Adorable Little Girl

Although Zhang Hupan was eager to settle the matter of the job as quickly as possible, when he saw the little girl's disappointed yet hopeful gaze, his insight as a Nascent Soul Stage expert was astonishing. Through her eyes, he completely understood how desperately the lonely girl longed for someone to play with her. Zhang Hupan couldn't bear to hurt the little girl's feelings. Besides, the girl before him had such big, blinking eyes and was incredibly adorable. He liked her very much and couldn't help feeling compassion. Turning back, he said to Liu Zhenxi behind the counter, "How about we talk after the proprietress finishes what she's doing? I'll play with this little sister for a while first!"

Hearing that Zhang Hupan would play with her, Liu Feifei happily bounced up and down while clapping her hands. Then, as if suddenly remembering what her mother had said, she stopped and stared at her mother expectantly.

What mother in the world didn't want her child to be happy? And what mother could refuse her child's eyes filled with anticipation? Liu Zhenxi nodded apologetically at Zhang Hupan, then got up and walked over to him. "You must be here to apply for the job, right? How should I address you?"

"My name is Zhang Hupan. I saw the notice outside your door saying that you were hiring a server, so I came to apply. But please, take care of your work first. I'll play with your daughter for a while. She's so adorable!"

"Then I'll have to trouble you, young man. We can talk about the job in about half an hour." After saying this, Liu Zhenxi patted the little head of her daughter, who was standing beside Zhang Hupan, and said gently, "Feifei, play with Brother Hupan for a while, but don't be naughty, okay?" She then gave Zhang Hupan an apologetic look and turned back to continue working.

Although Zhang Hupan was already a hundred years old, he had little experience of the world, and his nature was pure. That was precisely why Zhang Sanfeng had required Zhang Hupan to cultivate by entering the mortal world. Only after experiencing the joys and sorrows of human life could he truly see through worldly attachments, eliminate the interference of the Inner Demons, focus his mind, and stabilize his Dao Heart. Perhaps because they shared the same simple nature, pure-hearted Zhang Hupan played with the equally innocent and adorable little girl with unusual joy and relaxation. For a Nascent Soul Stage expert, making a little girl happy was an extremely simple matter. With a few tricks resembling magic—though ordinary magic could never compare to an immortal's techniques of illusion—Zhang Hupan became an impressive big brother in little Feifei's eyes.

Hearing her daughter's clear, tender laughter from time to time, Liu Zhenxi would occasionally turn her eyes toward her daughter playing by the window and the unfamiliar Zhang Hupan, whose ordinary appearance made him look just like the boy next door. The corners of her eyes grew slightly moist. Before she knew it, she had developed a favorable impression of the young man and had basically decided to hire the youth who had brought her daughter such happiness. Zhang Hupan had no idea that he had already been hired.

In that short time, Zhang Hupan had grown deeply fond of the innocent and adorable little girl before him.

"Can you tell Big Brother what you like best?" Zhang Hupan asked gently.

"I like KITTY Cat best of all. It's the cutest!" Liu Feifei replied happily.

"KITTY Cat?" Zhang Hupan froze for a long while. He really couldn't remember what kind of cat that was, so he shook his head at Liu Feifei with a bewildered look. "What is KITTY Cat? Is it a cat?"

When Liu Feifei saw that Zhang Hupan actually didn't know about KITTY Cat, she immediately looked as though she had discovered a new continent. She widened her beautiful eyes and stared at him curiously. In Liu Feifei's world, it was impossible to imagine that anyone could not know about KITTY Cat. Thus, she asked incredulously, "Big Brother, you really don't know KITTY Cat?"

Under Liu Feifei's utterly incredulous questioning, Zhang Hupan, who had lived for a hundred years, felt for the first time that he was actually so ignorant. A five-year-old girl took something for granted that he didn't know at all. Anyone would have felt embarrassed and frustrated.

"I don't know!" When the words left his mouth, Zhang Hupan's face actually took on a faint blush.

If Liu Feifei knew after growing up that she had once made an almost immortal figure blush, it would have been something she could proudly brag about.

After hearing that Zhang Hupan truly didn't know what KITTY Cat was, Liu Feifei became extremely anxious. In her worldview, a person without KITTY Cat for company was pitiful. Just like her, she couldn't fall asleep unless she hugged KITTY Cat, and when she was sad, she couldn't confide in anyone without KITTY Cat. Aside from her mother, Zhang Hupan was the kindest person Liu Feifei had encountered since coming into this world. Although she had known Big Brother for less than half an hour, she still anxiously and kindly introduced him to what she believed was the most wonderful thing in the world.

After Liu Feifei repeatedly gestured and demonstrated with pictures, poor Zhang Hupan finally understood, amid laughter and tears, what KITTY Cat was. Seeing that Zhang Hupan finally understood both what KITTY Cat was and how important it was, Liu Feifei let out a long breath and finally relaxed. Although Liu Feifei appeared to everyone else to be an innocent little girl, Zhang Hupan, as a Nascent Soul Stage expert, could still clearly sense the thoughts and sincere emotions of this utterly pure child. To an almost immortal figure who stood high above the world, what could be more precious than the most genuine concern from the heart—even if it came from only a little girl?

Zhang Hupan realized that he had grown deeply fond of the adorable little girl before him. He couldn't help showing her affection and naturally reached out to gently stroke her head. The little girl seemed to enjoy his caress, obediently leaning her head against Zhang Hupan's chest. She chattered nonstop about KITTY Cat, Mickey Mouse, and all kinds of pet toys. Zhang Hupan no longer dared to interrupt her at all. He simply listened attentively to the little girl's happy, lovely voice while secretly searching inside the Universe Ring for a piece of high-quality jadeite. Of course, "high-quality" was merely Zhang Hupan's own assessment. To ordinary people, it could never be described as merely high-quality; it was simply a supreme-grade piece of jadeite. After selecting it, Zhang Hupan secretly released a trace of true essence and quickly carved the jadeite into a lifelike KITTY Cat. Finally, he set up a small formation on it, then stealthily took a little of Liu Feifei's blood and dripped it into the KITTY Cat. Thus, the KITTY Cat became Liu Feifei's protective magical treasure. The fact that Zhang Hupan, the foremost figure of Wudang, had taken such pains to create a magical treasure for Liu Feifei showed how much he cherished the girl.

"Feifei, would you like Big Brother to conjure something for you?" Zhang Hupan asked with a smile.

"Okay! Okay!" Liu Feifei happily clapped her hands.

"Watch closely!" As he spoke, Zhang Hupan placed his palm before Liu Feifei's eyes.

Liu Feifei widened her adorable eyes, trying to find something on Zhang Hupan's empty palm, but she found nothing.

"Big Brother's a liar! Big Brother's a liar!" Liu Feifei shook his arm in protest.

"Who says I'm lying? Take another careful look!" Seeing how disappointed Liu Feifei looked, Zhang Hupan couldn't bear to tease her any longer, so he instantly transferred the KITTY Cat jadeite into the center of his palm.

The little girl suddenly widened her eyes and stared in astonishment at the KITTY Cat that had appeared out of thin air in Zhang Hupan's palm. Her heart pounded. The KITTY Cat before her was simply too beautiful, emerald green and lifelike. Still somewhat disbelieving, Liu Feifei asked hesitantly, "Th-this is for me?"

Seeing how excited Liu Feifei was, Zhang Hupan actually felt somewhat proud and satisfied. He lightly tapped the tip of her little nose and said, "Could it be that you don't like it?"

"I like it! I like it!" With that, she snatched the jadeite from Zhang Hupan's hand at lightning speed, clutched the KITTY Cat jadeite tightly in her little hands, and pressed it to her chest. She then turned her head and body away, as though afraid Zhang Hupan might regret it. A feeling of blood connection quickly spread from the jadeite in her palm throughout Liu Feifei's body. She played with the KITTY Cat lovingly, her face covered in a satisfied, happy smile.

"Should Big Brother put it around your neck?" Seeing how happy yet nervous Liu Feifei was about the KITTY Cat jadeite, Zhang Hupan felt both delighted and amused. He asked with a smile.

Liu Feifei looked at Zhang Hupan as if guarding against a thief, then carefully handed him the KITTY Cat jadeite. "Put it on me right away!" Her eyes remained fixed on the KITTY Cat, as though afraid it might fly away.

"Okay, okay!" Zhang Hupan said, half amused and half exasperated. If he were reduced to coveting a little girl's possession, he might as well stop trying to make a name for himself in the cultivation world. As he spoke, Zhang Hupan took out a strand of crystal-clear Ice Silkworm Silk and threaded it through the top of the KITTY Cat. Only then was the KITTY Cat jadeite finally complete. Zhang Hupan gently looped it around Liu Feifei's tender little neck and hung the jadeite there. Under the sunlight shining in through the window, the emerald jadeite emitted a soft green radiance, like blue-green waves rippling across the sea, while the crystal-clear Ice Silkworm Silk occasionally refracted the dazzling brilliance found only in diamonds.