Spicy Rabbit Heads Go with Blue Silver Grass

"Fine."

"Good." Zhu Zhuyun handed him a token engraved with the character "Zhu." "If anything major happens, you can come find me. Also, I'll let you know when you're able to leave."

After seeing Zhu Zhuyun off, Ling Qianyue straightened his clothes and headed back.

His chest still hurt a little. Zhu Zhuyun had not used Soul Power in that punch, but it had landed squarely on him.

"That woman really didn't hold back." Ling Qianyue muttered, yet he did not feel much resentment.

That punch from Zhu Zhuyun had been more of an outlet for her complicated feelings regarding him and Zhu Qing.

If he put himself in Zhu Zhuyun's shoes, Ling Qianyue felt that he might have hit even harder. With how deeply he despised blond punks, he would definitely have pinned the other guy to the ground and ground him into the dirt.

Luckily, he did not have a younger sister. Otherwise, if someone with the same role as him had suddenly appeared, he might have exploded with anger.

"Zhu Qing, I'm back—Grandpa Jason?" Ling Qianyue froze.

He had no idea what Old Jason had been telling Zhu Zhuqing before, but she seemed to be listening intently, her little face full of curiosity.

When she saw Ling Qianyue return, a flicker of delight first flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. Then she discreetly glanced at Old Jason, and a trace of regret flashed through them as well.

Ling Qianyue's heart sank. Grandpa Jason wasn't telling her about my embarrassing past, was he?

But did he even have an embarrassing past? Apparently not.

"Qianyao, you came back at just the right time. I was just talking to Zhu Qing about you—"

Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes widened slightly. She hurriedly coughed a few times, tilted her little head, and stopped Old Jason from continuing.

She crossed the distance in two strides and came to Ling Qianyue's side.

Seeing this, Old Jason stroked his beard and smiled. "Compared to an old man like me, it seems Zhu Qing would rather stay with you?"

Zhu Zhuqing's face reddened.

Ling Qianyue scratched his head with a smile. "Zhu Qing and I only got back recently. We had lunch earlier and planned to visit everyone in the village tomorrow. I didn't expect Grandpa Jason to come first."

"What, you brat, you don't welcome me?" Old Jason raised his brows in mock offense. "I think Zhu Qing is a fine girl. It'd be fine if you weren't here. It'd be even better if she kept me company and talked with me."

"Haha." Ling Qianyue shrugged. "You know that's not what I meant. Are you staying for dinner tonight?"

As he spoke, he pulled out the game he had hunted from his clothes. "I happened to catch two rabbits on the way back. We can have spicy rabbit meat tonight. I also buried a jar of wine in the backyard before I left, so Grandpa Jason can have some."

Old Jason nodded at the rabbits in Ling Qianyue's hands. "Rabbit meat—spicy rabbit heads are still the best. But..."

He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing behind Ling Qianyue, then rose with a smile and walked outside. "I won't disturb you today. You two just got back, so get yourselves settled. Remember to come see this old man tomorrow."

Ling Qianyue tilted his head and looked at Zhu Zhuqing, whose face was still slightly flushed. "Grandpa Jason didn't tell you anything embarrassing about me, did he?"

"No. Of course not."

As dusk fell, Ling Qianyue dug up a roasted rabbit and the jar of wine from the backyard, then brought them to Old Jason's home.

Ling Qianyue still held this Village Chief grandfather in great respect. As one of the few educated people in the village, he had given Ling Qianyue his name. After his grandmother passed away, he had also taken great care of him.

Ling Qianyue was not the type to loudly proclaim his beliefs about right and wrong to the whole world. He preferred to express them through actions.

If others treated him with sincere affection, he would certainly respond with genuine sincerity and wholehearted devotion.

Conversely, when he treated others well, he expected them to treat him even better—not to make them think he was amazing and then act without restraint.

Ling Qianyue actually held great contempt for those who took others' kindness for granted and even squandered it wantonly.

Relationships between people should be built upon mutual respect and understanding. If you treated him well, he would remember it and treat you even better. But if you did not value his kindness, there was no need for him to press a warm face against a cold backside.

"Good lad." Old Jason accepted the things, calling him a good lad while walking straight past Ling Qianyue to peer into the distance.

"Stop looking. Zhu Qing didn't come." Ling Qianyue said helplessly.

"Haha." Old Jason gave an embarrassed laugh and patted Ling Qianyue's shoulder. "Tell Grandpa honestly—do you like that girl? You brought her back already. I was probing Zhu Qing earlier, and from what she said, that girl really likes you."

Old Jason suddenly sighed deeply. "You have to seize the chance. Don't grow old and regret it, like a friend of mine."

Ling Qianyue grinned. Making up a friend out of nowhere, huh? "Grandpa, do you want a wife? If you do, just say the word, and I'll go into the city and introduce one to you."

"Get lost! Show some respect!" Old Jason laughingly scolded, waving his hand. He lifted his cane as if to strike Ling Qianyue, but his eyes were full of affection.

Ling Qianyue laughed as he dodged Old Jason's cane. He turned and left, waving his hand. "Don't worry, Grandpa Jason. See you tomorrow."

"Mm." Old Jason leaned cheerfully against the doorframe, watching Ling Qianyue's departing back with a heart full of comfort.

He took a bite of the rabbit head, his brows knitting slightly. "The flavor's all right, but why didn't he add Blue Silver Grass? Did that kid forget his own tastes? Uh, seems like I never told him?"

Old Jason shook his head, went a little farther away to pull up several stalks of Blue Silver Grass, snapped them into pieces, and added them to the rabbit meat before taking a bite.

"Mmm, cool and spicy. Really not bad. Really not bad."

When Ling Qianyue returned to his residence, he found Zhu Zhuqing waiting for him in the courtyard. After greeting her, he went to wash up first.

After washing up, Ling Qianyue returned to his room while drying his wet hair. The Shattered Star Sword floated before him.

His battle with Zhu Zhuyun during the day had given him many insights.

The seven major acupoints along his spine that represented the Big Dipper Seven Stars had only recently been lit. It was also his first time using the enhancements of all seven stars at once.

Po Jun brought an increase in attack power, Wu Qu ignited his fighting spirit, Ju Men increased his defense, and so on.

The coordination and switching between the seven stars gave him more possibilities and variations in battle. Ling Qianyue stood in the center of the room, staring at the floating Shattered Star Sword as he silently reviewed every detail of the day's battle.

"My strength is still a little too weak. That straight thrust actually missed."

"When all seven stars are activated together, the rate at which Soul Power is consumed is completely incomparable to when six stars are active. It seems to have doubled outright.

But..."

He looked at the sword guard of the Shattered Star Sword, where the Big Dipper Seven Stars glimmered faintly. "It still feels like something is missing. The strength of the seven stars shouldn't be limited to this."