Chapter 498: with translation of chapter title

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples; my head ached slightly, and my thoughts gradually became confused.

My memories have been tampered with; if they act up in this situation, they will greatly affect my judgment and lead to erroneous conclusions.

Whether Feng Xingzhou is actually my father's name needs to be verified.

Hēimǎng wants to completely control Feng Xianqiu, but it's obvious that Feng Xianqiu has his own little schemes.

This father and son are locked in a game of wits, while I am struggling to survive in the cracks.

I came here with a mission; before I finish it, I must first protect myself.

I can't sleep.

"Master."

Just as I was about to close my eyes to rest, a slightly immature voice suddenly sounded in the room, startling me.

I sat up, looked toward the direction the voice came from, and saw a faint, nearly translucent tiny figure standing not far from the bedside.

No, it wasn't standing on the ground; it was hovering about ten centimeters above the floor.

I dare not place the passage: "Xue Feng?"

The Little Guy nodded his head and replied, "Master, it's me."

I hurriedly got off the bed, crouched on the ground looking at her, and said: "You… how did you become like this? Weren't you already able to transform into human form before?"

I remember our last meeting: I was having my soul hooked by Feng Xianqiu in a dream, when Xue Feng suddenly appeared and blocked him for me.

Could it be…?

"I have repeatedly defied Feng Xianqiu; Feng Xianqiu imprisoned me, using me to coerce the Feng Clan into submission, and I was tortured to the point of wishing for death." Xue Feng said calmly, "Until a few days ago, a bloody-covered stranger was also thrown in here, and we made a deal."

A bloody-covered stranger?

Ti Luan?

I asked: "What deal?"

"I begged him to give me a quick death." Xue Feng said, "He agreed, but then he dug out my inner core, used it to condense my soul, and hid me in this palace belonging to the Phoenix Lord."

At this moment, I was completely certain that the one who made the deal with Xue Feng was Ti Luan.

It turned out that after Ti Luan was flayed, he was initially imprisoned in the Feng Clan's dungeon.

Later, I don't know what means he used to escape.

"He said the Phoenix Lord will soon return to his throne, and Feng Xianqiu will certainly let the Phoenix Lord take up residence in this palace; he told me to wait patiently." Xue Feng looked at my eyes, which showed excitement, and said, "I know the Phoenix Lord is you; I have always looked forward to your return someday, so I am willing to accept this deal."

She turned her head to glance at the window and said, "Dawn is approaching; although the sky of the Feng Clan is not as bright as the mortal realm's, it is still deadly for me now. Master, I will still come to find you tonight; the stranger has asked me to take you to a place."

I nodded, and Xue Feng vanished before my eyes.

I sat there dazed, unable to regain my composure for a long time.

Xue Feng is dead.

I can still see her because Ti Luan used witchcraft, employing her inner core to condense her soul.

But given my understanding of Ti Luan's character and methods, he could not possibly allow Xue Feng to continue existing like this in the Feng Clan.

After Xue Feng completes this deal, the witchcraft placed upon her inner core will disappear.

She will likewise vanish into ashes and smoke.

She herself should know this, but from the moment she saw me, I felt only joy and excitement from her.

She does not fear death, nor does she fear vanishing into ashes and smoke.

She has persevered until now just to wait for my arrival!

Looking back on this journey, how fortunate I am—it seems that at every turning point, someone reaches out a helping hand.

And these people are all good karma formed by the Dang Pu in the past.

I glanced at the Soul-guiding Lamp placed inside the bed; perhaps I should do something for Xue Feng.

I tossed and turned on the bed, not knowing when I finally fell asleep.

I don't know how long passed; in my dream I constantly felt a prickling sensation on my back, making me very uncomfortable.

I jerked awake from my dream, turned around, and indeed saw a person sitting beside my bed!

Feng Xianqiu stared at me with unblinking eyes, yet his gaze seemed to look through me, as if he were thinking of something else.

As soon as I moved, his consciousness snapped back quickly, his cheek shifted slightly, and I saw that half of his face was somewhat red and swollen.

His father's slap last night really landed hard!

"Awake?" Feng Xianqiu said, "Since you're awake, get up, wash up, change clothes, and I'll take you out for a walk."

He seemed preoccupied; after saying that, he left.

Then someone brought in clean clothes, took me to wash up, and after I finished breakfast, led me to the courtyard.

Feng Xianqiu stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, head raised, gazing blankly at the sky.

From his back I could actually see a hint of wistfulness.

After Ti Luan was abandoned, Feng Xianqiu's status rose rapidly; this should have been his most proud and triumphant moment, yet he seemed unable to feel any joy at all.

I think this unhappiness, aside from being due to his father's direct control making him unfree, is more likely caused by his ambitions running rampant.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head to look at me.

He gave me a faint smile, making his whole person appear harmless.

But beneath this handsome exterior lies a soul so repulsive that I know it best.

"Xiao Jiu, I made you a set of clothes after long preparation; come take a look—I think you'll definitely like it."

He took me to the main hall of the palace.

The main hall is huge, with a ceiling ten meters high; in the center stands a massive statue of the reborn phoenix deity, before which incense is offered.

Passing through the main hall and going backward, we entered the main room of the front courtyard; inside stood a large wooden clothes rack, on which a large red robe embroidered with gold patterns was spread out, utterly striking.

On the lapels of the phoenix robe, gold thread embroidered a golden phoenix soaring upward.

It held its head high, three red plume feathers on its head, and its outstretched wings flashed with golden light.

Around the golden phoenix were embroidered birds of all kinds, each with a different form, but they shared one trait: no matter which way their bodies faced, their heads always pointed toward the golden phoenix.

"Golden phoenix returns to its nest, all birds face the phoenix." Feng Xianqiu stepped forward and gently touched the phoenix robe, his eyes flashing with fervent light: "Xiao Jiu, when you achieve Nirvana and return, I will personally drape this phoenix robe over you and place you upon the throne of the Phoenix Lord."

He turned his head to look at me, staring unblinkingly into my eyes, as if trying to discern the reaction he wanted from my gaze.

Unfortunately, it disappointed him.

If possible, I really don't want to have anything to do with the Feng Clan.

I have long been accustomed to modern people's simple attire, and I also like the red-and-black archery outfit of the phoenix civet slave, but I happen to dislike this extravagantly elaborate formal wear.

I have no destiny to be an empress, nor the ambition to be an empress regnant.

Feng Xianqiu suddenly raised both hands and gripped my shoulders, his emotions turning intense: "Xiao Jiu, do you know what this phoenix robe represents? All birds facing the phoenix signifies your supreme status and power within the Feng Clan—a height that ninety-nine percent of our clan's members can never attain in a lifetime. But Xiao Jiu, it belongs to you…"