somewhat hazy. Sensing the intense heat approaching, he instinctively shrank farther into Feng Qi’s embrace and let out an uncomfortable murmur.
Feng Qi hurriedly said, “Stay farther away. Papa is uncomfortable.”
The dragon egg stopped. It cautiously swayed beside Ji Chaoyun before silently retreating a few inches.
Feng Qi somehow managed to see an aggrieved expression on an egg.
He sighed and said gently, “Be good and go to Medical Sage. He’ll take care of you. If you stay in the lake any longer, you’ll nearly roast the water warm.”
The dragon egg certainly had not expected that, immediately after being born, Papa would not let it cuddle him, while Father was telling it to go away.
...It might as well have stayed inside Papa’s belly.
It remained where it was for a long while. Only after realizing that Feng Qi had no intention of relenting did it turn around in grievance and swim toward the surface.
Once the dragon egg left, the temperature at the bottom of the lake finally dropped.
After another while, Ji Chaoyun returned to human form.
His face looked even more haggard than before. His eyes half closed, he asked softly, “The child...”
“The child is fine. Medical Sage is taking care of him. Don’t worry.” Feng Qi said gently, “Sleep for a while. I’ll stay with you.”
Giving birth had consumed too much of Ji Chaoyun’s strength. He was so exhausted that he scarcely had the strength left to keep his eyes open, much less speak. His head tilted to the side, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.
☁
By the time Feng Qi returned to shore, the sky was already beginning to brighten.
The Immortal Residence was unusually lively. A group of people had crowded into the pavilion beside the lake, quietly discussing something.
Medical Sage had placed the dragon egg inside a small basket woven from bamboo and rattan. The basket was lined with a soft quilt and looked exceedingly comfortable.
Tianshu sat beside the table, looking at the little basket in the middle of the stone tabletop. He shook his head and sighed. “No matter how I look at it, this is a dragon egg. Why isn’t it a phoenix?”
As the commander of the dragon clan, Jun Ruzhuo sat opposite Tianshu and did his utmost to suppress the delight in his expression. “Naturally, it’s a dragon egg. I told you already, how could Elder Brother possibly give birth to a phoenix?”
“Why would that be impossible?” Tianshu said. “I’ve heard that when wolf yao and rabbit immortals mate and have children in the mortal realm, they can still give birth to one wolf and one rabbit. Feng Qi clearly possesses a divine bloodline. Why didn’t they have a phoenix?”
Jun Ruzhuo raised a brow. “Then obviously his bloodline isn’t strong enough. What other reason could there be?”
“Whether my bloodline is strong or weak is no concern of Young Master Jun.” Feng Qi’s voice drifted over faintly.
Jun Ruzhuo’s entire body jolted, and he guiltily rose to his feet.
Shuofeng had been waiting outside the pavilion. Seeing Feng Qi arrive, he hurried forward. “Divine One.”
Feng Qi swept his gaze around and asked, “Where is Medical Sage?”
Shuofeng replied, “This dragon egg’s power is too strong. Medical Sage exhausted too much of his cultivation while casting a spell to examine it, so...”
“His losses were severe?” Feng Qi said. “Set out for the Divine Realm at once and find some spiritual medicines to send to Medical Sage.”
“That... won’t be necessary.” Shuofeng carefully considered his words before slowly saying, “Medical Sage’s loss of cultivation was a small matter. It was only that the dragon egg’s power was too strong, and when Medical Sage cast a spell to stabilize its spiritual power, he accidentally...”
“Accidentally what?”
“Accidentally burned off the beard Medical Sage had been growing for over a thousand years!” Shuofeng looked deeply troubled. “Medical Sage said that until his beard grows back, he will no longer see anyone. If Divine One requires anything, simply have someone pass along a message.”
“...”
The corner of Feng Qi’s mouth twitched. He pressed his fingers to his brow. “Very well. Did Medical Sage say how the child is?”
“Medical Sage has already stabilized its spiritual power. The spiritual power within the dragon egg is pure, and he found no trace of demonic aura. It seems the child was not affected by the demons.” Shuofeng continued, “Medical Sage also said that this dragon egg’s power is exceptionally strong. It may take as little as several days or as long as half a month to hatch. He hopes Divine One will take good care of it.”
Feng Qi nodded. “I understand.”
He raised his eyes toward the group in the pavilion and smiled. “Thank you all for your concern. My Chaoyun has yet to recover, so I can’t leave his side. I’ll have to trouble everyone to handle the remaining matters in Qingqiu.”
Everyone replied, “Of course, of course.”
Feng Qi’s gaze passed calmly over them one by one. “So... what are all of you still doing here?”
Tianshu coughed lightly and slowly said, “Then, this dragon egg...”
Feng Qi said, “I’ll take care of it myself.”
Tianshu continued, “Chaoyun has no strength to spare right now. Besides, neither of you knows how to incubate an egg. Why not leave it to the Phoenix Clan—”
“Immortal Venerable, those words are mistaken. Why should it be entrusted to you?” Jun Ruzhuo said. “Since this is a dragon egg, naturally the Dragon Clan should help incubate it. We are the ones who—”
Feng Qi gave him a faint smile. “Go tell Chaoyun right now that you want to take the dragon egg back to the Dragon Clan to incubate it. Do you think he’ll beat you or not?”
“...”
Feng Qi cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Everyone, go back. I don’t need you troubling yourselves over matters here. Uncle, you too. Tell Elder Brother that everything is well here and that there is no need to worry.”
With Feng Qi having already put it that way, no one dared say anything more. They took their leave one after another.
Peace finally returned to the Immortal Residence, leaving only the small contingent of elite soldiers Shuofeng had brought.
Feng Qi turned his head and instructed, “Chaoyun should be waking soon. Have someone prepare some light food for him.”
Shuofeng replied, “Yes.”
Shuofeng left to carry out the order. Only then did Feng Qi bend over the stone table and gently stroke the dragon egg with his fingers.
The temperature of the egg’s surface had already fallen, leaving it pleasantly warm to the touch. It seemed to have tired itself out after the night’s commotion as well. It merely rubbed lightly against Feng Qi’s fingertip and did not move again.
The corner of Feng Qi’s lips curved upward, his heart filling with warmth.
...Inside here was his and his little dragon’s child.
Shuofeng soon returned to the pavilion. Feng Qi smiled and said, “Those fellows just now... Even I’m not worried about whether it’s a dragon or a phoenix, yet they were the ones in such a hurry.”
Shuofeng said quietly, “They certainly ought to be anxious.”
“What do you mean?”
Shuofeng fell silent for a moment before answering truthfully, “I heard Hongmeng Academy opened a new betting pool on whether the child in Young Master Ji’s belly would be a dragon or a phoenix. Immortal Venerable Tianshu and Young Master Jun Ruzhuo both wagered heavily on their own clans and even brought their subordinates into the betting.”
“...”
Shuofeng sighed. “Judging from things now, the phoenix clan will probably lose terribly.”
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
The little one is here! Red packets for the first thirty comments on this chapter~
✧ P.S. ✧
“Happily Bringing Home a Dragon-Phoenix Double-Yolk Egg” or 喜提龙凤双黄蛋: A deliberately playful title. “喜提” is an internet-era expression meaning to happily acquire or receive something, often used jokingly. “双黄蛋” literally means a double-yolk egg and is commonly used as a humorous image for getting two things at once. Here, “龙凤” adds the dragon-and-phoenix joke surrounding the baby’s lineage, while also playing on the traditional pairing of a dragon and phoenix.
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