Feng Shui Chapter 174: Self-Blame

No one knew how much time had passed before the two finally tired of their intimacy and quietly leaned against each other, savoring the lingering satisfaction.

As the numbness from passion slowly faded, Chen Xiao’s face turned pale, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Xi Yunqing pressed his forehead against Chen Xiao’s and immediately sensed something was wrong. He pulled back and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Chen Xiao tried to purse his lips, but they sting painfully. His jaw and tongue were already sore, but now his lips were swollen and burning from all the friction. A sharp pain forced him to let out a quiet, strained breath. Seeing that he couldn’t respond, Xi Yunqing gently helped him walk a few steps, then sat down on the ground after coming ashore.

Chen Xiao exhaled deeply before weakly saying, “That monster grabbed my waist earlier. I might have gotten hurt.”

Hearing this, Xi Yunqing quickly started removing Chen Xiao’s clothes. Chen Xiao raised his hand to help, and soon both his inner and outer layers were off, exposing him to the cold air that made the hairs on his body stand on end.

“It’s so cold, ” Chen Xiao shivered, pulling his neck close. The darkness surrounded them, making it impossible to see, but he could sense the shift in Xi Yunqing’s mood. “What is it? Is the injury serious?”

Xi Yunqing’s voice tightened. “Wait here. I’ll light a fire to warm you up.”

Brother Chen Xiao didn't understand but obediently nodded. Despite the pain in his waist, his mood was especially lighthearted now that their feelings for each other were confirmed. The pain couldn’t dampen that joy at all.

The cave was damp and lacked any materials to start a fire, but that didn’t stop Xi Yunqing. With a spell, he summoned a fireball the size of a volleyball, which hovered silently, flickering gently and providing warmth.

Looking down, Chen Xiao saw that his waist was completely bruised purple and black, a gruesome sight. He forced a wry smile; no wonder it hurt so much, being squeezed by that monster’s tentacles like that!

His outer jacket was torn and shredded from the suction cups. He had just worn that new jacket once, and now it was ruined, a painful loss. He reached into his wrist storage box to pull out another garment but was sharply stopped by Xi Yunqing’s stern voice: “Don’t move!”

Xi Yunqing stepped closer, his face serious and cold, laced with undeniable anger.

Chen Xiao wasn’t frightened. Instead, his gaze softened as he raised his arm and held out his hand. “Don’t be upset, big brother. I’m not badly hurt.”

Indeed, Xi Yunqing was blaming himself for being careless, for not noticing Chen Xiao’s injury in time because he was too lost in his own desires.

Xi Yunqing came closer, took Chen Xiao’s hand, and the coldness in his expression softened, replaced by concern. He took off one of his own garments, shook it out, and draped it over Chen Xiao’s shoulders. “Warm up first. I’ll apply some medicine right away.”

Xi Yunqing carried a full assortment of medicinal supplies, and treating bruises and blood stasis was one of the basics. Gently, he scooped some ointment and applied it to the injury. Within just fifteen minutes, the purple-black bruises faded noticeably to a lighter brown.

Xi Yunqing frowned, unsatisfied. “These marks won’t disappear immediately.”

The large brown circle on Chen Xiao’s otherwise pale skin stood out starkly.

Chen Xiao smiled casually, “It’s okay. Just rest a few days, and it’ll heal.”

Xi Yunqing could only hum in agreement. Then he took out a restorative pill and made Chen Xiao swallow it, finally feeling somewhat relieved.

Chen Xiao dressed and walked over to the fallen giant creature. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a massive squid.

He exclaimed in surprise, “Such a big squid… wonder how old it is.”

Xi Yunqing controlled the fireball to float beside them, illuminating the path ahead thoughtfully. “At least a hundred years old, I’d say. The last time I was here, this cave didn’t even exist.”

Chen Xiao was momentarily stunned, mentally calculating how old Xi Yunqing must be, probably centuries, at least. Then he laughed and shook his head. In this immortal cultivation world, what did counting years even matter? To the world, Xi Yunqing was a young, talented prodigy.

Xi Yunqing didn’t know what he was thinking and instead scrutinized the limp, shapeless mass of squid, considering where to strike. “Brother Xiao, should we take this squid back to cook?”

At that moment, Xi Yunqing was still irritated that the reckless squid had interrupted them. He had used a powerful spell that had scorched the creature’s skin, making it less than ideal as food.

Chen Xiao shook his head. “No need. I already have one of its tentacles in my storage box, that’s enough.”

Xi Yunqing nodded, then pushed the squid’s body back into the sea. Soon, its massive corpse would dissolve into nutrients on the ocean floor or be eaten by other creatures. He wasn’t doing this out of spite; it was simply tradition in the cultivation world, to return what’s not needed back to nature.

The journey back was along the same path, but everything felt completely different. Xi Yunqing naturally held Chen Xiao’s hand and wrapped an arm around his waist, guiding him without hesitation or concern.

After some time, they returned to the island. It was already mid to late afternoon. Chen Xiao, having missed lunch, was very hungry and quickly ate some dry rations to tide himself over. The two then busied themselves with their respective tasks at the camp.

For dinner, they used the day’s fresh catch: a sea fish, a large lobster, and a squid. Xi Yunqing was unusually enthusiastic, eagerly taking on the task of preparing the ingredients himself. Chen Xiao hesitated slightly, after all, Xi Yunqing had never done anything so down-to-earth and hands-on before. His previous skill at frying eggs with bare hands was so flawless it somehow preserved Xi Yunqing’s refined image.

But Brother Chen Xiao doesn't insist. Killing his big brother’s enthusiasm would only spoil the mood.

As Chen Xiao busied himself with other tasks, his attention kept drifting back to Xi Yunqing. Though it was his first time handling such food prep, his background as a sword cultivator gave him a natural mastery over sharp tools and knives.

Before long, he had cleaned and filleted the sea fish into thin slices. The squid was also sliced neatly into pieces of perfect thickness. Only the lobster’s head was cut off, the body segmented for easier cooking.

The lobster’s head and chest were badly damaged and discarded by Chen Xiao. Luckily, their pot wasn’t large enough for the whole thing anyway, so cutting it into sections made both roasting and boiling more manageable.

Breaking open the lobster’s thick shell released a fresh, inviting aroma that made Chen Xiao swallow hard. He was happily torn, should they roast the big lobster or boil it?

While Chen Xiao was caught up in his dilemma, Xi Yunqing finished preparing the ingredients and stood up. He said, “Brother Xiao, I’m going to step away for a bit and see if there’s anything else edible on the island.”

Chen Xiao nodded, agreeing.

Once Xi Yunqing disappeared into the island’s dense woods, Chen Xiao decided to split the lobster, half roasted, half boiled. Inspired by yesterday’s soup success, he dropped large chunks of lobster straight into the pot. The remaining ingredients, except for the raw fish slices, were skewered on sticks he carved from slender branches and placed over the fire.

“Xiao Xiao, ” a voice called out. Tong Nuonuo’s cheerful tone came from the shore.

Chen Xiao looked up to see Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru climbing out of the sea. He waved excitedly at his friends. “You’re camping here too? Come over, we have a ton of food, worried we won’t finish it all!”

Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru hurried over and stared at the pile of food stacked high before Chen Xiao. They were clearly impressed. “You caught all this? As expected from Xiao Xiao...” The tone was teasing but carried an unspoken meaning.

Chen Xiao rolled his eyes at the two of them and handed them some sticks. “Come on, help out!”

By the time Xi Yunqing returned from the island, the three of them had cooked everything. Tong Nuonuo was so eager she was already pinching fish slices with her hands and dipping them in the sauce.

Xi Yunqing looked surprised and paused briefly. Chen Xiao stood up happily to greet him. “Did you find anything else? Bird eggs?”

Xi Yunqing’s gaze softened as he nodded and pulled from his storage bag a bundle wrapped in large leaves, bird eggs. Then, like a magician, he pulled out a woven vine container holding several brightly colored, sizable fruits. “Eating only meat for too long might upset the stomach.”

“There are fruits on this island?” Chen Xiao said in surprise.

Tong Nuonuo, sitting nearby, raised her voice. “Yeah, this island is pretty big. Not only are there wild fruit trees, but there used to be natives living here. Some of their crops still grow from seeds left behind. But as larger aquatic beasts moved in, they had to relocate.”

Xi Yunqing subtly furrowed his brow, then he and Chen Xiao sat by the fire. Both were hungry and didn’t say much, devouring the seafood completely. Even the fruits Xi Yunqing brought were finished without a trace.

This time, Xi Yunqing didn’t show off any special cooking skills, and Brother Chen Xiao didn't bring it up. They simply boiled about a dozen bird eggs and shared them equally.

After the meal, Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru tidied up while saying, “Since we ran into each other, let’s camp together tonight. It’ll be safer to watch out for each other.”

Chen Xiao paused with the dishes in hand and glanced at Xi Yunqing. Although it made sense, as newly confirmed lovers, they both hoped for some private time.

Xi Yunqing quietly averted his eyes, scanning Tong Nuonuo with a calm but unreadable look that somehow made her feel a chill. Confused, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Tang Ru was much more perceptive. She stood up and grabbed Tong Nuonuo’s arm. “One free meal isn’t enough? We agreed to split up, but now you want to take over their camp too? There’ll be plenty of chances to camp together later, let’s enjoy some space while we can and head back to our own site.”

Tong Nuonuo stumbled along, protesting, “Hey, Arou, why so urgent? It’s still early, I haven’t even told Xiao Xiao about what I found today.”

Tang Ru’s voice was calm but firm. “Honestly, I don’t even remember if we left a marker at our camp.”

At that, Tong Nuonuo stopped arguing and hurried ahead. “Better check before someone else claims it and we have to find a new spot.”