Meeting Na'er Again

At the snack street in Eastsea City.

Chen Jianshu glanced at the shops around him. There were hot pot restaurants, milk tea shops, barbecue restaurants and more. Supposedly, all these trades had been passed down by the First Generation Spirit Transmission Douluo.

Countless ordinary people at the bottom of society who had not awakened Soul Power relied on these trades to make a living.

"Boss, one medium shaved ice!"

As Chen Jianshu watched, a passerby approached a shaved ice shop. A thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion condensed a large block of ice, then used its pincers to smash it into an icy mist. Just like that, a serving of shaved ice was ready.

"Huh... There's an Ice Jade Scorpion in a place like Eastsea City?"

A question mark appeared over his head. Wasn't it pretty hot here? An Ice Jade Scorpion had actually traveled all the way from the Far North to do business in Eastsea City.

Still, the creatures of the Far North were natural makers of cold drinks and desserts. Making shaved ice was right up an Ice Jade Scorpion's alley.

As he wandered around, he suddenly felt as though something was behind him. He turned and caught sight of a silver-haired figure.

"Big brother, we meet again."

The familiar figure smiled sweetly at him and reached out to take his hand. It was Na'er.

"It's you, Na'er. You're in Eastsea City too?"

Chen Jianshu hadn't expected to run into her in Eastsea City after Di Tian took her away.

But on second thought, it made sense. Since Di Tian could teach him swordsmanship and discuss forging theory with him at the Spirit Pagoda in Eastsea City, it was only natural that he would keep his lord by his side, worried as he was for her safety.

After Di Tian took Na'er back, she had undergone a complete transformation. With her clean, adorable little face, soft silver-white hair and pink-and-white dress, she looked as cute as an exquisite doll.

"Yes. After my family came to get me, I started staying in Eastsea City for the time being. Big brother, can I treat you to something to eat?"

Na'er thought of the oversized villa, of how respectfully Di Tian treated her, and how respectfully everyone else behaved toward her, too. The distance between them was far too great, leaving her feeling deeply uneasy.

It felt as though these people weren't serving her, but someone else through her.

In the end, Chen Jianshu was still the one she felt closest to. Not only had he treated her to food to fill her stomach for no reason, but he had also helped her find her family, letting her live a life like that of a young lady from a wealthy family.

"No need. I have money."

Chen Jianshu waved his hand in refusal. He was a Red-Level Core Disciple of the Spirit Pagoda, after all, so naturally he wasn't short of money. But she insisted.

"Big brother, you treated Na'er to food before, so now it's my turn to treat you. It's only proper to return the favor."

She insisted on pulling Chen Jianshu into a restaurant that looked positively luxurious.

"Order whatever you like, big brother. Na'er has money now."

The little girl grandly pushed the menu over, inviting him to order whatever he wanted. She picked up a menu herself and ordered whatever caught her fancy.

Chen Jianshu ordered a few dishes for form's sake. The food here really was expensive, after all. The dishes on the menu generally started at three or four figures, and with everything Na'er had ordered, it would cost at least several hundred thousand Federation Coins.

"By the way, big brother, what's your name?"

"Chen Jianshu."

"Then can I call you Brother Jianshu from now on?"

"Sure. Call me whatever you like."

Na'er seemed delighted to learn his name. As though she had made a friend for the first time, she began chatting with him on and off.

After they had chatted for a while, a host of delicacies were brought out. The table was packed full, with no room for everything, and there were still plenty more dishes to come.

"Eat up, Brother Jianshu. The food at this restaurant is delicious."

The little girl urged him to eat and immediately dug in herself. Grease covered her mouth, and she seemed to be enjoying the food.

Fortunately, they were in a private room. Otherwise, she would surely have made people's jaws drop. Chen Jianshu ate at an unhurried pace, until his pupils suddenly shrank at the sight of a server wheeling in some wine.

"The drinks are here. Want to try some, Brother Jianshu?"

Na'er picked up a bottle of wine and asked if he wanted some. He immediately snatched it away and said, "Why did you order wine? Children can't drink alcohol!"

Na'er froze for a moment. Realizing she seemed to have made a mistake, she asked timidly, "What's wrong? Can't we drink that?"

"No. It's bad for children's health. You haven't had any before, have you?"

Chen Jianshu put the wine aside and pressed a hand to his forehead, at a loss for words. Who had been looking after this child? They had actually let her drink wine...

"I... I've had it a few times. After I drank it, the food in front of me multiplied, and it helped me sleep, too... I'd close my eyes and open them, and I'd be home. I thought it was a drink. It was sweet and spicy..."

Na'er lowered her head, a little at a loss. It really did taste pretty good, and she had thought everything on the menu was edible.

"That means you were damn well drunk... Be good, sweetheart. No alcohol, okay? How about orange juice? Drink too much of this stuff and there'll be trouble."

Chen Jianshu took out a bottle of orange juice and placed it in front of Na'er. She obediently nodded.

Before long, dinner was over. Na'er was very satisfied, as anyone could tell from the stains on her hands and the corners of her mouth.

"You're such a messy eater. Remember to be more graceful in front of other people from now on, and use your chopsticks. You've got grease all over your face like a little tabby cat."

Chen Jianshu used a napkin to wipe her mouth and hands, removing most of the grease. Na'er obediently let him fuss over her.

"All right, go wash your hands first. I should head home too."

"Oh, okay."

The silver-haired girl obediently went to the restroom to wash her hands and face. When she returned, she found him gone. After thinking it over, she figured he must have gone home. She hoped she would see Brother Jianshu again next time.

After all, he was her first friend. With that thought, she went downstairs to pay, only to find the bill had already been settled. She walked out of the restaurant in a daze and came face-to-face with a woman in a long purple dress, her purple hair tied in a high ponytail.

"Aunt Zi JI, did you see Brother Jianshu?"

The woman was none other than Zi JI, the Abyssal Demon Dragon King, master of the Spirit Pagoda branch in Star Dou City and guardian of the Lake of Life in the forbidden area of the Star Dou Great Forest. She possessed four hundred thousand years of cultivation. Seeing a familiar face, Na'er immediately pressed her for an answer. Zi JI gave her lord a slight nod and said, "He left after paying the bill. Miss, what's the background of this Brother Jianshu? Do you know each other?"

As she asked, a cold glint flashed in her eyes. Some punk was getting close to their lord, and she had to find out where he came from.

She didn't want to end up with another lord for no apparent reason. On hearing that Chen Jianshu had paid the bill, Na'er was immediately dismayed. Hadn't they agreed that she would treat him? How had she let him pay?

"Aunt Zi JI, he's the kind person who took Na'er home before. He's my friend."

Na'er held nothing back and gave her a general account of what had happened. Zi JI fell silent for a moment. He had taken their lord home... so he was probably a good person...

P.S.: The first update for July 10, two thousand words total.