Chapter 41

In the Tongxin Hall, Duanmu Xue was holding Duanmu Xi, reluctant to part from her daughter.

“Xi, do you have to leave today? Can’t you stay for another two days?”

Duanmu Xi stared at Duanmu Xue with embarrassment and then shifted her gaze to Huangfu Che, wishing him to come forward and persuade her mother.

“Xue, don’t do this. Xi will be back after she finishes her work. If you miss her, we can write a letter to her and let her come back to visit you.”

Huangfu Che took the hint of Duanmu Xi and immediately went forward to hold Duanmu Xue, comforting gently.

“Yeah. If you miss me, you can write to me anytime and then I will come back to visit you immediately, okay?” Duanmu Xi also went forward to promise.

Huangfu Che’s and Duanmu Xi’s comfort finally made Duanmu Xue release her hands.

She knew that she couldn’t change the fact that Xi was leaving regardless. As the mother, she couldn’t be a drag on her child and stop her from advancing.

“Xi, bring a team of phoenix guards with you so that we can feel assured.”

Duanmu Xi wanted to reject but upon seeing Duanmu Xue’s face, she just changed her mind.

“Then let Phoenix Five follow me.”

Although she disliked being followed by others, she had to do so in order to assure her parents.

“Okay. Okay.”

Duanmu Xue kept nodding her head and summoned Phoenix Five.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Phoenix Five came inside and prostrated herself.

“You shall follow the crown princess and ensure her safety from now on.”

“Yes,” Phoenix Five immediately replied in delight.

When she took the crown princess back to the imperial palace, she admired the latter very much. Now that she was ordered to follow the crown princess, of course, she was happy.

“Mo, I must thank you for your help with the Xuanwu Empire. When you go back, please express my gratitude to your father.”

Duanmu Xue looked at Xuanyuan Mo with a sincere facial expression.

This time, the Baihu Empire and the Qinglong Empire did a great favor for her, which she would keep in mind for sure.

Xuanyuan Mo bowed, “You are welcome. I will pass your words for sure.”

“Mother, I heard that the Qinglong Empire also sent in troops to help us?”

Duanmu Xi could understand why the Baihu Empire sent in troops. It must be thanks to Snow. Yet, why did the Qinglong Empire send in troops to help them?

Duanmu Xue saw her confused look and realized that she didn’t understand. “Xi, you lost your memory. The emperor of the Qinglong Empire is your grandpa and your father is the former crown prince. This time, we must thank him for sending in troops to help us,” Duanmu Xue explained.

Grandpa…

She also had a grandpa on the Hantian Continent. Since her parents looked the same as modern times, would the grandpa also…

At the thought of that possibility, Duanmu Xi couldn’t refrain from feeling excited and her voice was even trembling.

“Grandpa… What does he look like?”

Huangfu Che was a bit amused to see Duanmu Xi’s excited look.

“It will be a few months before your grandpa’s 60th birthday. By then, let’s go to the Qinglong Empire for the birthday celebration and you will be able to meet him.”

It had been 15 years since he met his father last time. He wondered how his father was doing now. Anyway, his father still cared about him, or the Qinglong Empire wouldn’t send in troops to the Xuanwu Empire.

“Really?” Duanmu Xi grabbed Huangfu Che’s sleeve and exclaimed with excitement.

Seeing that she appeared so happy, all the people felt quite glad.

Duanmu Xi was always aloof and poker-faced. Very few things could make her so excited. It seemed that she really looked forward to meeting the emperor of the Qinglong Empire.

“Of course. You are such a good girl. Your grandpa will like you without doubts.”

Huangfu Che pinched Duanmu Xi’s face with a smile.

“Yeah.”

If the emperor really looked the same as her grandpa, he would definitely like her. After all, her real grandpa loved her very much. She really wanted to meet him right now.

Outside the north gate of the capital of the Zhuque Empire, Duanmu Xi and several other people stood on the colorful-feathered dragonish eagle.

“Phoenix Five, let’s go.”

Duanmu Xi took the last glance at Duanmu Xue and Huangfu Che on the city wall, who saw them off.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Duanmu Xue looked at the colorful-feathered dragonish eagle going away and tears shimmered in her eyes.

“Okay. She will be back soon.”

Huangfu Che held Duanmu Xue into his arms and comforted her gently.

It was getting darker and darker.

Phoenix Five looked at Duanmu Xi resting with closed eyes, saying respectfully, “Your Highness, we are getting out of the Zhuque Empire soon. It’s dark now and the colorful-feathered dragonish eagle flies slowly at night. Why don’t we land and find a place to spend the night?”

Duanmu Xi opened her eyes to look at the darkness and nodded her head.

Several of them landed. Duanmu Xi touched the dragonish eagle’s head and fed it some water and food before putting it back into the crystal ball.

The colorful-feathered dragonish eagle was sent to her by her father before departure. She could take it as a means of transport. Both Lanze and Hongling were too eye-catching.

Phoenix Five looked around. As she found that they were in a forest, she frowned.

“Your Highness, please take a rest with Mr. Xuanyuan first. I will go and find some food,” After saying that, Phoenix Five walked to the depths of the forest.

“Xi, are you tired?”

Xuanyuan Mo looked around and walked to Duanmu Xi.

Duanmu Xi puckered her lips and slightly shook her head.

“You wait here for a while and I will go there to pick some branches.”

Then, Xuanyuan Mo just meant to head to the other side of the forest.

Duanmu Xi hastened to stop Xuanyuan Mo.

“Snow, don’t go.”

Xuanyuan Mo was perplexed.

Duanmu Xi said, “Wood Harnessing Magic.”

A bunch of dead branches instantly showed up before the two of them, which surprised Xuanyuan Mo a bit.

Duanmu Xi saw his silly appearance and said smilingly, “What? This is the lowest wood spiritual magic only.”

They didn’t know an old man was leaning against a big tree nearby, holding a calabash of wine and drinking occasionally. He was watching their actions.

Shortly, Phoenix Five came back with two pheasants.

Duanmu Xi looked at the pheasants and thought of her grandpa’s favorite dish–beggar’s chicken. She hadn’t eaten this dish for a long time.

“Give them to me.”

Phoenix Five felt a bit flattered to see the hand reached out by Duanmu Xi, saying hurriedly, “No need. Your Highness, I can deal with them myself.”

“Give them to me.”

Duanmu Xi paid no heed to Phoenix Five and insisted on taking the pheasants. Her voice was still indifferent and yet determined.

Phoenix Five had no other choice but to give the two pheasants to Duanmu Xi.

Duanmu Xi took the pheasants and looked around.

Maybe it was like summer all year round in the Zhuque Empire. The plants here were mostly tropical.

Duanmu Xi saw several plantain trees and broke two plantain leaves. The plantain leaves could clear heat and resolve toxins.

Duanmu Xi wrapped the two pheasants with plantain leaves and smeared the mud on them all over. Then, she buried the pheasants in the earth, placed dead branches on them and lit up the branches with fire spiritual magic.

Xuanyuan Mo and Phoenix Five were dumbfounded to see Duanmu Xi’s actions. They had no idea what she was doing but neither of them went forward to ask about it. Instead, they only sat in situ and watched.

The old man in the tree saw Duanmu Xi’s actions and a glint of intrigue flashed across his eyes.

This girl turned out to have wood and fire spiritual roots. Besides, the fire she lit up didn’t seem to be ordinary.

After 30 minutes or so, Duanmu Xi moved the bonfire away, dug out the clod, knocked off the clod with a dagger and exposed the plantain leaves.

Duanmu Xi ripped off the plantain leaves slowly and instantly an exquisite aroma permeated the air.

Smelling the aroma, Xuanyuan Mo and Phoenix Five couldn’t help swallowing.

Duanmu Xi cut one beggar’s chicken into two halves with the dagger. One half was for Phoenix Five and the other was for Xuanyuan Mo.

Then, she dealt with the other beggar’s chicken and summoned Lanze and Hongling.

A streak of dazzling blue light and a streak of dazzling red light flashed by. It was not a water Qilin and a fiery phoenix but a water Qilin and a beautiful young girl that appeared before them.

The young girl was dressed in red, who was as graceful, beautiful and coquettish as a manjusaka.

“Hongling?”

Duanmu Xi ventured.

“Mistress.” It was still the beautiful female voice.

The girl was Hongling for real. Rosefinch transformed into a human being.

Duanmu Xi turned around to search for Lanze only to see that it couldn’t wait to rush over and meant to stuff the beggar’s chicken into its mouth.

Unexpectedly, as a figure flashed across, the beggar’s chicken in Lanze’s claw was gone…

All the people were stupefied. Lanze stamped its feet in fury, “Who was there? How dare you seize my beggar’s chicken?”

An old man was leaning against the tree branch aside, holding a calabash of wine with one hand and carrying the beggar’s chicken with the other hand. He was eating with relish. Within a short while, he ate half of the beggar’s chicken.

With great fury, Lanze jumped onto the tree and wanted to snatch the remaining beggar’s chicken. Unfortunately, it just couldn’t touch the beggar’s chicken regardless.

Duanmu Xue slightly narrowed her purple eyes.

The old man was no ordinary man. Lanze was a mythical creature but it couldn’t gain an upper hand at all.

“Lanze, mind your manners.”

“Mistress, the old man…”

Lanze’s voice was rather grieved.

“Get down.”

Her voice was a little sterner than before.

Lanze could only jump to Duanmu Xi and rub its head against the legs of her trousers, seeming to ask for comfort.

Duanmu Xi squatted down, patted Lanze’s head comfortingly and then looked up at the old man in the tree.

“Since you like the beggar’s chicken, you shall have it then.”

Her voice was indifferent, showing no emotion at all.

The old man looked Duanmu Xi up and down with intrigue.

Duanmu Xi was dressed in white and her long black hair was tied up with a white ribbon. Her purple eyes were enchanting and her exquisite face was so unforgettable.

The girl was quite good-looking. And the people around her were also quite capable. She even contracted with two mythical creatures. Who on earth was this girl?

“Girl, is it you who named this beggar’s chicken?”

The old man jumped off the tree, walked to Duanmu Xi and asked her.

Duanmu Xi shook her head and sat by the bonfire without attention to the old man anymore.

The old man didn’t mind Duanmu Xi’s rudeness and then said to her obsequiously, “Girl, how about being my disciple?”

Duanmu Xi turned around, glimpsed the old man and then slightly shook her head, “No, thanks.”

Hearing the answer, the old man was slightly dazed and a glint of intrigue crossed his crystalline eyes.

The girl refused to be his disciple? Interesting. It was so interesting.

Xuanyuan Mo headed to Duanmu Xi and passed his half beggar’s chicken to her.

Duanmu Xi looked at the half beggar’s chicken. She felt touched and her lips curved into a smile.

“Phoenix Five, go and catch another two pheasants.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Phoenix Five turned around and went into the depths of the forest.

The old man noticed that Duanmu Xi just ignored him. So, with a bounce, he disappeared in front of them. Yet, his voice sounded in their ears through the woods.

“Girl, we will meet again…”