Chapter 16 It's not just the big tree with its lush foliage, black feathers, and the view that make it so vibrant…
When I woke up, my right ear felt warm. I had a dreamless night and stayed awake until dawn. Perhaps it was Fu Yu that was working.
Feng Ye came to see her last night and sat at the desk by the window. She told Xia Zhu that once she wore the talisman, the Feng family's door would always be open to her. Although they had only known each other for a day, the person Feng Feng and his sister liked must be very good. Feng Ye also said that she wouldn't say things like, "Since there are no other relatives left in the world, then treat us as family." Family is determined by blood, but it can also be chosen. Xia Zhu only needs to follow her heart and always do what makes her comfortable.
"No matter what, this place can provide you with shelter."
This is what Feng Ye said.
Xia Zhu was very grateful. She was often clumsy with words but quick to understand matters of the heart. She even felt unworthy of the Feng family's kindness in doing so much for her. She wondered what she had done to deserve such treatment, having lowered her guard and opened her door to someone she didn't know.
She racked her brains for a long time, trying to figure out what she could do to repay the kindness shown to her, but in the end, she could only look down at her own palms. Before everything became clear, she could only solemnly thank Feng Ye.
I got up and tidied myself up, then went downstairs to see if there was anything I could help with, and maybe even cook breakfast for everyone.
The Feng family's attic was much larger than usual, thoughtfully equipped with its own private bathroom. Xia Zhu quickly washed up and went to the window. The morning breeze carried an indistinguishable fragrance of flowers and grass. The rising sun had just emerged from the horizon, bathing the world in orange-red light, making her cheeks feel slightly warm. The earth shimmered with gold, devoid of the desolation of winter, instead displaying a vibrant and thriving scene.
She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and started her morning reading.
"The warm spring sun spreads its grace, and all things shine with glory..."
Before she could get into the zone, Xia Zhu noticed a black feather had fallen outside the windowsill. She leaned out and picked it up.
The black feathers shimmered like satin in the sunlight, like a thin piece of black gold that had been accidentally left behind.
She blinked at the feather, then casually put it into her bag and tucked it into the pages of "Strange Things by the Window," before turning and going downstairs.
The kitchen was filled with clanging and banging sounds. Feng Mian had gotten up even earlier than Xia Zhu and was already making breakfast. Xia Zhu went in to greet her and offered to help, but Feng Mian pushed her out. So, under the guise of learning to cook, she was allowed to stand aside and lend a hand. The kitchen had a large window facing outwards, offering a view of golden wheat fields and other lush green crops. As if in keeping with the seasons, Feng Mian's breakfast was a table reflecting all four seasons.
He explained each point with great enthusiasm. The morning sunlight, with its fiery glow, shone through the glass window and the lace curtains, illuminating Feng Mian's profile and giving it a glassy or amber-like texture. Xia Zhu was once again amazed by his delicate and fair skin.
"I didn't know what kind of breakfast you usually eat, so I made a little bit of everything." Feng Mian asked Xia Zhu to help pick the fish off the grill one by one and put them on a plate. "This is seared sakura sea bream. I was afraid that eating grilled fish in the morning would be too much, so I served it with wasabi sprouts and ochazuke."
He gestured for Xia Zhu to take it to the dining table.
"It's plum tea that's been brewing for a long time, which is perfect for cutting through the richness."
The sea bream oil was fragrant, and the tea soup was refreshing. Xia Zhu swallowed the saliva that kept secreting, vowing to become a disciple of Teacher Feng and to study the art of cooking properly so that she could eat well when she was alone. However, when she thought that these ingredients were specially supplied by the Feng family, she didn't know where else she could get them all at once, so she gave up.
"If you don't like rice, I made water shield wontons filled with snow crab leg meat. By the way, Azhu, are you allergic to seafood?"
Xia Zhu shook her head. This was her first time eating seafood, and she hoped it wouldn't be a problem.
"Warm milk, bitter bamboo shoot and pork buns, and sweet fermented rice with egg custard. I hope you like some of these." Feng Mian brought out the remaining food one by one.
Feng Feng and his wife Feng Ye went downstairs, and the five of them enjoyed the sunrise in the morning breeze while listening to Feng Feng's rambling conversation and finishing their breakfast. Feng Feng then took Xia Zhu out, saying that the day after tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and they needed to carry out the "change of flags" before tomorrow, so he would take her along to see it for herself.
Xiao Feng was being mysterious, refusing to reveal the reason for the "change of flags" in advance.
The climate in the Feng family territory is pleasant, more like autumn than winter. Xia Zhu wore a school uniform over her sweater and went out with Feng Feng. Feng Mian said he wanted to stay home to clean up and go out to catch some fish before the flag was changed so he could make soup for lunch. Xiao Feng smiled and kept praising him for being a good homemaker.
Even though she had already witnessed the incredible power and wonder of this place that defied the laws of nature, she was still moved by the scene before her once again.
On this land, the four seasons unfold simultaneously. Spring blossoms, intertwined with autumn ears of grain, gradually transform as they emerge from the horizon. Xiao Feng says that rice, millet, beans, and wheat grow on this land, all white and smooth as cream. To the east, grapevines stand tall, their strings of plump fruit gleaming with purple or green luster. To the west, a row of plum blossoms surrounds several small ponds, where lotus leaves sway in the breeze. The plum petals, vying for attention, flutter down onto the pond's surface and among the lotus leaves.
Xia Zhu guessed that this territory might be protected by some kind of barrier that isolates it from the outside world, and some mysterious force drives the internal life cycle. Therefore, some rainbow-like lights and shadows could be faintly seen at the edges, just like the energy fluctuations generated after immortals fought and their magic collided.
The education and knowledge she received in the previous 18 years have been completely overturned, but fortunately she can adapt to everything quickly, as if it were meant to be.
The two walked hand in hand on the flower-filled meadow. The natural beauty quickly soothed all their emotions, leaving only tranquility in their hearts. Like a blade of grass growing in the ground and swaying in the wind, they were simply there, simply existing.
On the way, she also met her cousin Aruo, whom Feng Feng often mentioned. She was a girl in her twenties with long hair that reached her waist like a willow in spring. She wore a grass-green cotton dress and a small straw hat with two purple moonflowers stuck in the brim. She gave Xia Zhu a handful of freshly picked raspberries, telling her that she had come at the perfect time, as this year's raspberries were plump and juicy. She didn't ask her name or where she came from.
Xia Zhu thought that the blood of the Feng family might flow with syrup or a crystal-clear babbling brook, with sweet flowers on its surface all year round flowing toward the golden sunset.
As they ate the berries Feng Ruo had given them, they ventured into a maple forest. The sunlight overhead was instantly blocked, and the temperature around them dropped as well. Xia Zhu keenly sensed that strange gaze reappearing behind her, this time unusually intense, as if it wanted to burn a hole in her back. But saying it would burn a hole wasn't quite right; the gaze wasn't fiery, but rather exceptionally cold.
She remembered the feather she had picked up by the window that morning.
“Xiao Feng, actually, when I first obtained the Natural Aspect Stone, which was before you came to the school, I encountered a mountain demon once.”
"A mandrill?" Feng Feng seemed thoughtful after hearing her words.
"Blue-faced, one-legged, and backward-facing—if the records in the books are correct, it should be a mandrill. Before I learned your identities, I was puzzled and doubtful about this, but now I can be sure that there are indeed legendary monsters in this world, right?"
“In our world, creatures like mandrills do exist, but the people of the Divine Blood Clan don’t call them monsters…” Feng Feng’s expression was a little strange. Perhaps the appearance of mandrills was not simple. She turned her head, and her honey-colored eyes deepened in the dim light of the maple forest. “These non-human creatures with divine power are called demon gods.”
"god?"
"Just as the ancestors of all divine bloodlines are called gods and humans, there exists a supreme god in the heavens and the universe. My mother said that in the very beginning of the primordial chaos, only the supreme god possessed the power of the innate form. Then one day, he discovered that some particles of the innate form flowed into the human world, forming the dream of demons. This kind of dream is different from ordinary dreams; it is a consciousness environment independent of time. So the supreme god descended with divine decree, selecting a few people from human tribes and bestowing upon them the innate form, appointing them as unknown officials to enter the dreams to slay demons and retrieve the fragments of the innate form." Feng Feng ate the last berry, his fingertips slightly stained.
She clapped her hands and continued, "The first few tribal leaders with innate divine appearances were revered as gods by later generations. However, the main god did not only bestow divine power upon humans, but also upon other creatures. The remaining species with innate divine appearances were regarded as demon gods. The innate divine power within them could not be passed down through reproduction, but unlike humans, demon gods have very long lifespans. Some demon gods voluntarily joined a family as guardian deities, protecting them in past wars. For example, the five-colored divine bird that Mom asked you to find is the guardian demon god of the Jiang family of the Wei River."
"Of course, there are other groups that do not want to be bound by humans and hide in various parts of the world. The mandrill you saw, Azhu, is one of them."
"So, perhaps the mandrill was attracted by the natural astrological stone on my body?" Xia Zhu asked.
"That's most likely the case."
Remembering that black feather, she asked Feng Feng again if the Five-Colored Bird was a divine bird with colorful feathers.
"I don't know about that. As far as I know, no one has ever seen it. Maybe it's just a legend." She noticed Xia Zhu's expression was off. "But those who haven't seen the Five-Colored Bird are simply destined to miss out on this opportunity. Don't be discouraged, A-Zhu. You're so different from everyone else, you might have a great opportunity! You'll definitely be favored by the divine bird. When the Nine Heavens Assembly starts, Feng Mian and I will help you find a chance to visit the Jiang family!"
Xia Zhu nodded and gave her the remaining raspberries in her hand. Feng Feng smiled and stuffed them into her mouth, her cheeks bulging like a little hamster.
"Is the Nine Heavens Assembly just a gathering of unqualified officials?"
"Yes and no. The important matter of the Nine Heavens Conference is that the decision-makers at the top of the family gather to summarize the past, plan for the future, and investigate whether any family members have violated regulations or laws in the past year. If so, they will be punished and corrected; if not, they will be encouraged to do better. The affairs of the adults have little to do with us unofficial officials. Unofficial officials attend the conference for other activities." She swallowed the food in her mouth and gave a mysterious smile. "I won't tell you yet! You'll know in a few days!"
As the two talked, they gradually walked out of the dense maple forest. The strange gaze followed them relentlessly, but it seemed to be just following without taking any other action. So Xia Zhu decided to ignore it. If the person hiding had any purpose other than surveillance and observation, they would naturally reveal themselves.
Suddenly, a vast expanse of soft grass revealed a towering, thriving tree.
Standing at the edge of the maple forest, Xia Zhu looked up and could clearly see the ends of the giant tree's branches, which stretched for hundreds of miles in the sky. Its shadow covered a large area of grassland, as if it had divided an area the size of a football field. The sunlight dappled the tips of the grass, like a galaxy flowing backwards, indistinct and dazzling.
The giant tree stretches upwards to an endless distance, standing like a road to heaven. A warm breeze blows through it, causing millions of leaves to sway and rub against each other, making a rustling sound as if it were a message from beyond the heavens. Then, the land under its protection trembles slightly, and the grass, leaves, and petals fall into an impromptu, wild dance.
"A-Zhu, this is the Feng family's guardian demon god, Jianmu!"
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