The Creature in the Courtyard

Yi He went out to run around on Li Chenzhou's behalf, while Wang Han returned home to await news. Lately, he had been obsessed with the copy of Tian Gong Kai Wu Ma Feifei had given him. He couldn't even be bothered to get his foot treated anymore, completely lost in the art of papermaking.

Ma Feifei, meanwhile, wandered aimlessly around Yi He's residence, not knowing where to go. He was still wanted outside, and going out was extremely dangerous, so he could only stay within the limited grounds of Yi He's residence.

Though the grounds were limited, they weren't actually small. Yi He's residence had nine courtyards, each with nine entrances, and covered an area estimated to be as large as two or three soccer fields. With buildings standing everywhere and passageways crisscrossing the grounds, it would take even longer to walk through the whole place.

Fortunately, Ma Feifei wasn't trying to learn every blade of grass and every tree in Yi He's residence, so he didn't care about that. He strolled leisurely, taking in the sights.

"Hm?" As he passed a garden, Ma Feifei stopped and turned toward the flowers and plants. The flowers were unfamiliar, blooming in vivid colors, and faint waves of spiritual energy rippled around them. They were quite extraordinary.

Ma Feifei glanced around, then plucked a petal and popped it into his mouth. His eyes gradually brightened.

"These petals seem to contain an extremely powerful energy. It's a little like the flowers on the Li tree," Ma Feifei said thoughtfully.

"I'll pick some to take back for Qingyang to try." Seeing no one around, Ma Feifei started causing mischief in the garden. He was crafty, too, and made sure not to pick too many flowers from any one spot, so no one would notice