Chapter 34 The Dream of Devouring God Awakens, Snow Falls Suddenly, the Wolf and Fox of Fengxi...
Suddenly, Feng Xi's wolf and fox mask transformed into a red fox and a white wolf.
They stood proudly on both sides of the water screen, like guardians of the city of Wangsheng.
Yan Chao's eyes lit up; she hadn't expected his mask to be alive. She couldn't resist bending down to touch it. The red fox had a crescent moon mark on its forehead, while the white wolf had deep blue eyes. They were fluffy and felt wonderful to the touch. When they saw Yan Chao, they didn't resist at all; in fact, they nuzzled against her, licking her face until it was wet. Yan Chao loved it.
Feng Xi lowered his head and smiled, saying, "Chao Chao, they like you."
Mi Qing also said, "Yes, this is the first time I've seen them so close to anyone other than Feng Xi. Even Yao Xu isn't like that."
Yan Chao liked them even more after hearing this, and hugged them tightly, giving them a big kiss as he said, "Thank you for liking me, and I like you all very much too! I have a crow named Momo, I'll introduce you to it next time!"
One person, one fox, and one wolf huddled together, and made a simple agreement.
Feng Xi said, "Zhu Yan, Gu Yue, you two be more polite. Chao Chao is a distinguished guest of Qian Shui Que. If you neglect him, don't come out next time."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan and Gu Yue's ears drooped instantly, looking like two children who had done something wrong. They were about to pull away from Yan Chao's embrace when she held them tightly again. Yan Chao turned to Feng Xi and said, "What are you talking about? I just promised to bring Mo Mo to meet them next time. Ghost King, don't ruin my image!"
Feng Xi replied, "Then will you come again next time?"
Yan Chao looked at him strangely and said, "What are you talking about? Besides what just happened, didn't I also say that I wanted to come and see Chunshan Tower here? How can I not come when we've already made a promise?"
Feng Xi said, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you."
Whether it was Yan Chao's imagination or not, she felt that Feng Xi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief after hearing her words. His reply, however, was full of expectation, and something deeper that Yan Chao couldn't understand.
Feng Xi's burning gaze crashed into her heart, and Yan Chao was stunned, feeling a sudden sadness for no reason.
Feng Xi sensed Yan Chao's unusual expression and shifty eyes, which returned to normal when he looked back. He noticed Shan Qiaoying about to leave and asked, "Where are you going?"
Shan Qiaoying stopped and said in a low voice, "I...I wanted to ask Lord Qianxiang for some more berry cheese."
Feng Xi asked, "Aren't you afraid you won't be able to sleep at night?"
Shan Qiaoying said, "...It's for Alu."
Feng Xi then looked at Yan Chao, who looked around before finally pointing to himself and saying, "For me?"
Shan Qiaoying nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! Alu likes to eat it!"
Yan Chao suddenly remembered that she seemed to have eaten quite a bit of berry yogurt earlier. It tasted sweet and sour and was indeed quite delicious, but she really couldn't eat anymore. However, Yan Chao was puzzled as to why Shan Qiaoying was paying so much attention to her. She said, "Thank you, but I'm already full."
Shan Qiaoying lowered her head dejectedly, which startled Yan Chao, who thought to himself, "Why do I feel inexplicably guilty about hurting a child???"
Yan Chao then said, "Well, we've eaten quite a lot today, so how about you accompany me to Banxianfang again tomorrow?"
Shan Qiaoying suddenly raised his head, and his green hair turned red in an instant, and the two horns on his head were also tinged with red, which meant that he was very happy.
When Yan Chao saw that he was better, he asked, "What does Alu mean?"
Shan Qiaoying said seriously, "Family. You are A-Ying's family!" He looked at Yan Chao expectantly and added, "Can you call me A-Ying?"
Although Yan Chao didn't understand why Shan Qiaoying treated her like family, seeing how happy he was now, and unable to bear seeing his dejected look just now, she readily agreed, "Okay, Aying."
Upon hearing this, Shan Qiaoying's entire face turned bright red, and a wisp of white smoke even rose from the top of her head.
Yan Chao burst out laughing and said, "Ah Ying, you're so cute."
Shan Qiaoying said, "Aying is very powerful! Aying has grown up and can protect Alu! Aying is very powerful!" He compared his own size and patted his chest, as if trying his best to prove to Yan Chao that he was reliable.
Yan Chao realized he had misunderstood and suddenly felt a little helpless. What a fickle kid! But he still carefully explained, "Aying, I was praising you. I can see that you are very capable."
"Thank you for wanting to protect me, but the most important thing is that you protect yourself first, and so do I. Only by protecting ourselves can we protect the people we want to protect, don't you think?"
Shan Qiaoying nodded as if she understood, and said, "Aying knows. Aying will definitely protect Alu."
Yan Chao said, "Alright. I'll let you know if I need to."
Feng Xi said, "Alright, it's getting late, everyone go and rest."
Mi Qing, who hadn't spoken for a while, yawned and said, "Yeah, I'm sleepy."
Feng Xi said, "Let's go, Chaochao, I'll take you there."
Yan Chao said, "Okay." She stretched and covered her furrowed brow with her arm. The drowsiness was getting stronger. She couldn't stay here any longer.
Feng Xi asked with concern, "You look very tired."
Upon hearing this, Mi Qing and Shan Qiaoying asked, "Are you alright?"
Yan Chao chuckled and said, "It's just that I have a lot of dreams. I've been dreaming a lot lately, and when I wake up I'm exhausted because I get so excited in my dreams."
Upon hearing this, Feng Xi immediately pulled Yan Chao inside, tossed the brocade pouch to Mi Qing, and left without looking back, with Zhu Yan and Gu Yue following behind them.
Yan Chao said, "Should we just ignore them?"
Feng Xi said, "They will find a place themselves."
After walking for a while, Feng Xi led Yan Chao to a room. Pushing open the door, a warm, fragrant breeze wafted out. The fragrance had a calming effect, similar to the incense they had smelled in a tavern. The scent was different, but the effect was the same.
The room was brightly lit, and the first thing you saw was a round rosewood table with a bouquet of fresh flowers, still glistening with dew, on it. The flowers were vibrant yet gave off a fresh and elegant feel, without a trace of gaudiness. A uniquely patterned carpet was laid on the floor, and a warm current flowed from the soles of your feet throughout your body as soon as you stepped on it. Further in, behind a beaded curtain, was a rosewood bed.
As soon as Yan Chao entered, she was enveloped by a comfortable feeling, which made her even sleepier.
Feng Xi said, "You should rest well. I'm right next door. Call me anytime if you need anything."
Yan Chao nodded groggily, but still managed to stay somewhat awake, saying, "Feng Xi, I have things to attend to at home, so I'll be leaving tomorrow." Before Feng Xi could speak, Yan Chao handed the string of sandalwood beads back to him, adding, "Alright, now it's back to its rightful owner."
Feng Xi said, "What is this...?"
Yan Chao quickly interrupted him, laughing, "I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that this is yours to begin with, what would it be like if I kept carrying it around? You are indeed very capable, but I'm not bad either. We are friends who fight side by side, and we have a long time ahead of us."
Feng Xi said, "Alright, then you should get some rest."
After Feng Xi left, Yan Chao collapsed onto the bed without even bothering to cover himself with a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
Yan Chao woke up groggily, staring blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings before realizing that he was in the Ghost Realm.
She looked out the window; nothing had changed from yesterday.
That's true, the ghost realm doesn't distinguish between day and night.
Yan Chao slapped her forehead a few times, finally regaining some clarity. She got out of bed and looked in the mirror; thankfully, her complexion was normal. After getting ready, she pushed open the door and saw Feng Xi already standing there.
Yan Chao said, "Good morning..." He only managed to utter one word before remembering that this was the Ghost Realm, and that it didn't seem quite right to say it like that. But he didn't know what else to say, so he could only ask, "Did you rest well last night?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Chao felt that his brain was not working properly. How could he not get a good rest on someone else's own turf?
Moreover, ghosts seem to never need to rest.
Feng Xi seemed to have seen through Yan Chao's thoughts, chuckled softly, and said, "I rested very well. You look good; I wonder how Chao Chao rested?"
Yan Chao chuckled and said, "Great! I slept soundly until dawn, and I feel so refreshed!"
In fact, she was almost at her breaking point.
Feng Xi didn't notice anything unusual about her and said, "Eat something first, and I'll take you out after you're done."
Yan Chao waved his hand and said, "I'll take it with me to eat on the way." Fearing that Feng Xi might be suspicious, he added, "When I came, it was Ya Xin who used magic, so I didn't have time to properly see the scenery along the way. I'm thinking of familiarizing myself with the route so that I can come by myself next time."
Feng Xi said, "Alright."
Yan Chao suddenly remembered his promise to Shan Qiaoying yesterday and said, "Yesterday was an emergency, and I forgot that something happened at home. Could you explain to Aying for me that when we meet next time, I will definitely ask him to treat me to berry yogurt?" As he spoke, he took out a package of unopened dried apricots from his bag and said, "Could you give this to Aying for me? This isn't very sweet; consider it my compensation for now."
Feng Xi looked at the dried apricots, his eyes darkening, and said, "He will definitely like them."
Yan Chao was relieved upon hearing this and said, "That's good."
Feng Xi led Yan Chao out of Wangsheng City, passed the Rebirth Tree and the Bridge of Remembrance, left the Ghost Realm, and returned to the human world.
The two said goodbye at the entrance. Yan Chao took a few steps, then turned back and said, "Feng Xi, see you next time."
Feng Xi curled her lips and said, "See you next time, Chaochao."
Yan Chao walked for an unknown amount of time, feeling his steps grow heavier and heavier, his eyelids drooping constantly. Surrounded by dense forest, he couldn't find a single hiding place, so he forced himself to keep going.
It was autumn, and the weather was pleasantly cool, but she felt hot all over and was drenched in sweat without realizing it.
Just as she was losing consciousness, she heard a familiar chirping sound.
It's MoMo.
At this moment, Momo was no longer a little crow, but a gigantic bird comparable to a roc.
Momo carried Yan Chao onto her back. When Yan Chao saw that it was Momo, she felt at ease and fell asleep completely.
With a loud "clang, clang," Momo soared into the sky, carrying the sleeping Yan Chao for a very long time until they finally found a hidden cave deep in the mountains. After settling Yan Chao in, Momo transformed back into a crow and stayed by Yan Chao's side.
This sleep lasted for three months.
When Yan Chao woke up again, she felt something pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. She reached up and touched something large and furry, and heard soft breathing sounds in her ear. Yan Chao slowly opened her eyes and saw a large bear head resting on her.
Yan Chao sat up abruptly, waking the bear from the noise. The bear looked at Yan Chao, who was staring at it with sleepy eyes, and tilted its head without any wariness, as if it didn't understand why she wasn't going to continue sleeping.
Yan Chao finally understood: she had disturbed a bear that was hibernating and was believed to be hibernating with it.
Yan Chao chuckled awkwardly and said, "Haha, sorry, my bear brother. I didn't mean to disturb your hibernation..."
Momo suddenly appeared out of nowhere and called out twice. The bear seemed to understand, glanced at Yan Chao, and then turned to another place and fell asleep again.
Yan Chao breathed a sigh of relief. After sitting quietly for a moment, she opened her palm, and a powerful force circulated within it.
She feels completely refreshed, more so than ever before.
Yan Chao knew that she was close to success.
Momo picked up the cloak beside Yan Chao and gestured for her to put it on. Yan Chao understood, put on the cloak, and tiptoed out of the cave.
As soon as I stepped out of the cave, a bone-chilling cold hit me, and all I could see was a vast expanse of white.
Yan Chao wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, thinking to himself, "It's snowing again."
Yan Chao carried Mo Mo down the mountain, saying as they walked, "Mo Mo, this bear brother today was really nice, but he used me as his pillow. Do you remember before at sea, if I hadn't woken up in time, I would have been swallowed by a shark? It's quite funny to think about it now."
Mo Mo cried out twice in dissatisfaction, and Yan Chao laughed, "It's been so long, and you're still holding a grudge."
Yan Chao doesn't remember many things from the past.
There are only a few things that she can remember, both good and bad; the rest are just jokes over tea.
She herself had long since stopped caring.
The woman and the crow chatted like this the whole way. They had barely descended the mountain when the spirit of the Heavenly Grain Banner appeared before her.
Yan Chao pretended not to see him, humming a little tune, and walked straight past him with an air of nonchalance.
Bangling shouted, "Hey! What do you mean? I'm so smart, handsome, and cute, how could you ignore me?!"
Yan Chao stopped walking without turning around and said, "I'm sorry, there's snow everywhere, and you're too inconspicuous."
Bangling appeared in front of Yan Chao with a "whoosh," hands on hips, cheeks puffed out like a little bun, and said angrily, "You four young people just bully this old man, don't you!"
Yan Chao said innocently, "I see you quite like this kind of thing."
The spirit turned its head away haughtily and said, "This spirit has no such intention."
Yan Chao didn't waste any more words with him and went straight to the point: "Tell me, where are you going this time?"
Bangling chuckled and said, "Keqiang."
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Author's Note: Good evening, dear readers! I want to let you all know that I'm a slow writer, but I'll still manage to update one chapter every two to three days, posting it as soon as I finish. If things get faster, I might even update daily, but I promise I won't abandon the story! You can all rest assured and keep up with my updates! I've got your back, hahaha!!! Hope you enjoy reading! Have a happy day! Feel free to come chat with me in the comments section!
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