Building a Home Together

After soothing Xiao Yi Xian, Xia Kong stayed with her in the stone chamber a little longer.

Together, they carefully pieced together the scattered bones of the cave abode's owner, solemnly buried them beneath the soil of the medicine garden in the corner, and offered a few heartfelt wishes in quiet voices.

Once that was done, they stood on no ceremony and gathered everything useful in the stone chamber, even removing the moonlight stones embedded in the walls.

Xia Kong and Xiao Yi Xian reappeared at the cliff's edge on the platform outside the cave entrance. Their states of mind were now entirely different from when they had first entered the cave abode.

Xiao Yi Xian had never imagined that her future fate would change so dramatically.

Xia Kong, meanwhile, marveled that he had finally obtained the Purple Cloud Wings he had yearned for, and that his relationship with Xiao Yi Xian had made real progress.

Xia Kong tightened his grip on the rope, preparing to climb up the steep rock face.

But Xiao Yi Xian suddenly reached out to stop him, a faint, pleased smile curling her lips.

"What, can't bear to leave this place? We can always come back to pay our respects and thank that elder."

Xiao Yi Xian gently shook her head. At some point, from somewhere, she had produced a jade flute. She raised it to her lips and played a series of distinctly rhythmic notes.

The flute's clear, ethereal melody echoed through the deep mountain ravine, its lingering notes rippling outward into the distance.

"Kee~kee~kee!!!"

Before long, a joyful eagle's cry rang out from high above.

Xia Kong looked up and saw a first-tier blue eagle sweeping past the opposite cliff face. Its wings beat swiftly as it dove straight toward the two of them outside the cave.

"Don't attack. Don't hurt Little Blue. It's my friend."

Xia Kong had already guessed that this magical beast existed. At her words, he merely nodded, looking at Xiao Yi Xian with unmistakable admiration and approval.

Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation was not particularly strong, yet she had earned the sincere affection of a remarkably intelligent magical beast. That alone showed how her unique charm had already bridged the gulf between species.

This was the first time Xiao Yi Xian had received such candid praise from Xia Kong. Secret delight stirred in her heart, and she lifted her chin slightly, revealing her slender, lustrous white neck and delicate collarbones.

"We can stand right on Little Blue's back and let it take us out of here."

Xia Kong had never flown on a plane in his previous life. Now that he had the good fortune to experience riding an eagle through the skies himself, anticipation stirred within him, and he readily agreed.

The two stepped onto the blue eagle's broad back one after the other. With a clear cry, it spread its wings sharply and soared upward into the clouds.

At first, Xia Kong kept up appearances, standing firmly on the eagle's back.

But once the blue eagle entered the clouds, he leaned forward slightly and peered through gaps in the wisps of cloud at the endless Magical Beast Mountain Range below. The dizziness of being so high up instantly swept over him, rushing straight to his head. Anxiety and a flutter of fear rose within him, and his legs began to weaken.

In the end, he could only sit down on the eagle's back like Xiao Yi Xian, gripping its thick feathers tightly.

After flying for a while, the blue eagle began to descend slowly.

Xia Kong looked ahead and found a secluded valley below.

His heart suddenly stirred. Xia Kong recognized this as the place where Xiao Yi Xian had lived in seclusion in the original story. She must have discovered it only recently, however, as she had yet to build a wooden cabin here. At the thought of spending his days in seclusion here with Xiao Yi Xian, a quiet anticipation rose within him.

The blue eagle landed steadily in an open clearing in the valley, and the two lightly jumped down from its back.

Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward and affectionately hugged the blue eagle's head, stroking it gently. The eagle narrowed its eyes, clearly enjoying her touch.

Xia Kong also genuinely liked this clever, perceptive giant eagle. With it around, Xiao Yi Xian would not be alone whenever he was away in the future.

With that thought, he willed a handful of level-three rice out of the Farm Space and held it up to the blue eagle's beak.

A rich grain fragrance spread through the air. The blue eagle immediately turned toward him. Sensing the abundant, pure Dou Qi within the rice, its eyes suddenly brightened, and it let out a series of joyful, eager cries.

Hearing the longing in its voice, Xia Kong fed it the rice. Then, imitating Xiao Yi Xian, he reached out to hug its head and smooth its disheveled feathers.

Xiao Yi Xian watched everything, a gratified smile on her lips.

Seeing her only two friends get along filled her with satisfaction, leaving her feeling that she had few regrets. She knew very well that even a little of this rare food could make her distinctly full and cause her Dou Qi to surge, proof of just how precious it was. Yet Xia Kong was willing to offer such a treasure to treat Little Blue well entirely because of her-his affection for her extended even to the crow upon her roof.

At that thought, warmth slowly spread through her heart.

"I happened to discover this valley when Little Blue took me flying after saving me back then. It's perfect for cultivating in seclusion, so I took the liberty of bringing you here. You won't blame me, will you?"

Xiao Yi Xian blinked playfully. The pure, soothing, sweet smile she had worn when they first met blossomed once more on her lovely face.

"How could I blame you? I just obtained two high-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques, and I was looking for somewhere to practice in seclusion without being disturbed. This place is secluded and peaceful. It couldn't be more suitable."

Hearing that Xia Kong was not displeased in the slightest, Xiao Yi Xian quietly sighed in relief. Yet, inexplicably, the tips of her ears flushed, and her heartbeat quickened of its own accord.

"Hehe... I've wanted to build a house here for a long time. With your help, we should be able to finish it quite quickly."

Xia Kong froze for a moment, clearly sensing another meaning hidden in her words.

Build a home here, with me? Does she mean what I think she means? Xia Kong could hardly help reading more into it.

Seeing the girl lower her head, her face full of shy embarrassment, Xia Kong knew that he had not misunderstood.

An immense wave of happiness suddenly surged through him, nearly leaving him dazed and unable to believe it.

From meeting, to becoming acquainted, to understanding each other, barely three days had passed in all. Their progress was almost unimaginably fast, like a rocket shooting skyward after ignition.

Yet on closer thought, it all made perfect sense.

Xiao Yi Xian had always been sensitive at heart. Living in a place like Qingshan Town, where hungry wolves surrounded her and watched her like tigers eyeing their prey, she had long suffered from an acute lack of security. Otherwise, she would never have hidden poison throughout her residence to protect herself.

But to her, Xia Kong was an entirely different presence.

He accepted her attempts to poison him, understood her willfulness, did not mind her humble origins, and did not fear the deadly poison within her. He was even willing to face the Woeful Poison Body alongside her, and had backed that promise with real action. The feelings between them had long since grown beyond what a few words could explain.

Just now, at the cliff outside the cave, her willingness to summon the blue eagle, her last safeguard, meant that she trusted Xia Kong completely. She had all but entrusted the rest of her life to him.

As long as Xia Kong never betrayed or hurt her, he would be Xiao Yi Xian's entire world.

Once he understood all this, how could Xia Kong let down this girl who had entrusted her whole heart and soul to him?

"All right. I'm looking forward to building a home here with you, too-a home of our own."

At that firm answer, Xiao Yi Xian's entire body tensed slightly, her cheeks burning as though she were about to give off steam. For a long time, she could not utter a complete sentence.

Meanwhile, after swallowing the level-three rice, the blue eagle was driven by that vast, surging Dou Qi to the threshold of breaking through to the second tier. It spread its wings and flew back to its own rocky cave, falling asleep to cultivate in seclusion. By the time it awoke, it would presumably have become a rarely seen tier 2 magical beast.

Only the tinkling murmur of the stream remained in the valley. Working together beside its waters, Xia Kong and Xiao Yi Xian built, one blade of grass and one piece of wood at a time, a home for the two of them beneath this vast sky.