Chapter 90: Each Getting What They Need

Feng Jiu, seeing that Feng Ke’er was unharmed, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Taiyi, not wanting to alert him, had deliberately set up a barrier. Thus, by the terms of an equal contract alone, he would not have been able to sense Feng Ke’er’s pain. However, Feng Ke’er carried his Phoenix Blood Crystal, rendering Taiyi’s restriction meaningless.

Sensing Taiyi’s oppressive presence, Feng Jiu was startled out of his wits. The aura of a late-stage Golden Immortal was something he could not withstand unless he reverted to his true form—let alone Feng Ke’er, who was merely a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Instinctively, he transformed and raced back at full speed. That earlier phoenix’s cry was all for show; times had changed—if Taiyi fought at full force, Feng Jiu couldn’t last ten rounds.

Yet, why did Taiyi care so much about this girl’s heart? With this in mind, Feng Jiu couldn’t help but demand, “Girl Feng, be honest. What exactly did you do to provoke that man? What does he want to know from you?”

Feng Ke’er, feeling wronged, protested, “I didn’t provoke him at all!” Seeing Feng Jiu’s skepticism, she recounted the incident when she bought the cauldron from Taiyi. “Today was only the second time I met him. Less than ten breaths after you left, he suddenly appeared, grabbed my wrist, and asked why my cultivation was advancing so quickly, and who my master was.”

“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Feng Jiu touched his nose, inwardly amused. Of course, this stubborn girl wouldn’t give that brat an inch! That fellow was always charming before others, so having his pride bruised by a low-ranking cultivator would surely drive him crazy.

Feng Ke’er, smiling sheepishly, deliberately changed the subject. “Roast Bird, did you catch any demon beasts?”

Feng Jiu shot her a look. “I didn’t even see the shadow of a demon beast, and trouble had already found you.”

So, nothing at all. Heh, since you did so well today, I’ll treat you to a meal. Like performing a magic trick, Feng Ke’er pulled a large chunk of Fire Ant meat from her storage pouch. “No worries. Today, I’ll treat you to Fire Ant meat.”

“Fire Ant meat?” Feng Jiu was skeptical. “Where did you get it?”

“I hunted it while serving punishment in the Myriad Ant Forest of Azure Cloud Sect,” Feng Ke’er replied truthfully.

“What grade of demon beast is it? Is it edible?” Feng Jiu, having spent little time in the lower realm, knew little of its demon beasts—and he doubted her abilities, so he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“It’s a second-grade fire-attributed demon beast,” Feng Ke’er rolled her eyes at him. Drawing out the longsword Qin Hanyan had given her, she sliced the fire ant meat into thin strips two fingers wide. “It’s highly poisonous. Not edible.” As she spoke, she took out a bunch of fine wooden skewers she’d prepared beforehand and threaded the slices onto them.

What kind of eating method is this? Feng Jiu swallowed his retort and sensibly volunteered, “Uh, I’ll handle the fire.” Seemed that was all he was good for.

Feng Ke’er gave a noncommittal grunt and took out salt and spicy fruit juice from her pouch, sprinkling them over the skewers.

Feng Jiu had never seen such condiments before. He caught a whiff of a spicy scent in the air and grew more curious, but pride kept him silent.

Once the skewers were roasted, Feng Ke’er handed them all to him. “Try it.” Her appetite had faded lately, and after eating so much fire ant meat, even dragon liver and phoenix marrow would grow tiresome.

Feng Jiu eyed the golden, crimson skewers warily—why was she being so generous today, letting him have the first taste? Cautiously, he took one and chuckled, “Well, I’m not that hungry. Let’s eat together.”

Little trickster! Feng Ke’er snatched them back without ceremony, sat by the fire, and began eating heartily.

Only then did Feng Jiu dare to take a tentative bite. Unexpectedly, a burst of fragrant spice flooded his tongue, and in the next instant, it seemed as if flames rose beneath his feet. Exhilarating—absolutely exhilarating!

“Delicious!” In a few swift bites, he finished his skewer, then gazed longingly at the handful still in Feng Ke’er’s hand. “So Fire Ant meat is actually this tasty.”

Knew this glutton couldn’t resist good food. Feng Ke’er suppressed a laugh, played dumb, and ignored him, picking up a second skewer. She deliberately took a big bite, chewing with relish. Her appetite had vanished, but his greedy expression had successfully stirred her hunger.

That girl’s definitely doing it on purpose. If he hesitated any longer, all that would be left would be a handful of bare sticks. Desperate, Feng Jiu seized the rest, leaped onto the cotton fluff, and began devouring them midair.

Got you to show your true colors! Feng Ke’er wasn’t the least bit angry. Instead, she turned her back, sat cross-legged, and began to meditate. She had just discovered some changes in her dantian and wanted to see if there were any other differences besides her qi flowing more smoothly. Knowing how suspicious that “Roast Bird” was, he wouldn’t come down until every skewer was gone, so she could cultivate in peace.

Indeed, that was exactly what happened. While he guiltily gorged himself on the cotton, he had no intention of coming down to apologize until he’d finished every last bite.

Examining herself further, Feng Ke’er found no other changes in her body. She then began testing the effects of her skills using her dantian—and was delighted to find that all her skills’ offensive power had increased by nearly ten percent!

Hmm, should I provoke that guy again next time and make him exert more pressure? Feng Ke’er pressed her forehead, wondering if he’d die of anger if he ever found out.

Just then, Feng Jiu finished eating, hopped down from the cotton, and, slightly embarrassed, grinned sheepishly. “Um, Feng girl, aren’t you hungry? Skipping meals isn’t good.”

In truth, he was full but still hadn’t had enough.

Feng Ke’er raised her face, imitating his grin, “Actually, I’m not hungry at all.”

“Oh, so you made this just for me?” He scratched his head, “Thanks.”

Glad you know your place. Feng Ke’er curled her lips. “You’re welcome.”

“That demon beast meat was so delicious—why didn’t you say anything before?” Feng Jiu finally couldn’t resist asking, “Is there any more?”

“Did you give me a chance to say anything?” Feng Ke’er spread her hands. “That was the only one. Fire Ants are tough, and my cultivation’s too low—I barely managed to kill one.” She lied without a second thought, sounding perfectly sincere.

Feng Jiu believed her. Narrowing his eyes, he gazed toward Azure Cloud Sect and muttered, “The Myriad Ant Forest at Azure Cloud Sect, right?”

Feng Ke’er nodded enthusiastically. “I wonder what’s become of it now?” She still wanted to return. First, because there were many cultivators there, and immortals like Hua Taiyi cared a lot about appearances and wouldn’t visit too often; second, there were training grounds specifically for inner disciples, where demon beasts were concentrated and their levels controlled—perfect for leveling up with little risk. She liked it.

Unexpectedly, Feng Jiu sighed softly at her words and asked, “Feng girl, must you return to Azure Cloud Sect?”

That sounded off. Feng Ke’er quickly corrected herself. “Must? Not really. I just lived there for a few days and got to know a few people. Anyway, I want to go into seclusion again. It’s safe there.” She had expected Feng Jiu to be anxious about Nuwa’s situation and eager to return, so she had brought up the subject herself. Her main reason, though, was that she didn’t want Feng Jiu to know her secret—she could only safely refine the rest of the Dragon Eye fossil once Feng Jiu had left. The mention of a one-eyed dragon by Taiyi had unsettled her; there were too many coincidences in this world, and her instincts told her she needed to refine the fossil as soon as possible.

Feng Jiu looked around and said, “If you just want to go into seclusion, you only need to set up the protective array I taught you. Ordinary demon beasts won’t be able to touch you—you really don’t have to return to Azure Cloud Sect. Besides, they’re sealing the gates and searching for you; it might not be as peaceful there as it is here.”

Feng Ke’er nodded. “And you? What are your plans? More seclusion?” Fine, you’re right. I can cultivate anywhere, but I don’t want you wandering outside while I’m in seclusion.

Thinking of how he’d been lying all along and would have to keep deceiving her, a flicker of awkwardness passed through Feng Jiu’s eyes. “Well, I’ve been in seclusion so long and haven’t made a breakthrough. I want to travel and gain some experience.” He genuinely hoped she’d go into seclusion so he could search for someone without worries.

Travel and experience? More like looking for Lady Nuwa. But that suited both their needs, so Feng Ke’er didn’t bother to expose him. She nodded solemnly, “Indeed, reading ten thousand scrolls is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Gaining experience is always worthwhile.” But as soon as she said it, she regretted it—was she treating “Roast Bird” as an ignorant child? He was an old bird demon of over a hundred thousand years!

Luckily, Feng Jiu only looked slightly puzzled. “Ten thousand scrolls? What are those?”

She forgot—there were no “books” yet, only scriptures, canons, or at best, jade slips, but not “books.” Feng Ke’er shook her head, invoking the art of pushing words aside. “I don’t know, just something my great-aunt mentioned.”

Feng Jiu knew her great-aunt was Qin Hanyan, a thousand-year-old Nascent Soul cultivator of the lower realm, likely to know all sorts of odd things. He didn’t think much of it. Next, he carefully picked out a spot on a sea-facing cliff, “That place faces west, gathers plenty of spiritual energy, and would make a fine cave-dwelling.”

He always had a good eye. Using her Wind Riding technique, Feng Ke’er leapt into the air, and with a flurry of flowing sleeves, carved out a brand new ten-square-meter cave abode.

Feng Jiu clicked his tongue in astonishment. “No wonder that Taiyi fellow’s interested in your master. Your spiritual power may be weak, but that precision and skill—hardly the work of a mere mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

“Too kind!” Feng Ke’er made a face, then, unable to wait, cupped her fists in farewell and slipped into the new cave. If the Dragon Eye fossil really belonged to that one-eyed dragon called “A Long,” she truly had no time for idle chatter.

Too busy to even conjure a chaise lounge, she simply sat cross-legged on the ground, took four first-grade water-attributed demon crystals and four third-grade fire-attributed demon crystals from her storage, picked out eight stones, and began to set up an array—she didn’t have any second-grade water crystals, but experience told her that four third-grade crystals of other attributes plus first-grade water crystals would suffice for the array.

Feng Jiu watched as spiritual light flashed at the cave entrance, sealing it shut. He was so eager to find Nuwa that he failed to notice the interplay of water and fire elements in that light.

(End of Chapter 90: Each Gets What They Want—Tongtian Codex)