No matter how hard he pondered over, Feng Huo did not find himself getting close to the unknown facts. As the time passed, the frown between his browns deepened, making his wrinkles look more prominent.
"What exactly happened?" Lifting his head abruptly, Feng Huo narrowed his eyes at Lidan who began to fidget under his gaze.
In the beginning, though the matter seemed weird Feng Huo did not feel apprehensive. It was only now, after seeing the guilty look of Lidan did an ominous premonition rose in his heart.
"Did you do something forbidden?" As much as Feng Huo dreaded the answer, he still asked the most feared question.
"What forbidden things are you talking about? Do I seem like someone who uses forbidden techniques to you?" Being wrongly accused, Lidan rebutted.
" Yes, you do. You might have forgotten your past rebellious behaviour, but I did not." Feng Huo replied as a matter of fact.
Fine, You win!, After mentally facepalming himself, Lidan rubbed his nose.
Feng Huo pursed his lips tightly at that sight─ the brat always rubs his nose whenever he lies or at the time when he was preparing to get scolded.
"I don't know what happened, but, Bai Long does. He is the one who cured her, so, I think you should question him..."
Bai Long?
That white lizard?
"From when did those stupid lizards start involving in the matters of our race?"
Lizards?
Old man, no matter how much you hate them, you can't call the almighty dragon a lizard!
Isn't it a bit too disrespectful?
"Old man, what if the dragons hear your words? Don't you fear the dragon's wrath?"
As if enlightened by his words, Feng Huo fell into a deep thought while rubbing his chin.
"You are right. It will be a problem if the dragons hear..." Feng Huo began, but, before Lidan could feel happy, the old man continued in a voice raised by a few octaves "But, I'm having this sudden urge to roast someone and a dragon seems perfect to act as my target..."
Hearing the apparent anger in Feng Huo's voice, Lidan smile wryly.
Bai Long, you are in for a good beating. Nothing can save you this time...
Taking out a parchment from the wide sleeves of his plain robes, Feng Huo scribbled a series of letter following which a golden light filled the room.
Thud!
"Ouch!"
A deep bass like voice echoed in the silent palace hall, followed by a stream of incessant curses.
"Ouch! Which idiot dared to injure this lord? I will..."
The voice came to an abrupt pause as two pairs of eyes stared at each other. One stared with the fearful eyes of a prey while the other stared with the hunting eyes of a predator.
"W-who are you?" the voice began, "And, why did you bring me here?" the tremors in the said voice could invoke pity in anyone's heart but not Feng Huo's.
"Bai. Long!" Feng Huo stressed each and every word, as he internally shook his head as he watched the poor acting of a certain man who is squirming on the floor.
"I am not the Bai Long you are looking for." the same voice sighed, taking on a pitiful note, he stressed "I am called Wu Gong, so elder, please let me go."
Wu Gong who was seated on the floor, prayed internally to not let the old man see through his disguise. He had always prided in his hiding abilities, but, he had completely ignored the possibility of this old phoenix summoning him. If there was anyone who could match the dragons, it was this regal old man who was now eyeing him dangerously.
The old man who never interfered in the worldly affairs suddenly summoned him and that could never be a good thing.
As expected, Feng Huo did not disappoint him as he slowly parted his lips, "Tell me, how did you save the mortal girl, the one named Xia Lian?"
There was no anger or disappointment in the old man's tone, it sounded like a casual inquiry, but, each and every word felt like a weight pressing on Wu Gong's shoulders.
"I am not Bai Long!"
On seeing that the person on the ground was still dead set on concealing his identity, a cold glint flashed in Feng Huo's eyes.
Fine then!
I gave you many chances to admit, but, you still lied to me...
If you want to be treated in the hard way, I will gladly oblige.
The figure of Feng Huo who was standing on the mosaic floor vanished in an instant. Before anyone could process what was happening, Feng Huo appeared in front of Wu Gong. Before Wu Gong could react, a pair of fingers attacked the space in between his brows.
"Reveal!" Following the old man's command, a tinge of pain spread throughout his body and soon, the cracking sounds of the bones filled the room. Wu Gong could feel the bones in his body shifting and realizing that he could no longer fool the old phoenix, he stopped resisting and complied to his fate, letting the old man's magic spell do it's work.
After chanting the spell, Feng Huo retreated back by a few paces, his sharp eyes never leaving the twitching figure on the floor. Copying the old man's actions, Lidan flew back and soon his eyes fell on the long and spiky white tail, the spikes looking more like ice crystals which reflected the light from the fire beacons on the wall. Following the long tail, his eyes fell on an unobscured view of the white dragon with wings so large that threatened to break the ceiling of the palace hall. Wu Gong or to be precise, Bai Long, now glared at Feng Huo with his blood red orbs. The old wrinkled form of Wu Gong soon morphed into something more enchanting and majestic─ An ice dragon, who was also called as the white dragon, hence the name Bai Long.
"Bai Long, what did you do to save the mortal girl?" All traces of friendliness disappeared from Find Huo's face as a deep hostility flashed in his eyes.