Between Feng Xiao and Feng Qi, Who Matters More to You?
The morning sunlight was gentle. Ji Chaoyun lay in the hot spring pool, letting the water wash over his body.
Before getting out of bed earlier, he had struggled every way he could to no avail and had been pinned down by that inexhaustibly energetic phoenix for another round of spiritual cultivation. Now his entire body ached as though his bones and sinews had fallen apart, and even his fingertips felt drained of strength.
He had been far too indulgent.
Never in Ji Chaoyun’s life had he indulged himself to such an extreme. Once he finally had a chance to rest, he only felt physically exhausted to the utmost. This weariness, however, was different from the weakness and lack of energy he had suffered before. On the contrary, the spiritual power within his body had never been so abundant. This was the first time he had felt this way since losing his dragon pearl.
Ridiculous as it sounded, spiritual cultivation seemed... genuinely useful.
Ji Chaoyun lowered his eyes to his palm and quietly circulated his spiritual power. A faint glow appeared at his fingertips, calm and rich, yet carrying a trace of familiarity.
This was...
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes widened, and his heart abruptly began to race.
This was the power of his dragon pearl.
“Still uncomfortable?”
Ji Chaoyun quickly withdrew his hand beneath the water. When he looked up, he saw Feng Qi walking toward him. The latter’s steps were light, and even his voice sounded thoroughly pleased and refreshed.
Feng Qi crouched beside the pool and reached out to pinch Ji Chaoyun’s cheek. “How long have you been soaking? Still not coming out?”
Ji Chaoyun turned his head away and asked, “Didn’t you go meditate?”
“I did.” Feng Qi looked at him with a beaming smile. His fingers slid to Ji Chaoyun’s ear and pinched his earlobe. “After circulating my spiritual power a few times, I realized there were still some places where it wasn’t flowing smoothly, so I came to ask you for help.”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun cast a glance at a certain man whose head was clearly full of lust and was just preparing to sink silently beneath the water when the surface beside him dipped.
Feng Qi had jumped directly into the pool.
Ji Chaoyun reacted as though someone had stepped on his tail and instinctively retreated several steps. “Y-You’re not allowed to come over!”
Feng Qi raised a brow and truly stopped where he was.
He wore only a loose bathrobe. Once soaked through, the cloth clung to his body and revealed his lean, graceful build. Ji Chaoyun looked away, his ears inexplicably turning red.
Seeing his reaction, the amusement in Feng Qi’s eyes deepened. “Now you know how to be shy? These past two days, I wonder who it was who kept clinging to me and could never get enough.”
Ji Chaoyun did not answer, yet his ears clearly turned even redder.
Feng Qi unobtrusively moved half a step closer and deliberately teased him. “I’m asking you, Little Dragon. Who was it last night who held onto me and begged me every way he could?”
Ji Chaoyun nearly bit his tongue. “You were clearly the one who—”
Ji Chaoyun was simply stunned by this man’s shamelessness.
This Second Highness of the Phoenix Clan never looked particularly proper even on ordinary days, and in bed he was even more wicked.
Using the Secret Art of Spiritual Cultivation as an excuse, Feng Qi had insisted that for their spiritual power to blend more smoothly, Ji Chaoyun had to take everything without leaving even a single bit behind.
That was not all. Feng Qi also forced Ji Chaoyun to beg him, refusing to give him what he wanted unless he did. Only after driving him to tears would Feng Qi finally relent.
Just remembering it made Ji Chaoyun’s legs weak and every hair on his body stand on end. He wished he could flee on the spot.
After their spiritual cultivation earlier, Feng Qi had finally agreed, under Ji Chaoyun’s forceful insistence, to return to the room and meditate. Entering meditation usually took several shichen, so Ji Chaoyun had finally felt safe enough to come soak in the hot spring behind the house.
Therefore, he was completely naked beneath the water right now and did not dare climb out at all.
Ji Chaoyun’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward the clothes he had tossed onto the bank. While he was silently calculating how to escape Feng Qi’s clutches, Feng Qi seemed to notice what he was thinking and shifted aside, blocking his path of retreat.
“...”
Feng Qi moved a little closer and said warmly, “Little dragon, my cultivation wasn’t circulating smoothly earlier. My chest still hurts.”
“If it isn’t circulating smoothly, then keep meditating. What does that have to do with me?” Ji Chaoyun quietly retreated as Feng Qi approached, until he was forced step by step to the edge of the pool.
His back pressed against the white-jade stone lining the pool. Just as he tried to slip away, Feng Qi caught his wrist.
Feng Qi met his eyes with a smile. “My head is full of you. I can’t calm my mind. How can you say it has nothing to do with you?”
Ji Chaoyun shuddered, and his legs instantly transformed into a long, slender dragon tail.
“...”
Feng Qi held his breath for a moment, caught between laughter and exasperation. “Change back.”
“No.” Seeing Feng Qi thwarted finally improved Ji Chaoyun’s mood somewhat. His dragon tail swayed smugly beneath the water as he said as though nothing had happened, “If you’re not leaving, then I am. I still need to prepare for the Heavenly Ranking Tournament. I haven’t practiced swordsmanship in days.”
His long dragon tail swept around Feng Qi’s waist. Ji Chaoyun was just about to rise when Feng Qi suddenly pulled him back with force.
A dragon had no reason to let someone ambush him in the water. Ji Chaoyun’s tail swiftly coiled around Feng Qi’s ankle, and the two of them toppled into the pool together, sending water splashing everywhere.
They wrestled in the water for a while. Feng Qi ultimately gained the upper hand and pinned Ji Chaoyun firmly against the edge of the pool.
“I was wrong, I was wrong...” Ji Chaoyun laughed as he begged for mercy. His slick dragon tail kept brushing through Feng Qi’s palm until Feng Qi grabbed hold of it.
Feng Qi held the dragon tail in one hand and pressed Ji Chaoyun’s shoulder down with the other. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You truly won’t change back?”
Ji Chaoyun felt a little uneasy under that gaze, yet still insisted, “...No.”
A malicious smile appeared on Feng Qi’s face. His palm slowly moved upward, fingertips stroking over the beautiful dragon scales.
Ji Chaoyun’s body began to tremble uneasily, and Feng Qi asked again, “Last chance. You truly won’t change back?”
“No, mm...!” Ji Chaoyun’s voice broke, and he nearly slid beneath the water.
Where was Feng Qi touching?!
“So it was here.” Feng Qi’s lips curled upward. His movements grew even more brazen as he lightly parted the trembling hard scales and teased the soft flesh within.
A flush swiftly spread across Ji Chaoyun’s face, and his body went weak at once. “Feng... Feng Qi, don’t...”
“Don’t what? It seems to me you quite like this.” Feng Qi tilted his head and caught Ji Chaoyun’s earlobe between his teeth, asking softly with deliberate wickedness, “Little dragon, tell me. Do you like it when I do this? ...What about this?”
Ji Chaoyun let out a whimper. The shoulders and neck above the water trembled continuously beneath the overwhelming pleasure. His head tipped back instinctively, and Feng Qi caught his throat between his lips.
...
The sound of water continued through the grove until it finally ceased in the afternoon.
Later that afternoon, Ji Chaoyun rested against Feng Qi’s chest, drowsy beneath the sunlight.
They had gone too far this time. His hair, which had reverted to its original silver-white, still had not changed back, and he was so exhausted that he did not want to move a single finger.
The man beside him, however, seemed to possess endless energy, constantly kissing and touching him until Ji Chaoyun could get no peace.
Ji Chaoyun slapped Feng Qi’s hand away and said sleepily, “Stop bothering me...”
“All right, I won’t.” Feng Qi answered softly, then took Ji Chaoyun’s wrist instead and sent his spiritual sense into his meridians.
Only after confirming that the spiritual power within Ji Chaoyun was abundant and peaceful, with nothing amiss, did he let go.
Ji Chaoyun was too tired even to raise his eyes. “How is your immortal power?”
Feng Qi was in an excellent mood and finally told the truth. “I lied to you earlier. When I meditated and circulated my power this morning, I discovered that the previously unstable immortal power had completely settled.”
“...I knew it.” Ji Chaoyun turned over to escape the irritating sunlight and buried his face in Feng Qi’s chest. Then, remembering something, he asked softly, “Your cultivation... hasn’t weakened, has it?”
“Why would it weaken?” Something stirred in Feng Qi’s eyes as understanding dawned, and he teased, “Were you worried that, like in those mortal storybooks, you’ll absorb all the cultivation power in my body?”
“...”
Feng Qi ran his fingers through Ji Chaoyun’s loose hair, laughter in his voice. “Don’t worry. Your husband isn’t as weak as you think. Even if a clingy little seductress like you drained me several hundred times, I could withstand it.”
Ji Chaoyun said nothing, his ears quietly turning red.
That was not what he was worried about at all.
During their spiritual cultivation earlier, he had noticed that the dragon-pearl power within Feng Qi truly did enter his body whenever the two of them... joined intimately.
Afterward, he had indeed discovered that the dragon-pearl power within his own body had strengthened somewhat.
The power of his dragon pearl had fused into Feng Qi’s spiritual core during his nirvana rebirth and had long since ceased to exist as a separate pearl, so Ji Chaoyun could not retrieve it from Feng Qi’s body. Yet now it seemed that if a little dragon-pearl power could be transferred to him each time... then over time, might he be able to condense a new core?
The thought flashed through Ji Chaoyun’s mind, and his heart immediately began to beat faster.
Once a dragon lost its dragon pearl, its innate foundation was ruined and its cultivation restricted, leaving it little different from a cripple. Ji Chaoyun had never regretted cutting out his core all those years ago, but if he could regain it, nothing could be better.
No one wanted to remain useless forever.
At that thought, Ji Chaoyun tried to sit up, only for the aching weakness in his waist to force him back down.
Feng Qi looked rather pleasantly surprised. “What, you want more?”
“...No. I don’t.” Ji Chaoyun rubbed his waist without expression, his mind clearing instantly.
Regardless of whether his guess was correct, they could not continue for now.
With this phoenix’s energy, if they kept this up, Ji Chaoyun might not even live long enough to see the day his dragon-pearl power completely returned...
Ji Chaoyun thought gloomily.
☁
During the days Feng Qi and Ji Chaoyun were nominally recuperating on Wenqu Peak but were in truth fooling around, Hongmeng Academy’s seasonal examination passed as well.
Once the seasonal examination ended, preparations for the Heavenly Ranking Tournament began.
Not everyone could participate in the Heavenly Ranking Tournament. Heaven-rank and Earth-rank disciples could register directly, while Profound-rank and Yellow-rank disciples first had to undergo a preliminary trial.
The Yellow-rank preliminary trial was scheduled for ten days after the seasonal examination ended.
The preliminary trial was simple. Yellow-rank disciples would draw lots on the spot and face one another in pairs. The victor would earn the right to participate in the Heavenly Ranking Tournament.
On the day of the preliminary trial, Ji Chaoyun finally obtained Second Highness Feng’s approval to leave Wenqu Peak and see his classmates, whom he had not met in quite some time.
When Ji Chaoyun reached the Sword Practice Grounds, the disciples responsible for supervising the examination had not yet arrived. Many disciples stood in small groups across the grass. When they saw him, however, they all fell silent and looked his way.
Ji Chaoyun was not accustomed to being stared at like this. He was about to move aside when someone tugged him from behind.
He turned and saw Ye Chenxing grinning. “Long time no see, Chaoyun. Are your injuries better?”
“I’m already fine.” Ji Chaoyun paused, then asked, “They... Is there something on me?”
Ye Chenxing turned and glared at them one by one until those gazes withdrew, then said, “Ignore them. Just a bunch of people who like gossiping behind others’ backs.”
“?”
Bei Ran hesitated before explaining, “Brother Ji, everyone has... heard about you.”
The matter of the Dragon King of Lingyuan Sea abducting Ji Chaoyun had caused an enormous uproar. Once the truth was uncovered, Ji Chaoyun’s identity had naturally become obvious as well.
No one had imagined that this little yao dragon with such poor innate aptitude yet exceptional movement techniques was actually the Crown Prince of Lingyuan Sea who had fled many years ago. Still less had anyone imagined that such a complicated story lay behind it all.
Naturally, people were curious.
Ji Chaoyun did not care how others regarded him. After so many years, he had long ceased to consider himself part of Lingyuan Sea and had no intention of reclaiming his former identity.
He nodded and said nothing more.
Not long afterward, the disciples overseeing the examination finally arrived.
Ji Chaoyun looked up, and his gaze immediately met the tall figure walking at the front of the group.
“...”
Feng Qi met Ji Chaoyun’s eyes and gave him a cheerful grin.
Ji Chaoyun’s lips twitched. He could already feel the dull ache returning to his waist.
That inexhaustibly energetic phoenix had coaxed and pestered him into fooling around for most of the previous night. This morning, Ji Chaoyun’s waist had hurt so badly he had nearly been unable to get out of bed and had almost missed the appointed time.
Wasn’t the Yellow-rank preliminary trial supposed to be supervised by disciples from the Supervisory Hall? What did it have to do with Feng Qi?
Ji Chaoyun expressionlessly withdrew his gaze, pulled the two people beside him along, and turned toward the crowd.
Feng Qi’s smile stiffened on his face, and he hurried after them.
Ye Chenxing looked completely bewildered. “Why is that peacock here? Is he supervising the examination today?”
“I don’t know,” Ji Chaoyun said coldly.
Bei Ran blinked in confusion. “Brother Ji, did you two quarrel?”
“...No. I simply don’t want to look at him.”
Ye Chenxing studied Ji Chaoyun’s expression and sighed. “Ah, I knew it. That peacock is nowhere near as good as the heavenly god Feng Xiao from the stories.”
Ji Chaoyun asked, “How do you know about Feng Xiao?”
“How could anyone not know the hero who saved the Immortal Realm?” Ye Chenxing raised a brow. “Still, I only recently learned about what happened between you and heavenly god Feng Xiao.”
“Who told you?”
“The entire academy knows now.” Ye Chenxing said earnestly, “Back then, you and Divine Lord Feng Xiao fell in love at first sight. You did not hesitate to oppose Lingyuan Sea and resolutely cut out your core to save his life. Truly worthy of song and tears, enough to move anyone who hears it.”
“...” Ji Chaoyun pressed his fingers to his brow. “What happened wasn’t actually so...”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed. We all know already.” Ye Chenxing leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Tell me in secret. Between Feng Xiao and Feng Qi, who matters more to you? Ahem, no other reason. The academy disciples set up a betting pool in their spare time, and I haven’t placed my wager yet. I thought I’d ask you beforehand.”
Ji Chaoyun also became a little interested. “Then who has more wagers on him right now?”
The moment he finished speaking, he felt a chill at the back of his head, as though a blade were pressed against his spine.
He turned and saw Feng Qi standing behind them with a smile that did not quite look like a smile. “I’d also like to know. Who has more wagers on him?”
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Updates have been rather late these past few days because... I got sick again _(:з」∠)_
I start writing the update as soon as I get up in the morning and post it once I’m done, but these past few days I’ve been writing all the way until evening before I can finish orz.
My health really hasn’t been very good lately, and I still have to go back to the hospital for another examination next week. I’ll do my best to adjust. Please bear with me these next few days.
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