Chapter Eighty-Seven: Leading Man Versus Tragic Supporting Actor

Feng Jiu also noticed the newcomer. She glanced at Feng Ke’er, and suddenly an orange-red orb of light appeared in her right palm. “This can dry your clothes.” With her words, the orb flew over to someone, circled her once, and in the blink of an eye, Feng Ke’er found that her white robe, previously wrung out and soaked, was now dry.

“Thank you.” She untied her messy bun and swiftly tied her hair into a ponytail at the back of her head. Now that she had left the Azure Cloud Sect, she no longer had to obey those outdated rules. Compared to the unisex bun, she personally preferred the clean and neat ponytail.

Feng Jiu was even more efficient. With a shake of his long sleeves, he swept away the earlier bedraggled figure and returned to being that exquisitely carved, jade-like young boy.

Just as Feng Ke’er finished tidying her hair, the auspicious cloud was already less than ten meters away from the cotton ball.

“Brother Jiu.” The golden figure stopped, cupped his hands in greeting, “It’s been a while.”

Feng Jiu stood before the cotton ball, deliberately using his body to shield someone, and returned the salute, “Brother Taiyi, long time no see.”

Feng Ke’er, standing behind him, listened clearly, her gossipy heart stirred: Wow, the male lead versus the tragic supporting male!

“Hey, isn’t this the little girl who bought a cauldron at Azure Cloud Sect?” His gaze fell on the white figure behind Feng Jiu, and Taiyi raised an eyebrow, chuckling, “Brother Jiu, when did you form a pact?”

Feng Jiu’s face flushed, hands behind his back, he snorted, “It’s none of Brother Taiyi’s concern.”

Oh, the tension’s rising! Only now did Feng Ke’er realize the golden figure looked familiar: wearing a long robe with dark green patterns, wheat-colored skin, sharp brows and heroic eyes, he cut a dashing figure.

Hmm, he actually resembled Wind Yulin’s illusion of Leaving Heaven by about half.

With Taiyi’s reminder, she remembered who he was: wasn’t he the handsome uncle who sold cauldrons in the outer sect’s grove? The cooking pot came from him!

“Uncle... um, greetings, Immortal.” Since he was an old acquaintance and took the initiative to speak, it would be rude not to greet him. Feng Ke’er spoke as she walked out from behind Feng Jiu, giving a respectful deep bow.

Feng Jiu was startled, immediately blocking her with his long sleeve, “Ke’er, don’t move. He’s a Golden Immortal—” Before he finished, he was surprised himself: How could Ke’er withstand the auspicious golden radiance bursting from a Golden Immortal?

When a cultivator successfully ascends and reaches the tribulation stage, then returns to the lower realm, their body naturally emits auspicious light. Immortals below the Golden Immortal stage emit silver light, while those at the Golden Immortal stage emit golden light. That’s the general rule. It’s said that the Great God’s auspicious radiance is five-colored—Feng Jiu had heard this from Old Phoenix Lord. After the Great God Pangu, no new Great Gods have ascended in the three realms. So he had never witnessed it himself.

He himself had once descended shining with silver light for training—the rules of the cultivation world. Once a cultivator enters the tribulation stage, they must go to the lower world to complete tasks and accumulate merit. For those ascending from the lower world, this journey is perilous, known as the tribulation. But for descendants from the divine realm like him, it was merely training.

He remembered clearly: cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage, lacking a Golden Core to protect them, couldn’t withstand his auspicious radiance. Realizing this, he deliberately suppressed his light. That was when he was at the tribulation stage. Now, Taiyi was at the Golden Immortal stage, while Feng Ke’er’s cultivation was only at Foundation Establishment level five, far from forming a Golden Core.

That’s why he used his body to shield her.

Unexpectedly, Feng Ke’er was standing in the golden radiance, perfectly unbothered.

Ah, strange things happen every year, and this year is especially odd! Feng Jiu was bewildered.

“Brother Jiu, don’t worry. The little girl carries a breath-concealing charm crafted by Lord Phoenix, so she’s unharmed.” Taiyi’s lip curled slightly as he sized up the person before him, thinking: Interesting, truly interesting—he knew Feng Jiu was always proud and unyielding. Aside from Hope, he had never seen Feng Jiu give any woman the time of day, let alone protect one.

But now, seeing was believing. Taiyi couldn’t help but gasp: After just a few short months, the little girl’s cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment level five.

“Little girl, come here!” Still puzzled, he suppressed his golden radiance and beckoned.

Feng Ke’er was thunderstruck: What was this? Did he think she was a toothless toddler?

She was twenty-two this year, a genuine, vibrant young lady, thank you very much! If she met certain clueless parents, they might drag out their snot-nosed kid and prompt, “Sweetie, call her Auntie.” Well, she’d encountered such situations before!

Seeing her face of rejection, Feng Jiu was delighted, masking his smile with a fist, “Brother Taiyi, have you found Hope yet?”

Now this was a pleasant question, full of meaning: To Feng Ke’er, it was the meatbird helping her, deliberately changing the subject to save her from awkwardness.

To Taiyi, it sounded both protective and accusatory, with a dash of Feng Jiu-brand jealousy: How dare you, behind Hope’s back, flirt with other women! Hope’s whereabouts are unknown, her fate uncertain, yet you’re still in the mood to tease the woman beside me!

Feng Ke’er felt warmed, and obligingly shrank back behind someone: Today, the meatbird’s behaving so well! Could it be that meeting a rival has stirred his hidden gentlemanly side?

Taiyi, seeing this, was annoyed, flicked his sleeve and snorted, “Thank you for your concern, Brother Jiu. My descent this time is precisely for Hope.” He was truly angry now, his self-address shifting from ‘I’ to ‘this seat.’

Feng Jiu frowned and asked, “You have news of Hope?”

Taiyi glanced at the person behind him, silent.

Feng Jiu caught on, turned to look at Feng Ke’er, and smiled, “Ke’er is tight-lipped and not an outsider. Brother Taiyi, speak freely.”

His words startled the other two present.

Originally, Feng Ke’er had sensed they were about to discuss something confidential and was preparing to quietly slip away. Unexpectedly, Feng Jiu’s light remark included her as ‘one of us’. Since when had she become ‘not an outsider’ to this guy!

Huff, her whole body broke out in goosebumps. Seriously!

Overwhelmed, she couldn’t handle it! Such insider gossip wasn’t for her ears. She’d better leave!

Thinking this, she shrank her head, bent down, ready to activate her wind-riding technique and slip away.

But the golden figure spoke, “Since that’s the case, little girl, stay.”

Suddenly, Feng Ke’er felt as if she’d fallen into a vat of glue, stuck and unable to move.

Damn, restrained by the male lead!

Before absolute strength, personality and such are just asking for trouble! She could only stand stiffly by the side, silently lamenting: Wuwu, male lead, tragic supporting male, are you kidding? In your two-men-one-woman triangle drama, I’m just passing by, not even a minor supporting character. Why drag me, a total bystander, into your conversation? I’m more wronged than Dou E!

Taiyi watched and couldn’t help but smile, teasing, “This little girl is quite interesting. No wonder Brother Jiu, who never forms pacts, broke his rule for her.”

Feng Jiu’s face darkened, displeased, “Taiyi, don’t spout nonsense to divert the subject. I ask you, where is Hope now?” Now, the meatbird was truly angry. If provoked further, given his temperament, he’d flip out on the spot.

Taiyi rubbed his nose, muttering, “Hope, she descended ten days ago.”

“Descended?” Feng Jiu was stunned, “You mean she reincarnated early and has been in the upper realm all along? Then why did you lie to me before, saying she likely reincarnated as a lower realm cultivator?” He’d been fooled miserably! If he hadn’t heard Hope became an ordinary lower realm cultivator, would he have broken his shell so soon?

“No, Brother Jiu, you misunderstand me. Let me explain.” Taiyi was anxious. Feng Jiu was a fire phoenix divine beast, currently only in human form, but if truly angered, reverting to his original form to fight would be plenty trouble.

Feng Jiu took a deep breath, suppressing his rising fury, and said coldly, “Speak!”

This training trip had mellowed his quick temper. Taiyi sighed in relief, thinking, “Thank goodness.” He explained, “I only learned Hope’s whereabouts ten days ago. Before that, I truly didn’t deceive you—I always thought she was in the lower realm. Until ten days ago, when an anomaly occurred at the boundary river between the divine and demon realms, I realized Hope hadn’t left the divine realm in over ten thousand years.”

Ten days ago, Taiyi received a report: the boundary river between the divine and demon realms suddenly erupted in huge waves.

This had never happened before—well, except once, when someone chased Hope’s guardian wind spirit. But that had been conveniently forgotten.

The boundary river was opened by the Great God Pangu; its waters were his heart’s blood. Because of the river, the demon realm was tightly sealed.

So, upon receiving the report, Taiyi didn’t dare delay, immediately informing his father—Hua Qiye, the current leader of the divine realm, known as Lord Seven Night.

Lord Seven Night ordered him to take a thousand Hua clan divine soldiers to investigate.

Unexpectedly, halfway there, five hundred li from the river, a one-eyed giant dragon suddenly appeared, blocking their path.

“You, aren’t you the one-eyed dragon from the Heavenly Pillar?” Taiyi recognized him.

Legend said this one-eyed dragon was appointed by Great God Pangu to guard the boundary river.

How could this beast leave the river? Taiyi wondered, but didn’t dare show any disrespect, quickly dismounting his auspicious beast, cupping his hands with his halberd.

“Hey, kid, my master is healing. Don’t take another step!” The dragon exhaled chilling air, roaring.

Where the cold reached, everything froze into white snow.

The guardian’s master? Wasn’t that the Great God Pangu? Ah, Pangu was injured? Taiyi snapped back, brushing off the snow, and urgently asked, “May I ask, who is your master?” Admiration and concern were evident.

“Hmph, who do you think you are, to ask about my master!” The dragon was furious, baring its teeth and claws, ready to attack.

At that moment, a loud boom came from across the river, followed by a familiar female voice, “Dragon brother, come back.”

The dragon beamed, “Sister Nüwa, your wounds are healed?” He dropped everyone, stretched his neck with a joyful roar, rolled in midair, wagging his tail as he flew back toward the river.

Taiyi was struck as if by lightning: For over ten thousand years, that voice had haunted his dreams. It was Hope’s voice!

“What? You say Hope and the river’s one-eyed guardian beast are siblings?” Feng Jiu was utterly petrified.

Feng Ke’er clapped her hands, secretly delighted: It’s probably more than just siblings. Haha, the male lead has a new love!

After hearing Wind Three’s version of the Wind clan’s former saintess tale, she’d long been dissatisfied with this deeply affectionate male lead—Hooray! Saintess Nüwa is wise! Why hang from a crooked tree when there’s a whole forest? A man like this, he should have been dismissed long ago!

(To be continued)

通天 Codex 87_Chapter Eighty-Seven: Male Lead VS Tragic Supporting Male — End of update!