I Will Come Back.
Feng Qi had been raised by his elder brother and uncle since childhood. Never in his life had he seen the two of them look so astonished.
The air inside the Hall of Inquiry seemed to freeze for several breaths. When the two finally came back to their senses, they both turned toward Ji Chaoyun.
Feng Qi immediately stepped sideways and shielded Ji Chaoyun behind him. “I figured it out myself. He wasn’t the one who told me. Don’t blame him.”
The atmosphere remained stiff for a moment. Feng Ji set his teacup aside and lightly cleared his throat. “Feng Qi, this matter... Uncle and I did not deliberately mean to hide it from you.”
“I know.”
Feng Ji said, “The fewer people who know about this, the safer you are. As for Chaoyun, I was also the one who told him not to reveal it.”
“I understand.”
“So...”
“Elder Brother need not explain.” Feng Qi’s tone remained calm and unhurried. “I understand all the thought you and Uncle have put into this.”
Feng Ji was silent for a moment before asking, “Then why have you come today?”
“I want to know whether Uncle and Elder Brother have any way to restore my power.”
Feng Ji said, “Over the years, Uncle and I have not been without attempts. The power belonging to Feng Xiao is sealed within your sea of consciousness. If we forcibly break it open with an external force, the slightest mishap could endanger your life. Therefore...”
Feng Qi asked, “What if we don’t use external force?”
Feng Ji frowned slightly. “What are you trying to say?”
Feng Qi did not answer immediately.
He took Ji Chaoyun by the hand and sat down to one side, pouring him a cup of hot tea before slowly saying, “I’ve already tried before. It truly isn’t easy to break that seal through force. We can only find another way.”
“In truth, Uncle and Elder Brother already have a method, don’t you? Otherwise, why would you have kept me in the academy all these years? The way for me to recover lies here, within Hongmeng Academy.”
Ji Chaoyun raised his head. Something suddenly became clear to him from Feng Qi’s words. “You mean...”
“Gate of Ascension.”
The Gate of Ascension was the sole passage to the Divine Realm that the heavenly gods had established within the Immortal Realm when the two realms were separated.
It was also the reason Ji Chaoyun had originally come to Hongmeng Academy.
The atmosphere within the hall abruptly grew solemn. Feng Qi stood beside Ji Chaoyun and calmly looked toward the two elders who had raised him.
After a long while, Tianshu finally spoke. “To ascend the Gate of Ascension is to shed one’s former body and be remade, obtaining a divine status. That is hardly a secret.”
Feng Qi nodded. “The seal within my body cannot be opened, and the Divine Realm cannot be contacted. The only method left now is for me to ascend and restore my divine status myself. That is why you kept me in Hongmeng Academy.”
“Correct. That was also why I mentioned the Gate of Ascension to you before.” Tianshu snorted. “Weren’t you rather unwilling at the time?”
Feng Qi rubbed his nose and gave an embarrassed smile. “I was young and reckless. Uncle, don’t hold it against me.”
He paused, then asked, “So, how does one enter the Gate of Ascension?”
The Gate of Ascension had always been said to lie hidden somewhere within Hongmeng Academy, yet no one had ever seen it. For more than a hundred years, no one had successfully ascended it either. According to legend, the Gate of Ascension was guarded by each successive academy master, and only the academy master could open it.
Tianshu frowned and asked unhappily, “What, you want to ascend the Gate of Ascension now?”
Feng Qi said, “The Demon Clan is watching us like a tiger eyeing its prey. If I don’t go now, when should I?”
“Nonsense!” Tianshu said. “You do indeed possess the aptitude to ascend the Gate of Ascension, but not now. Your cultivation is still insufficient. Go back and cultivate for another few hundred years first.”
“The Demon Clan won’t wait a few hundred years for me.”
“You—”
“Feng Qi, don’t act impulsively.” Feng Ji tried to persuade him gently. “The reason Uncle and I never told you your true identity was precisely because we feared this impulsive temperament of yours. I know your cultivation has advanced greatly, but ascending the Gate of Ascension is far more difficult than you imagine. Endless heavenly fire lies within it. The slightest mistake, and you may be burned to ashes. It is a danger of nine deaths for one chance at life. You must not treat it lightly.”
Feng Qi spread his hands. “Aside from this method, do either of you have another way to save the Immortal Realm?”
Feng Ji was left speechless.
Feng Qi continued, “The demon invasion is imminent. Three hundred years ago, the Immortal Realm alliance had Feng Xiao’s divine troops aiding them, yet they still fought the demons until both sides suffered grievous losses. Three hundred years have passed, and the Demon Clan has come prepared this time. This war will not be any easier than the last.”
“Moreover... most of the older immortals in the Immortal Realm still carry old wounds and can hardly go to the front lines. Even if every clan joins together, I fear we still won’t be able to contend with them. I have already considered the gains and losses clearly. Elder Brother need not persuade me further.”
Feng Ji did not answer for a time. Ji Chaoyun, however, raised his head and looked at Feng Qi’s back.
The man stood with his back to him, both hands clasped behind him. His posture seemed casual and natural, yet every movement carried the faint bearing of someone who would brook no argument.
Ji Chaoyun truly loved seeing him like this.
He lowered his eyes and could not resist reaching out to brush Feng Qi’s fingers.
Feng Qi’s expression stiffened for an instant before the corners of his lips suddenly curved upward. He seized Ji Chaoyun’s hand before he could withdraw it and gently stroked the back of it with his thumb.
Tian Shu was caught completely unprepared by Feng Qi’s smile, so sweet it was almost cloying. He awkwardly looked away. “Don’t smile at me like that. Even if you smile, I still won’t agree.”
Feng Qi: “...”
Ji Chaoyun: “...”
Feng Ji, forced to witness the entire exchange: “...”
Ji Chaoyun swiftly withdrew his hand. Feng Qi curled his right hand into a fist and lightly coughed against his lips. “In any case, this is the only method presently available to us. I ask Uncle to grant me this.”
The atmosphere in the Hall of Inquiry once again grew tense. Ji Chaoyun suddenly said, “I believe Feng Qi can cross the Gate of Ascension. I ask Immortal Tianshu and Phoenix Lord Feng Ji to grant him this.”
Feng Ji frowned. “Chaoyun, why are you also... You know how dangerous it is. You’ve waited for him all these years...”
Ji Chaoyun said, “I know, but I believe he can do it.”
“What if he fails...”
“If he fails, I will do everything in my power to protect the Immortal Realm in his place.” Ji Chaoyun rose and walked to Feng Qi’s side, gazing deeply into his eyes. “Then, on the day the war is finally settled, I will follow him.”
Feng Qi smiled. “No. There won’t be such a possibility.”
“Enough. Stop displaying yourselves in front of me.” Tianshu looked thoroughly vexed. “Go back first. I’ll consider it for a few days and give you an answer in three days.”
Feng Qi softened his voice. “Uncle...”
Driven into a corner by him, Tianshu could only tell the truth. “What I mean is that the Gate of Ascension hasn’t been opened for several hundred years. I need three days to prepare!”
“Now that Uncle has said so, I can rest assured.” Feng Qi smiled, then suddenly let the smile fade and swept aside his robes.
He bent his knees and knelt, solemnly kowtowing before the two of them. “For taking me in all those years ago, for raising me, and now for granting me this... I, Feng Qi, will forever remember these kindnesses in my heart.”
“...Thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Elder Brother.”
He had always behaved without much solemnity before them. Never had he spoken or bowed to them with such gravity.
Tianshu closed his eyes, his heart filled with an indescribable ache.
Feng Ji stepped forward and helped Feng Qi to his feet. “Go. Uncle and I will arrange everything else. You need not worry.”
“Yes.”
Feng Qi left the Hall of Inquiry with Ji Chaoyun.
Tianshu walked to Feng Ji’s side. The two stood before the hall, watching the pair disappear into the distance hand in hand.
“In the end, he has grown up.” Tianshu said. “I simply never thought this day would come so soon.”
Feng Ji said, “Divine blood flows within him. He was destined to be different from us.”
“Different or not, I watched that child grow up. Even if he restores his divine status, he’ll still have to call me Uncle.” Tianshu gave a quiet snort and withdrew his gaze, seemingly using the words to conceal some emotion. “You should go rest as well. This concerns the Gate of Ascension, so I need to consult some ancient texts. Three days from now, you and I will open the gate together.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Feng Ji left.
He had quarters in one of the side halls of the Hall of Inquiry. He had only just stepped onto the covered corridor when he suddenly remembered something and turned back toward the main hall.
Tianshu still stood outside the doors, his gaze fixed in the direction Feng Qi had left. After watching for a long time, he suddenly bent forward and solemnly returned a formal Phoenix Clan bow toward that distant direction.
Feng Ji lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. Imitating Tian Shu, he too turned toward the direction Feng Qi had gone and bowed.
☁
Tianshu needed three days to prepare, which conveniently gave Feng Qi three days to cling to Ji Chaoyun.
The lingering effects of Ji Chaoyun’s core formation, however, had yet to pass. He remained listless these past several days and had little appetite. Feng Qi did not dare torment him again and spent every day waiting on him as though he were an honored ancestor.
“I should still ask Uncle to delay opening the Gate of Ascension by a few days.”
The two rode the white tiger through the clouds. Feng Qi held Ji Chaoyun within his arms and tilted his head to inspect his complexion, worry in his voice. “Something really isn’t right with your body. I’ve never heard of anyone feeling unwell for this long after forming a core. Why don’t I take you to an immortal physician?”
“I don’t want to go.” Ji Chaoyun leaned against Feng Qi’s shoulder and said listlessly, “I’m fine. I’ll be better in a few days.”
Feng Qi reached out and lightly pinched his cheek. “You said the same thing two days ago.”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Ji Chaoyun said quietly, “You’re entering the Gate of Ascension tomorrow. I want to spend a little more time with you. Once you come back successfully, I’ll go see an immortal physician. All right?”
“Fine. We’ll do as you say.” Feng Qi wrapped his robe more tightly around Ji Chaoyun, signaled the white tiger to slow down, then asked, “You’re already unwell and still refuse to rest properly. Where are you taking me?”
Ji Chaoyun smiled faintly. “You’ll know when we arrive.”
Night had already fallen. The white tiger streaked across the dark sky, traveling all the way toward the mortal realm.
Feng Qi was not very familiar with the mortal realm, especially in the depths of night. He narrowed his eyes at the mountains below and vaguely recognized the region. “You want to take me to Mount Sumeru?”
“No.” Ji Chaoyun raised his hand and pointed toward one place among the mountains. “Look, we’ve arrived.”
In the direction he pointed lay an expanse of peach forest.
It was Peach Blossom Ridge.
Several months had passed since they returned to the Immortal Realm. The long winter in the mortal world had ended, and it was now early spring. Peach blossoms bloomed for a hundred li.
The two descended into the peach forest.
The white tiger leisurely walked forward. Feng Qi suddenly understood something. “You’re taking me... back to the Tree Yao Clan?”
“Mm.” Ji Chaoyun had felt unwell since waking that morning, and after the journey, his face had become even paler. Acid repeatedly rose in his stomach. He rubbed his abdomen, forcibly endured it, then said quietly, “There’s still something here that we never finished.”
Feng Qi said, “You...”
Just then, the white tiger stopped.
“We’re here.” Ji Chaoyun raised his hand and cast a spell into the darkness before them. A gentle breeze stirred, sending peach blossoms scattering through the air until they gathered into a gate of light.
Ji Chaoyun urged the white tiger through the gate.
The instant the white tiger crossed it, the beast transformed into a little white cat and happily rolled into the flowers, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Feng Qi steadied Ji Chaoyun, and the two landed firmly on the ground.
“Brother Chaoyun?!”
A voice sounded before them. Feng Qi turned and saw a young tree yao he had never met before.
It was already late at night. Most of the treehouses hanging from the banyan branches had extinguished their lamps, and only the guards stationed at the entrances remained on patrol.
The youth said, “Why have you come back? I’ll go tell Grandpa Tree right away!”
“There’s no need.” Ji Chaoyun shook his head and looked toward the enormous banyan tree ahead.
The banyan tree remained just as it had been when they left. Countless aerial roots hung with tiny flower buds, while a path strewn with blossoms led straight beneath the tree.
Ji Chaoyun said softly, “I came to finish something we left unfinished before. We’ll leave once it’s done. There’s no need to disturb the clan leader.”
The youth tilted his head, looked at Ji Chaoyun, then at Feng Qi behind him, and immediately understood. “Oh, I understand! Grandpa Tree said before that you would definitely come back. Brother Chaoyun, hurry and go do what you came to do!”
After saying this, the youth hurriedly transformed into a wisp of green smoke and fled.
Standing amid the riot of flowers, Ji Chaoyun turned back toward Feng Qi and extended his hand. “Let’s go. No one will disturb us now.”
Feng Qi did not move.
He suddenly laughed helplessly and shook his head. “What a little scoundrel.”
“What did I do?”
“You know perfectly well where I’m going tomorrow, yet you deliberately brought me here today.” Feng Qi took his hand and pulled him into his arms. “You’re making it difficult for me to leave.”
“Why would it be difficult?”
Feng Qi said quietly, “What if I don’t come back...”
Ji Chaoyun’s lashes trembled slightly, yet his voice remained steady. “Second Prince Feng personally boasted before Immortal Venerable Tianshu and Phoenix Lord Feng Ji that he would certainly pass through the Gate of Ascension. Now you’ve lost confidence instead?”
“You brought me here. Even if I had no confidence, I’d have to force some into existence now.” Feng Qi leaned close to his ear and said through lightly gritted teeth, “How did I never realize before that you were this wicked? Using yourself to threaten me, hm?”
Ji Chaoyun’s nose stung, and he said in a strained voice. “That’s right. Three hundred years ago, I left you nothing at all before letting you run away. This time, of course I have to leave something behind.”
Feng Qi stared deeply at him, his throat so dry that he could not speak.
Ji Chaoyun looked away. “Enough. We should hurry. If we wake everyone else, we won’t be able to finish with a secret bowing ceremony.”
The ceremonial wedding clothes of the Banyan Tree Clan had left Feng Qi with a deep psychological shadow. He immediately released Ji Chaoyun.
The two looked at each other and laughed, their fingers intertwining as they slowly walked beneath the banyan tree.
They continued until they reached the end of the flower-strewn path and stopped beneath the tree.
Everything beneath the banyan tree was quiet. The only sound was the faint rustling of branches in the breeze. They gazed at each other. There were no ceremonial robes, no relatives or friends offering congratulations, and no elder presiding over the rite.
In perfect understanding, they bowed down together and kowtowed three beneath the banyan tree.
The rite was complete.
One by one, the banyan-fruit spirit lamps in the tree suddenly lit up, flickering among the branches like fireflies. At the same moment, the tiny buds adorning the hanging roots burst into bloom. A rich fragrance of countless flowers scattered on the wind as petals drifted down over the two of them.
Amid the rain of blossoms, Feng Qi looked back at Ji Chaoyun and suddenly spoke. “Chaoyun.”
“Mm?”
“I will come back.” Ji Chaoyun’s reflection filled Feng Qi’s eyes as he said earnestly, “No matter how many hardships and dangers await me, even if I must cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers and travel through wind and rain, I will return to your side.”
After saying this, Feng Qi lowered his head and gently kissed Ji Chaoyun on the lips.
Like a steadfast promise.
0 Comments