"I don't know either, I didn't get anything about this legacy when I first came to be. I'll have to unlock the other legacies as my strength increases. I've been in the Cangmang Mountains since I became conscious."
"Hmm. If you don't know, then let it be, we'll have the chance to find out in the future. Xiaohuo, once we leave the mountain range, you can't speak anymore, you know? If you need to talk, wait until we are alone," Dugu Qianye instructed Xiaohuo.
"Why can't Xiaohuo talk?" Xiaohuo hopped up and down on the shoulder.
"I don't want others to know you're a Holy Beast. In the eyes of others, I am useless, and if they found out I've contracted a Phantom Beast, my strength would be exposed."
"Oh, okay then, but I want roasted meat." Xiaohuo took the opportunity to make a demand.
"Alright, I'll roast it for you when we get back."
So the human and bird chatted like this as they returned to Qifeng City. After leaving the Cangmang Mountains, Xiaohuo stopped speaking and switched to telepathy.
When they arrived outside the wall of the backyard of the Mo Residence and located the small courtyard where Dugu Qianye lived, she leaped into the yard. Seeing the lock slightly covered in dust, the corners of Dugu Qianye's mouth curled slightly. No one had noticed her absence.
She unlocked it, entered the house, and cleaned the room. Afterward, she changed back into her old clothes and went to find Mo Feng to let him know she was back.
Approaching the courtyard where Mo Feng lived, she heard a burst of shouting and cheering before she even entered.
"Beat him up, boss, hit him hard!"
"Oh ho, how does it feel today? Exhilarating, huh? Haha!"
"Who asked you to meddle and stand up for that trash, Mo Ju? Seventh Miss told us to 'interact' more with you when we're free. We can't help it, can we? Oh, you're resisting, huh? With your petty strength, you better save it. Haha..."
Hearing this, Dugu Qianye didn't need to guess what was happening. She pushed open the gate and saw six or seven youths surrounding Mo Feng. Mo Feng's face was swollen and bruised, while the others who lived in the same courtyard hid inside their rooms.
At the sound of the gate opening, the youths turned around, and upon seeing Dugu Qianye, their cursing instantly died down. They had all gone to Dugu Qianye's courtyard that day and had seen her defeat Seventh Miss in one move.
"Get lost," Dugu Qianye coldly glanced at them, "and tell Mo Ju that if she wants to stay alive, she'd better keep her distance from us."
Watching them run away as if for their lives, Dugu Qianye approached Mo Feng and helped him stand.
"Ah Jiu, you're back. Ow!" Mo Feng winced as he spoke, the motion affecting the wounds on his face.
"Go to my courtyard, and you won't have to stay here anymore," Dugu Qianye said, glancing over at the people inside the house, "Can you move? If you can, go pack your things."
Mo Feng wanted to refuse, but seeing the stern expression on Dugu Qianye's face, he swallowed his words and turned back to his room to pack. Ever since Dugu Qianye had been beaten by Seventh Miss last time, she sometimes displayed a daunting presence that made people dare not defy her.
Dugu Qianye stood alone in the courtyard, her aura subdued. Mo Feng was someone she acknowledged, and now he was being bullied for having helped her before—and it seemed not just once or twice.
The others hid in their rooms, not daring to come out. They didn't know that Dugu Qianye had once easily defeated Mo Ju, and found it odd to see how the gang reacted to Dugu Qianye as if mice had seen a cat.
"Let's go." Seeing Mo Feng come out, Dugu Qianye spoke and turned to leave.
Carrying his bundle, Mo Feng followed Dugu Qianye, leaving behind the courtyard he had lived in for 13 years.
Returning to the courtyard, Dugu Qianye entered her own room, leaving behind a curt "Find yourself a room." Mo Feng shrugged the bundle on his shoulder and picked a room a bit farther away. He pushed the door open to find the room empty, without any furniture.
Before he could figure out how to arrange the room, Dugu Qianye pushed the door open and threw him a bottle, saying, "Eat this. Then change your clothes; we're going out."
Mo Feng looked at the bottle, his eyes suddenly wide with shock.
A Grade Four Sacred Rhinoceros Pill! Not a high-grade elixir, but a healing holy item, especially for internal injuries. Due to the difficulty of crafting them and their low success rate, they were quite expensive.
"A-Jiu, I've only got some superficial skin injuries, I don't need something this good," Mo Feng said. He had once seen Grandpa Five give one to the injured Mo Ju, his face full of reluctance.
"It's fine? I have a lot of these. Just eat it quickly, we still need to go out," Dugu Qianye said dismissively and then turned to leave.
"Uh, okay then." Overwhelmed by Dugu Qianye's response, Mo Feng poured out an elixir and swallowed it. In no time, the wounds on his face and body had disappeared without a trace.
Mo Feng changed into a new set of clothes and stepped outside, where he saw Dugu Qianye playing with a colorful little bird in the courtyard. Its petite body seemed to be filled with a vibrant life force. Her once sallow skin had turned rosy, and the golden sunlight cast a warm glow on her smiling face. Hearing the door open, Dugu Qianye turned her head to look at him, "The effects are quite good; your wounds are gone."
Mo Feng wanted to roll his eyes; using a Sacred Rhinoceros Pill for external injuries and it was still only considered quite good.
Dugu Qianye first approached the courtyard wall and leaped over it. After waiting a while and seeing that Mo Feng hadn't come out, she jumped back onto the wall, her face lined with exasperation.
Mo Feng had found a stool but still couldn't climb over the wall. He was hopping up, trying to reach it, when Dugu Qianye came up.
Alright, she had forgotten that one needed to be of at least Phantom Emperor level to be able to fly. She jumped down, grabbed Mo Feng by the shoulder, and took him over the wall.
The two of them arrived on the street, where passersby pointed and whispered about Dugu Qianye. Mo Feng wanted to confront them, but Dugu Qianye held him back, saying simply, "Why bother with them?"
They arrived at the ready-made clothing store they had visited previously. Upon seeing Dugu Qianye, the store owner greeted her with a beaming smile, "Miss Jiu, welcome!"
Dugu Qianye nodded, took out two Gold Coins, and said, "According to our sizes, bring one set of every piece of clothing in your store. I want both men's and women's styles."
"Right away, Miss Jiu. Please wait a moment," the store owner said and went to gather the clothes. Dugu Qianye was a VIP customer now; they couldn't afford to neglect her.
Mo Feng wanted to say something but ultimately held back. Everything he had seen and heard today, whether it be the Sacred Rhinoceros Pill or Dugu Qianye helping him over the wall, or even her casually taking out two Gold Coins, all pointed to the fact that A-Jiu was no longer the useless person she used to be.
After leaving the clothing store, the two continued on, arriving at a furniture store. Dugu Qianye bought Mo Feng a bed, a table, chairs, a cabinet, and other furniture, and also picked out a set for herself—her old furniture was long overdue for retirement.
Then, they purchased some kitchenware, tableware, spices, and some food ingredients. Looking at the limited selection of condiments and ingredients, Dugu Qianye suddenly missed the colorful variety of foods from the 21st century and the people who shared the delicious meals she cooked.
"Master, master, there are so many people, Xiaohuo is so happy!" Xiaohuo happily bounced on Dugu Qianye's shoulder, hopping from the left side to the right, then from the right side back to the left.