The Jade Emperor and Sect Master Tongtian helped Zhang Yifan dig up the ground and plant cabbages.
The two of them did a decent job, and Zhang Yifan was very satisfied. He even praised them as skilled farmers and told them to spend more time working in the fields in the future.
Queen Mother, Yang Jian, Taibai Jinxing, the Three Xiaos, and the others were not idle either. Following Zhang Yifan's instructions, they picked vegetables, washed them, lit the fire, and boiled water.
As for the actual cooking, Zhang Yifan still had to do it himself.
The little farmhouse courtyard was bustling with activity.
Everyone worked while laughing, chatting about everyday matters, and enjoying a warm, cozy atmosphere.
They looked exactly like a family on a countryside outing.
By evening, Zhang Yifan had cooked hundreds of dishes, along with a whole roasted pig and a roasted lamb.
The aroma of the food could be smelled from several kilometers away.
Several kilometers away, above the clouds.
Nuwa frowned and muttered to herself, "I was clearly following him. He was nearby, yet I somehow lost him. I searched all afternoon and still couldn't find him. Where did the Jade Emperor go?"
Ever since Lingshan had been dug away by two mysterious powerhouses, Nuwa had become suspicious.
The Jade Emperor had suddenly stood up to the Western Teachings, wiped out the Journey to the West team, reclaimed the authority to appoint and dismiss Heavenly Court True Gods, and even tried to kill Grand Supreme Elder Laozi.
Sect Master Tongtian, who had vanished for hundreds of thousands of years, had suddenly appeared and even helped the Jade Emperor. More astonishingly, he had dared to insult Dao Ancestor Hongjun!
No matter how one looked at it, it seemed that someone stood behind the Jade Emperor.
He also appeared to have some connection to Sect Master Tongtian.
Saint Nuwa knew how terrifying the primordial calamities were. One wrong move, and there would be no redemption.
During the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the Demon Race's remaining elite cultivators had been nearly wiped out. From then on, the Demon Race had completely declined, never to rise again.
"Mm~ What a wonderful smell."
Nuwa, high in the sky ten thousand meters above, suddenly caught the scent of food. Her delicate nose twitched involuntarily.
"Huh? This aroma seems to carry a faint aura of Laws!"
Saint Nuwa was startled and could not help sniffing more carefully.
"That's right! It's a barely perceptible aura of Laws!"
"What kind of food is this? How could it be so miraculous? Even a wisp of its aroma is this astonishing!" Nuwa cried out in shock.
She had never heard of such a thing, never seen anything like it, yet she had stumbled upon it today!
Nuwa kept sniffing with her nose like a dog, tracking the source of the aroma.
At last, Nuwa saw Zhang Yifan's little farmhouse courtyard, as well as the Jade Emperor, Sect Master Tongtian, and the others inside.
"Just as I thought! The Jade Emperor is connected to Sect Master Tongtian! Sect Master Tongtian actually defied Dao Ancestor Hongjun's punishment of facing the wall for a thousand years and came out!"
"Hm? This courtyard is clearly right here, yet I can't divine anything about it?!"
Nuwa was shocked once again. It was right before her eyes, yet she could not deduce anything about it.
Had a Saint disrupted the heavenly secrets?!
Nuwa's thoughts churned, while the aroma of the food made her heart itch even more.
It smelled ridiculously good!
More importantly, the aura of Laws had grown even denser!
"This isn't the aura of Heavenly Dao Laws. It's actually the aura of Great Dao Laws!" Nuwa could not help exclaiming.
There was an immense opportunity here!
Such an opportunity had never existed since ancient times! It was even greater than becoming a Saint!
Nuwa's chest heaved, and her eyes shone brightly.
But how was she supposed to get close to such a great opportunity?
Force her way in?
Nuwa secretly shook her head. That definitely would not work.
Not to mention Sect Master Tongtian, even the several inexplicably terrifying auras inside the courtyard were enough to make one tremble.
"I've got it!"
An idea came to Nuwa, and a smile appeared on her lips.
Then Nuwa descended from the clouds, landed several hundred meters from Zhang Yifan's courtyard, concealed her aura, and transformed into a little beggar around thirteen or fourteen years old.
This little beggar girl wore tattered clothes, her hair was a mess, her face was grimy, and she was sallow and thin. She looked utterly pitiful.
"Looking this miserable, if I go ask for food, they won't drive me away, right?"
Nuwa was full of confidence as she headed toward Zhang Yifan's courtyard.
Inside the courtyard, Zhang Yifan arranged the bowls and chopsticks. Though the Jade Emperor and the others were salivating, none of them dared start eating.
Zhang Yifan had not even sat down yet. How could the Jade Emperor dare touch his chopsticks?
"Dad, I'll pour you some wine!"
The Jade Emperor obediently and dutifully poured wine for Zhang Yifan.
"Grandpa, I'll serve you some food." Sect Master Tongtian also eagerly picked food for Zhang Yifan.
"Great-Grandpa, have this lamb leg." Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, Bixiao, Zhao Gongming, and the others also fawned over him.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. I'll do it myself, myself." Zhang Yifan laughed heartily, delighted beyond measure.
"Everyone, sit down." Zhang Yifan waved both hands downward, motioning for everyone to take their seats.
"Let me make this clear first. Eat slowly and enjoy yourselves. Don't rush. We'll have a few more drinks tonight."
"Yes!"
The Jade Emperor, Sect Master Tongtian, and the others flushed with embarrassment and answered in unison.
It seemed that their starving-ghost behavior during the previous meals had truly frightened Zhang Yifan.
"Alright, dig in!" Zhang Yifan said.
The moment they heard that, how could the Jade Emperor and the others remain polite? Every one of them began stuffing food into their bowls.
The food was piled so high that their bowls could barely hold any more, yet they still kept picking up more!
As if the dishes would be empty in a moment.
He had told them to eat slowly, but he had not told them to serve themselves slowly!
Yunxiao and the others did the same, stacking food like a human pyramid until it was piled high.
The Jade Emperor and the others thought, I'm such a clever little genius.
Zhang Yifan could only shake his head at the sight. Why did these people always act as though they were afraid of starving to death?
After serving himself enough food, the Jade Emperor was fully satisfied. He raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "Come, Dad worked hard today. A toast to Dad!"
"A toast to Grandpa!"
"A toast to Great-Grandpa!"
"A toast to Grandfather!"
Everyone raised their cups in a toast.
It was Yunxiao and the others' first time eating this food. Though they had heard Sect Master Tongtian speak of it before, only after tasting it themselves could they experience that truly tangible shock!
It was simply astonishing!
They were so excited that their lips trembled, yet they did their best to suppress the urge to wolf it down.
Knock, knock, knock~
A series of knocks came from the courtyard gate.
"Excuse me, may I ask for a sip of water and a bowl of food?"
At the same time, everyone heard the voice of a young girl.
Zhang Yifan looked up and saw a little beggar girl in ragged clothes, with disheveled hair, a grimy face, and a sallow, emaciated appearance.
Sect Master Tongtian, the Jade Emperor, and the others saw her as well.
When Sect Master Tongtian, the Jade Emperor, Queen Mother, and the others saw the little beggar girl, their expressions changed slightly. They exchanged glances and frowned.
Damn it, someone had actually discovered this place!
Someone had been followed!
And this person was no little beggar girl. She was clearly Saint Nuwa!
A dignified Heavenly Dao Saint was willing to throw away all dignity just to come in for a bite of food!
"Come in. Hurry, come in." Zhang Yifan beckoned for Nuwa, disguised as the little beggar girl, to enter.
Over the decades, Zhang Yifan had helped countless people. He had never been stingy when giving charity.
"Thank you, thank you~" Nuwa was delighted. It worked. She stepped into the courtyard.
Boom!
The instant she entered the courtyard, Nuwa's body trembled, her movements froze, and monstrous waves rose in her heart.
Where was her cultivation?
Where was this Saint's cultivation?!
Why was it gone?!
How could the owner of this courtyard be so terrifying?!
Nuwa's expression changed drastically. If her face had not already been filthy and dark, even a three-year-old child would have noticed the change in her expression.
Should she leave?
Should she run?
Nuwa's thoughts were unsettled, and she could not make up her mind.
But such a heaven-defying opportunity was right before her. Wouldn't leaving be far too regrettable?!
Sect Master Tongtian, the Jade Emperor, and the others merely watched her coldly. They neither drove her away nor said anything.
No one entered this courtyard for the first time without being shocked.
The higher their cultivation, the more horrified they became!
Seeing the little beggar girl stop, Zhang Yifan assumed she was frightened by so many strangers. He beckoned again. "Don't be afraid. Come in quickly. We're just eating. I'll serve you an extra-large bowl of rice."
Hearing that, Nuwa secretly gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and walked over.
I'm eating this bowl of rice no matter what.
What does dignity matter? Is it more important than this opportunity?
Besides, it's not as if they can eat me, right?
But the moment Nuwa entered the courtyard, an inexplicable sense of unease welled up in her heart!
What was going on?
Before you continue