It Was Like a Memory from Long, Long Ago
The pine forest was silent. A figure dressed in plain white practiced swordplay in a clearing among the trees.
Without warning, a streak of golden light flew from deep within the forest.
The swordsman hurriedly drew back his sword to block, yet the golden light still struck him head-on, forcing him several steps back in a sorry state. The force veered aside and struck the trunk of a tree, leaving a deep gash in the wood.
Leaves rustled down. Bai Qiuyue looked toward the direction the golden light had come from. “Feng Qi, why are you going mad for no reason?”
Feng Qi emerged from the depths of the forest with an arm around Ji Chaoyun.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Feng Qi raised his chin. Once he saw Bai Qiuyue clearly, however, his brows furrowed. “What’s wrong with you? You wouldn’t have failed to block that move before. Did your cultivation go awry?”
Bai Qiuyue put away his sword and lowered his eyes. “Perhaps my old injuries have yet to heal, so my spiritual power is somewhat unstable. It’s nothing serious.”
“If your old injuries haven’t healed, then rest. Why have I never seen you cultivate this diligently before?”
Bai Qiuyue smiled. “The Heavenly Rankings Tournament is almost here. If I don’t cultivate diligently, how am I supposed to defeat you and seize first place?”
Feng Qi scoffed and made no comment.
Bai Qiuyue asked, “What did you come to see me for?”
“You still have the nerve to ask?” Feng Qi snorted. “Let me ask you, what’s the matter with that betting pool?”
“...” Bai Qiuyue paused, then shook his head with a soft laugh. “I knew that fellow Li Hao couldn’t be trusted. He sold me out so easily.”
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes. “So you admit you did it?”
Bai Qiuyue did not answer. He walked over to Ji Chaoyun and lowered his head to ask, “Little dragon, are your injuries better? I heard today was the Yellow-rank preliminary trial for the Heavenly Rankings. How did you do?”
“No need for your concern.”
Before Ji Chaoyun could answer, Feng Qi cut in. “Hurry up and put a stop to that betting pool. Believe it or not, I’ll beat you until you can’t participate in the Heavenly Rankings.”
“Why must Second Highness Feng be so angry?” Bai Qiuyue straightened, smiling brightly. “It’s only something to amuse ourselves with in our spare time. No one will take it seriously.”
“To hell with that. How is no one taking it seriously?” Feng Qi said. “You’ve gotten all the academy disciples talking about it. Hurry up and put an end to it.”
Bai Qiuyue seemed to have prepared for this. He said unhurriedly, “Of course I can put an end to it, but the disciples’ stakes must be returned to them. Let me think. According to the accounts Li Hao handed over, together with some magical artifacts and medicinal pills, the total value comes to more than thirty-five thousand six hundred high-grade spirit stones.”
He smiled leisurely. “Rebuilding the Heavenly Fox Clan cost quite a few spirit stones. If I dissolve the betting pool, I’m afraid I won’t be able to return all that.”
Feng Qi instantly understood what he meant. “You want me to repay the money for you?”
Bai Qiuyue said, “Precisely.”
“...”
Feng Qi did not answer for a moment. Bai Qiuyue leaned toward his ear and said with a smile, “Actually, isn’t this rather interesting? Don’t you want to take this opportunity to find out who your little dragon favors more in his heart? Isn’t that right, little dragon?”
Suddenly drawn into the conversation, Ji Chaoyun faltered. “I... I...”
Feng Qi promptly hid Ji Chaoyun behind himself and snapped, “Bai Qiuyue, are you deliberately trying to stir up trouble? Are you ever going to stop?”
Bai Qiuyue merely smiled without speaking. Something stirred in Feng Qi’s eyes, “Fine. Since you don’t want to dissolve the betting pool, I won’t force you. Chaoyun, let’s go.”
With that, he took Ji Chaoyun’s hand and prepared to leave.
Bai Qiuyue frowned suspiciously, only to see Feng Qi suddenly stop as though he had remembered something. “Right. Chaoyun still has to give the answer to your betting pool, doesn’t he? Don’t forget to come to Wenqu Peak three days from now and ask Chaoyun for the result.”
Bai Qiuyue finally sensed that something was wrong. “What exactly are you...”
Feng Qi looked at him with a half-smile. “Before coming here, I placed a wager with Li Hao too. You said all the previous stakes add up to more than thirty thousand high-grade spirit stones, right? What a coincidence. I wagered eight thousand high-grade spirit stones on myself. The odds are one to one hundred, so don’t forget about that, Clan Leader Bai.”
Bai Qiuyue: “...”
After saying this, Feng Qi smiled, took Ji Chaoyun with him, and left the forest, leaving Bai Qiuyue standing there in a daze.
A long while later, Bai Qiuyue finally ground out through clenched teeth, “That damned phoenix...”
Among the pines, Feng Qi was in an excellent mood, even his steps considerably lighter.
Ji Chaoyun smiled helplessly. “Are you sure there’s no problem with doing this?”
“Of course there isn’t.” Feng Qi said smugly, “Who told Bai Qiuyue to set my odds like that? He won’t be able to repay the money, so naturally he’ll cancel the betting pool.”
Ji Chaoyun asked, “You boasted to Li Hao that you would wager eight thousand spirit stones. Can you truly produce that much?”
Feng Qi hesitated for a moment before mumbling, “...No.”
“...”
“Don’t look at me like that. Didn’t I spend all my savings furnishing an immortal residence for you?” Feng Qi muttered.
Ji Chaoyun failed to hold back and burst out laughing. “I thought Second Highness Feng possessed wealth to rival a nation. So there are days when even your purse runs dry.”
“Don’t laugh.” Feng Qi pinched his cheek and said sullenly, “Even... even so, your husband can still afford to support you alone. You don’t need to worry.”
“I’m not worried about that.” Ji Chaoyun stopped walking and said seriously, “You really don’t need to take this matter to heart. You should already understand who is in my heart now, shouldn’t you?”
Feng Qi lowered his eyes. “You still think I’m drinking vinegar.”
“You’re not?”
“I’m not.” Feng Qi said, “I simply don’t want you to become a topic for other people’s gossip.”
Ji Chaoyun froze.
Feng Qi reached out and plucked a fallen leaf from Ji Chaoyun’s hair. He said warmly, “So many people are discussing you behind your back. You may not care, but I can’t simply ignore it.”
“Besides...” Feng Qi paused, then said quietly, “I don’t want them constantly bringing that person up around you and making you remember those things again.”
“Feng Qi, I...”
Feng Qi drew Ji Chaoyun into his arms and sighed. “You can call me narrow-minded if you want. I don’t want anyone mentioning him in front of you anymore, and I don’t want you always thinking about the past.”
“You’re mine now. I’m the only one you’re allowed to think about. You can’t think about anyone else.”
“...Pfft.” Ji Chaoyun laughed. “After all that, aren’t you still drinking vinegar?”
Feng Qi guiltily looked away.
Ji Chaoyun took Feng Qi’s hand and said quietly, “Who knows whether you’ll regret saying that someday... Never mind. I’ll listen to you. I’ll think only of you and no one else.”
Feng Qi immediately pressed his advantage. “Then... does that mean you’ll listen to me about everything else too?”
“You... What are you referring to?”
“What you promised me earlier.” A smile appeared in Feng Qi’s eyes as he spoke suggestively. “Little dragon, do you still remember what you promised you’d do once we returned to Wenqu Peak?”
“...” Ji Chaoyun did not answer, but the tips of his ears instantly burned red.
Feng Qi leaned closer and asked in a soft, aggrieved voice, “You promised you’d take the initiative once. You’re not planning to go back on your word, are you?”
“I...”
“Little dragon...”
Ji Chaoyun leaned his head back, his tightly pressed lips trembling. “I... I won’t.”
Feng Qi’s lips curved into a smile. He wrapped an arm around him and continued forward. “It’s all right. I’ll teach you.”
☁
Ji Chaoyun successfully obtained a place in the Heavenly Rankings Tournament. As the days passed, preparations for the tournament became increasingly pressing.
Feng Qi had no choice but to compromise and agree to reduce the frequency of their spirit cultivation. Instead of several times every day, they changed it to once every two or three days, leaving Ji Chaoyun more time to prepare for the tournament.
Even so, Ji Chaoyun’s cultivation continued to improve at astonishing speed. In little more than ten days, the cultivation he gained was equivalent to more than a hundred years of effort for others.
Even Feng Qi began to realize that something was not quite right.
One morning, Ji Chaoyun was about to head to the rear mountain for his usual sword practice when Feng Qi blocked him at the doorway, pestering him with kisses and embraces and refusing to let him go.
Ji Chaoyun asked, “What is it this time?”
Feng Qi said in a low voice, “Why don’t you skip sword practice today? I’ll have an immortal physician come examine you.”
Ji Chaoyun asked in confusion, “I don’t feel unwell. Why would I need an immortal physician?”
“Your...” Feng Qi withdrew the spiritual power he had sent into Ji Chaoyun’s spiritual meridians. Just as before, he found nothing unusual. “Your cultivation is improving too quickly. This isn’t normal.”
Ji Chaoyun blinked, then understood. “So this is why you haven’t even wanted spirit cultivation these past few days?”
Feng Qi paused and looked away, his voice carrying a hint of grievance. “I’m only worried about you.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.” Ji Chaoyun wrapped both arms around Feng Qi’s neck and said earnestly, “Feng Qi, I feel good right now. Very good.”
“But...”
Ji Chaoyun said, “Trust me. I know my own body very well.”
These past few days, Ji Chaoyun had ostensibly been practicing his sword, but in truth, he had been using the dragon pearl’s power he had regained from Feng Qi to slowly reconstruct his innate foundation.
The dragon pearl had originally belonged to him, so using its power to reconstruct his innate foundation came as naturally as a fish taking to water.
Perhaps it would not be long before he could form his core anew.
Ji Chaoyun did not intend to tell Feng Qi about this yet because... there was simply no way to explain it.
His dragon pearl was supposed to be inside Feng Xiao.
At this thought, Ji Chaoyun rose onto his toes and kissed Feng Qi beside the lips. He quickly said, “I can’t keep talking. I need to practice my sword.”
Catching Feng Qi off guard, he slipped through the doorway. Spiritual power gathered beneath his feet, and in the blink of an eye he had already reached the courtyard gate. “Remember to meditate today. Also, I want seafood congee tonight, with extra shellfish!”
Feng Qi opened his mouth, but Ji Chaoyun had already left the courtyard with light steps. Ji Chaoyun’s cultivation had been rising rapidly of late, and even Feng Qi could no longer bully him as easily as before.
Feng Qi could only shake his head helplessly and close the door.
He stood beside the door and pondered for a long while before returning to the inner room and sitting cross-legged on the bed.
Ji Chaoyun was not the only one whose body had shown something unusual.
Feng Qi calmed his breathing and focused his mind, circulating the cultivation within his body. A short while later, his consciousness left his body and entered his sea of consciousness.
His sea of consciousness stretched vast and boundless. In the distance, a mass of crimson-gold light hovered there, enclosed within a cage of light. Several slender cords suspended it in midair, leaving it unable to break free.
Feng Qi stood before the cage of light and reached toward it, only for his fingertips to meet something icy cold.
Ever since his previous battle with Yan Huaqing, Feng Qi had discovered this thing within his sea of consciousness.
What was sealed inside seemed to be an extraordinarily powerful force, yet Feng Qi had no idea why it existed there, much less how to break the seal.
“What exactly are you?” Feng Qi murmured. He closed his eyes and channeled a small amount of spiritual power through his fingertips.
During this time, he had tried many methods, yet no matter what he did, he could not open the cage of light.
It was as though this thing had existed within his sea of consciousness since a very, very long time ago, something he had been born with and could not break open.
As spiritual power flowed into it, the cage of light brightened, and the entire sea of consciousness began to faintly shake with it.
Feng Qi’s brows drew together, but he did not withdraw his spiritual power.
He remembered that during his last battle with Yan Huaqing, he had nearly managed to open this thing.
As long as he could unleash enough spiritual power...
The crimson-gold light grew increasingly dazzling. Without warning, the cords connected to the cage of light snapped apart with a crash, and his sea of consciousness shook violently.
Feng Qi felt a burst of force strike him head-on. He retreated several steps and dropped to one knee.
A thin line of blood slid from the corner of Feng Qi’s lips.
The sea of consciousness was the most vulnerable part of a cultivator. Any disturbance within it could injure the physical body.
Feng Qi looked up at the cage of light that had finally fallen to the ground. Its surface had actually cracked like shattered glass, a single fissure spreading across it.
He was just about to rise when a blurred, fragmented image flashed through his mind.
It was like a memory from long, long ago.
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Managed to get a new chapter out in time for the New Year. Happy New Year, everyone!
I’ll be giving out red packets to everyone who leaves a comment on this chapter on New Year’s Day. Thank you all for staying with me!
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