Chapter 681: Hey! Anyone there?

With some doubt, Xiao Feng drew the scarlet demon sword and the sword of civilization again, left the imperial study, and headed toward the direction the sound came from.

That sound came from behind the palace city, and it was a bit far away.

Along the way, many corpses could still be seen lying on the ground, and the entire palace was deathly silent.

Encountering a person in such a place was stranger than meeting a ghost, and Xiao Feng had no idea what he would run into.

Perhaps the palace had simply existed too long, and severe corrosion caused it to collapse naturally.

Or perhaps a natural gust of wind stirred the grass, causing the buildings to deform and collapse.

In short, anything other than running into a person was quite normal.

But if it were a person…

then a fight was likely inevitable!

Following the sound, he walked for over ten minutes but still hadn't reached the spot.

That booming collapse sound had occurred only once; if his memory were a bit worse, he'd probably forget where he was while walking.

Twenty minutes later, Xiao Feng arrived at the rear gate of the imperial palace.

The sound just now came from here.

Upon approaching and looking, Xiao Feng saw a small gate four meters high lying on the ground, shattered into many pieces.

Judging from the debris and dust on the ground, it must have been recently formed.

In other words, this gate had originally been closed, but someone wanting to enter or leave had forcibly smashed it, causing the sound just now!

Twenty minutes had passed; that person might not have gone far, so searching nearby might turn them up!

However…

The imperial palace is too huge; looking for someone is too troublesome!

Xiao Feng thought for a moment, then simply cleared his throat and shouted loudly toward the sky: "Hey!! Is anyone there!!"

There's no faster way to find someone than shouting!

In this somewhat eerie environment, whenever anyone nearby hears loud shouting, no matter who, curiosity will drive them to come and check.

Xiao Feng was exploiting exactly that psychology!

Sure enough, after his voice carried into the deep palace, only a few seconds later a response came from afar: "Who's there?!"

The voice was female, and it sounded somewhat familiar.

It seemed a bit like… Bing Lu?

"Damn, could that little male deer spirit have come too?" Xiao Feng blinked in surprise.

He quickly used telepathy to ask: "He Er Na, did you see Bing Lu when you came in? I think I've run into her…"

"Huh? Little deer? No. Master, where did you meet her?" He Er Na's tone was surprised; she hadn't expected this at all.

Xiao Feng replied: "No… maybe it's just a similar sound or I misheard. I'll go take a look; running into others here feels off."

"Hmm, master, be careful. Speaking of which…

if Bing Lu followed me in after I entered, I wouldn't know, and perhaps it really is her." He Er Na said.

Xiao Feng nodded silently, thinking her words made sense.

Given Bing Lu's excitable nature, if she discovered a strange void passage, she'd surely dive right in.

Going to see will tell us!

Xiao Feng walked in the direction the sound came from.

Soon after, he heard footsteps; the other party was also hurrying over.

Turning a corridor, Xiao Feng entered the imperial garden.

Here the flowers, grasses, and trees had all withered, turned to dust, with plant debris covering the ground, devoid of any vitality.

The pond's water was also dead; although it looked clear, it felt "dirty" and lacked liveliness.

In the garden, he saw the person who had made the sound.

She was a petite girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing an ice‑blue dress, holding a long whip in her hand, and sporting a pair of small, cute antlers on her forehead.

Surely that's Bing Lu?

"Is it you?"

"Sure enough, it's you!"

Bing Lu looked a little surprised at seeing Xiao Feng, while Xiao Feng saw her and wore a speechless expression.

"Hey, why the unhappy look? Does seeing me make you feel awful?" Bing Lu snapped irritably.

"Yes, it's awful—I really don't want to see you, this little male deer spirit." Xiao Feng spoke bluntly.

As for this little male deer spirit who's always thinking about stealing his women, he couldn't feel the slightest bit of happiness.

Although he knew full well that He Er Na's heart held only him and she had no feelings for Bing Lu,

but Bing Lu's habit of opposing him made her really annoying!

"You're the male deer spirit! Your whole family are male deer spirits! Get hit!"

Bing Lu, shouted at to her face as a "male deer spirit," instantly flared up and swung her long whip to strike.

"Hey, still want to fight?"

Xiao Feng hadn't expected this guy to launch an attack here; he instantly thought, activated the special effect of his divine artifact shoes, and teleported to Bing Lu's side.

Then he grabbed her antlers with a big hand.

"Wuuuah… so… hateful…"

Bing Lu, who had been fierce, instantly changed expression, was subdued, let out a soft, powerless cry, dropped her whip, and collapsed limp to the ground.

"Hmm, looks like it's really her."

Xiao Feng nodded satisfiedly, taking the chance to verify Bing Lu's authenticity.

Counterfeit goods shouldn't be this effective!

It looks like she really chased after He Er Na and got in before the entrance closed!

"Smelly... smelly man, how... how dare you bully me. I will... tell He Er Na, let her... vent for me!"

Binglu lying on the ground had a flushed, red face, as if drunk, and issued a reproach in a soft, weak voice.

Xiao Feng laughed and said: "If she'll vent for you, I'll write my name backwards! Honestly, what have you been doing since you came here?"

"I, I..."

Binglu hated him to death; the second time he touched her horns, she almost fainted from the shock, and had no intention of cooperating with him in speech.

She said: "I've come... to dig up your... ancestral grave! To whip... your... ancestors! And even dance on top of your... ancestral grave!"

Xiao Feng's face darkened.

"Looks like the lesson wasn't enough..."

He plunged the scarlet demonic sword into the ground, crouched down, and reached with both hands toward Binglu's forehead.

"What... what are you doing! No, you can't... no!! Ah~"

Binglu saw his action and let out a terrified scream.

But she still couldn't escape his grasp; Xiao Feng seized one horn in each hand, gripping the short pair on her forehead.

"Whimper~"

Binglu's whole body trembled as if struck by electricity, shaking like chaff in a sieve, she let out a pained sound, and tears streamed down uncontrollably.

"Good grief, her reaction is this intense?" Seeing her suffer so, Xiao Feng felt both annoyed and amused for a moment.

The annoying part was that she was ultimately a person of Wind Spirit Island, and he couldn't really harm her; at most he could only give her a light punishment.

The amusing part was that her extremely fragile physique meant that in a fight, she'd collapse at the slightest touch; any ordinary person, if they seized the opportunity, could render her completely unable to resist.

Xiao Feng released his grip.

In just a few seconds, Binglu felt as if she had been drowning for half an hour, her breath so weak she seemed about to die at any moment.

She spoke in a miserable and angry tone: "I won't... let you off..."

Then she fainted.

Xiao Feng laughed helplessly.

Even after all that, she still puts up a tough front—does she really think Xiao Feng doesn't dare to strike hard?

However...

Forget it, after all she's a child raised by He Er Na, just like my own daughter—I can't be too harsh.

Xiao Feng put away his weapon, used the telepathic communication function, and told He Er Na what had happened here.

Upon hearing that, he too laughed and cried helplessly, saying: "Master, please be more tolerant; Xiaolu's nature is too rebellious. If she offends you again, you may discipline her, just don't harm her origin."

"Well, forget it, after all she's from your household; as long as she doesn't go too far, I'll try to put up with her. After you finish looking over there, come here—the palace holds many ancient legacies, perhaps some will suit you." Xiao Feng said.

He Er Na said: "Hmm, I'm already on the way; I just don't know if the master is ahead in that city."

(End of chapter)