Extra · Found a Little Phoenix (2)
A few li to the left of this forest lay Yanbeicheng.
And so, Little Fengzai remained trapped inside the tiny cage, swaying all the way to a residence within Yanbeicheng.
The sedan entered through the rear gate and was carried directly into the back courtyard.
Cen Xun had only just stepped out of the sedan with Feng Ci in his arms when a furious roar suddenly thundered through the courtyard.
“I told you not to go out at night, yet you never listen!”
Feng Ci felt the arms holding him tremble. Cen Xun swiftly hid him behind his back. “Father...”
Marquis Dingguo glared furiously. “How many incidents of yao creatures harming people have already happened inside and outside the city? Your elder cousin warned you again and again not to run around. Do you have a death wish?!”
Marquis Dingguo was already advanced in age, yet his authority had not diminished in the slightest. He gave Cen Xun and the servants who had gone out with him a thorough scolding for nearly half a shichen before finally allowing them to return inside.
Cen Xun shut the door and muttered softly, “So naggy. Ever since Cousin came back, he’s only gotten fiercer with me.”
“...He’s only doing it for your own good.”
“I know, but he’s still too...” Cen Xun froze and turned toward the room. “Who said that?”
The room was completely silent. The cage containing the phoenix had been placed on the table, beside a small oil lamp.
Cen Xun casually grabbed an ornament from beside the door and swallowed nervously. “Whoever you are, come out!”
“...” Feng Ci sat inside the exquisite little cage and watched Cen Xun search both inside and outside the room without once looking at him. At last, he said helplessly, “I’m right here.”
Cen Xun lowered his head and met the little phoenix’s clear, bright eyes.
“Little Phoenix?” Cen Xun asked. “You can actually talk now?”
Feng Ci fell silent for a moment. “I’ve always been able to talk...”
Cen Xun’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Feng Ci was just about to explain when a streak of golden light suddenly flew out from beneath his feathers. It landed beside the cage and transformed into another phoenix.
Cen Xun: “...”
Two phoenixes, one sitting and one standing, now faced him. They looked almost exactly alike, with the only obvious difference being the color of their eyes.
Cen Xun looked at the phoenix outside the cage, then at the phoenix inside it. He was completely dumbfounded. “So you... you’re not my talisman bird?”
“Talisman bird?” Feng Ci turned to look at the phoenix outside the cage. “Of course I’m not a talisman bird. I’m a real phoenix.”
Cen Xun asked, “Then why do you look exactly like my talisman bird?”
“I...” Feng Ci paused. “First tell me how this came into your possession.”
Cen Xun regarded him suspiciously, then briefly recounted how he had encountered an immortal as a child.
“...My cousin is a cultivator. He could tell that this phoenix contains immortal power and said it was a kind of talisman bird capable of tracking trails and sensing evil beings.” Cen Xun sat beside the table, idly stroking the talisman bird’s feathers. “Your turn. What exactly are you? Why was my talisman bird on you, and why do you look exactly like it?”
Feng Ci said. “This talisman bird... should have been created by my papa. I can sense Papa’s aura on it.”
Cen Xun froze. “Then does that mean my benefactor is your papa?”
“The spiritual power on the talisman bird can’t be mistaken.”
Cen Xun abruptly stood up. “Can you take me to meet your papa?”
Feng Ci looked puzzled. “Why do you want to meet him?”
“I... I’ve kept this talisman bird all these years because I hoped that one day I could use it to find my benefactor and thank him in person.” Cen Xun looked at him earnestly. “Will you take me to see him?”
“Why do you need to thank him?” Feng Ci did not understand. “Papa descends to the Mortal Realm to do good deeds and eliminate yao creatures and evil beings so he can accumulate merit. He helped you, and the Heavenly Dao already granted him the merit he deserved. Neither of you owes the other anything anymore.”
“...” Cen Xun had never heard such reasoning before. He opened his mouth but found himself completely unable to refute it.
Feng Ci continued, “Besides, you’re a mortal. You can’t even go to the Immortal Realm, so how would you meet him?”
“That isn’t necessarily true. My elder cousin says I have the aptitude for immortal cultivation. Maybe one day I’ll ascend and become an immortal too.” Cen Xun raised his brows proudly.
The little phoenix inside the cage only tilted his head and looked at him without saying anything.
Cen Xun found that strange. “You don’t think I’m boasting? Everyone says immortal cultivation is extremely difficult. No one wants to let me try.”
“Of course not. My daddy once fell from immortality and became a yao, but it only took him a hundred years to ascend again,” Feng Ci said. “If you want to try, then just try.”
Cen Xun’s expression softened. He reached through the bars and stroked Feng Ci’s head. “Little Phoenix, you’re really nice.”
The touch tickled. Feng Ci could not move much while tangled in the Immortal-Binding Net, so he shrank his neck. “Hurry and let me out.”
“Oh, right! I almost forgot!” Cen Xun hurriedly opened the cage and removed the Immortal-Binding Net.
Golden light filled the room. Feng Ci returned to human form and muttered softly, “You messed up my hair...”
The youth wore snow-white robes embroidered with cloud patterns in silver thread. His waterfall-like hair spilled loosely down his back. At this moment, his brows were faintly drawn together as he unhappily fixed his hair ornament.
Cen Xun stared blankly at Feng Ci. After a long while, he murmured in awe, “You really... really are an immortal...”
Feng Ci stopped what he was doing and replied seriously, “Yes. I never lie.”
“Right, I heard your father say earlier that many yao creatures have been appearing around the city?” Feng Ci asked.
Cen Xun answered without thinking, “There haven’t been any yao creatures in the city for a while now. Daoist masters from an immortal mountain came and cleared them out before. It’s just that my father still isn’t at ease. Sigh, I don’t know what’s been happening lately. Yao creatures and demons have been appearing everywhere. Besides Yanbeicheng, the nearby villages have also been troubled by them. That’s why my elder cousin returned from the immortal mountain where he cultivates to help us subdue them.”
Feng Ci nodded. “My sister and I also noticed that the demonic aura around here was particularly strong, which is why we landed in this area.”
Cen Xun suddenly realized something was wrong. “So... you came here to eliminate demons too?”
“Yes. My sister went to the mountain east of here and left Yanbeicheng to me,” Feng Ci said. “But since there aren’t any yao creatures and demons left in the city, I should go find my sister.”
Cen Xun immediately said, “No!”
“?”
Cen Xun said, “Who says there aren’t any yao creatures and demons in the city? Haven’t you noticed that every household is afraid to go outside at night? What if you leave and those come back?”
Feng Ci blinked. “But... I really didn’t sense the aura of any yao creatures or demons on the way here just now.”
“They’re hiding!” Cen Xun declared righteously. “If you don’t believe me, we’ll search the streets tomorrow. We’ll definitely find a yao creature.”
“...” Feng Ci blinked again, apparently unable to think of any reason to argue. “All right.”
It was already deep into the night. Feng Ci yawned.
Cen Xun asked, “Are you tired?”
“...Mm.”
Little Fengzai had been sleeping perfectly well in the forest before this man woke him up and dragged him all the way here. Only now did he realize he was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open.
“Then... then why don’t you sleep here?” Cen Xun pointed toward the bed in the inner room, inexplicably nervous.
A bed was naturally more comfortable than sleeping out in the forest. Feng Ci politely nodded. “All right. Thank you.”
He walked into the inner room, then remembered something. “Then what about you? Are you sleeping with me?”
Cen Xun looked at Feng Ci, and the tips of his ears inexplicably reddened. “C-Can I?”
Feng Ci said, “Why wouldn’t you? It’s your home.”
“Then I... then I’ll...”
Cen Xun was still stammering when Feng Ci’s figure flickered. He transformed into a little phoenix and fluttered onto the bed.
The little phoenix was only the size of a palm. Curled atop the snow-white pillow, he looked like a round little golden ball.
He lifted his head and chirped cheerfully at Cen Xun, “Good night! Jiu!”
Cen Xun: “...”
☁
The next day, the streets of Yanbeicheng were crowded and bustling.
“There really... don’t seem to be any yao creatures.” Feng Ci sat upstairs in a teahouse, looking down at the stream of people below in confusion.
“...” Cen Xun placed a pastry into Feng Ci’s bowl. “Let’s wait a little longer. Maybe they’ll appear later. Don’t worry. Try this first.”
“Oh...” Feng Ci listlessly took a bite of the pastry, then his eyes immediately brightened.
Cen Xun watched his reaction. “Is it good?”
The young man still had no idea how to hide his emotions. His eyes curved beautifully as he smiled. “It’s good.”
Feng Ci had inherited his father’s handsome features, but his temperament was much gentler. His pale eyes resembled warm jade resting beneath clear water, pure and beautiful.
Cen Xun was momentarily dazzled by that smile.
He coughed softly and looked away, covering his lapse by saying, “Yanbeicheng has plenty of other delicious food and fun things to see. I’ll take you to all of them later. You’ve definitely never seen anything like them.”
Feng Ci swallowed another bite of pastry. “But aren’t we supposed to be eliminating yao creatures?”
“Think about it. Why do yao creatures and demons cause trouble in the Mortal Realm? Isn’t it because they want to consume human essence and increase their cultivation?” Cen Xun said solemnly. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t they be more likely to appear where there are lots of people? How could you possibly find them if you keep searching deep mountains and old forests?”
Feng Ci tilted his head and considered this before smiling and nodding. “You’re right.”
After finishing their tea and pastries, Cen Xun dragged Feng Ci to watch performances and listen to music. The two spent the entire day having fun without encountering a single yao creature or demon.
As sunset approached, the two walked side by side along the main street. Feng Ci bit into the candied hawthorn skewer in his hand, one cheek puffing slightly. “There still don’t seem to be any yao creature or demon.”
Cen Xun laughed awkwardly. “Yeah. They probably realized you’re here and don’t dare come near.”
“That’s troublesome...” Feng Ci’s brows drooped. “I promised Papa I’d earn three hundred merit points during this trip to the Mortal Realm. There are only five days left, and I’m still short by more than seventy.”
Cen Xun’s footsteps stopped. “So... you actually have a task to complete?”
Feng Ci nodded. “Yes. If I don’t finish it, Papa won’t let me come out to play again.”
Cen Xun fell silent.
There were fewer pedestrians on the street now, and they were nearly back at the residence when Cen Xun finally made up his mind. “Little Phoenix, actually, I...”
“Wait.” Feng Ci frowned and turned toward a narrow alley beside them.
Cen Xun lowered his head guiltily. “Actually, I lied to you. My elder cousin already investigated Yanbeicheng and confirmed that there aren’t any yao creatures or demons left. I only wanted...”
Before he could finish, Feng Ci shoved the candied hawthorn skewer into Cen Xun’s hands. “Hold this for me.”
Then he immediately ran into the alley.
“?” Cen Xun barely caught the skewer. When he looked up again, the young man had already disappeared around the end of the alley.
Cen Xun stood frozen for a moment. Then all the gloom vanished from his face, replaced by almost uncontrollable delight. “I knew there were yao creatures here! Wait for me, Little Phoenix!”
Feng Ci followed the aura until he quickly reached a residence deep within the alley.
The wooden door stood slightly ajar. A powerful demonic aura seeped faintly from within.
A woman’s terrified cry suddenly came from inside.
Without hesitation, Feng Ci smashed through the door. Several black shadows flashed across the room and fled into the alley.
“Stop!”
Golden light flashed in Feng Ci’s palm. With the clear ring of a sword leaving its sheath, a golden longsword shot after the shadows and pierced through several hearts in an instant.
Feng Ci stepped out of the house. The longsword circled through the air before flying back into his hand.
In the distance, those figures slowly collapsed.
When Cen Xun finally arrived, panting and out of breath, this was the scene he saw.
The sun was setting. The young man stood against the fading light with sword in hand, his robes and long hair lifted by the wind as he calmly watched the yao creatures and demons scattered across the ground turn into drifting sand and disappear.
Then he saw Cen Xun.
The coldness in Feng Ci’s eyes vanished instantly.
He put away his sword, walked up to Cen Xun, and held out a hand.
Cen Xun stared blankly as he approached, momentarily dazed.
Feng Ci asked, “Where’s my candied hawthorn?”
“...” Cen Xun looked down at his empty hands.
Feng Ci frowned unhappily. “I told you to keep it safe!”
Cen Xun cried, “Ahhh, I’m sorry! I’ll go buy you another one right now!”
Behind them, a young woman stumbled out of the residence. “Many thanks to Benefactor for saving my life! May I ask where Benefactor resides? How may this humble woman repay you?”
Feng Ci turned back toward her and curved his eyes into a smile. “There’s no need to thank me.”
Then he turned around again, gave Cen Xun a quiet huff, and walked away.
Cen Xun hurried after him.
Neither youth noticed the expression of the woman behind them gradually turn cold.
A flash of crimson passed through her eyes.
The two young men walking away were still bickering.
“You’re so stupid. I only asked you to hold one candied hawthorn skewer, and you still lost it.”
“I... I was in a hurry to catch up with you. Don’t be angry. I’ll buy you another one, okay? Two. No, three!”
“...Five.”
“Isn’t that too many? You’ll get fat if you eat that much... Fine, fine! I’ll buy them.”
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Are you all really that concerned about who’s gong and who’s shou...? I actually haven’t decided yet, hahahaha. Little Fengzai is still just a kid. What gong or shou could there possibly be? _(:з」∠)_
🎴 Catto's Daily Companion Pull
The ACWTE deck has decided you need supervision. Tap the top card and discover which companion the Heavenly Dao has assigned to you today. ♡
No money. No accounts. No actual gambling. Just one suspiciously random companion living in your browser for the day.
0 Comments