Chapter Nineteen: Feng Qinghe Who Ate Too Much

Yu Xiyue set the Snow Jade aside, extended her right hand, and her fingers danced in the air. A spell of ice shot from her middle finger toward Feng Qinghe.

The sudden chill made Feng Qinghe shudder, but soon enough, the cold began to neutralize the searing heat within him, and the pain in his body eased considerably.

Snow Jade cocked its head, eyeing the sweat-soaked Feng Qinghe, still shrouded in a layer of frost, then hopped over in a few quick bounds to settle at his side.

With Yu Xiyue’s assistance, Feng Qinghe hurriedly sat cross-legged, focusing his mind on absorbing the fire-aligned spiritual energy of the Flameheart Golden Ginseng.

Yet he had indeed consumed too much; the pace at which he could absorb the fiery energy grew slower and more arduous with each passing moment.

Yu Xiyue frowned, continuing to channel her ice magic. But even so, Feng Qinghe would not last much longer. The amount of Flameheart Golden Ginseng he had ingested was clearly more than he could bear.

Perhaps Snow Jade understood the situation, or perhaps its gluttony simply flared again. Without warning, it bit down on Feng Qinghe’s palm resting on his knee.

A sharp gasp escaped Feng Qinghe as pain pricked the back of his hand. He opened his eyes to look. This white cat was brought by Yu Xiyue—he dared not drive it off harshly and only tried to gently push it away.

But Snow Jade refused to loosen its grip and even sucked greedily a few more times.

Feng Qinghe, bewildered, looked up at Yu Xiyue.

Yu Xiyue’s eyes sparkled with starlight and a hint of amusement.

More confused than ever, Feng Qinghe was about to ask when he suddenly felt a surge of unabsorbable fire energy flood toward the wound.

“It’s helping you. Close your eyes and focus,” Yu Xiyue said.

“Yes, Master.”

Now understanding, Feng Qinghe realized Snow Jade was aiding him. He glanced down in gratitude before closing his eyes once more to resume his meditation.

Seeing Feng Qinghe’s state much improved, Yu Xiyue gradually withdrew the ice spell that had enveloped his body.

Snow Jade continued to absorb with gusto, and the round little belly that Yu Xiyue had helped digest before began to swell again.

Finally, with the combined efforts of Yu Xiyue and Snow Jade, the heat in Feng Qinghe’s body subsided.

Within him, his Phoenix Core ceaselessly absorbed and spun, turning a deeper, bloodier red.

After a quarter of an hour, Yu Xiyue walked over to Snow Jade, crouched down, and poked the greedy little cat.

“If you eat any more, half that Flameheart Golden Ginseng my disciple took will have been for nothing.”

A disgruntled rumble sounded from Snow Jade, but at last it obediently released its bite.

Yu Xiyue pinched the cat by the scruff and lifted it up. Snow Jade’s belly now looked just as swollen as it did the first time they met.

With a helpless smile, Yu Xiyue chided, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll burst? Was your true form always this voracious?”

A low gurgle came, this time from the cat’s belly, as the ball of energy inside began to rampage again.

“How have you survived till now? Eating like this, you’ll burst sooner or later.” Yu Xiyue reached out her left hand, and a sphere of light slowly formed in her palm.

She pressed the glowing orb to Snow Jade’s belly, gently kneading.

A contented mewl escaped Snow Jade, and its belly gradually shrank.

Feng Qinghe, meanwhile, was wholly immersed in cultivation. After absorbing so much fire energy from the Flameheart Golden Ginseng, he was close to advancing to the late stage of the Divine Transformation realm.

Beyond Divine Transformation lay Void Refinement, then Integration, and after Integration came the Tribulation Crossing—at which point, he could finally seek an audience with his father.

That father he had never met, who had abandoned him at birth to the Clear Ripple Sect—a father so “heartless.”

Once Snow Jade was soothed, Yu Xiyue turned to look at Feng Qinghe.

His breathing was even, his spiritual energy steady—she felt much relieved.

Snow Jade snuggled in Yu Xiyue’s arms, mewing twice.

Yu Xiyue lowered her head to play with it for a moment, then pushed open Feng Qinghe’s door and stepped out into the courtyard.

The full moon hung high, round as a jade disc, not a wisp of cloud in the sky. Starlight spilled down, but it brought Yu Xiyue no peace.

It was the full moon in May. Come the full moon in the first month of the new year, the Rainbow Curse would activate.

Perhaps sensing Yu Xiyue’s sorrow, Snow Jade rubbed against her arm.

Yu Xiyue glanced down, forcing a smile. “It’s nothing. I can endure it.”

While Yu Xiyue watched the moon in Feng Qinghe’s courtyard, Jun Yang and Yuan Yibai were seated in the main hall of the Feng family estate.

“This…” Feng Yanhua could barely contain his excitement as he gazed at the Phoenix Feather Jun Yang handed him. “Senior Jun Yang, do you truly mean to gift this Golden Phoenix Tail Feather to the Phoenix Clan?”

“I do.” Jun Yang replied coolly, picking up a cup of tea from the table. He sipped it, then curled his lip in distaste, setting it down and even pushing it further away.

Yuan Yibai, amused by Jun Yang’s little gestures, also tasted the tea. It wasn’t so bad as to merit such disdain, and he shook his head in resignation.

“Ever since our clan was stripped of divinity, our most precious treasures have been the Phoenix feathers enshrined in the ancestral hall. But even those pale in comparison to yours. You are truly generous.”

Feng Yanhua’s lavish praise came wave after wave. Even someone as vain as Jun Yang seemed almost overwhelmed and waved it away. “There are conditions attached to this gift.”

At the mention of conditions, Feng Yanhua’s smile faltered. Someone of Jun Yang’s stature—the terms he might set were not something a mere Phoenix Clan could easily bear.

The thought sent a cold sweat down Feng Yanhua’s back.

Reluctantly, he placed the dazzling feather back on the table, swallowing hard, and asked in a wavering voice, “May I ask what conditions you wish to set, Senior Jun Yang? Our Phoenix Clan, as you know…”

Jun Yang eyed Feng Yanhua’s nervous, almost pathetic demeanor with even more distaste than he had for the tea. “It’s not a difficult condition. You claimed the feather was stolen by a white cat. As it happens, my little ancestor has picked up such a cat and is quite fond of it.”

Hearing it was about a white cat, Feng Yanhua’s heart eased. It seemed not to be a serious matter.

Jun Yang continued, “My little ancestor rarely takes a fancy to anything, so I’ll exchange this Phoenix Tail Feather for that white cat’s life. Does the Clan Chief agree?”

Before Feng Yanhua could reply, Jun Yang added, “Besides, you have no proof the white cat stole the feather—only suspicion. It’s just a small pet, after all.”

“Yes, yes, Senior Jun Yang is right. Where we can spare a cat, we should. Especially since it’s a pet favored by Master Qinghe. Naturally, we won’t pursue the matter further.”

Feng Yanhua hastily agreed, retrieving the feather from the table and cradling it carefully in his palms.

“This feather…”

“It’s yours,” Jun Yang said as Feng Yanhua was just beginning to relax. “However…”

Another condition? Feng Yanhua straightened, his smile freezing. “Yes… please go on…”

Jun Yang’s lips curled with mischief. “My little ancestor has tasked me with setting up your clan’s protective array. I need some blood from the Phoenix Clan as the core of the formation. As clan chief, your bloodline is the purest, so… would you give me a little of your blood?”