*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Chapter 381: News

At this moment, in the Peach Blossom Ridge, Feng Jiu first arranged for the four Golden Core Cultivators to stay here before she made her way to the courtyard where she had placed the God Soul Wood.

That courtyard was situated at a secluded area where there was less sunlight and more yin energy. Ever since their family had started to cultivate here, the cold yin energy that accumulated here became very rich and dense.

Under the canopy of the luxurious trees, all the sunlight had been blocked and a few shadows gradually emerged. When they saw the arrival of Feng Jiu, their faces were filled with joy and they quickly bowed in reverence and greeted her.

"The Lord."

The four ghosts had been cultivating here for this period of time and their control over the yin energy had stabilized. Coupled with the fact that Feng Jiu had given them the methodology to cultivate as devilry cultivators, now, even if it wasn't night, they could also appear.

Feng Jiu's astute gaze fell over the four of them and smiled, "It seems that your cultivation speed isn't too bad, you've already mastered the first step - Spirit Formation."

"This is all thanks to the Lord, if not for the Lord giving us such a treasured manual for cultivating, we would not be able to attain the Spirit Formation in such a short time." The old man said as his face was brimming with happiness.

Being able to master Spirit Formation, they could appear like a living person during the day and could appear in front of others in a human form. This, to them was something that they would never have imagined possible in the past.

"It's a good thing that your cultivation has results." She nodded her head in approval and walked towards the table and sat beside it as she asked them about the things that had happened recently.

"The Lord, everything here has been the usual, even if there were any cultivators that came by, none could sense our presence. But...." The old man paused for a moment and continued: "That old man who sweeps the floor....isn't simple."

"Hmm?" She raised her eyebrows and said, "Tell me more."

"The Lord said that we could move about freely around the Peach Blossom Ridge, so that very night, we went around and we happened to meet that old man. He almost destroyed us, if not for us telling him in time that we had the Lord's permission to stay here to cultivate... He then flicked his sleeves and left after he warned us that we were not to harass or scare the people that came to the Peach Blossom Ridge."

When she heard this, she revealed a smile. From the first moment she met him, she had already discovered that he wasn't an ordinary person. The aura that he exuded was very clean and even she could not discern his cultivation level. Such a long time had passed and seeing that everything was peaceful and fine, she no longer paid attention to the matter and let him continue to sweep the grounds.

"Just continue to to cultivate here. Sunny is doing very well back at the manor. My father invited a teacher to teach him how to read and write. He's also personally teaching him some basic cultivation. Wait till your cultivation has advanced and when you are not afraid of the sun. At that time, you can go to the manor to see him."

Upon hearing this, they looked at each other with delight and looked back at Feng Jiu with gratefulness, and said: "Thank you Lord for gracing Sunny with all the education and training. We will definitely work hard on our cultivation."

After she nodded her head, she stood up and walked out. Just as she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw the grey robed old man sweeping the floor not far away. Seeing this, she smiled profoundly and walked towards him.

"Is there a matter?"

She stopped in front of him and asked, her heart was filled with curiosity. Who was he? Why was he willing to stay here quietly and do such a menial task of sweeping the grounds?

The old man looked at her and said: "Young Miss just came back and should not have heard the latest news that the Od Patriarch of the Feng Residence has gone missing."

The moment she heard this, her expression changed and immediately asked: "When did this happen?"

Chapter 382: Returning home

"It has been a few days." The old man said slowly as he continued sweeping the ground as he gradually swept further and further away.

Seeing this, Feng Jiu immediately rushed to the front and after she left some instructions with the four Golden Core cultivators, she swiftly headed back to the Feng Residence....

Because she had returned home earlier than expected, she had arrived at the outer wall before it was evening. Seeing that there was no one around, after she checked the surroundings, with the tap of her foot, she leapt up to the wall and landed in the courtyard. Almost immediately, there were a few shouts that rang out simultaneously.

"Who's there!"

The guards immediately rushed and surrounded her. Seeing that the intruder was wearing some rags and whose face was covered with ash, they could not identify and had proclaimed the intruder as an enemy. They were just about to draw out their swords when they heard a familiar voice.

"It's me.' Feng Jiu said as she looked at the guards that surrounded her.

They were all stunned momentarily and only after they had regained back their senses did they quickly greet her respectfully: "Young Miss." And they all retreated to one side.

"Mm." She nodded her head and walked towards her father's courtyard.

"Neigh!"

When she passed through the Rock Garden, Old White who was sprawled on the ground called out excitedly as he immediately got up and ran towards her cheerfully as his tail swished playfully. He stuck his tongue out and was just about to lick her face.

"Old White." She patted his head affectionately and smiled, "I have something that I have to do now, I will come and find you later. Be good, go and play on your own first." After finishing her words, she continued on to her father's courtyard.

Old White did not pester her, however, he slowly followed behind and walked towards Feng Xiao's courtyard.

The few Feng Guards who were guarding outside the courtyard saw a figure in tattered clothes walking towards them. They froze for a while before calling out cautiously, "Young Miss?"

She looked at the few of them and asked, "Has Luo Yu returned?"

"Luo Yu has returned and is currently in the courtyard. Would you like the subordinate to call him over?" Fan Lin asked.

"There is no need." She swiftly walked towards the courtyard and saw that there were eight people in the courtyard that were in their 40s.

" Young Miss returned?"

When the eight of them saw her, they stood up and bowed as they greeted her respectfully: "Greetings Young Miss."

"Mm."

She nodded her head and walked forward. She did not recognise those eight people, however she still had some impressions of them in her memory. These were her father's Feng Guards and were also the eight Masters of the current Feng Guards.

"Mistress." Leng Shuang came out and there was a glint of joy that flashed by her cold gaze.

"How is my father?" She asked as she walked in.

The Patriarch is recovering well."

She followed behind as she reported and because there were people guarding the courtyard, the door to the room was not closed because Feng Jiu had instructed before that air circulation was very important to aid his recovery.

"Mistress, you are back!" Leng Hua smiled brilliantly when he saw her.

"I'm back." She nodded her head and stepped in.

"Father, I'm home."

Leng Shuang and Leng Hua both stepped out to give them some personal space. Leng Shuang said, "Ah Hua, stay here and wait. I have to return to our courtyard for a moment. After I'm done, I'll be back."

"Alright." He replied and saw her leave as he stood by the courtyard garnered the attention of the eight middle-aged men.

"You are called Leng Hua right?" One of the middle-aged man spoke up and on his serious face, he tried to smile but looked a bit stiff.

Leng Hua glanced at them and nodded, "Mm."

"What is that boxing method that you practise every morning in the courtyard? Who did you learn it from?" His curiosity had been piqued as he had witnessed the past two days that this youth was diligently practising a set of soft and gentle boxing style. He could not help but ask.

Chapter 383: Enough with the Meddling!

"That's called Tai Chi. I learned it from the Mistress," Leng Hua said with a smile, beaming with pride. Out of all the people in the Feng Residence, he alone had been singled out by the Mistress for training.

Tai Chi? The eight middle-aged men looked to one another. Though they'd never heard of this style of boxing before, with their cultivation and acute discernment, they could easily see just how precise each strike of his fists could be. Those graceful movements were packed with powerful potential.

"Heh! Leng Hua, why don't we try out some moves?" said one of them, hoping to scrutinize the power behind that fist.

Remarkably, Leng Hua shook his head and said, "Nope. The Mistress told me that other than improving my strength, Tai Chi is only meant for my protection, not for showing off."

Hearing this, several of them scoffed and said, "It's not showing off if we just want to compare notes!" How could this kid be so pig-headed? Isn't he the same one who rollicked the Feng Guards? Is he really going to dig his heels in over this?

"No, that'll never do. I refuse to fight my own people," Leng Hua said as he shook his head. Standing off at a distance, the topic was clearly not up for discussion.

To this, several of them shook their heads in amused disbelief. Who knows where the Young Miss could've found a disciple like this! Sure, he may be lacking in strength, but loyalty apparently pays off in spades with the Young Miss.

"Has Little Jiu returned?" asked Guan Xi Lin as he strode in from outside. Seeing the eight middle-aged men standing about in the courtyard, he nodded his head.

"Young Master, the Mistress has returned and is inside," said Leng Hua as he pointed to her room.

Guan Xi Lin strode forward, saying, "I need to talk with her about something." He knocked at the door, paused and entered the room to see two people sitting and talking.

"Father, Little Jiu!"

"Xi Lin! Come take a seat," said Feng Xiao as he gestured to the spot beside him.

"Brother, what news do you have about that piece of jade?" asked Feng Jiu. Her father had already told her about what happened that evening, and to her, they had only taken her grandfather, leaving everyone else in the Feng Residence unharmed, so they probably wouldn't do anything to him. But what had they become dragged into? Why would they come here to snatch her grandfather away?

Given her grandfather's prowess, this captor must have exceptional strength. She was virtually certain that they were not from Sun Glory Country.

"I brought it to the Black Market and still haven't heard back," said Guan Xi Lin. "This kind of information takes time to make its way back to us. Don't think too much of it. Once there's a lead, we'll be the first to hear of it."

As he spoke, he looked over to Feng Jiu and said, "Luo Yu says that the two of you ran into a bit of difficulty, but I'm glad to see that you returned safely. What were you thinking trying to take on the Golden Cultivators? What would become of Father if anything had happened?"

"Indeed!" said Feng Xiao, "Little Jiu, you ought to think twice from now on. Don't go meddling in affairs like these. After all, you are only as strong as the people you travel with. You need to fight in numbers. If Luo Yu had perished, no one would blame you. You were messing with a far greater power. You were gambling with life and death, and we can't be having any more of that," said Feng Xiao as he fervently admonished her, hoping that she would remember the dire predicament that she had found herself in. Hopefully, she would know better next time.

"Yes, I understand," she said with a guilty smile. With her face smeared with dirt, she looked just like a mischievous kitten that had been caught playing in the mud, and Feng Xiao couldn't help but smile.

Shaking his head in consternation, he said, "You sure have gotten yourself all mussed up, young lady! Before we discuss anything else, hurry on back to your quarters and clean yourself up."

Chapter 384: The Modesty of Little Fire!

"Alright then, I'll see myself out to the courtyard," she said with a smile as she got up. Knowing that her grandfather's life was likely not in danger, her heart could rest at ease. In her eyes, her job was to safeguard the Feng family. She had to figure out who kidnapped her grandfather and why.

Feng Jiu felt that though this matter had come about quite suddenly, it should not have been without warning. Perhaps, clues could be found in her grandfather's room, and all of this could possibly be unraveled...

Arriving back in the room, she saw that Leng Shuang had already had someone heat the water for her, so she removed her worn clothes, rinsed off her face, and slipped into the tub. As she soaked, she felt every muscle on her body relax.

She rarely needed anyone to wait on her when she bathed, so Leng Shuang stood watch outside the door.

Though her muscles had started to relax, Feng Jiu's mind was still racing. To the Feng Residence, the disappearance of her grandfather only made matters worse. If only he were here, they would be quaking in their boots. Instead, his disappearance gave them a perfect opportunity. Right now, they had all but enough reason to move on the Feng Residence.

The eight Feng Guards serving her father all had the strength of Martial Cultivators, and with these men, together with her father and the Old Patriarch, it was no wonder that Feng Residence was known across Cloudy Moon City to be as impenetrable as Mount Tai. After all, their strength and prowess would still win accolades even if this were a different country.

To onlookers, of the masters of the Feng Residence, one had gone missing, and another had been toppled. All that was left to fear were these eight guards.

After about half an hour, Feng Jiu climbed out of the tub, wrung the water out of her hair, and got dressed. Leng Shuang brought in a bowl of bird's nest porridge, and she told him to not let anyone into the courtyard. With porridge in hand, she entered the Spatial Ring.

"Little Fire."

Feng Jiu came up to him. Knowing that he had been in a daze for so long, she was surprised that he wasn't exactly happy to see her and just stared at her. Lifting her eyebrows, Feng Jiu smiled and said, "After all this time, I thought you'd pounce at the sight of me!"

He was fuming. "You have no sense of modesty," he said as he stared at her with more bashfulness than anger. Seeing his little pink face and two black beady eyes looking at her in this way, she couldn't help but notice how cute he was.

"How could I have no sense of modesty?" she asked with a smirk.

"Just look at you, coming in here dressed like that. You... you haven't even drawn your robe together!"

Little Fire's tongue was tied. His face began to redden, and as he stared at her, his eyes began to wander, glancing down at her revealing attire and her faintly discernible figure. Though he was a sacred beast, he had male instincts, after all. For her to come in here so unabashedly, he felt a bit embarrassed for her.

Hearing this, Feng Jiu blanched, ever so slightly. She looked down at her clothes and burst out laughing. "You naughty little thing you!" she said, "You're just a beast, and it doesn't matter what you see." She winked at him seductively, deliberately teasing him, and watched as Little Fire's bashful face boiled with indignation. She couldn't shake his heavy heart.

"Humph!"

Flustered, Little Fire crossed his arms in front of him, squeezed his eyes shut, and ignored her.

"Fine, fine. I'm just messing with you. I just got out of the tub and am still drying off at home. There's nothing wrong with wearing something like this in my own quarters."

She sat down in front of Little Fire and said, "See what I brought you?" She lifted up the bowl of bird's nest porridge that was in her hands as a grin tickled across her face.

Little Fire snorted, surprisingly, and with arrogance and disgust, said, "Only your kind would ever delight in dining on bird slobber like that."

Chapter 385: Sneaking a Bite of Ginseng!

Hearing this, Feng Jiu grimaced.

Slobber...

Did he have to make it sound so gross? Clearly, this porridge nourishes one's skin and was great for maintaining one's youth, but to Little Fire, it's nothing more than bird slobber.

"Well, you're a bird, after all, so there's no point in you trying to eat this," she said with a smile as she began to eat it herself.

To a girl like her, bird's nest porridge is simply divine for your skin, silky smooth on the palate, and filled with protein. Just because he wasn't going to eat it, didn't mean it would go to waste.

"Little Fire, how are you feeling? Are you recovered yet?" asked Feng Jiu as she ate her porridge.

Little Fire turned around, glanced at her, and spoke tenderly, saying "I guess so. I'll be back to my old self in a few more days."

"Mm. That's what I want to hear. Will you still be here tending to yourself in a few days? Or do you want to come out?" She finished off her bowl in a few more bites and set it aside.

Little Fire blinked and softly said, "Your house is upside down! No way am I going to stick my nose in that mess. I'm going to look after myself in here."

"Mm, alright then."

She nodded her head and was happy that he wished to stay in the Spatial Ring to tend to himself, given the strong spiritual aura that permeated throughout this place. Tending to himself, after all, would save everyone a bit of trouble. His face had been scarlet red this whole time, though, and something didn't seem right.

"Are you feeling okay? Why is your face so red? Stick out your hand for me to take a look." This naughty little fella ought to know when he's feeling sick, right?

"No, no, I'm fine." He pulled his hands back and shoved them behind him.

Seeing the look of guilt that washed over his face, Feng Jiu raised her eyebrows questioningly and asked, "You're fine? If you're fine then what have you got to be guilty for?"

"Who says I'm guilty!"

"Oh, no? Who keeps avoiding eye contact with me? Who seems to be shrinking into a corner? Who's hiding their hands behind their back? Confess! What have you got to hide?"

She grinned as she looked at him, seeing him as plucky and unruly as a human child. He could be just as guilty and bashful, and you couldn't find a better example of a little rascal trying to act like an adult.

"Nothing!" He turned away and shut his mouth.

Seeing his face redden again, Feng Jiu felt a spiritual premonition. Thoughtfully, her eyes swept across the room, and when they landed on a long box, she lurched over to the box and popped it open.

"How did you manage to eat half of a Millennium Ginseng?"

She raised her voice a little and turned to Little Fire, who was trying to shrink into his own skin, with a shocked look on her face, shaking her head with a look of unbelief, saying "Don't you know you ought to take it easy when you're feeling down? What's more, for something as potent as Millennium Ginseng, a single slice could save someone's life. You, however, went and ate a whole half of it! You'd be lucky if all you burst is a blood vessel!"

Knowing he was caught red-handed, Little Fire stole a look over at her and nearly whispered, "I... I was a little hungry when I came to, and it's not like there was anything else in here to eat..."

Feng Jiu laughed, helplessly, and said, "Fine, that's all I'm going to say, but don't go wasting the medicinal effects of that Millennium Ginseng either. I want you back in fighting form!" She put the other half back where it belonged and continued, saying, "You better not touch this other half. Your little body wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Mm." Little Fire Phoenix answered, only breathing a sigh of relief as he watched her leave the Spatial Ring, carrying the bowl with her as she left.

Later that evening, the door to Feng Jiu's room cracked open and Leng Shuang, who was standing guard outside, stepped in.

"Miss, Little Hua says that the master has prepared a meal in the main building and would like you to go and eat."

"Mm, let's go!" she nodded in affirmation, and they made their way to the main building...

Chapter 386: Making Plans!

Perhaps they had grown accustomed to her fresh, refined appearance as she often dressed in white at home. Now, however, Feng Jiu wore a dress as red as fire, and not a single person in the entire residence could look away.

Her beauty was known to all, and it was no wonder that she was lauded a beauty among beauties.

Having served in the Feng Residence for all these years, it's not like they had never seen her dressed in fine clothing, yet there was something about the fiery red dress she wore and the lovely way she carried herself that left them at a bewildering loss for words.

When the Feng Guards and others saw her steadily approaching, they had trouble hiding their blubbering infatuation.

To watch her graciously approach, wearing her dress that seemed to flicker with fire, and to see the cool collected look deep in her shimmering eyes was almost too much to bear! Her nonchalance seemed to evoke a devilish persuasion, a burning fascination. As if she had cast a spell, her radiant beauty was beyond compare...

Despite their best composure and training, they couldn't help but stare, meeting her cool, collected glance that chilled them down to their toes. In an instant, they each felt a tug at their hearts and a surge to their pulses. What beauty! What allure! A moment more and it all had disappeared. All that was left was an awkward silence.

This was going to be their new mistress, and for them to gawk like that would be a disgrace!

"Young Miss!" Several guards called out as they scrambled to gather their composure.

Feng Jiu looked away and gingerly walked into the courtyard. As she entered, several others sprung to attention and called out, "It's Young Miss!"

"Mm," Feng Jiu said with a slight smile. She looked at them, laughed, and asked, "So, you've all eaten already?"

"Heh! We aren't hungry yet, so we'll eat later," said one of the middle-aged men. "Go on in, Miss!" he said, gesturing to her "The Master is inside waiting for you."

"Alright," she replied and went inside.

"Little Jiu, come in! Sit here," said Feng Xiao as he waved her over to the seat next to him. Feng Xiao, Guan Xilin, and Leng Hua, who off to the side attending to them, were the only people in the room.

Guan Xilin poured the wine, smiling, as he said, "Father had them prepare your favorite dishes, and I've brought some spiritual wine. Little Jiu, have a taste tell me what you think."

"Mm," she said as she sat down at the table. Taking in the fragrant aromas of the dishes before her, with a warm smile across her face, Feng Jiu said, "There's no place like home! No matter where I go, I can never find dishes that are made as good as these."

"Well, have as much as you'd like," said Feng Xiao, as he plucked a piece of meat and dropped it into her bowl, "You've been out running around too much lately and have gotten as thin as a rake!"

"Yeah, yeah," she said as she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and dug into the meal.

At the dinner table, the three of them only spoke of everyday matters. It was only after they had polished off their dinner and Leng Shuang had cleaned away their dinnerware did they begin to talk business.

"Little Jiu, did you know? Those two audacious old bastards came here for Old White that one day," said Feng Xiao, "and they clearly intended to rob our Feng Residence in broad daylight. If it weren't for Yi Xuan, they probably would've gotten away with it!" Clearly, Feng Xiao was evidently still upset about the matter.

After having protected Sun Glory Country for all those years, once they were made useless, cruel treatment and wretched schemes were already lying in wait for the Feng family. This great slight vexed Feng Xiao to no end.

Fretful, Feng Jiu turned to her father and asked, "Was it the same two men who ambushed and planned to kill you?"

"It was the very same two old bastards," he said, "and they thought that no one would find out what they had done because I was in a daze. They even dared to come to our house for Old White in broad daylight! What brazen insolence!"

Chapter 387: Apprehension!

Hearing this, Feng Jiu laughed and said, "They're nothing to be afraid of. Once I think of a plan, I'll finish them off."

Shocked, Feng Xiao and Guan Xi Lin replied, "Finish them off? Those two are Martial Cultivators. I'm afraid that killing them won't be so easy." Naturally, they'd come to this conclusion as well, but they had yet to reach a surefire solution. Those two were rulers, after all, and if they couldn't defeat them with a single attack, well, that was a risk that they were unwilling to take.

"Yes, I know. Don't worry, father! I won't mess with anything I can't handle," she said as she smiled and stood up. Their conversation continued on, and they discussed other matters. It was only when the day had started to wane into twilight that Feng Jiu and Guan Xi Lin both emerged from the room planning to head home that she was beckoned.

"Young Miss!"

Feng Jiu paused, looked over to the eight men and the seven Feng Guards that stood behind them, and said, "Is there a problem?"

The middle-aged men looked to one another as one of them leaned over, glanced back at the others around him, and laughed, saying, "These are the ones who claim fealty..." but before he could finish, he was interrupted.

"That can wait," said Feng Jiu as she waved them off and left the courtyard with Guan Xi Lin, leaving them in dismay.

Surprised by this, the seven Feng Guards were embarrassed and somewhat taken aback. These guys had rushed here to claim their fealty to her, but instead, Feng Jiu wanted nothing to do with them. Were they not good enough for her? Did she think that they weren't up to the task? Thinking of this, the embarrassment and shame melted from their faces, only to be replaced with worry and apprehension.

"Master, tell us, are we not good enough for the Young Miss?!" Qi Kang nervously asked, having lost all confidence.

"Humph! Feeling a bit worried?" snorted one of them who looked hard at each of them with an unsympathetic glare, saying "If the Young Miss won't have you, she can replace you all at the snap of her fingers. She can always pick out others from among the Feng Guards."

"What? You don't mean it, do you?" one of them asked. Hearing this, several of them seemed to be on the verge of tears. They had worked this hard to just earn their ranks only to be replaced so offhandedly. Who wouldn't be upset?

"Don't mean what?" yawned Luo Yu as he strolled into the courtyard. He had been sleeping ever since he got back but had heard that the Mistress had already returned. Looking around the courtyard and seeing the grin on his master's face, his fellow disciples, and all these sullen old uncles, Luo Yu was suddenly gleeful. "Man! What's the matter guys?" he asked, "What's got you all so down?"

"Heh," chuckled Luo Yu's master, saying "your Martial Uncle is giving them an earful for their thick skulls. All this time, they've never claimed their allegiance. Now that they're eager to do so, the Young Miss brushed them all aside." Looking to Luo Yu, he said, "If you've rested up, keep a close watch over the Mistress. Don't be nodding off."

"I know. Don't worry, Master!" said Luo Yu. Smirking, he asked, "And the Mistress? She isn't here?"

"She just went home," said his Master.

"Well then, I'll come back for her tomorrow," he said with a smile. Glancing over at Fan Lin and the others, he grinned and said, "What's the matter? Should've listened to me earlier, huh?"

The seven grumbled amongst themselves and glared in his direction.

"Heh! That's all I'll say to you guys. You'd better come up with a good reason for the Mistress to keep you guys around while you still have the chance!"

"Cocky, aren't we?" scoffed one of them, who quickly aimed a kick, though Luo Yu dodged it with ease.

Chapter 388: A Plan Transpires!

Smiling to himself, Luo Yu sauntered over to them and smugly said "Heh! Listen, you guys are really going to regret not acknowledging the Young Miss!" He then turned away from them and walked up to his master. "Master, this is a symbol of my filial piety," he said as he took out a small vial from his cosmos sack and presented it to him with both hands.

Taken aback, his master carefully examined what was in his hands. "That's..." Could this actually be a potion that the Young Miss refined herself? Lost in thought, he unconsciously plucked the vial out of his hands, popped it open, and sniffed at its contents.

"Heh! It's a potion, concocted to enhance one's strength," explained Luo Yu, saying "Your cultivation base has plateaued for years, but with this potion, you'll reach a breakthrough in only a week or two!"

Hearing this, the seven middle-aged men stared greedily as Luo Yu's master held the potion in his hand, laughing with joy. In a fit of jealous rage, they laid on their disciples with flying kicks.

"You little snots! We ought to have never let you off so easy for not acknowledging her!"

Having all been kicked soundly in their rears, the disciples winced at the pain and confusion as they jumped out of the way.

Could the Young Miss have actually given that potion to Luo Yu? Where would she come up with something like that? Suddenly, a faint impression arose in their heads, but they all stifled it at once, as unbelievable as what that would mean.

Luo Yu's master looked at the potion with delight, but instead of putting it away, he asked, "If you give me this potion, what does that leave you with?" If there was just this one vial, there was no way he'd keep it for himself. The Young Miss had given it to Luo Yu, after all.

"Heh!" laughed Luo Yu, "when the Mistress gave me a vial, I asked her for another for my master."

Laughing with glee, he said, "Master, Martial Uncles, I'm off!" In a flash, Luo Yu was gone before they could say anything, much less press him for answers.

"Master, Martial Uncles, we're leaving too!" the seven exclaimed in unison as they rushed out the door to chase after Luo Yu to figure out what else he knew.

"What a bunch of louts! Aigh!"

They shook their heads and several of them let out a deep sigh. Glancing longingly at the potion in Luo Yu's master's hand, one of them exclaimed with envy, "That youngster Luo Yu sure is considerate!"

"You bet!" said Luo Yu's master as he laughed with pride, "Would you expect anything less from one of my disciples?" With a big smile, he said to several of them, "With you guys standing guard here, I'm going to go in and say a word to the Master and then see what this here potion can do."

"Sure, go on then! Don't worry, we've got this covered!" said one of the seven. The others nodded and smiled.

"Alright," said Luo Yu's master as he entered the room. After reporting to Feng Xiao, he returned to their quarters for some serious cultivation practice...

As for Feng Jiu, after returning to the courtyard and giving some instructions to Leng Shuang, she returned to her room for cultivation practice. She continued up until the early morning hours of the next day, after which she climbed onto Old White and rode off.

Because Luo Yu was engrossed in closed-door meditation, the only ones left to account for were Fan Lin and the other six. After they caught up with Luo Yu that evening and after he told them that the Mistress was the Ghost Doctor, they all rushed to their masters for vindication.

When Luo Yu's unbelievable news checked out, they were stunned. Not a single one of them could sleep a wink that night.

Getting up early that next morning to stand guard, who else did they see but Feng Jiu riding off with Old White! "Where do you think the Mistress is off to this morning?" one of them asked, and though they had yet to claim their fealty, now that they knew she was the Ghost Doctor, they were all dying to kneel down before her. Though they were as keen as mustard, the Mistress, alas, had more important things to attend to.

Chapter 389: Hooked!

"She didn't even take Leng Shuang! Do you think she's okay going out on her own?"

"Mm, there's been more than a few pairs of eyes peeled towards the Feng Residence. Who knows what else could happen?"

"Why don't we go check things out?"

"No, that won't work. We weren't commanded to do so, so we'd be hounding the Mistress, which wouldn't be right," says Fan Lin, shaking his head. Pausing, he then says, "Why don't we go see our Martial Master?! We ought to report the Mistress' departure to them, right?"

"I think it goes without question that if they felt that the Mistress couldn't fend for herself, they would've ordered us to follow. Also, didn't Luo Yu say that the Mistress had extraordinary skills? Didn't she give him a good hiding?"

Hearing this, the others were silent for a good while before they went over to the Pavilion in the Rock Garden.

As Feng Jiu flew out from the Residence in her red dress, she was redolent with a headlong air of valiant determination. Old White and Feng Jiu struck an impressive figure as they galloped down the street in the early morning light.

Especially now, as troubles best the Feng Residence, the eyes of various forces across the city had been watching them with bated breath. To see Feng Jiu lead her horse out like that early in the morning was puzzling indeed.

But to see her lead her horse out like this for several days in a row, news of this even reached Murong Yi Xuan. Remembering what she had said to him that day, however, he resisted the urge to call in on her.

What's more, his heart was heavy, for he worried that her father's stupor was at the hands of his Imperial Father. If that were so, any hope for a chance with her would disintegrate.

On the third morning, Feng Jiu left with Old White once again, yet this time, Little Ball followed in tow. Because Old White would never let Little Ball ride on his back, the little fella had no choice but to race along beside him as fast as his little legs would let him.

Because he was a little fluffy, round ball, as they crossed the street, they caught the attention of many women and children.

"A puppy? How cute!"

"No... I think it's a cat?"

"Look how long its hair is, and it's just like a little ball! And look how fast it can run!"

"It's so adorable! Where can I buy one?"

"That's the Young Miss of the Feng family, don't you know? Not just anybody can afford what she can!"

"That kind of looks like a spirit pet, doesn't it? We hardly ever see those here in Sun Glory."

Hearing the people prattle on, Feng Jiu lowered her head slightly and saw a flock of children chasing after Little Ball. Chuckling to herself, she told Old White to slow down. Feng Jiu reached out both hands to the breathless Little Ball and yelled, "Come on up!"

"Aoooo!" yelped Little Ball, leaping up with all his little might, surprisingly, into Feng Jiu's arms.

Feng Jiu couldn't help but smile. Rubbing Little Ball's head as she held him in her arms, she inadvertently looked behind her to see a figure robed in white standing next to the window of an inn, watching her with a burning gaze.

It was Murong Yi Xuan. She returned his gaze with a soft smile and spurred her legs into Old White. "Hyah!" she yelled as she galloped past the people standing about, disappearing from his line of sight...

Standing at the window on the second floor, Murong Yi Xuan watched as her figure disappeared, thinking of the smile she had just given him calmed his soul. He had been worried that the stress of all the troubles that had befallen the Feng Residence would be too much for her to handle. Seeing her ride out for a diversion, he realized that she was coping well.

He turned around to sit down, turning his back away from the window. At that very moment, two shadows materialized and followed after Feng Jiu...

Chapter 390: Tempting Death!

At the remote outskirts of the city, Feng Jiu slowed Old White and unmounted. Unhurriedly, she carried Little Ball over to a creek up ahead, and Old White laid down on the grass. Rinsing her face off beside the water, she noticed the gentle and refreshing breeze and sat down on the grass. From her sleeve, she pulled out a piece of fruit and began to ate it, looking up to the sky, observing the ripple of the creek. It seemed as if she was waiting for something.

In about half the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, two shadowy figures suddenly approached. After their treacherous gaze fell upon the figure in red, they noticed Old White laying in the grass.

To them, anything that they could not possess would be as good as dead!

Sure, this was only a low-ranking sacred beast, but if they couldn't have it, no one can! What's more, this Old White had kicked them, spoiling their plans. Oh, how they had wished to kill him!

"Tssh!" snorted Old White, who was kneeling in the grass, as he lifted his head and looked about.

Feng Jiu, who was eating her piece of fruit, tussled Little Ball's fur, and it seemed as if she didn't even hear what was going on behind her. And yet, a calculating look glimmered in her eyes.

The old man hiding in the shadows withdrew a sleeve arrow and planned to kill Old White. As for Feng Jiu, the Ruler would wed her off to Green Gallop Country, so they couldn't so much as harm a hair on her head. This horse, though, was dead meat!

Suddenly, a fearsome gust of wind blew forth, jolting the two men. Spinning around, they were shocked at what they saw.

"Who are you all!?"

In an instant, they were surrounded by two elders and two middle-aged men. Their formidable opponents caused their hearts to skip a beat and a cold sweat broke out upon their foreheads. Ever so faintly, a sense of dread arose.

"Your executioners, naturally."

Finishing off her apple, the red-dressed Feng Jiu walked over and casually glanced at the two pale-faced men. With an impish grin, she said, "You guys had me wander about for three whole days before you caught the scent! That was no easy trick!"

Hearing this, the color drained from their faces. With hindsight, they exclaimed, "You saw us coming!"

In an instant, it all made sense to them, "Feng Xiao never lost his consciousness!?" Of course! Only Feng Xiao would've been able to relay things so clearly. That's why they were on guard! That's how the Young Lady Feng could lay such a devious ruse for them!

But who were these four? Their awesome strength was alarming. That wind was not an elemental gust of any ordinary martial sect. It... it was spiritual qi! This strength, somehow, far surpassed any ordinary foundation establishment!

How could a mistress like her, tucked deep away in her chambers, find fighters like these? With that kind of strength, why would they ever heed her commands?

As these questions flooded through their minds, no conclusions arose. The only answer could be that they fell for her trap. Today, alas, would be their doom!

As this thought, a fear rattled out of their hearts, and they turned to run. At the instant that they moved, however, the four figures swept upon them.

"Run? Ha! Let's just see you try! If you can escape us, we'll chalk it up to some serious skill!"

One of the men sneered and his figure disappeared. In a few breaths, he caught up to one of them, reached out from behind, and surrounded the old man with a spiritual power, visible to the naked eye. Suddenly, the old man was stuck, frozen in place.

Chapter 391: A Violent Conclusion!

The old man's eyes narrowed as the grip of death enshrouded him. With his heart stuck in his throat, he wished to scream out in terror. Try as he might, though, it was as if a pair of hands gripped him tight by the throat, and he couldn't so much as muster a whisper.

Without even touching the old man, the Golden Core Cultivator shifted the spiritual qi with the gesture of his hand. The now visible spiritual qi wrapped tightly around the old man's head and with a savage, bone-chilling crunch, the old man's head was crushed like a melon, sending his brains, shards of bone, blood, and bits of hair flying...

The other old man bellowed out in horror, his face now ashen, as he madly rushed forward trying to escape their reach. A split second later, the three figures had already materialized in his path. The mounting fear and gloom that swelled from his heart caused his feet to tremble and grow weak. Unconsciously, he slammed to the ground.

"Sp-spare me!"

The greater one's cultivation base, the greater one's fear of death. The two of them had grown far older than any ordinary man, and so too had their strength and status surpassed that of the common cultivator. With that kind of power, they ought to have whatever they pleased, and indeed, he still wished to enjoy the spoils. No, he couldn't die. He wasn't ready for death!

"Y-Young Miss Feng! Have mercy! Spare me!!"

Frantically turning his head back, he watched as Feng Jiu slowly walked away, her head bowed in solemnity. This dignified master of a great martial sect at the peak of cultivation had, in this instant, been reduced to a blubbering, groveling coward. It wasn't that he didn't wish to fight, it was that the staggering might of his opponents floored him. With even just the slightest amount of pressure, they had pinned him to the ground. How could he even hope to fight?

If he had known that the Feng Residence hid a power of such immensity, they would have never toyed with such a hopeless notion of attacking Feng Xiao! Finding himself now at the gates of the underworld, his scheming mind had crystallized on a single notion - how could he escape this execution?

But now that he knew the great secret of the Feng Residence's power, how would she ever let him live to see another day?

Standing off at a distance, Feng Jiu observed the old man prostrated on the ground begging for his life. With a chilling glare, she said, "Spare you? If I were to spare you, who would spare my family? If it weren't for my father's tenacious will to live, he would have died at your hands! Tell me, how could I possibly spare you?!"

Hearing this, the old man's heart quaked and he pleaded, "Young Miss Feng! It wasn't us! Honestly, it wasn't us! We were only following the orders of Murong Bo! We didn't want to kill General Feng, honestly! Honestly, we didn't want to! We were forced..."

Before he could even finish, Feng Jiu had turned away, and in that instant, a pair of hands capped about his temples, and with a heavy thud, the old man keeled over, dead as a doornail...

"Once you've cleaned the bodies, head back to the Peach Blossom Ridge," Feng Jiu said as she mounted Old White, cradling Little Ball as she galloped back towards the city.

After days of wandering through the lands with Old White to ensnare them in her trap and after snuffing out their lives, tomorrow, she could finally enjoy a much-needed rest.

Seeing Feng Jiu return so early, the guard was taken aback. Stepping forward to bow and greet her, he smiled and said, "You're back awful early today, Young Miss!"

"Mm," she nodded with a smile as she placed Little Ball on the ground. Then, she said to the guard, "Help me prepare something nice for Old White and Little Ball."

"Yes, Miss. Don't you worry, I'll have something ready right away," he said with a laugh and a bow as he led Old White and Little Ball away.

Watching him go, she headed to the main courtyard. Seeing her father's steadfast guards standing at attention in the courtyard, she nodded to them and went inside.

"Little Jiu, you're back early today?" her father said quizzically as he supped at his bowl of medicinal porridge.

Chapter 392: Blindsided in the Eleventh Hour!

Feng Jiu walked over to the table and sat down, smiling, "I have good news to tell you, father."

"Tea, Mistress," said Leng Hua who was attending to Feng Xiao as he poured a cup of tea and placed it before her.

"Mm, thank you," she said as she looked up to him and nodded with a smile.

Supping the porridge from his bowl, Feng Xiao wiped his mouth and placed the bowl on the table. "So what's this good news?" he asked as he looked up to her inquiringly.

Pursing her lips to sip from her cup, she said, "Those men are dead."

Shocked, he blinked in surprise as a glimmer seemed to shine from his eyes. Lowering his voice, he asked with interest, "Those two old bastards?"

"Mm, it's been taken care of," Feng Jiu said with a harmless smile. "From now on," she said, casually, "you don't have to worry about them coming around here or sabotaging us anymore. And we've hobbled Murong Bo, for the time being. We've killed two birds with one stone."

As grave as the circumstances they found themselves in were, Feng Jiu seemed to treat the matter almost without a second thought. Hearing her say this and looking at the spirit in her eyes, Feng Xiao couldn't help but whoop with laughter, exclaiming "Great. Excellent. Good! Haha, this is just great!"

In his rejoicing, he had forgotten his internal injuries, and in laughing, he shuddered as his chest pained him.

"Father, you're still unwell!" said Feng Jiu as she rolled her eyes, chagrined by his sudden abandon, forgetting how to conserve his energy.

Rubbing his chest with one hand and catching a breath, he let out a deep sigh. "Aigh!" said Feng Xiao, "If only your grandfather were here, this news would be all the more pleasant to hear!"

"Don't worry, father," said Feng Jiu, softly consoling him, "at this point, no news is still good news." Thinking for a moment, she then said, "Oh! Father, I want to take a look in grandfather's quarters. I feel that grandfather may have known his abductor or perhaps there may be some clues lying around."

Feng Xiao nodded his head and said, "Yes, do as you wish. I'm not back to my old self yet, so I'll leave these matters up to you." See how Feng Jiu dealt with the matter so swiftly and decisively, despite the troubles they were in, Feng Xiao knew that she could bring order back to the Feng Residence, and that was a great comfort to him.

"I'll handle these affairs, father. Just you rest and tend to your injuries," she said with a warm smile. Looking to Leng Hua, she asked, "Is there any more of the ointment left that I had prepared? If not, I can take it and bring some more back."

"Yes," said Leng Hua, "There's still some left, Mistress."

"Good. Then I'll be heading back to my quarters," said Feng Jiu as she got up and left.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace...

"Ruler, Ruler! Bad news! Bad news!" An old man came rushing into the palace, and in his haste, he stumbled over the threshold.

"What's gotten into you?" asked Murong Bo, meticulously enunciating his words with regal dignity.

In his hands, he held a cup of tea up to his lips. Kneeling beside him on both sides were two nimble servant girls pat-patting his legs while two men standing behind him were gently fanning him. Murong Bo indulged in his leisure.

The disappearance of the Old Feng Patriarch and the stupor that beset Feng Xiao played out perfectly for him. Though the Feng Residence had yet to fall, they were no longer the threat to him that they once posed. If he wished to rain utter ruin upon them, he could do so at the flick of a hand.

Even the young lady of the Feng Residence, that Feng Qing Ge, would soon be his to wed off. Soon, he would tie himself to the sixth-grade Green Gallop County. Soon, his Sun Glory Country would outshine the numerous other ninth-grade countries, and with the backing of Green Gallop, none would dare to stand against him!

Chapter 393: The Crown Prince of Green Gallop!

"Ruler, t-the life lanterns of the two martial masters have been snuffed out!"

As the old man's panicked voice fell, Murong Bo's hands shook, dropping the cup of tea shattering to the floor. Lunging up from the throne, he caught the two servant maids off guard, and they fell to the ground.

"What!? Whose life lanterns were snuffed out?!" roared Murong Bo, failing to hide the faintest tremor of shock and dismay behind his commanding voice.

Those two were martial cultivators at their peak! Those two were the strongest men he had, so how could they have up and died?! Who in Sun Glory Country could possibly have the skill to kill these two martial masters with such stealth?

He had known that their attempt to assassinate Feng Xiao would have repercussions, though they were well prepared. Yet, he could have never possibly imagined that these two peak martial cultivators would take the fall!

"T-the, uh, the two..." the old man stammered, but before he could finish, Murong Bo strode quickly out the door to check their life lanterns in the lantern hall.

The life of such a lantern is inextricably tied to the person that lit it. If that person were to die, the oil in the lantern would dry up and the lantern would soon be extinguished by the wind. In this way, such a lantern can relay whether someone who has been traveling far from home or who has left on a hermitage for many years is alive or dead.

Approaching the building, Murong Bo saw that the life lanterns of the two martial cultivators had in fact been extinguished! Seeing this, he pitched forward, staggering several paces. With a look of sheer disbelief, he cried out, "How is this possible!? Who did this? Who killed them!?"

Realizing that those two peak martial cultivators, the two strongest men that he had were dead and gone, a weight crushed upon his heart. In one fell swoop, he had lost both his left and his right-hand men, as if the claws of a tiger were shorn away. How could he not be aggrieved?!

"Answers! I demand answers!" he screamed as he stormed out the door.

These two martial cultivators could not have died without a trace! He had to find out who killed them!

Word of their deaths never traveled far, for Murong Bo suppressed it.

Shortly after Murong Yi Xuan had returned, a shadowed guard quietly approached him in the study, told him of the palace news, and then quietly left...

Those two elders were murdered?

Murong Yi Xuan was taken aback. Who in Cloudy Moon City could have possibly killed those two with such stealth?

And why did they have to die?

Bothered by this, he realized that, for some reason, when he heard that the two were killed, the first thing he thought of was the Feng Residence. Could the eight martial cultivators guarding the Feng Residence have killed them?

Surveying the whole of Cloudy Moon City in his mind's eye, he considered that if those eight were not responsible, then perhaps they died at the hands of a foreign enemy. But, what oppressor would come to our lands just to kill those two, given that we have no qualms or enemies abroad? Clearly, that wasn't the answer.

"The Feng Residence... could they really have done this?"

Dealing with those two, Feng Jiu could concentrate on healing her father's internal injuries and prepare special potions for him. With the help of spiritual medicine and healing, Feng Xiao could recover quickly.

Their days of tranquility, it seems, were dashed apart all too soon.

That morning, a luxurious airship landed at the gates to the palace, drawing the curiosity and awe of many onlookers. Hearing the commotion, Murong Bo rushed out to greet the visitors. Seeing the regal figure that disembarked, he quickly greeted him with absolute deference and asked with abject reverence, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country, I presume?"

Chapter 394: His Majesty's Woman!

Dressed in a luxurious brocade, Nie Teng stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Glancing at Murong Bo who stood before him, he asked in a distinguished tone that hinted at his well-born status, "And you must be Sun Glory's Ruler, Murong Bo?"

"Yes, it is I, your humble host," he answered without hesitation. Before him, he dared not claim his sovereignty, and so he lowered the status by which he introduced himself. His Royal Highness, a prince of a sixth-grade country, far outranked him. To him, though Murong Bo was the ruler of an entire country, it amounted to of merit little in comparison.

Not to mention...

He furtively glanced at the eight people in his entourage and nearly swooned. All eight of them were immortal cultivators, surely with inestimable power! With a single look, Murong Bo could sense their intimidating potential, sending him into a cold sweat. Sure enough, immortal cultivators were leagues apart from mystic cultivators!

Thinking of this, he quickly steeled himself and said, "Your Majesty has traveled a great distance. Come into the palace and rest. This evening, I, the lowly Murong Bo, will prepare a feast for you to celebrate your arrival!"

"Mm," Nie Teng murmured with a slight nod as he drifted in through the palace gates led by Murong Bo.

The luxurious airship behind them was not shrunk and collected but instead remained resolutely parked at the palace gates to be marveled at by onlookers and passersby.

Entering the inner courtyard of the palace, Murong Bo personally led the prince to palace chambers that had been prepared for him and said, "We knew that Your Majesty would be calling on us any day now, so I ordered my servants to prepare these chambers for you so that your stay here may be one of some comfort."

Nie Teng glanced casually around the palace chambers, but without commenting much on his accommodations, he turned to Murong Bo and asked, "What news do you have of my marriage proposal to the Young Miss of the Feng Residence that my servant sent?"

Hearing this, Murong Bo hastily replied, "I immediately went to the Feng Residence to tell them of your servant's visit, but Feng Xiao and the Young Miss were of a different mind. Of late, however, troubles have befallen the Feng family. Feng Xiao fell into a stupor after an attempt on his life and the Old Feng Patriarch has gone missing. At this point, the Feng Residence is being held up by the Young Miss alone, and I believe they are on the verge of ruin. I am certain that the Young Miss is filled with gratitude to know that she has not lost Your Majesty's favor. For Your Majesty's feast this evening, I will send a servant to invite her here to the palace to keep Your Majesty company!"

"Oh? Why haven't I heard of this?"

Hearing that this devastatingly beautiful maiden faced such difficulties and was forced to bolster an entire family upon her delicate shoulders tugged at his heartstrings and he asked Murong Bo in a subdued voice, "And you've found out who did this?"

Murong Bo dabbed the cold sweat from his brow and said, "No, we don't know who did this, but if I had to guess, I'd say that it was a foreign agent. Feng Xiao is a great general here in Sun Glory, so he surely has quite a few old enemies."

"The Young Miss Feng Qing Ge is my woman, so you must treat her affairs with the great importance that they deserve."

"Yes, yes. Of course, absolutely," he quickly replied, feeling a bit dizzy.

"Well, a feast awaits! There won't be too many others in attendance, so long as she is here to be with Your Majesty!" Murong Bo exclaimed as he gestured for him to rest.

"Yes. I'll be retiring now," said Nie Teng as he bowed his head, turned, and left.

Once Murong Bo had left, a middle-aged man dressed in black stepped forward and asked, "Master, shall I go down to the Feng Residence to investigate?" Because they had been careless, he and his master had learned of Feng Jiu's dark secret without so much as a fight, and this had been worrying him to no end.

Could such a cavalier and brilliant woman as her really land in his master's harem so easily?

Chapter 395: The Ghost Doctor's Woman?

"No need. I trust that she already knows what we've found out. There's no point in seeing her or in inquiring about this matter. Ultimately, after all, she belongs to me, so why act with such haste?" Nie Teng said with self-assuredness, as if he had an unwavering conviction that Feng Jiu would be his, no matter the odds.

Sure enough, as he had said, word quickly spread across Cloudy Moon City of the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country's arrival to Sun Glory Country. To everyone and anyone, it was clear that his visit concerned the Young Miss Feng Qing Ge, word of which had spread long ago. Clearly, this was a surprise to no one.

However, they never expected that he would attach so much significance to Feng Qing Ge since she would end up being nothing more than one of his many attendant consorts. Why then would he travel such a great distance on her behalf? Evidently, she meant a great deal to him.

This development only seemed to add to the suspense and curiosity that people attached to the Feng Clan following Feng Xiao's coma and the Old Patriarch's disappearance.

Even an attendant consort is still a concubine, and the difference in title is only there because she would be a consort to the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country. The Feng Clan had no intention of letting Feng Qing Ge become a Side Concubine, but, on the other hand, she was the only one left in the family. Given that the Prince of Green Gallop Country had come in person just to see her, what would Feng Jiu do?

No matter what choice she made, drama would unfold. The people of Cloudy Moon City, though, were merely spectators.

Leaping from his seat with a look of distress and a furious glare in his eyes, Murong Yi Xuan shouted "What did you say?! The Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country is here?"

"Yes, sir," said the guard who had brought him the news, "word of his arrival has spread across Cloudy Moon City. The Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country came in an airship, and it's still parked outside the palace gates. The Ruler personally invited him into the palace, and they say he's holding a feast tonight. They say the Ruler intends to summon the Young Miss Feng to be his companion for the evening."

Hearing this, Murong Yi Xuan clenched his fists in anger, as a pang of fury and alarm surged forth from his heart that he could not conceal.

He's summoning Qing Ge as a companion? For the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country?! What's become of my father!? Is Qing Ge nothing more than a piece of meat?!

"Prepare the sedan-chair! I'm going to the palace!" Murong Yi Xuan shouted, and with the flourishing of his sleeves, he rushed out the door.

Meanwhile, at the black market, Guan Xi Lin was stunned when he heard of the news. Looking to the black market's Boss Yan, he asked, "What? You mean the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country is here?"

Boss Yan nodded and said, "Quite so. His airship's still parked outside the palace gates! I hear he's here to collect the Young Miss Feng!" As he spoke, he lowered his voice slightly and asked with some curiosity, "The Young Miss Feng's probably never been to the Green Gallop Country, right? How did she end up enchanting the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country into taking her to be a Side Concubine?"

"Side Concubine?!" roared Guan Xi Lin, "Hahaha!" Still laughing, he sneered, "Even if she were to be his Queen Consort, much less his Side Concubine, my little sister would never stoop so low as to be with him!

Sure, he's the Prince of Green Gallop Country, but he's still not worthy enough for my sister! And he wants her to be his attendant consort? You've got to be kidding me!"

Hearing this, Boss Yan was surprised and couldn't understand Guan Xi Lin's tenacity. To him, the Young Miss Feng was nothing more than a beautiful maiden, but her cultivation base wasn't even worth mentioning. Why then did Guan Xi Lin act as if the Young Miss Feng was so extraordinarily unattainable that not even the crown prince of a sixth-grade country would be worthy of her attention? Why not?

Suddenly, that dashing red figure popped into his head. Boss Yan's eyes narrowed, and then he suddenly cried out, "Are you saying that the Young Miss Feng is the Ghost Doctor's woman?!"

Chapter 396: Wear Something Nice!

"The Ghost Doctor's woman?" said the stunned Guan Xi Lin, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "What gives you that idea?" he asked.

"Am I wrong?" asked Boss Yan, "If the Feng Clan had nothing to do with the Ghost Doctor, then why would the Ghost Doctor have people take such good care of them? Why would he always send them potions? With those good looks and her exceptional temperament, I could see how she could charm even the Ghost Doctor. Men are suckers for beauty, are we not?"

At this point, Boss Yan chuckled to himself. As a man, the first thing you see in a woman is her beauty. Once that's got your attention, you start to notice other things. While, admittedly, he couldn't speak for every man on the planet, he could state for a fact that a lot of men were that way.

Hearing this, Guan Xi Lin grinned and shook his head, saying "Alright, enough with the wild guesses! I need to go see my sister. If the Prince of Green Gallop Country is here, I need to make sure she has a plan of action."

Seeing Guan Xi Lin head for the door, Boss Yan blurted out, "So, does that mean the Young Miss Feng won't be taking the Crown Prince up on his offer to be his Side Concubine?"

"Ha!" scoffed Guan Xi Lin, and without turning back he said,"He's nothing more than a toad lusting after a swan's flesh."Striding boldly out from the black market, he headed off for the Feng Residence...

Meanwhile, at the Feng Residence...

"Young Miss," said one of the guards, "the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country has arrived. It seems like he meant what he said about you being his Side Concubine. If he's already showed up at the Imperial Palace and wants to come here, what do you intend to do?"

With the exception of Luo Yu and his master who were off in closed-door meditation, the other seven went to find Feng Jiu as soon as they heard the news to see how she would settle things.

From what they heard, the Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country had brought eight supremely powerful immortal cultivators in his entourage, and if they intended to take her by force...

Feng Jiu was busy grinding a medicinal powder at a table in the courtyard when they came in. Hearing them arrive, she glanced up to see who it was and hear what they had to say, but without so much as lifting her head, she casually said, "Murong Bo isn't my father, so it's not like he would have so much as a say in who I marry. Also, if I refuse, would they dare to try and take me by force?"

"But..." one of them mumbled as Leng Hua, dressed in all black came in.

"Mistress," he said.

"Yes, what is it?"Feng Jiu asked as she began to put away the finished medicinal powders.

"Nie Teng, Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country," Leng Hua began, "the steadfast and favorite son of the Ruler of Green Gallop Country, age, 24, cultivation base, late-stage, estimated by the leader of the Academy of the Six Stars to be a consummate Golden Core Cultivator within the next several decades, confident and self-assured with a fierce and fiery fighting style, rumored to have once pursued a nine-order beast at the age of twelve for over a month to ultimately slay it in his father's honor..." pausing, Leng Hua then said, "Boss Yan has a message for you, Mistress."

Feng Jiu raised her eyebrows and smiled, asking, "What is it?"

"Do not fight Nie Teng, Young Miss Feng," he said, "He is a man who will never give up."

Staring blankly for a moment, Feng Jiu laughed and said, "This Boss Yan is quite a character! Why would he say something like that?"

The seven middle-aged men standing off to the side grimaced, wishing to blurt out: That's the only part of the message you heard?

"Young Miss!" called the gatekeeper from outside the courtyard.

With a pleased smile, Feng Jiu called back, "Come in!"

Entering the courtyard to see that others were also there, the gatekeeper stepped forward to greet them and said, "Young Miss, a dispatch from the palace sent word that you will be attending a feast at the palace for the Green Gallop Crown Prince. They also gave instructions that you must arrive in splendid attire."

Chapter 397: You Can't Protect Her!

Hearing this, the seven middle-aged men looked to Feng Jiu. She'd been summoned by the palace. Would she go?

Feng Jiu grinned, ever so slightly, and looked to the gatekeeper, saying, "Is he still out there?"

"No, Young Miss. He left after he had given his message," said the gatekeeper with utmost deference.

"Mm, good. Back to work, then!" she said with a nod, gesturing for him to go.

"Yes, Young Miss," said the gatekeeper as he backed out of the courtyard and left.

"Does that mean you're going, Young Miss?" asked one of the men with a pained expression, worried that this evening would be her own Feast at Hong Gate, that the banquet was planned with the sole purpose of having her murdered.

"Can't you see I'm busy? Do I look like I have time to waste wining and dining?" she said as she flourished her dress and arose. Seeing the pained expressions of all seven men, Feng Jiu couldn't help but smile, saying, "You have nothing to fear. Nothing is going to come of this."

At once, she made her way to the main building to see her father to make sure he wouldn't be worried once he heard the news.

Meanwhile, at the palace, Murong Yi Xuan stormed into his father's palace chambers and immediately asked, "Imperial Father, do you intend to have Qing Ge wed off?The Feng family soured on this marriage long ago and don't plan on marrying Qing Ge to the Green Gallop Crown Prince to be his Side Concubine. Perhaps you failed to tell him that?"

Hearing his son use such an interrogating tone with him, Murong Bo raged with anger, slamming his fist against the table, he roared, "What impudence! How dare you speak to your father, the ruler, like this!? Have you lost all sense of your position?!"

Murong Yi Xuan, however, was utterly undaunted by his father's anger. Dropping his gaze slightly, his expression, which had always been one of such civility and refinement, gave way to a wave of rare anger as he said, "Imperial Father, you know of my affection for her, and yet you would make such a decision. I simply wish to ask you, Imperial Father, am I still even a son to you?"

Seeing his son so unafraid of Murong Bo's prestige, he sighed heavily, licked his lips, and with a heavy voice said, "Your marriage contract with her is a thing of the past. There is nothing left between the two of you. If she had feelings for you, she wouldn't have broken off the marriage. Why should you still care about what goes on in the Feng Residence?"

"You ought to know," Murong Bo continued, "that if she serves as Side Concubine to the Green Gallop Crown Prince, not only will her family be spared of their eminent ruin, but she can also help us gain the backing of the powerful Green Gallop Country. How dare you stand in the way of such a perfect arrangement!?"

Pausing, Murong Bo glanced at his son and then said, "What's more, how could you possibly impede the Green Gallop Crown Prince now that he has his eye upon her? You ought to know that this world belongs to the mighty and that strength trumps all else. You may consider yourself a legend here in my Sun Glory Country, but this is Sun Glory, boy! You stand no match against the Crown Prince of a powerful sixth-grade country! You can't protect her!"

Hearing his father speak so candidly and with such unrelenting force, Murong Yi Xuan's face turned ashen white, and his sleeved hands clenched into tight fists. Despite his furious anger, he had to admit that his father was right. He couldn't protect her!

If he could protect her, her father wouldn't have faced an assassination attempt or suffered such a grave injury that sent him into a stupor!

If he could protect her, his father wouldn't be able to force her into this marriage, wouldn't be able to force her to become the Side Concubine to the Green Gallop Crown Prince!

If he could protect her, she wouldn't be forced to be paraded before the Green Gallop Prince as a companion!

Strength! If only he had strength! If he were powerful, who would ever dare to treat his beloved this way? Never before had he been so aware of the importance of strength! Never before had he felt such a vexing desire to possess power!

Seeing his son's pallid complexion, tinged with anger and unwillingness, Murong Bo sighed and said, "There will always be others, will there not? So long as you are strong enough, who's to say you won't find a woman far more beautiful than she could ever hope to become?"

Chapter 398: All for Naught!

Hearing this, Murong Yi Xuan raised his head to look over at his father, and in a gravelly tone, said, "No one can compare to her!" As his voice rang out, he spun around and stormed out of the room.

Frowning, Murong Bo watched as his son left. Worried that he would go to the Green Gallop Crown Prince, he fretted and followed after.

Relations within the royal family were as thin as paper, but he thought highly of this specific son. Among Murong Bo's many offspring, Murong Yi Xuan alone stood out for his great talent, and Murong Bo hoped that he would go on to do great things. Nonetheless, Murong Bo did not wish to be dragged down by his children's hopes and desires.

This Feng girl would be the Green Gallop Crown Prince's woman whether she liked it or not! Moreover, only in this way could Yi Xuan be put back on the proper path, focusing his efforts on cultivation and refinement!

Just as Murong Bo had feared, Murong Yi Xuan headed straight for the palace chambers of the Green Gallop Prince, though the powerful cultivators stood guard outside, so entry would not come easy.

"I trouble you to transmit a message: 'Murong Yi Xuan wishes to enter.'" said Murong Yi Xuan with a heavy heart as he looked at the cultivator cloaked in gray from whom a powerful energy seemed to emanate.

Such are the trappings of a powerful country, it would seem. Cultivation of this guard's level would handsomely endow a clan leader in their humble Sun Glory.

With a condescending glance, the gray-cloaked middle-aged man, coldly replied, "The Crown Prince is resting. No one enters."

Hearing this, Murong Yi Xuan's face darkened and just as he began to walk forward, he felt a hand press firmly down on his shoulder. Turning slightly, he saw that his father was pulling him back. Smiling deferentially, Murong Bo said to the middle-aged man, "Heh! My boy has long admired the Crown Prince, and he rushed over to meet him the second he heard that the Crown Prince was here, not realizing that he almost disturbed the Crown Prince's rest."

Then, turning around to see the furious look on Murong Yi Xuan's face, he shouted at him, yelling: "What are you still doing here?!"

"I need to have a word with the Crown Prince, and I urge you to inform him of this," Murong Yi Xuan said quite frankly, ignoring his father outright, as he looked over to the middle-aged man.

Hearing this and seeing the contorted look on Murong Bo's face, the gray-cloaked middle-aged man's sights fell on Murong Yi Xuan, he bluntly said, "He will be present at the feast this evening. You can bring your words to him then. As for now, leave at once!"

"Guards! Expel the Third Prince from the palace grounds!" shouted Murong Bo. At once, several guards rushed over. Unwilling to forcibly remove him, however, they respectfully said, "Third Prince, this way!"

Seeing this, Murong Yi Xuan's face darkened. Staring into the palace chambers, he said in a low voice, "Since I cannot personally relay this to the Green Gallop Crown Prince, I convey this message to you instead: Feng Qing Ge, the Young Miss of the Feng Residence, has not agreed to this marriage. All your efforts are for naught!" Saying this, he flourished his sleeves and strode off in anger, ignoring his father's tortured expression.

Murong Bo felt as if a raging fire tore through his senses. He was so close to clinching a deal with Green Gallop Country only to be hamstrung by his own son! He would pay for this!

"Heh-heh! Don't listen to him and his nonsense! Tell the Crown Prince, His Majesty, that the marriage will be as planned. Nothing's amiss!" he said sheepishly and dashed off.

After the two had left, the gray-cloaked middle-aged man entered to report what had just happened to Nie Teng and then re-emerged.

Hearing this report, a black-cloaked middle-aged man standing off to the side looked over to his brooding master and said, hesitatingly, "This trifling Feng girl would be a fool to have our Green Gallop Country as an adversary. What's more, she should know that your interest in her is a blessing. Whether she likes it or not, she will be your woman."

Chapter 399: Fetch Her!

"What? You think I can't conquer her with my charms? You think I need the might of Green Gallop Country to force her to yield?" Nie Teng said, glancing at the middle-aged man who had spoken, with a fleeting brightness that seemed to shimmer out of his darkening eyes. Obviously, the man's words were ringing in his ears, but his heart was not at ease.

Even without his status as the Crown Prince of Green Gallop, few could compare to his prowess. Who across these countries could overpower him?

"I dare not speak..." said the middle-aged man fearfully as he quickly lowered his head.

Nie Teng scoffed scornfully and said, "When it comes to women, the more they resist, the more my desire grows. If she came at my every beck and call, I would quickly lose interest."

"Yes, you're absolutely right, Your Highness," said the middle-aged man in stammering agreement.

The arrival of the Green Gallop Crown Prince, the feast held in the Ruler's palace, and their summoning of the Young Miss Feng to accompany him caused quite a commotion throughout the city.

The Young Miss Feng was, at the end of the day, an unmarried woman, and to be summoned to the palace as a companion, well, people were a bit shocked. It was disconcerting for them to see the Ruler make such a move. Even though she was invited into the palace, the Young Miss Feng was a young woman, the very object of the Green Gallop Crown Prince's affections, summoned all on her lonesome to the palace. Who could guess what sort of trouble might befall her there?

If only Feng Xiao had not fallen into his stupor, he would surely be furious at word of this. If only the Old Feng Patriarch had not gone missing, he would surely go to the Ruler to try to speak reason to him. And yet, all that was left of the Feng Residence was the Young Miss herself. What weight could she possibly sway?

Perhaps it would be better for her to make her peace with a life together with the Green Gallop Crown Prince. At least this way she could use the man's power to help the Feng Residence keep out the wind and rain.

Word of this unfolding drama ricocheted across the city. Their curiosity piqued, quite a few people made their way to inns near the Feng Residence where they could munch on snacks and sip their wine, watching to see if the Young Miss Feng would actually present herself to the evening's feast.

And yet, as the day began to wane and the street began to light up with red lanterns hung at the storefronts of inns, the gates to the Feng Residence still remained tightly closed without sight of anyone coming or going.

"Huh? Did you see the Young Miss Feng leave? Do you think she's already in the palace?"

"No way! She'd have to pass by here to head to the palace, and they haven't even opened those gates. How could she already be in the palace?"

"You don't think she's skipping out, do you?"

"She wouldn't, would she? If the Ruler sent a summons, you think she'd refuse?"

"Heh! Why not? She's the daughter of the great General Feng Xiao! She's got vinegar in that blood of hers. Hey, who knows, she might not be going after all!"

Meanwhile, in the palace, as the skies began to darken, the feast began with a tense stillness in the air for no other reason than the Green Gallop Crown Prince's bated desire for the arrival of the person he wished to see most. In this stifling atmosphere, others that had arrived to accompany the honored guest were restless in their seats.

"What's the deal? Didn't I send one of you out to hasten her arrival? As late as it is, why is Feng Qing Ge still not here?" pressed the sullen Murong Bo as he looked to a servant as rage began to churn through his heart.

The servant hastily kneeled down before him and quickly said, "Ruler, I urge you to quell your anger. Perhaps the Young Miss Feng is still busy grooming and preparing for tonight? The people sent to fetch her should be back any time now!"

As he finished his words, the guards who had been sent to retrieve her from the Feng Residence came rushing in. Shocked, the servant bowing before Murong Bo quickly exclaimed, "Ruler! They've returned."

Chapter 400: Too Busy to Attend!

Murong Bo looked over to the men that had just rushed in. Failing to see Feng Qing Ge enter behind them, his heart sank, and instead of walking over to them, he simply asked, "Weren't you going to bring the Young Miss Feng here with you?"

The guards got down on one knee, and the head guard said with trepidation, "Ruler, I urge you to quell your anger. We went to the Feng Residence to retrieve the Young Miss Feng, b-but..."

Not daring to raise his head, the head guard began to falter, afraid to finish his report.

Murong Bo sighed heavily and gruffly said: "Speak!"

"We went to retrieve her, but we couldn't even get in through the gates to the Feng Residence before several Feng Guards came out to tell us that their Mistress had no time for feasting a-and wouldn't be joining us." said the guard as his voice turned into a mumble. Lowering his head as he continued to mumble, he felt that if he were to stop talking, a heavy silence would fall upon the room and fill the air with a stifling chill.

Instinctively looking to Nie Teng, Crown Prince of Green Gallop Country, Murong Bo saw that he was reclined, casually swirling the wine in his cup, seemingly lost in thought with a hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth. It seemed as if he was nonplussed by her absence, though all the other guests at the feast were on edge because of him.

"This Feng Qing Ge is in open defiance! Do my commands fall on deaf ears? Look at all these people waiting for her! And you tell me she's not coming?! Go back at once! Bind her if you have to and bring her to me!" roared Murong Bo as he ordered the guards to return to the Feng Residence.

Still holding the cup in his hand, Nie Teng stood up, looking to Murong Bo with a smirk as he lowered his voice and spoke with a threatening tone, saying "As she is to be my attendant consort, you should know that her name is not to be bounded about by you any longer." At once, Nie Teng turned and left.

Sitting down in a daze, Murong Bo twisted his fists under the table, overwhelmed by a creeping sense of humiliation.

He was the ruler of an entire kingdom, small though it was. Nonetheless, he had lost considerable face before his subjects. If it were someone else who had humiliated him, he would surely have unleashed his wrath upon him. Yet, this was the Prince of Green Gallop Country, and Murong Bo could not afford to offend him...

Seeing the prince leave, the guests at the feast finally breathed a sigh of relief now that the prince was gone. Seeing the look on the Ruler's face, however, those who had begun to settle in once again grew uneasy. It seemed as if this entire feast was thrown to dine upon their cold, frightened sweat.

The black-cloaked middle-aged men, close upon the heels of Nie Teng, looked cautiously to his sullen master who seemed to imperceptibly quell his anger. He had no choice but to attempt to raise his spirits.

Suddenly, his master stopped to tactfully wipe a cold sweat from his brow. Fortunately, the man was not following too closely behind him or he would have run right into him.

"You are not needed," said Nie Teng as he pivoted and made his way out of the palace.

Somewhat taken aback, the middle-aged man paused and then quickly caught up, asking, "Master, do you intend to go to the Feng Residence to see the Young Miss Feng? Perhaps I go before you. Would it not be better for me to bring her to you instead?"

Nie Teng continued forward as before, and without looking back, he said, "No need. It should be more interesting if I go myself in person." Pausing, Nie Teng turned around to stare at him and said, "You are forbidden from accompanying me."

Seeing this, the middle-aged man stood in place and watched as his master strode away from the palace. Worried, he quickly blurted out a warning to him, saying "Master, be wary of the Young Miss Feng! She is a skilled alchemist!"

What he had meant to be a thoughtful warning was quickly met with an angry glare.

Indeed, this reminder was all too clear for Nie Teng for they hadn't they all suffered before at her hands?