So This Is What He Likes?
Inside the bedchamber on Wenqu Peak, Ji Chaoyun leaned against the bed, one hand idly stroking his abdomen.
These past few days, the little one in his belly had absorbed plenty of spiritual power and grown considerably. His lower abdomen was now slightly rounder than before. Simply resting a hand over it was enough to feel the pure spiritual aura nurturing the child within.
Even after so many days of growing accustomed to it, Ji Chaoyun still found the feeling extraordinarily wondrous.
There... truly was a child inside him, a child belonging to him and Feng Qi.
As though sensing the change in his emotions, the spiritual aura in his belly stirred lightly and pressed against Ji Chaoyun’s palm.
The corners of Ji Chaoyun’s lips curved upward.
Feng Qi happened to see this scene when he pushed open the door.
He paused briefly, then silently closed the door and lightened his footsteps as he approached the bed. The smile on Ji Chaoyun’s lips had yet to fade as he watched Feng Qi place a hand over the back of his own and sit beside him.
“What were you saying to our little one?”
Ji Chaoyun said, “I was telling him that his father is a fool.”
Feng Qi lowered his head and pressed his cheek against Ji Chaoyun’s lower abdomen. “Don’t listen to your papa. He only knows how to speak ill of me.”
Ji Chaoyun gave a quiet huff and pulled him upright. “Enough playing. How are things now?”
Feng Qi fetched a soft cushion and placed it behind his waist. “Bai Qiuyue should already have fled back to Qingqiu. Uncle just confirmed that, while the Heavenly Ranking Tournament was still underway, he had already notified half of the clans in the Immortal Realm to travel to Qingqiu in the coming days to attend the Immortal Realm Alliance assembly. All news from Qingqiu has now been completely sealed off from the outside, so we still do not know what is happening inside.”
Ji Chaoyun said worriedly, “Those attending the alliance assembly must all be leading figures of their clans. If Bai Qiuyue has truly taken control of them all, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
“Indeed,” Feng Qi said. “Fortunately, Bai Qiuyue was severely injured by my divine blood. He should not be able to stir up much trouble for some time.”
“That divine blood, what exactly...”
“Among immortals and gods, medicine refined from the heart’s blood of the divine race is an exceptionally precious tonic. Demonic cultivation methods run contrary to ours, so divine blood is a deadly poison to demons. Conversely, medicine refined from demonic blood is equally deadly to the Divine Clan.” Feng Qi smiled. “The demonic poison Yan Huaqing used to ambush me back then was most likely refined from demon blood. This time, I merely repaid him tooth for tooth.”
Ji Chaoyun asked, “Did you suspect from the beginning that Bai Qiuyue might not have been possessed, but instead had some connection to the demon race?”
“Not at all,” Feng Qi said. “I was merely worried that if neither you nor the Divine Soldiers could handle Bai Qiuyue, that divine medicine could at least temporarily deprive him of the strength to resist and buy you some time.”
Ji Chaoyun muttered quietly, “In the end, you still didn’t trust me...”
“How could I not trust you?” Feng Qi toyed with his fingers and said with a smile, “If I truly didn’t trust you, I never would have agreed when Uncle suggested luring me away to draw Bai Qiuyue out. Did you think I didn’t know that you were the one who suggested that plan to Uncle?”
Ji Chaoyun met Feng Qi’s eyes, then let his gaze drift aside. “It’s a pity we still failed to capture him.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Feng Qi said. “He possesses Yan Huaqing’s cultivation. Even twice as many Divine Soldiers would have been unable to restrain him. Being able to come through it unharmed was already fortunate.”
Ji Chaoyun sighed. “Bai Qiuyue alone is already so difficult to deal with. If he truly breaks the barrier and releases Yan Huaqing, I cannot imagine what we will do.”
“None of that is for you to worry about.” Feng Qi lowered his head and brushed the tip of his nose against Ji Chaoyun’s cheek. “You’ve had your fill of fighting demons. What you need to do now is rest properly, take care of yourself, and take care of our little one.”
Ji Chaoyun gave an “oh,” then said somewhat fretfully, “I wonder when this little thing will finally come out. The Medical Sage clearly said that all we needed to do was provide enough spiritual power, yet so much time has passed and there still isn’t the slightest movement.”
At the mention of this, Feng Qi’s expression stiffened slightly. He seemed to recall something, and the tips of his ears began to grow faintly hot again.
He coughed awkwardly and said vaguely, “The little one has half-divine blood. Naturally, his growth will be slower. Don’t be impatient. By the way, I’ve already had people finish preparing the immortal residence. Would you like to move back there?”
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes brightened. “Really?”
☁
Within a dense forest, a streak of white light fell from midair and tumbled into the grass beside a stream, revealing a figure dressed in white.
Bai Qiuyue had perhaps never been in such a sorry state in his life. Half his body lay submerged in the stream, his white robes stained with blood and mud. A fine layer of sweat covered his forehead, his lips were deathly pale, and his body shook faintly.
Everything below the wrist of his left hand had already rotted away. Blood dripped between his fingers, and white bone could faintly be seen beneath the ruined flesh.
After an unknown length of time, a voice sounded beside his ear. “...Does it hurt badly?”
Bai Qiuyue’s entire body jolted. He unsteadily pushed himself up from the ground.
He bent over and looked into the stream. The water reflected his pale face, but as ripples spread across its surface, an entirely different countenance appeared.
The man reflected in the water wore red robes, his features distinct and handsome.
“Your Excellency.” Bai Qiuyue’s eyes shifted slightly as he said in a trembling voice, “Forgive me, I...”
Yan Huaqing interrupted him quietly. “I recall reminding you that the greater situation must always come first in everything you do.”
Bai Qiuyue’s whole body shook violently. “Yes... It was my fault. Please punish me, Your Excellency.”
“No, I will not punish you.” Yan Huaqing’s tone was gentle, yet so cold that it seemed devoid of warmth. “I care for you so much and have such high hopes for you. How could I punish you over such a small matter? Making a mistake is not frightening. What is frightening is having no way to make amends for it.”
“...My little fox, tell me. How will you make amends for what happened today?”
“I can make amends.” The intense pain made Bai Qiuyue’s voice tremble. He said quietly, “I left them a generous gift. Trust me once more, Your Excellency. This time, I will certainly kill Feng Xiao and Ji Chaoyun.”
Yan Huaqing stared at him for a long while before the corners of his lips slowly curved into his usual gentle smile. “Very well. I will trust you once more.”
Bai Qiuyue finally relaxed.
Yan Huaqing continued, “Your hand was badly injured by divine blood. If you don’t purge it from your body, it may affect your cultivation.”
Bai Qiuyue said, “I will regulate my breathing and purge the poison as soon as possible. Please rest assured, Your Excellency.”
“Too slow.” Yan Huaqing shook his head regretfully. “This poison was refined from Feng Xiao’s heart’s blood. It will take several months at the very least to purge. Before it spreads any farther, you should cut off that hand.”
Bai Qiuyue froze.
Yan Huaqing smiled, his voice gentle and patient. “Don’t worry. I will make you a new one using the finest Wuxie Wood from the Demon Realm. Once you come to the Demon Realm, I will personally put it on you. All right?”
“...”
Bai Qiuyue’s breathing quickened. He stared fixedly at the face reflected in the water. A bead of sweat slid down the elegant line of his jaw and fell into the stream.
After a moment, he turned to look at his blood-soaked left hand and slowly drew a dagger from his waist.
☁
Wenqu Peak was not the most suitable place to live. Ever since learning that Ji Chaoyun was pregnant, Feng Qi had begun sending people to renovate the immortal residence.
The area surrounding the residence was protected by barriers Feng Qi had personally erected, and he had also dispatched a contingent of Divine Soldiers to stand guard. Compared with the current Hongmeng Academy, it was considerably safer.
Feng Qi wasted no time. He immediately brought Ji Chaoyun to the immortal residence and established a teleportation array within the residence itself so that he could travel back and forth from the academy with ease.
Yet over the next several days, the Immortal Realm remained peaceful, as though everything that had happened before had merely been an illusion.
Feng Qi stepped out of the teleportation array and wearily rubbed between his brows.
The sun was already setting, and the courtyard was filled with the lingering glow of evening, yet not a single person was in sight. Feng Qi sensed his surroundings briefly, then turned and headed out of the courtyard.
Beside the courtyard where they lived, a smaller courtyard had recently appeared.
After learning they had a little one on the way, Feng Qi had immediately ordered people to build it. In truth, he had wanted to build two, just in case, but Ji Chaoyun rejected the idea on the grounds that, “We won’t need that many. Why waste manpower and resources?”
Feng Qi walked around the small courtyard and followed a path lined with flowers and grass. Before long, he reached the lakeside.
The blue lake reflected the evening sunlight, making its surface somewhat dazzling.
Feng Qi walked to the water’s edge and immediately spotted Ji Chaoyun with most of his body submerged in the lake.
He was lying beside a green stone at the water’s edge, sleeping soundly.
Several parasol trees beside the lake blocked most of the sunlight. Only scattered patches of light slipped through the leaves and fell across his peaceful profile.
It was only after moving into the immortal residence that Feng Qi truly understood just how much dragons loved water.
In any case, the first thing Feng Qi did every day upon returning to the immortal residence was come to the lake and fish his little dragon out from wherever he had fallen asleep in the water.
“You have a house yet refuse to stay inside, and a bed yet refuse to sleep in it.” Feng Qi crouched down and lightly pinched Ji Chaoyun’s cheek. “It isn’t as though I spend all day sleeping in trees. Why do you love sleeping in the water so much?”
Ji Chaoyun murmured and woke under his pestering. “You’re back?”
Feng Qi asked sternly, “What did I tell you before I left this morning?”
Ji Chaoyun sleepily rubbed his eyes. As his awareness gradually returned, he finally realized that he was completely naked and quietly sank farther into the water. “If I change back into human form, I have to put on clothes. I’m not allowed to fall asleep naked in the water.”
Feng Qi’s palm slid down the side of his face and rested on his cool shoulder. “Did you do that?”
The heat of his palm made Ji Chaoyun shrink slightly. He murmured, “Wet clothes feel uncomfortable...”
Feng Qi shook his head with a sigh. He exerted a little force and pulled Ji Chaoyun out of the water, then removed his outer robe and wrapped him securely in it before lifting him into his arms. “Will falling ill afterward be more comfortable? If you do this again, I’ll lock you inside next time and forbid you from entering the water.”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Ji Chaoyun raised his head and kissed Feng Qi’s face several times, placating him in an extremely perfunctory manner.
Feng Qi carried him back to the bedchamber in long strides, set him on the bed, then reached out to pull away the outer robe wrapped around him.
Ji Chaoyun retreated. “I’ll do it myself. You go out first.”
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes and chuckled. “What? You still don’t dare let me look at you?”
“G-Go out!”
Feng Qi did not move. His gaze fell upon the smooth shoulder of the man sitting on the bed. Remembering the fine, smooth touch beneath his fingers just moments ago, a faint restlessness stirred within him.
He suppressed it, said nothing in the end, and turned to leave.
These past few days, he had not followed the Medical Sage’s method of replenishing Ji Chaoyun’s spiritual power.
Perhaps because of the divine blood Ji Chaoyun had consumed that day, his spiritual power had remained abundant recently, and the child had likewise stabilized. Moreover, Ji Chaoyun had slept beside Feng Qi every night lately without showing any further signs of arousal. Even if Feng Qi wanted to raise the matter with him, he could find no opportunity.
Even without fluctuations in his spiritual power, nurturing the child still required a great deal of energy. Feng Qi truly could not bear to put him through any more strain.
“All right. I’ll go find you something to eat.”
Feng Qi closed the door and left. Ji Chaoyun watched the direction in which he had gone, feeling inexplicably dejected.
Lately, Feng Qi had been occupied with the affairs of the Immortal Realm. Ji Chaoyun was afraid of distracting him, so he did not dare cling to him and seek intimacy as he had before.
There was nothing else he could do. Each day, he could only soak in the lake and calm his mind and spirit, allowing the water to settle those thoughts he should not be having.
Ji Chaoyun sighed deeply and removed Feng Qi’s outer robe, setting it aside. A booklet slipped from within and fell open on the floor.
Ji Chaoyun leaned forward to look.
On the open page, two bodies were tightly entwined, plainly engaged in... that sort of thing.
Ji Chaoyun’s cheeks grew hot. He guiltily glanced toward the door before quickly reaching out and snatching up the booklet.
The booklet was still very new, and nothing was written on its cover. From the outside, there was no way to tell what it contained.
It seemed rather like... one of those erotic storybooks sold among mortals.
“The mighty Divine Lord secretly reading this sort of book...” Ji Chaoyun rapidly flipped through several pages and muttered under his breath, his ears turning red. “So this is what he likes?”
Ji Chaoyun continued reading until his ears were scarlet, yet inwardly, he quietly came to a decision.
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Little Dragon: He’s actually been secretly reading dirty books by himself. Looks like he really has been holding it in for too long.
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I spent a long time reading the news today and couldn’t settle my mind at all. I’m so worried QAQ. Everyone, please take precautions and protect yourselves properly. Everything will get better.
I just realized it’s already past midnight, so it’s New Year’s Eve! Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!
Comments on this chapter and the next will both have little red packets dropping. Be good and stay home to eat your New Year’s Eve dinner. Don’t go running around everywhere, okay? o(≧v≦)o
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