Song Liuhua was secretly astonished upon receiving five hundred thousand Spirit Jade Coins from Feng Ci.
Not to mention the hundred thousand Spirit Jade Coins betrothal gift, Feng Ci had recently claimed to purchase the neighboring residence, but in reality, he bought two adjacent households’ properties and was currently having them renovated into a single compound.
Song Liuhua grinned wryly.
Who would have thought that the cheap husband she randomly picked up on the roadside turned out to be a hidden tycoon.
This kind of treatment, if placed in a novel, would only befit the female lead. In her previous life, anyone picked up like this would likely have been a scammer.
Song Liuhua gleefully stored the Spirit Jade Coin Card in her spatial bracelet. With her fixed assets now totaling six hundred thousand Spirit Jade Coins, even if things didn’t work out with Feng Ci in the future, she’d still be a wealthy woman.
Picking up a piece of Spirit Fruit Cake, she took a bite. The refreshing fragrance of spirit fruit overflowed, soft and glutinous, melting in her mouth with excellent flavor. Song Liuhua squinted her eyes in enjoyment.
Extremely satisfying.
After several days of recuperation, her body was no longer weak. The injuries left by the original host had mostly healed. That night, she finally managed to get a good night’s sleep.
Early morning, Song Liuhua rose early.
The hunt at West River Ridge would last at least ten days to half a month. While accommodation and food were arranged by Feng Ci, she still needed to bring her own change of clothes.
Song Liuhua packed several simple dresses and changed into a semi-old green female martial garb. She braided her long hair into two lengthy plaits, folding and letting them hang in front of her chest.
Her skin was fair, tender, and delicate, without even a trace of pores. Considering this was a hunting trip, she decided applying makeup was unnecessary.
When Feng Ci arrived, she was roughly wiping her plain, clean face with a damp handkerchief.
Her skin was delicate, and with just a little force, her cheeks turned bright red.
Feng Ci found her face-washing as vigorous as scrubbing bowls with a rag somewhat amusing. He placed the food container in his hand on the table. “Granny Yang made spirit rice porridge and spirit fruit soup. You and elder brother should have breakfast first.”
Since tasting Granny Yang’s Spirit Fruit Cake last night, Song Liuhua had even dreamed about it. Hearing she had made other dishes, she poured out the face-washing water, called out to her elder brother, and sat down to enjoy the meal.
Feng Ci casually served her a bowl of spirit rice porridge. “Granny Yang has good skills. She usually helps with household chores and cooking. If you like what she makes, we can bring her over once the neighboring residence is renovated.”
Song Liuhua swallowed the warm, soft, and fragrant spirit rice porridge, nodding in agreement.
Outside the city walls.
Dozens of massive flying boats were stationed on the flat ground.
Many people gathered here.
Men, women, old, and young, carrying baskets and backpacks, clustered in small groups, chattering noisily, creating a lively atmosphere.
The largest flying boat belonged to the Mercenary Guild. Viewed from below, it stood like a colossal entity outside the city walls.
Common folks and various mercenary teams queued to pay boarding fees, then ascended the boat with their backpacks and baskets.
The remaining medium and small flying boats belonged to various major families, carrying their own clan members.
When Song Liuhua, Feng Ci, and Song Yuan arrived, all of the Feng family’s spirit masters had already assembled.
Feng Ci, dressed in a sleek black martial attire today, looked dashing with his handsome features. With a wave of his hand,
A light brown, small flying boat capable of accommodating three to four hundred people appeared on the flat ground. Hundreds of people boarded the flying boat in an orderly queue.
Song Liuhua noticed several women at the tail of the line; they were likely the Feng family’s pharmacists and Artifact Refiners.
Boarding the flying boat.
Song Liuhua stood on the deck, marveling at the mountains and forests below. Unfamiliar exotic beasts roared as they flew past, and occasionally some birds or creatures would charge toward the flying boat. Before they could get close, the Martial Spirit Masters stationed along the edges would control their spirit swords to strike them down. This was far more interesting than taking an airplane.
Feng Ci approached from behind, gently holding her slightly cool hands. A trace of concern flickered across his handsome face. “It will take half a day to reach West River Ridge. The wind is strong out here, and your constitution is weak. Go inside and rest for a while.”
“Alright.”
Having grown somewhat tired of the scenery outside, she obediently followed Feng Ci back to the room.
His room was the largest on the entire flying boat. Song Liuhua curiously looked around—inside was a bed, a desk, and two official’s armchairs, all extremely minimalistic.
Feng Ci took out a small basket of spirit fruits, a few plates of spirit fruit cakes made by Granny Yang, a pot of spirit fruit tea, and some snacks that girls enjoy from his storage space, placing them on the desk. He ruffled Song Liuhua’s head gently. “Rest for a while. If you get hungry, have some snacks to tide you over.”
Song Liuhua mustered the courage to hug him. “Then go attend to your duties.”
Feng Ci was taken aback for a moment before turning around with a gentle smile.
Feng Ci’s bed was soft and carried his unique, refreshing scent. Song Liuhua threw herself onto the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
At noon, the flying boat arrived at West River Ridge.
Feng Ci returned to the room and looked at his wife, her cheeks flushed from sleep. A soft expression flashed in his eyes. He gently pinched the soft flesh on her cheek and called to her warmly, “Liu Hua, wake up. We’ve arrived at West River Ridge.”
Song Liuhua, still drowsy, rubbed her reddened eyes and mumbled, “So soon?”
“Not particularly. We encountered more birds and beasts than usual today, which delayed us by half an hour.”
Feng Ci fetched her outer robe, helped her into it, and led her out of the flying boat.
He pointed to the valley ahead. “We’ll be hunting there shortly. If you get bored, you can explore the area. If you tire, come back to the flying boat to rest.”
“The flying boat has a protective barrier. This is the jade token to bypass it.” Feng Ci took out a dark jade token and hung it around Song Liuhua’s neck.
“Feng Yi, Feng Qing, you two stay behind to protect the lady. If anything happens, contact me using the spirit communication stone.”
“Yes!”
As soon as Feng Ci finished speaking, two handsome young men stepped out from the team.
“The rest of you, let’s move out.” Feng Ci gave Song Liuhua’s hand a gentle squeeze before leading the team deeper into the mountains.
“Yes!” A powerful, unified response echoed through the wilderness.
Song Liuhua watched Feng Ci’s team disappear before turning her attention to Feng Yi and Feng Qing.
Both were around sixteen or seventeen years old. Feng Yi had a boyish, delicate face with a pair of adorable dimples. Feng Qing was more composed, his handsome face expressionless, showing potential for a stoic demeanor.
“What are your cultivation levels?”
“Third tier.” Feng Qing didn’t answer, but Feng Yi replied with a smile, “Both Feng Qing and I are third-tier Martial Spirit Masters.”
“Oh, that’s quite accomplished for your age.”
Song Liuhua could tell they might not be thrilled about being assigned as her bodyguards, but she wasn’t bothered. As long as they didn’t openly show their displeasure in front of her, she didn’t care what they thought.
After all, if danger arose, would they really not protect her?
Many women and children with baskets on their backs had already begun foraging, scooping up every edible wild vegetable or fruit into their containers. Even four- or five-year-old children moved deftly, spotting wild greens and wielding their small iron shovels with remarkable speed.
Song Liuhua stood rooted to the spot, flanked by two guards, which naturally made her the subject of others’ gossip.
Several women clustered together, their hands swiftly digging up wild vegetables while their mouths chattered incessantly, occasionally stealing glances in her direction.