I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress

Chapter 206: Knowing What They Went Through

Crackle!

The flames engulfed the firewood and danced with the wind as the few skewered fish placed on top of it turned darker over time.

Yi Chen was currently sitting closest to the fire and was carefully observing the fish to ensure that they were evenly cooked on all sides.

Meanwhile, Gao Zhen and Xie Rou were watching his actions with anticipation evident in their eyes.

The healing pills had taken care of all their external and internal wounds by now, and they were no longer bleeding anywhere.

There were still signs of bruises and swellings, but by tomorrow morning, that would also be completely healed.

As for Zhou Lan, after she had swallowed the Bone Setting Pill, it had immediately taken effect and made her fall unconscious.

The process of setting broken bones was a painful procedure. Before that procedure begins, the pill knocks the user unconscious.

Her body was currently lying inside a tent, and light cracking sounds could occasionally be heard from there as her bones were repairing themselves with the help of the pill’s essence.

Meanwhile, feeling that the fish were ready, Yi Chen grabbed the two skewers and passed them to Gao Zhen and Xie Rou, whose gazes were affixed on the roasted fish.

*Gulp*

They both gulped at the same moment before slightly opening their mouths.

"Did you two miss it that much?" Yi Chen chuckled, seeing their antics.

"Of course. It’s been almost a month since we last tasted a roasted fish," Xie Rou stated as if it were only normal.

"Indeed. It’s also all Young Master Chen’s fault that we’re behaving like this. If you hadn’t made us so used to eating these delicious fish back then, we wouldn’t have developed such strong cravings for them."

Gao Zhen answered with a teasing expression as she took the skewer from Yi Chen’s hands and took a small bite.

A crispy sound accompanied the bite as the juicy meat perfectly blended with the spices in her mouth.

"Delicious~"

Gao Zhen exclaimed in delight while munching slowly, fully enjoying the taste.

A similar expression appeared on Xie Rou’s face, who, unlike Gao Zhen, decided to quickly take another bite to enjoy the taste again.

Seeing their behaviour, Yi Chen chuckled softly as a pleased feeling rose in his heart.

Placing another three skewers over the fire to roast, he grabbed his already roasted fish and started savouring it alongside the two of them.

"I was very surprised when I got to know that the three of you were all together...did you by any chance not get separated?"

Yi Chen asked curiously a few moments later.

"No, it’s not like that. We got separated as well... it’s just that we were very lucky and met early." Gao Zhen answered.

"Indeed," Xie Rou nodded and continued, "On my second day, I ended up meeting Madam Gao while being chased by a ghostly beast. At first, we both were surprised, but then quickly coordinated and took care of that beast."

The next instant, she pointed towards the tent and continued.

"However, it took a whole week for us to encounter Zhou Lan in the forest. You should have seen the relieved expression that had appeared on her face when she saw the two of us."

Xie Rou chuckled, and seeing this, Gao Zhen also gave out a soft chuckle while nodding as Zhou Lan’s face from that time flashed in her mind.

"So... for three whole weeks, the three of you have been together in this forest..." Yi Chen couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy rising in his heart when he heard this.

However, still wanting to know more, he asked the next instant, "What about the time when you arrived here? After free-falling from the sky, you must have encountered some difficulties, right?"

An expectant glimmer appeared in his eyes the next second.

"Falling from the sky? So that’s what Brother Chen experienced." Xie Rou nodded her head when she heard this and said with a grin, "Luckily, there was no such thing for me. The moment I had opened my eyes, I found myself inside an empty cave. However, unlike my lucky encounter, Madam Gao faced a difficult time when she arrived here."

’So everyone was transported here in a different manner...’ Yi Chen thought in his mind and couldn’t help but feel a little sour when seeing how smoothly things went for Xie Rou.

Meanwhile, Gao Zhen smirked when she heard Xie Rou’s words and carried on the conversation, "Yeah, it was indeed an experience I don’t want to repeat."

"Oh? Why? Did you encounter some great danger?" Yi Chen asked with curiosity, expectation again rising in his eyes.

"Not particularly dangerous... I was directly transported several feet below a completely dark water body. At first, I was confused and almost let go of all my breath.

Thankfully, I managed to stabilise my breathing and, following the little glow coming from the surface, found my way all the way up and finally escaped that darkness.

It was a small pond with great depth, and at first, I feared that there would be some beasts inside it. Luckily, there were none, and I safely made it to its edges."

Gao Zhen explained with a grin as she thought back on her experience.

"Is that so..." The little expectation which he held was squashed when he heard her side of the journey, causing the bitter feeling in his heart to intensify.

’Just how rotten of a luck do I have? I almost lost my shit after falling from several thousand feet above the land, and as if that was not enough, I was also immediately chased by a Grade 9 beast and almost got killed...’

He pursed his lips and was left completely speechless.

"How was your experience, Brother Chen?" Xie Rou asked curiously the next second.

"Well, as you might have guessed, I indeed fell from the sky." Yi Chen forced a smile and said, "However, when I crashed on land, I had a protective shield around me. I wasn’t hurt at all...

...after landing, I immediately rushed in a particular direction to avoid the detection by any ghostly beasts."

Ranting about his rotten luck would only make him feel more miserable, so he decided to bottle it all up and lie to them with a straight face.

"Uhm...Can I get another fish?" Gao Zhen asked suddenly.

It was only then that Yi Chen noticed that the fish had long disappeared from not only her but also Xie Rou’s hands.

Just like Gao Zhen, she was looking towards him with a similar expression.

"Sure! They should be roasted by now." Yi Chen smiled and passed the fish to the two of them.

While the two were savouring the fish, Yi Chen had his eyes focused on Gao Zhen. A weird feeling was rising in his heart as he saw her devouring the fish with great relish.

’Is it because of her cultivation falling down to the Ninth Meridian Refinement Stage?’

Yi Chen thought curiously.

Since the moment they had reunited, this weird feeling had been felt by him.

Earlier, whenever he was with Gao Zhen, she always exuded an untouchable aura around her, which always kept him on his toes.

However, that feeling was no longer present, and she felt more like a normal person to him rather than an untouchable figure.

As a result, while talking to her now, he felt a lot more comfortable.

Just when all these thoughts were going on in his mind, Gao Zhen suddenly looked towards him and asked with a frown.

"...You’re not eating?" She gestured towards the remaining fish that was still over the fire and was slowly being heated.

"No, I’m full." Yi Chen answered with a smile, with his half-eaten fish still in his hand. Unlike the two of them, he had eaten it a lot in the past month.

The next second, he noticed her gaze turn flicker between hesitation and desire.

A feeling of understanding rose in his heart, and he suggested with a subtle grin, "At this rate, it will go to waste...if it’s alright with you, then can Madam Gao have it instead? I’m just too full to force myself to eat it."

"I would love to!" Gao Zhen exclaimed with a bright expression and grabbed the skewer immediately.

Yi Chen and Xie Rou chuckled softly when they witnessed this scene, and they soon busied themselves with their own fish.

"Thank you for the treat, Brother Chen!" Xie Rou thanked her while waving her hands and went to Zhou Lan’s tent to attend to her tonight.

"That was a lovely meal, Young Master Chen. Thanks for tonight." Gao Zhen smiled and left for her tent the next moment.

A few moments later, Yi Chen arrived inside his tent.

Sitting cross-legged, he was all ready to start his routine cultivation, but before that, there was something more important for him to check.

’Let’s get a complete look at my gains then...’

He thought, and the panel opened up the next second.