Even a vicious tiger will not devour its own cubs — a fine sentiment indeed!
But as for how Qiongcang treated his own sons — others may not have known, but Feng Jiu’er could not possibly be unaware.
Feng Jiang glanced at Feng Jiu’er once more, gave her no chance to speak, and shifted his gaze to Feng Li.
“Fourth Imperial Uncle, let me stay and help — what do you say?”
“Yes.” Feng Li nodded and rose to his feet as well.
“Go and make some preparations.” Feng Jiang did not dare look at Feng Jiu’er and could only turn to Long Yi and Long Eleven.
“If we can cross that stretch of forest in daylight, that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. What comes after is uncertain. Time is pressing.”
Feng Li stood, and Feng Jiang stood with him.
Long Yi and Long Eleven looked at Feng Jiu’er at the same moment, as though in Zhan Qingcheng’s absence, Feng Jiu’er was their sovereign.
Before they could say anything, Feng Jiu’er cast Feng Jiang a glance and rose from the ground.
“Go ahead and get ready. One more pair of hands is always welcome.” Whatever more she said would be useless anyway.
“Understood.” Long Yi nodded and stood.
Long Eleven said nothing either and rose straight to his feet. Like Qiao Mu, he was full of fiery spirit and ready to fight at any moment.
This venomous beast — just what formidable creature was it? It was high time to go and meet it.
Nightfall descended, and the group pressed onward.
Crossing the broad, sweeping grassland, even their lone horse was left behind, and everyone could only advance on foot.
What met them ahead was a winding, twisting mountain ravine. Feng Jiang walked at the front to lead the way, and all in all it went reasonably smoothly.
Qiao Mu was restless at heart and unwilling to stay at the back, so she walked at the front alongside Feng Jiang.
Bringing up the very rear were Jian Yi and Long Yi.
“Aside from that venomous beast, did you not encounter anything else along the way?” Qiao Mu’s voice rang out through the ravine.
In many places the path was narrow and rugged, some stretches barely wide enough for a single person.
“Yes.” Feng Jiang, walking at the very front, dropped a single word.
“What was it?” Qiao Mu asked with more than a little excitement.
“Enormous serpents that can swallow a person whole, venomous snakes that can fly, giant scorpions, flesh-eating venomous spiders.” Feng Jiang answered quietly.
“Really?” Qiao Mu seemed even more excited. “I thought those were all just legends — they’re actually real.”
At a bend in the path, Feng Jiang glanced back over his shoulder.
“Are you or are you not a woman?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Qiao Mu frowned.
By the time she looked up, Feng Jiang had already turned back and was pressing on.
“Shouldn’t most women be somewhat frightened at hearing of such terrifying monsters?” Feng Jiang shook his head and sighed.
“Looking at how excited you are, one would think you were born fond of monsters.”
“You’re the one born fond of monsters!” Qiao Mu snorted coldly. “I simply find it hard to believe — and besides, I don’t think women are any inferior to men.”
“Whatever monster you can handle, I can handle too.”
“And they call you a prince of a nation — you couldn’t even overcome a single venomous beast. If it had been me, I certainly wouldn’t have been in such sorry shape.”
A single venomous beast — it had certainly not been just that.
Feng Jiang’s brow furrowed, yet he said nothing in rebuttal.
Rushing through the night was inevitably exhausting, but thinking of whatever formidable creature they might encounter ahead, Qiao Mu did not feel the least bit drowsy.
“Flying snakes, giant scorpions, venomous spiders — why do these sound so strangely familiar?”
Something didn’t sit quite right, and she quickened her pace to catch up with the man ahead.
“They say the Dark Lands have no exit for those who enter. You are the only person to have ever come back out. Could it be that all those folk legends — you were the one who spread them?”
“No.” Feng Jiang shook his head. “I heard them secondhand as well.”
“Secondhand?” The path had widened a little, and Qiao Mu immediately stepped up to walk alongside Feng Jiang. “What do you mean?”
“You mean that what you said just now was all…”
“Only to satisfy your curiosity.” Feng Jiang tilted his head to glance at Qiao Mu, the faintest curve at his lips.
Seeing the pleased smile at the corner of his mouth, Qiao Mu balled her fist and glared at him fiercely.
“I challenge you to a one-on-one fight!”
“Once everyone is safe, there will be an opportunity.” Feng Jiang ignored Qiao Mu’s fury and walked on.
Watching Qiao Mu’s expression — as though she had swallowed a dead fly — Feng Jiu’er could not help but laugh.
Even rushing like this through the night, the atmosphere would not turn completely grim and dead.
“Feng Jiu’er, what are you laughing at?” Qiao Mu was at her wit’s end, and turned to shoot her a glare.
Feng Jiang was still useful for now — she could hardly slap him dead on the spot. But honestly, this fellow was really asking for a beating!
“Nothing. Just keep a close watch over my Third Imperial Brother. Right now, we all depend on him for our path forward.” Feng Jiu’er said with a cheerful expression.
“I simply refuse to believe that without him, we wouldn’t be able to find our way out of this mountain forest.” Qiao Mu gave a cold huff and stepped forward.
“Don’t go acting on your own. One wrong step and it’s the lives of dozens of people on the line.” Feng Jiu’er reminded her.
Of course Qiao Mu would not gamble with so many lives. No matter how displeased she was with Feng Jiang, she could only slow her pace.
Feng Jiu’er, however, after sending Feng Li a reassuring glance, quickened her own steps.
Coming up alongside Qiao Mu, Feng Jiu’er gave her shoulder a light pat.
“Don’t keep that scowl on your face. My Third Imperial Brother was just teasing you because he was worried you’d be scared.”
“He’s actually very good. Handsome, skilled in martial arts, loyal and sentimental…”
“Feng Jiu’er, what exactly are you trying to say?” Qiao Mu tilted her head and shot the person beside her a flat look.
“Nothing much — you just had your heart broken, didn’t you? Now that there’s such an outstanding man right beside you, there’s no harm in looking a little more.” Feng Jiu’er said with a smile.
“My Third Imperial Brother really is quite something — and he has never been in a relationship either. I can guarantee he is absolutely untouched. If you like him, go for it. He’s so guileless that if you pursued him, he’d certainly follow you home obediently. Give it some thought.”
Qiao Mu did not even glance at Feng Jiang before shaking her head. “Not interested!”
“Is my Third Imperial Brother really that bad?” Feng Jiu’er glanced at Feng Jiang and frowned slightly.
“Feng Jiu’er, what do you take me for?” Qiao Mu swept Feng Jiu’er with a look. “Do I seem like someone who changes affections at the drop of a hat?”
“Not at all.” Feng Jiu’er met Qiao Mu’s gaze and shook her head with great sincerity. “Because you have always been that way.”
“Who was it who, the moment she laid eyes on the Ninth Imperial Uncle, schemed every which way to drag him up a mountain?”
“And afterward, accidentally catching a glimpse of Wuyou’s true face, let her feelings spill out for the whole world to see.”
“That’s not what happened.” Qiao Mu knitted her brows and quickly shifted her gaze. “What whole world? Nothing of the sort!”
In the faint light of the moon, Feng Jiu’er could still easily see Qiao Mu’s face flush red.
She let out a quiet sigh and raised her eyes to look ahead, where her adorable Third Imperial Brother was now standing atop a great boulder.
“Have a look.” Feng Jiu’er stopped walking and looked at Feng Jiang with a raised brow. “What a fine figure — truly not interested?”
Qiao Mu was forced to stop as well and, following Feng Jiu’er’s gaze, raised her eyes to look.
Feng Jiang’s figure was genuinely impressive — tall and powerfully built. A gust of wind rose and swept his robes, its billowing folds tracing the striking lines of his form all the more clearly.
Standing at that height, he was like a great tree reaching to the sky — making it rather difficult to look away.