Chapter 224: Why This Time

When Xiao Xi woke up from the nightmare again, it was already dawn. Her thick and long eyelashes were a little moist, and her small face seemed to be covered by a layer of cold mist. She was panting with her mouth opening slightly.

Suddenly, she saw someone sitting next to the bed with his back facing her. He had a dark hair and a half-tied jade crown. He was holding a bamboo slip in his slender white hand as he was staring at it.

At first glance, Xiao Xi thought it was the cold god, Feng Lingran. But when she looked closely, she knew she over thought it.

“Master.”

Xiao Xi woke up from the nightmare, but she was still a little frightened. Seeing Zi Yi, she instinctively stretched out her small hand from the bed. Her delicate fingers held Zi Yi’s black sleeve, which were embroidered with cloud patterns and the image of a dragon soaring in the sky with gold silk. Her fingertip touched the dragon’s claw, and she scratched a little. The dragon on the sleeve seemed to have turned alive, showing a fierce and vicious look at Xiao Xi’s finger and trying to bite off her finger.

Feng Lingran put down the bamboo slip in his hand, turned his head, and glanced at the little hand that was pulling his sleeves. The dragon on the sleeves had recovered from the vicious look as if it was just an illusion.

“Are you awaked?” His eyes looked at her face with cold sweat, “You had a nightmare?”

Xiao Xi thought of the terrible nightmare and plunged into his arms, shaking slightly.

Feng Lingran’s dark eyes flashed a strange expression. He felt that the little girl in his arms was frightened. He wrapped her arms around her, and his cold face became slightly gentle.

“Don’t be afraid.”

He said gently in her ear.

“Master, how long can you control Feng Lingran’s body?”

Xiao Xi’s words suddenly dissipated the gentleness in the dark eyes of the man who hugged her, and it was quickly replaced by a gloominess, turning into an unfathomable abyss.

“Why did my little disciple suddenly ask that?”

His voice was still gentle. There was even a little doting like a good master caring for his disciple.

Xiao Xi’s face was pressed against his arms, and her little hands hugged him tightly, as if she could feel relieved; she could tell herself that the person in front of him was no longer Feng Lingran, but Zi Yi, her master who helped, protected and pampered her. However, Xiao Xi had an unknown fear even if Xiao Xi hugged him like this.

The ending of the nightmare was too cruel, and her soul was drowned in the water, becoming a water ghost who could only feel the cold forever. The most hateful thing was that Xi Er and Feng Lingran not only did not let her soul go, they also put the water tank in their room, listening to the sound of their bed shaking violently and Feng Lingran’s voice of calling “Xi’er”. Her soul in the water even felt so funny and uncomfortable. After that, she saw Taoist Zhu Xu, saying that she was a demon fox who would harm the world, so he cast a spell at the water tank. The spell dissolved her soul in the water.

Xiao Xi’s face paled for a while. She said with trembling eyelashes, “I’m afraid that master will die in Feng Lingran’s hands when master leaves.”

Feng Lingran’s black pupils shrank fiercely, and the dark storm was fleeting. Hearing the pain of the little girl in his arms, he loosened his arms.

Xiao Xi frowned and raised her pale little face, “Master, you hugged so tight just now, disciple thought you were going to kill me.”

The coldness of Feng Lingran’s face had not faded, making Xiao Xi’s heart slightly startled. He sneered, “Master can’t wait to like you, how could I kill you?”

“Master, you are not serious again.”

Feng Lingran suddenly squeezed her chin, and his handsome face bent down slightly. His lips was just at hand to her lips, “Want to know why am I not serious? En?”

Zi Yi is… trying to kiss me?

Xiao Xi’s head shook like she was struck by lightning. She pushed his chest vigorously, but he was as steady as mountain. As she watched his thin lips getting close to her, xiao Xi’s eyes widened.

“Master… you can’t…”

As she spoke, Feng Lingran pushed her to the bed. The back of her head hit the quilt. It wasn’t hurt, but it was familiar

She thought he was going to kiss her, but she thought too much.

Feng Lingran looked at her condescendingly, like a lord, looking at the vulnerable little girl on the bed, then he said with a devilish smile, “What you can’t?”

“…” Zi Yi is really hateful. He is teasing me again?

Xiao Xi didn’t bother arguing with him. “Master, I’m hungry.”

Feng Lingran looked at Xiao Xi up and down, making her feel creepy. She had the illusion of being naked in front of him.

“Master, I’m hungry.” She raised her voice and said loudly.

Feng Lingran’s thin lips curled up with an enchanting smile, “I will feed you.”

“…” This is so ambiguous and sensational!

Two days passed in a blink of an eye.

Xiao Xi’s body did not wake up, which meant that the dream was fake.

Ordinary dreams were also the opposite of the reality; it couldn’t be real.

The messenger of the holy capital was assassinated on the way, but was rescued by an expert. He didn’t have any life danger, and the holy grass didn’t get stolen as well.

In order to express his life-saving grace to the exper, the messenger of the holy capital gave a holy herb, which was going to be auctioned, to the expert. The master was also willing to escort the messenger of the holy capital to the palace of the Eastern Jin Dynasty safely.

Nowaday, every move of the regent mansion wasbeing watched. He didn’t attend the imperial morning court for a long time. The emperor was also secretly weakening Feng Lingran’s power, probably because he wanted to test how powerful Feng Lingran’s forces was by taking advantage of his injuries. He wanted to determine whether he could destroy and regain the power of regent.

Obviously, the emperor’s well thought plan was going to fail. Just when the holy capital’s messenger entered the Eastern Jin Dynasty gate, Feng Lingran suddenly attended the imperial court.

The emperor was shocked, and he could hardly believe his eyes. Isn’t Feng Lingran so sick that he vomited blood? How can he recover in just two days? Besides, he doesn’t look like he just suffered from a serious injury at all!

Could it be that Feng Lingran knew what I’m doing behind his back? So, he forces himself to attend the morning court?

The emperor even had some doubts that Feng Lingran looked so normal because he had put on some make up. The purpose was to deceive the others.

He is really a ruthless person with wild ambition as expected. Feng Lingran is father’s favorite prince and the youngest prince. He holds the power of the three armies and the right to review memorials, so he will definitely not satisfy the title of regent and great general.

Feng Lingran wanted to take this country for himself long ago.

“I heard that regent was entangled by a beautiful ghost, and your essence was being drained by a lot, causing you a severe injury. Now it seems that regent didn’t get his essence sucked by the beautiful ghost at all.”

The emperor put up a gentle smile. Not only his words exposed that Feng Lingran was being possessed by an evil spirit, he was also hinting that Feng Lingran could be lying to the emperor by faking sickness.

“Thank you, the emperor for your concern.” Feng Lingran saluted slightly as if he could not understand the emperor’s words. He continued, “I’m fine now. I heard that the messenger of the holy capital is arriving tomorrow, so I want to ask the emperor to let the messenger stay in the regent mansion.”

The emperor frowned slightly. Feng Lingran has never been so proactive to any of the messengers in the past. Why this time?

Where does the messenger of the holy capital live is initially a small matter. Since the regent mansion is willing to let the messenger stay, this is considered as giving face to the messenger.

But the emperor hesitated. Does Feng Lingran want to collude with the messenger of the holy capital?

“Regent doesn’t have to be bothered by this, I have arranged the messenger of the Holy Capital to live in the palace.”

“There are many concubines in the imperial palace, I’m afraid…”

“I have decided, so regent doesn’t need to say more.”

The emperor was angry. When he saw Feng Lingran no longer talking, he felt like he had defeated Feng Lingran.

Father, have you seen it? In this palace, I’m the true emperor. Regent can only surrender at my feet forever and let me decide his life and death.

Old eunuch screamed “dismiss”.

When the emperor turned to leave, he didn’t see the confidence on Feng Lingran’s handsome face. His eyes were as deep as the sea as if everything was in his grasp.

Find out what happens next by getting early access to chapters with Patreon! Please do check out the community goal in our Patreon as well! Thanks for the support! Click here to access our Patreon page.