"Who is your father, really?" Nangong Yu asked again, his voice ice-cold. A storm brewed in his dark eyes. A tiny phoenix dared to be insolent in front of him. Did it truly think he wouldn't stew it for soup? For daring to acknowledge another man as its father besides him, it deserved to be roasted!
"Daddy is Daddy," Huo Wu said innocently, looking at Xiao Man. "Right, Mother?"
Xiao Man's mind flashed with Ze Fang's image. This egg was given to her by Ze Fang. Why did this little phoenix mistake Ze Fang for its father? Didn't magical beasts imprint on the first person they saw upon hatching as their parent?
"Who gave you this egg?" Nangong Yu looked at Xiao Man, his expression already chilling. First Wen Mohao, and now another man? Was she determined to infuriate him to death?
"Ze Fang," Xiao Man said calmly. "Several factions were vying for this egg at the time. I hid nearby, waiting for the rabbit. Ze Fang, to prevent it from falling into anyone else's hands, threw it to me."
Nangong Yu's face was filled with disbelief. "Not related by blood or marriage, and he just gave it to you?"
"We had met before. We had some acquaintance."
"Xiao Man, so, this is another admirer of yours?"
Xiao Man's expression shifted slightly. "Nangong Yu, he's just a boy of fourteen or fifteen. Now that you're free from your responsibilities, have you lost your mind too?"
Nangong Yu frowned. "Fourteen or fifteen. In our time, one could already get married."
Xiao Man got up to leave. She didn't want to argue with Nangong Yu. Having experienced so much, her heart had long since turned barren. The only thing she felt guilty about was that, in the end, she had still dragged Nangong Yu into this.
"Xiao Man." Nangong Yu, seeing Xiao Man turn to leave, cursed himself for being an idiot. They had only reunited not long ago, and he was already consumed by jealousy. It was all that ugly little fire chicken's fault!
Xiao Man ignored Nangong Yu and had the little phoenix lead the way to find the spiritual medicine. The little phoenix sensed Nangong Yu's gaze as if he wanted to eat it, so it quickly hid in Xiao Man's embrace. This person was too terrifying. Daddy hadn't returned yet, and if he didn't return soon, his wife would be snatched away.
The little phoenix was Xiao Man's contracted beast, and Xiao Man could naturally sense its thoughts. "The Daddy you mentioned is Ze Fang?"
The little phoenix tilted its head, looking at Xiao Man in surprise. Who was Ze Fang?
"You don't know Ze Fang?" Xiao Man was extremely confused and continued to communicate with the little phoenix using her spiritual net. "You are the one Ze Fang gave me."
The little phoenix shook its tiny head. It didn't know Ze Fang. It only knew that Daddy was a very powerful human. If it weren't for Daddy nurturing it with his abundant spiritual energy, it would have never hatched.
A flicker of confusion crossed Xiao Man's eyes. "How did you determine who your father is?"
"Before I had consciousness, Daddy nurtured me with his spiritual energy. Without Daddy, I wouldn't have been able to hatch successfully," the little phoenix said, shaking its head. "Daddy said he raised me so I could protect Mother, and he would send me to Mother's side."
Xiao Man thought to herself, your Daddy probably miscalculated. He didn't expect you to fall into the hands of Ze Fang, the treasure hunter, and for Ze Fang to give you to me. This was quite a blunder.
"Then how did you know who your Mother is?"
"Daddy said that the first girl I see when I open my eyes is my Mother."
"Your Daddy is really quite arbitrary," Xiao Man said languidly. If the little phoenix had seen an ordinary person, or even his enemy, first, wouldn't that make him a huge sucker, gifting a formidable fighter to his enemy for free?
"Daddy is not arbitrary at all. I can sense Daddy's aura on Mother," the little phoenix said, tilting its head. "So, I will never mistake Mother."
"I have his aura on me?" Xiao Man was surprised. "What kind of aura?"
"A very warm aura, like Daddy is always here," the little phoenix nuzzled Xiao Man. "Mother, Daddy is always by your side." Suzhou Novel Network
Xiao Man was slightly stunned, seemingly surprised. If the person was always by her side, why hadn't she sensed any aura? Then she thought of someone. Could the little phoenix's father be that scoundrel from the Beast Taming Sect?
Thinking of this, Xiao Man quickly shook her head. No, that scoundrel's aura made her extremely uncomfortable. How could it be a warm aura? If not him, then who?
As they approached their destination, Xiao Man suddenly stopped. She sensed several powerful auras not far ahead. She grabbed the little phoenix flying in front and dragged Nangong Yu into hiding!
"Scoundrel!" Xiao Man cursed in a low voice. "You're just like that little bamboo, always setting up your master!"
The little phoenix looked at Xiao Man innocently. "Mother, there are good things!"
"There are good things, but you need to have the life to take them!" Xiao Man rebuked. Why were all her contracted beasts so troublesome? No wonder Wen Ting, that pervert, appeared in the trial grounds. It turned out there were treasures here!
"Mother, there's a lot of delicious food. Don't you really want it?" the little phoenix asked persistently. With so much delicious food, eating it might allow it to advance several levels. If it was lucky, it might even transform. If Mother didn't go and snatch them, it would get nothing.
"Eat, eat, eat! How did I end up with such a glutton like you!" Xiao Man hit the little phoenix's head hard. "Is eating more important, or is your life more important?"
"Both are important," the little phoenix said with certainty.
Xiao Man looked at Nangong Yu. "How about I just give you to him to stew for soup? I'm not keeping such a contracted beast anymore!"
"Good!" Nangong Yu reached out to grab the little phoenix. The little phoenix, scared, quickly retreated into Xiao Man's embrace.
"Mother, I won't eat anymore, I won't eat! Don't let him eat me."
Xiao Man snorted. "Next time, will you dare to set me up like this again?"
"I won't."
Xiao Man hid to the side, looking at a group of people guarding the cave entrance below. Among them were many she recognized: Wen Ting, the young master of the Beast Taming Sect, and Jin Yao, the second young master of the Jin family. This kid was everywhere.
"Wen Ting is also here."
"His presence is actually a good thing," Xiao Man said calmly. "Don't you see that the people around are afraid to act rashly, guarding against him?"
"This person indeed cannot be underestimated. Otherwise, one wrong step and you'll fall into his trap and become a puppet, especially since the young master of the Beast Taming Sect has a fierce reputation," Xiao Man said with amusement. "They are wary of each other, none daring to act rashly. But they will eventually make a move. When they do, we will have an opportunity."
"I knew it. You wouldn't give up good things when they're right in front of you," Nangong Yu said with a knowing look. He was scolding the little phoenix only to make it understand that it shouldn't scheme against its master.