By the time Ji Jue saw Heavenly Furnace once again, it was already evening, and he was wearing a sour expression.
"Cough, cough... y-you're here?"
Lying in his recliner, pale-faced and seemingly on the verge of death, Heavenly Furnace raised his head. Seeing Ji Jue stride in with his chin high and chest out, he forced a smile. Ji Jue, however, ignored him completely.
He plopped down and began eating from the fruit platter before him. "What the hell are you pretending for, Old Dog?"
"Ji Jue, how can you speak to your Master-Grandfather like that!"
Heavenly Furnace's pupils trembled, and he looked utterly heartbroken. "You haven't come to see me for so long. Do you know Master-Grandfather's heart is about to break?" "Really? Take it out and let me see."
The bruises on Ji Jue's face had yet to fade, and he was laughing angrily. "I'd just gotten back to Celestial Pivot when my teacher came knocking and taught me for an entire week. Got any idea why?"
"Really? Then you master and disciple must have such a good relationship!" Heavenly Furnace nodded and barked.
"Yeah."
Ji Jue sneered. "I love my teacher, and my teacher loves me... Our lineage values being as close as family, with masters and disciples living in harmony.
Is a certain Grandmaster, abandoned by everyone, about to shed Little Pearl out of envy?"
Heavenly Furnace continued smiling at him, his smile growing ever more delighted. "Then she must have really liked all those little surprises and things you came up with, right?"
Old Dog, you—
Ji Jue's fists clenched.
Then he realized that the orange he had just peeled in his hand had fallen into Old Dog's mouth, making smacking, lip-smacking sounds.
"How does it feel, Ji Jue?"
He suddenly asked, "Compared to Lu