Chapter 51 A Fateful Encounter: Planting Flowers and reaping the harvest 2 "Oh my goodness—!..."
"Oh my god!!! My little darling!!! Please spare this old man!!!"
Two-year-old Feng Xi was riding on Du's back, her two little hands each holding a strand of Du's eyelash, which was crackling with golden electricity. Feng Xi was oblivious to this, finding it all amusing, and unconsciously increased the pressure on her hands.
Du was in so much pain from Feng Xi pulling at her eyelashes that she jumped up and down, her eyes turning red in no time. Large tears fell one after another into the lava below, each one splashing three feet high.
Feng Xi excitedly pointed to the splashing lava and exclaimed, "A fountain! A spark fountain!"
Countless demons and monsters emerged from the lava, climbing up the iron chains deeply embedded in the ground, still soaked in lava. They groaned and twisted their bodies, cheering on the two above them.
Fearing that Feng Xi would be burned by the lava, Du erected a barrier around them. However, because Feng Xi was riding on its back, not only did it pull on its eyelids, making them twitch, but it also obstructed its vision, forcing it to make intimate contact with the iron chains and the stone walls. After several such ordeals, Feng Xi was unharmed, while Du was seeing stars and swaying precariously.
Feng Xi, however, felt as if he had experienced aerial rafting, finding it novel and exciting, and clapped his hands excitedly, saying, "Fun! Uncle Du, let's do it again!"
Watari: "......"
Playing with kids is exhausting!
Why didn't I cherish the time I was sealed away back then?!
There will never be a next time!!!
Just then, a thick, long eyelash was forcibly plucked out, causing Du to tremble all over. Feng Xi's eyes lit up, and he said, "It's done!"
The next second, a long, ghostly wail echoed throughout the entire Yansha Arena.
Du Lingji suddenly had an idea and thought of the spirits below. He smiled and said, "Little Xi'er, why don't we let them play with you?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Xi looked down and after a long pause said, "But they seem to be very busy."
Du made a "Hmm?" sound, rolled his eyes a few times, looked down, and then...
A ghost floating on the surface of the lava was stretching out its arm and pulling on the leg of another ghost, with five other ghosts in between, saying, "Move down a bit! You're blocking my view!"
The ghost simply abandoned that leg, climbed a few more steps, and chuckled, "I should be on top! Little Kite finally got to come here, and I wanted to pinch his chubby little cheeks!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a ghost sprang from an adjacent iron chain, and the next second, the ghost dragged it down into the lava.
Meanwhile, more and more ghosts engaged in a fierce battle to secure the best viewing spot, pushing, pulling, and tearing at each other, completely forgetting their true purpose. Those ghosts who missed out fell into the lava one after another, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, causing plumes of black smoke to rise from the lava.
Feng Xi blinked, watching intently, and smiled, "Uncle Du, they're having so much fun too..."
Before the words were finished, Feng Yi's voice came from outside Yan Sha Arena: "You brat! Instead of studying, you dare to come here! Did you cause trouble again today?"
Upon hearing the sound, Feng Xi craned his neck to look outside, waved, and called out loudly, "Father! I'm here!"
As soon as Feng Yi entered, he saw Du, who was in a daze and disfigured, as well as countless ghosts who were both cooked and drunk.
Seeing this, Feng Yi's lips twitched, and he said, "You're already so old, and you still let him act like this?" Then he looked at Feng Xi and said sternly, "You brat! Get off your Uncle Du right now!"
Du chuckled upon hearing this, then transformed back to his original appearance and said with a smile, "You're not a child anymore, why are you getting angry with a kid? Look how happy he is playing!" With that, he carried Feng Xi and slowly flew to the flat ground. Feng Xi leaped and landed steadily.
He was still clutching the plucked eyelash in his hand.
Feng Yi's blood boiled, and he pointed at the long, thick eyelash in the man's hand, saying, "Look at what you've done to him! Look for yourself! The evidence is irrefutable!"
Just as Feng Xi was about to speak, Du closed his eyes, his tone full of indifference and doting, and said, "I can't see! Besides, it's just a few eyelashes. The child can pluck them if he wants, he can pluck them however he wants!"
Feng Yi sneered, somewhat speechless, and said, "Where are your principles???"
Feng Xi suddenly spoke up: "Uncle Du, Feng Xi did not mean to pluck your eyelashes. Father, I am not being silly either."
Feng Yi looked at him and asked, "Then what are you doing?"
Feng Xi laughed and said, "I saw a method in the ancient books: only by breaking down the old and embracing the new can life continue. Uncle Du was born to be in charge of the Yansha Field, and has almost lived and died alongside the Ghost Realm. But it is precisely because of this that his cultivation has not improved for many years."
"I think if Uncle Du's cultivation level improves, wouldn't he be able to protect this place better? And since only its eyelashes can move, I want to give it a try."
Upon hearing this, Feng Yi scoffed, waved his hand, and said, "This is utter nonsense! If plucking two eye hairs could improve one's cultivation, then that old guy must have been incredibly foolish for the past few thousand years!"
"Wait! What he said sounds like he might be telling the truth!"
Feng Yi laughed loudly, "Hahaha! I told you it was stupid, and look, it even admits it itself..."
Before he finished speaking, a white light shone from Du's body. The black aura that had surrounded him turned into white aura, and the area around his eyes turned golden. His dark red eyes also turned into a blood-red color. His entire eye was completely transformed.
Feng Yi was stunned for a moment, then said with some disappointment, "Kid, you were right."
Du, whose magical power had greatly increased, felt as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened. He felt refreshed all over, laughed loudly a few times, moved between the two, separated them, and said, "Little Xi'er truly deserves to be called a genius! She is so much better than your father!"
Feng Yi retorted, dissatisfied, "No, what do you mean, Boss?!?"
Ignoring Feng Yi, Du grinned slyly at Feng Xi and said, "Little Xi, can you come more often in the future?"
Feng Xi said, "Uncle Yaoqi often tells Father, 'One should not be greedy for delicious food.' The same applies to cultivation. Uncle Du, you should get used to it for a while first."
Du said, "Alright, little Xi'er is right. You're much better than your father! I think you should just take the position of Ghost King!"
Feng Xi flicked her long ponytail and laughed, "Uncle Du, I'm not only a person, but also a child. My ambition lies in the world, so I won't stay here forever."
Du laughed and said, "I was just saying. You're still young, you should see a wider world."
Feng Xi looked at the group of red-faced, bubbling ghosts floating on the lava and asked, "Are they alright?"
Du said, "This magma is not only magma, but also a pool of wine. Inside are vicious and vengeful ghosts. They are immersed in it year after year, which numbs their nerves and makes them indulge in sweet dreams. It also washes away their malevolence, preventing them from doing evil. They are just ghosts that will never die, forever underground."
Feng Yi said, "You two have said enough! Kid, it's time to go! Go see your little brother who just turned one month old."
Feng Xi clapped his hands and cheered, then clung to Feng Yi's shoulder, saying, "Father! Take me there quickly! I want to see my little brother!"
Feng Yi and Wulanuo brought Feng Xi to a courtyard at the foot of Tianjia Mountain, where Yao Qi and Mu Yi were holding Yao Xu and sunbathing in the courtyard.
Ming Qi and Yun Xiang also arrived.
Ming Qi greeted him with a smile, reaching out to take the gift from Feng Yi's hands, saying, "You're being too polite! You've come all this way, why bring anything?"
Yaoqi retorted bluntly, "That's for Muyi and my son, what does it have to do with you?"
Feng Yi walked past Ming Qi, winked at him, and said, "That's right! Did you come to steal mine because you didn't bring a gift?"
Yunxiang smiled and said, "Of course we brought them too. I even made a lot of little clothes for Xu'er."
Ulanuo asked, "Where are Mi Zhen and Yu Zhi?"
Mu Yi said, "They're both very busy right now. Mi Zhen is researching a new gadget for agricultural production, something like a mechanical man. Yu Zhi is helping with the trial implementation, and now is a crucial moment. I've already discussed it with them, and once their mechanical man is finished, I'll take the children to Yunhuai to see them."
Feng Yi sensed a business opportunity and raised an eyebrow, saying, "This sounds interesting. I'll go with you guys later and join the business myself. If this were to be implemented, it would be a great undertaking that benefits the world."
Yun Xiang said, "Well done, Feng Yi. You have a very discerning eye now."
Feng Yi crossed his arms and laughed, "After all, managing such a large gold mine, you have to make some progress, right?"
At this moment, Feng Xi peeked out from behind Wulanuo, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and asked, "May I see my little brother?"
Everyone was taken aback by her words, then burst into laughter. Yun Xiang said, "We've been so busy talking that we've neglected the children."
His mother beckoned to him, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, Xi'er. It's been a while, and you've grown even cuter. Come and see your little brother, and see who's more handsome between you two?"
Yao Qi stepped forward, picked up Feng Xi, bounced her in his arms, and exclaimed, "When I first met you, you were just a tiny little thing. How come you've grown so much in the blink of an eye?"
Feng Yi laughed with some pride, "Who says otherwise! He was just a skinny little guy back then, but look at him now, how handsome he is!"
As if sensing someone approaching, Yao Xu opened her round eyes, suddenly grinned, and giggled at everyone. Her little body swayed along with her laughter, a soft, fluffy ball, her clear laughter striking everyone's hearts.
Feng Xi curiously stretched out a finger and carefully poked Yao Xu's little face. He patted his chest and solemnly said, "Hello, little brother, I'm Feng Xi. You're just as handsome as me, no wonder you're my little brother! I'll protect you from now on!"
Yao Qi patted Feng Xi's head, looked at Yao Xu, and laughed, "Haha, good! Xu'er, you must get along well with your brother from now on."
Mother Yi looked at Yun Xiang and said, "If you have children in the future, why don't you arrange a marriage between us?"
Feng Yi said, "And there's this one from our family too!"
Before Yunxiang could speak, Mingqi said, "Yunxiang is busy compiling a medical book, so don't try to matchmake us! I'll listen to her completely. If she wants it, we'll take it; if she doesn't, we'll just enjoy our peace and quiet."
Ulanuo suddenly thought of something and asked, "How do you plan to raise Xu'er? Will you do the same as those guys, abandoning the child down the mountain to fend for himself?"
Yaoqi said, "We will naturally raise our children ourselves. We have discussed it and decided to settle here and not go up the mountain unless necessary."
Some of the priests of Tianjia Mountain had families before their ascension. Gods can fall in love and marry, and some priests found their partners after their ascension. Ulanuo and Fengyi were examples of the latter.
However, these priests with families and children usually don't personally teach and raise their children. Instead, they leave them at the foot of the mountain to be managed by mid-ranking priests. Therefore, a place called Sancaotang (Three Herbs Hall) is set up at the foot of the mountain to house these children. Although the priests are busy with their duties, they occasionally visit them there. Their conversations invariably revolve around "attaining enlightenment" and "becoming useful," all hoping their descendants will inherit their mantle to secure their positions, regardless of the children's wishes. But even gods, when they give birth, are born of mortal flesh and blood, starting as humans. Not everyone is suited for it, and not everyone can succeed.
As the wind blows, yellow leaves pile up all over the courtyard; when you look up, you see a child just coming of age.
"Yao Xu, Yaoxu..."
Feng Xi climbed over the schoolyard wall and called out twice to Yao Xu, who was engrossed in reading in the inner room. Yao Xu turned around, looked at him with delight, and waved, saying, "Brother!"
Feng Xi leaped down from the wall, climbed over the window, grabbed Yao Xu's hand, and said, "Come on! I'll take you to the Ghost Realm!"
Yao Xu stopped him, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "But brother, the teacher will be here to give a lesson soon..."
Feng Xi flicked his head and said, "That old man's talk was so boring, I don't know how you could stand it. But I know everything he said, I'll tell you about it later. Today is your fifth birthday, you should have a lot of fun!"
Yao Xu said, "But brother, Mom and Dad said they would take me to see the fireworks tonight. If I leave now, they will worry."
Feng Xi was a bit exasperated and said helplessly, "Why are you acting like an old man at such a young age? No! You can't stay here any longer! I already told my parents that I am mine and they are theirs. As long as you're happy today, that's all that matters!"
Yao Xu was about to say something when Feng Xi interrupted him directly: "Hey, stop talking nonsense! Come with me!"
Ghost world. Qiandu River.
Feng Xi produced a kite from somewhere; the kite was in the shape of a golden crow, symbolizing the sun. The golden crow spread its wings, like the rising sun, warm and gentle, just like the distant dawn.
Yao Xu said, "Brother, this kite is so beautiful. Did you make it yourself?"
Feng Xi chuckled smugly and said, "How is it? Do you like it? I love flying kites here at Qiandu River. Dad always brings me here, but today I'm letting you experience it too!"
At this moment, only the two of them were by the Qiandu River. Kites soared in the air, and children's laughter echoed on the ground.
In the distance, several ghost officials, carrying a large basket of spring herbs, waited in the shadows for their chance.
"We all want to celebrate Little Sun's birthday, but do you think this is a reliable method?"
"Don't even think about it. Anything else from the Ghost Realm would scare Little Sun to tears. Little Kite will scold us again."
"But there are too many flowers. Didn't the God of Spring say that one flower is enough? Will this whole basket be enough?"
"What do you know! If a single flower can bring joy, then shouldn't there be as much joy as possible?"
"...That makes sense."
After flying the kite, Feng Xi took Yao Xu boating and catching fish on the Qiandu River. With the help of the water ghosts at the bottom of the river, they also experienced rafting and had a great time.
As the two reached the shore, a shower of spring rain fell from the sky, and the ghost officials chanted in unison, "Happy birthday, little sun!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Xu was swept up in a joyful mood, growing increasingly excited. He laughed incessantly, until his cheeks turned red, tears welled in his eyes, and he started hiccuping: "Hahahaha... hiccup... Hahahaha, bro, I... I'm so happy..."
Seeing that something was wrong, Feng Xi quickly flew away with him and then took out a bottle of medicine for him to swallow. After taking the medicine, Yao Xu's symptoms gradually subsided.
Feng Xi asked with a worried expression, "How are you? Are you alright?"
Yao Xu smiled and said, "Brother, I'm fine."
Knowing they had caused trouble, the ghost officials stepped forward to accept their punishment before Feng Xi could even yell. Weeping and wailing, they raised their hands above their heads, bowing their heads, and said, "Little Kite, we were wrong. Little Sun, we didn't mean to..."
Yao Xu, afraid that Feng Xi would really blame them, quickly said, "It's okay, it's okay. I know you wanted to celebrate my birthday, right? Thank you for the gifts, I really like them. Don't worry, I'm completely better now!" Afraid that they wouldn't believe him, he spun around three times and jumped a few times.
Feng Xi glanced at them, somewhat helpless, and not wanting to spoil Yao Xu's birthday celebration, he didn't pursue the matter further. He looked at Yao Xu and said seriously, "Today I originally wanted to let you celebrate your birthday happily, but I didn't expect this to happen. Although they didn't mean it, I brought you out but failed to take good care of you, which is my dereliction of duty as your older brother. I will explain this to your parents, and I will be more careful next time."
Yao Xu quickly waved his hand and said, "Brother, no! You can't tell Mom and Dad. Nothing happened to me, and I was really happy. If you tell them, I won't let you take me out to play anymore."
Seeing his firm attitude, Feng Xi asked, "Are you serious?"
Yao Xu said, "I'm serious!"
Feng Xi said, "Alright then. But I will never allow such a thing to happen again."
The demons also said, "We will definitely be careful!"
Yao Xu laughed and said, "Okay! Then I'll look forward to next year!"
As the sun was setting, Yaoqi made Yaoxu a bowl of egg noodles, adding his favorite braised chicken leg, a recipe he had specially learned from Lu Zhichou when he took Yaoxu to Yunhuai. Muyi also made Yaoxu a new outfit by hand.
Yao Qi said, "Xu'er must be overjoyed to go out with Xi'er today."
The mother said, "Our son is kind-hearted, and only Xi'er's lively nature can motivate him. I really hope he can be more open-minded."
Yaoqi pulled Muyi into his arms and said, "When he comes back in a little while, we'll have some noodles, change into his new clothes, and then we'll take him to see the fireworks. I guarantee he'll be even happier that way!"
Just then, Yaoxu's voice came from outside, "Father, Mother, I'm back!"
Yaoqi and Muyi went up to him, hugged him, and asked, "Did you have fun with your brother today?"
Yao Xu nodded and smiled, "Okay! Brother will take me to fly kites, go boating and fish, and there are lots of flowers!"
Yaoqi asked, "Nothing went wrong?"
Yao Xu, without batting an eye, said, "No, they're much more stable this year. I'm so happy."
Yaoqi said, "That's good. Come on! Dad made your favorite chicken leg noodles. After you eat, change into the new clothes your mother prepared, and the three of us will go watch the fireworks!"
Yao Xu exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Thank you, Mom and Dad!"
Yao Xu ate a mouthful of noodles and a chicken leg very quickly. It was the familiar taste he knew best, and his favorite taste. "Dad, teach me how to make it later. Once I've learned, I'll make it for you all."
Yaoqi said with emotion, "Okay, Xu'er will make it for Father and Mother later."
At night, the family of three arrived in town hand in hand. Knowing there would be fireworks that night, the townspeople flocked to the streets to wait. The streets were bustling with people. Yaoqi let Yaoxu ride on his shoulders, and the three of them walked onto the bridge. With a "bang," fireworks burst in the sky.
The fireworks were colorful and varied in shape, depicting birds, beasts, insects, fish, flowers, trees, and everything in between. The sounds of fireworks, laughter, and exclamations of amazement blended together.
Yao Qi looked at Yao Xu, chuckled, and said, "Though mountains and rivers may separate us, Zi Xu will live on forever."
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