The morning sunlight struggled through the gaps in the less-than-clean curtains, casting a few mottled shafts of light into the dusty air. Lin Fan woke in an exceedingly strange atmosphere of "peace and harmony."
He hadn't been woken by his alarm. He'd simply woken up naturally. The room was unusually quiet, with only the indistinct noise of the city drifting in from somewhere outside. He rubbed his eyes and instinctively looked toward the two corners of the room.
On the left, Master Tongtian was still sitting cross-legged on the yoga mat, his back straight and his dark hair falling loose. It was as if an invisible, icy barrier surrounded him, shutting out the clamor of the mortal world. He was like a reef that had existed since time immemorial, unmoved as time flowed by.
On the right, Goddess Nüwa sat gracefully on the floor, her eyes half-closed and her long skirt spread around her like lotus leaves. Unlike Tongtian's sharp aloofness, she radiated a gentle, vibrant aura, like a dewy forest at dawn. Somehow, it made this shabby room feel more serene—and... spiritual?
The two Sages of the Primordial Era, one on either side, were like two guardian deities (or, perhaps, two statues of deities he was expected to worship), occupying the strategic high ground of his ten-square-meter space.
Lin Fan climbed out of bed as quietly as he could, afraid of disturbing their "cultivation." He checked his phone. It was still early, but an unprecedented financial burden had already settled heavily on his heart.
Three mouths to feed!
Before, there had only been Tongtian, and instant noodles had just about done the job. Now Goddess Nüwa was here too. He couldn't keep serving the human progenitor instant noodles steeped in "turbid energy," could he? She seemed easygoing enough, but Lin Fan himself couldn't bring himself to do it.
He tiptoed over to the kitchen area (which was really just a corner of the room with an induction cooker and a mini-fridge) and opened the fridge. It was practically empty. All that remained were two eggs, a lonely sausage, and half a packet of pickled mustard greens. There was only one packet of instant noodles left, too.
Even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook without ingredients, and Lin Fan wasn't exactly a clever housewife.
He closed the fridge with a frown. When he turned around, he found himself looking into a pair of gentle, clear eyes.
At some point, Nüwa had opened her eyes. She was quietly watching him, a questioning look in her gaze.
"Y-You're awake?" Lin Fan asked awkwardly.
Nüwa gave a slight nod and glanced at the empty fridge. Though she'd only taken a quick look, she seemed to understand Lin Fan's predicament. She spoke softly, her tone soothing. "Do not trouble yourself. Though we have temporarily lost our divine powers, we are no ordinary mortals. A little hunger and thirst will not harm us."
That might have been true, but Lin Fan clearly saw her throat move almost imperceptibly as she spoke. Even a Sage couldn't escape basic biological needs!
Just then, another cool voice rang out.
"Mortal food is merely for filling the stomach." Tongtian had finished meditating and opened his eyes. His tone still carried its usual air of criticism. "Still, that 'instant noodle' from yesterday, though it contained impure energy, tasted... acceptable."
Lin Fan was speechless. So the old man had gotten hooked on it? Wasn't he the one who'd complained yesterday that it was steeped in turbid energy?
Still, Tongtian's words gave Lin Fan an idea. They were out of instant noodles, but he could order takeout!
Takeout was more expensive than cooking for himself, but at least there were plenty of options, he wouldn't have to do any of the work, and... maybe the two of them could experience the convenience of modern technology.
The idea brightened Lin Fan's outlook at once. He quickly pulled out his phone and opened the familiar yellow app.
"Um... you two, uh, seniors," Lin Fan said, carefully choosing his words. "How about we try this for breakfast today? It's called 'takeout.' Basically... someone brings prepared food right to our door, so we don't have to make it ourselves."
He showed the screen to Nüwa and Tongtian.
The screen instantly filled with pictures of all kinds of delicious food—golden, crispy fried dough sticks, plump white steamed buns, beef rice noodles that seemed to send their aroma right through the screen, and colorful Cantonese dim sum...
Nüwa's eyes lit up with an unprecedented brilliance!
It was pure curiosity and wonder, as if she'd just seen an entirely new world brimming with creative possibility. Her gaze passed over every picture like a high-precision scanner, carefully taking in the shapes, colors, and combinations of foods she'd never seen before.
"What manner of creation is this?" she exclaimed softly. Her fingers instinctively reached to touch the translucent shrimp dumplings on the screen. "Such varied forms and vibrant colors! To think ordinary ingredients could be combined into such things. The mortals of this world have such ingenuity when it comes to food!"
As a Sage who governed creation and had molded humans from clay, she was undoubtedly moved by this vivid, imaginative use of ordinary ingredients. It was unlike the natural perfection of the Primordial Era's spiritual roots and immortal delicacies. This was an active, meticulous act of "re-creation," full of the warmth of everyday life.
Tongtian still wore a stern expression, but Lin Fan keenly noticed that his gaze lingered just a fraction of a second longer than usual on a plate of beef swimming in red oil and a serving of lamb skewers sizzling with grease.
Looks like this supreme sword cultivator prefers stronger flavors, Lin Fan thought, filing that away.
"So this is 'takeout'?" Tongtian shifted his attention from the pictures to the app's interface, furrowing his brow. "How can we ensure it arrives safely? And how can we know it is not... inferior goods?"
He was clearly wary of this unfamiliar process.
"You don't have to worry about that," Lin Fan hurriedly explained. "There's a rating system, so we can see what other customers who've tried the food thought of it. And payment... well, it's a way to exchange something of equal value remotely. We only complete the exchange after the food arrives and we've confirmed it's all right. It's very reliable!"
It took quite a bit of explaining before Tongtian could grasp the concepts of ratings and secure transactions.
"Convenient," Tongtian remarked, giving the method his approval.
Nüwa, meanwhile, was completely captivated by the exquisite food pictures. She pointed at a custard bun shaped like a little rabbit, her eyes filled with undisguised delight. "This one... is quite adorable. Lin Fan, may I order it?"
"Of course! Absolutely!" Lin Fan replied at once, feeling like a sales representative guiding two VIP customers from antiquity. "Goddess Nüwa, see if there's anything else you'd like. M-Master Tongtian, what about you?"
With Lin Fan's help, the two Sages embarked on their first takeout-ordering experience in their lives (or, perhaps, their divine existences).
Nüwa was interested in any food that looked beautifully made, softly colored, and "full of life." She ordered custard buns, lily bulb and pumpkin porridge, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
Tongtian knew exactly what he wanted. He ordered spicy boiled beef, grilled lamb skewers, and a generous portion of beef chow fun. After placing his order, he seemed to realize something was missing and added, expressionless, "The 'instant noodle' from yesterday as well."
Lin Fan was speechless. He really couldn't forget about those, could he?
Lin Fan quickly added a packet of braised beef instant noodles (thinking he'd eat it himself), brought the order up to the minimum amount, and paid.
"All done. It should arrive in about half an hour." Lin Fan set down his phone and breathed a sigh of relief.
The wait that followed was nothing new to Lin Fan, but for Nüwa and Tongtian, it was a novel experience.
Nüwa kept glancing toward the door, her eyes full of childlike anticipation. She seemed fascinated by this system of "creating things from afar and having them delivered in an instant," and quietly asked Lin Fan how the restaurants, chefs, delivery workers, and all the other parts of the process operated.
Lin Fan did his best to explain in simple terms. Nüwa listened attentively, nodding now and then, a thoughtful light in her eyes, as if she were constructing a picture in her mind of the vast, intricate network that kept mortal society running.
Tongtian seemed much calmer, but whenever his gaze occasionally drifted toward the door, it betrayed the fact that he wasn't entirely indifferent.
At last, the doorbell rang.
"It's here!" Lin Fan jumped up and ran to open the door.
A delivery guy in blue work clothes stood outside, drenched in sweat and carrying several takeout bags. "Hello, your delivery!"
"Thanks, and sorry for the trouble!" Lin Fan took the bags and shut the door.
As he set the bags, filled with the rich aroma of food, on the table, he could feel the atmosphere in the room change.
Tongtian and Nüwa both fixed their gazes on the bags.
Lin Fan took out the food one item at a time and opened the containers. Instantly, all the different aromas mingled together and boldly filled the entire room!
Steam rose from the soup dumplings, carrying the scent of meat. The red oil on the spicy boiled beef made one's mouth water, the cumin on the skewers smelled rustic and enticing, and even the stir-fried vegetables gave off the fresh sweetness of the ingredients themselves...
Nüwa looked at the spread before her, all steaming and beautifully arranged. Her eyes were filled with pure delight and wonder, especially when she saw the lifelike rabbit-shaped custard buns. She carefully picked one up and examined its delicate form as if admiring a work of art.
"Truly a marvel of craftsmanship... a marvel indeed," she murmured. Only then did she take an elegant little bite and savor it carefully. A contented, gentle smile spread across her face. "Sweet and soft. Quite delicious."
Tongtian picked up the chopsticks Lin Fan had prepared and went straight for the bright red bowl of spicy boiled beef. He lifted a slice coated in chili oil and peppercorns and put it in his mouth.
The numbing, spicy, savory flavor burst across his taste buds! The beef was tender, the broth rich, and the intense, direct stimulation was completely unlike any immortal wine or spiritual fruit he had ever tasted!
Lin Fan watched him closely, afraid the old man would say "acceptable" again.
Tongtian's chewing paused for just a moment. A flash of something close to astonishment flickered through his deep eyes. His expression barely changed, but he began picking up food with his chopsticks noticeably faster.
He tried a grilled lamb skewer next. Its charred aroma was rich, the meat perfectly balanced between lean and fatty, and the scent of charcoal made it just as much to his liking.
As for the packet of instant noodles he'd specifically ordered, he set it aside. For the moment, these "new favorites" seemed to have captured all his attention.
Watching the two Sages enjoy the satisfaction of good food, Lin Fan felt a strange sense of accomplishment. Getting figures from mythology to eat takeout was a pretty unique experience, wasn't it?
He picked up his own bowl of instant noodles. Somehow, they tasted particularly momentous today.
But just as breakfast was drawing to a close and the mood in the room was perfectly harmonious, Tongtian suddenly put down his chopsticks and stared sharply toward the door.
Almost at the same time, Nüwa seemed to sense something too. She lifted her head, a hint of wariness in her gentle eyes.
Lin Fan was startled by their sudden reaction. "What is it?"
"Someone is watching us," Tongtian said tersely, his voice cold.
Nüwa furrowed her brow slightly. "Their aura is concealed. They are no ordinary mortals. There is... a sense of order and investigation about them."
Lin Fan's heart clenched. Someone was watching them? Order? Could it be... the police? Or... someone from Chen Jing's side?
He instinctively looked toward the window and the door, his heart leaping into his throat again. His newly relaxed mood tightened in an instant.
Tongtian closed his eyes, seemingly sensing for something. A moment later, he opened them again, a trace of scorn in his gaze.
"Vermin, skulking in the shadows." He looked at Lin Fan and said coolly, "They must have come for me and my junior sister. You have been caught up in this."
Lin Fan's throat went dry. So they'd really noticed him after all?
He thought of Chen Jing's scrutinizing gaze the day before, and the inexplicable scene at the unfinished building. In the end, the authorities had come knocking.
"They're... outside?" Lin Fan asked hoarsely.
"Mm." Tongtian nodded. "There is more than one aura. They are spread out around the area, watching this place."
The atmosphere in the room plunged from the warmth of enjoying a meal into the cold reality of the moment.
Lin Fan looked at the bowls and chopsticks scattered across the table, then at Tongtian, whose expression was calm but whose gaze held a sharp edge, and Nüwa, whose gentle eyes were tinged with worry.
A clear realization surfaced in his mind:
His little "safe house" was not only facing a serious financial crisis; it had now also come to the attention of the state machinery.
It seemed that his peaceful days... were about to end.
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