Song Qing Shi curiously asked: "Does 'Feng Jun' feel like a nickname to you?"
"It is a nickname," replied the red-dressed young lady who called herself Feng Jun, gently tugging at his sleeve. "I vaguely remember my mother calling me that, but my head hurts so much, I can't remember anything else…"
Song Qing Shi doubted Feng Jun's head injury was severe enough to cause memory loss, but then thought of his own unexplained amnesia and hesitated. Perhaps partial memory loss is a common occurrence in this world of cultivation?
Feng Jun's mysterious origins, combined with his appealing appearance and demeanor, inexplicably drew Song Qing Shi in. His sweet scent even elicited an urge to take him home and pamper him.
Song Qing Shi thought hard; his memories consisted solely of medical studies and research, and he had never had such odd feelings for a girl before, no matter how beautiful. Could it be that in the memories he lost, his personality had drastically changed, leading him to commit despicable acts?
A vague fragment suddenly flashed through his mind.
It seemed he had once pinned down some beauty in the dead of night, forcefully kissing them despite their resistance. The beauty had almost burst into tears…
That's the behavior of a scoundrel, isn't it?
Song Qing Shi began to feel somewhat anxious...
Feng Jun kept his head lowered, occasionally stealing glances at Song Qing Shi's expression as if he were silently contemplating something. Meanwhile, Song Jin Cheng had long since been enthralled by Feng Jun's allure, rambling endlessly while pledging that both of them were good people.
Song "Questionable Intentions" Qing Shi felt increasingly guilty as he listened. Straightening his posture, he attempted to feign the demeanor of an upright gentleman.
The red phoenix bird that had been perched on his shoulder had flown away unnoticed.
Suddenly, the sound of snapping tree branches and soft, raspy breaths echoed through the woods.
Feng Jun's face turned pale in an instant. Gripping Song Qing Shi, he shouted, "Run!"
Song Qing Shi, too, picked up on the unusual noises and inquired, "What is that?"
"It's a snake, a snake demon," Feng Jun said, trembling with fear. "I remember now, I was being pursued by this snake demon when I fell off the cliff. You should both run…"
The Valley of the Medicine King harbored numerous venomous snakes for the extraction of medicinal ingredients, so the apprentices were skilled at catching snakes.
Song Jin Cheng, unafraid, drew his sword from his mustard seed bag and positioned himself in front of Feng Jun, declaring, "Fear not! A mere snake demon stands no chance against me!"
A colossal white snake emerged from the woods, its silvery scales tinged with moss, its eyes glowing like red lanterns. It flicked its forked tongue, several meters in length, while intently sniffing the air and growing increasingly agitated.
Song Qing Shi was not afraid of snakes, but he had never encountered one so terrifying. Gazing at the snake's gaping maw large enough to swallow an elephant, he felt apprehensive. "Jin Cheng, are you sure you can handle it?"
Song Jin Cheng's sword trembled uncontrollably in his hand, his legs also shaking, and tears unwillingly spilled from his eyes.
Feng Jun cautiously gauged both their expressions and suggested, "Shall we run instead?"
"Run!" Song Qing Shi made a snap decision, issuing the command to retreat. Casting aside any other considerations, he swiftly hoisted Feng Jun onto the spirit horse, then leapt on himself. With one arm tightly holding Feng Jun to prevent him from falling, and the other hand wielding the whip, he spurred the horse to flee from the snake demon's hunting ground at the greatest speed.
Feng Jun wrapped his arms around Song Qing Shi's waist, burying his face deep into his chest and inhaling the fragrance of medicinal herbs, trembling with excitement. He was enamored with Song Qing Shi's reaction, relishing the sensation of being treasured and protected.
Observing Feng Jun's tremors, Song Qing Shi comforted, "Don't worry, I will definitely save you."
Feng Jun took a deep breath to calm himself and softly said, "Okay."
Song Jin Cheng also leapt onto the horse, galloping away as though wishing the horse had eight legs.
Three thousand years ago, after An Long succumbed to demonic influence, he severed his spiritual contract with Hao Long and abandoned it in the wilderness. After Yue Wu Huan's rebirth and ascension to godhood, considering Hao Long as Song Qing Shi's favorite, he not only spared its life but also nurtured it. Forcing it into combat against various advanced beasts on the battlefields of the world, Hao Long became a renowned demon in the realm of cultivation.
Hao Long, lacking in intelligence, failed to comprehend Yue Wu Huan's motives. Tormented endlessly, it yearned for hibernation.
Yue Wu Huan would always deceive it, saying, "If you behave, Qing Shi will return and make you his pet."
Hao Long believed in this promise, enduring the hellish training while exerting its utmost effort as Yue Wu Huan's laborer.
It harbored the dream of becoming the world's best pet snake.
Yesterday, Yue Wu Huan had requested that Hao Long use its divine power to inflict some wounds upon him, to which Hao Long obediently complied. Upon reflection, it sensed something amiss. If Yue Wu Huan could self-inflict the injuries, why involve it? Was it because the wounds would be discovered if they were self-inflicted?
Hao Long felt more astute than it ever had, cautiously sniffing the air and shadowing Yue Wu Huan to Hei Yan Mountain.
As expected, Song Qing Shi had returned!
Hao Long detected the scent and was elated, yearning to leap forth and act affectionately. Yet Song Qing Shi, under Yue Wu Huan's instigation, fled without even a reunion hug. Hao Long had no concept of human genders and saw nothing strange in Yue Wu Huan's cross-dressing.
This guise of Yue Wu Huan's was clearly that of a seductive villainess from literature, intent on driving a wedge between Hao Long and Song Qing Shi's favorite-pet relationship!
Distraught, Hao Long gave chase in a frenzy.
Song Jin Cheng was in tears, terrified that he would end up as snake feed. He wailed, "I am an unfilial son, causing my parents the grief of burying their child!"
Feng Jun commented dryly, "They could always have another one…"
Back then, he had promised to take care of Qing Luan's descendants. Unfortunately, Qing Luan's lineage had thinned, leaving only the foolish Song Jin Cheng. Killing him would spell the end of Qing Luan's line, leaving no replacements.
He was immensely hesitant…
Now that this fool had become the savior of Song Qing Shi, killing him was even less an option. Perhaps once they returned to the Valley of the Medicine King, he could confine Song Jin Cheng to the back mountains until he purged himself of his foolishness.
Feng Jun, lying against Song Qing Shi, grew irritated by the shrieks beside him and began plotting in earnest.
Song Qing Shi suddenly noticed that the girl's chest was as flat as his own. When lifting her earlier, he'd estimated her weight to be around a hundred pounds, and couldn't help wondering where all the 'mass' had gone.
He was somewhat curious but dared not ask or ponder further. His sister had warned him that such matters were a woman's private domain; asking would be considered harassment, punishable by death.
The more Song Qing thought about it, the less confident he became about his own moral character.
Two spirited horses fled frantically ahead, with a massive serpent in hot pursuit behind them. They sprinted across three mountains before a red phoenix finally appeared, clawing at the foolish snake and beating it relentlessly, thus putting an end to this high-stakes chase.
The spirited horses were so exhausted they were frothing at the mouth, nearly collapsing.
A small town emerged in their sight. Observing the darkening sky, Song Qing led the group to an inn for some rest. Although small, the town was a bustling hub due to its strategic location. Song Qing handed the spirited horses over to the inn's attendant and, not lacking in funds, instructed him to buy some restorative herbs from the apothecary to feed the horses.
The innkeeper greeted them warmly, saying, "We have two rooms available."
Seizing the opportunity to display gentlemanly conduct, Song Qing said, "Two men and one woman—two rooms will suffice. Jin Cheng and I can share one."
Song Jin Cheng patted his chest in assurance that he would not take advantage of the girl.
Upon hearing the arrangements, Feng Jun paused for a moment and then smiled gently. He expressed a desire to find some food from the kitchen for everyone. Donning his silk gloves, he gracefully walked away. Roughly a quarter of an hour later, several cultivators rushed downstairs, their faces drained of color, stammering about going off to engage in intense spiritual cultivation. They insisted on checking out immediately, even forgoing the room fees.
Seeing their expressions, the innkeeper almost thought his establishment was haunted.
Song Jin Cheng announced that money was not an issue and didn't want to share a room with another man. Seizing the opportunity, Song Qing upgraded to three adjoining upper-level rooms. Feng Jun returned, elegantly carrying a bowl of sweet soup and handed it to Song Qing, saying, "The kitchen was somewhat understocked, so I made something simple. I hope you won't mind my rusty culinary skills."
As Song Qing looked into Feng Jun's deep golden eyes, which seemed to contain entire galaxies, he found them more enchanting than the food. Before he could hesitate, Feng Jun lifted a spoonful of the sweet soup, gently blew on it, and fed it directly into Song Qing's mouth—a sequence executed with practiced grace.
The taste of the sweet soup, carrying a subtle hint of honey, ignited a sensory memory etched deep into his bones, further muddling Song Qing's thoughts. His ears tinged red as he was caught off guard by Feng Jun's glowing smile; feeling cornered yet unable to resist, his foot was softly hooked under the table by Feng Jun.
"Don't reject me," Feng Jun whispered, smiling.
His voice was sumptuous, laden with a tone that brooked no argument.
Song Qing found himself unable to deny any of Feng Jun's requests and obediently withdrew his hand.
Once again, Feng Jun scooped up a spoonful of sweet soup, smiling as he instructed, "Sit properly."
Like a conditioned reflex, Song Qing promptly sat up and obediently opened his mouth.
"What about my portion?" Song Jin Cheng grumbled.
Feng Jun gave him a cursory glance and averted his eyes, stating nonchalantly, "Ask the kitchen staff to prepare something for you."
He continued to feed Song Qing the sweet soup, as if Song Qing were the only person in his world.
Song Jin Cheng glanced from the goddess with love-filled, shimmering eyes to Song Qing, who was blushing and focused intently on his soup. How could he not understand the goddess's feelings? Jealousy welled up in him to the point of tears. Was he not handsome enough? Was his personality lacking? Why did every goddess prefer delicate, meek-faced men over sunny and dashing young men like himself? Was it too late to change his image? The next time he saw Yuwen Yu, he planned to invite his friend for drinks and pour out his heart. Together, they would navigate the lonely, agonizing path of singledom.
Transmuting his sadness and frustration into appetite, he ordered the innkeeper to serve eight lavish dishes. He ate voraciously, as if eating could fill the void in his heart.
...
Hao Long was deep in contemplation.
Though both his former master and Yue Wu Huan had criticized him for having brawn at the expense of brains, years had passed and Hao Long's intelligence had slowly increased. At least he had realized that sticking with his useless former master led nowhere; he needed to emulate Yue Wu Huan to win any favor.
So, when he had the ability to transform into a human, he decisively blended the appearances of Yue Wu Huan and Song Qing, turning into an irresistibly adorable young boy—around three years old—with long black hair, golden phoenix eyes, and a porcelain-white face.
Then, he referred to human social dynamics to find a way to make Song Qing adopt him.
Seeing that the bird had flown far away, Hao Long covertly emerged from his hiding place, transformed into human form, concealed his demonic aura, and entered the inn. Following the scent, he found Song Qing and the others dining. Undeterred by the intimidating aura that Yue Wu Huan exuded, he ran up and hugged Song Qing's thigh, crying out:
"Daddy!"
Song Qing was so startled that he dropped his chopsticks.
Feng Jun put down his bowl heavily, walked over with a stern face, and scolded Hao Long while tugging on his ear, "What sort of language is that?"
Tears brimmed in Hao Long's eyes. Contemplating human relational dynamics, he modified his call:
"Mommy…"