Chapter 209 The Secret Chamber You've been following the little peacock for so long, haven't you seen it before...?

This is Lin Feiran's first city tour since his return.

I spent the last few days playing in the back mountains with Biqing and Xuanzhen, and didn't go into the city much. Today, as the leader of the group, I found that Lancheng was not as quiet as it had been the past few days. The streets were much more lively. It seems that those who hesitated before still chose to stay.

Now that the four minor kings have fallen and the situation in the demon realm is unclear, there is nowhere more peaceful than the demon capital.

This was her first public appearance, and while some eyes, both open and hidden, were cast upon her, Lin Feiran walked past without glancing at them, patrolling the city as usual.

However, there were two more people this time.

“I’m already very skilled at patrolling the city, you don’t need to accompany me.” She looked at the two people beside her.

Biqing swung the jade pendant at her waist, her steps light and quick: "Anyway, staying at home is boring, so it's good to come out and digest. We went to the back mountain to roast meat last night and ate too much. I'm still stuffed!"

“This is no joke!” Xuanzhen looked listless, her shoulder-length ponytail slowly drooping down. “Brother Fei has some family matters to attend to and will probably be staying in the human realm for a while. I ate the last meal of meat he made last night and have been holding on until now. I haven’t slept well all night.”

Just the day before yesterday, Xun Feifei received a message saying that his adoptive mother had suddenly fallen seriously ill. He immediately asked Ru Xian for medicine and asked for leave to go back and take care of her for a while.

While packing his bags, he took the time to cook a delicious roasted meat dish for Lin Feiran and the others, giving them a serious reminder not to leave their posts, before leaving.

As Xuanzhen spoke, she suddenly remembered something and looked at Lin Feiran, saying, "By the way, I had indigestion and couldn't sleep last night. I was originally thinking of asking you to go for a night run to help with digestion, but you seemed to be rubbing something on the bed, so I didn't disturb you. Were you practicing Tai Chi?"

Lin Feiran suddenly fell silent.

That's not Tai Chi, that's a massage.

She looked at the two of them, originally wanting to tell them about her relationship with Ru Xian, but she wasn't sure if Ru Xian was willing to make it public. After thinking for a moment, she vaguely admitted it.

"It's similar to practicing Tai Chi; my hands are a bit sore."

Bi Qing's eyes shone brightly as she exclaimed, "You cultivate so diligently. If you were a child of our Jade Clan, the elders would be grinning from ear to ear."

Lin Feiran had a feeling of wanting to hide something, so she quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, I often run into Ping An in the city, but why don't I ever see Qing Zhu?"

Qingzhu was originally sent to the human realm to better investigate the opening of the Pilgrimage Valley, but now that he has obtained the Cloud Soul Rain Spirit Grass, he should no longer need to leave his hometown, but he is rarely seen.

Xuanzhen bought a bag of hawthorn berries and, while eating them, replied, "He's in seclusion!"

Biqing nodded: "If there is anyone in this city as hardworking as you, it must be Qingzhu. Moreover, he is intelligent and often has this or that insight. He likes to meditate in seclusion. If he has an epiphany, he can break through to a higher realm."

Lin Feiran nodded: "I see."

The topic was diverted, and the two couldn't recall Lin Feiran practicing Tai Chi in the middle of the night, so they playfully grabbed some hawthorn berries to help with digestion.

During this brief pause, Lin Feiran was still thinking about Ru Xian's journey to Beiyuan.

He is currently unharmed, and his spiritual energy shows no signs of disturbance. Given his level of cultivation, it would indeed be better for him to travel alone. However, she also wanted to go to the Northern Plains to investigate the so-called cold illness, since, according to Bai Lu, her mother had ultimately gone north.

Just as Lin Feiran was pondering, he suddenly noticed a group of people gathered in front of him, talking all at once. The three of them stopped in their tracks and immediately went forward to check. When the crowd saw them, they took a half step back, making room for them.

Amidst the crowd, a girl in a colorful dress lay on the ground. Her eyes were closed, her lips were pale, a few shards of ice clung to her fingertips, and her eyes were covered with frost. She twitched occasionally, and the flower basket in her hands fell to the ground, scattering winter flowers everywhere.

Lin Feiran recognized her immediately; this was Chenghua, a human girl who had sought refuge here from the North.

This was the second time she had encountered a sudden chill in Orange Blossom.

"Orange Blossom?" Lin Feiran took a half step forward, trying to wake her up.

Fortunately, she was still conscious. Upon hearing the call that seemed to come from near and far, Orange Blossom opened her eyes with a tremor. Half of her originally clear and dark eyes had turned white and lost focus, with a hazy, misty quality.

She looked at the person who had just arrived, and could only make out a vague outline, but judging from the distinctive attire, it must be Lin Feiran.

She exhaled a breath of white air, her frosty lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Lin Feiran breathed a slight sigh of relief, then picked her up, dispersed the onlookers, and turned into a nearby inn, settling her on the bed.

Xuanzhen stopped and stood guard outside, while Biqing stood to the side, her palms overflowing with spiritual energy to temporarily slow the spread of frost over the orange blossoms.

"It's so cold!" She couldn't help but shiver as her fingertips touched Orange Blossom's collar. "Although I've seen it a few times, I still find this illness strange."

“This is how it always is when cold symptoms flare up, but I don’t know if it will get worse.” Lin Feiran glanced at her, frowned slightly, and immediately took out the remaining hibiscus branches from his mustard seed bag to treat her.

She didn't really know how to handle it, but fortunately, she had seen how her husband treated illnesses during the Flying Flower Gathering, so she slowly followed her memory.

The hibiscus branch is a withered and decayed piece of wood, its surface cracked and rough, yet its interior contains an extremely bright red light, flowing like agate or jade. It is the highly yang firewood marrow.

Lin Feiran attached his spiritual power to her, half-unbuttoned her orange blossom clothes, and then gently inserted the hibiscus wood branch into her back. In an instant, the firewood marrow entered her, like a cluster of raging fire falling into an icy lake, burning along her meridians in a flash, and a patch of red marks immediately appeared on her fair back.

The Biqing clan is wealthy and has seen many treasures since childhood. Naturally, they also recognize the Fusang wood branch and know that it is the most scorching fire essence. Even a cultivator with a high level of cultivation would be corroded and burned for months if he touched a drop of it. But Chenghua, a mere mortal, only turned a little red!

"This disease is so resistant to fever!" she couldn't help but exclaim.

With the infusion of fire marrow, the white frost on Orange Blossom's back gradually melted, but strangely it did not condense into liquid. Instead, it turned into a thick white gas that seeped back into the skin, but at least the strangeness subsided.

Orange Blossom finally regained some strength, opened her eyes, and pressed her lips tightly together, without uttering a single cry of pain.

The red markings spread outwards along the spine, and this energy gradually appeared on the back, shoulders, and sides of the neck. Just when they thought it was about to spread to their whole body, the burning marrow gradually dimmed and was about to go out.

The white frost that had just subsided returned with a vengeance, and even tiny ice clusters condensed from the blood vessels, tearing through the skin and flesh, and oozing out a few streaks of blood!

Bi Qing exclaimed in surprise. Lin Feiran frowned slightly and immediately took out all the Fusang wood branches, merging them into the second branch, the third branch... until the fifth branch of fire marrow was added, and only then did the frost covering her body dissipate.

A sliver of color returned to Orange Blossom's face. She forced herself to stand up, her clothes soaked through, but she still managed a weak smile at the two of them.

Thank you!

“No need…” Lin Feiran replied, but then paused, his gaze involuntarily falling on her left eye.

Now that the frost has faded, her eyes have not returned to normal. The bright and sparkling pupil in her left eye is now ashen, dull and pale, unable to reflect any light.

Lin Feiran asked, "What happened to your eyes? Did someone attack you?"

Bi Qing exclaimed in surprise, "That can't be right. Her husband's cultivation level is very high. Who would dare to provoke him?"

“It wasn’t someone else who did it.” Orange Blossom shook her head, her forehead was already wet with sweat, and her voice was a little hoarse, but she still had a smile on her face. “This is how cold illness is. First, you feel cold, then frost appears, then you tremble and feel weak all over, and finally your five senses are taken away, and you gradually fall into a deep sleep and die.”

She took the handkerchief Lin Feiran offered and wiped the sweat from her face. Although her voice was soft and weak, her tone was very cheerful.

"However, these eyes look very special, one black and one gray, like the chosen one with heterochromia in a storybook!"

Biqing looked it over and agreed, "It is indeed very unique and beautiful!"

Chenghua had clearly recovered a lot of strength, and Lin Feiran also smiled slightly, but still asked, "Where is your husband? Such a sudden illness is really too dangerous."

After wiping her face and drinking a cup of warm tea, Chenghua said, "He's been very busy lately, not home for five out of ten days. He made a puppet to take care of me and wouldn't let me go out. I was so bored that I sneaked out."

Who knew that something like this would happen so soon after I came out…

Biqing had always been extremely curious about Qi Chen, and upon hearing this, she said, "I knew long ago that he was more than just an opera singer! Just who is your husband? Is he busy finding medicine for you?"

Orange Blossom smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "When I first met him, he was indeed an opera singer. I never expected him to be a cultivator with a profound cultivation level. I don't know what he does. It seems like he works with a group of mentally ill people."

She paused, then added, "He said he's mentally ill, but that might not be true. Don't be fooled by his gentle manner; he's actually quite harsh on outsiders."

Before the three could say anything more, they heard hurried footsteps outside the door, followed by Xuanzhen's shout of "Stop!" The door was suddenly kicked open, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Lin Feiran looked over in surprise and saw a tall, slender figure standing in front of the door. His eyes, which had been wandering around, finally landed on Chenghua.

It was a mechanical puppet with messy features but an extremely finely sculpted body. It walked slowly over and stopped in front of the bed.

"Found it, it's here."

The voice was surprisingly fluent, but the nonsensical sentence sounded like a report to someone.

"The illness started about fifteen minutes ago, and I'm out of danger now."

The mechanical puppet turned its head to face Lin Feiran. Among its chaotic features were a pair of round crystal eyes, which were devoid of light. However, Lin Feiran knew that someone was watching him through those round crystals.

"Thank you, I will remember this second favor." The mechanical man's voice was flat, then he turned to Orange Blossom, "Orange Blossom, even if you want to go out, you should tell me first. You can't just wander off."

This statement was clearly not something a mechanical puppet could have uttered; it must have been said by her husband.

Orange Blossom kept her head down, her face filled with undisguised shame, and she offered a very soft apology.

The mechanical puppet swayed twice, its body cracking, then turned around, half-squatting with its back to the bed, its meaning quite clear.

Chenghua bit her lip, thanked Lin Feiran and the other person again, and then slowly climbed onto the back of the mechanical puppet, letting it carry her home.

"etc."

Lin Feiran called out to them, and the mechanical puppet paused, turned around with Orange Blossom on its back, and Yuanjing stared at her without blinking.

Lin Feiran took out one of his cloaks and tied it around Chenghua's body. He then took out a prescription: "The cold disease is rampant in the human world. This prescription is useful. Go back and decoct the medicine and drink it. It will reduce your suffering."

"Thank you..." Orange Blossom raised her hand to accept it, and the mechanical puppet nodded and quickly left.

After the two left, Xuan Zhen stood up from the pile of wooden planks and dust, coughing as she looked in that direction: "The spiritual power of that mechanical puppet should have reached the Free and Unfettered Realm, yet it couldn't withstand even one move!"

Lin Feiran and the other person immediately stepped forward and asked, "Are you alright?"

Xuanzhen shook off the dust, her face contorted in pain, and said, "Ouch! Dog abuse is forbidden in the Demon Capital..."

Lin Feiran and Bi Qing were both helpless and amused, so they took him to the clinic for treatment. However, they arrived at an inopportune time, as the clinic was crowded with people. At first glance, their symptoms were no different from those of a cold.

She looked up, her heart sinking slightly.

Now even the demon realm has almost fallen into its clutches.

...

After a chaotic and busy day, the time I had arranged to meet Zhang Siwo finally arrived.

Lin Feiran walked to the blacksmith shop and knocked three times before someone hurriedly came to answer the door.

With a creak, the door opened wide. Zhang Siwo, holding the cat in both arms, had no time to catch her, so she used her leg to pull her inside. After glancing around for a moment, she suddenly closed the door.

Lin Feiran: "..."

What's there to hide about their meeting?

She paused for a moment, then got straight to the point.

"Senior, did you summon me here because you have something to discuss? Is it about the spiritual veins?"

Zhang Siwo held the cat up to his mouth, shushed it, and then said, "Come with me to a place first."

Lin Feiran had no choice but to go with him. The blacksmith shop wasn't very big. Zhang Siwo led the way to the furnace in the backyard, then pouted and pointed out the direction to her.

"Go in first."

Lin Feiran paused, looked at the waist-high iron smelting furnace, and asked incredulously, "Go inside?"

"You're a cultivator now, why are you afraid of this mere mortal fire? Come in, come in!"

Lin Feiran was still somewhat hesitant. Although she was a cultivator, she was still a human being. Who would jump headfirst into a furnace? Besides, he hadn't explained anything clearly yet.

"Young people are so slow and indecisive." Zhang Si couldn't help but click her tongue, put down the two cats, and then turned around and pushed Lin Feiran down.

With two soft "poof" sounds, the two figures disappeared, leaving only a few sparks behind.

Lin Feiran fell into the furnace, expecting to be scorched, but instead felt a chill on her skin. She looked up and saw that the two of them had fallen into an iron box, outside which was an endless starry sky, and they were falling.

She was still in shock and doubt when she turned to look at Zhang Siwo. He patted the cat fur off his body and answered her question.

He leaned closer and whispered, "The matter of the spiritual vein was actually told to me by my grandmaster; he appeared to me in a dream!"

Lin Feiran was speechless: "..."

But she quickly realized that her master had only pieced together the whole picture in the past few days. If he had made any discoveries, why would he go to such lengths to tell Zhang Siwo instead of her?

"Senior, please don't joke around."

Zhang Siwo scoffed: "See, I knew there were people like me who didn't believe it. Recently, there have been rumors that our grandmaster was bored and was sending dreams to people everywhere. Doesn't that sound absurd?"

Our grandmaster has long since passed away; how could he possibly appear in a dream? Let's not dwell on it.

Lin Feiran simply said, "We'll talk about that later. Where is this place?"

Zhang Siwo said, "Little World, you've been following the little peacock for so long, haven't you seen it before?"

After saying that, he clapped his hands, and the iron box that had been falling suddenly started to tumble like a falling rock. Lin Feiran immediately braced himself against the iron wall and had no choice but to spin along with it, his voice coming out intermittently.

"I've seen it... How long is it going to roll like that?!"

"Almost there!"

Zhang Siwo's use of "immediately" lasted for almost a quarter of an hour. Even someone as strong and healthy as Lin Feiran felt dizzy and weak in the knees. With a thud, the iron box finally fell to the ground.

The box door opened, revealing the outside world.

Outside the box was a secret room, lit by lamps and illuminated by a bright pearl. Although it was a secret room, it was brightly lit. Below the pearl, Li Changfeng sat with his sword in his arms, and behind him, five illusory and faint misty shadows floated.

Zhang Si stepped over her and said, "Everyone, this is Lin Feiran!"

Lin Feiran knelt on one knee, completely exhausted. With dizzy vision, she looked ahead and raised her hand towards one of the light fixtures: "Greetings, senior..."

Li Changfeng: "..."

Author's Note: Damn it! Jinjiang said I logged in too often and locked my account for an hour. It's only just been unblocked now. Give me back my little red flower!!! [Crying]