Thank you, BlueMoon, for the ko-fi~
The young man’s throat moved instinctively in a swallow.
His most vulnerable spot was held in another’s hand. Yet his overwhelming sensation wasn’t fear but an uncontrollable excitement.
His usually composed eyes now faintly gleamed with light.
He stared at Feng Qi without even blinking.
Feng Qi’s hand gradually tightened its grip.
His strength was immense. He could easily snap the young man’s neck in a single second.
Yet even as he applied force, the young man showed no intention of resisting.
This level of docility hardly seemed befitting of a demon.
At the final moment, Feng Qi abruptly released his hold on the young man’s neck.
Choking and flushed from lack of air, the young man coughed softly once freed.
After coughing, he reached out and grasped Feng Qi’s hand. The very hand that had nearly ended his life.
He caressed it slowly with his fingertips, as if handling a piece of exquisite mutton-fat jade.
The atmosphere in the air seemed to thicken instantly.
The young man’s gaze grew increasingly bold and unrestrained.
The desire in his eyes as he looked at Feng Qi was unmistakable.
He had grown up.
At the moment of his birth, his consciousness and thoughts had been hazy and unclear.
Feng Qi had brought him back, placed him here, and allowed him to grow freely.
And now, he had matured.
A grown demon had desires. Whether for slaughter or for the flesh.
“Xiao Sheng, step back.”
Though Feng Qi had been cooperating, the instant the young man’s hand touched the skin at his waist, he called him to a halt without warning.
He rose from the couch.
“The Green Bird has sent me another message. They’re all urging me to retrieve the little phoenix.”
As he spoke, Feng Qi’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“It’s perfect timing. I’d like to see what my offspring looks like.”
Although Feng Qi referred to it as his offspring, in truth, he didn’t believe it in the slightest.
He knew better than anyone whether he had ever sired a child.
Feng Qi always took the young man with him on his outings, except when traveling to the demon realm.
This time, as he went to retrieve the child from the demon realm, he again left the young man behind.
His figure swiftly vanished from the young man’s sight.
Just seconds after he disappeared, the seemingly docile young man also vanished, following closely behind him.
The young man’s destination was none other than the demon realm.
The demon realm was the most chaotic of all domains.
Here, everyone adhered to the principle of the strong preying on the weak.
Feng Qi had concealed his form. But the aura of a phoenix was difficult to mask completely.
As he made his way, he inevitably encountered some trouble.
Meanwhile, the little phoenix, also in the demon realm, was surrounded by a horde of demons.
Some of the demons were even drooling.
Feng Yuan, trapped and unable to move, lifted his small head and chirped, calling for Uncle Chi Shui and his big dad.
But neither of the names he chirped served as any protection.
For once, the demons had formed an unusually peaceful and harmonious group.
They gathered to brainstorm ways to eat the little phoenix.
“Chirp!”
Don’t eat me!
Feng Yuan chirped, insisting that he wasn’t tasty.
The demons paid no heed to his chirps.
As the group took turns suggesting methods, a strange demon joined their ranks.
He listened quietly as the others debated 108 different ways to cook the little phoenix.
His gaze, too, fell upon the little phoenix not far away.
That little phoenix looked utterly delicious.
Plump and covered in soft yellow down, it looked tender and delicate.
While the demons were still arguing fiercely, Chi Shui, who had been called by Feng Yuan for a long time, suddenly appeared.
As soon as Chi Shui arrived, he walked straight toward the little phoenix.
He asked the little phoenix, “Do you know me?”
The little phoenix looked at his face and nodded decisively: “Chirp chirp.”
Uncle Chi Shui, I’m Yuan Yuan.
Feng Yuan recognized Chi Shui, but Chi Shui did not recognize him.
The other demons were still watching greedily, hoping to persuade Chi Shui to leave the little phoenix behind.
Chi Shui didn’t even glance at them.
He picked up the chubby little phoenix with one hand and went straight back to his own dwelling.
Demons have dwellings, too.
Lower-level demons prefer to roam outside, while higher-level demons are much like the gods.
Their way of life, such as building homes and marking territories, is something they also do.
After being carried back, Feng Yuan did not see Uncle Bo Han in Chi Shui’s dwelling.
At this time, Uncle Bo Han had not yet gotten together with Uncle Chi Shui.
Once they arrived at Chi Shui’s home, to make communication easier, Feng Yuan stopped being a little phoenix.
He transformed from a little phoenix back into a young child.
“Uncle, hug me.”
Feng Yuan stretched out his little hands, asking Uncle Chi Shui to hold him.
Chi Shui did not hug him.
The way Chi Shui looked at him was unfamiliar. Clearly, the Chi Shui in the mirror had completely forgotten the world outside.
Feng Yuan was not discouraged.
He actively hugged Chi Shui’s leg. After holding on, he began telling Chi Shui about the outside world.
“Uncle, you’re here to fix the mirror.”
“Don’t forget to go home.”
Feng Yuan emphasized, “Rong Rong is waiting for you outside. Rong Rong and I sneaked out together.”
Feng Yuan chattered on about Bo Han, Rong Rong, and more.
Chi Shui had no recollection of any of it.
Chi Shui only felt that this little phoenix was talking nonsense.
He hadn’t brought the little phoenix back to save him.
He only wanted to confirm one thing—
Whether this little phoenix was Feng Qi’s offspring.
Feng Qi was too powerful.
On the Demon Realm’s Stone of Demon Life, there had once been a prophecy.
This prophecy stated that the phoenix would lead the demon race to its end.
The Stone of Demon Life could not be wrong.
The Stone of Demon Life was formed from the body of Chi You after his death.
In the entire demon realm, only three could see the prophecies on the Stone of Demon Life.
One was a great demon who had long since died.
After seeing the prophecy, that great demon immediately devised a plan to slaughter the phoenix clan and other divine beasts.
That demon had also been terrifyingly powerful.
But in the end, he was killed by Feng Qi.
After that demon’s death, the only ones who could still see the prophecies on the Stone of Demon Life were him and another demon who rarely appeared.
That rarely seen demon also had a name.
He was called Sheng.
Chi Shui knew that although Sheng seldom showed himself, he was already marking out territories.
Having claimed quite a few territories himself, Chi Shui still held some admiration for Sheng.
He felt that between him and Sheng, there were two possible paths.
The first path: they join forces to annihilate all the gods.
Exterminating the gods was a creed engraved in their bones from birth.
The second path: he devours Sheng.
If Sheng did not walk the same path as him, then there could be no harmonious relationship between them.
If they could not walk together, then Sheng would have to pave the way for him.
Chi Shui had already laid out these two paths. He was waiting for Sheng to appear, waiting for Sheng to make a choice.
The chubby little child before him might just be the bait to lure Sheng out.
If the chubby little child’s claim that “Sheng is my father” was not a lie…
Chi Shui left the chubby little one at his place and had no intention of intervening further.
He didn’t want to get involved, but Feng Yuan clung to him relentlessly.
“Uncle Chi Shui, don’t stay here to be the boss anymore. Rong Rong is still waiting for you.”
Like a little shadow, Feng Yuan trailed behind Chi Shui. He was impossible to shake off.
He kept talking about Rong Rong.
Seeing that Chi Shui showed no reaction to Rong Rong’s name, Feng Yuan suddenly slapped his forehead as if remembering something.
“Uncle, I have a photo of Rong Rong! Let me show you!”
In Feng Yuan’s little backpack was a photo of him and Rong Rong together.
During the New Year, Qin Xun had bought him an instant camera.
He had taken quite a few photos with it.
All those photos were in his backpack!
Feng Yuan rummaged through his little backpack, feeling a bit regretful—
He hadn’t taken a photo of Uncle Bo Han.
If he had, Uncle Chi Shui would be more likely to remember.
Feng Yuan, a well-informed little one, had already noticed that Uncle Chi Shui really liked Uncle Bo Han.
He liked Uncle Bo Han first, then Rong Rong.
“Here, found it.”
Feng Yuan pulled out the photo of him and Rong Rong from his backpack.
In the photo, both little ones were grinning widely.
Feng Yuan pointed to the child on the right.
“This is your son. His name is Rong Rong, and he’s also four years old.”
“When school starts, we’re going to Little Sun Kindergarten together.”
“He draws so beautifully. Grandma Fang says he’s a little genius.”
Rong Rong’s drawings were already impressive even before anyone taught him.
Fang Fang, having noticed his talent, had started teaching him personally.
Feng Yuan had joined in for a while, too.
But drawing was a hobby that required patience. Feng Yuan was too restless. He couldn’t sit still for long.
So, he didn’t do as well as Rong Rong in Grandma Fang’s drawing lessons.
Under Feng Yuan’s introduction, Chi Shui finally glanced at the photo.
He saw Rong Rong in the picture.
In the photo, Rong Rong’s little face was beaming with joy.
But after seeing the photo, Chi Shui strangely recalled an image of a little face streaked with tears.
That little child in his mind had tears streaming down his cheeks.
With teary eyes, the little one stared straight at him and asked—
“Daddy, don’t you love Rong Rong?”
This inexplicable scene made Chi Shui frown.
He took the photo.
He suspected there was something odd about it.
But the photo was just a thin piece of paper, no different from any ordinary sheet.
There was nothing unusual about it.
Chi Shui held the photo for a few seconds before tossing it aside.
“I don’t know any Rong Rong you’re talking about.”
“From now on, don’t speak to me again.”
“I have no patience for children.”
Chi Shui coldly informed Feng Yuan.
He had kept Feng Yuan as a hostage, not to babysit.
Feng Yuan, undeterred by Chi Shui’s cold shoulder, continued to lay out the photos of Rong Rong.
“Uncle, take a look. Yuan Yuan is going to cook.”
After arranging the photos, Feng Yuan’s stomach began to growl.
He wanted to make something to eat.
He searched around Chi Shui’s place and found a simple, makeshift kitchen.
Inside the kitchen were a few bloodied animal carcasses.
Feng Yuan crouched down, found a small knife, and cut off some meat.
The kitchen was a bit dirty, so Feng Yuan cleaned it up before starting to cook.
He drew water, scrubbed and washed the kitchen, and soaked the ingredients in advance.
After what felt like a long time, the kitchen was spotless. But Feng Yuan himself had turned into a little grimy mess.
He wasn’t in a hurry to clean himself up.
After washing only his small hands, he began cooking.
He didn’t like vegetables.
But he could give them to Uncle Chi Shui.
As for meat, he’d make a little extra!
He couldn’t find any oil in the kitchen. But when he placed the white, fatty meat into the pan and stir-fried it, the fat rendered into oil.
The aroma of dishes cooked with this kind of oil was simply irresistible.
Feng Yuan could already smell the delicious scent.
He was too short, so he deliberately stood on a stool while cooking.
The little guy busied himself in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Chi Shui unconsciously picked up a photograph to look at.
He was so absorbed in it that he didn’t notice the demon he had been waiting for had intruded into his territory.
At that moment, the demon Chi Shui had been waiting for had already appeared in the kitchen.
His arrival was abrupt.
Just as Feng Yuan finished cooking and was about to jump down from the stool, he turned his head and saw him. His chubby little foot missed its step, and he tumbled straight off the stool.
Although the stool wasn’t high, Feng Yuan still fell hard enough to hurt.
After the fall, he scrambled up from the floor, ignoring the pain in his little body. He rushed toward the man.
“Big Dad!!!”
Feng Yuan had been searching for so long. Now, he had finally found the big dad he had been longing for.
Tears instantly streamed down his face.
“Big Dad, Yuan Yuan has finally found you!”
Feng Yuan buried his tear-streaked little face against his big dad’s leg, crying so hard he could barely catch his breath.
Along the way, he had greeted many people.
Even when he encountered many demons, he hadn’t shown any fear.
He had even chirped and chatted with the demons.
But now, seeing his big dad, he finally dared to let his fear show.
His two chubby little hands clung tightly to his big dad as he cried out all his fear.
Sheng looked down at this little child.
A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.
Wasn’t this child the Phoenix’s?
Had this little guy mistaken him for someone else?
Feng Yuan was too absorbed in crying to notice anything amiss.
After crying for a long time without his big dad comforting him, he finally lifted his tear-stained little face.
“Big Dad, Yuan Yuan is scared.”
Holding onto his big dad, Feng Yuan finally dared to tell him what had happened.
“So many bad uncles wanted to eat Yuan Yuan!”
As he complained, his chubby little hands still didn’t let go of his big dad.
His trusting, dependent demeanor left Sheng utterly bewildered. He had originally come to verify this little phoenix’s identity.
Sheng crouched down.
His gaze met the little guy’s at eye level.
He asked, “Didn’t you say your dad was Feng Qi?”
Sheng had come here to figure out—
Who had such great ability to quietly have a child with Feng Qi?
He intended to find this person and make them disappear forever.
Sheng’s question made Feng Yuan’s tear-filled eyes widen. His crying paused for a moment.
“You… you and Feng Qi are both my dads,” Feng Yuan stammered between sobs, his chubby little hands wrapping around Sheng’s neck.
His dirty little face pressed directly against his big dad’s cheek.
He cried so hard he started hiccupping.
“Yuan Yuan has two dads. It was Dad Feng Qi who gave birth to Yuan Yuan.”
The words Feng Yuan cried out left Sheng’s mind blank for a few seconds.
Demons rarely had offspring.
To reduce competition, demons instinctively avoided having descendants.
Was this little phoenix trying to scam him?
After crying for a while, Feng Yuan noticed something was wrong.
“Big Dad, you’ve already seen Yuan Yuan, but you still haven’t remembered Yuan Yuan?”
“Wahhh, you don’t love Yuan Yuan!”
Seeing his big dad’s reaction, Feng Yuan was utterly heartbroken.
In the cartoon he watched, when Ka Tu Tu’s parents forgot about him but saw him again later, they immediately recognized Ka Tu Tu.
But his own big dad still hadn’t remembered him yet.
Big Dad didn’t love him!
Feng Yuan was so devastated that his chubby little hands released their grip on his big dad’s neck.
He didn’t want this big dad anymore.
“Big Dad is mean! I want my dad! I’m going to find my dad!”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152