Chapter 51: Part Ways Here
At that moment, Feng Jiu's face was not showing the usual laziness she always did as her hand remained pressed over his left chest. Her eyes were serious and her voice determined as she said: " He helped me before. I cannot let him die just like that."
The little Fire Phoenix was pulled in by the steely resolve on her face and asked in a small voice: "How do you want to save him? Against the Thousand Year Frost Poison, even my revered self am powerless against it and unable to help you with it."
"No, you are able to help." Feng Jiu said, suddenly revealing a highly deep smile.
Hearing that, the little Fire Phoenix blinked his eyes blankly, feeling rather curious. He was just about to ask her what she meant when he saw Feng Jiu undoing the man's shirt front, to reveal his chest covered with a layer of frost. Feng Jiu gathered her mystical power into her hand and pressed it against an acupoint on his body.
"Come here." She suddenly stopped and looked over at the little Fire Phoenix.
"Har? What for?" Although not understanding what was going on, the little Fire Phoenix still stood up and went over to stand beside her.
Feng Jiu flashed him a smile that was so unbelievably gentle that it raised the goosebumps all over his body. And in the very next moment, he suddenly cried out pitifully in pain.
"Argh! My revered hand! Blood is flowing out of my revered hand….. You….. You woman! What are you doing! ?"
He was staring angrily at Feng Jiu, his heart feeling highly aggrieved.
"I need to borrow just a bit of your blood to use and it's only just a teeny weeny wound. I won't take too much." She pulled his stubby little hand and put it near Ling Mo Han's lips, dripping the blood flowing out from the tiny finger into Ling Mo Han's mouth.
The moment the Fire Phoenix's blood went into his mouth, the icy chill in his body gradually began to disperse, seemingly like it was being suppressed. An burst of heat surged throughout his body and the heat warmed up his frozen body. The body that had been curled up into a ball had also gradually straightened.
"The blood from my revered self is that useful?" The little Fire Phoenix had only just realised this was what her words earlier had meant.
Seeing that Ling Mo Han's body was finally warming up, Feng Jiu heaved out a small sigh of relief before she went on to explain: "You are the Ancient Fire Phoenix, and the blood of the Fire Phoenix is known to be the most scorching, hence it would naturally be able to suppress the Frost Poison in his body."
As she spoke, she rubbed his tiny head and said with a laugh: "Thank you very much. You helped me return a favour I had owed him."
"Humph!" The little Fire Phoenix turned his face away sulkily, but in his heart, he was really happy to hear those words from Feng Jiu.
"How long do you intend to leave him here? What are you going to do when he wakes up?"
"There are people outside who are after his life and after those people have gone far away in a little while more, I will bring him out. The icy chill within him has been suppressed and he should be regaining consciousness soon. And with his abilities, he will be fine once he wakes up."
With those words, the little Fire Phoenix did not say anything else.
And Feng Jiu did as she said she would where she brought Ling Mo Han out of the space and left him on the grass after about an hour later.
"Uncle, this might count as having me saved your life this time. I have something else I need to do and we will part ways here." She saw the lashes on his eyes move slightly and knew that he was coming awake and she immediately used her strange steps to swiftly move deeper into the woods…..
Shortly after she left, Ling Mo Han regained his consciousness. In his head, he could still hear the voice of the little beggar reverberating within.
He was feeling highly puzzled as he looked at his body that had recovered to its original state. He was shocked when he felt that the icy chill within him had been suppressed, and he swept his eyes to look around but he did not find any sign of the little beggar…..
As for Feng Jiu, she was worried that the big oaf, Guan Xi Lin would still be at the same place waiting for her and she rushed through the night to make her way towards the place. When light broke over the horizon, she finally reached the bottom of that same tree and saw no sign of the big oaf being around where she sighed out in relief.
"Seems like he left. That's good, that would save me from having to get so worried that he would still be stupidly waiting here for me."
However, just as her words had barely fallen, she suddenly heard a familiar voice shouting out from a distance away, and the furious roar of a ferocious beast…..
Chapter 52: Protecting Each Other with Their Lives
When she heard those sounds, her face immediately changed and in a flash, her body was already moving in that direction. However, when she reached the place and saw the scene before her eyes, she was stunned for a moment on the spot.
She only saw the man covered entirely in blood, fighting barehanded with a ferocious tiger, the clothes on his body torn by the tiger's sharp claws, the deep gashes on him ghastly to see…..
And surrounding them, were carcasses of grey wolves numbering more than ten of them.
Just as she was still astounded with the fact that he was killed more than ten grey wolves with his own strength and was still grappling with a ferocious tiger, she suddenly saw him twist his fist and mystical power coalesced around his fist. With a loud bam, it struck the tiger which was at least several hundred catties in weight and sent it flying through the air.
'Howl!'
The ferocious tiger howled pitifully and fell heavily onto the ground, spinning a few rounds from the force. She had even heard the crack from the breaking of bones from the tiger.
"Little kid!"
Guan Xi Lin turned around and called out in delighted surprise, lifting a hand to swipe off the blood from his face and wiping it hastily upon his clothes before running over to Feng Jiu to say: "Little kid, I had thought something happened to you….. Watch out!"
Before he could finish what he wanted to say, Guan Xi Lin had shouted out and leapt at her at the same time, reaching out with both his hands to push Feng Jiu out of the way.
The speed that everything had happened at made Feng Jiu who had detected danger approaching from behind and turned back to be unable to dodge Guan Xi Lin in time and had been pushed to the ground by him.
"Roar!"
"Argh!"
An angry roar from the ferocious tiger, followed by a gasp and a cry from Guan Xi Lin rang out before he said: "Little kid, quick, run away….."
The sudden unexpected change of events had stunned Feng Jiu as she stared at the bloodied Guan Xi Lin who had half his shoulder within the ferocious tiger's jaws. Her eyes turned red and she immediately drew her dagger and rushed forward.
"You damned beast!"
She leapt and grabbed at a fistful of fur, the dagger in her hand viciously stabbing into the beast's neck.
'Howl!'
The tiger howled out in pain, but the man it held clamped within its jaws was dragged along with it, refusing to let go of its prey, until Feng Jiu's vicious dagger dug in deeply once again into its neck where it fell to the ground with a crash, gasping and twitching on its last breaths.
"Guan Xi Lin? Guan Xi Lin, are you alright?" She was slightly panicked as she pried the tiger's jaws open and dragged him out, staring at the shoulder that had blood flowing out freely, and the right arm hanging down limply. Her heart, suddenly trembled a brief moment.
[An injury like this….. His hand…..]
"Little….. kid….. Are you….. hurt…..?" He asked with concern, his voice sounding rather weak.
Hearing what he said, Feng Jiu's heart wrenched up tightly, and her mind was swept over in grief. Her eyes reddened, she took out the medicine and sprinkled it over the wound to staunch the bleeding as she scolded: "Are you tired of living? Who asked you to save me? I could have dodged that! Why did you come push me away?"
[No one had ever rushed to stand in front of her so selflessly in the face of danger like this before. But he, this goofy big oaf here had done exactly that.]
[How dumb! He couldn't get any dumber than this.]
But this time, her frosty and chilled heart had been moved in a small corner of it. A foreign and unfamiliar emotion made her feel grief pour over her in waves and her eyes were feeling hot like a mist had formed before them, causing her to be unable to see his face clearly.
"Sor….. Sorry….. I….. I panicked and….. and forgot."
He pulled out an honest and earnest smile. But as the wounds on him were very severe, his face turned deathly pale, and with that blood soaked clothes he was wearing, Guan Xi Lin looked like there was a possibility that he would die any moment then.
"Little….. Little kid, I….. I'm fine….. I'm….. just a little tired….. and will sleep for a while….."
His voice grew gradually weaker, and he completely lost consciousness as he fell into a dead faint…..
Chapter 53: Leaving the Nine Entrapment Woods
The warm sun rays fell over the woods and shone upon Guan Xi Lin's face. His brows creased up a little and the fingers on his left hand moved slightly as well. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes and stared a little dazed, at the specks of sunlight peeking down through the thick canopy of leaves above his head.
"Awake already?"
The soft and warm sounding voice reached his ears which startled Guan Xi Lin. "Little kid?" He wanted to sit up but it tugged at his wound which was so painful he gasped and fell back.
"Your wounds have not closed properly. Don't move around too much."
Feng Jiu held him down, her eyes a mix of emotions as she looked at him before she asked: "You do not even know by what name I am called, so why would you risk your life so recklessly to protect me?"
"Lit….. Little kid, you….. you're angry?" He was looking at the little beggar kid nervously.
"Answer me."
Seeing that those eyes were sternly serious, he said: "I am older than you, and you are like a kid brother to me. When there is danger, of course I have to protect you."
Feng Jiu was surprised, never expecting the reason to be such a simple and honest one.
"Little kid….."
"My name is Feng Jiu." She opened her mouth to say suddenly, her eyes looking at that face stunned into silence. "Moreover, I am a girl."
"Hah? G….. Gir….. Girl?"
This time the shock was real and he began to stutter incoherently. Because no matter which way you looked at her, where would you ever find a girl that was able to take on a pack of wolves alone?
Moreover, he had always seen him as a him and never for a moment thought that he would turn out to be a she.
Seeing him utterly flabbergasted, her eyes flickered and she said: "Your right shoulder's tendon snapped from that beast's bite."
"Oh." He glanced at her and answered.
"What I mean is. Your right arm is crippled."
This time, he hesitated a moment and lowered his eyes. "Mmm."
"Regret it now?"
Hearing that, Guan Xi Lin looked in her direction and shook his head to say: "I do not regret it. If I had not gone forward to block, it might have bitten you and you might not have lived through it. I am a man, and am much bigger in size. I only crippled an arm. I'm fine. If I cannot hold a sword in my right hand, I will train up my left."
Hearing those words, Feng Jiu was overcome with shock for a long while and when she finally recovered, a smile came onto her face and she said: "As dumb as I thought."
Little kid, no no no, Little Jiu. I am not dumb. I am just too honest." He drew back the sides of his mouth and laughed aloud, seemingly not having fallen into depression with his right arm crippled.
"Would someone who is honest tell people he is honest?" She raised up her brow in askance, deciding secretly in her heart that she must definitely heal his right arm.
"Little Jiu, did you meet with danger when you went to pick the herb? Why were you gone such a long time?"
When he thought back to the fact that he had waited there for a day and a night but still had not seen her come back, he had thought that she had met with a ferocious beast and he had run out intending to find her. Unexpectedly, he had been attacked by the wolves and the tiger.
"Some unexpected things happened and I was chased all over the woods by two bears. Are you hungry? I'll go hunt some wild meat and roast it for us to eat."
She jumped through it without much of an explanation. In regards to the experiences she had gone through in the past one day and night, she did not intend to speak much about it.
"Hungry, but don't go too far." He said in a slightly worried tone.
"I know." She smiled and got up to walk around to survey the surroundings.
A few days later in the Nine Entrapment Woods
The few days of interaction had drawn the two of them closer to each other and knowing that Feng Jiu was alone without anyone else, Guan Xi Lin said he wanted to acknowledge her as his sister.
Unable to convince him otherwise, Feng Jiu felt that it wasn't that bad a idea to have him as an elder brother and hence, the two of them had conducted a very simple ceremony for them to swear to the Heavens, to acknowledge the pair as sworn siblings.
"Little Jiu, let's go to the Rock Forest Town!" As the blood clot in his brain dispersed, he had regained his memory, but he did not feel like going home.
Chapter 54: Ravishingly Dressed in Ladies’ Wear
"Mmm, sure. Anyway, let's get out of here first and see." In the present situation, wherever she went was the same to her.
Hence, they went on their way immediately, making their way towards the Rock Forest Town.
Two days later. Rock Forest Town
Guan Xi Lin's torn and tattered clothes were still covered in blood, his considerably good looking face was heavily smudged with dirt and filth. Added to the fact that his arms were huge and muscular, he looked every inch just like a savage.
As for Feng Jiu, the white shirt she was wearing had turned to grey and her face was covered with the herbal juice. She was covered in filth and dirt, looking no different from a dirty beggar.
These two people walked into the Rock Forest Town and they had naturally elicited quite a number of stares filled with disdain where even the people who passed them would try their best to avoid them, afraid to come into any contact.
"The atmosphere within a town is so different!" Feng Jiu exclaimed as she drew in a deep breath, which only made her smell all the fragrant scents of the different kinds of food that fully permeated the air.
"Little Jiu, we will need to go have a change of clothes first. Or no matter the inns or any other places would never allow us in." Guan Xi Lin said, tugging at the tattered clothes hanging from his body.
"Mmm. Let's see if there are any shops selling ready made clothes nearby." She said as she looked around them. Her eyes fell onto a spot a distance away and she immediately pulled Guan Xi Lin to walk towards it. "Over there. There is one there."
"Wait wait wait wait." He dragged her to a stop in a hurry before asking softly: "Little Jiu, do we have money? Without money, how are we going to buy clothes?"
Hearing that, she rolled her eyes and said: "Why would I have no money? Don't worry, I have it." After saying that, she jiggled the little bag hanging at her hip and said: "Come on! Not to mention one suit, even ten suits would be no problem."
Hearing that she had money, Guan Xi Lin's mouth split into a smile and the two of them walked together to go into the clothing shop.
"Big Brother, you wear this one! This one suits you." She picked up a black long robe of a rather good quality and gave it to him to try it on.
"It'll do. That will be the one."
He had no objection to it and took the clothes to walk further in to try. After a short while, he came back out after changing and saw Feng Jiu picking out men clothes for herself which made him say: "Little Jiu, why are you choosing men's clothes? We are back in town and you don't need to dress as a man anymore. Wear a dress. Women should wear dresses that make them look prettier."
Because, back home with his family, all the ladies loved to wear dresses and every time they made a purchase, it was always more than ten of them. That made him think his younger sister should also wear a dress and not always make herself look just like a little beggar.
"Men's clothes are convenient."
As she answered, she was just about to hand the several suits she had picked out to the shopkeeper when she found herself being dragged over to the ladies department where he called out to the shopkeeper: "Come here. Get me this one, this one, and that one and give them to my little sister."
Watching him, Feng Jiu was torn between laughter and tears. But thinking on it a moment more, she gave in. They were now in a town and she doesn't need to be dressed in beggar clothes, so what's the harm in changing back to ladies' wear?
"Bring me those suits over there in red!" She suddenly said to the shopkeeper who was standing at the side.
"Of course, of course." The shopkeeper had not noticed that the little beggar was actually a girl but he still quickly brought over the red suits.
"Do you have face veils? Give me a few face veils in red." As she instructed the shopkeeper, she picked out a few more pieces for Guan Xi Lin before bringing out her silver and said: "Bill."
"Little Jiu, you are not going to change?"
She smiled and said: "You change into the new clothes. The clothes I have on are neither torn nor tattered but just filthy. We'll go find an inn later and I have a bath first before changing into them. Otherwise, I'll just feel uncomfortable with the new clothes on."
"That's true as well." Guan Xi Lin nodded and they set off looking for an inn.
"Little Jiu, you go ahead and take a bath. Your Big Brother will help you guard the door." Outside the rooms, Guan Xi Lin planted himself in front of her room's door, intending to stand as a door deity to guard for her.
Seeing the firm stance he had taken planting himself in front of her door, Feng Jiu could not help herself but laugh. "No need. This is an inn. I will just need to shut the door and there is no need for you to guard it. You go take a bath as well! I am already ravenous! We'll go get something to eat right after." As she spoke those words, she pushed Guan Xi Lin into the room next door.
Hearing Feng Jiu mention that she was hungry, Guan Xi Lin had no choice but to concede. "Alright, remember to shut the door and I will wait for you out here after I have finished my bath."
"Mmm." She agreed readily before she turned and went into her room, shut the door tight, before she stepped into the adjoining area where bath water had been prepared for her.
Maybe it was because it was his first time being someone's elder brother, Guan Xi Lin was highly protective of Feng Jiu. Especially after knowing that she was a girl, it became even more so. Hurrying through his bath and dressing up in a rush, he immediately stepped outside to stand guard outside the door of the room next to his, which drew quite a number of curious stares from other guests walking past.
The time Feng Jiu took to finish her bath was not that short a period, taking almost an hour before the room door opened from inside.
Guan Xi Lin heard the door open behind him, and when he turned to look inside, his eyes involuntarily opened up very wide, the shock in his eyes and the incredulity showing completely on his face.
"Lit….. Little Jiu?"
"Mmm." Feng Jiu replied, the corners of the lips under the red face veil slightly lifted as a smile bloomed on those lips.
Although her countenance had been destroyed, her body was still highly attractive. Her long and slender curves filling out the eye grabbing red dress extremely well, like the brilliant setting sun, so beautiful you cannot look straight into it.
The red veil that shrouded her face added an element of mystery that enabled her entire person to give out a mysterious feel, which made people yearn to steal a glance of the beauty hidden beneath, but was not able to see through the veil.
Decked out in a full suit of red, she was enchanting and mesmerizing, and at the same time wild and eye grabbing. Especially when her person was exuding the cold arrogance like a red peach blossom within the snow, unlike the coy and gentle demeanor of refined ladies, but with the air of noble honour, that a conqueror would be born with.
See the beauty in red before his eyes, Guan Xi Lin was speechless for a long while, only thinking the little sister he had was unbelievably beautiful…..
But seeing her soft luxurious hair draped on her back behind her, just loosely tied up with a red silk ribbon, with wisps hanging loosely down the sides of her face, which just added to the alluring and enchanting sight. The eyes that were showing above the veil were at that moment slightly narrowed smilingly, the brows exuding confidence and bluster…..
What he was seeing really made him find it impossible to link her up to the dirty and filthy little beggar he was used to seeing.
"Little Jiu. You are really beautiful. Even fairies are not as beautiful as you. Hee hee….."
His mouth split into a goofy grin and when the thought that such a beautiful girl was his sister, his heart suddenly filled up with pride.
"Let's go!" She said with a light laugh. Dressed in feminine clothes put her in a rather good mood as she moved to go downstairs.
"Oh, alright."
He hurried to keep up and seemingly having thought of something, he turned his head to look around. As expected, he saw all the men downstairs all staring in shock and surprise at his little sister.
Seeing that, besides feeling the pride in his heart, he silently vowed in his heart that he would definitely find a way to get rid of those scars on Little Jiu's face.
It was until the two of them left the inn that the men inside suddenly regained their senses.
"So beautiful….. Who is that lady? When did such a mesmerizing beauty come to our town?"
Meanwhile, in a restaurant opposite the inn, standing by the window, Murong Yi Xuan saw the figure in red pass and his eyes suddenly became puzzled.
Why, did the back view of that person feel so familiar?
Chapter 55: Who is the True Love
Because of the doubt in his heart, he went down the stairs to search out the red figure he saw…..
On the other side, Feng Jiu and Guan Xi Lin found themselves a good restaurant and booked a private room ordering more than ten dishes and two jars of wine, closing the door tight before they sat down to eat.
Setting the face veil down at the side, Feng Jiu poured out the wine as she said: "Big Brother, let's just stay here for a period! Let's go find a quiet little place with a nice yard out for rent. It will be a lot more convenient than staying at an inn."
"Alright, we'll go look for one right after this." In regards to that, Guan Xi Lin completely had no objections.
"Little Jiu, don't just keep drinking wine. Have some double boiled soup first." He filled a bowl up with the soup and used a scoop to ladle out a piece of meat fried with egg: "Try it, see if it's good."
"You eat! I'll do it myself."
As she said that, she noticed that he wasn't really used to having to use his left land and couldn't even hold his chopsticks properly, hence she picked out a bit of every dish and piled it up into his bowl and she said: "After a period when I am able to raise up my cultivation, I will go find all the herbs that is needed to heal your right hand."
Hearing those words startled him a little and he asked: "It can still be cured?"
"Mmm, only that the things needed are not easy to find." She drank up the bowl of soup and her chopsticks picked up a few mouthfuls of the dishes as she said: "But there will be no problem, I have complete confidence that I can restore your arm to the way it was before."
With her skills in Medicine, as long as she was able to find all the necessary herbs, there was no ailment that she would not be able to treat.
Not mention that it was just the tendon around the shoulder that had snapped from the bite, even if the arm was completely torn off, she would be able to rejoin the limb back.
Although he did not rue the fact that his arm was crippled, but hearing her say that it was still possible to be treated had nevertheless made him feel very glad. "Little Jiu, if my arm can really be cured, then I will work extremely hard at my cultivation and protect you."
"Sure."
She nodded and smiled. She knew that he held considerable power. Having been able to defeat a pack of wolves and a ferocious tiger with just his own strength, it could be imagined how explosive his power must have been when pushed into a corner.
She also believed that he would grow even stronger in the future!
Downstairs, Murong Yi Xuan was drinking at a table on the first level, his collected eyes looking deep in thought.
He did not know what made him follow the figure all the way here and he did not understand why his mind was thinking that the figure is red was Qing Ge. But with that one glance from upstairs earlier, the back view had really been very much alike.
But after following them all the way here, he was no longer that sure at that moment, because the disposition of the two people were not the same.
Qing Ge was gentle and soft spoken, while the lady in red was wild and alluring. The suit of red clothes on her were highly attention grabbing and also his Qing Ge was outstanding as well, but, different from this person. Moreover, she never wore red.
Why would he suspect that the Qing Ge who was already on her way back was an imposter? Those mannerisms, each scowl and each smile was just as familiar and it was obvious it should be her!
However, a voice in his heart was still questioning it, that gave him no choice but to be suspicious.
After a long period of time had passed, when the doors of the private room upstairs were opened, the figure in red appeared before him once again. The shocked and mesmerized eyes of the diners both upstairs and downstairs could not help themselves but follow her figure helplessly. The face veil that swayed slightly as she walked made all of them wish fervently for a strong gust of wind to blow at that moment, that would blow that darned face veil off and reveal what's underneath.
Murong Yi Xuan lifted his eyes to look and he saw the lady in red with her attention grabbing disposition slowly walk down. Every single step she took was confident was filled with grace, her red clothes like fire, bright as the setting sun. But from her being, a cold unapproachable air emanated, making one who neared her quickly feel, the presence of the noble and revered air of a conqueror, emitting out from her body naturally.
Detecting that a pair of eyes was probing her out, Fei Jiu reflexively turned to look in the direction. When their eyes met, no one understood the light the glinted in their eyes…..
Chapter 56: Glancing Back with a Smile
When she saw Murong Yi Xuan, Feng Jiu was a little surprised. Surprised that she would see him here.
Actually, she had noticed that someone was following behind them earlier. But as she did not feel any sinister intentions coming from the person, she had not bothered herself with it. Thinking back now, that person on their tail must have been him.
But, wasn't he accompanying Feng Qing Ge? Why was he appearing here?
And that probing look in his eyes, what did that mean?
Under the veil, a playful smile came onto her lips. Her eyes indifferent as she turned away, she continued walking on her way out. However, she had only taken a few steps when the man who had been sitting down was suddenly standing right in front of her.
She did not say anything but merely lifted her eyes to look at him.
Murong Yi Xuan did not say a word as well. He merely stood there before Feng Jiu and silently looked into her eyes, seemingly trying to detect the slightest tinge of familiarity from within those eyes, but he was disappointed.
Although that pair of eyes looked almost exactly identical to hers, but the wild and uninhibited look those eyes gave out did not belong to her.
The eyes before him were really beautiful, just like the pair the person in his memory had. But the eyes of the Feng Qing Ge he remembered were warm and gentle, while the ones before him were hiding its sharp and penetrating gaze, the two completely different feel he got confused him a little and he didn't know how to differentiate between them.
"Kid, what are you doing?"
Seeing that something did not seem right, Guan Xi Lin immediately stepped forward and his muscular body was suddenly standing in between the two of them, blocking the gaze the two people had been sharing.
Murong Yi Xuan snapped back to attention and turned to look at the towering man before him. He gave him a refined smile and said: "My brother, I saw that the lady looked very much like a friend of mine and I just wanted to greet her."
It might be the refined and cultured air coming out from his mannerisms that convinced Guan Xi Lin that he was not a villain, hence he hesitated a moment while he turned his head back to look at the person right behind him.
"Young lady, peach blossoms in the Peach Blossom Monastery blooms in March."
He looked at her quietly, his eyes so gentle they almost oozed out from them. And that seemingly senseless statement he made confused Guan Xi Lin, where he could make head or tail of it.
Only Feng Jiu's heart skipped. From within her memory, there was a very warming scene…..
"Big Brother Murong, I heard that the peach blossoms in the Peach Blossom Monastery are the most beautiful, their red and white contrast complements each other perfectly and they cover the entire mountain in an endless stretch. Is that really true?" Under a peach tree, an exquisitely beautiful girl asked with her head slightly lifted, the deep adoration in her eyes obvious as she looked at the white robed man beside her.
The white robed man's eyes were indulgently gentle as he reached out his hand to hold the beautiful girl beside him, and say in a highly gentle voice: "Yes, the peach blossoms at the Peach Blossom Monastery stretches further than the eye can see, and when the wind blows, the red petals fills the air like a rain of flowers. Wait for March this year when the peach blossoms bloom, I will bring you there to see."
Wait for March this year when the peach blossoms bloom, I will bring you there to see them…..
Her slightly lowered eyes suddenly flashed in a brief moment of surprise and her heart winced slightly with pain. She knew, that was the deep affection and longing the body's original owner had for Murong Yi Xuan.
The person was right here, the words feeling like it was just said yesterday. But the woman of his heart was already gone from this realm…..
Murong Yi Xuan's heart tightened, his deep gaze staring at the slightly lowered pair of eyes, trying to look for any subtle change in her expression.
"When the peach blossoms at the Peach Blossom Monastery blooms in March, I will bring my little sister to go see them. I don't need you to remind us."
Oblivious to what those words meant, Guan Xi Lin said brusquely, holding Feng Jiu in his, he strode out of the place with big and wide steps, grumbling as he went: "Sis, let's not bother with that little pretty boy. One look at him and I can tell that he is a womaniser. What nonsense with peach blossoms blooming in March, I'll bet he wishes for all the blossoming girls to bloom around him."
"Pfft!"
Hearing Guan Xi Lin words, Feng Jiu could not help herself but laughed aloud. She turned around with a backward glance, and her eyes were smiling brightly…..
Chapter 57: Spatial Spirit Palace
Murong Yi Xuan and Feng Qing Ge were people linked through the heart, while Feng Jiu, was just a stranger…..
Things that she wanted to do, she would only depend on herself. Regardless that this man was someone that Feng Qing Ge highly trusted, she still wouldn't tell him the real situation before her now.
It was always better to rely on oneself, than to beg for help from others.
And Murong Yi Xuan was at a loss for words as he saw the two figures depart.
[Younger sister?]
[That man had said she was his younger sister? Then that was not Qing Ge?]
His heart, suddenly felt endlessly empty. He was suddenly disappointed, yet at the same time, rather glad. Maybe, it had all just been his imagination going wild…..
[Afterall, his suspicions was just too inconceivable. If his suspicions were true, wouldn't that mean that the Qing Ge who was currently on her way back home an imposter? Even if his heart was suspecting that she was not real, but how could it be possible that even her father and grandfather would not recognise it if that was so?]
[Maybe, he had just been thinking too much.]
On the other side, Guan Xi Lin and Feng Jiu went around to take a look at several houses with a yard, and they finally found one that was tranquil and quiet which they liked. Although the location was rather remote and out of the way, but the quiet peace attracted them and the surrounding environment was rather nice.
That same day, the two of them went out to purchase some daily necessities and they moved into the place right away.
After explaining it a little to Guan Xi Lin, she went on to carry out a closed door cultivation of seclusion…..
For three successive days, the tightly shut door had not opened a single time.
While in the yard, Guan Xi Lin stood guard throughout the three days while he practised using the sword with his left hand.
He was blessed with rather outstanding gift and he possessed explosive power. From being completely awkward initially till currently showing some adequacy, though not as adept as wielding it with his right hand, he was however growing in strength at it.
Inside the room, sitting in a lotus position on the bed, Feng Jiu's hands were laid atop her knees on each side, a red mystical energy visible to the eye swirling around her body. The mystical energy was swirling at an immensely high speed, it could almost be said that the mystical energy was surging into her sea of Qi between her brows, to gather up into a mass.
As an amateur cultivator, to advance into the Warrior stage, would require several years before a cultivator would be able to enter the initial mystical levels of a Warrior.
Take for example the original Feng Qing Ge, her cultivation powers had only been at the second level of the Warrior stage, while currently, Feng Jiu had merely used three days' time and she had had had some small accomplishment with her Qi sea, and she had already entered the initial level of the mystical stage, which had greatly increased her powers.
It must be known that a Warrior in the mystical stage was already considered to be rather accomplished and they held a significant amount of power. Like the middle aged man in the Warrior stage that she had previously encountered in the Nine Entrapment Woods, that kind of power could already be considered to be one of the pillars of strength in a family clan.
Moreover, that opponent had only been in the mid levels of the mystical Warrior stage.
In that encounter, the mid leveled mystical Warrior had not even been a match for her and it was needless to compare with the current Feng Jiu after she had managed to successfully cultivate her Qi sea, and managed to enter the second level of the mystical Warrior stage.
When she blew her breath out lightly and opened her eyes, from within her mind, came the little Fire Phoenix voice filled with excited surprise.
"Foolish woman, the boundary barrier within the space here had been broken by revered me! Come in quick to take a look!"
A tinge of surprise showed within her eyes and she immediately went into her consciousness and flashed into the Spatial Ring. The moment she got in there, she could not help herself but be startled.
"This is….."
"What do you say? I told you my revered self is really powerful didn't I? The boundary barrier that that old man had not been able to overcome had been broken down by me!"
The little Fire Phoenix looked at Feng Jiu proudly and continued to say: "I don't know what kind of Heaven defying luck you are blessed with, but you have even been able to gain such a rarely encountered spatial dimension like this. Cultivating in here for a day would be equivalent to cultivating outside for three days."
Upon hearing that, Feng Jiu also found it highly unbelievable as the moment she entered the space, she had immediately felt that after the boundary barrier had been broken down, the spirit energy in here had gotten very thick and dense.
Chapter 58: Seven Star Scabbard
She strolled slowly inside, seeing the clear blue sky with its fluffy white clouds, another tiny world within by itself. Before the boundary barrier was broken, although she had been able to see it, but had not been able to cross over, and it now looked a world of difference.
As she looked around in the Spatial Spirit Palace, her mood soared involuntarily, thinking what an amazing find the Spatial Ring really was.
"Look, there is even an Ever Spirit Spring, I have taken a look at it. The Spirit Spring's water had been so well nourished by the high density of spirit energy in the air here that even the water's source is filled with spirit energy."
The little Fire Phoenix was exhilarated as well. When the boundary barrier had been broken earlier, he had enjoyed himself for quite awhile here. In regards to the place he had discovered here, he liked it a lot from the bottom of his heart or he wouldn't have stayed within the space here without complaining, wanting to get out. He knew that if he remained within here to cultivate, then his power would surely swell up at a extremely fast rate.
She laughed aloud, rubbing the little Fire Phoenix on his tiny head and saying: "Then you just be good and stay in here to cultivate. I'll have to go out first. I'll come in to do my cultivation next time and I believe the rate I will progress at will be amazing."
"Alright." The little Fire Phoenix pouted and went over to the Spirit Spring to play with water.
Feng Jiu smiled at the sight and delved into her consciousness once more to bring herself outside.
Immediately upon opening the room door, she saw Guan Xi Lin practising with his sword in the yard. Seeing that he was still rather stiff wielding the sword with his left hand, not entirely nimble with it as yet, her heart cringed slightly and she called out: "Big Brother."
"Little Jiu, you're finally out? You're really something. Why are you practising your cultivation like no tomorrow? You have closed yourself in for three whole days at a stretch."
He kept his sword and walked towards her, saying with a serious face: "Little Jiu, cultivation is not a one time thing. It is impossible to yearn for results in a short period. You have to take it step by step."
Hearing those words, Feng Jiu could not help herself but smile and replied: "Yes yes yes."
Although she had reached the early levels of the mystical Warrior stage, she suppressed her powers to just the second level of a Warrior. The average person would not be able to see what kind of cultivation she had really attained.
Being able to achieve such speed in her advancement within such a short period of time, it was naturally because of her rare mystical spirit body. Moreover, the channels of her mystical spirit meridians had been opened and enlarged by her Master, where the channels were originally just a tiny thin stream, and they were now like a wide torrential and raging river, which made the speed that her cultivation progressed at a completely different level from before.
"Oh right, Big Brother. I need to go purchase a set of silver needles. Accompany me will you?"
"Sure. Let's go right now." He splashed some water on his face to clean it quickly before slinging his sword behind his back and he immediately followed Feng Jiu outside.
When they walked into Precious Treasure Pavilion, Feng Jiu immediately detected that someone had their eye on them.
"Shopkeeper, do you have a full set of silver needles available here?"
"Sure! But what kind of quality would our young Miss like to have? We have three models at this current moment, differentiated by high, medium and low grade. The prices are of course different and the grade and quality are vastly different." The shopkeeper introduced with a smile, bringing out three sets of silver needles and putting them all right before Feng Jiu.
"This one then." She picked the most expensive set as the needles with the different lengths were more complete and they were rather well made.
Her gaze then fell onto a scabbard hanging high up on the wall. Her eyes lit up and she asked: "Is that sword scabbard for sale?"
The shopkeeper followed her gaze and turned to look. With a smile he said: "Our young Miss really has a keen eye. That is a completely unique, one of a kind sword scabbard that our Precious Treasure Pavilion has. You can almost look throughout the entire Sun Glory Country and you will not be able to find one that is similar to it."
The shopkeeper brought the sword scabbard down and continued to say: "The seven different coloured main precious stones are all rare treasures and the hand carved designs on it are exquisitely done, the matching of colours gorgeous and regal. Instead of calling it a sword scabbard, we might as well say this piece is a heartwarming accessory which is highly pleasing to the eye."
Chapter 59: A Dark and Windy Night
She picked up the sword scabbard to take a look at it and said: "Bill it."
Hearing her say that, the shopkeeper was all smiles as he led Feng Jiu to the cashier counter and said with a laugh: "Miss, the Seven Star sword scabbard is one million and two hundred and the silver needle set is thirty five thousand. I'll make it one million, two hundred and thirty thousand just for you. The remaining five thousand I'll give the young Miss a discount hoping you will come back here again."
Feng Jiu paid up, quickly slipping the scabbard and the silver needles into the Cosmos Sack before leaving the place together with Guan Xi Lin.
Seeing her use a Cosmos Sack, the shopkeeper eyes flashed with astonishment. [A Cosmos Sack? Looks like the young Miss' is from quite a family background! It's got to be, or why would she purchase the Seven Star scabbard that cost more a million without even bargaining so readily! ?]
The two of them purchased quite a lot of things outside and they shopped throughout the entire day before they went back. The person who had been tailing them followed them all the way until he saw them enter a little house with a yard in a out of the way part of town before he went back to report his findings.
In one of the inns, a middle aged man was practicing his cultivation with his legs crossed as he sat. When he heard a low voice call out from outside, he said: "Come in."
A man walked in quickly and greeted respectfully before he said: "Second Old Master. Your subordinate has followed the two of them for a whole day and I saw them finally enter a little house in a out of the way part of town. I asked around in the surrounding area and found out that they had just moved in three days ago and they claimed themselves to be siblings. And in the Precious Treasures Pavilion today, the lady in red took out a Cosmos Sack that had belonged to the Young Master."
The middle aged man filled up with a murderous rage as he said in a deep voice: "A pair of siblings? Describe to me in detail their outward appearances."
"Yes." He described the characteristics of their bodies and appearances of the two people and he said at the end: "But the girl dressed in red had a veil over her face and I had not been able to see her face clearly."
The middle aged man's eyes darkened as one of his arms hung down at his side. The other arm tensed up tightly as his hand clenched into a fist till the veins showed visibly, his knuckles crackling.
"Have a portrait of the girl in red drawn up and send it to the black market mercenaries' mission bulletin board. Reveal to the people in the black market of their address and tell them I want to see the girl's head by tomorrow morning!"
"Yes!" The man answered in reverence and quickly retreated out of the room.
It was already night and the skies were exceptionally dark, like one big mass of dark clouds had completely blocked out the sky, where not a single star could be seen.
Dressed in full red, Feng Jiu was lying atop the roof, a hand beneath her head, the other hand holding up the Cosmos Sack as she stared at it and said to herself: "So it's because you had been marked with a spirit marker. No wonder even after I have changed into such feminine clothes from the torn and tattered beggar clothes, I could still be recognized."
Keeping the Cosmos Sack away, she stared at the pitch black night sky and said with a satisfied sigh: "This feels….. really just so great tonight! Such a dark and windy night, what a perfect night to kill!"
That voice filled with indifference was tinged with a slight languid tone, and also an almost undetectable sense that was almost like….. anticipation.
The night grew deep and Feng Jiu yawned as she waited on the roof, almost groggy with sleepiness.
Until, the second half of the night, when the pale moon barely peeked out from behind the dark clouds like a shy maiden, to throw its pale light to shine upon the land brightly…..
Four black figures holding long swords approached quickly as they ran, chilling murder emanating from them. They came speedily to the doors outside the yard and they summoned their Qi as they leapt up. Just as they were landing inside the yard, they were shocked to hear a voice.
"I have been waiting here the whole night for all of you."
The languid voice was tinged with sleepiness as it reached their ears and all four of the black robed men instinctively looked in the direction of the source of the voice.
They saw atop the roof, a girl in red flipping herself up to sit up there lazily, her red clothes billowing in the wind, her long black hair fanned out behind, bathed within the pale moonlight, wild and flamboyant, devilishly alluring and highly indolent…..
Chapter 60: Night of Slaughter
With just one brief moment of shock, the four black market mercenaries suddenly revealed a look of sleazy lust in their eyes.
"She's the one. I hadn't thought that she would look so much more alluring in the flesh than in the portrait."
"That's true, killing her just like this will be such a waste. Why don't we….."
Another one among them rubbed his chin and sniggered loudly, his cruel eyes impudently roving over the enchanting red figure before him.
Although they found the red figure standing under the soft moonlight highly alluring, and the other two men's hearts began to itch with lust, they had however still retained a sense of caution. Especially when they saw that their target wasn't showing the tiniest bit of panic, but was highly composed as she stood there with a graceful air, which they thought was rather strange.
One of the mercenaries with a hideous scar on his face reminded his companions in a deep voice: "The girl seems a little strange and we cannot let down our guard. It will be better if we kill the target and get the mission over and done with."
"It's just a little girl. Third Brother, you are giving her too much credit." One of the mercenaries said his voice filled with contempt, acting highly indifferent.
He looked at the figure in red, her clothes and hair billowing out behind her. He laughed out in derision and said: "It's just one girl, I alone will be able to deal with her."
He stepped on the tiles on top of the roof, and summoning his powers, he leapt over to the opposite side.
"Killing you will be such a waste, why don't you have some fun with me first?" He said with a sinister laugh, he pounced forward and stretched his hand out in a grasp, reaching towards the front of Feng Jiu's clothes before her chest as she laid upon the roof tiles lazily.
At that same moment, Feng Jiu eyes flashed with an icy chill and her hand closed around the hand her opponent had reached out, suddenly twisting it downwards with a hard snap.
'Crack!"
"Argh!"
The sound of bones breaking was accompanied by a mournful howl that tore through the silence of the night, breaking through the peaceful tranquility…..
At almost the same moment, Feng Jiu who had been sitting down, used the force from her downward tug to quickly stand up, her foot immediately raising up in a heavy kick, the mystical power imbued into the tip of her foot kicked into her opponent with pinpoint precision right in between her opponent's legs.
"Ungh!"
Unable to utter another sound, he could only groan and whimper as he fought to breathe, the electrifying pain shooting through his entire body was so unbearable that he curled up into a ball, his trembling legs giving way as he fell with a loud thud a kneel.
"You only have this little bit of power?" Feng Jiu snorted with contempt, releasing her grip clasped over his arm and moving it up close over his throat. Another loud crack tore through the cold air as she broke his neck, and Feng Jiu nonchalantly threw him out towards the yard.
"Second Brother!"
Several voices called out in alarm. The three men stared angrily at Feng Jiu, shocked at the merciless viciousness of those hands, and the speed that they moved at. That speed had not even given them any time to react and they had been made to watch helplessly as their Second Brother was killed right before their very eyes!
"Kill her!"
The man who was slightly older among them shouted out angrily, his voice filled with undisguised malice. The moment his voice fell, he summoned his Qi and he leapt over to the opposite roof, the long sword in his hand imbued with his mystical powers, flaring out with a threatening energy.
A Mystical Warrior in the middle levels?" Her eyebrow lifted up slightly, looking upon the man's powers with contemptuous disdain.
Her hands moved and the razor sharp dagger gleamed with a menacingly thirst for blood. She charged forward with her body lowered, suddenly spinning around to the side when she was three inches away from the sword's point, and her dagger flashed upwards. A low moan sounded and at Feng Jiu's side, the mercenary soldier's eyes bulged and his body stiffened, before it fell over stiffly onto the yard below.
[She killed our Boss in one move?]
The faces of the two remaining men grew burdened as shocked registered on them.
The oppressive air of slaughter emanating from the girl was much more intense than them as hired mercenaries from the black market, driving a terrifying chill deep into their hearts…..
"Run!"
A person like this, was not someone they were able to take on. If they did not run immediately, their precious little lives would be forfeited right there and then…..