A Sweet Chapter I Couldn't Think of a Title For
Now that Ji Chaoyun had a little cub in his belly, Feng Qi became even more attentive toward him. He wanted to handle everything personally, afraid that Ji Chaoyun might feel uncomfortable in the slightest.
He was not the only one. The disciples of Hongmeng Academy did not remain idle either and took turns visiting Ji Chaoyun several times.
There was no need to mention Ye Chenxing, Bei Ran, Li Hao, and the others who had always been close to Ji Chaoyun. Even Immortal Venerable Tianshu came several times on behalf of the Phoenix Lord and elders of Fengming Valley and asked whether the child could be sent to Fengming Valley for instruction after birth.
Ji Chaoyun thought about the great Divine Lord from four hundred years ago and the present Second Highness Feng. He expressed that he was deeply touched, then declined the proposal.
“Sending the little dragon cub to Fengming Valley? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.” On this matter, Feng Qi unusually stood on the same side as Ji Chaoyun. “I haven’t even had enough time to look at my own child. How could I possibly hand it over for someone else to raise?”
Ji Chaoyun was lying on the bamboo couch basking in the sun. Hearing this, he said helplessly, “We don’t even know whether it’s a dragon yet.”
“It’s fine if it isn’t. I’ll like a little phoenix too.” Feng Qi peeled a lychee and fed it to Ji Chaoyun, then asked warmly, “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?”
Ji Chaoyun carefully chewed and swallowed the fruit before licking his lips. “I want the pastries from Changyuan Pavilion.”
“I knew it.” Feng Qi wiped his fingers clean, then lowered his head and demanded a kiss filled with the fragrance of fruit from Ji Chaoyun. “You only had them a few days ago. Aren’t you tired of them?”
Ji Chaoyun said softly, “The baby wants them.”
Feng Qi burst out laughing and lightly scraped Ji Chaoyun’s nose with a finger. “All right. I’ll go buy some for the baby.”
Ever since learning of the cub’s existence, Ji Chaoyun no longer felt guilty about constantly wanting to eat. He ate whatever he wanted and frequently used the cub in his belly as an excuse.
Feng Qi had no way to deal with him. Whatever Ji Chaoyun wanted, he gave him, indulging him in nearly everything.
Feng Qi soon left the courtyard.
The changing seasons on Wenqu Peak had always been controlled by Feng Qi through spells, synchronized with the four seasons of the mortal realm. Now that Ji Chaoyun was staying here to nurture the pregnancy, Feng Qi had completely adjusted the climate, making it warm and comfortable.
The warm afternoon sunlight filled the courtyard. Ji Chaoyun curled up on the bamboo couch and contentedly narrowed his eyes.
He had not been lying there for long when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard. Ji Chaoyun sat up. “How did you come back so quickly...”
A figure pushed open the courtyard gate, but it was not Feng Qi.
Ji Chaoyun paused.
“What, Feng Qi isn’t here?” Bai Qiuyue stepped into the courtyard and glanced around.
Ji Chaoyun asked, “How did you get in?”
“Did Feng Qi never tell you that I’ve held a passage token from the Supervisory Hall for a long time?” Bai Qiuyue smiled. “Sorry, little dragon. I thought Feng Qi was here. I came without invitation and frightened you.”
Ji Chaoyun lowered his eyes without answering.
Why had he not sensed Bai Qiuyue entering Wenqu Peak at all?
Ever since recovering his dragon pearl, his senses had gradually returned. Forget ordinary academy disciples, even if an Immortal Venerable came to Wenqu Peak, he should have sensed it beforehand.
Yet today, before Bai Qiuyue arrived, he had noticed nothing at all.
Was this man’s cultivation truly so profound?
Ji Chaoyun frowned suspiciously and rose from the bamboo couch. “It’s fine. Are you here to see Feng Qi?”
“No. I came to see you.” Bai Qiuyue said, “You fainted at the martial field that day. Later I heard that you were already pregnant, so I came specially to visit.”
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Bai.”
Ji Chaoyun led Bai Qiuyue to the pavilion beside the lotus pond. Just as he was about to pour tea for him, Bai Qiuyue hurriedly took the teapot. “Just sit. I’ll do it.”
Bai Qiuyue poured two cups of tea and pushed one toward Ji Chaoyun. “How have you been feeling lately?”
Ji Chaoyun replied, “Thank you for asking, Senior Brother Bai. Everything is well.”
“That’s good.” Bai Qiuyue took a sip of tea and said with a smile, “Little dragon, you truly are far too careless. How could you participate in the Heavenly Ranking Tournament while carrying a child? If you accidentally injured yourself somewhere, wouldn’t Feng Qi tear apart all of Hongmeng Academy?”
Ji Chaoyun rubbed his thumb along the rim of his teacup and replied quietly, “Senior Brother Bai is right.”
“Still, you entered the top two of the Heavenly Ranking while pregnant. That is truly astonishing.” Bai Qiuyue continued, “It reminds me of my mother. My mother was the most outstanding member of her generation in the Heavenly Fox Clan. During the great war between gods and demons back then, she achieved many battle merits and slew quite a few demons alongside my father.”
“...Yet no one knew that she was already pregnant at the time. After the war between gods and demons ended, she gave birth to me.”
Ji Chaoyun said, “Madam truly was a heroine among women.”
“She was. Although Mother passed away many years ago, I still admire her greatly and remain deeply grateful to her.” Bai Qiuyue continued, “Right, do you know...”
He suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence, then smiled. “Feng Qi is back.”
At the same time, Ji Chaoyun also sensed Feng Qi entering the barrier around Wenqu Peak.
Bai Qiuyue said nothing further and simply remained seated, drinking his tea. Before long, Feng Qi pushed open the door and strode inside.
“Bai Qiuyue?” Feng Qi approached in long strides with a food box in hand. “Why are you here?”
“Naturally, I came to see your little dragon.” Bai Qiuyue smiled. “I haven’t congratulated you yet. You’ll soon be a father.”
Feng Qi set the food box on the stone table inside the pavilion and swept his gaze around. Only after seeing that the barriers surrounding the courtyard were intact did he say, “Thanks. Since you came to see Chaoyun, why did you arrive empty-handed?”
Bai Qiuyue said leisurely, “What’s the hurry? Once the child is born, I, as its uncle, will naturally present a generous gift.”
He finished the last sip of tea and rose. “...All right. I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll take my leave.”
Feng Qi said, “I’ll see you out.”
Feng Qi escorted Bai Qiuyue out of the courtyard, and the two entered the bamboo forest.
The bamboo forest, which had suffered destruction twice, had already been repaired by people Feng Qi summoned, and many new bamboo stalks had been planted. Walking along the forest path, Bai Qiuyue took a deep breath. “This bamboo forest of yours really is quite good. No wonder everyone says Wenqu Peak has the finest scenery among all the disciples’ peaks.”
Feng Qi did not answer.
Bai Qiuyue suddenly asked, “Right, you sent people to investigate the whereabouts of Immortal Physician Xihua. Have you found anything?”
Feng Qi’s brows drew together. “How do you know about that?”
“Immortal Physician Xihua disappeared without a trace. Word spread through the academy long ago.” Bai Qiuyue said, “Is she truly one of the Demon Clan?”
“We still don’t know.” Feng Qi considered for a moment, then asked, “Bai Qiuyue, that day after Chaoyun finished fighting Jiang Cheng and suddenly lost his strength, you were the closest person to him. Did you notice something?”
Bai Qiuyue turned his head toward him.
Feng Qi met his gaze. His expression was calm, yet for no apparent reason, it gave Bai Qiuyue a strange feeling.
The academy disciples always felt that Feng Qi had not changed greatly before and after his ascension. Only those truly familiar with him could see that he was entirely different from before.
Beneath that casual exterior was the ancient god who had already lived through ten thousand years.
Bai Qiuyue withdrew his gaze. “I did notice something. You know that our Heavenly Fox Clan carries the bloodline of yao and is extremely sensitive to the aura of the Divine Clan. That day, I sensed a concentration of divine aura within the little dragon’s body. At the time, I could not determine what it was, which was why I suggested you take him to Alchemy Hall for an examination.”
“Later, when I saw him appear at the martial field as usual, I assumed there was probably nothing seriously wrong, so I did not mention it again.”
“Then before Chaoyun went to Alchemy Hall, the spiritual aura inside him was still present?” Feng Qi lowered his eyes and murmured, “Could it truly have been Xihua?”
“Whether it was or not, we’ll know once we find her and ask.”
While they spoke, the two had already left the bamboo forest and were nearing the teleportation array.
Bai Qiuyue said, “All right. Little dragon is still waiting in the courtyard. Go back.”
Feng Qi responded and went no farther. He watched Bai Qiuyue step into the teleportation array. Only then did his expression darken slightly before he turned back.
The moment he pushed open the courtyard gate, he saw Ji Chaoyun still sitting in the pavilion. His body was leaning forward as he cautiously lifted the lid of the food box just enough to peek inside.
From Feng Qi’s angle, he could see Ji Chaoyun’s focused profile perfectly.
Feng Qi was amused by his adorable appearance and strode onto the stone bridge. “If you want to eat, then eat. I bought them for you in the first place.”
Ji Chaoyun immediately sat upright and put on a serious expression. “I wasn’t sneaking any. I was waiting for you.”
“I know.” Feng Qi opened the food box and took out the plates of pastries one by one. “Eat.”
Ji Chaoyun picked up a pastry and nibbled it carefully, asking indistinctly, “What did Bai Qiuyue say?”
“He said he really did notice something unusual inside your body that day, which was why he suggested I take you to Alchemy Hall.” Feng Qi said, “Judging by his manner, he didn’t seem to be lying.”
Ji Chaoyun swallowed a bite of pastry. “Then he should have no suspicion on him?”
“The Heavenly Fox Clan achieved great battle merits in the war between gods and demons. I knew Bai Qiuyue’s parents well and understand the Heavenly Fox Clan’s position. Otherwise, I would never have deliberately spread the rumor back then that the Heavenly Fox Clan was guarding one of my ritual artifacts.”
Ji Chaoyun nodded. “Besides, he was once beaten back into his true form by a Demon Clan protector. He probably wouldn’t be their accomplice.”
Feng Qi brushed the pastry crumbs from the corner of Ji Chaoyun’s lips and said quietly, “Perhaps. We won’t know for certain until Xihua is found.”
Ji Chaoyun gave a quiet acknowledgment. Neither of them spoke further and instead concentrated on eating the pastries.
Ji Chaoyun had only eaten two pieces when the barrier surrounding Wenqu Peak suddenly shook again.
Ji Chaoyun frowned. “Why are so many people coming today?”
Feng Qi sensed the newcomer briefly and smiled. “It’s Shuofeng.”
Before long, someone knocked against the half-closed courtyard gate, and Shuofeng entered with an elderly man whose hair and beard were completely white.
The old man walked slowly. Shuofeng supported him from the side, practically carrying him all the way to Feng Qi.
Shuofeng said, “Divine One, this subordinate has invited the honored Medical Sage here.”
The elderly man also slowly bowed toward Feng Qi. “This old man greets Divine One.”
“Medical Sage, there’s no need for such courtesy.”
Feng Qi hurriedly helped the old man upright, then turned toward Ji Chaoyun. “Chaoyun, this is the Medical Sage with the greatest medical skill in the Divine Realm. The child in your belly carries half the bloodline of the Divine Clan. I’ll only feel at ease after he examines you.”
Ji Chaoyun still had a pastry in one hand. He hurriedly put it down. “Then I’ll trouble the honored Medical Sage.”
The three sat around the stone table. The Medical Sage took Ji Chaoyun’s wrist to examine his pulse, while Feng Qi, having nothing else to do, continued feeding his little dragon.
After a while, the Medical Sage slowly said, “Young Master possesses a rare constitution among the Dragon Clan. You were born capable of bearing offspring, yet you are not a shuang’er. For that reason, pregnancy does not affect your cultivation, and when you are not pregnant, there is no outward way to tell. Has Young Master noticed that your spiritual power has not weakened, and at times has even increased instead?”
Ji Chaoyun nodded. “That is indeed the case.”
“This is where your constitution differs from that of a shuang’er. The child within Young Master will not affect your body. However, its growth requires a great quantity of spiritual power. Without enough, its growth will slow considerably. Therefore, Divine One must transfer spiritual power into you every day without interruption.”
Feng Qi picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and fed it to Ji Chaoyun. “I understand.”
The Medical Sage looked at what he was doing, then swept his gaze over the food on the table. His brows drew together slightly. “There is one more thing...”
Feng Qi’s expression immediately grew serious. “What is it?”
The Medical Sage replied at his usual unhurried pace, “During pregnancy, one must avoid strong-smelling meat and greasy foods, and sweets should also be avoided. It would be best to eat less of these things.”
Ji Chaoyun instantly froze.
Feng Qi had just brought the piece of osmanthus cake to Ji Chaoyun’s lips. Hearing this, his hand stopped, and he met Ji Chaoyun’s innocent gaze.
Before he could say anything, his hand suddenly became empty.
Ji Chaoyun snatched the osmanthus cake from him and lowered his head, devouring it in two or three quick bites.
Feng Qi: “...”
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