The main hall of the Feng Residence.
A middle-aged man dressed in a dark robe sat in the seat of honor, dignity apparent between his brows. Beside him sat a beautiful and graceful woman.
Feng Xiaoxiao bowed slightly and respectfully addressed the people in the seat of honor: “Father, mother.”
“I heard that Feng Luan Tamed the Silver Wolf?”
Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaoxiao’s eyes were as cold as if tempered with poison. She answered truthfully, “This daughter believes it was merely a stroke of luck.”
Murderous intent filled Feng Cheng’s shrewd eyes. “If she truly isn’t a good-for-nothing, then kill her.”
Feng Xiaoxiao lowered her head. “Yes, Father.”
Liu E curved her red lips into a smile and gently stroked her hair with her slender fingers. Who would have thought that this woman, who appeared to be in her twenties, was actually already over forty?
This was Feng Xiaoxiao’s mother.
“In my opinion, Husband, you’re being far too cautious. Feng Luan has lost the Phoenix Divine Bone...”
Before she could finish, Feng Cheng interrupted her. “The Phoenix Divine Bone was Xiaoxiao’s to begin with. What does it have to do with Feng Luan?”
Liu E immediately understood. He was afraid that walls had ears.
“Xiaoxiao, you possess the Divine Bone. You must win Ye Chen over. In the Black Tortoise Kingdom, only you are worthy of becoming the Crown Princess and, in the future, the mother of the realm.” When Feng Cheng spoke the current crown prince’s name, there was not the slightest emotion in his voice.
Feng Xiaoxiao nodded. “Yes, Father.”
“Dad, Mom!” Feng Qingqing entered the main hall in a grand manner, leading Bi Yan and the others, her swollen face held high.
Feng Cheng frowned upon seeing her. “What happened to the injury on your face?” As he spoke, he looked at the maidservants led by Bi Yan. Their garments were tattered, and their faces were covered in bloody, mangled flesh, as though they had been pierced by something.
Liu E’s face filled with concern. Feng Qingqing stepped forward and buried herself against her legs, crying, “mother, look at me. Am I disfigured?”
As she cried, she lifted her face toward Liu E. It was bruised blue and purple, with an enormous bump on her forehead.
Liu E carefully examined the wounds, her voice anxious and furious. “Who did this? Who dared beat you like this?”
Feng Qingqing said, “It was that good-for-nothing Feng Luan! I merely said a few words to her, yet she attacked me viciously. She even said that there was nothing good about anyone from our Feng Family.”
Although these words were somewhat exaggerated, they did indeed reflect Feng Luan’s thoughts.
Feng Qingqing had wanted to complain yesterday, but Feng Cheng and Liu E had not been within the capital city. They had only returned today.
Thus, she had Bi Yan go to the rear mountain to bring Feng Luan out. She had not expected Feng Luan to toy with Bi Yan and the others so thoroughly.
Feng Cheng slammed his hand onto the table. “How dare she!”
Seeing the injuries on her precious daughter’s face, Liu E’s hatred for Feng Luan grew even deeper. She glanced sideways at Feng Cheng and said, “Husband, in my opinion, Feng Luan cannot be allowed to live. Qingqing is a third-rank spirit adept, and she also has Bi Yan and little tiger. Feng Luan will certainly become a source of trouble in the future...”
Feng Xiaoxiao stood in the main hall and merely frowned upon hearing this.
Feng Cheng had long wanted to eliminate Feng Luan. He had refrained from acting all these years only to preserve his reputation.
Now, if Feng Luan was not a good-for-nothing...
Feng Cheng said, “Xiaoxiao, find an opportunity to eliminate Feng Luan.”
Feng Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes. “Yes, Father.”
Feng Cheng waved his hand. “You may leave.” After saying this, he seemed to remember something and continued, “The crown prince’s birthday is in two days. Find a way to make the crown prince bring up the broken engagement before the emperor.”
Feng Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes. “Yes, Father.”
“Then leave for now.”
Feng Xiaoxiao bent slightly and turned to leave. Behind her came the joyful voices of the three people, as though she were an outsider.
A trace of coldness and disdain passed across her beautiful face. After pausing for a moment, she left without the slightest attachment.
The rear mountain of the Feng Residence.
Inside the room, Feng Luan moved her hands back and forth, circulating the spiritual power in her hands and controlling the flame’s intensity around the alchemy furnace. Wisps of green smoke rose together with a faint medicinal fragrance.
Ding—
It was the sound of pills colliding. The pills had finished being Refined.
Feng Luan’s eyes lit up with excitement. Once the pills were complete, she withdrew her spiritual power and spiritual power. The alchemy furnace floating in the air slowly shrank before gently landing on the tabletop.
She lifted the lid, and strands of fragrance rushed toward her. Five plump pills lay inside the alchemy furnace.
Seeing this, Feng Luan looked disappointed.
“Why are there only five pills...”
If the people of the world knew what Feng Luan was thinking at that moment, they would surely believe she was showing off. Yet she did not mean it that way. She merely felt that it was a pity to have Refined only five pills from so many medicinal materials.
Unfortunately, she did not know that even those called Geniuses could not Refine five pills immediately upon first entering the field.
They frequently blew up their alchemy furnaces and could even consume hundreds of batches of medicinal materials.
Feng Luan put away the alchemy furnace, took out a small porcelain bottle, and placed the five marrow-cleansing pills inside.
“Creak.”
Feng Luan stepped out of the room, and the first person she saw was Feng Wu.
During this period, she often traveled back and forth between the medicinal materials shop and the Feng Residence. Feng Wu, meanwhile, had remained by her side the entire time, whether she was practicing alchemy or sleeping, without a single complaint.
Feng Luan’s long, narrow phoenix eyes softened slightly. “Go inside and rest.”
Feng Wu replied, “What about you?”
Feng Luan said, “I have something to do. I’ll be back soon.”
Feng Wu had always been obedient. He nodded and said, “All right. Come back soon, and be careful.”
Feng Luan chuckled, her vermilion lips curving lazily. “Don’t worry. I’m only going to the medicinal materials shop for a moment. I’ll be back soon.”
After speaking, she picked up the veiled hat from behind the door and put it on. Her white garments were whiter than snow.
Feng Wu could not help looking at her twice. “All right.”
Feng Luan waved her hand and left.
After a short while, when Feng Luan’s aura had faded into the distance, Feng Wu calmly spoke to the air. “Xuan Yi.”
Xuan Yi leaped down from the tree in front of the courtyard and landed steadily before Feng Wu. Supporting himself with one hand, he lowered his head and respectfully said, “king.”
Feng Wu lowered his eyes. “Send Xuan Wu, Xuan Liu, and the others to protect her in secret.”
Xuan Yi nodded. “Yes.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished, as though a breeze had passed by, leaving not the slightest trace of his aura.
This was the unique secret art of the shadow guards of the Profound Hall. Once one became a shadow guard, one had to learn how to conceal and erase all traces of one’s aura. Thus, no matter how high the other party’s cultivation was, they could not detect the shadow guards’ presence.
Elsewhere, the Central Realm Profound Hall.
The island was covered with wutong trees. It was heavily guarded, with people patrolling everywhere. A formation had been established outside the island, preventing all idle outsiders from entering.
Outside the main hall, a young woman in a green gauze skirt stood with two maidservants behind her. She stopped the patrolling Xuan Guards, her tone somewhat arrogant, as though speaking to them was an act of charity.
“Where is your hall master?”
The Xuan guard neither humbled nor overbearing replied, “In response to Miss Xiao, this subordinate does not know.”
Xiao Yu sneered. “How can you know nothing about anything? What use are you?”
The Xuan guard remained expressionless. “This subordinate has no authority to interfere with the hall master’s whereabouts.”
These words left Xiao Yu unable to retort. “Once I become the hall master’s madam, I’ll make him drive all of you out.”
After issuing her threat, Xiao Yu snorted and turned to leave, causing the Xuan Guards behind her to reveal looks of disdain.
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