Rising Phoenix

Mudan Hua beamed as she lifted the curtain door, revealing the narrow valley entrance.

A continuous stream of mountain rocks were falling down in an ever-growing cloud of dust, blocking the only entrance into the valley. Guards ran and screamed in a chaotic mess as more and more rocks fell.

"We didn't do much." Liu Mudan commented modestly. "Just blew up a small section of the mountain, blocking the exit."

Le stared speechlessly, his mouth wide open. To the side, Luzan was deathly pale, and Helian Zheng finally broke off his stare. The young king flicked his robes carelessly, his voice easy as he finally replied: "Now are we worthy of dying together?"

"…"

The silence that filled the tent seemed like torture to the various patriarchs. None of them had expected Helian Zheng to act so recklessly, blowing up the mountain to seal the only exit thereby trapping himself and everyone else in the valley. His attitude spoke loudly to his intentions: you bite me once, I'll exterminate your entire family. Careless about life or death, completely willing to throw his life away.

The patriarchs had heard the rumors of the Pixiu Tribe's extermination but none of them had paid much attention, but now that they saw first hand the brat's ferocity and grit, they finally understood that the rumor had been true. The Pixiu Tribe Patriarch had already been heading for the Golden Alliance Meeting when his tribe had ambushed Helian Zheng, and now that the truth dawned his expression was indescribable.

Helian Zheng smiled down from his high seat as he looked around the tent, imitating Feng Zhiwei's gaze and quietly pleased by his couple's resemblance to his wife.

"Jadran! Don't be impulsive!" Kulcha finally broke the long silence and began scolding his nephew. "Don't force things to the point of no return! I order you as the tribe patriarch…"

Helian Zheng tilted his head, casting a sidelong glance at Kulcha.

The old man shivered, his words dying on his tongue.

After a moment, Helian Zheng replied curiously: "Who are you?"

"…"

Kulcha froze, his lips and hands trembling as his mind blanked. Helian Zheng stared down his nose at the old thing, carefully cleaning his unsheathed sabre's gleaming blade as he murmured: "Jadran Irgi's eyes only see people…"

He smiled, shaking his head.

But there isn't a single person in this tent…" He sighed deeply, looking up from his weapon.

The "beasts" all paled. Even Kereyid turned his eyes away from Feng Zhiwei, his gaze glittering quietly as he turned towards Helian Zheng.

But soon Kereyid ignored the king once again and turned his eyes back to Feng Zhiwei, sighing to himself: "Ugly. So ugly."

Feng Zhiwei paid him no mind, only focused on Helian Zheng, smiling and quietly praising the prince's improved insults.

Kereyid was just looking away with disappointment when he caught Feng Zhiwei's smile, and he suddenly felt as if this yellow-faced woman's whole expression transformed. He was suddenly struck by a great elegance to her demeanor and an exquisite allure in the watery gleam of her misty eyes. Kereyid could not help himself, muttering: "Truly a beautiful smile," as he reached out to touch her face.

"Pa."

A dark yellow object shot forward like a bolt of lightning, shooting towards the middle of Kereyid's brows. The little object howled through the wind, and before Kereyid's hand was even halfway to Feng Zhiwei, the little faux-bullet was already upon him.

Shocked by the sudden attack but still composed, the foxy man reacted swiftly, tilting his head to avoid the walnut, ignoring it as it swerved around for a second round. Instead, he reached out with fingers clawed into talons glittering metallically, slashing towards the baby in Gu Nanyi's arms.

Gu Nanyi immediately floated out of the attack, letting his control of the walnut fall, more concerned with Gu Zhixiao then his weapon as the walnut's wind cut through a lock of Kereyid silver hair and swept by his head.

If Kereyid had reacted a second slower or had just a bit less mastery in his Kung Fu, it would not have just been a strand of hair.

All the patriarchs stared in shocked silence, and Feng Zhiwei finally turned, appraising the man. She would not have guessed at Kereyid's extraordinary Kung Fu and his composure under pressure. The man had properly noted that her own Kung Fu was considerable and had been able to choose the weakest target to stop Gu Nanyi's attack.

She quietly met the man's provocative gaze, both of their eyes deep with thought. Then she turned away, unperturbed even as Kereyid's expression shifted a touch.

"Kereyid, my little peanut…" Liu Mudan cried out, dashing forward and pawing at Kereyid's face." It's been too long, Godmother has missed you so much, let me get a squeeze…"

Kereyid quickly blocked the woman's oily, powdered hand and retreated a meter, smiling as he replied: "Godmother your youth has only grown more vibrant in the few days we've been apart, and your beauty is so great that I cannot stand properly before you…"

"Really?" Liu Mudan smiled as she rubber her cheeks, half disappointed and half proud. "Aiya, I'm aging, I'm aging. My husband is dead and Jadran is married…"

"Is it not more convenient now that your husband has died? And Jadran's marriage means even less. Did he not get his first wife when he was ten?" Kereyid smiled, glancing at Feng Zhiwei. "Half of the men in this tent are his father-in-laws…"

"Bah!" Liu Mudan slapped the air before her. "What cheap father-in-laws! Kereyid, don't change the subject, let this lady touch you. Is your garlic bulb fully grown?"

"…"

The two marched around, one advancing as the other retreated, one hunting as the other fled, until finally the two ran out of the tent. Feng Zhiwei stepped to the side, leaning beside the tent door as she watched her peony tangle the white fox. The infatuated mother had truly defeated the rogue…

With that out of the way, Feng Zhiwei began thinking about what the man had said. A wife at ten… no wonder Helian Zheng would go crazy after three days from the brothels, a little wolf like him had grown up too familiar with this part of life…

"Jadran!" Hongji Le cried out angrily, his voice somewhat lacking in strength as he constantly glanced out at the rockslide mess. "The Golden Alliance Meeting is for the tribe patriarchs, you cannot be here even if you are Shunyi King. Get out!"