Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Chapter 73

The first thing Feng Jiao Xue noticed when she woke was the softness. Her hand gripped the soft velvety cloth in confusion.

Her bed wasn’t this comfortable.

The matress beneath her was plush, sinking just enough to cradle her form. Her ussual one was just enough to make sure she can sleep peacefully.

The silk sheets were cool against her skin, embroidered with golden phoenixes woven into deep blue fabric. Above her, the canopy was made of sheer, white gauze, allowing sunlight to filter through like a gentle morning glow.

This room was a far cry from her shabby shack, it was grand in a way that it was befitting a princess.

Carved wooden screens painted with intricate landscapes separated the space, and a vanity table adorned with jade accessories sat against the far wall. Delicate incense burned in a small porcelain dish, filling the room with a calming floral scent. A set of silk curtains swayed slightly from the breeze, partially revealing an open balcony that overlooked a garden filled with blooming moonflowers.

Everything screamed luxury, yet there was a distinct warmth to it. A warmth that made it feel like home.

She blinked drowsily, shifting slightly ready to bolt, only to pause when she saw the figure seated beside her bed.

MoTianze.

His fluffy ears twitched in his sleep, his white hair slightly messy, making him look even softer than usual. His tail was curled around his waist, draped protectively across his lap. His arms were folded, his body slumped forward in an uncomfortable position on the wooden chair. His brow furrowed slightly, as if even in sleep, he was still worried about something.

"Cute" She though to herself as she wanted to cuddle him, hold him in her arms. But before she could, something shifted in her peripheral vision.

A presence, calm yet powerful. Someone else was in the room.

She turned her head slightly, and there, sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat near her bed, was her grandfather.

Feng Zhenhai’s aura was far more restrained now, controlled. His once withered face held more color, and though his age was still evident, there was a new vigor in his expression. He had truly ascended.

As if sensing her awakening, his eyes snapped open.

In the blink of an eye he was at her side.

The sudden movement startled Mo Tianze awake, his ears twitching sharply as his tail puffed up slightly in alarm. His golden eyes darted around the room wildly before settling on her.

"Jiao Xue! Sister!" His voice was barely above a whisper, but the relief in it was palpable. He immediately reached forward, hesitating only for a second before carefully grasping her wrist. "You’re awake. You- do you feel any pain? Are you dizzy? Hungry?" he scrambled about and offered her a glass of water.

Feng Zhenhai cleared his throat, narrowing his gaze at the fox. Mo Tianze immediately pulled his hands back, ears flattening.

"Get away from my snowball you furry brat!" Feng Zhenhai shoved Mo Tianze away.

"I-I was just checking!" he stammered, looking away. "I-I didn’t want to wake you up before, so I stayed... just in case."

Mo Tianze’s eyes pitifully widened with tears like an abandoned puppy. He clearly remember that while Feng Jiao Xue was unconscious, this old man had wanted to drive him away.

Feng Zhenhai in fact didn’t mean it that way. He couldn’t accept the fact that Feng Jiao Xue took in a slave and thought he was just making up for his junior’s mistake.

A slave!

How could a member of the Feng Clan do something as morally damning as buying a slave!

But Mo Tianze kept sneaking back in or staying in the door unwilling to leave even if Feng Zhenhai had promised him a comfortable life.

So, the old man just let the fox stay.

Feng Jiao Xue blinked at him before shaking her head slightly. "I’m fine." She smiled softly at Mo Tianze and took the water.

What happened in her mindscape felt like a distant dream and yet, she had never felt so true.

Feng Jiao Xue felt like her soul had a cut off part she never knew needed to be mended and for the first time, she never realized how fragmented she was until she felt... whole.

Feng Zhenhai, who had been watching their exchange with unreadable eyes, suddenly reached out, grasping her hands tightly. His calloused fingers trembled slightly.

And then, with a voice thick with emotion, he spoke,

"My adorable snowflake, you’re not a round ball anymore."

Feng Jiao Xue’s breath hitched. She hadn’t heard that name in years.

Her heart clenched as memories rushed back, of a time when she was small, carefree, lovable, and playful. When she would chase fireflies in the garden, her laughter echoing through the estate. When her tiny hands would reach for her grandfather’s sleeve, tugging at him to tell her stories of cultivators and great battles.

When he was still there and she had not yet lost the warmth of family.

Her lips parted but no words came out.

Because for the first time in years, she felt something unfamiliar stir in her chest. A long-forgotten warmth.

And perhaps, just perhaps, she was still someone’s somebody.

Mo Tianze watched the moment with wide, cautious eyes, his tail flicking slightly behind him as if hesitant to interrupt. Then, finally, he hesitantly spoke.

"Um," he began softly, "you should know... your grandfather didn’t let anyone else see you. Sister is really famous now!" Mo Tianze exclaimed excitedly yet his ears remained flat on his head while his tail is droppy making Feng Jiao Xue frown.

’I just had an emotional one on one with myself. What’s one more for in a single day?" She sarcastically though to herself. ’Here’s to testing if her- my emotional capacity went from 0+1= there’s finally one.’

"Silly fox" She flicked his forehead. "What’s on your mind this time?"

Mo Tianze wrangled his fingers. "Would sister not want me anymore?" he asked softly making her frown.

"Why would you say that?" She glared at her grandfather doubtfully if he had said or done something.

Feng Zhenhai gaped at her accusing stare. Pouting and acting wronged creating a gap moe with his masculine physique now that he had recovered.

He looks regal and powerful, regaining his previous might.

"Well, sister has lots of people now. Sister doesn’t need me anymore..." Mo Tianze’s soft tone drew her attention back.

"Idiot, I didn’t keep you becase I needed you. I let you stay because I wanted to and you needed me. As long as you don’t want to leave. You can stay by my side" Feng Jiao Xue assured the droppy fox immediately making him perk up.

’and only a naive fool would not see that they’re not here for me but the old man by my side’ She thought to herself.

Feng Jiao Xue suddenly remembered another fool in her life and glanced at her grandfather. "You didn’t let anyone close? Not even my uncle?"

Feng Zhenhai scoffed. "Those fools? Ha! They only remembered they had a niece after you collapsed in front of the whole clan!" His grip on her hands tightened slightly. "They had the nerve to come crawling back after ignoring you for years? Bah! I had more important matters to attend to."

Mo Tianze fidgeted slightly. "Elders, too," he added quietly. "A-And noble lords and ladies. They all wanted to come, but... um..." He peeked at Feng Zhenhai from the corner of his eyes. "They weren’t allowed through the gate."

Feng Jiao Xue’s lips parted slightly. She didn’t know whether to be exasperated or... strangely touched.

Mo Tianze hesitated before mumbling, "I... I don’t think they’ll give up though. They keep sending messages and gifts..."

Feng Zhenhai scoffed. "Let them try. If they think throwing a few expensive baubles will buy them my favor, they’re sorely mistaken."

Mo Tianze nodded quickly. "O-One of them, uhm, someone tried to sneak in one time actually! But then your grandfather..."

Feng Zhenhai cleared his throat loudly.

Mo Tianze immediately shut his mouth, looking away.

Feng Jiao Xue’s brows twitched. She turned toward her grandfather slowly. "...You chased them off, didn’t you?"

Her grandfather merely huffed. "No one of importance."

Mo Tianze shifted awkwardly. "It was mister Feng Haoyang, actually..." he whispered.

Feng Jiao Xue blinked. "Uncle Haoyang?"

The fox guy nodded. "Apparently, he tried to climb over the wall, but then-"

Feng Zhenhai coughed again and looked away.

Feng Jiao Xue narrowed her eyes. "...You chased him away? Your own son?"

Mo Tianze, wide eyed, looked between them before nodding ever so slightly.

A small chuckle slipped past her lips. It was soft, barely audible, but real.

Feng Zhenhai’s expression eased.

Mo Tianze perked up slightly, his tail twitching.

And for a moment, just a brief moment, the weight in Feng Jiao Xue’s chest didn’t feel as heavy as before.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this wasn’t such a bad place to wake up to.

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