Chapter 85

Song Qingshi asked in confusion, "Is Feng Jun a nickname?"

"It is a nickname," the red-clad girl, who called herself Feng Jun, gently tugged at his sleeve and answered plaintively, "I vaguely remember my mother calling me that, but my head hurts so much, I can't recall anything else..."

Song Qingshi felt that Feng Jun's head injury shouldn't be severe enough to affect her memory, but considering his own inexplicable amnesia, he wavered. Perhaps partial memory loss was common in this world of cultivation?

Feng Jun's origins were mysterious, yet her appearance and demeanor gave him an inexplicable fondness. She smelled sweet, and he even felt an urge to bring her home and cherish her.

Song Qingshi searched his memories, but they were filled only with medicine and research. He had never had such strange thoughts about a girl before, no matter how beautiful... Could it be that his lost memories included a drastic change in temperament, leading him to do many despicable and lewd things?

A vague fragment suddenly flashed through his mind.

It seemed he had once pinned down some beauty late at night, forcibly kissing them despite their resistance? The beauty had nearly cried from distress...

Wasn't this the behavior of a standard lecher?

Song Qingshi started to panic...

Feng Jun lowered her head, occasionally sneaking glances at Song Qingshi's expression as if silently contemplating something. Beside them, Song Jincheng had long since succumbed to her beauty, babbling endlessly and pounding his chest to assure her they were good people.

Song Qingshi—whose mind was far from pure—grew increasingly guilty as he listened. He straightened up, trying hard to pretend he was also a gentleman.

The red divine bird on his shoulder had flown away unnoticed.

Suddenly, the sound of snapping branches and soft hissing came from the forest.

Feng Jun's face went pale immediately as she grabbed Song Qingshi and shouted, "Run!"

Song Qingshi also noticed the strange noise and asked, "What is that?"

"A snake... a serpent demon," Feng Jun shook with fear. "I remember now—I was being chased by this serpent demon before I fell off the cliff. You should run..."

The Medicine King Valley kept many venomous snakes for extracting poison to make medicine, and its disciples were skilled in catching them.

Song Jincheng, fearless, drew a sword from his Mustard Seed Bag and stood heroically before the beauty, boasting, "Don't worry! Just a snake demon? No problem! Watch how I deal with it!"

From the forest loomed a gigantic white serpent, its silver scales covered in moss, eyes glowing like red lanterns, and a forked tongue meters long flicking through the air. It stared intently at the foot of the cliff, growing more agitated as it tasted the scents.

Song Qingshi wasn't afraid of snakes, but he had never seen one so terrifying. The sight of its gaping maw—large enough to swallow an elephant—made him nervous. "Jincheng, are you sure you can handle it?"

Song Jincheng's sword shook violently, his legs trembled, and tears fell unbidden.

Feng Jun cautiously read their faces and suggested, "Should we... run?"

"Run!" Song Qingshi made a quick decision to retreat. Setting aside all other thoughts, he lifted Feng Jun onto the Spirit Horse, then leaped up himself. With one arm, he held her tightly against him to prevent her from falling, while the other whipped the horse into a gallop, escaping the snake's territory at top speed.

Feng Jun clung to his waist, burying her face in his chest and inhaling the medicinal scent. She trembled with excitement, thrilled by Song Qingshi's reaction—this sense of being cherished.

Noticing her trembling, Song Qingshi comforted her, "Don't be afraid. I'll definitely save you."

Feng Jun took a deep breath to steady herself and replied meekly, "Mm."

Song Jincheng also mounted his horse and fled madly, wishing the horse had eight legs.

Three thousand years ago, after An Long succumbed to demonic cultivation, he severed his spiritual beast contract with Hao Long and abandoned it in the mountains. When the Indestructible Peak underwent nirvana and Yue Wuhuan was reborn as the Divine Lord, he spared the white serpent—knowing it was Song Qingshi's favorite—and instead raised it, forcing it to battle increasingly powerful demonic beasts on the battlefield to temper its strength. Now, Hao Long was a renowned great demon in the cultivation world.

Hao Long, not the brightest, couldn't figure out Yue Wuhuan's plans. Exhausted from the torment, it longed to hibernate.

Yue Wuhuan always deceived it: "If you behave, Qing Shi will take you as his pet when he returns."

Hao Long held onto this promise, enduring the brutal training and laboring diligently for Yue Wuhuan.

It dreamed of becoming the world's best pet snake.

Yesterday, Yue Wuhuan had come and ordered it to use its divine power to inflict wounds on him. It obeyed without question. Later, however, it sensed something amiss. Though the Divine Lord's body was difficult to injure, he could harm himself if he wished. Why seek its help? Unless these wounds, if self-inflicted, would be detectable? Who possessed such insight to distinguish self-harm from external injury?

Hao Long had never felt so clever in its life. It secretly trailed Yue Wuhuan's scent, concealing its presence, all the way to Black Goose Mountain.

Sure enough, Song Qingshi had returned!

Catching the scent, Hao Long grew excited and wanted to rush over for attention. But under Yue Wuhuan's instigation, Song Qingshi fled—not even a reunion hug! It had no concept of human gender and had seen Yue Wuhuan take many forms over the years, so the female guise didn't strike it as odd. It didn't realize...

Yue Wuhuan was playing the role of a seductive enchantress from the operas! Scheming to sabotage its bond with Song Qingshi!

Seething with anger, Hao Long gave chase...

Song Jincheng was so scared he cried, convinced he was about to become snake food. He wailed, "I'm an unfilial son, making my parents bury their child!"

Feng Jun said quietly, "They can always have another..."

Years ago, he had promised Qing Luan to watch over her descendants. Unexpectedly, her lineage had shrunk, leaving only this fool, Song Jincheng. His mother, a cultivator who had achieved Golden Core stage, was the last of Qing Luan's bloodline. Killing her would sever it entirely, with no replacements.

He hesitated deeply...

Now that this fool had become Song Qingshi's savior, killing him was even less feasible. Perhaps, upon returning to the Medicine King Valley, he could keep him in the back hills until the idiocy wore off before allowing him back into society?

Feng Jun leaned against Song Qingshi, annoyed by the wailing beside them, and began plotting...

Song Qingshi suddenly noticed the girl's chest was as flat as his own. When he had carried her earlier, she felt like she weighed well over a hundred pounds. Where was all that flesh hidden? It didn't seem logical...

He was curious but dared not ask or dwell on it. His sister had warned him that such topics were off-limits for girls—asking would be harassment and earn him a beating.

The more Song Qingshi thought, the less confidence he had in his own character.

The two Spirit Horses fled madly ahead, the giant serpent in hot pursuit, crossing three mountain ridges. Finally, the red divine bird arrived, clawing and beating the foolish snake into submission, ending the chase.

The Spirit Horses were exhausted, foaming at the mouth and on the verge of collapse.

A small town came into view. Seeing the sky darken, Song Qingshi led the group to an inn to rest. The town, though small, was prosperous due to its location on a major trade route. Handing the horses to the inn's attendant, Song Qingshi—flush with funds—instructed him to buy restorative herbs from the apothecary to feed them...

The innkeeper smiled and said, "We have two rooms left."

Seizing the chance to demonstrate his gentlemanly demeanor, Song Qingshi declared, "Two men and one girl—two rooms are perfect. Jincheng and I can share."

Song Jincheng also vowed he wouldn't take advantage of the girl.

After hearing the arrangement, Feng Jun paused briefly, then smiled gently and said she would fetch some food from the kitchen. As she leisurely walked away, she tied up her long hair and donned a pair of sheer gloves. About forty-five minutes later, several cultivators rushed downstairs, pale-faced and stammering about seeking enlightenment under the open sky—absolutely refusing to stay. They demanded refunds for their premium rooms, forfeiting the payment entirely...

The innkeeper, observing their expressions, almost wondered if the place was haunted.

Song Jincheng, claiming he wasn't short on money, refused to share a room with another man. Song Qingshi seized the opportunity to upgrade to three adjoining premium rooms. Feng Jun returned gracefully, dragging her skirts, and presented a bowl of sweet soup to Song Qingshi. "The kitchen was poorly stocked, so I could only make something simple... It's been so long, my skills are rusty. I hope you don't mind."

Song Qingshi found the dark golden eyes gazing at him more captivating than the food itself. As he hesitated, Feng Jun picked up the spoon, blew on it to cool it, and fed him directly—a fluid motion, as if rehearsed countless times.

The sweet soup carried a faint honeyed taste on his tongue, stirring long-buried memories and muddling his thoughts again. Dazed, he stared at the girl's radiant smile, his ears reddening and heart fluttering. When he thought to refuse, her foot lightly hooked around his under the table...

Feng Jun smiled. "Don't refuse me."

His voice was melodious, tender yet brooking no argument.

Song Qingshi couldn't refuse any of his requests and pulled his hand back obediently.

Feng Jun scooped another spoonful of sweet soup and extended it toward him, smiling as he commanded, "Sit up straight."

Song Qingshi instantly sat up straight and obediently opened his mouth.

Song Jincheng complained, "What about my share?"

Feng Jun glanced at him, then looked away casually, replying indifferently, "Ask the kitchen staff to make some for you."

He continued feeding Song Qingshi the sweet soup with a smile, as if Song Qingshi was the only one in the room.

Song Jincheng looked at the goddess whose eyes were love-struck and then at Song Qingshi, whose ears were red as he silently drank the soup. How could he not understand the goddess's feelings? Jealousy nearly brought tears to his eyes—was Song Jincheng not handsome enough? Or was his personality lacking? Why did every goddess dislike cheerful, good-looking guys and only prefer docile, delicate pretty boys? Was it too late for him to change his image? When he met Yu Wenyu, he would grab his friend for drinks and pour out his sorrows—on this long, painful road of singledom, the two of them would walk hand in hand, supporting each other...

He turned his sadness into hunger, ordering the innkeeper to serve eight lavish dishes, wolfing them down angrily.

...

Hao Long was thinking hard.

Though both his former master and Yue Wuhuan had remarked that he'd traded all his brains for brawn, after so many years, his intellect had still grown slowly. At the very least, he'd finally figured out that following his good-for-nothing former master would lead nowhere—he would never win favor. He had to learn from Yue Wuhuan if he wanted a chance to earn affection.

Thus, when he gained the ability to take human form, he decisively chose to blend Yue Wuhuan and Song Qingshi's appearances, transforming into a three-year-old boy—long black hair, golden phoenix eyes, and a snow-white face. Totally adorable, absolutely gorgeous! Absolutely the kind of child humans would adore!

Moreover, he had studied human social relationships and found a way to make Song Qingshi take him in.

Seeing the bird fly far away, Hao Long quietly emerged from his hiding spot, took human form, concealed his demonic aura, and entered the inn. Following the scent, he found Song Qingshi and the others eating. Braving the terrifying aura emanating from Yue Wuhuan's incarnation, he fearlessly rushed forward, clung to Song Qingshi's leg, and burst into tears and shouted:

"Dad!"

Song Qingshi dropped his chopsticks in shock.

Feng Jun slammed his bowl down, strode over with a dark expression, and pinched Hao Long's ear, scolding, "What kind of nonsense is this child spouting?"

Hao Long's tears welled up from the pain. After considering human relationships, he pouted and mumbled in defeat:

"Mom..."