82 - Little Peasant Wife

Liuer rolled her eyes, just about to say something when Xiaoji sneered, "Don't try to play tricks on me. I've lived longer than everyone in your family combined. Even though much of my memory has been sealed, I'm not someone a baby like you can fool." Liuer blushed with anger. She wasn't a baby; she was an adult. Xiaoji burst into laughter, rolling around on the bed, saying, "An adult? With your tiny bean-sized body? You're killing me!" With her cheeks flushed, Liuer said, "Don't be so loud, or they'll hear." Xiaoji, lying on the bed, replied, "They won't. I'm communicating with you through divine sense, so generally, regular people can't hear it. It's just that Awakeners are naturally strong in this area, which is why in the cultivation world, more than half of the great powers are Awakeners." "But..." Liuer frowned, "Mother is also an Awakener. She can hear." Xiaoji rolled its eyes at her, "That was before we signed the contract. She might have been able to hear back then, but now that you and I have formed a contract, across the entire Hongze Continent, only you can hear my voice." It yawned, "I'm so tired. You're too weak, causing me, your master, to suffer too. Eat more meat later to replenish your strength, or I'll eat people." Liuer pouted, reluctantly agreeing. Just because she didn't like meat didn't mean she couldn't eat it at all. Xiaoji lifted an eyelid, revealing a bright red eye, and came close, saying, "If you behave and listen, I can not only help you become strong but also help you deal with your mother's strange fire issue." "Strange fire, very powerful." Meaning, can you handle it? Xiaoji, seeing her skeptical gaze, laughed heartily, "I am a reborn phoenix, possessing the world-destroying phoenix fire. How could I not handle a mere strange fire? Are you joking with me?" Liuer's eyes widened in shock, "Phoenix? With you looking like this..." She wasn't being critical, but this gray little chick really was quite ugly. Xiaoji was furious, "Who are you calling ugly? If you ask me, humans are the ugly ones! I just haven't been reborn long, and I'll only get more beautiful from now on. Even if I transform into human form, I'd be the most beautiful on the entire Hongze Continent. You little girl, no experience, no taste!" Liuer, undeterred by its insults, pouted and said defiantly, "But right now, you're just a chick." "I have a fiery temper, you know!" Xiaoji jumped up and kicked her on the nose, making Liuer's nose tingle with resentment, thinking: It really is just a gray little chick. Xiaoji was quite upset, puffing up into a round, fluffy ball, "I'm not a little chick; I have a name. I'm called Feng Xianming." Chapter 51: Acknowledging the Master Liuer, upon hearing this, stared dumbfounded at it and said, "Feng Xianming? That name sounds quite odd." Xiaoji rolled its eyes, "You think your name sounds nice? Jing Liuer—not commenting on the surname Jing, but just your name, Liuer, is too plain and ordinary. Your mother must not even like you to give you such a name." Liuer's eyes brimmed with tears of anger, "Shut up, you hateful thing!" Xiaoji bounced around a few times, gearing up for a retort when it sensed someone approaching. It immediately darted into Liuer's body, disappearing from view. When Jing Aoxue pushed the door open and entered, she saw Liuer glaring at her with a pout. Jing Aoxue paused, feeling a pang of sadness and thought, “Does Liuer not want to see her mother?” Liuer quickly shook her head, jumped down from the bed, put on her shoes, and walked over to cling to Jing Aoxue's leg affectionately, "No, Mother, I do want to see you." Jing Aoxue, convinced by her words, immediately broke into a beaming smile, lifting Liuer up, "That's good then. I’ve prepared meals for us; let's go eat some meat." Liuer leaned against her, sighing inwardly. Sitting at the table, after earlier events, both Shen Lueman and Jing Aoxue looked on worriedly at her. Pretending to be nonchalant, Liuer picked up the meat and ate it. She didn’t like the taste of meat, preferring lighter, vegetarian flavors. But remembering Xiaoji's earlier threats, she forced the meat down. After eating without tasting much, when she saw Jing Aoxue heading back to her room to rest, she approached and asked, “Mother, was your previous illness due to the strange fire?” Jing Aoxue raised a brow, “Did your mother tell you that?” Liuer shook her head, frowning anxiously, "I overheard you discussing it earlier." Jing Aoxue pinched her little cheek gently, "Don't worry, it’s just a strange fire. I’ve thought of a way to deal with it." Liuer forced a smile and watched Jing Aoxue lie down to rest. Not wanting to disturb her, she saw her mother wash the dishes and head to her room to rest as well. She bid them good afternoon and turned to her own room. She closed the door, listening intently for any sounds outside. Once she heard her mother’s door shut, she went to the bed and spoke to the air, “You can come out now. You said earlier you could help my mother?” Xiaoji suddenly emerged from her body, yawning, “I did say that, but why should I help you?” Liuer fidgeted with her fingers, “I can serve you as your servant.” Xiaoji corrected her, “You already are. Whatever I say, you must do, so why should I go to great lengths to help someone irrelevant?” Liuer was agitated, “She’s not irrelevant; she’s my mother. And aren’t you a phoenix?” Xiaoji rolled its eyes again, “Look at my size—I only hatched a few days ago and haven’t fully regained my powers. That Limo Blaze Fire is one of the top ten strange fires in the cultivation world. If I approach it now, I might lose half my life.” Liuer, disappointed, murmured, “Oh, I see. Then... never mind.” Her mother had said she'd find a way, and since Xiaoji wasn’t willing to help, she could only stand there helplessly. Feeling defeated, she lay on the bed. Xiaoji bounced onto her chest and said, “However, since you’re my servant, I could do you a favor. Learn to cook from your mother, promise to always cook for me, and I might consider helping with this matter.” Liuer immediately sat up, her spirits lifted, “Really?” Xiaoji, sensing it had been tricked, felt displeased and said, “As my servant, your loyalty should be to me above anyone else.” Liuer forced a smile. She still disliked Xiaoji, but if it had mind-reading abilities, she dared not think otherwise. Xiaoji, with its head lowered, said, “Give me a few days. In the meantime, spend as much time with your mother as possible. I’ll figure something out. But remember what I've asked, or I’ll bite you!” Liuer agreed happily; as long as her mother’s problem could be solved, she would do anything. She remembered how covered in blood her mother had been on the mountain, looking so painful and frightening. She didn’t want her to suffer again. And Xiaoji’s request wasn’t difficult. She already liked helping her mother, and with time, she’d learn to cook, though she was too young to manage the large stove herself. But if Xiaoji truly managed to help, she’d seriously learn to cook. It was something she enjoyed, and becoming a chef could be a skill that would help her earn a living in the future. Her mother would surely be happy to know that. With these thoughts, she jumped off the bed, put on her shoes, and said, “Come into my body. I’m going to find my mother so you can find a way.” Xiaoji widened its bright red eyes at her, smirking, “What’s the rush? I just ate and am feeling sleepy. Let me rest first, okay? Your mother has special abilities; she can handle this herself. It just takes longer and wears her body out more.” Hearing this, Liuer bit her lip, “Please, I’m begging you.” Xiaoji puffed up, bouncing reluctantly on her like a feather, not hurting at all. Liuer cradled it, “Xiao Hui, please help me.” Xiaoji's face darkened, “What’s with Xiao Hui? You’re terrible at naming! I have a name! Don’t tell me you forgot, or I’ll bite you!” Liuer pouted, “But... you look this way now, I can’t remember.” Xiaoji bounced in annoyance on her palm, making it itch, then grudgingly said, “Xiao Hui it is then, better than being called a chick. Don’t compare me to those ordinary things. I’m a phoenix. Have you seen a better-looking chick?” Liuer thought to herself: You’re uglier than a chick. She quickly diverted her thoughts, fearing Xiaoji would read them and get upset, “Xiao Hui, should I go now?” Xiao Hui smacked its long beak, “Your mother and your mother-in-law are chatting in bed. What’s a baby like you going to do? Just be in the way. Wait until they wake up and then stick close to your mother. I’ll seize the chance to help her with the strange fire." Liuer lay back on the bed, “How?” Xiao Hui on her chest, replied, “This... I haven’t done it before. Usually, I’d consume the fire myself, but the Limo Blaze Fire isn’t useful to me. Your mother, though, has dual roots in wood and fire, with the fire root being stronger. She could control the strange fire, benefiting her cultivation greatly.” Hearing its earnest concern for her mother, Liuer felt touched. Despite its dreadful first impression, Xiao Hui seemed to genuinely consider her mother's well-being. She suddenly found Xiao Hui not so bad, even if it treated her poorly. It seemed to be genuinely helping... For the first time, Liuer encountered such a... master? Perhaps so, but listening to its rambling eased her heart a bit. Stroking its gray feathers, she hesitantly asked about Dabai, “Did you really eat Dabai?” Xiao Hui paused and replied in a sharp tone, “Why, you want to keep it? You’re my servant and pet. Pets can’t have pets, don't even think about it. I've eaten it, so don’t ask me to spit it out!”