Su Yuehan blushed while covering her eyes. She turned and ran back into the house. After a while, she threw out a set of clothes. She shouted, "What happened to you, Young Master?”
Chengfeng took the clothes and put them on. Thanks to his sturdy physique, sufficient energy and good health, coupled with the tremendous increase in strength, and the Immortal Qi within him, he didn't feel cold despite the chilly winter.
After putting on the clothes, he noticed that Yuehan was wearing thick clothing. She kept her hands near her mouth, using her breath to warm them. The cold was obviously too harsh for her to bear.
Chengfeng glanced around the room, and saw that the house, in its broken condition, allowed the blistering cold air to seep inside. The ground was cold and hard, not to mention the rattling, flimsy windows. The main entrance had even lost a huge chunk of its wooden panels.
Chengfeng couldn't help but feel guilty. He could weather the harsh, brutal conditions, but it was grossly unfair to drag a petite young maiden like her to suffer as he did.
At the thought of that, Chengfeng turned around and walked outside. Yuehan watched him leave with a puzzled look on her face. She only heard the rustling sound of leaves dragging against the ground. She looked out and under the moonlight and glimmer of the white snow, she could see Chengfeng bending over, as if burying something in the ground.
After a while, Yuehan saw that a row of small saplings began to grow on the ground at the doorway. These small saplings grew from the size of a fist to the height of her knee, and then quickly past her waist, and then rapidly grew into a large tree several metres high.
Su Yuehan looked on in awe; it took only a night for them to grow! Has his cultivation level increased? It was only just recently that he was able to control flowers and plants, but now he can control even trees?
After the trees reached their full growth, Chengfeng returned to the room. He waved to the nearest tree. The surrounding trees immediately withered, and the trunk and branches quickly moved towards Chengfeng.
These tree trunks held Chengfeng’s small broken house tightly like a giant’s stretched arms. The dense leaves and branches blocked the broken windows and doors securely. The barrage of wind and snow decreased immediately, leaving only a few faint whistling noises from the wind.
Chengfeng mobilized his energy again, causing leaves to grow and fill the gaps, and there was no more wind and snow in the house.
Yuehan widened her eyes and clapped her hands excitedly, "Young Master, that was amazing!"
Chengfeng laughed proudly, “Right? I'm such a genius! So what about a broken house?”
Yuehan smiled, "Your skills seem to have greatly improved."
Chengfeng gave her a look with a shushing gesture, “Shhh, that’s a secret!”
Yuehan nodded and understood, she said, "Young Master, the house is much warmer now, but how are we gonna leave tomorrow?"
Chengfeng laughed knowingly and waved his hand to the door. The branches of the door immediately retreated, letting out the door, causing the wind and snow to immediately pour in. Li He waved his hand again, and the tree branches firmly blocked the door again.
Yuehan's eyes lit up and she smiled: "That’s really interesting, it’ll be great if I could learn these spells!" Then, she picked up a copy of "Notes for Cultivation" and said, “When you left, I’ve read this book. I think I can learn a thing or two from it!"
Chengfeng laughed, amused by her statement, “You’ve only read it for a day, how much can you learn?”
Yuehan pouted, “I’m quite smart, you know. Who knows how much I can learn and improve my cultivation, and I’ll be quite the help to you,”
Chengfeng didn’t believe a word she said, obviously. As he was about to retort her, he saw Xiaobao awaken from his coma.
Li Chengfeng was overjoyed. He hurried over to Xiaobao’s side. Yuehan was about to comment on Xiaobao’s recovery, but saw Chengfeng’s cheeky wink towards her. Yuehan was taken aback, but saw Chengfeng hugging Xiaobao firmly in his arms and with a sorrowful expression, he wailed, "Xiaobao, you have to stay strong!"
Yuehan almost laughed, but she stood next to them and played along.
As Xiaobao had just woken up, he had yet to fully grasp the situation. He saw Chengfeng grieving, as if mourning his death. Xiaobao was alarmed and stuttered, "Young Master, it’s me, it’s..."
Chengfeng shook Xiaobao and cried out mournfully, "Xiaobao, you’re dead, how could you leave me? What am I gonna do without you!"
Xiaobao was inexplicably moved. With tears welling up, he said, "Young Master, I don’t think I’ll be able to serve you again..."
Yuehan covered her mouth with one hand, tears almost flowed down her face, but they were tears of laughter.
Chengfeng stared at Xiaobao with mock affection and said tenderly, "If you’re gone, who else am I going to tease?"
Xiaobao was taken aback, he pouted, "Young Master, I’m dying soon, can't you say something nice?"
Yuehan couldn't hold herself anymore. She turned around and laughed so loudly that Chengfeng himself almost laughed. With a stoic expression on his face, he pointed to Yuehan and said, "Yuehan, don't be too hard on yourself. If you must mourn, cry out loud, it’s better that way."
Yuehan almost scolded him. Cry? On your mother! I’ve spent the last five minutes trying not to laugh and I don’t have the willpower to cry!
But Xiaobao wasn’t stupid, he more or less knew something was up. He said in a daze, "Young Master, I... I don't think my body hurts anymore."
Chengfeng pressed a finger on the Tanzhong acupoint on Xiaobao’s body and said, "How about now?"
Xiaobao looked at his Young Master with tears in his eyes and complained, “Ow Young Master, that hurts!”
Chengfeng held back his laughter and said, “Yeah it hurts the most when you’re about to die.”
Xiaobao wanted to sit up. “Young Master, I think I’m fine, really.”
As Xiaobao was halfway up, Chengfeng pushed him back down. "Don't, you are dying, lie down quickly. Do you have any last words?"
Xiaobao looked dumbfounded. He muttered, "Huh?"
Chengfeng earnestly said to Xiaobao, "Xiaobao, remember the ten taels of silver that I owed you? I’ll burn some for you at your grave, ok? By then I guess my debt to you would be settled,”
At the mention of money, Xiaobao immediately perked up. He eyed Chengfeng suspiciously and demanded, “No! You’ll still have to repay me the silvers!”
Chengfeng continued mournfully, “My dear Xiaobao, how can you not understand? As they say, we come into this world naked and we leave this world naked. You can’t bring any material possessions into the afterlife.”
Xiaobao insisted, stubbornly, “But I’m not dead!”
Chengfeng continued mournfully, "Do you suspect that your Young Master will embezzle your little bit of silver? I’ll host a lavish funeral for you, invite eighteen beautiful ladies to mourn your funeral. I’ll invite a band to play and sing all the way. They’ll sing all your favourite songs, like ‘Eighteen Touches’ and ‘Widow Goes to the Grave’."
Xiaobao interjected, “Those are your favourite things! Not mine!”
Chengfeng laid his palm of Xiaobao’s chest, preventing him from sitting up. Chengfeng wailed, “But it’ll still cost so much money! You know me, you know how I am with spending money. I’m generous! And I’m more than willing to spend on you. Although you’re considered to be my servant, I see you as my brother. How could you view me so poorly? I… I’m so hurt!”
Xiaobao was moved at Chengfeng’s soliloquy. He muttered, “Then… I guess I don’t need the money.”
Chengfeng pounced on Xiaobao’s words and hurriedly said, “Really? You said it! No regrets in the future?”
Xiaobao was stunned and confused, he stammered, “What, what? Is it too late to regret now?”
Chengfeng guffawed, “Too late! The money’s mine!”
Xiaobao didn't know he was being tricked by Chengfeng again. He jumped up and said angrily, "Young Master, you bullied me again! "
Chengfeng continued to laugh, “Who else am I gonna tease if not you?”
“No! You’re not allowed to bully me again!”
Chengfeng replied with mock anger, “Nonsense! I’ve worked so hard to heal you, and you dare say such crap to my face?”
Xiaobao instantly shrank and his demeanor became a lot more timid. After some thought, he finally said, “Then… you’re only allowed to bully me three times a day!”
Yuehan couldn't help it anymore and burst into laughter.
The sounds of Su Yuehan’s laughter mixed with Chengfeng and Xiaobao’s quarrel made its way out of the tightly huddled house and trees, and drifted further and further into the snowy night sky.
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