When Yingzhu looked again at the knife in the young man’s hand.
He finally realized that this youth might not be trying to save him, but rather wanting to stew and eat him.
Thinking of this.
Yingzhu was not angry.
Perhaps because he had lived for tens of thousands of years, no one had ever offended him like this before.
Moreover, after being startled, the youth’s expression was blank and dazed, inexplicably somewhat adorable.
He didn’t know why.
He laughed out loud, it was a brief, fleeting smile.
Feng Li, however, came to his senses because of this smile.
Belatedly realizing that the young man before him might not be a water snake, but just some deity undergoing tribulation.
He hadn’t seen him before.
Recalling the great tribulation he had just witnessed, no less than an apocalyptic lightning tribulation, he knew this person’s cultivation must be higher than his own, and possibly even of a higher generation.
For a moment.
All around was silent.
Yingzhu asked carelessly, “Can’t stew it down?”
Feng Li: “…”
Yingzhu asked, pretending not to know. “Your pot…”
Feng Li lied blatantly. “Alchemy furnace, this is an alchemy furnace.”
Yingzhu hid his amusement and nodded.”So the young god is refining pills here.”
His gaze fell on the chopped green onions, ginger, and garlic nearby.
Feng Li glanced at them and said stubbornly, “Herbs, these are herbs.”
Yingzhu: “I see.”
“Then the boiling water?”
“Oh, oh.” Feng Li continued. “I saw you were severely injured, so I was preparing to boil some water to clean your wounds.”
Yingzhu laughed again. “So the young god was planning to put this lord in the pill furnace to clean my wounds, and then apply herbal medicine externally for a medicinal bath. Thank you for your trouble, young god.”
Thank you.
For making stewed snake soup sound so grand and noble.
Elegant.
It was truly too elegant.
Feng Li hurriedly threw away the pot and seasonings.
Yingzhu coughed once, and blood seeped from his wounds with this movement.
In human form, his body was covered in wounds, looking even more terrible than in his true form.
Some wounds had been pierced through by heavenly lightning, and one could see the white bones with the naked eye.
But what did that have to do with this supreme god.
This supreme god only knew that the dinner that was about to reach his mouth had flown away.
Feng Li glanced at him and asked, “May I ask how to address this god?”
Yingzhu paused. “You don’t recognize me?”
?
A question mark appeared above Feng Li’s head.
Who was he, did everyone have to know him?
Feng Li obediently shook his head. “I don’t know this god’s name.”
Yingzhu laughed silently again.
Seeing that he didn’t intend to say, Feng Li didn’t plan to stay any longer.
After cleaning up the mess, he shouldered his little book bag, preparing to return to Penglai Academy.
Seeing him about to leave, a rare look of confusion appeared in Yingzhu’s eyes. “You’re leaving?”
Hearing this, Feng Li nodded. “If I don’t go back, the school gates will be locked.”
He couldn’t afford to lose not only tonight’s dinner.
But also his soft bed for the night.
Yingzhu hesitated for a moment. “This lord is injured and now can hardly move a step.”
“It’s fine.” Feng Li reassured him. “You just lie still and don’t move.”
Yingzhu: …?
He felt that somehow the script development was not quite right.
According to what was written in the storybooks.
Shouldn’t this youth be planning to take him back and take good care of him?
Yingzhu spoke. “If no one takes care of me here, I’m afraid I won’t survive the night.”
“Ah?” There was a bit of surprise on Feng Li’s face.
Yingzhu looked at him.
Feng Li hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, “Then… accept my condolences and try to move on.”
Yingzhu: …?
Feng Li thought for a bit, and still offered some divine-path comfort. “Just don’t be too pessimistic, try to look on the bright side.”
After a pause, Feng Li continued. “Maybe you’re already dead now.”
Yingzhu seemed to find it a bit amusing and couldn’t help but smile. “There’s another way that can keep this lord alive, but I don’t know if the young god is willing to hear it?”
“Since you’ve said that much.” Feng Li felt morally coerced and muttered. “I can’t really say I won’t listen, can I?”
Yingzhu said, “Would the young god be willing to take this lord in for one night?”
Feng Li was surprised. “Ah? That’s not very appropriate, is it?”
Yingzhu said, “Hmm?”
Feng Li worried. “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for me?”
Yingzhu held back a laugh. “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.”
He sighed, speaking slowly to persuade. “Saving a snake’s life is worth at least a five-story pagoda.”
That sounded so reasonable.
Feng Li felt he was about to be convinced by this sophistry.
Feng Li stood conflicted on the spot. “I still think it’s not quite right, it’s not that I won’t save you.”
He spoke, “It’s that you’ve become too big now, I can’t carry you on my back.”
Yingzhu said, “This lord can transform into his true form, only needing a small space.”
That wasn’t really the reason though.
Seeing him covered in blood, Feng Li’s clothes today were just woven by Cloud Lady, and he was reluctant to dirty them.
But with things said to this extent, Feng Li felt he had been saddled with a clingy snake, feeling as if he’d been scammed.
Feng Li thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright then. But you can’t dirty my clothes, okay?”
Yingzhu smiled and said, “I won’t.”
He spoke. “If they get dirty, this lord will compensate you with a new set.”
****
And so Yingzhu moved into Feng Li’s residence at Penglai Academy.
He had a separate residence, and such a big man moving in went unnoticed by anyone at Penglai Academy.
Honestly, although Feng Li had brought him back.
He hadn’t learned how to care for patients, and seeing Yingzhu covered in blood, he simply took him to bathe in the hot spring behind the mountain.
Yingzhu glanced at it without saying anything.
Feng Li asked. “What’s wrong?”
There was mischief in Yingzhu’s eyes. “Nothing, just thinking that the pot the young god has found now should be big enough to stew this lord.”
Feng Li’s cheeks reddened, knowing he was deliberately teasing him.
But since he was at fault first, he magnanimously forgave the other like a father forgiving his son.
This hot spring was drawn from the Li Spring water of the Ninth Heaven.
Though called a spring pool, it was actually extremely large, almost as big as a small mountain. Looking out, it was misty and hazy, the edges almost invisible.
When Yingzhu entered the water, he intentionally revealed his true form.
This little phoenix was naive and innocent, not recognizing the dragon race, having mistaken him for a small water snake. Now as Yingzhu transformed into his true form, he was a formidable creature, his dragon body submerged in the water, black scales as hard as fine iron, divine might terrifying, presence shocking. If ordinary deities saw this, they would have already weakened at the knees under his cultivation.
Feng Li stood at the edge of the hot spring, seeing this enormous being, his phoenix eyes widened, looking somewhat adorable.
Yingzhu glanced at him nonchalantly and said slowly, “This is this lord’s true appearance.”
He paused. “Now do you know who this lord is?”
Feng Li came to his senses, the shock not fading from his eyes. “So…”
So handsome, so scary, so likable, or so mighty?
“Such a big water snake!”
Yingzhu slowly closed his eyes.
This bird’s thought process was a bit problematic.
****
The evening meal was prepared by Feng Li himself.
Considering that Yingzhu was injured, Feng Li even borrowed a medicinal cuisine recipe book from Penglai Academy’s library and stewed everything according to it.
After it was done, he brought it to Yingzhu.
Looking at the black and purple bubbling dinner before him, Yingzhu slowly asked, “What is this?”
“This is medicinal cuisine,” Feng Li said. “Hurry and eat it, it’s very nourishing.”
Yingzhu suspected that after eating this, he would directly perish from the world tonight.
“Although it doesn’t look good,” Feng Li explained, “its taste is also particularly bad.”
Yingzhu laughed. “Thank you for the young god’s ineffective comfort.”
Feng Li also felt a bit embarrassed.
But his cooking skills were indeed poor. “Don’t be picky, after all, I cooked it with care, it was quite troublesome for me.”
Yingzhu smiled. “Then thank you for your trouble, young god?”
Feng Li said, “It’s good that you know it was trouble for me.”
Yingzhu scooped up a spoonful and drank it without changing his expression.
Feng Li was a bit nervous. “How does it taste? Is it good?”
Yingzhu swallowed. “Does the young god want to hear the truth or a lie?”
Feng Li: “Which one sounds better?”
Yingzhu said, “The lie.”
Feng Li: “.”
He rubbed his nose tip and tried to persuade. “Well, you should know, there’s a saying that good medicine tastes bitter. Generally, good medicine is very unpalatable, so just bear with it.”
“I was joking,” Yingzhu said. “The young god’s medicinal cuisine is very delicious.”
“Really?” Feng Li was half-believing, half-doubting.
“Really,” Yingzhu nodded.
Feng Li suddenly smiled. His features were naturally bright and beautiful, like the most vivid stroke in a landscape painting.
With this smile, the hint of coolness on his face completely vanished, as if even the light of the sun and moon in the world dimmed at that moment.
Yingzhu was dazed for a moment.
It was the first time he felt his heart beat a bit faster than usual.
Feng Li said, “That’s good then. I’ll make more for you tomorrow!”
Later, Feng Li learned of Yingzhu’s identity through an accident.
Just as he said, for the next full month, Feng Li carefully prepared medicinal cuisine for Yingzhu every day.
After all, in all his life, Yingzhu was the first person who could eat what he made without changing expression.
This greatly encouraged Feng Li’s cooking mood. After eating for a whole month, not only had Yingzhu’s injuries not been cured by this medicinal cuisine, they had actually gotten worse. Until one day, Yingzhu’s face was pale, as if an old illness had flared up.
Feng Li was startled and hurriedly invited an ancient god skilled in medicine to treat him.
As soon as the ancient god entered the room and saw Yingzhu, he was so frightened his face turned paler than Yingzhu’s.
Before Yingzhu could stop him, the ancient god had already dropped to his knees. “Supreme God Yingzhu!”
Feng Li’s face also turned white.
Especially after the ancient god examined Yingzhu’s condition and found that it wasn’t an old illness flaring up.
Feng Li stood by the bed, hesitating, “He’s been recovering for a month, but there’s no sign of improvement. If it’s not an old illness flaring up, then what is it?”
The ancient god said seriously, “From the looks of it, it seems to be…”
Feng Li listened carefully.
The ancient god said solemnly. “Food poisoning!”
Feng Li felt his life wouldn’t last much longer.
****
After that, Yingzhu left.
Feng Li also tried to forget this disastrous first meeting, trembling with fear.
After all, in heaven and earth, within all realms.
There had never been a bird bold enough to stew and eat the Father God. Not only that, after carefully caring for him for a month, he had given Yingzhu food poisoning.
If it wasn’t tasty, couldn’t he have said so?
He actually ate it for a whole month.
Suspecting this supreme god had some issues with his taste buds!
Fortunately, the realm was vast, and it wasn’t like he would run into Yingzhu every time.
But somehow, Yingzhu, who had never come to Penglai Academy before, actually agreed to come and teach.
Feng Li thought he wasn’t really coming to teach.
Could it be that he remembered the humiliating month he spent here and was coming back to settle accounts?
So Feng Li spent his days at Penglai Academy in trepidation.
Wherever Yingzhu was, he would never appear, always avoiding him. Coming and going, there was actually no chance to meet.
“Then what happened later? When the Emperor was avoiding you, how did you win the beauty?” Recalling this time, a friend couldn’t help but ask, placing down a chess piece. “For someone like you, besides cultivation, I really can’t imagine how you knew how to pursue someone.”
“I didn’t know,” Yingzhu said. “But I had guidance from a master.”
At that time, the news of Old Xuanwu arranging a marriage for Feng Li had spread throughout the realm of gods and demons.
Even though Yingzhu was usually calm, at this point when he couldn’t see Feng Li at all, he couldn’t sit still anymore.
The Taiyin Goddess was drinking tea with him in the Moon Palace. Seeing his state, she gave him some advice. “If you want someone to know your intentions, you must let them know what kind of person you are.”
Yingzhu asked, “What does the goddess mean?”
“It means letting him know about your past,” the Taiyin Goddess said. “Let him know that you are a reliable, responsible man who can be entrusted with a lifetime. After all, most mortal women greatly admire brave and valiant men.”
Yingzhu pondered for a moment and said, “I understand.”
So Feng Li was caught by Yingzhu on his way after class.
He was startled. Yingzhu didn’t say anything, just grabbed his wrist and brought him to Biluo River.
Biluo River stretched endlessly before them, with thunderous lightning and rolling purple-black clouds gathering into a bottomless abyss.
Any deity who committed a wrongdoing had to jump into Biluo River to receive the punishment of the lightning tribulation, never to return.
Feng Li remembered all the times he had been disrespectful to the Father God.
His face instantly turned white.
If he had transformed into his true form.
Probably all the feathers on his body would have stood on end.
Yingzhu looked at the Biluo River before him and spoke. “This Biluo River was formed when this lord separated the Primordial River during the chaotic beginning of heaven and earth.”
If there was anything worth mentioning.
The only thing Yingzhu could think of was the creation of heaven and earth.
It counted as something to be proud of.
Feng Li didn’t dare to make a sound.
Yingzhu then pointed to the abyss formed by Biluo River. “This abyss has the most terrifying lightning tribulation in the realm. This lord once cultivated here, enduring forty-nine days of lightning tribulation, and still remained indestructible.”
Showing off his strong cultivation and reliable side a bit.
Feng Li was so scared his whole bird-self wasn’t doing well.
What did Yingzhu mean by saying this? Was he telling him that his cultivation was supreme, and crushing him would be like crushing an ant?
After saying all this.
Yingzhu pondered for a moment, then spoke. “I hear you’re arranging a marriage recently?”
Feng Li nodded, trembling.
Yingzhu said, “In terms of looks, this lord considers himself passable. In terms of cultivation, in this realm, I can be counted among the top. What do you think?”
Feng Li spoke. “The Supreme God’s cultivation is powerful, the first in the realm, no one doesn’t submit.”
As soon as he finished speaking.
A heaven-shaking lightning tribulation fell within Biluo River.
It illuminated Feng Li’s pale cheeks. The beauty’s eyes were red from fright, tears about to fall but not quite. He glanced tremblingly at the abyss beside him, his voice almost sobbing, “I know the Supreme God’s cultivation is powerful, and I can’t escape death today, but can you not throw me down there? I can actually jump myself…”
Yingzhu was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Why would you think that?”
Feng Li was already crying from fear.
Yingzhu was instantly at a loss.
“You asked me to come here today, isn’t it because I once poisoned you, and you want to threaten me at Biluo River, kill me to silence me?”
Yingzhu seemed somewhat incredulous and said, “Why would this lord throw you into Biluo River?”
He said, “I asked you out today just to ask you one thing.”
Yingzhu pondered for a moment, then spoke a bit nervously, “If this lord wants to take you as a wife, what do you think?”
This time, it was Feng Li’s turn to be stunned.
For a long time, there was nothing but thunder from Biluo River.
Yingzhu had lived for tens of thousands of years, but all that time added together wasn’t as long as this moment waiting for an answer.
After a while, he heard Feng Li’s voice, tinged with tears. “Then, if I don’t agree, will you still throw me into Biluo River?”
Yingzhu laughed, a bit helplessly. “No.”
“If you don’t agree,” Yingzhu said leisurely, “this lord will just have to be heartbroken and jump into Biluo River himself.”
He used his old trick to persuade. “Ah Li might as well agree to this lord. After all, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.”
