chsdbacks Chapter 234 Life in the Rainforest
Chapter 234 Life in the Rainforest
Deep in the rainforest, the passage of time seemed to be held back by the dense foliage and rising moisture, dragging on with an exceptionally slow and viscous pace. But for Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo, who were temporarily residing in Azanji's safe house, these seven days, slowed down, were a rare and almost luxurious period of tranquility since the Luodongzhai incident in southeastern Guizhou, a time when they could focus wholeheartedly on themselves, slowly recovering and reflecting.
Every day is filled with a simple, regular, yet realistic rhythm.
Early mornings always begin with the clamor of birds and beasts and the first rays of sunlight streaming through the skylight. Nie Lingfeng would get up while Chen Duo was still half-asleep (hugging her panda plushie, her face buried in the blankets, only a few unruly strands of hair showing), and go to the stream behind the house to wash up. He would then use a sharpened bamboo pole to precisely spear a few plump, silvery-scaled stream fish from the clear, edible backwater, or use a simple wicker trap to catch one or two unsuspecting, brightly feathered pheasants that wandered in. Near Azanji's herb garden, one could always find some edible tubers and tender leaves. Breakfast usually consisted of fish soup, roasted tubers, or a rich, incredibly flavorful soup of pheasant stewed with unknown herbs, served with slightly rough but fragrant wheat-flavored flatbread that Azanji had somehow acquired. Chen Duo always had great enthusiasm and anticipation for Nie Lingfeng's cooking. She would always lick the bowl clean, her little face beaming with satisfaction. Occasionally, she would secretly and quickly put her favorite piece of fish or chicken leg into Nie Lingfeng's bowl, then pretend to casually lower her head to drink her soup. Only her slightly flushed ears and furtive glances betrayed her secret thoughts. (๑´ㅂ`๑)
In the morning, Nie Lingfeng spent time honing his skills. He was no longer in a hurry to succeed, but instead, as Azan Ki had said, he began to try to "taste" the "flavor" of the three "divine substances" within his body, like a true "brewer." He would sit cross-legged beside the black "Earth Mother Spring" stone basin, or simply go outside to a forest clearing that Azan Ki had simply cleaned, where he could get more sunlight and the surrounding earth vein energy was more active. He would then calmly introspect and sink his consciousness into that "inner universe."
He no longer attempted to "guide" or "command," but instead, with a more humble and curious attitude as an "observer" and "learner," he "observed" the dark golden "Qilin Star." He felt its every imperceptible pulse of energy, like the breath of the earth, and experienced the weight, inclusiveness, vitality, and majesty contained within its light. He transformed his understanding of the concepts of "earth," "life," and "protection" into silent thoughts, slowly "projecting" them onto that "constant star."
At first, the response was still weak. But gradually, as his thoughts became purer and his understanding deepened, the dark gold "constant star" seemed to open a tiny "heart" to him. Every day, he could "invite" out a wisp of dark gold energy, finer than a strand of hair, yet purer and gentler, slowly flowing into his meridians, blending seamlessly with his own qi and blood. These energy flows were no longer merely replenishing what he consumed; they were more like a "brand" and "assimilation," subtly strengthening and transforming his meridians, bones, and even every cell, allowing him to better adapt to and bear the power of the Qilin. He could even vaguely feel that his connection with the rainforest beneath his feet had deepened, allowing him to more clearly perceive the moisture of the soil, the pulsation of plant roots, and even the faint flow of earth vein spiritual energy hidden underground.
This slow and steady progress brought Nie Lingfeng more peace of mind and joy than the initial sense of instability from his previous surge in power. He knew that this was the right path to truly solidify his foundation and reach a higher level.
In the afternoon, it was Chen Duo's "Little Flame Classroom" time. Nie Lingfeng would act as a strict yet gentle "mentor," guiding Chen Duo on how to better control her Phoenix True Fire. Chen Duo's enthusiasm for learning was extremely high, and her progress was astonishingly fast. In just a few days, she could already: make the golden flame at her fingertips transform at will into a stable flame, a thin line of fire, or a warm ball of fire; she could even barely control the temperature of the flame, preventing it from burning through the bamboo tube in her hand when she got excited; she could follow the simple mental techniques taught by Nie Lingfeng to make the True Fire circulate more efficiently and steadily in several specific meridians, and her recovery speed was also much faster; most importantly, her "sense of control" over her power had greatly increased. Unlike before, when her True Fire would "go berserk" when she got excited, now even if she occasionally thought of the monster from last night or was angry with Azanji (because he wouldn't let her eat too much of a certain sweet but supposedly heaty wild fruit), she could quickly calm down and make the restless True Fire return to its docile state.
Of course, the learning process was not without its "accidents" and "laughs." For example, once, Chen Duo tried to condense real fire into the shape of a "little bird," but she lost control and the "little bird" exploded with a "bang" as soon as it took shape, scattering sparks that almost burned her own bangs. She was so frightened that she jumped up with a "yah" and frantically patted herself, her face turning pale with fright. This amused Nie Lingfeng, who was supervising her, so much that he couldn't help but laugh. Another time, she tried to imitate Nie Lingfeng by heating food with a real fire, but she didn't control the temperature well and charred and smoked a string of precious medicinal herbs (supposedly some kind of snake-repelling herb) that Azanji had left to dry under the eaves. When Azanji discovered this, although the old man didn't scold her, his usually calm face twitched several times. In the end, he punished Chen Duo by making her fetch ten more buckets of water from the stream to water the herb garden. Chen Duo, carrying buckets taller than herself, wobbled, pouting, looking pitiful, which made Nie Lingfeng and Azanji turn away and chuckle. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)
Evening was a relatively leisurely time for the three of them (Ajarn Ki would occasionally be there). Nie Lingfeng would help with some simple chores, such as repairing the thatch on the roof and reinforcing the fence. Chen Duo, on the other hand, was full of curiosity about Ajarn Ki's strange herbs, minerals, and magical artifacts, always surrounding him with questions. Although Ajarn Ki was a man of few words, he would occasionally explain a few things, such as how a certain herb could treat snake bites, or how grinding a certain mineral into powder could be used to draw simple protective talismans. Chen Duo listened, seemingly understanding but not quite, but her eyes always sparkled with pure curiosity about this rainforest and this ancient knowledge.
Nighttime is a time of absolute tranquility. After a simple dinner (usually leftovers from lunch, or a uniquely flavored medicinal porridge cooked by Azanji, said to have calming effects), Nie Lingfeng would continue his meditation to consolidate the day's gains. Chen Duo, clutching her panda plushie, would climb onto her bamboo bed early, listening to the unique "lullaby" of the rainforest outside the window—a mixture of wind, insect chirps, and the faint roars of distant wild animals—and quickly drift off to sleep. Occasionally, she would have nightmares, dreaming of terrifying evil god incarnations or skeletons scattered on the ground, murmuring uneasy words in her sleep. At these times, Nie Lingfeng would always come to her side immediately, take her hand, transfer a gentle and calming internal energy to her, and soothe her softly until she calmed down again, curled up in his arms like a young animal seeking protection, and fell into a deep sleep.
Azan Ki seemed to be one with the rainforest, his whereabouts elusive. Sometimes he would disappear for an entire day, returning with his basket filled with various exotic herbs or game; other times he would sit quietly in a corner of the house, pounding medicine, studying ancient scrolls, or simply closing his eyes to rest, as if listening to the whispers of the earth and the forest. His attitude towards Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo was always a distant, understated friendliness, neither warm nor aloof, as if they were merely two rather special "creatures" temporarily residing in this rainforest.
However, beneath this seemingly calm, even idyllic, seven-day rest, Nie Lingfeng could keenly sense that the undercurrents had never truly subsided.
First, there was his own "inner universe." Although communication with the "Qilin Star Body" was becoming increasingly smooth, the crimson-gold "Eternal Star" representing phoenix blood and the ice-blue "Eternal Star" representing dragon essence remained dormant. They were like colossal beasts slumbering in the deeper ocean of consciousness, their mere existence bringing invisible pressure. Nie Lingfeng could feel that his initial comprehension and control of the Qilin power seemed to have established an extremely delicate and fragile balance between the "Qilin Star Body" and the other two "Eternal Stars." But how long could this balance last? What would happen when he began to try to access the other two powers? He dared not try lightly.
Secondly, there were the "signals" from the outside world. Azanki's old, battery-powered radio (that's what Nie Lingfeng called it privately), which could only receive specific encrypted frequencies, would occasionally transmit extremely weak, intermittent fragments of encrypted information from "Eagle" or "the Company." The information was fragmented, but pieced together, it outlined a less than optimistic picture of Mengla Town and even the entire border region:
"News of Yan Ben's death and the strange events at 'Nanm Cave' have spread... Mongla town is in a brief power vacuum, and various forces are stirring... There are suspected foreign armed personnel (non-governmental, non-local) operating along the border, with their targets unknown... The remaining members of the 'Yaoxing Society' show signs of retreating towards northern Myanmar... 'Parliament'-related activities are increasing in Southeast Asia and the South Asian subcontinent, and the threat level has been raised..."
A storm was quietly brewing and gathering outside the rainforest where they were recuperating. Yan Ben's death was like toppling a crucial domino. The power vacuum and wealth he left behind were enough to drive any greedy hyena mad. And the anomalies in "Nammu Cave" and the appearance and annihilation of the evil god's incarnation could not escape the notice of certain "eyes" with special means. He and Chen Duo, as witnesses and those who brought the events to a close, were probably already being watched. It was just that Azanji's safe house was secluded enough and the formation was ingenious enough to temporarily shield them from the storm.
But how long can this hold out?