Chapter 772: This Is Chicken Soup
Chapter 772: This Is Chicken Soup
After Pabluo made her suggestion and attempted to close the cupboard door, Cang Feilan’s hand firmly pressed against the doorframe.
She turned her head and her gaze was icy.
Qin Feng swallowed hard, and instinctively stepped back.
He wanted to explain, but at that moment, light footsteps sounded at the door.
A figure in white, holding a bowl of soup, entered the room and then saw clearly what was going on in the room.
The husband looked panicked, Feilan was also there, and there were two other women in the closet.
Turning her head to look at the table, there was a bowl of soup that was as steaming as her hand. It had obviously been brewed not long ago.
Thinking of the agreement she had made with Feilan before, Liu Jianli closed her eyes slightly and moved the soup behind her expressionlessly. Then with a flick of her finger, a meteor streaked across the night sky.
‘Wife, you’ve turned naughty, where did you learn that?’ Qin Feng had a strange look on his face after seeing the series of actions.
He couldn’t believe Jianli, who was so straightforward, would have such tricks up her sleeve!“What’s going on here?” Liu Jianli’s voice was calm as she began her interrogation.
As the four women sat around the table, listening to Qin Feng’s explanation, he repeatedly emphasized the innocence of the situation and clarified why they were hiding in the cupboard.
Before the two wives could speak, Pabluo, one of the suspects, nodded and said, “I see, so that’s why there’s another person hiding in the cupboard. Hey, are you here to continue the bloodline with Qin Feng and bear powerful offspring?”
With those words, the cool night seemed to grow even colder, and sweat beaded on Qin Feng’s forehead.
Feeling the gazes of Liu Jianli and Cang Feilan, Su Tianyue calmly lifted a teacup from the table, took a sip, and said, “I’m leaving for Tushan tonight. I just wanted to say goodbye to him before I go, that’s all.”
Liu Jianli remained composed.
But Cang Feilan’s vigilance did not diminish in the slightest. “You’re coming to say goodbye to him in the middle of the night? If you’re not guilty, why hide in the cupboard?”
Su Tianyue didn’t answer directly but replied with a smile, “Naturally, it’s to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, just like your reason for wanting to hide in the cupboard.”
Ah, Qin Feng widened his eyes, realizing that the old tricks still worked!
With this sudden turn of events, the pressure instantly shifted to Cang Feilan.
Curious, Liu Jianli asked, “Feilan, why were you hiding?”
Cang Feilan felt a bit awkward, as she couldn’t admit to wanting to spend the night quietly with her husband.
After a moment of hesitation, she carefully chose her words, “I saw that my husband had just reached the second rank, so I brewed a pot of chicken soup to nourish him. But when I entered the room, I noticed something unusual in the cupboard. Upon opening it, I found them inside. It was at that moment that you arrived, Sister Jianli.”
“Is this chicken soup?” Liu Jianli glanced at the table, where the previously steaming soup had cooled down. It was identical to the one she had brought.
As the custodian of the old family secret recipe, she and Cang Feilan had brewed it countless times and were very familiar with it.
She was about to pick up the soup to inspect it when Cang Feilan snatched it away, then swiftly flicked her hand, causing a shooting star to streak across the night sky.
Feeling the strange gazes of the others, Cang Feilan explained, “The soup has gone cold and wouldn’t taste good anymore, so I decided to discard it.”
Even the usually strong-willed Cang Feilan could only come up with such a forced excuse.
After a moment, she suddenly remembered something and asked, “Sister Jianli, when you came here, you seemed to be holding something in your hand?”
“Was I?” Liu Jianli averted her gaze.
Pabluo nodded. “Yes, and it smelled exactly like the soup on the table just now.”
The pressure shifted to Liu Jianli.
She took a deep breath, her eyelashes trembling slightly. “It was also chicken soup.”
Qin Feng struggled to keep a straight face.
“If it was chicken soup, why did you throw it away?” Su Tianyue, enjoying the spectacle, completely forgot her status as a suspect.
“I put too much salt in that batch, so I planned to make a fresh one and threw it away,” Liu Jianli replied softly.
“I see.” Su Tianyue nodded slightly.
The tense atmosphere, which had been on the brink, eased slightly because of the two bowls of soup.
After a brief silence, Qin Feng cleared his throat and said, “I appreciate the thoughtfulness of both my wives. As for the chicken soup, it’s late, so there’s no need to bother making it again.”
Well, just think of it as giving me a day off.
“Chief Tianyue, helping you through the ordeal of the Heavenly Tribulation was just a small favor. If you really want to thank me, perhaps you could remember this favor. Perhaps in the future, I might need your help,” Qin Feng suggested.
“Sure,” Su Tianyue replied with a smile.
“As for you,” Qin Feng looked at Pabluo, who was looking at him with an eager expression.
“Go back and rest early!”
“Huh?” Pabluo was reluctant. “But what about continuing the bloodline?”
“You have to figure it out yourself.” Qin Feng’s expression froze
Just then, a waiter from the tavern passed by outside and saw Liu Jianli and Cang Feilan inside. He hurriedly said, “Ladies, if you’ve finished using the medicine bowl you borrowed earlier, remember to return them to me.”
“Not medicine bowls, they’re bowls for chicken soup,” both women replied simultaneously.
“Chicken soup?” The waiter was puzzled. When have these two ever made chicken soup?
In the end, he received compensation of ten copper coins. After all, the two borrowed bowls had long since disappeared.
The next day, when the sunlight shone on the Floating Dragon Hall, Emperor Ming arrived.
He approached the Coiling Dragon Pillar and looked at the eight golden dragons with a look of satisfaction on his face.
The officials beside him all congratulated him, calling him the founding emperor of the prosperous age and prosperous era who would be remembered for eternity.
Just then, the Prison Department suddenly appeared in the Floating Dragon Hall.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Ming immediately dismissed everyone else.
The Prison Department reported on the events in the extreme regions of the Western Domain and revealed that Qin Feng had successfully reached the Second Stage during this expedition.
Emperor Ming’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
Eunuch Li exclaimed, “Second Stage?!”
It was worth noting that Qin Feng was only in his early twenties. Looking across the land, who else could achieve such an accomplishment?
Before this, Liu Jianli was the youngest Third Ranked individual in The Great Qian’s history.
So, Qin Feng was now the Youngest Second Ranked!
It was no exaggeration to say that this achievement, even if looked back upon for hundreds or thousands of years, might never be matched!
Eunuch Li couldn’t help but recall the first time he met Qin Feng. Back then, Qin Feng was just a scholar who had recently reached the sixth rank. In just two short years, he had changed beyond recognition!
“With such talent, Young Master Qin may well inherit the mantle of the Heavenly Tower National Teacher in the future,” Eunuch Li said, naturally holding such expectations given Qin Feng’s cultivation speed.
Emperor Ming’s eyes carried a smile, showing his satisfaction with Qin Feng as well.
However, the following words from the Prison Department caused Emperor Ming’s good mood to dissipate by half.
“Besides the disaster in the extreme regions of the Western Domain, there have been extremely strange phenomena in the four domains of The Great Qian.”
“Near the rifts leading to the Immortal Realm and the Netherworld, deceased individuals who have not been cremated properly have begun to rise from the grave, turning into eerie creatures that are neither human nor ghost.
“Only by completely incinerating their bodies can we prevent them from resurrecting.”
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li’s expression changed drastically. “Are they… corpse demons?”
The Prison Department shook its head. “If they were corpse demons, they wouldn’t fear fire, and it wouldn’t be possible for them to spread across The Great Qian’s four domains in such a short time. This phenomenon only began recently, perhaps related to the creatures in the Western Domain.”
Emperor Ming closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
During the reign of Emperor Tianxuan, the eight golden dragons were awakened due to his effective governance. Although the exact reason for his ultimate failure was rarely recorded in historical texts, it was clearly stated in the royal archives.
It was a reason known only to a few—the descent of Gods and Demons!
Although the human race assembled powerful forces to drive the Gods and Demons back to the Immortal Realm, it still resulted in countless casualties and injuries, leading to the decline of the nation’s fortune.
As the saying goes, “What goes up must come down.” These words left by Emperor Tianxuan are a stern warning to future generations!
Could it be that this stern warning will be verified once again?
Emperor Ming opened his eyes again and issued a series of commands.
“Spread the word: in all regions of The Great Qian, if there are deceased individuals, they must all be cremated without exception.”
“In areas near the rifts, deploy troops along with the Demon Slaying Department. If there are any issues, report immediately.”
“Arrange for me to meet with the National Teacher.”
At the peak of the Grand Literature Academy, Emperor Ming sat opposite the Heavenly Tower National Teacher.
“National Teacher, do you know about the current changes occurring in The Great Qian’s four domains?” Emperor Ming inquired.
The Heavenly Tower National Teacher nodded slightly. “The laws of the Netherworld are in chaos, causing the balance between life and death in the three realms to be disrupted, leading to the return of the deceased and the resurrection of the dead.”
“Will it ease over time?” Emperor Ming frowned.
“It will only worsen,” came the response.
“Are there any solutions?”
“To resolve it, there are two methods. First, completely sever the connection between this realm and the Netherworld realm, so that the souls will not be drawn into the Underworld but will instead dissipate completely in this realm.”
“However, the downside is that the Yin Qi in this realm will proliferate, and the disasters caused by demons and ghosts will far exceed those of the past.”
Emperor Ming’s expression turned solemn. “And the second method?”
“Correct the laws of the Netherworld realm, and dust will return to dust, and soil will return to earth, once and for all,” the Heavenly Tower National Teacher said lightly.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Emperor Ming had an answer in his heart.
He wanted to establish an era of peace and prosperity, not merely to temporarily suppress troubles.
If he left disasters to future generations, how would that be any different from not governing the country at all?
“How difficult would it be to implement this method?” Emperor Ming asked solemnly.
The Heavenly Tower National Teacher did not answer directly, but his silence spoke volumes.
“I understand,” Emperor Ming said.
The atmosphere fell into silence for a while, and after a long time, Emperor Ming spoke again. “Actually, I have a question that I’ve been wanting to ask the National Teacher for a long time.”
“Your Majesty, please ask.”
“The National Teacher is known for his profound wisdom. Since the establishment of The Great Qian, you have been protecting it.”
“The founding emperor, Emperor Tianxuan, governed the country wisely, awakening the eight golden dragons. We were on the verge of an era of peace and prosperity. What was the reason for his ultimate failure? Was it truly just because of the descent of the Gods and Demons?”
“Do you also believe, Your Majesty, that the awakening of the nine golden dragons would bring great prosperity to the nation, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity?” the Heavenly Tower National Teacher countered.
“This belief has been passed down through the generations, combined with everything that has happened since the awakening of the golden dragons. Although I was initially skeptical, I now believe it,” Emperor Ming replied.
After all, whenever the golden dragons awakened, The Great Qian repeatedly averted disasters, so Emperor Ming naturally believed that there was an inevitable connection between the two.
However, the Heavenly Tower National Teacher said indifferently, “Those who can create an era of peace and prosperity have never relied on such rumors. Everything depends on people.”
“What do you mean?” Emperor Ming asked, furrowing his brow.
The Heavenly Tower National Teacher answered with a question of his own: “Your Majesty wants to know why Emperor Tianxuan failed?”
“Yes.”
“He lacked some courage to sacrifice oneself for the greater good, to burn the bridges behind him.”
At the bottom of the Heavenly Tower, Eunuch Li was waiting. Seeing Emperor Ming emerge with a serious expression, he immediately bowed and approached.
Once they were in the carriage, Emperor Ming still looked deeply troubled.
Eunuch Li couldn’t help but worry. “Your Majesty, could it be that even the Heavenly Tower National Teacher can’t handle it?”
Emperor Ming shook his head, recalling the last words of the Heavenly Tower National Teacher — “Your Majesty, if this era of peace and prosperity requires you to wield the Xuanyuan Divine Slaying Sword, what would you do?”
He didn’t answer, but left instead.
The Xuanyuan Divine Slaying Sword, as the national sword, had been passed down through generations and was sealed within a scroll in the study. Only the ruler of the country could wield it by drawing it out. Its reputation for slaying gods was not unfounded, but the cost of wielding it far exceeded imagination.
Was it because Emperor Tianxuan hesitated at this step that he ultimately failed?
If it were him, would he also swing that sword?
There was silence in the carriage for a long time. Then Emperor Ming pinched his brow and suddenly asked, “How has Anya been recently?”
“Princess Anya is still the same as before. She often visits the Qin residence, but there hasn’t been much progress otherwise.”
Everyone could see that Princess Anya had ulterior motives, and those motives were related to Qin Feng!
Emperor Ming shook his head helplessly. Princess Anya possessed exceptional talent in national affairs and commerce, and even more so in her cultivation in the Literature Saint Dao Lineage. However, when it came to matters of love, she seemed clueless.
If only she had half of her mother’s abilities in that regard, she would have already captured the heart of the Qin Family boy!
“After Qin Feng returns, summon him to the palace on the second day. I want to see him.”
“I understand.”
On the other side, in the palace of the Empress, the elegant and noble Empress sighed helplessly as she watched her daughter’s joyful expression.
Just because she was praised by the Second Mother of the Qin Family with the words, “If someone can marry you, it must be a blessing accumulated over eight lifetimes,” she became so happy. But she hadn’t gotten married yet.
Princess Anya was almost a carbon copy of herself.
She inherited her appearance and intelligence, but when it came to maneuvering within the palace, Princess Anya seemed completely clueless.
Her gaze shifted slightly downward, and the Empress silently added in her heart, she also didn’t inherit her figure very well.
“So, how are you getting along with the two Wives of Qin Feng?”
“Do you mean Sister Jianli and Sister Feilan? We address each other as sisters, so our relationship is naturally good. Why did Mother suddenly ask about this?” Princess Anya asked curiously.
“Since you want to marry into the Qin Family, these two are the difficult obstacles you must face. Since your relationship is good, when they return with Qin Feng this time, you can subtly inquire about their attitudes,” the Empress explained.
Princess Anya’s cheeks flushed, feeling flustered as if her heart was in chaos. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded in agreement.
Unlike ordinary women, once she confirmed her feelings, she would go all out without hesitation.