Chapter 9: Chapter 199: White Tiger Totem

Suddenly, the White Tiger Beast vanished, turning into a wisp of green smoke. Feng Jiuge didn't pay it much mind; as long as it wouldn't attack her again, it was fine.

Die Wu transformed into human form, her lower legs looking somewhat red. Jiuge had no way to treat Die Wu's wound at the moment, so she said with a hint of guilt, "Die Wu, go find Gu Li. Tell him I asked you to; he will definitely help."

After seeing Die Wu off, Feng Jiuge returned to her previous spot to wait for Long Zhantian's return. Having defeated the White Tiger Beast, an extremely high-spirited Feng Jiuge took out the Dragon Soaring Whip, only to find that the bloodstains on it had disappeared.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed the grip felt different. Looking carefully, the originally smooth handle now featured a totem—it was a tiger, but not quite; the tiger on the totem also had a pair of wings on its back.

Feng Jiuge had a sudden realization. Combined with what she had seen and heard previously, she was certain that the totem on the Dragon Soaring Whip was the White Tiger Beast.

"It really came easy! The Dragon Soaring Whip even leveled up; it has gained the power of the White Tiger Beast and is no longer a lifeless object."

It turned out that when the White Tiger Beast turned into a wisp of green smoke, it hadn't vanished, but had been sealed inside the Dragon Soaring Whip.

In truth, Feng Jiuge had poured all of her spiritual energy into the Dragon Soaring Whip, giving it a certain level of sentience. After heavily wounding the White Tiger Beast, the remaining spiritual energy had sucked the beast into the whip, sealing it within.

After parting with Feng Jiuge, Die Wu went to the 'King's Altar' to find Gu Li, only to find that Yan Zijiao was still there. It turned out that Long Yuehua's condition had relapsed, and Yan Zijiao had rushed over upon hearing the news.

"Gu Li, if you have time, could you help me treat my wound?"

"What happened to you? How did you get burned? Jiuge, is she alright?" Yan Zijiao knew that after Die Wu obtained the whip made from Dragon Soaring Grass, she had immediately sent it to Feng Jiuge. Based on this, Jiuge must have been with Die Wu at the time.

"Jiuge is fine, I'm the one with the problem!" Die Wu said somewhat indignantly. A living, breathing patient was standing right in front of them, and they wouldn't even take a look? Was this even fair?

"However, since Jiuge introduced you, with me, Gu Li, here, I guarantee you won't even have a scar!" Gu Li said in a flirtatious tone, making Die Wu and Yan Zijiao feel a bit uncomfortable. Being a man, he turned into a sissy when it came to him.

Gu Li found White Spirit Ointment from his medicine cabinet and handed it to Die Wu, saying, "Apply it four times a day, with at least a two-hour interval between each application. After five days, I guarantee your skin will return to its delicate state."

He paused, then added, "Remember, the interval cannot be too short, otherwise, you must bear the consequences yourself!"

"Consequences? What consequences?" Die Wu asked.

"If the medication is used too aggressively, the skin can easily atrophy," Gu Li said seriously. As a healer, although he usually acted unreliable, Gu Li still maintained his medical ethics.

"Understood. Thanks for the medicine. We're leaving!" Die Wu waved the White Spirit Ointment and departed.

"By the way, how is Long Yuehua? She's showing rejection toward the Cold Night Flower; how can that be solved?" Yan Zijiao asked with concern.

"That's simple. You can solve it by offering yourself to her in marriage. That would be a win-win solution. Look at it this way: you save Long Yuehua, and while you're at it, you fulfill her wish, plus you get to enjoy the favors of a beauty. It's a great deal, isn't it?"

"Stop joking and be serious, can you?" Yan Zijiao was speechless. This Gu Li was truly... he didn't know what to say.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. Actually, the reason for the rejection is that her inner longing for you is too great, which prevents the Cold Night Flower from neutralizing the 'Three-Day Joy' within her body."

"I just need to get an enhanced version of the Cold Night Flower, then."

"Tell me the details. Is it... a different variety of Cold Night Flower, or are you going to..." Yan Zijiao couldn't quite grasp Gu Li's meaning.

"Actually, the Cold Night Flowers I have here grow in ordinary places. If you want to suppress the 'Three-Day Joy' acting up inside Princess Yuehua, it's best to go to a place called Bie Nan Mountain to gather materials. It's a place where sunlight is never seen year-round; the Cold Night Flowers that grow there possess the most potent Yin-poisonous properties."

"Where is Bie Nan Mountain?" Yan Zijiao inquired.

"Are you sure you want to go? I'm telling you, it's not a good place. One mistake and you'll be finished, never to return. Why do this for someone who isn't even related to you?" Gu Li had previously refused to take the risk for this very reason; after all, there weren't many places where the Cold Night Flower could be used.

It turned out that the Cold Night Flower was a flower that thrived in the cold. Very few people could find it and transplant it elsewhere. The reason it could be seen in other places was actually due to wind dispersal, where the seeds took root upon landing.

However, because purebred Cold Night Flowers did not grow in environments like Bie Nan Mountain, they lost their ultimate Yin and cold characteristics.

"Since this matter originated because of me, I should take responsibility. Give me a map, and I will go retrieve it," Yan Zijiao said with determination.

"Fine, but Long Yuehua's condition cannot be delayed. Therefore, you must bring the Cold Night Flower back within two days. Otherwise, even if you bring it back, it will be useless if it's past the deadline," Gu Li instructed.

After packing, Yan Zijiao left a letter for Feng Jiuge, asking Gu Li to deliver it to her, and then set off.

After seeing Yan Zijiao off, Gu Li went to Long Zhantian's study. He knew that since Long Zhantian was ignoring his beloved, there must be important matters to discuss, so he took the initiative to visit.

Just then, Xiao Feng came out of Long Zhantian's study, followed by the white-haired Master Xiu Yuan. After Gu Li exchanged greetings with them, he knocked on the door to signal his presence.

Seeing that Long Zhantian was also preparing to head out, Gu Li said with a grin, "Going to accompany your sweetheart? I heard they ran into danger. However... your sweetheart wasn't injured." Long Zhantian felt like hitting Gu Li for only saying half of it.

Gu Li was clearly trying to mock him; both men knew it well.

"By the way, won't your sweetheart be angry? When she was in danger, her sweetheart was nowhere to be found. Besides, when a woman is in trouble, the man doesn't even bother to help. I really envy that man."

"Sigh, oh right, Yan Zijiao asked me to give this letter to Feng Jiuge. Since the Lord is going to see her, it would be good to help me deliver it." Long Zhantian looked at it and saw it was addressed *To Jiuge's Eyes Only*.

"Where did Yan Zijiao go?"

"Reporting to the Lord, Yan Zijiao went to gather medicine for Princess Yuehua."

Gu Li brushed past the topic, thinking that Yan Zijiao wouldn't want Feng Jiuge to worry, so he didn't say more. Having delivered the letter, his job was done, so Gu Li didn't linger and left.

Long Zhantian did not delay for a moment. Having settled his affairs, he no longer had to worry about the matters of the 'King's Altar.'

Being alone, Feng Jiuge couldn't help but think of her mission: to prosper the Feng family and become the overlord of the Yuntu Continent. Thinking back to when she first met the red-robed Long Zhantian, not much time had passed, yet she had already fallen for him to a point of no return.

Knowing that the enemies she would face in the future were so powerful—and that they might even end up on opposing sides of a battlefield—Feng Jiuge felt a desire to escape.

Feng Jiuge understood that such thoughts were not allowed. Her brow felt a slight pain, clearly the work of the Word Curse. She calmed her emotions and rested for a moment; once she stopped thinking about it, she returned to normal.

When she arrived at her seat, Feng Jiuge was currently leaning against a tree resting, playing with a blade of grass in her hand, looking as if she were lost in thought or perhaps daydreaming. Long Zhantian never knew Feng Jiuge could be so quiet.

He tapped her shoulder from behind the tree. Feng Jiuge turned around but saw nothing; when she turned back, she found Long Zhantian standing right in front of her, looking down at her.

Feng Jiuge was surprised that Long Zhantian had returned so quickly. "Oh, you're back so soon."

"What, do you think I came back too early? Is there some unspeakable secret you don't want me to know?" Long Zhantian was hoping to learn about what had happened from Feng Jiuge.

Just thinking about her future with Long Zhantian, Feng Jiuge had lost the excitement of knowing the Dragon Soaring Whip had sealed a magical beast.

"How could that be? Why would I have secrets from you?" Feng Jiuge didn't realize Long Zhantian was referring to their encounter with the White Tiger Beast; she thought he was asking where she had been.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual about her body, Long Zhantian didn't press further. "By the way, this is a letter Yan Zijiao asked Gu Li to bring to you."

Feng Jiuge took the letter and finally understood. So, the "secret" Long Zhantian mentioned earlier referred to what had happened while he was away. It must have been that big mouth Gu Li, who saw Die Wu was injured and ran to report it to Long Zhantian.

Opening the envelope, the contents were as follows

*Jiuge, I have matters to attend to and must leave the 'Wind Demon Academy' for a while. I will return in two days. Be careful while you are out; do not be careless or underestimate your enemies. Do not worry. — Yan Zijiao.*

"Did Gu Li say why he left?"

"Not at all," Long Zhantian answered truthfully. He indeed didn't know.

"I am standing right in front of you, yet you dare to think of another man? Do you not hold me in any regard?" Long Zhantian was somewhat angry, seeing how worried Feng Jiuge was about Yan Zijiao.

"This jealousy doesn't taste good! Zijiao is my childhood friend."

Long Zhantian made no reaction and simply pulled Feng Jiuge forward. "I heard Die Wu was burned." One sentence made it clear he knew everything and she hadn't been honest.

"That was just a small matter. Oh, right, look at this!" Feng Jiuge took out her Dragon Soaring Whip and handed it to Long Zhantian.

"It's just a whip, what's there to see?" Long Zhantian was quite dismissive, speaking with disdain.

"Tsk, no appreciation for art. This is a whip made from Dragon Soaring Grass, and it even has a magical beast sealed inside; it has sentience!" Feng Jiuge shot Long Zhantian a glance to show her dissatisfaction.

As soon as Long Zhantian took it, he knew, though a trace of worry flickered in his heart.